I’ve been a Halo Top fan since I first discovered their ice cream during my college days. When Halo Top announced their new campaign, Stop Shoulding Yourself, I instantly fell even more in love.

As many of you know, I just celebrated one year of Macy Gilson Co., but what many of you don’t know is that the idea and mission behind Macy Gilson Co. started way before that.

After spending four years as an undergrad and two more years in graduate school, followed by nearly a year-long clinical fellowship, I had dedicated the better half of a decade to becoming a speech language pathologist. Because of the time, money, effort, professors, and supervisors that had invested in me, I knew I should follow the paved road before me. This paved road consisted of a private practice, or a school-based position, or a skilled nursing facility, or a million other options that SLPs can choose from. This paved road was beautiful. It had freshly painted lanes, and drivers following the rules of the road. It had clearly marked signs, with guidance around every turn. I knew I should stay on the road. But I was drawn off the path. I was drawn to the idea of blazing my own trail and finding my own way. I fell in love with investing in children and families beyond their speech and language needs. I wanted to change the world for my patients, instead of changing them for the world. 

In the beginning, I feared people would think that I’m not a “real SLP” or I’m “wasting my degree.” I felt lost in the middle of nowhere with the only way out being a paved road I didn’t want to take. But then I discovered a different way out. I decided that even though I should follow the paved road, I would learn a lot more and be a lot happier if I made my own path. My path has allowed me to use my degree as a gateway to my true passion, which is increasing disability awareness and building a community centered around inclusion and kindness.

When Halo Top announced the Stop Shoulding Yourself campaign, I had a chance to reflect back on the past few years and the path I created for myself. I’ll be honest – it’s not glamourous. It’s hard for people to find and even harder to understand. It’s full of twists and turns and bumps around every corner. It’s full of late nights and working through the weekend. But it’s also beautiful. It has amazing views and it’s bursting with life. It’s full of the most incredible families and the most inclusive communities.

Like the beaten path, Halo Top gives me the freedom to fight the “shoulds” in my life - to wander off the paved road, to step into the uncomfortable and to chase the life I want. Halo Top is a brand that champions wellbeing, that continually reminds me that I am enough and that gives me the confidence to silence the “shoulds” in my life.