The work I’m doing on this website is layered, intentional, and time-consuming—and that’s not by accident. I think about every last detail because this isn’t just another platform. This isn’t a corporate e-commerce site built for speed, scale, or convenience. This is my heart on every page, my belief in creators, and my refusal to recreate systems that overlook the people who care the most.
I fight this hard because I’ve seen what happens when talented, passionate people pour everything they have into their work and are still treated as disposable, replaceable, or “not big enough to matter.” I fight because integrity isn’t something I’m willing to lose just to make things easier. If I’m going to ask creators to trust me—with their work, their names, their livelihoods—then I owe them my full effort, my attention, and my backbone. I won’t build something I wouldn’t want to stand inside myself.
That’s why I slow down when it would be easier to rush. That’s why I revisit things that technically work but don’t feel right. This platform is being built with empathy first, because building something worth trusting requires courage, not shortcuts. Especially when other people’s dreams are involved.
So while the rest of the world drifts off to sleep, I’m pouring another cup of coffee and burning the midnight oil—not out of hustle culture or pressure, but out of care. These late nights are quiet, intentional, and full of responsibility. This isn’t about proving anything. It’s about alignment. About being able to look at what I’m building and know I didn’t betray my values to get there.
Alongside all of this, I recently started the YumYumRunner Fan Club on Facebook. Not as a marketing move, but as a space for people who want to follow the real journey—the behind-the-scenes moments, the progress, the pauses, the honesty. A place for community, conversation, and connection. I’m deeply grateful for the people who’ve chosen to follow along there, who engage, encourage, and remind me that this work doesn’t exist in isolation. Knowing there are people invested in the journey—not just the outcome—means more than I can put into words.
Tomorrow looks different than tonight. It’s full of vendor networking and attending one of the largest events of the year in Williamsburg, Virginia. I’m excited to connect with a part of our community I haven’t had the chance to yet—to listen, to learn, and to keep building something that truly serves the people it’s meant for.
I fight because I have to.
Anything less wouldn’t be me.