Ailana’s Journal—2026-04-20 (Patreon)

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GOOD MORNING

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Now, we need to get back to work, right?

Part of this morning, I’m going to meet with Sasha to look at the finances related to Saturday’s photo shoot. We’ll see if we can drag Jason and Jasmine in and debrief the logistics.

Overall, we think it went pretty well. Not much could have gone better, to be honest. And that… That’s where we want to be every time.

From here, I need to get up and get going. I’ll get to my desk as quickly as I can, then get some work done before I meet Sasha.

Once more, let me say welcome to the new followers and subscribers. I’m very grateful for all of you joining the fun!

Feel free to comment your thoughts and questions. I really appreciate them.

With that, let me get moving. Meanwhile, I hope you have a great Monday morning. See you soon!

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NOT MY BRIGHTEST MOMENT

I’m an idiot, but I have some help this time! Sasha and I were in the office reviewing the photo session from Saturday when she had the bright idea to take a walk on the beach.

Granted, at the time, the rain had let up. Admittedly, I knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Give me credit for not ruining a pair of shoes?

But the walk had some actual meaning. Sasha and I started becoming friends in the summer of 2024 in Kenosha, when I was there doing PR for a housing program. Geoni joined us a few months later in Miami.

Today, Sasha was tapping into our friendship as she discussed her emerging fears about motherhood.

“It’s still too soon to tell, but it might be too late to change our minds,” she said. “Suddenly, this feels huge!”

I smiled. “It is huge. And look at me… I’m what happens if you do it wrong.”

“Okay…two things. If that ‘It is huge’ comment was supposed to make me feel better, nah, not so much. Second, if you’re what happens when mothers fail, then I’ve got nothing to worry about. You pretty much have it all together.”

“I fake that,” I said. “But really, normal people figure it out. Love for your baby is a great motivation, and it guides your instincts.”

The conversation went like that as we got soaked and cold.

BEING A STEWARD by Elias Estephan

Some of you know I’m in an early stage of forming a relationship with Min Aurora. But my work is sea turtles, and right now they are in the nesting stage. It’s a conflict on time, but Min applauds what I’m doing.

Most days, what I am doing looks simple from the outside. I am walking beach lines, checking marked nests, answering questions from visitors, helping volunteers learn what to watch for, assisting with turtles in rehab, and staying ready for the calls that do not wait for convenient weather.

A stranded turtle, a nest at risk, a hatchling disoriented by lights, an injured animal that needs transport—this work moves back and forth between patience and urgency.

What ties it all together is stewardship.

Some parts of the job are quiet and methodical. We document nest locations, monitor conditions, check protective barriers, watch for signs of disturbance, and keep records that help us respond wisely.

Some parts are physical. Sand, rain, wind, heat, wet gloves, long days.

Some parts are public-facing—about people learning how to share a shoreline without casually harming what they came to enjoy.

Earlier, I was checking one of the protected nest sites on the beach in light rain with a steady wind off the Gulf. Once a nest is identified and secured, that does not mean you walk away and hope for the best.

The screen, stakes, perimeter marking, and condition of the sand all have to be checked. Rain and wind can change a site faster than people think. You watch for wash, shifting sand, loosened material, and any sign that predators or foot traffic have compromised the area.

That is probably the best summary of the work overall. It is care expressed through repetition. Protect what is vulnerable. Be faithful in small things. Stay calm enough to be useful.

And when the beach is gray, the wind is up, and the water looks restless, I still find what I have always found near the ocean: not escape, exactly, but clarity.

GOOD NIGHT

I hope everyone had a great start to their week. It looks like things are going to get busy for the AGI Group over the next two weeks!

To get things started, a few of us are going to help at a food bank one day this week. Nothing glamorous, but it’s important.

Next week’s chaos is brought to you by our good friend in Chicago.

Naomi called, and Jasmine ran the phone up to me. “Ailana, I’ve got a thing. Next week… St. Louis…”

This will be a campaign-level modeling and photography job. Naomi has lined up products from several different clients with a similar enough vibe that we can shoot them all in St. Louis.

This isn’t one of her “needed-it-yesterday” jobs. She said the products fit the looks we’re able to manage—Sasha, Geoni, Jasmine, and me—and she also has Izzy Duffy on standby to join us when the weather forecast is more definite.

Right now, it looks like Wednesday may clear up for the outdoor shots. I’ll give you more details in future posts, but it looks like we’ve got some work to do in St. Louis.

Let me add two thoughts…

Jasmine responded by pulling up a spreadsheet.

“Just so you know, we need this job to get back to even for the year. We’ve done great, and we have a zillion articles in the pipeline from the yacht trip, but this job will get us back on track right away without having to wait for the articles to sell.

I’ll let that stand on its own.

Next, I’m excited to work with Izzy again. When in St. Croix, we said we’d like for her to come here and visit. We never worked that out.

As a friend from a decade ago, I want to keep in touch with her, and this is an exciting way to do that.

So, all that said, let’s call it a day.

May the quality of your work and life lead to new opportunities and ongoing blessings.

Good night.

May you be awesome.

Good night.

Be your best you!

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