Turning 40 as a woman, entrepreneur, and founder of a woman owned candle business has reshaped how I see confidence, leadership, and new beginnings. In this birthday reflection, I share how returning to Square One changed my business mindset and why I am launching the You Are Magic candle as a reminder that the magic of new beginnings starts within you.
You Are Magic…Turning 40…. and Returning to Square One.
Today I turn 40. And this birthday feels different.
Not because I have arrived.
Not because I have made it.
Not because everything is perfect.
But because for the first time in my life, I do not feel like I have to prove anything.
I trust myself.
For years, I believed the magic lived somewhere outside of me…
In better timing.
In bigger visibility.
In going viral as a woman owned business.
In finally feeling ready.
I believed that once I felt confident, then I could lead confidently.
I was wrong.
Confidence did not come from perfection.
It came from presence.
From showing up to events when I felt out of place.
From posting when I worried about judgment.
From speaking even when my voice shook.
The fear absolutely did not disappear.
But I stopped letting it make the decisions.
Somewhere along the way, while building Love Square One, I realized something powerful. The magic of new beginnings does not start when you feel fearless.
It starts when YOU decide. 🫶
And funny enough, at 40, I find myself back at Square One. Same business. New mindset.
Less proving.
More leading.
Less performing.
More building.
Square One is not where you go when you fail.
It is where you return when you finally know who you are, and boy have I missed her ❤️🩹
That is the difference between starting over and starting wiser.
That is why today I am releasing one candle.
You Are Magic…Peppercorn and Citrus.
One of the very first fragrances I ever poured when I began this candle business. Bold. Bright. Grounded. It feels fitting that this scent, from the very beginning, is the one I am pouring again at 40.
Full circle.
Turning 40 has not made me fearless. But it has made me steady.
I speak more boldly online now.
I trust my instincts faster.
I lead my business with more clarity.
I push myself gently every morning.
Not to prove something…But to build something meaningful.
To build a brand rooted in truth.
To build something strong enough that one day my husband can step fully into this business beside me.
That is what becoming looks like. Not viral. Not perfect…Committed.
If no one clapped.
If no one posted.
If no one bought a candle.
Today would still matter.
Because if one woman reads this and realizes she does not have to wait to feel ready, then it is enough.
The magic does not arrive. YOU arrive. And that is when everything changes. 🫶
Love Square One
The magic of new beginnings one moment at a time.
Happy 40th Birthday! from your candle maker
-Joanna Pompano