Trusting the Redirection...
even in the tender seasons
Listen to me read this essay below:
Things don’t always go the way you planned… And if you’re not careful, you’ll spend more time trying to fix the plan than asking whether it still fits who you are.
As you all know, my book’s release date had to shift due to an unavoidable delay—and with it, the entire tour moved too. Not easy, not ideal, but my team showed up, and we made it work. At first, it felt daunting. Like one more thing to hold in an already really full season.
I was thinking about the inconvenience for those of you who already bought tickets—having to refund and ask you to repurchase. I was thinking about my decision to scale the tour back because my energy and emotional capacity have been stretched thin. I was thinking about what it means to change course this quickly, and whether it would feel like I was letting people down. It was a lot to hold, all at once. Let me tell you, 2026 has been testing my patience BIG TIME. But once I sat with it, I realized all of this was actually an invitation.
An invitation to pause.
To be honest.
To ask myself what I really want this experience to feel like—not just for you all, but for me too.
Because if I’m going to write a book called The Company We Keep, then the way I show up around it has to reflect that. It can’t just be about showing up everywhere. It has to be about showing up well.
And the truth is, I don’t have the capacity for huge venues right now—not in the way I used to, and not in a way that feels aligned.
In the middle of all the book delay shift stuff, I had a real conversation with my team about what this tour should actually look like. I told them I didn’t want to go on a big tour with huge venues. I wanted to go on an intentional one. And thankfully, they trusted me enough to let me lead with that.
So I hand-selected independent bookstores that mean something—to their communities, and to me.
In this very tender season of my life, I’m not interested in being on a big stage so far away from you that the moment feels distant. I’m not interested in rushing through conversations just to stay on schedule. I’m not interested in leaving a room without ever really feeling like I was in it. That kind of pace asks me to disconnect. And I’ve worked too hard to stay connected—to myself, to my work, and to the people who meet me in it.
So I made a different decision.
We’re keeping The Howard Theatre as our largest stop. That feels right since we will be in my hometown. That felt like a space where we can gather in a bigger way and still hold the spirit of what this tour is meant to be.
But everything else has been scaled back—on purpose.
To honor my energy.
To honor my intention.
To honor what it actually means to be in good company.
Because good company isn’t just about who’s in the room. It’s about how we’re able to show up with each other once we’re there.
It’s about being close enough to have real conversations.
It’s about feeling seen, not just spoken to.
It’s about leaving with something that stays with you—not just a photo op, but a feeling.
So this tour is going to look different.
More independent bookstores (yay!).
More communal & intimate spaces.
More opportunities to sit together, ask real questions, and talk about friendship, and what it means to connect and grow in our lives.
We did have to make a few changes along the way. Unfortunately, Boston is no longer on the tour—the new timing just didn’t align in a way that felt workable. But I’m really grateful that we were able to add Houston to the list, which feels like such a good fit.
There’s a lesson in all of this, even through the disappointment.
Again—things don’t always go the way we plan.
Timelines shift. Doors close. Capacity changes and you have to reroute in real time. A lot of the time, our first instinct might be to hold on tighter—to force what things could be, when they don’t feel aligned anymore, isn’t going to serve anyone.
But sometimes, we have to sit back and ask: What is this pivot making space for?
All of this is teaching me that:
Every change isn’t a loss.
Some are redirections and opportunities to do things differently. To do things more aligned. To do things in a way that actually supports who you are now—not who you were when you first made the plan.
Pressing onward doesn’t always look like pushing through.
Sometimes it looks like adjusting with care.
Sometimes it looks like letting go of what no longer fits.
Sometimes it looks like choosing alignment over appearance.
And trusting that what’s meant to come together will—just in a way you may not have been able to see at the start.
This isn’t about making things smaller. It’s about making them more intentional.
The new tour stops and tickets are officially live, and I hope you’ll come sit with me. Bring a friend or two. Or come by yourself and meet someone new.
Either way, I want you in the room.
I wrote this book for all of us and everyone who will come after. The Company We Keep was made to be in conversation and community— to be shared and felt.
I’m really looking forward to being in good company with you.
See you next month.
In Gratitude & w/ Love,
Alex
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Reminder: If you pre-ordered TCWK already, don’t forget to enter your info at the link below to get a little gift from me that includes a live virtual gathering and conversation with me and Morgan of Pretty Little Bookshelf on 4/26.
Change is inevitable but how you adapt is the game changer and you’re going a great job! Best of luck on the tour, can’t wait to read your latest book of wisdom😉😉
Wow, I love this. There's nothing wrong with changing things to be in better alignment.