My Birthday Letter | Year 28

Oh man where do I even begin! It feels like every year since I turned 23 has been a major transformation…

And isn’t that the whole point of our 20s? That we can always, but especially during this era, continuously reinvent ourselves. We can simply decide one day to try something new, to move to a new city, to start a new degree or job or to just take it all in.

As my 20s start wrapping up I feel nostalgic and grateful for this decade of transformation. One that began as a freshman in college at 18 living away from home and figuring out who I was to now, still refining who I am but a much more confident, empowered version of 18 year old me.

Thankfully my closest friends from then are still around, I’ve added a few key new ones in the last 5-7 years and a whole host of key memories too.

I saw this thread last week… the author said that years 27-29 are the years that teach PRESENCE.

And has presence has been my word of the year for the last 3, it feels right to say these are the years that teach it.

Maybe a little patience too.

I’m not going to lie and say that this birthday doesn’t feel bittersweet. Somewhat because a Thanksgiving week birthday always means someone can’t celebrate with you due to family obligations but also because I just have been so go go go for the last 3 months that I’m still a little scared to fully slow down and rest.

My best friend got me a spa gift card so hopefully that will help!

But really its the feeling that I’m running out of time. I thought surely going into 27 (last year) that this would be the year it would all work out for me. I would get the home, the guy and the career. I’d have it all.

I didn’t yet want marriage or babies but I wanted to feel I was a step closer to it. That as an ambitious woman who prioritized herself and her career in her early and mid 20s, her late 20s would mean she “made it”.

I was 23 when I set course for the path I’m on now. I visualized and then mapped out my future life at 33 and reverse engineered that life to make one step daily to achieve it. For the last 5 years I have lived by that vision. It has guided every decision.

But then year 26 really threw me for a loop and set off a chain reaction of key relationship evolutions, mostly with myself.

I realized this year, at 27 that the vision has changed. My WHY hasn’t (much) but the HOW and for WHO most definitely has. If you’ve been reading this newsletter you know what I mean.

And thats the beauty of our 20s, we can keep changing and its part of the process.

But I’m not the most patient so many times this year I found myself feeling exasperated at the idea that those things were not going to happen. And thats why its bittersweet.

In most ways and on most days I am eternally grateful that it didn’t happen how I planned or wished they would though. And now going into 28 I’m learning to let go.

The same passion and tenacity and courage to go for it that got me where I am in my career, is now holding me back in my personal life.

I’m learning patience at 28 and it is hard as hell but its also really exciting. Because if I had settled to be able to say I had those things I thought I wanted, I wouldn’t be where I am.

And where I am is pretty great!

27 had some incredible milestones that were only possible because I was open and available to receive them.

First let’s talk about my career highs:

• I filmed and launched an executive education course with FSU Law’s Stoops Center

• I launched my membership, Lawyer In Your Pocket®️ and on Nov 21 it registered as a federal trademark

• I gained 4 new agency clients & several new trademark and business strategy clients

• I testified as an expert witness on CAPITOL HILL

• I hired my first part time associate and a law clerk and brought on new administrative team members

• I hired a fractional COO to help me level up in my business, manage my new team & prep for becoming an S-corp in the new year

• I am working on 2 new projects coming early 2026 that I’m really excited about

• AND of course all the personal & professional growth in between

I have come such a long way in just a year and while I say that every year, and it can absolutely be said for in the last 5, for some reason the difference between 27 and 28 feels significant.

Now to share some of the personal highs:

• I fell in love with moving my body again and seeing the transformation is pretty sweet

• I traveled just because and went with the flow a little (a lot) more

• I reconnected with childhood friends and strengthened newer ones

• I celebrated the love of 3 of my good friends this year and danced the night away!

• Some more exciting news I can’t share just yet 😉

It’s been an incredible year, I have to say. And while its a short week for the holiday, its a busy one too, so I’m really looking forward to some much needed and well deserved time off soon.

I didn’t get everything I thought I wanted by 27 but I got a few things I never expected or planned to get in year 27, so year 28 is coming in HOT!

Kayla Moran Law is trademarked now too, the firm turns THREE in January and I’m only leveling up more every day.

I can’t wait to keep bringing you all along for the growth and fun and messy in between. I may be one year older and a little bit wiser but I also feel like I’m remembering what it was like to be a kid who just enjoyed life for the little things in between and went with the flow.

And I’m excited to see where it takes me next!

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for reading,

xo Kayla