Redefining Success

Dear reader,

I'm writing this Founder Letter from Marbella.

The city where I lived for over two years. It's funny... because when I lived here, I always thought this was home. Now that I'm back, it doesn't feel like home anymore. It feels like a holiday, and I never thought I would say that.

Home is Amsterdam now.

Sometimes I still walk into my apartment and just smile, because if you've been reading my Founder Letters from the beginning, you know exactly where I came from.

You've read about my mistakes. You've read about the moments where I had nothing. There was even a season where I didn't have a home. Looking back now, it almost feels unreal, but maybe that's exactly why I appreciate this season so much.

I don't take any of it for granted. Every single day feels like a blessing. Even serving at District Church In Amsterdam on a Sunday morning has become one of my biggest joys lately.

Every morning when I wake up, I remind myself that this is a blessing. Not because life is suddenly perfect... although, honestly, sometimes it really feels like it is. The only thing missing is an office in Amsterdam where I can fully focus on rebuilding BYOU. Of course, life will always have challenges. That's just life, right? But this season feels different. It feels peaceful. It feels abundant. And maybe for the first time in a long time, I'm actually allowing myself to enjoy it instead of immediately thinking about the next goal.

I choose me now.

And it feels damn good!

I don't mean that in a selfish way. I mean that I've stopped making decisions just because I think they're expected of me. I listen to myself so much more now.

I notice that in the way I'm rebuilding BYOU as well.

Don't get me wrong, I love receiving feedback. I honestly do. I think feedback helps us grow. But at the end of the day, I also think every founder reaches a point where they have to stop asking everyone else what they should do and start asking themselves what actually feels right.

That's where I am today.

People have many opinions about how I should rebuild BYOU. Raise money this way. Focus on this market. Build that feature first. Move there. Hire this person.

And I appreciate every conversation.

But I'm building BYOU in a way that feels aligned with where we wanna go for a better world.

Because I realized something over the past year; I don't think success is what society tells us it is.

For me, success is having the freedom to fly to Spain on a Tuesday morning and come back on Thursday. It's walking through Amsterdam on a Monday morning, grabbing a coffee, and not feeling guilty because I'm not behind my laptop.

We're always busy doing.

Building.

Producing.

Achieving.

But we're called human be-ings, not human do-ings.

That sentence has been in my head a lot lately.

Because what if we spend so much time building a life that we forget to actually live it?

I don't want that anymore.

And I don't want that for BYOU either.

I've been thinking a lot about what I hope people will say about me twenty years from now.

I don't really care if they remember me as someone who built a big company.

I'd much rather they say, "She gave people the space and courage to fully be themselves."

Because I think that's becoming rare.

Especially now.

We're living in a world where AI can create a perfect person in seconds. Social media makes everyone look successful. Everyone seems to have the perfect business, the perfect relationship, and the perfect morning routine.

But life isn't like that.

At least mine isn't.

Some days I feel like I have everything figured out. Other days I question everything.

And I think that's okay.

Actually... I think that's human.

That's also what I want BYOU to stand for.

Not becoming someone else.

Not pretending to have it all together.

But becoming more of yourself.

Fully BE YOU.

Maybe that's also why coming back to Marbella feels so special.

When I lived here, I always felt there was something unique about this city. People love beauty. They love success. They love living well.

And every time I came back, I kept thinking the same thing.

What if we could bring together all those incredible people and create something that goes beyond ourselves?

Not another networking event.

Not another business dinner.

A community.

That's why, on August 1st, we're hosting the very first BYOU Marbella Impact Dinner at Boho Club.

We'll bring together beauty and wellness experts, founders, and people who genuinely want to make a positive impact in someone else's life, building something that helps other people change theirs too!

If there's one thing I hope you take away from this letter, it's this:

Don't forget to enjoy the season you're in.

Whether you're in your building season, your healing season, your waiting season, or your abundance season... don't rush through it.

One day you'll look back and realize it was shaping you all along.

And if you've been reading these letters for a while... thank you! It honestly means more than you probably realize. You're not just watching BYOU being rebuilt. You're growing alongside me. I can't wait to show you what's coming next.

See you in the next Founder Letter ♥️

Danique Motzheim

Founder of BYOU ( Impact Foundation)