Hey there,

This Labor Day feels a little different.

I've owned my own business since 2007. But much of the work I've done throughout my career has involved helping other people build theirs.

I've built communities, developed marketing strategies, improved operations, created programs and helped turn other people's ideas into things that work in the real world.

Last week, I acquired one of the things I've helped build.

If you follow Gwen Bortner, you may have already seen her announce she's winding down Everyday Effectiveness to focus on her new role as COO of Genius Network.

As part of that transition, I’m acquiring her Velocity Generator group program, the One Really Good Question email series, The Business You Really Want podcast, and other related assets we've built together while I’ve served as her chief marketing and operations officer.

It's still a little surreal to write that.

After all, I just wrapped up the first in my Dino Collective summit series, finished a summer of digital product launches and scaled back my done-for-you services — all while adjusting to a new normal of homeschooling Abbie while supporting Lily in her final two years of public high school.

Buying any part of Gwen’s business wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card.

But when she raised the possibility, saying yes to exploring it was easy.

I've worked alongside Gwen at Everyday Effectiveness since 2022 — deeply embedded in her marketing and operations. I've helped develop and deliver the programs. I've reviewed hundreds of client Weekly Review and Action Plans, facilitated client conversations and Quarterly Tune-Ups, and had a front-row seat to both what works and what could work better.

Business is never a sure thing. You make the best decision you can with the information available to you at the time.

I had a lot of information. And I knew what I wanted to protect.

I also knew I had ideas about what could come next.

I see this as an extension of the community building and relationship-driven work I’ve been doing for ages. Velocity Generator allows me to support women in developing stronger decision-making skills as business owners and leaders. I'm taking ownership of work I already believe in and getting the opportunity to figure out what it looks like when it's fully mine.

That's exciting.

And maybe that's why ownership is on my mind this Labor Day.

Sometimes the work we do for other people is simply work.

And sometimes we spend years contributing to something before realizing just how much of ourselves we've invested in it. This time, I had the opportunity to invest in it in a whole new way.

I said yes.

I'll share more over the next few weeks about what I acquired, why I wanted it and where I think it can go from here.

But today, I mostly want to recognize this moment.

It's a big one for me.

Tonya

P.S. This changes nothing for you, other than opening a new door if you’re interested in working with me. The Secret to Thriving Online Communities remains open, and I’m still working with community leaders on intelligence reports and strategic plans.

This email was written by Tonya Kubo (not AI). If you're receiving it, it means you have signed up for one of my offers in the vast expanse of the internet. Some links here are affiliate links, meaning I might make money if you use them to make a purchase.