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Christine Brae · I AM YOU, YOU ARE HER, SHE IS ME · LIFESTYLE · Thinking Out Loud

Who is Christine Brae?

Exactly one month after Release Day, and I’m so happy to be back!

I know I say this all the time, but life has been insane since we let Simon and Tessa’s story out into the world. Splitting myself in half has always been a challenge, but it’s especially difficult when you’re mired in the workload at the office while your publicist is booking all these interviews and sit downs that require your time and attention. You can imagine the difficulty I’ve had just trying to find an empty conference room in an open benching set up. Always before 9 am and always after 5 pm. After all, I’ve always tried my best to separate my two lives – mainly to ensure that I give all I can to the career that supports me. I’ve worked so hard to get from there to here that I still do my best to safeguard the trust I’d been given in my role as the CFO of an increasingly complex business. Lately, it’s gotten harder to distinguish the difference because both sides of my life have equally enriched me, allowed me to take the journey that’s made me who I am today.

But all this has just gotten much more interesting. Because in the month since release, I’ve had one of the most liberating experiences of my life!  (If you scroll through my other posts, you will see what the other one was…feels like an eternity ago, but it will live with me forever.)  My two lives are finally joining together. In a circle. Or at least holding hands until we figure out how to make things work.

Do you remember the USA Today article that came out on Release Day? It was circulated around our leadership team at the Agency. And so now, everyone knows I’m a romance author!

I feel free. I feel validated. I feel whole.

Two weeks after I was outed, I was asked to speak at the Advertising Women of New York’s annual retreat for women in leadership.  I was speaking to an audience of C Suite women who have trailblazed their own paths to success. The panelist started out with the question –

Who is Christine Brae?

I stuttered at first, struggled to find the words that once spoken, will throw me into the middle of all my vulnerabilities. It can be used against me, in a world that still has a stigma about romance authors.

And then with my head held high, I told them:

  • she’s a woman who went through a tragic loss and wanted to write about it one day in the summer of 2013. She never, ever expected a following, and ultimately a career as an author
  • she’s an executive, a leader, a champion of individuality, diversity, of bringing your whole self to the table
  • she’s an advocate of all life’s differences
  • she’s a copy girl turned CFO, a mother, a wife, a sister and a daughter
  • she’s a true believer that it’s never too late to live your dream, that taking a leap with no regrets is the way to live

The audience’s reception, their applause, their questions. It confirmed to me that all of us, no matter who we are, are searching for a way to live out our passions.

So, dear readers, it’s a new journey, a new road I’ll be taking from hereon. It still feels weird to me, the fact that I can speak openly about it – I’m still feeling my way around. I continue to think there needs to be a separation. Because I believe that my career as a CFO does require a level of professionalism, practicality and purpose that doesn’t necessarily translate into the persona I’ve built as a weaver of words.  The respect it commands, although of the same value, is different in many ways.

I may never fully integrate the two paths. But at least, I was given the choice to do so.

And that’s what really matters, don’t you agree?

Stick with me. It’s going to be a very interesting journey.

 

 

Post Tags: #being yourself#career#coming out#differences#diversity#eight goodbyes#executive#living your truth#professional#romance author#simon and tessa#who am i#whole life#writer

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Right brained left brainer. CFO, Exec, CPA. Part time Writer aka Christine Brae. Kona Series 2021 @vesuvianmedia @rosewindbooks *IG:@annagomezbooks #filipina

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annagomezbooks Anna Gomez @annagomezbooks ·
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Don’t age me @heylgo 😂😳🧐

Laura Gassner Otting @heylgo

@AnnaGomezbooks TIL ICYMI 🤣🤣🤣

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Next week, the one and only @TiffanieD stops by for the summer edition of #annaasks! Can’t wait!

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annagomezbooks Anna Gomez @annagomezbooks ·
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Omg. I just figured out what ICYMI means.

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annagomezbooks Anna Gomez @annagomezbooks ·
29 Jun

Hasta mañana.

Gayle Meyer @meyer_gayle

I can't wait for tomorrow's Anna Asks live on IG
@AnnaGomezbooks

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29 Jun

When Dr Strange told Christine, “I love you in every universe” - ❤️😂🥹#swoon #idied

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We’ve got a busy summer ahead of us! But all the We’ve got a busy summer ahead of us! But all the more reason to sit back every Thursday night to learn more about these incredible humans starting on June 30! Who are they? A lawyer turned author who owned a coffee shop in Kona, a poet, writer and CEO of a record label, another lawyer turned romance author, only the biggest name in Blogger history and a bookstore owner and writer who is making a mark in the book publishing industry! We’re only doing 2 Thursdays a month, so I hope you can join us. See you soon! #annaasks #livelikeannag #iglive #tiffaniedebartolo #shellycruz #natashaisabookjunkie #karenrobicheau #belcantobooks
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What a Monday. And I just woke up! Very grateful f What a Monday. And I just woke up! Very grateful for the honor. 
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We are so proud to announce WHERE THE SUN RISES by Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha was selected one of this year's greatest titles in BUZZ BOOKS Romance 2022! Congratulations Anna and Kris!!
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Have you picked out your #weekendread yet? THE YEAR I LEFT by @AnnaGomezBooks is an honest take on #love and #marriage and the frailties of the human heart. A #mustread!
#weekendvibes #weekendreading #womensfiction #mustreadbooks #bookish #bookstagram #bookfeature #grief #loss #allthebooks #booknerdsunite #readingaddict #bookhoarder #bookdragon
*sound on* Life’s been busy lately. But mostly *sound on* Life’s been busy lately.  But mostly in a good way. @mikejscan created this for me and it is too good not to share. #intheworks #comingsoon #2023 #thelightinthewound #tempcover

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