How a Sprained Ankle on My Dream Surf Trip Taught Me the Most Important Business Skill of 2025

Welcome to the first edition of This Rad Life, Unfiltered—my weekly audio journal turned blog series where I share unfiltered behind-the-scenes stories of life, business pivots, and big-ass lessons in purpose, productivity, and what I call truth-telling.

So let’s start here: I just got back from a $3,000 dream surf trip I manifested out of nowhere. First day in, I sprained my ankle. Hard. And as it turns out, that injury was exactly the wake-up call I needed.

Because this wasn’t just a story about surfing. It was a story about receiving. And how god-awful we are at it, especially women, especially entrepreneurs, especially people who are used to doing it all themselves.

🎧 Listen to the Episode Below (or keep on reading!)

Mastering the Art of Receiving: A Surf Trip, a Sprained Ankle, and a Wake-Up Call
This Rad Life, Unfiltered — Episode 1

The Art of Receiving (or, Why We Suck At It)

Let me back up. A few weeks ago, I got a call from someone I met on a previous trip. She had to cancel a surf retreat she had already paid for. And she wanted me to take her spot.

No catch. No expectations. Just a fully paid-for dream trip.

And what was my first instinct?

To feel guilty. To want to pay her back. To overthink it. To ask ChatGPT (yes, really) how to accept it gracefully.

And the advice it gave me? Say thank you. Don't overdo it. Mean it.

Okay, cool. I did that. But I also had that little voice whispering in the back of my head: Something bad is probably going to happen.

Enter: The Ankle

Cut to: the surf trip. I shifted my schedule, made it happen, and everything went off without a hitch. I got an empty row on a packed flight. I stretched out and slept. I felt like the universe was giving me a cosmic hug.

And then—because I’m me, and apparently I don’t know when to chill—I paddled out for a second surf session on day one. My shoulders were toast, but I was frothing. The surf was pumping.

One wave turned into two turned into "just one more."

You know how this ends. Shallow water. A misstep. Snap, crackle, pop. My left ankle was done.

Cue the shame spiral: I ruined it. I wasted it. Why can't I just enjoy something good?

The Real Lesson Wasn't About Surfing

It took me a minute (okay, hours with ice and ibuprofen) to realize: this trip wasn’t about surfing.

It was about the practice of receiving. Of letting people help me. Of saying yes to support without needing to prove anything in return.

Of learning how to just be.

This is something I see with my clients all the time, especially women. We’re over-functioners, over-deliverers, over-givers. We DIY everything. We rarely accept help. And we pay the price with burnout, under-earning, and businesses that feel more like cages than freedom machines.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the kicker: when we resist receiving, we block abundance. In our businesses. In our relationships. In our health. In our creativity. In our joy.

Currency Flows. But Only If You Let It.

Everything that flows in needs to flow out. And vice versa.

That’s why it’s called currency. And when you block the inflow—money, help, support, kindness—you cut yourself off from the very thing you say you want.

I see this happen in business all the time. Entrepreneurs get stuck in plateaus because they won’t ask for help, or they refuse to receive support from team members. They underprice because they feel weird about charging. They micromanage everything. They hold too much.

I used to be that entrepreneur.

Hell, sometimes I still am.

But this year, my word is receive. And I’m practicing it in real time. That’s what this trip cracked wide open.

You Don’t Have to Earn the Good Stuff

If this story hit home for you, consider this your cosmic permission slip:

You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to earn joy. You don’t have to overwork to receive abundance. You don’t have to hustle to deserve support.

You are inherently worthy.

All you need are open hands and an appreciative heart.

Want My Help? Here’s Where to Start:

✅ Take the Profit Potential Assessment – The only assessment that shows you the real reason your income or energy might be plateauing—and what to shift to unlock more.

✅ Listen to the secret podcast – My behind-the-scenes audio guide to building a life-first business that feeds your purpose and your bank account.

✅ Book a consult call here – If you’re ready for high-level support to scale sustainably, I’ve got a few spots open. Let’s chat.

Whatever you do next, just know this:

You’re allowed to receive.

And I’m glad you’re here.

This Rad Life, Unfiltered is the audio companion to my weekly email pep talks for unconventional business owners who want to work less, earn more, and feel good doing it. Want in? JOIN THE LIST.