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Hey you,
As we are (rapidly 🫠) approaching the end of 2025, I’ve started reflecting.
Instead of focusing on what I still want to accomplish before the year is over, I’ve been thinking about everything I’ve already done... and how differently it’s all turned out than I expected.
It’s been a journey. And even though we still have two months left in the year, now feels like the right time for a little reflection... and gratitude.
I’ll admit, there have been plenty of moments this year where gratitude was hard to come by. I’ve had to totally change how I consume news (and do my best to not doom scroll) and have been leaning more on in-person connection than in years past (which has been a stretch for my introverted self).
I’ve also been working hard to focus only on outcomes I can actually control... and let go of the ones I can’t.
Which is hard.
I used to think I could use logic and reasoning to change just about any outcome... especially at work.
But over many years, I’ve learned that sometimes I just have to let it go (as Elsa from Frozen once sang). (Side note - I used that phrase so much in one role that I bought a colleague a bracelet with those words... something to look at when she needed to remind herself that not every frustration at work was hers to fix.)
That same friend gifted me The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins this past year. And while I don’t 100% agree with everything in it, there were more than a few reminders I needed to hear... especially now, after transitioning from full-time corporate work into consulting and fractional roles.
This month’s blog pulls out five lessons that stuck with me... and why I’m thankful for the harder, messier moments that taught me how to set boundaries, focus on what matters, and stop twisting myself into knots over things I can’t control.
Let’s get into it.
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🧪Alchemy Notes
5 boundary lessons that changed how I work
(based on a book I almost didn’t read)
From workplace tension… to people-pleasing… to overreactions that weren’t mine to fix... I’ve learned a few things the hard way.
This month’s blog is part reflection, part strategy, and a little business therapy if you need it.
Read the blog: Let Them... And Let Me
📚The Alchemist’s Bookshelf
Why these books made the cut:
I don’t recommend just anything. These are titles I’ve read, loved, and still think about. Some links are affiliate, which helps support this newsletter, at no extra cost to you.
✨Read of the Month:
💫The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
What if you stopped trying to manage everyone’s reactions and just... let them? Robbins offers a simple but surprisingly powerful mindset shift: let them think what they think, feel what they feel, leave if they need to. You focus on your response. This one’s part boundary-setting guide, part emotional detox. A quick, validating read if you’ve been stuck in people-pleasing or overexplaining mode.
📖More picks for whatever phase you are in:
For when you want grit, heart, and hilarious one-liners:
🎤 This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg
Part immigrant story, part comedic survival guide. Zarna’s journey from arranged marriage to sold-out comedy shows is full of sharp observations, big heart, and bigger laughs. I hope I get to see her perform live one day.For when you want the messy, scrappy truth behind the brand:
👟 Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Before it was Nike, it was a startup run out of a trunk. Knight’s memoir is surprisingly candid, occasionally chaotic, and full of the kinds of hard decisions and near-misses you never see in brand origin myths.For when you want rom-com energy with a side of awkward genius:
🧪 The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion
A charming, offbeat love story starring a socially challenged genetics professor and the woman who turns his world upside down. Smart, sweet, and genuinely funny.For when you're tired, weird, and need to laugh at it all:
🐕 Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Equal parts absurd and oddly profound, this graphic memoir dives into everything from depression to identity... through stick figures, bright colors, and unhinged dogs. Not for everyone, but it made me laugh out loud.
📚 P.S. I read a lot… across strategy, memoir, psychology, and the occasional fantasy/romance/thriller/witchy novel. The book recs in this newsletter aren’t filler. They’re part of how I think, lead, and help clients navigate complexity. Want to see what else is on my shelf? Take a peek at my bookstore (affiliate link, updated regularly).
👋🏻Let’s Not Make It Weird
Hi, I’m Tara, Founder and Chief Alchemist of Alchemy Advising. I help growing businesses untangle their finances, rethink pricing, and build smarter systems so they can scale without burning out.
With nearly 20 years in operations and finance, including FP&A leadership at brands like HOKA and UGG, I now work with founders and execs who need clarity, not just spreadsheets. Think: budgeting, forecasting, pricing, and big-picture planning that actually connects to how your business runs day-to-day.
If this newsletter made you nod, pause, breathe a little easier, or curse less at your P&L, here’s what’s next:
📬 Forward this to a founder or ops leader who’s buried in numbers but hungry for insight.
💬 Hit reply if something sparked (or you just want to say “Hi!”).
📅 Want to talk shop? Visit www.alchemyadvising.co and learn about working together or book a chat.
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”