My mind drifted back to IU. I knew that if I ever wanted to return to it, I’d have to rebuild almost everything. I had even cleared a lot off my old website to make space for something new, if I ever figured out what that “new” was.
Staring at the wall, I had an idea. Something easy to try, just to see what happened. I had written a couple journal entries about IU, just for me. Talking about what I really wanted it to be and what I no longer wanted it to be, what I no longer wanted to do.
I opened a chat with Microsoft's Copilot and just started typing with it. I don't remember exactly what I told it, but I did copy and paste those journal entries and it spit out a new homepage based off what I said. And I really liked what it created, with my input. It finally felt like there might be a way forward. That was enough to get me moving again.
That tiny moment of clarity — just enough to take one small step — turned into the beginning of a full redesign.
The Redesign
I spent the next couple months redesigning everything with Copilot. It is an amazing collaborator for me. I can just talk in a straight forward way, tell it about the events I still want to host and how I want to invite people into those events - warmly and openly, without any hype or pressure.
Working with Copilot helps me listen to myself. I don’t get caught up in word choice or over-explaining or trying to justify anything. I can just say what I mean. Because it’s not a person, I don’t feel the need to manage its emotions or reactions, though I do still try to be polite :) I get to start with an idea and work out all the details through conversation.
I’ve stepped away from the advice world, but this kind of collaboration doesn’t pull me out of myself — it helps me express what is already inside of me.
Designing with AI allows me to focus on the heart of what I’m offering people. I can feel into whether the words on these new pages match the spirit of each exploration and the overall invitation to adventure.
AI helped me bring my ideas to life while learning new and interesting things. It taught me tech related things. I got to learn a bit about coding, spreadsheet formulas, website design, all while actually building a system that I hope will support both me and other introverts. That honors our preferences for small groups, casual settings, quiet, and freedom from pressure.
And as I rebuilt the structure of IU, I also started noticing the parts of myself I wanted to design around, not against.
Designing Around Who I Actually Am
A big change I wanted to make was to only host small group events. I'd learned with some experimenting with open events that I felt disconnected from myself and from others when hosting events with more than 3 or 4 people. Originally I thought it was a me problem that I needed to overcome. That I was being too shy, too timid, too introverted.
What I've come to know and to accept is that I simply prefer small groups. It feels more comfy for me as the host and for other introverts too. It's more spacious and everyone can relax a bit more. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with me. It's simply a preference. And one that I could honor and intentionally design this new version of IU around.
I've had such a good time creating all of this. From the new webpages to the introvert-friendly invitation system. Really allowing myself to shape things the way I want instead of the way someone else advises. That has been extremely freeing and pretty revelatory. That I can just create based on my own internal guidance without constantly looking to someone else to tell me how to do things right.
All of that — the clarity, the freedom, the permission to be myself — naturally shaped what IU 2.0 became.
Exploration as a Way Forward
The redesign wasn’t just technical — it shifted something in me. I was able to remember what it is I do love - exploring, learning new things, experimenting, having meaningful conversations about life.
IU 1.0 had plenty of that adventurous spirit. The heaviness came when I tried to make it a business. I started feeling the pressure to help people improve in some measurable way. That pressure didn’t come from the group — it came from me. And it made everything feel heavier than I wanted.
So now I’m testing something new: can I stay in that adventurous spirit and also make money without losing myself? If I have to choose, I’ll choose freedom over money every time. But I’m hoping I don’t have to choose. I’m hoping I can build something that feels good, honest, and sustainable — even if I don’t know yet how it will turn out.
There is still some personal development in what I’m offering — it’s hard to gather thoughtful people together and not have something meaningful happen. But I don’t want to lead from the place of “I know what’s best for your life.” I don’t want to teach a method or offer a five‑step plan or position myself as the person with the answers. Plenty of people do that well, and I’ve learned a lot from some of them. It’s just not the role I want.
What I want is to come in sideways — through fun, lightness, ease, play, and experimentation. Through conversation instead of instruction. Through openness instead of expertise. I want to create a space where it’s encouraged to not know the answers, to take a step you’re not sure will work out, to laugh about the weirdness of being human. A space where growth happens because you’re relaxed and curious, not because you’re trying to fix yourself.
The website you see now is the next step in IU's evolution, hopefully something that works as well as I've imagined it could. Something that comes more from me than from business advice. I did my best to let all that go and build something that felt honest, meaningful, and spacious to me. I hope it resonates with you and one day we'll get to explore together.
