Alisha Ramos doesn’t want to go clubbing anymore. She’s in her late twenties, and what she craves most is meaningful connections and friendships that matter—if you’re over 25, you probably feel the same. So Alisha created Girls’ Night In, a newsletter that covers culture, lifestyle, and self-care, for homebodies like us. And it caught like wildfire.

Six months into the venture, Alisha quit her full-time job to pursue opportunities with GNI. In just over a year, Alisha grew her newsletter 400-fold (not a typo!). She knew she was on to something, and has since built a simple newsletter into content that more than 100,000 women look forward to receiving in their inboxes every day.

Below, Alisha talks self-care, imposter syndrome, and the value of “no-screen time.”

Tell us a little about Girls’ Night In. How did it come to fruition?

Girls’ Night In is a self-care community and newsletter. Our mission is to help women relax, recharge, and build more meaningful connections in an overwhelming world. I started it as a side project in January 2017 as a weekly Friday newsletter. We now reach over 150,000+ women around the world, and host monthly gatherings offline in several cities!

What do you hope women take away from your newsletter?

Self-care is however you want to define it. The term gets used a lot these days, but ultimately it’s a very personal experience. At Girls’ Night In, we explore the mental, social, and emotional aspects of self-care, as well as the “fun” stuff like what face masks and skincare products we’re loving. It’s a balancing act!

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge in creating GNI?

Our biggest challenge has been how quickly we’ve grown and serving our audience’s needs. Our readers are super engaged with us and have so many ideas and requests. The challenge is always in focusing our efforts as a team and serving our audience in the best way possible.

Any plans to expand to real-world face-to-face events?

We are! We’re in cities like SF, NYC, Boston, Philly, Toronto, D.C., and more. We host monthly book club gatherings and larger events.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Impostor syndrome is real. But let me tell you: no one knows what they are doing. I’ve learned that everyone is making it up as they go, and that’s given me more confidence. If you’re passionate about your mission, stay true to your values, and listen to your customers and audience, then you’re on your way to success. Stay strong!

You made a conscious choice not to include political news in the newsletter. Why?

Our readers are very smart. We make the assumption that they receive their political news and op-eds elsewhere.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Meeting our community members IRL. It’s so nice when a woman comes up to me and says, “I’m so glad GNI exists. I made a friend through it, and I read your newsletters religiously.”

Impostor syndrome is real. But let me tell you: no one knows what they are doing.

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What does your day-to-day routine look like?

We now have an office! I was working from home for the longest time. My workday is pretty typical - 9 to 5pm, although of course as an entrepreneur you put in a “second shift” at night. But I’m trying to live out our values and practice self-care at night, and put into place “no screen nights” on some nights so I can spend meaningful time with my friends, family, or s/o.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I did fail a few times in the beginning of my career. It’s especially hard when you’re new to the workplace. I realized that a job I was in was not the right fit for me. I spent a few months doing a ton of self-reflection and experimentation with different types of work before I could finally figure out what spoke to me the most.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Growing the Girls’ Night In team and community! We have big things in store!