#0041 And We’re Back...

Hey Loved One,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! How have you been? I hope you have had a peaceful and blessed holiday period.

As I return to you today I am hungry. Hungry and eager to get back to building my future. There’s nothing more intoxicating than that new year, fresh start feeling, right?

2025 feels like a massive intake of hopeful air to the lungs as my 2024 started very differently. Reflecting over the holidays, I realised that I spent most of the year in flight or fight mode. I became a carer for a family member who was ill. Thankfully they made a full recovery but Christmas and the subsequent six months meant I had to prioritise where my energy was placed. After a brief break, I was back on the treadmill for my boys securing their schooling as regular readers know. I learnt so much that I even wrote a book about the process.

Having this time to myself - and a few choice words from the Sister-Wife - made me realise that last year wasn’t the complete disaster I thought I was. 2024 required me to be family-focused because they needed me. More than my business did. More than my clients did. More than anyone did. And you know what? We made it. We won. By the love of God and the Universe, we are emerging triumphant and grateful. And now, I’m back ready to serve you through my words and work.

So here’s what you can expect from me and this publication going forward:

• More chats about my journey particularly in business. There may be a week or two where life may take over and I’ll be quiet but I hope to keep that to a minimum.

• I’m building a new division in my business so I’m going to take you behind the scenes. Good, bad and - as is normal in business - ugly. It’s a little scary as not every day will be a win but that’s life right?

• I’ll continue to give you the real honest truth so thank you in advance for giving me the space to do so.

And as I’ve always said this doesn’t work without you. So my inbox is always open to your feedback and if anything resonates please share it with others.

Before I go here are a couple of things I wanted to share with you:

Who I’ve been talking to…

Last month, I spoke with saxophonist and businesswoman YolanDa Brown about her new venture SoulMama, a restaurant and entertainment space in London. Not only did we talk about her illustrious musical career but life juggling motherhood and business. I interviewed YolanDa on behalf of Black Cultural Archives, the only heritage centre dedicated to preserving African and Caribbean history in the UK and one of my favourite places in the world.

What I’ve been writing about…

Though I haven’t been writing to you directly, I’ve still had plenty to say:

5 things Artists Should Review This New Year
I loved this piece because I think it offers slightly different angle to the typical lists and applies to everyone not just artists.

OPEN ED: Why representation matters
I wrote a response to an Instagram post by comedian and actor London Hughes talking about the vast difference in pay when you’re an artist in the UK compared to the US.

If I’m honest I’d become very jaded as a manager in the last couple of years. It felt like a lot of blows, very little reward and a lot of unseen sacrifice. I honestly wondered why I was still doing it.

This break reminded me that my advocacy and representation of talent goes beyond the individual. It is a bigger fight for creating legacy and generational wealth and a commitment to challenging the establishment to pay and treat Black talent fairly. It’s led me to build a whole new offer which I’ll share with you next week.

What I’ve got for you…

You can now shop my collection of books, merchandise and business resources! In this space, I’ve created products that have been in my heart to share and I’m just getting started. You can check out the store at juanitarosenior.co

There is so much to come and I’m so excited to see in 2025 with you.

Until next week, loved one