Giving Thanks: Reflections on Loss, Resilience, and Finding Purpose

Thanksgiving has always been a time for reflection, but this year feels particularly poignant. The last couple of years have tested us in ways we never anticipated—personally, professionally, and collectively as a nation. This past year brought changes that rippled through our lives, touching each of us in different ways. For me, 2025 meant confronting one of my biggest fears: job loss. After years of working within the security of traditional employment, I found myself suddenly unemployed. The comfort and routine I’d grown accustomed to vanished overnight, replaced by uncertainty and, honestly, fear.

The Uncomfortable Pivot
There’s something both terrifying and liberating about being forced to change course. When you’re busy working for someone else, executing their vision, meeting their deadlines, there’s a certain safety in that structure. You know what’s expected. You know when the paycheck arrives. You know your role.
Entrepreneurship? That’s a different story entirely.
Stepping out to work for myself—to loudly and proudly build IncluScent—has been one of the most challenging transitions I’ve ever made. There’s no roadmap, no guaranteed paycheck, no one else to blame when things go wrong. But there’s also freedom, creativity, and the profound satisfaction of building something that matters.
Every day is a learning experience. Some lessons are exciting breakthroughs; others are humbling reminders that I still have so much to learn. But that’s the journey, isn’t it?

Gratitude for Those Who Sustain Me
As I sit here on Thanksgiving, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude—particularly for the people who continue to sustain me, both seen and unseen.
My parents have been gone for over twenty years now. Two decades. Sometimes it feels like yesterday; other times, it feels like a lifetime. What surprises me most is how present they remain in my life. Their wisdom, their values, their strength—these things didn’t die with them. They live on in me, in the decisions I make, in the courage I muster when fear threatens to win.
I give thanks for them today and every day.
I’m also grateful for my family and friends—those who have been with me through every chapter and those who have entered my story more recently. Your support, your belief in me, your willingness to champion IncluScent and my dreams—it means more than you know.

Thankful for the Push
Here’s something I never thought I’d say: I’m thankful for life forcing my hand.
If I hadn’t lost my job, would I have taken the leap? Probably not. Fear is a powerful deterrent, and comfort—even mediocre comfort—can keep us playing small for years. Sometimes we need life to push us, to make staying where we are more uncomfortable than stepping into the unknown.
That push led me here—to building a business centered on accessibility and inclusivity, to creating products that bring light and warmth into people’s lives, to finally living aligned with my purpose.
Was it scary? Absolutely. Is it still scary sometimes? You bet. But it’s also exhilarating, meaningful, and right.

Your Turn
So on this Thanksgiving, I’m curious: What or who are you thankful for? Has this year pushed you toward something new? Have you discovered gratitude in unexpected places?
I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends. May your day be filled with warmth, love, and the courage to pursue your dreams—whatever they may be.

With gratitude,
Sherri
Founder, IncluScent