06/05/2026
Three years in, and I cried the whole drive to the shop this morning.
We have built something I am SO proud of. I believe in what Joyful Jarra is and I believe deeply in what it can be…and I am exhausted by it in a way I didn’t know was possible. Three years in and I’m still not able to pay myself much. The work is real, the mission is real, the community we’ve built is real, and the gap between what this business gives back and what it takes from me is also real.
I’m not saying this to ask for anything. I’m saying it because I think a lot of people who build things this way, with their whole selves, know exactly what this parking lot moment feels like, and I just want to be honest.
Joyful Jarra isn’t going anywhere. I took a few minutes, talked to my peoples, and moved forward.