Real Beauty: Back to realty

What a season this has been for Real Beauty! Thank you for sharing my maternity leave, and joining in with the discussions and convos! 

Roll on next season... who knows whats in store!

Contact me @francenejdavidson

Transcript

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Welcome to Real Beauty with FD, a space where beauty goes far beyond the surface. Here, we explore what beauty really means, from the products we can't live without to the stories that shape who we are. From cult favorite skincare to confidence, from glowing on the outside to navigating life on the inside. But this isn't just about makeup bags and routines. We're diving into conversations that don't always get said out loud: fertility journeys, evolving friendships, motherhood, and everything in between. Because real beauty is found in resilience, in vulnerability, and in the moments that change us. Think of this as your place to discover your little black dress in beauty, those go-to products, rituals, and mindsets that make you feel like you, while also learning how to truly feel at home in your skin. Each episode, I'm sitting down with inspiring women to talk about beauty, life, and the stories that define them. This is Real Beauty: unfiltered, honest, and yours. I'm FD, and I'm so glad you are here. It is wild to think we have come to an end of this season of Real Beauty. It has been so fun to get back into podcasting. I don't know why I took such a break. I guess work, life, everything else in between. But I forgot how good it feels to speak to other people outside of my circle, really test some of my thought processes, speak to people who are experts within certain spaces, and really talk about conversations that are on my mind but with the right people. What's crazy to think is I have one more week until I return back to work from being off on maternity leave, so our baby is officially going to be six months. It is wild to think it's been half a year, and so much has happened. I feel, as I look back, it feels like a lifetime has passed. This break has honestly been one of the best seasons I've had. Success for me wasn't productivity in the traditional sense. It was really finding a rhythm and taking advantage of this time. Slowing everything down, building a routine that actually felt good to me, and being intentional with my time And one of that, one of those pieces was getting back into podcasting, which I'm sure some people think it is ridiculous, especially knowing postpartum having time off from work. But to me, this isn't work. This has been just so fun. And, raw, especially with some of the subjects that I have touched upon from my own fertility journey and, being open about that piece, which has... hopefully it's been helpful for anyone listening, but it has certainly been good from my standpoint to be able to talk about some of these pieces. So one of the other areas that I've focused on is spending more time moving my body and really prioritizing fitness and exercise, but not overcomplicating it. So getting back into pickleballing. I've been doing that, three times a week, so having that routine. And then also having the routine of getting back into Peloton and even at home workouts, getting back into walking. I did two runs, so I cannot say I've got back into running, but I did it. It is way too hot in Houston at the moment for that type of exercise. I will wait until the fall. But truly getting back into that and not limiting myself, knowing that if I'm in a kind of good fitness exercise mindset, I'm hoping it will be easy to continue that as I go back to work, as I think about, lack of time and routine and everything's gonna be thrown off. But I feel optimistic. And like I said, it's wild to think back. It really does just feel like such a blur. And so much has happened, but I also feel how much I've changed. In some ways I feel better, more grounded, more aware of what actually matters to me. I think that has been really focused in what I have been thinking about. But in other ways, I feel I've also had too much space to think, and I have really bad tendencies of falling down that rabbit hole of overthinking. But it's also brought a lot of reflection, questions, and level of self-awareness, which sometimes isn't always comfortable. So it's weird how time away from the structure of work hasn't just given me rest, which I know I use that term rest, and yes, we're still getting up during the night with our baby, but also how much it's changed how I see myself. So if I had to take away some words of wisdom from this season, it would be don't wait for a break to start living in a way that feels aligned with you. Slow down before life forces you to. Truly being intentional with your time, not just busy with it. And remember that rest doesn't make you lose momentum. It often shows you what actually matters. So now I'm stepping back into work, and I'm not the same version of me that stepped out, which is gonna be interesting to see, and I truly think part of that is the point. So going into maternity leave, I had a list of TV shows I was gonna watch. I had a lot of things that I thought I would do. But what's interesting is I spent more quiet time doing things like reading. I've never read so many books, and it's been, oh my God, I've enjoyed that so much, having the time and routine to do that I've also found myself stepping back from social media more than I usually would. Having more playtime, more presence, more time with Luna, which has been honestly the biggest gift in all of this. I know I've mentioned, multiple times about being able to walk Luna to and from school and having that kind of time with her. But even this last month, being able to be at home with her during the summer has just been so magical. And I know going back to work for any working parents out there, summer camps are such a shit show, and just trying to find camps that even cover a full working day is near on impossible. So I know it's gonna be super fun. And really, the reality of our kinda newfound family dynamic is truly not gonna kick in until, Luna goes back to school. But still, having that time together has just been so amazing. What's interesting is even the practical things have mattered more than I expected. So cleaning the house top to bottom with-- Look, if anyone that knows me, they will not be surprised by that. My OCD has been wild during these last six months. I need to go back to work in order to not be fixating on keeping the house perfect, which seems silly to kinda say out loud, but I will tell you, it's for sure an issue. But being able to properly have time to go through everything. I have gutted the entire house, all the drawers, all the closets, truly deciding what stays, what goes. It sounds so simple, but it's felt like I've been organizing my life at the same time. Like I needed that physical reset to match what was happening internally So so much time has given me space to think, as I said, and in all of that, it really feels like I've needed this season. I needed Brie, and somehow everything feels like it is exactly how it should be. So for anyone going back to work after time off, I feel you. The nervousness, there's fear of the unknown, also excitement for what's next so roll on the next season of Real Beauty. I appreciate everyone listening during this time. I hope the conversations have been helpful, insightful. For anyone that is postpartum or, due or, looking to start a family, I really hope some of these conversations have benefit. And who knows what the next focus will be? Who knows what awesome conversations I will have and who I will speak to in the future? I am so open, and I promise I will not leave it too long to get back to the next season of Real Beauty.