Welcome back to Retrospect, a space where I share real-time reflections on work, relationships, and identity, connecting the dots along the way.
I just came back to Los Angeles after a two-week trip to the East Coast. My fractional work took me to Orlando, where Savoir produced a booth experience at Ulta Beauty World for one of the agency’s favorite clients, Love Wellness. My favorite part of what I do is seeing a product or design come to life from concept. Our 10x10 space was intentionally designed to highlight Love Wellness’ recent product innovation—the new Quick Melt Vitamin Strips.
It was my first time attending Ulta, and the conference didn’t disappoint. We left inspired—and our bags were overweight from all the products we picked up along the way.
Miami was my next stop. I hopped on the Brightline and headed to my friends’ apartment in Brickell. Miami is having a moment, becoming increasingly appealing to residents of Los Angeles and New York. Driven by no state income tax, different politics, and good year-round weather, many people I know have been making the move since the early days of COVID. One of my goals for this trip was to get a better sense of the city, as I’ve been considering relocating there for some time.
But what really brought me to Miami was Summit at Sea. Imagine TED and Burning Man had a baby on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship headed to the Bahamas—that’s Summit at Sea. I’ve attended their land events in the past and have always been impressed by the programming, execution, and quality of people in the room. 2026 felt like the right year to finally go on the boat—for two main reasons: to network and to promote my new brand, Simplimins.
Over the past year, I’ve been leaning into the concept of a portfolio career—a modern approach where you treat your work like an investment portfolio, splitting time between corporate roles, fractional consulting, advisory, and building something of your own, rather than committing to a traditional W-2 path.
I first came across this idea on Substack through Anna Mack’s writing, and something clicked. It felt like an articulation of what I had already been moving toward. I’ve always operated slightly outside of the traditional blueprint. While I’ve held W-2 roles, most were within startups, and I’ve consistently felt the pull to build something of my own.
Three years ago, I found myself in a role at a company where I didn’t have a strong internal team, but I did have decision-making authority and a meaningful budget. That allowed me to hire top-tier branding and marketing agencies like DayJob, Manufactur, and Hawke Media. Around that same time, I finally landed on my own business idea.
I noticed that shilajit, something widely used in Ayurveda and familiar in Eastern European culture, was starting to gain traction in the U.S. I validated the idea, brought on partners, and launched Simplimins.
But that came with a new reality. We’re self-funded, which means no salary and no immediate financial return. If done right, it creates long-term freedom and security, but in the short term, I still needed to maintain a steady income.
Forbes recently published a great article on fractional work—one of the core pillars of a portfolio career. As someone doing fractional leadership work, you have the flexibility to choose which projects to take, which companies to work with, and how to structure your time. It’s exactly what I needed, and everything I’ve been seeing lately reinforces that I’m moving in the right direction.
At Summit, Henrik Werdelin, co-founder of BarkBox, gave a talk titled “From Unicorns to Donkeycorns.” He spoke about how AI is lowering the barrier to building, making this one of the most accessible times in history to start something.
If a decade ago the goal was to build a unicorn, a billion-dollar company, today, the shift is toward “donkeycorns”: self-funded, profitable businesses built with smaller teams and smarter leverage.
“Everyone got the tools. Nobody got the manual. Make many things. Know who you are. Know who you serve. That’s your manual,” Henrik said.
Sitting there, I found myself reflecting on my own path. Today, my career includes two consulting clients, my own business, and creating content for “better-for-you” CPG brands I genuinely believe in. I get to design my schedule and work from wherever I want.
“The concept of career stability has undergone a fundamental transformation. For previous generations, stability meant finding a good company and staying there for decades. Today, nonlinear careers are becoming the norm. Career stability comes from reputation, demand, and repeatable outcomes.” - Forbes
And still—it’s not always easy. There are moments when I miss the stability of a traditional role. The salary. The benefits. The predictability. Choosing this path required a level of trust and self-confidence I didn’t always have.
Then there’s the Summit experience itself.
It was refreshing to see so many interesting people genuinely connecting and forming new relationships—something that feels increasingly rare post-COVID.
There’s a certain beauty about being removed from your typical environment that makes people more open. Conversations start more easily. Curiosity feels more natural. You ask different questions. You listen differently.
I left the boat feeling inspired and energetically charged. The day I disembarked, I noticed that Substack ranked me at #94 on its Top 100 Rising in Business list.
While my spot was quickly replaced, it felt like a small but meaningful signal to keep going, to continue doing what I love: sharing my insights and perspectives on modern work and life here.
And now, before I wrap, a few favorites that earned their place.
Worth the Shelf Space
Magnetic Hat Clip - Hex TOPTOTE by Lindsey Albanese
I’ve had this hat clip for years, and it’s a game-changer for travel. Lindsey, a renowned fashion stylist, launched this self-funded, patented product in 2018—and it quickly became a top seller at Nordstrom.
Simplimins Shilajit Softgels
And of course, I’m sharing my own product, officially launched at the beginning of 2026. Shilajit is a naturally occurring mineral resin rich in fulvic acid and 80+ trace minerals, known for supporting energy, stamina, and focus. Traditionally difficult to consume, we created softgels to make it simple. All products are independently tested by a third-party U.S. lab (Light Labs). Use code ALICOVA for 20% off.
And with that, back to the bigger picture.
Putting yourself out there, whether in business or in your personal life, will always come with a level of risk. There’s no way around it. Just last week, I wrote about the willpower it takes to try again after rejection. And I’ve been thinking about how much that applies beyond one moment or one situation. It’s a mindset.
Summit at Sea was a reminder to stay open. Stay curious. Trust the process, even when the outcome isn’t immediately clear.
Because more often than not, the things that feel uncertain are the ones worth exploring—and the regret of not trying is greater than the risk of failure.
We often overestimate what we can build in a year and underestimate what we can build over ten. In reality, all it takes is staying consistent long enough to see what something can become.
In retrospect, the dots connect.
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