Last week I stood on a stage I had never stood on before. The Women Rising Summit — our very first — was a dream that turned into a plan, that turned into a full-out leap of faith. And let me tell you, it was a “through it” experience.

I had two incredible partners in crime, and thank goodness, because I made mistakes. Big ones, small ones, the kind you only see in hindsight and the kind you try to fix while juggling 10 other things. We dropped the ball here and there, scrambled to reopen links after they closed too soon, sent out workflow emails that didn’t match our last-minute changes and tried to answer “can I still come?” messages as I was running out the door.

In the chaos, I was also printing last-minute promotional material for my own business — Dandelion-Inc — because yes, I want people to join me on this messy, beautiful journey as I prepare to launch my book in November. I was handmaking gifts for every swag bag, because I’m not the “toss a pen in and call it done” type. Other sponsors’ swag arrived late. And yes, I was praying that the new marketing ideas we brought — things done before but not quite like this in our community — would actually resonate.

But then came the phone call — the one that accused us of being in it for profit. The one that said women helping women should mean “for free.” That our time, energy and work weren’t worth anything if we dared to put a price tag on it. And I’ll admit it, that call festered in me for far too long.

Because it hit something deeper.

Why is it that we, as women, so often feel like in order to empower others, we must weaken ourselves? Why is it okay for a personal trainer to charge for helping someone grow strong, but wrong for me to ask for compensation while building a community of strong women? Why is there guilt tied to growth, as if we’re only genuine if we do it while running ourselves dry?

I’ve sat with that tension this week. And here’s where I’ve landed: growth and giving are not enemies. They belong together. We can build platforms that lift others while also sustaining ourselves. We can empower without emptying our bank accounts, our calendars and our hearts.

The Women Rising Summit was not perfect. It was messy, exhausting and humbling. But it was also inspiring, beautiful and proof that when women come together, something bigger than ourselves happens. And that’s worth doing again — and again. We already locked in the date for 2026 — save the date Sept. 25.

So here’s my reminder, both to you and to myself: you are allowed to grow. You are allowed to charge. You are allowed to want more for yourself and still be a person who pours into others. Don’t let guilt or other people’s expectations shrink you down.

Because rising isn’t about being flawless. Rising is about showing up anyway.