Stuck in the Mile High City
June 2025
For the first time in a long time I’m not traveling this summer. I call it the travel itch -when you get so tired of the city you live in that you need to escape for a while. Well, no escape has happened for me. I’ve been stuck in the Mile High City and because I’ve been here, I’ve felt a need to say yes to almost everything that has come my way. So ya girl has been busy! In this newsletter, we're covering what I’ve been up to, what I’m loving in Denver right now, and awkward PR interactions. 😬
Let’s Catch Up
I’ve said yes to almost every opportunity that has come my way in the past three months. So when people keep saying “wow, you’re so busy”, they right. In other words, I’ve been running around with no end in sight. Often it feels like I just clock in and clock out of influencing, and in many ways, influencing has turned into my monotonous day job. As we all know, it can become really easy to just check out of your job once you’ve been in it a while. You know what to do, you know what works, and often creativity dies because you’re not being challenged. The algorithm remains the most challenging part of my job, but I’d be lying if I said my creativity isn’t taking a hit. I’ve been saying yes to everything because I keep hoping that I’ll go to an event, see a show, or experience something new that will give me my spark back. Ultimately saying yes to everything has had the opposite effect. Because I haven’t rested in a while, I’ve become overworked and frankly cranky. It’s not even that I don’t have free time, I do! I craft, I read, I watch TV, I see friends, and I’m still left feeling uninspired and drained.
Right now, what’s left of my creativity is being funneled into DAWG and growing that community. DAWG truly ignites fire and joy in me. I love making videos about it, I love telling people about it, and I love what it stands for. I also love that it is helping so many women (4,523 if I’m being exact 💅) get more politically and socially involved with what's happening in our country. But while DAWG is filling such a big hole in my creativity, I can’t help but be sad for the lack of creativity when it comes to my influencing. I love making videos and sharing my life, but I’m struggling to separate the job from the joy.
In other news, Denver’s most exclusive rooftop just opened up. It’s called Rayna’s Rooftop and it’s located at Imnottellingyou Rd. I’m very excited to unlock this new room in our home. Thanks to Furniture Row, Below Five, and the Lowe’s worker we pestered for two days straight, I now have a new oasis on my rooftop. It’s in moments like these where I am so grateful for influencing and all the cool opportunities it has brought me. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get to the point where I could partner with companies who would help me furnish my home. I’m seeing many al fresco dining nights in my future. And if you see that Furniture Row content on my page, promise me you’ll like it! 🫵
Highlights in Photos:
What I’ve been loving in Denver Recently
I’ve been doing a lot recently (ya, ya, you get it) so here are some experiences that I had fun at.
Vinyasa, Violins, and Vino at the Botanic Gardens 🧘🏾♀️
Never have I felt more like I was in Bridgerton than when I was at this event. The setting, the music, the grounding with your body. 10/10 experience. Event info here.
Beat the Bomb
Activity-based bars are on the rise in Denver and this one was so fun. Even though I got paint in my month and it tasted nasty, I would still go back.
The Encore at Rosetta 🔊
I’ve been spending a lot more time in Boulder and this was one of my recent favorite evenings out. Every Friday and Saturday, Rosetta does a 25+ night -imagine everyone minding their business, no rowdiness and just general chill vibes.
Denver Onyx Women’s Rugby Game 🏉
When they say watching women’s sports is more fun, they are correct. This was my first rugby game, but it won’t be my last. I may just be their new biggest fan and it helps that Denver’s team is the best in the league!
Brunch at Corsica 🥞
Corsica is that one place in Denver where the service and food aligns for a great experience. I know whenever I go there that I’m going to be taken care of and have a good meal and sometimes, that’s all you need.
Influencer Tea
Imagine this: you’re at a shop and you’re there because you were influenced by another influencer to go get this viral pastry. While you’re there, the owner starts up a chat about how an influencer made these popular. No way! You tell him that’s why you’re there and that you love the influencer that posted about this place. He asks you if you know anything about influencing, and you tell him that you dabble. You then proceed to explain to him how influencer marketing works. His most burning question is what do you do when a place asks you to come in and you don’t end up liking the food. You explain that it’s a delicate situation, but ultimately if the influencer is honest they’ll have to have an uncomfortable discussion with the PR team.
NOW IMAGINE THIS! That very situation happens to you less than 12 hours later.
As an influencer, my expectations of a place before I go are largely based on pictures. Sometimes I’ve heard good things, but most of the time I don’t know what I’m walking into. Without giving too much away, I was asked to come to this establishment and I was really excited to go. I hadn’t been before and it looked really cool. I kid you not, I stepped into that space and immediately knew this wasn’t going to work. The pictures were so different from reality and I instantly realized that this was not something I wanted to present to my followers.
So, of course came the uncomfortable conversation I had to have with the PR team. It’s never fun to tell someone that you didn’t like their space and that you cannot fulfill your part of the agreement. Ultimately it’s not the PR team’s fault; they’re in charge of selling it, not maintaining it. Like all PR people, they were really kind and understanding, but I did spend about 30 minutes typing out that uncomfortable email so no one's feelings were hurt.
Loved this update and can TOTALLY relate to your feeling of lacking creativity. I think it's a combination of burnout and the general heaviness of all that's going on in the world. I'm happy you're channeling it through DAWG and making a difference in our city. Plus, I think the more we work it and appreciate creativity, the easier it'll come back - maybe in a way that we have to go through the slumps first!