Build Ecosystems, Not Empires
Formerly Brown CEO Letters / Written by Gelaine Santiago
The best decisions don't come from urgency. They come from patience, clarity, and trust.
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Hi Reader, kamusta? How are you?
The holidays are a wild time for business owners, aren’t they? Many of us barely break even all year. Then, boom – November & December roll around and suddenly you’re making a third of your annual revenue.
There’s a lot riding on the holidays, and with that comes a rush of highs (a successful pop-up, big holiday sales, new customers) or anxiety-inducing lows (slower-than-expected sales, creeping burnout, a failed launch).
It can be an emotional time, which often makes us feel pressured to make BIG business decisions, and to make them right now.
Case in point: I co-hosted a holiday pop-up this month featuring small biz founders in Toronto. During the event, one of the founders confided she was having a business crisis – feeling tired, burnt out, and unsure what to do next. Her lease was coming up in a few months, and she was panicking about whether to renew or walk away.
I told her what I’ve learned in almost 10 years of running a business:
Never make big decisions on a high or a low.
When you’re riding a high, it’s tempting to dream big and assume everything will stay amazing forever. And when you’re at a low, the pain or frustration makes it feel like the only option is to quit or pivot drastically. Neither place is where clarity lives.
Sometimes, the best action is no action—giving yourself space to rest, let feelings settle, and see the bigger picture.
I’ll be honest, this is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.
In 2023, we opened our first brick & mortar showroom in Toronto. After a few soft launches on social media, the response was incredible. Appointments filled up within 24 hours, and I was on a high.
I thought, "This is it! The next big chapter for our business."
I invested countless hours into restructuring, training our team, and imagining a new business model built around brick and mortar instead of online. I wanted to go all in.
But when we launched officially? The response was…meh.
By then, I was exhausted. One rainy Saturday morning, I drove 30 minutes to the showroom for an appointment, only for the customer to cancel five minutes before. Man, I was ANGRY. I wanted to shut the whole thing down. For two weeks, I wallowed in frustration, convinced this was all a big failure.
But instead of rushing to a decision, I gave myself time to sit with the experience and let the feelings settle.
Now, we use the showroom as a small, supplementary space for pop-ups and events in addition to warehousing and fulfilling online orders—nothing revolutionary, but it works. And more importantly, it’s manageable.
Had I made a decision in the high of excitement or the low of burnout, I would have missed this middle ground.
So, what does this mean for you today, Reader?
If you’re feeling urgency to make a big decision—whether after a great season or a tough one—pause. Ask yourself:
- Do I need to decide right now?
- Am I on a high or in a low?
- What’s the bigger picture? How does this one moment compare to the overall trend?
Running a business rooted in ecosystems and community isn’t about chasing the peaks or drowning in the valleys—it’s about staying grounded and building something that lasts.
The best decisions don’t come from urgency: they come from patience, clarity, and trust.
If you're struggling with a mix of emotions and what ifs, then sit with your feelings. Let them marinate. Trust that the answers will come.
If this message resonated with you, please share it. Forward this email to a friend who might need to hear it right now—it could be just the reminder they need this season.
Sending you rest, peace, and clarity <3
Gelaine 🌸
Thoughtful Finds 🌸
- Hopeful vibes: Signs our activism for Palestine is working.
- F* The Algorithm: A great reel explaining the social media industrial complex and why some content goes viral over others.
- A helpful distinction: “Belonging to the land” versus “Owning the land” *Thanksgiving-related but always relevant.
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