Some years don’t just pass. They mark you.
2025 was one of those years.
It began with joy. On January 3, I got married. We were on a spiritual journey and surrounded by people we cherish. Love was everywhere.
When Everything Burned to the Ground
Just days later, while we were on our honeymoon, everything changed.
A catastrophic, life-altering event. The kind that leaves no room for denial or misinterpretation. The kind that takes you to ground zero in a matter of a few hours. And then teaches you instantly what truly matters—and what doesn’t.
We lost everything we owned. Mother’s Day cards. Christmas ornaments. My grandmother’s pearls. Love notes from my husband. All gone. I was in the jungle with no wallet, no purse, no jewelry, nothing. What do you need when you’re getting married in the jungle? A backpack. And when I came back, even the feeling of home was gone.
You think nothing can replace what you once had. All material possessions are gone.
What Rose From the Ashes
But something did emerge.
What surfaced from the ashes wasn’t stuff—it was people.
For 45 years, I’ve mentored, guided, and given freely, never expecting anything in return. I’ve always had a heart for those who don’t quite fit in—the nonconforming, awkward, creative, colorful, the ones who feel like they don’t belong anywhere. Maybe because I know that feeling too well.
When I see them, I wave. I love them. I help them.
I never thought much of it.
The Moment Mentorship Came Back to Me
Until the moment I stood in the ruins of my life.
That’s when the community showed up. They sent toothpaste, hairbrushes, underwear. They donated. They organized. They carried us when we had nothing left to give.
That’s when I understood something I had never fully seen before:
Mentorship builds an energetic reservoir.
At some point in your life, you may be completely empty. And in that moment, if you’ve built relationships with generosity and integrity, your community will make bold moves on your behalf.
Everything you’ve ever given ricochets back to you—sometimes with such force that 45 years of giving returns in three weeks.
Why Bold Moves Matter More Than Ever
So when you see someone on a stage and think, “One day, that will be me,” remember this:
It starts with the desire to have a story worth sharing.
The bold moves we talk about are the choices you make every day—especially when no one is watching.
I may not have my grandmother’s pearls anymore, but I have something else: a community that softened the hardest blow of my life. Without it, I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed.
Giving, Receiving, and the Infinity Flow
Here’s what I learned about giving: It’s not a one-way street.
Giving isn’t a loop—it’s an infinity flow.
You give. You ask. You receive.
That’s how you don’t burn out. That’s how you grow. That’s how you bring others with you.
Standing in the Ruins, Believing in the Other Side
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the fire, a day both my husband and I dread, we are standing in what used to be our life. The deep feeling of what is no longer there, the holes we will never be able to fill and new pathways that have emerged. What has sustained me all along was my leaning into a belief that now grounds me deeply: the law of polarity.
If something exists on one side, it must exist on the other. If there is destruction, there must also be creation. If there is catastrophe, there must be something unimaginably good waiting on the other side.
I’m determined to find it.
Living in the Messy Middle
But I’m not there yet.
We are still in the messy middle—the place where transformation feels incomplete, where you’re exhausted and questioning yourself. Version 3.0 is still loading.
And even the strongest woman in the room will, at some point, need help.
I did. I still do.
When the Teacher Becomes the Student
And when the teacher becomes the student, something beautiful happens.
Growth deepens. Humility expands. Leadership evolves.
As we step into 2026, I carry 2025 with gratitude—not because it was easy, but because it revealed what endures.
Welcoming 2026 With Open Hands
Community. Love. Reciprocity. Courage.
And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: None of us are meant to do this alone.
Here’s to welcoming what’s next—with open hands, open hearts, and the strength to both give and receive. ✨
And to no surprise for anyone what emerges for you is the community we are building now.
Let’s Grow,
Beate
Beate Chelette is The Growth Architect & Founder of The Women’s Code, a training company specialized in providing companies an ROI on Balanced Leadership. She has been named one of 50 must-follow women entrepreneurs by the Huffington Post. A first-generation immigrant who found herself $135,000 in debt as a single parent, she bootstrapped her passion for photography into a highly-successful global business, and eventually sold it to Bill Gates in a multimillion-dollar deal.
Beate works with business leaders and supports organizations by developing and providing training the training, tools, and expertise to create and maintain a balanced, equal and inclusive work environment that fosters creativity, employee engagement and corporate growth.
Recent clients include Merck, Women’s Legislative Caucus of California, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), NFTE, CreativeLive, the Association of Corporate Growth, and TracyLocke.
Beate is the author of the #1 International Amazon Bestseller “Happy Woman Happy World – How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome” a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.
To book Beate to speak or train please connect here.