The Clues Were There All Along

You know how in Knives Out, when Benoit Blanc* finally stands up to reveal what happened, you realize all the clues were right there the whole time? Sara and I have been doing that with JSM lately - looking back at what we thought were failures and building the case for why they put us in the best possible place.

I guess you could say this is a bit of a "soft launch" of our rebranding of Joyful Support Movement to Practical Hug. Now you're a reader of The Practical Hug Newsletter so you're probably like yeah, whatever, but let me prep my southern accent and jump into how we got here.

How We Got Here

In 2022, I started The Mddl. I knew I wanted something about being in all of these different middles of life because it was chasing me (I preserved my writings about this in our blog). Frankly, I did The Mddl because it was short and the URL was available, but no one could remember it… Which is why when Sara and I started our partnership, I said you know what, I'm just going full rebrand and turning everything The Mddl into the Joyful Support Movement.

The name Joyful Support Movement… was also a little bit of a compromise on Sara's and my part because we loved the term Joyful Support, but there is a dog training company in Canada with that name and URL. We were able to still get Joyful Support trademarked here in the US because that's what the tool we designed was. We also love the idea of our support and partnership starting a movement.

But here we are, and JSM (or Joyful Support Movement) just isn't working for us… but Practical Hug beyond this newsletter? It is.

When the Pieces Clicked

When I look back at The Mddl → JSM → Practical Hug, I'm not seeing failure anymore. I'm seeing clues.

All the elements from each version are still here. Sharing the Middle became my story pillar. The Joyful Support tool and framework are still big parts of our foundation. Joy is still a key component with the Joy Moments podcast and Joy Circle events. Nothing was wasted - it was all building toward this.

And here's the thing - I've done the technical side of a rebrand before. Mddl to JSM taught me how to handle domain changes, email migrations, all that backend stuff. So this time? It doesn't feel like a huge lift. I know what works and what doesn't.

Plus - and this is the clue I didn't see at the time - I wouldn't have been able to handle "success" back then anyway. Life circumstances (hello, surprise pregnancy) would have made rapid growth impossible. The timing protected me.

Practical Hug lets us course-correct the little nagging doubts we've had about JSM without losing sight of the bigger mission. We're just doing it with a new name that sparks joy, feels just right, and leans on the two big things we want to provide to as many people as possible - emotional and tangible support.

Thinking through this also made me realize, I am exactly where I need to be.

Of Course It's Me

Looking back for clues is also a great way to fight imposter syndrome. I could sit here thinking why would you want to listen to me. I am just some middle aged lady in Ohio. But the clues say otherwise.

When I channel that Benoit Blanc reveal on myself, here's what the evidence shows:

Chronic illness (ME-CFS) + motherhood + technical skills + communication skills + instructional design background + willingness to be messy + willingness to share my story = a person with a pretty unique point of view.

Look at that evidence.

It's not "why not me?" anymore. It's "of course it's me."

Nobody else has this exact combination. Nobody else is building support tools while managing a chronic illness and postpartum life. Nobody else is doing the technical backend AND the vulnerable storytelling. Nobody else is teaching people how to make life easier without shame from this particular middle.

The clues were there all along. I just needed hindsight to see them.

Your Turn to Play Detective

So here's my invitation to you: What clues are hiding in your life right now? What seemingly random pieces might actually be building the case for why you're exactly who you need to be, right where you are?

You don't need the full reveal today. Sometimes you need to live a little more before Benoit Blanc can stand up and make it all make sense. But the clues? They're already there.

And when you're ready to work through your own story, the Joyful Support tool is here to help you figure out what support you need and how to ask for it. When you're ready to share it? Come to Joy Circle - I'd love to hear what clues you're uncovering.

Until then, we will be cheering you on!

*Not a Knives Out fan? No worries replace Benoit Blanc with Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew.