Welcome to Make life easy, Breezi.

Your friend who sends you a weekly update on what she's working on, reading through, and thinking about –  in a list.

Start up solo or bring on a co-founder – here are 5 factors I considered when making the decision

1. Complementary skills and expertise: Do I have the capabilities, well-rounded enough, to run a business alone?

2. Emotional tolerance: How confident was I in my ability to withstand hardship, isolation and stress if when it arises?

3. The timing and urgency of moving forward: Was my time was better spent searching for a cofounder or making progress in building our initial MVP?

4. Alternatives to a cofounder: Could I bring on advisors, mentors or hire early employees instead to get things off the ground?

5. Commitment to vision: Will I be able to find someone who believes in that mission as deeply, to the core, as I do?

I also considered that according to this article, every startup needs

• A hacker: engineers and developers

• A hustler: marketing, growth and business

• A hipster: product design and user experience

Hacker, hustler, hipster aside – I also wanted a cofounder that shares these non-negotiable's

1. Has equal skin in the game

2. Is as passionate about the idea + the long term vision as you are

3. Brings a diversity of ideas, experience and skills to the startup

4. Protects your back (and vice versa), especially in times of struggle

5. Is someone you trust completely

Ultimately, I decided that

• I do want to cofound this with someone; I can be a Hustler and a Hipster but getting myself to elite Hacker level was going to take some time

• But until I meet someone, I'm going to be a solo founder and build as much as I can

• It's a lot easier to start as a solo founder and bring on a cofounder

• Then to start a company with a cofounder and realize it's not the right fit

• Here is a great article I read on what it means to be a solo founder, highly recommend this if you want to start something but feel hesitant doing it alone

Twitter threads I think you should read this week

• How a company can get its first 1,000 users

• 8 tips on branding principles for companies, brands and individuals

• Why teenagers hang out on Discord, instead of the playground

• 2023's Instagram Trend Report – broken down into quick bites

• Is it time to open a UPS franchise?

Why I've decided to start getting up at 5am

• I have never been a morning person

• If you were in my 8am class in college, we probably never spoke because I was always asleep somewhere in the back of the classroom

• A few months ago, my friend Val shared with me that she was reading a book called "The 5am Club" by Robin Sharma and was actually doing it, getting up at 5am

• Val is a beast: she's builds brand's TikTok accounts, is a UGC creator and designs her own clothing brand on Shopify

• I was intrigued – I always felt as if "morning people" like Val knew some sort of secret that us regular people didn't

The secret to waking up at 5am

• It's not supposed to be easy

• I kept waiting for the morning I would hear my 5am alarm, wake up and beam with joy

• Then I realized, that's never going to happen

• But that is the secret – it's supposed to be hard

• Doing that hard thing of setting your alarm for 5am and starting your day having already conquered your biggest challenge

• That's what makes you beam with joy

My current 5am morning routine*

1. Alarm goes off, I count down 5-4-3-2-1, and I rip the blankets off me without giving my brain time to start negotiating with myself

2. I immediately turn the lights on, put my Airpods in and listen to a podcast while I'm getting ready in that first hour

3. These were some of my favorite podcast episodes from last week

4. Releasing Toxic Beliefs, Mindset Tools for Your Dream Life, Tarte Cosmetics on HIBT

5. Then I change into workout clothes and sit down at my desk to read

6. Currently, halfway through Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer (for the second time)

7. After reading, I spend an hour learning – that often comes in the form of reading articles, problem solving in my journal and making progress on Breezi

8. I usually workout at 8am, either boxing, weightlifting or Barry's

9. I don't check my phone notifications until 9:30am when I'm back home

10. Then I start my day!

*Transparently, I haven't been consistent with 5am but when I do follow this routine, it's awesome

My favorite quotes and excerpts from "The 5am Club" by Robin Sharma

1. "The time you least feel like doing something is the best time to do it"

2. "World-Class begins where your comfort zone ends"

3. "Stop managing your time and start managing your focus"

4. "Daily discomfort is the price of enduring success"

5. "Real power, then, comes not from a life of ease but one of intense effort, devoted discipline and demanding action in the direction of what your supreme self knows to be right"

The special meaning behind 2/2 @ 2:22pm

• This is my 2nd newsletter

• Today is February 2nd at 2:22pm

• It's special to me because my favorite number is 22

• Growing up, I always heard this saying in my mind:

• "First is the worst, second's the best"

• So I thought to myself, 22 should be my number

• Because I want to be the best of the best

Valentine's Day is coming up, here are some gift ideas

• Boozy and decadent chocalates from Compartes

• A decorative throw with love festivities from Sunday Citizen

• Cinnamon Heart soy-coconut candle from Mala

• The best smelling fragrance (gender-neutral) from Huron

• Anything from the Love Collection at Jenny Bird

If you're single, here are some products I think you should buy for yourself as a celebration of freedom

• The most organized gym bag ever from Haven Athletic

• This Washed Lavender Tyler Sweatshirt from Anine Bing

• A pair of the Broken Wristband jeans from AGOLDE

• Concert tickets to anything you've been eyeing (I just got tickets to see Illenium in Denver in June!)

• The "famous-in-dtc-world" Hexclad cookware that Gordon Ramsay loves

In case no one told you

• Don't forget to check in on your New Year's resolutions

• Too many people set goals at the beginning of the year, just to never look at them again until December 31st

• A new month is a great time to revisit them

• Also, it's completely okay to change them, re-prioritize and update things where necessary

• My friend Erin has a great article on creating "walled gardens" instead of resolutions

How can I help you

• Need an intro to someone in my network?

• Looking for a freelancer or agency recommendation?

• Not impressed with your current email and SMS marketing?

• Email me back – I always respond

What to look forward to in the next newsletter 

• Why I think social media sucks these days

• The #1 tip that solved work-life balance for me

• My previous life in acting

If you found anything in this newsletter helpful, I'd love to connect on Twitter – tweet me a screenshot of your favorite part and let's chat 👋

I'll be back next week with more lists!