I literally just figured this out. I’m beginning to wonder if everything in life is so simple.


Story time: I created Amour Abroad in August 2021 for the year I was about to spend in Barcelona. I was attending graduate school to get my MBA in International Business, and I figured it would be the best to use my new degree for myself. 

Now young Kayla was right, there’s no better investment than in your education, but along the way I realized I had a few internal blocks that were keeping me from committing. It seemed like every new height became a plateau, and things would stay stagnant until I fell back to square one. Like trying to lose weight. 


In school I learned that all the greatest people blindly trusted themselves. They relied on their insight, the way they saw their business, and the things that them happy. Each person went through a period of trials and tribulations, causing them to hone their vision, and they all came out with the same message: conviction leads to success. 

So I was praying and meditating and asking God to show me the things in myself that would lead to success, and recently He reminded me that I had been a whole consultant for a small soccer agency in Spain (surprise)!

As part of my dissertation, I’d led a team of three that came together with various talents in international business, sports management and digital marketing to help this company flourish.

They wanted to increase the number of players on their roster, reach more talent in the United States and Europe, and increase their profits with the goal of bringing on more staff. We thought it an easy ask – social media was the playground for their ideal audience and their values were great, as the owners had been professional players who came from modest families. 

The way we saw it, with the right marketing and an upgrade to some of their processes, they’d expand in no time. And by golly, a year later I checked in and saw that our advice had worked. 

Their reach was expanding, more young players were signing with them, and most importantly, everyone was getting paid. 

I thought, if I could do something like that for a foreign business in a field I knew little about, I could certainly do it for myself.

So I took the last couple of weeks to do an honest consultation on my business.

My overall rating was an 8 out of 10 – a B. This is the grade I’d give to a business that was solid, meaning it had a good message, great products, a well-working digital presence and complete social media integration. 

It’s like when you buy an old house and find out that the last owner already updated the plumbing and electricity. The hard work is done – all you need is to knock down some walls and change the paint. 

So after singing my praises I made a plan similar to what I’d created for my client:



1. Write down what I want to offer intellectually and emotionally, and who I want to offer it to.

2. Determine where I want to be in 5 years and create a rough outline of the path there.

3. Finalize a color scheme that evokes the feeling I desire and implement it across all platforms.

4. Start batch creating social media content and automate posting.

5. Create a schedule and be consistent. 


Looking back I felt a bit like ‘duh, these are no brainers,’ but getting things on track is so different when it’s your business on the line.

Trusting your instincts can be a very scary thing!

I write this because I want to encourage you if you’ve had difficulty following your own advice. You’re completely right, it’s harder than it seems! And there is the part that you end up learning on your own, the part people don’t always tell you: it’s so very literal. 

If you know how to help people boost their confidence, you also know how to boost your own. Or if you know how to help others manage their anger, you also know how to manage your own. 

Valuing your insight can be it’s own self-confidence battle. 

But trusting that you possess the keys to your life is the most powerful thing you can do. That’s why it feels like teetering on the edge. 

Say this with me: I am smart. I am insightful. My words inspire action and that action brings success. I was made on purpose, with purpose, and success is my middle name. 

Whatever you’re thinking about right now, yes, you can do it! Trust your instincts, do the things you’d advise. You have all your gifts for a reason – rely on them and your dreams will come true! 

I’m right there with you. I love you! 🤎