180. Every Ending is a Beginning: Closing the Chapter on the Podcast
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Let me tell you about my experience with Shopify.

Before I made the switch, my business operations were really scattered. I was constantly juggling different tools and it was just madness trying to manage everything. It was so time consuming. But since I started using Shopify, it's been a complete game changer. I manage multiple businesses and what I love most about Shopify is how streamlined it makes my entire process.

I can literally bounce between my stores on my dashboard. And from setting up my store to the powerful checkout system and all the customizations they offer, Shopify gives me everything I need to keep my business running so smoothly. It's just so easy now to focus on growing instead of focusing on managing so much. So upgrade your business and get the same checkout that I use with Shopify.

Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com slash slutchpreneur, all lowercase. That's shopify.com slash slutchpreneur to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com slash S-L-U-T-R-E-P-R-E-N-E-U-R. Now back to the show. Deeper, harder.

You're listening to the Professional Goddess Podcast, a place for sluts who like to make money. I'm your host, Anna D, aka The Professional Goddess. On my show, we embrace the uncensored stories of being a self-made slutchpreneur. As a stripper turned CEO, I reveal all my juicy trade secrets and share interviews with other female bosses who capitalize on their entire existence.

From breaking stigmas in the female business world to challenging norms in the adult industry, we'll tackle it all in six-inch stilettos, of course. Now it's time to dive deep into the journey of self-empowerment, owning our sexuality, and by each episode, we will earn our PhDs in CE Hoetry. I'm honored to have you here, and it's my privilege to kickstart the show. Wow, you guys, we've been through it these past few years, haven't we?

I think you have gotten to know me in the deepest way on this show. And I've got to know many of you in return. And this is not the ending. This is such a new beginning for me. You guys have watched me grow.

in so many different ways. And I know this is the last episode of 2024. And this is the last episode of the podcast for now. But I want to reflect on this ending and how it can pave a way for something new and exciting. And I want to do this gracefully. I don't want this to be a door slam. I want this to be a soft close.

And whether you have a brand or a project or a personal venture that you've been experiencing, perhaps this has happened to you and it's hard to navigate. It's never easy being a professional goddess. Oh, oh, we just got a sale. It's never easy.

Just got a sale on Shopify. It's also the sponsor of this episode. I want to also just quick note, huge thank you to the sponsors who've given a shit, who have understood that even if a podcast talks about sex, that they deserve sponsorships too. That's been a huge part of this soft close is I just can't get advertisers. You guys. And the ones that I do have pay very, very little.

I'm just going to be honest in comparison to what others make. And that's okay. I've done this podcast as a passion and the money hasn't mattered, but it's also been painfully obvious to see how the industry, and especially in the adult industry and sex work, even if you are just talking about it and there's no visuals, it's still so hard to scale. And I've kind of just gotten...

fed up with how tired that makes me. And I'm going to relate this to a lot of things, but even with selling sex toys, it's a similar battle. Selling the book, it's a similar battle. And

you know what, the older I get, I'm just my, my strength and excitement to prove everyone wrong has diminished a little bit. And that's natural. As you get older, you want to feel safe and solid and stand on your two feet and not feel like what you're standing on. Could it crumble any minute? And I'm just tired of losing Instagram accounts. I'm tired of being shadow banned. I'm tired of

my voice not being heard. And in turn, I want to thank you for listening to it. And I know so many of you can relate to that feeling. But I think soft transitions can honor our past while also setting the stage for our future. And to my incredible listeners, thank you for being a part of this, for making me feel like I have a space that I can share

Not like sugarcoat anything and just be honest about how hard this all is, you know? So I want this farewell to inspire you all. I want you all to feel comfortable and confident to embrace new opportunities and

And still be soft and kind in the face of your adversities and challenges. But there are so many open doors in your huge hallways with marble floors and crown ceilings. And I don't want you to miss out on all of the opportunities because you are so bogged down in a fight that you may not win. That's okay. We can celebrate growth and transformation and

Start considering all the possibilities waiting on the horizon. And I just think about from the first episode when one of my Instagram accounts got deleted and I said, fuck this. I'm going to start a podcast where I can just say, fuck this. I'm pissed. This sucks. And I want to talk about it because I just felt so censored. And all of these episodes will still be live on

As long as I decide I want them to be. But it was so invigorating to be able to just speak freely and exercise that right where on so many platforms the censorship is just so disgusting.

So I have this optimism. I have this gratitude that I accomplished something here. You guys, I wouldn't have written my book if it wasn't for this show. I wouldn't have the ability to ask hard questions to people that I may agree or disagree with. I wouldn't have met so many amazing people across the world and been able to share their experiences and lift them up and give them a platform that they may have not had.

been able to learn shit and tell you guys what I learned and it actually helped you guys, whether it's your businesses, your investments, your love life. Like to me, that is the true magic of this show. It's a gift that keeps giving. And I have fallen down so many times in my life, but I kept getting up.

And me telling you about the scrapes and what ointment I used to put on it has benefited you guys. You tell me, you send me these messages that are just unbelievable what you guys have been through. And the fact that when you listen in the car with me and I feel like a big sister to you, I've just always wanted to be the big sister that I didn't have. So you letting me in and you listening to me

You gave me that gift and I thank you for it. But there's a natural cycle of projects. You know, the circle of life is a perfect example. Things don't happen forever. Things start as a seed and you need to recognize when they flower. You need to milk that flower because the petals are going to fall. And when they do, that's a signal for growth. It's a signal for change. It's a signal to plant a new seed.

And I think there are so many new beginnings that are born from endings and we don't recognize that enough. And I'm tired of people telling me, you need to scale, you need to hire. When I hated it, I hated the years I made the most money because those were the years I worked the hardest and life just passed me by.

And people I loved, I didn't get to experience things with them because I was so addicted to working. But from those trials and tribulations, it pushed me to say, oh, I'm not happy. I need to change something. Something needs to end and something better needs to begin. And being a small business owner is...

It transitioned me into kind of being like a teacher and sharing all that expertise and helping you guys. That was a beautiful transition. When I closed Alien Outfitters, it got me to open three new stores. That was a crazy transition. Starting the podcast led me to writing a book. You know, this could mean more books in the future, maybe less podcasts, but more audiobooks. You never know. But being a content creator, you pivot constantly.

from one platform, maybe you just pivot to a different platform and it becomes this much better flourishing creative endeavor. Like when I started TikTok because I wanted to just be a nobody and start from scratch and I ended up getting a million followers in a year. You have to be brave to go in a different direction and you have to give yourself permission to.

So this show has been a diary of all my changes and proof that change is so good. It doesn't make it any less hard, but it's good medicine. So I want this soft closing to be as intentional and as gentle as it can be rather than an abrupt goodbye. Who's texting me? Stop it. Let me put this on silent real quick. Sorry, guys.

You know me. I do this in one take. I don't give a fuck. If you're going to start a podcast, just do it. I was telling someone the other day. They were brilliant. They can speak well. They have great ideas. They're unfiltered. But guess what was stopping them? All the tech. Fuck that. Record it on your phone like I did. Upload it to iMovie. Export it. Go on YouTube and how to start a podcast in 10 steps easy mode or for dummies.

You have a plethora of free information in front of you. Use it and quit giving excuses because that's how it started for me. And look at it now. Now we're crying saying goodbye. But you can just as gently start something new as you can gently close it and start something different. And you don't have to give anyone an excuse. Everyone else might feel bad for you, but you don't have to feel bad for yourself about it.

Leave the door open for future collaborations or returns. Honor the work you did and the relationships built. They're still there. The work still speaks for itself. You still have something on your resume.

I recently did one of my last markets, like the pop-up booths we talked about in one of the last episodes. I didn't know it was going to be the last one until the person putting it on said it was going to be. And I had to just pivot. And I thought my first thought was good for her for having the strength and the ability to change and go in a different direction when I'm sure everyone around her said, one more, keep going, right?

Because I'm sure it was way more stress than I could imagine. I used to run a market, super stressful, you know, and it's not exactly the profitable business. It's more of the love business, right? So I had to pop my tin up for one of the last times and think, hey, now I have money.

a few free days out of every month to maybe try something new. What if I pick up sewing? What if I could really be a seamstress and make clothes out of freaking blankets I get at Goodwill that I see so many people on Instagram doing and I go, oh, I wish I had the time. So I want to express how much your support has meant to me every time you guys have shared the show because I don't promote it. It's just here for you guys, you know.

I don't pay to promote shit. This is just for y'all. But the impact you've had on me, there are days where I'm just like, is this episode even all that important? And then you send me a message and tell me how important and so specifically how. So I want to celebrate you guys. This is our show and our community that we've formed.

And I want to thank you for all the time you've put out of your day to press play or to download the show and to listen on your flight. The enthusiasm you've had for me is the fuel for me to sit here every week and keep going. There's a lot of hope, so much hope. That's actually my middle name. I don't tell that to people because I always thought it was so silly. There's so much hope.

for me, for you, because I've equipped you with all you need to know to embrace your own opportunities. I'm sure if you go back and listen to an episode, you'll have a whole other viewpoint around it. And I want to encourage you to explore, start new things. The vision board season is coming up and it is real, you guys. It's real. The goals you set for yourself, they will come true.

I know you guys can do everything. Just how I did. Just how I did. We got so many roadmaps on here that will still apply to so many things. And these endings are not losses. They are simply and solely transformations. And we have to fight that society says women in business can't do this, can't do that. We can and we keep going.

So I want you to remember that every ending is a seed to the new beginning. And I'm just going to say it if you're still listening, but I'm getting married next year. I did get married during COVID and didn't tell anyone. My family got upset. So I finally have the courage to do a ceremony this upcoming year. I've already booked my honeymoon.

I've been off my birth control for a year. I'm ready to have a baby. I want to start a family. I want to be a mom. I want to be a mother so bad. I've never wanted anything more in my life to love something that I can create inside of me. And that's my new beginning. I wish you all the success, happiness. You don't need good luck. You are already perfect in every way. I see it.

And I know that whatever you do, you are going to be so great at it. I don't need to be proud of you. You need to be proud of yourself and find the joy in opening the new door on this new year ahead. I'll still be on Instagram. I'll still be on YouTube. I'm not on TikTok as much. I might pop in here from time to time just to make sure you're okay. I might...

finally put out the book that I have all the writings for this upcoming year, now that I might have some time. But I really want some time to focus on my family and some time to create experiences for my inner child that I so very much lacked. And I need some time to give to myself that I have so much given away to everyone so gracefully, which I'm so happy for. But I

I've reached that pivotal point where I now know that I need to turn it inward and blast myself with so much love that it overflows. Thank you for listening. And I will not see you next week, but I will see you again. All right. One last time for good measure. Oh, the dogs are saying farewell. I love you. Bye bye now.

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Professional Goddess Podcast. If you want to keep the show going and growing, make sure to leave a five-star review. Shop my merch and eBooks at professionalgoddess.com. Make sure to use code SLUT at checkout for a little surprise. My book, Slutpreneur Secrets, is now available on Amazon. Have a question, episode request, or want to be a guest on the show? Email my team,

via management at professionalgoddess.com. And lastly, if you want to get all up inside me, subscribe to my premium content on OnlyFans at professionalslut.com. All these links and other socials will be in the show notes of the episode. But most importantly, thank you for subscribing to the show and I will talk to you next week. Bye sluts.