Saying Yes to Your Dream: What Disney Taught Me About Building an Online Business

I Said “Yes” To My Dream

I just slipped off my Minnie ears and put down my Dole Whip to write this.

I’m in Disney World.

And no — this isn’t a productivity metaphor. I’m actually here!

But this trip has everything to do with entrepreneurship, building an online business, and saying yes to the dreams you keep quietly pushing aside.

The Dream I Judged

Growing up, the only vacation I ever went on with my dad was to Disney World.

We went multiple times a year.

It was our thing.

Before my dad got leukemia in 2018, we talked about taking one more trip down memory lane. Just the two of us. Back to the mouse house.

Then he got sick.

Chemo every three weeks. Labs daily. Transfusions. Neutropenia so severe that bagged salad wasn’t safe, let alone crowded theme parks.

Then COVID.

Then he died.

We never got to go.

Ever since May 2022, I’ve had this quiet dream sitting in my chest:
Go back. Walk down Main Street. Smell the waffle cones. Ride the rides. Feel close to him again.

But instead of booking the trip?

I judged myself.

“I’m not a child.”
“Isn’t going alone weird?”
“Shouldn’t I be doing something more… productive?”

Sound familiar?

The Dreams We Talk Ourselves Out Of

If you’re building an online business, you know this voice.

It’s the same one that says:

• “Who am I to start a business?”
• “Maybe I shouldn’t switch niches.”
• “Is it ridiculous to think I could become known for this?”
• “A podcast? Me?”
• “A book? That’s for other people.”

We don’t just doubt business strategies.

We doubt ourselves.

We shrink dreams before they even get oxygen.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth about entrepreneurship:

No one is coming to make your dream happen for you.

Not your audience.
Not your future customers.
Not some magical moment when you finally “feel ready.”

The Lightning Bolt Decision

In early January, something shifted.

2026 is my self-declared “entrepreneur gap year.”
More play. More space. Less proving.

I woke up one morning and just… decided.

By the end of the day:

Flights booked.
Park hopper secured.
Hotel confirmed.

My belly fluttered like the drop on Hollywood Tower.

And now I’m here.

Everything is different.

The music. The smells. The crowds. The prices (holy cannoli).

And yet the feeling of love?
Exactly the same.

It’s going to be a hard week.

It’s also going to be magical.

Both can be true.

What This Has to Do With Building an Online Business

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about funnels and email lists.

It’s about courage.

It’s about saying yes before it feels logical.

It’s about doing the thing that feels slightly embarrassing, slightly out of reach, slightly “who do I think I am?”

You don’t become known as the go-to person in your niche by accident.

You don’t grow an audience, launch a podcast, publish a book, or build a multi-million dollar digital product business by waiting for permission.

You go.

Even when it feels vulnerable.
Even when it feels weird.
Even when people might not understand.

Especially then.

The Real Risk in Entrepreneurship

We think the risk is:

• Starting the business
• Raising the price
• Launching the offer
• Publishing the post

But the bigger risk?

Living with the quiet ache of the thing you never tried.

The trip you didn’t take.
The idea you didn’t share.
The offer you didn’t launch.
The rebrand you didn’t make.

Dreams don’t start feeling less silly over time.

They either get acted on.

Or they harden into regret.

If You’re Waiting for a Sign

This is it.

Start the business.
Pivot the niche.
Record the first episode.
Write the book proposal.
Raise the price.
Take the trip.

The only way you ever find out if a dream can come true is to go.

You Might Need *this* (Not a Break)

When I set out to make 2026 an “entrepreneur gap year,” it wasn’t because I just needed to sleep more…

I craved a different type of rest.

I’m breaking down the 6 types of rest we actually need and helping you figure out which one you’re craving—so you can stop trying to fix burnout with the wrong tool.

 Listen here→ Epi 277. The 6 Types of Rest (And Why Sleep Isn’t Enough)

Links You’ll Love

DREAMS DO COME TRUE: I can’t believe I finally get to tell you… I’m on Tori Dunlap’s (HerFirst100K) podcast, Financial Feminist, today!! Listen to my episode on Financial Feminist→ Listen on Apple, Spotify, Website

COPY CAMP: If you’ve been here for a bit, you know I always say: the #1 investment you can make in yourself as a biz owner, is to get better at writing copy. You need to write SO much as an online biz owner. And you need to write in a way that grab’s your ideal client’s attention.

Take my friend Marisa Corcoran’s LIVE 3-day Copy Camp program (FREE!). She’s a go-to copywriter in the biz, and she’s about to teach you how to up your copy skills. Sign Up ($0)→ (affiliate link)

Anti-Social Reset – My friend Holly Marie Haynes is hosting a 3-day live, paid working challenge where she will help you reset how you attract clients—without relying on social media, chasing algorithms, or adding more content to your plate Grab your seat → (affiliate link)

PS. Maybe you can’t jet off to Disney (or don’t even want to…) — but what’s a little something you CAN do for yourself this week that feels even a teeny bit indulgent? I can’t wait to hear.