Meet Our April Woman Crush: Mackenzie Dudzik
Our April Woman Crush Mackenzie Dudzik is a true triple threat and first caught my eye after an incredibly inspiring Valentine’s Day post about the benefits of being single! She talked about how being single has raised the standard for herself and her future partner. And how this season or lifestyle can be so empowering.
Coming across her content came at the perfect time for me, because as much as I hate to admit it, Valentine’s Day can sometimes get me in my feelings. But after reading more on Mackenzie’s perceptive about the day she helped me to remember how beautiful being single can be!
I am so honored to feature her this month as our Woman Crush.
Tell us About Yourself!
Hi there! I’m Mackenzie, but my social community knows me best as “Mack”. I’m a creator, digital host and actor. I’m also the founder of Social by Mack, a social media agency specializing in personal branding and Instagram management for personal brands and small businesses in LA and beyond!
What do you feel your single season has taught you?
Oh my goodness. How much time do I have?! My single season has taught me how to love in so many more ways than the traditional sense of “having love for someone else”… Being single has made me more emotionally intelligent. It’s raised my standards for both myself and my future partner. It’s also allowed me to discover my true career passion and start a business.
What passions are you focused on during this season?
Myself! Is that too much? I’ve learned to truly love myself — the person I’ve become through the work I put in on well, ME. But aside from that, it’s helped me discover my entrepreneurial passion too.
What do you think is a common misconception about being Single and how are you changing the narrative?
I think a common misconception about being Single is that single people just go out there and “do whatever they want” — endless, reckless fun (in the sense of sleeping around, going out, partying, etc.) But that’s not the case, at least in my opinion. Having that “Single freedom” is great, it’s magical, yes, but the true magic of being Single is that it’s a time in your life where you get to discover yourself. Being on your own (emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally) is WORK. Tell me the first time you took your Single self out to dinner, on a date, etc, and weren’t faced with the challenge of seeing those “oh so happy and in love” couples surrounding you. But by taking yourself out, and becoming so comfortable with your own company, that’s a kind of growth that only Singles will understand. It’s actually quite a commendable thing.
What are ways you combat loneliness in this season?
I think that having a tribe is very important. You need really amazing friends in your corner, so that when you do get lonely, you have people to turn to. Whether they’re Single or in a relationship, it doesn’t matter. Good friends and good friends. I also think it’s important to hav things you genuinely enjoy doing along — maybe it’s even something you save to do alone. For me, that’s going for a walk around the neighborhood and stopping by my favorite coffee shop, or taking myself out to a museum for the day. Exploring a new city…
How do you respond to negativity from others about your marital status?
Married? HA! Honestly, the idea of marriage hasn’t even entered my bubble yet. And that’s because I know I still have a lot of growth to do, and I really want to feel fully rounded before I take a leap like that. I guess I don’t even know what I want out of a marriage yet, so that’s a sign to me I’m not ready to make that life-long decision just yet, and I’m ok with that. I do have a lot of friends, whether they’re from my home town, or closer to my current community that have those marital desires right now, and I support their desires, you know? I can’t say I’ve gotten any negativity (which I’m grateful for) and I think the reason for that is that I’ve been very open and honest about the reasoning behind my decisions.
How do you practice Self love?
It’s an on-going practice that I’m still learning. Because there are so many different forms of self love. Sometimes for me, showing myself love is just treating myself to something I’ve been wanting. And if the price tag is a bit higher, I don’t let that keep me from acting on my desires if I know I’ve worked hard for it. It could be as simple as a dinner, a vacation, a massage. But I also have conversations with myself and express my feelings for myself — to myself. If you were in a relationship, wouldn’t you have a conversation about your relationship with your significant other? So why would it be any different for yourself?
What words of wisdom do you wish to share with other Single Women?
Take this part of your life and listen to the Universe, because it’s telling you something. Take it as an opportunity to explore, to make mistakes, so get to know yourself, to be your own sugar daddy, whatever it is. Don’t spend this time wishing you were something else or with someone else, because you won’t always have this time to get to know yourself. When you DO enter a relationship, it’ll be about getting to know the other person, and sharing yourself with that person. But you need to know and love who you are first, in order for that to truly be successful, I think.
