Success wasn't the problem. Misalignment was.
Hi, I'm Dedria - and this is why I created this Substack.
I used to think I just needed to work harder.
If I could just earn the next title, land the next promotion, add a few more accolades to the list - then I’d feel fulfilled; then it would all make sense. But here’s what no one tells you: success doesn’t always equal alignment.
You can have the job, the respect, the salary and still feel completely disconnected from yourself. That was me. I spent over a decade climbing the "right" mountain.
Law degree. Corporate job. Senior title. Big paycheck. Respect.
But when I got to the top, I looked around and realized... I didn’t like the view.
That moment cracked something open in me. Not because I failed, but because I had succeeded at building a life that looked good on the outside but felt heavy on the inside. I was checking all the boxes, but I felt numb. Disconnected. Distant from the version of me I used to know.
This space - From Grind to Align - is about that moment. The moment when you realize you’re tired of performing. Tired of proving. Tired of outsourcing your worth to your job title, your productivity, your ability to hold it all together.
For so long, I thought my value came from what I could do for others. I tied my worth to my work. I wore burnout like a badge of honor. I performed perfection. I made success look easy, even when it cost me my peace. I pushed through the exhaustion, the misalignment, the ache in my chest that said, "There’s more than this."
And then one day, I decided to listen.
I turned inward. I started asking better questions. Not just about my career, but about who I was when I wasn't trying to be what everyone else needed me to be. Who was I without the titles, the roles, the promotions and the big teams? Who was I when I stopped chasing approval and started seeking alignment?
Here’s what I learned:
Alignment isn’t a reward for hustling hard enough. It’s a return to who you’ve always been.
Your inner peace is not negotiable.
Saying "yes" to yourself often looks like saying "no" to everything that drains you.
Worthiness isn’t earned. It’s remembered.
The strongest thing you can do is soften enough to hear your truth.
These truths didn’t just change my mindset - they changed my life.
I left the job. I let go of the labels. I gave myself permission to start over, this time building something that felt aligned, expansive, and true. Not because I had it all figured out, but because I finally trusted myself to figure it out as I went.
I created space. I made peace with the unknown. And for the first time in a long time, I could breathe. I could dream. I could remember who I was before the world told me who to be.
Today, I run a real estate development company and lead transformational work for women who are tired of the grind and ready to come home to themselves. But honestly, titles matter less to me now. What matters more is how I feel living this life I created from the inside out.
I’m not here to tell you to quit your job or burn it all down. I’m here to help you listen deeper. To trust your inner voice. To remember the version of you who is already whole, already worthy, already enough.
This page is for you if:
You’ve done everything "right" and still feel stuck;
You’re successful on paper but feel lost inside;
You know you were meant for something more, but you can’t quite name it yet;
You’re done settling for survival and ready to build a life that actually feels like you; or
You’re just curious and want to meet yourself more deeply – and tap into the next version of you waiting to emerge.
On this platform, I’ll be sharing stories, soul truths, and grounded tools that helped me go from checking boxes to creating a life that lights me up. Think of this as your gentle-but-firm push forward. Your reminder that you are not broken. Your permission to stop climbing someone else’s mountain.
We will talk about the old patterns that keep us stuck in the grind - people-pleasing, hyper-independence, fear of being seen, money blocks, relationship patterns - and how to break free from them. We’ll explore nervous system regulation, radical self-permission, shadow work, authentic expression, intuitive alignment, and what it really means to live in your feminine flow (yes, ladies, this Substack is for you!).
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about liberation. It’s about choosing you.
Welcome to From Grind to Align. We’re just getting started.
-Dedria
✨ P.S. If this resonated with you, make sure to hit Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. When you subscribe, you’ll instantly receive my free Higher Self Visualization & Meditation - a guided practice to help you reconnect with your inner knowing and start moving in alignment.
💻 Ready to go deeper now? Grab the From Grind to Align E-Book, a self-paced workbook designed to help you uncover the patterns keeping you stuck and take aligned action toward the life you really want. You can get it here.
Love this. Need this. Excited for this journey 🤍