The Morning Ritual That Changed Everything

It started with a single candle. Nothing dramatic, nothing Instagram-worthy—just a small flame flickering on my kitchen counter at 5:47 AM on a Tuesday morning in November.

I was exhausted. The kind of bone-deep tired that comes from building something from nothing, from saying yes to everything, from forgetting that rest isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. My days blurred together: coffee, emails, calls, more coffee, deadlines, more emails, collapse into bed, repeat.

 

That morning, something shifted. Instead of reaching for my phone the moment my eyes opened, I lit that candle. I made my coffee slowly, deliberately. I sat in the quiet darkness and watched the steam rise from my mug, watched the flame dance, watched the world wake up around me.

For the first time in months, I felt present. Not thinking about the day ahead, not replaying yesterday's mistakes—just there, in that moment, with the warmth of the mug in my hands and the soft glow of candlelight painting everything golden.

"Ritual isn't about perfection. It's about intention. It's about creating sacred space in the ordinary moments."

That twenty-minute ritual became the foundation of everything that followed. It became the quiet space where ideas were born, where clarity emerged, where I remembered who I was beneath all the doing.

 

Now, years later, my morning ritual has evolved. It includes skincare that feels like meditation, journaling that clears the mental clutter, and yes, still that candle—though now it's joined by others, creating a small altar of intention on my kitchen island.

The ritual taught me something profound: how we begin shapes everything that follows. When we start with intention, with presence, with care for ourselves, we carry that energy into every interaction, every decision, every moment of our day.

This is why ritual became central to every brand I've built. The idea for Teos Brew was born years ago during those late-night study sessions in college, but it was only a few years ago that I started developing it into reality. That morning ritual taught me that coffee isn't just fuel—it's about the ritual of brewing, of pausing, of creating space for reflection. Pure Beauty isn't just about skincare—it's about the ritual of self-care, of honoring your body, of beginning each day with love.

Because in the end, it's not about the candle or the coffee or the perfect morning routine. It's about choosing, again and again, to show up for yourself. To create moments of beauty in the ordinary. To remember that how we do anything is how we do everything.