S9E14 - Brand Boldly and Build Consistently: Finding Joy and Courage on the Road to Long-Term Success!! #ShitHappens

Ever wonder how some people manage to stay consistent despite juggling multiple businesses, podcast episodes, fitness regimes, and personal commitments? Kristen from Turmeric and Tequila joins Paula to reveal the secrets behind her remarkable consistency across 205+ podcast episodes and beyond.

The conversation dives deep into what true consistency means—not rigid perfection, but the ability to find joy in the process while giving yourself grace when needed. Kristen shares her approach to balancing priorities by identifying one non-negotiable activity and building everything else around it. "If you're having fun and enjoying it, all the other stuff doesn't seem as overwhelming," she explains, offering a refreshing perspective on maintaining momentum without burnout.

One of the most practical segments explores budget-friendly branding strategies that don't compromise on impact. From purchasing a $150 print press to create custom merchandise to leveraging affordable promotional items like bottle openers and stickers, Kristen demonstrates how authentic branding doesn't require significant financial investment—just creativity and passion. Her mantra "be your number one ambassador" serves as a powerful reminder that your energy and belief in your brand matter more than any material investment.

The episode concludes with Kristen's recent accomplishment—completing a 48.6-mile Disney marathon challenge over four days—and her most valuable advice: "Community saves lives." Finding at least one accountability partner transforms consistency from a solitary struggle into a shared journey. Whether you're building a brand, creating content, or pursuing personal goals, this conversation offers actionable strategies to maintain consistency while still finding joy in the process. Subscribe, share, and join our community where we acknowledge that no matter who you are, shit happens—and that's perfectly okay.

To get connected to Kristen M. Olson, https://turmericandtequila.com/

Chapters

• 0:00 Podcast Introduction and Reunion
• 9:12 The Tattered Jacket Story
• 17:47 Consistency and Finding Joy
• 27:05 Balance and Mental Health
• 35:15 Branding on a Budget
• 48:06 Marathon Accomplishments and Future Goals
• 56:09 Final Thoughts on Community Support

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I was like, huh yeah, am I drunk? Am I not doing this right? Did I have to get drunk? You know, I would have been on stage Exactly, but you know, because it was so that I can like that's hilarious.

Speaker 2: 0:16

How did you tear it? The jacket itself. I mean, it's like thick denim. You had to. You must have been tearing it up. Do you want to see how it looks like? Yeah, let's see. Let's see what's up. I was like what did I?

Speaker 1: 0:38

do like, especially the first night. You have like three or four nights after that where you got to maintain right like uh, as I said, you hang out with the more part boys, shit happens. So you see, I have that the big one came off.

Speaker 2: 0:51

Oh, the little ones. Yeah, they were coming off. Oh, I can't see it. Oh my god. Yeah, what were you guys doing? That's remarkable. That looks like um. Were you getting like drug on the floor? Oh my gosh it's like.

Speaker 1: 1:09

It's like there are holes everywhere. I'm like what the fuck was I up to? I do not know, I do not know. I cannot explain it.

Speaker 2: 1:16

I just know that okay, we'll get you you need. That's not a big deal, but the holes, dude, I don't know if we could do anything about the holes. Maybe just let it be character, I don't. Oh my god, how did?

Speaker 1: 1:28

this happen, I'm gonna leave it as character.

Speaker 2: 1:31

When it now has more character, like I gave it more I was gonna say I'm not gonna lie, I kind of like the holes. But well, the next iteration we'll send you some to test. So if it survives you, I know it will survive any. Like our research and design, like product development team but that's the thing.

Speaker 1: 1:50

That's only happened. Shit happens to you and me. It doesn't matter if you're a wizard, a king or a queen, even if you are magic you got who agree is worth it to talk shit out, no matter how messy shit happens. Shit happens.

Speaker 3: 2:26

Shit happens. Fyi, this episode was recorded February of 2024, and it is now April of 2025. From the latest episode, which is episode 13 with Essay, who's also my mentor, to episode 14, which is now, it just felt like these aligned perfectly together. You gotta listen to understand. Also, she still didn't come to Podfest, but she was very much missed. I got upgraded to unofficial. You should have listened to know by now. And if you don't, go listen to know, and Christine finally received her one-of-a-kind Turkish YWP match. Only three people have that match Me, one other person and Christine and it really is one-of-a-kind Turkish YWP jacket. Just a little bit of heads up, updated news for the episode before you go check it out. Enjoy, we are back at Shit Out there.

Speaker 1: 3:58

So today I've been streaming on my phone because for some reason my Wi-Fi is acting up and all my technology is acting up and if you're a podcaster, you know we always have technical difficulties.

Speaker 3: 4:10

I don't know why.

Speaker 1: 4:11

I don't know why it's a thing, but then again, technology right, it's always a thing. And my guest is already here. She's on the background, I'm about to bring her, but I'm so happy that she, she, she's able to make an appearance. That shit happens. I love this incredible human being. We couldn't record last time for uh talk she will be. Uh, but I'll still have, I'll still get on talk. She will be, because right now it's an I. I hate, I had. I can never say this word I hate us us.

Speaker 1: 4:43

I hate us. I hate us. Whatever man it's on the brakes, it's been a long day. By the way, I just made you see that shelf. I was just building that shelf in between. If you watched my story, I share that. But for all those new people in Shit Happens, shit Happens is where we have a deep conversation on one question and we work around that question and every question is customized for the guest depending on their brand, their personality, what they're doing, how they're doing it or something like that. And we also give people their flowers, because I'm all about shedding light on the incredible shit that people I'm surrounded with are doing. Even if I'm not surrounded with you and you're doing amazing shit, I want to share some light with you, and if shit happens, shit happens. So I'm going to bring my incredible guest on the stage right now. Shout out to Christine Welcome to Shit Happens. Let's go. It's good to see you.

Speaker 2: 5:43

You too, baby, I missed you so much at podfest I know, um, first of all, you're the mayor of podfest number one. Let's put that in print somewhere. Uh, I gotta live vicariously. Thank you for getting so much content because I gotta like experience it through your socials. But yes, I miss the crew. It's been a lot of years I didn't get to see you guys this year.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Yes, and it's funny because a lot of the OGs not a lot, but some of the OGs were missing, even though, you know, podfest is always like the energy, regardless. But we also felt the absence of those individuals who were like, oh my God, liz not here, oh my God, christian's not here. Oh my God, you know, because they bring something. So, however huge it is and however incredible people are there, you still also feel that, and that's how much the community means, right, like they've created this space where you are literally missable. And, um, shout out to adam shybly, who say who? Who called me the mayor of portfest? And we ran with it. I even told Chris next year they should make me a mayor of Portfest, normal ambassador of Portfest, like ambassador, it's real, it's so real.

Speaker 1: 6:56

But one of the best things was because my plan was to bring out whoever sent me their merch that I didn't buy, like the people who actually sent me their merch. The plan was I'm going to take their merch with me to Port Press and rock them so that people can see them. So when I wore your jacket, shout out to the varsity jacket which I kind of ruined too much padding but shout out to the first little jacket which I took with me and I wore it to karaoke night and, oh my God, everybody was like oh my God. And some people, because they saw the jacket the next day, they started calling me Jomica Ntukia. I'm like that's not my podcast, but that's my girl's. So go check it out, because people are shitting their walls because everybody's always wearing their brands at potfords, right?

Speaker 2: 7:47

so I love it. I love it, you can be the mayor of turmeric and tequila as well.

Speaker 1: 7:51

Opens open seat for you, no sweat I loved it when some of the you know christian, this big girl, this big girl. I was like hell, yeah, take a picture and let her know we are, we are, we are rocking our shit, we are representing her even though she's not here. So you were representing.

Speaker 2: 8:09

That makes my heart so full. I love seeing the worlds merge and different people come together. That was so awesome and you're such a good human. I so appreciate you repping the cause when I wasn't there, but I'm just proud to have someone like you rocking the brand, so it's all good from this end. That's an honor for me.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Hell yeah, you know love right and I've been in love with you much. I've been in love with your brand, I've been in love with you, so it was an honor for you to be like. I sent you one and I was like, oh my God, for real, like for real, for real, for real. And this is that has been my go-to jacket ever since. But I ended up my jacket like now I have like things came out and I don't know what I was doing. I don't know what more pot boys made me do, because I ended up tearing the jacket and stuff. But the good thing is they did not get lost. Like literally I have the entire bag I have. So I'm about to put them in my wall so that I can like.

Speaker 2: 9:10

That's hilarious. How did you tear it? The jacket itself? I mean, it's like thick denim. You must have been tearing it up. Do you want to see how it looks like? Yeah, let's see. Let's see what's up.

Speaker 1: 9:25

I was like what did I do?

Speaker 2: 9:28

like, especially the first night. You have like three or four nights after that where you got to maintain right like uh, as I said, you hang out with the more part boys, shit happens.

Speaker 1: 9:42

So you see, I have the big one came off.

Speaker 2: 9:48

Oh the little ones. Yeah, they were coming off. Oh, I can't see it. Oh my god. Yeah, what were you guys doing? That's remarkable. That looks like um. Were you getting like drug on the floor?

Speaker 1: 10:03

oh my gosh, it's like. It's like there are holes everywhere. I'm like what the fuck was I up to? I do not know. I do not know. I cannot explain it. I just know that, okay, we'll get you you need.

Speaker 2: 10:17

If you were closer, I'd come get it and you just sew the patches back on. That's not a big deal, but the holes, dude. I don't know if we can do anything about the holes, maybe just let it be character. I don't. Oh my god, how did this happen?

Speaker 1: 10:29

i'ma leave it as character when it's not so cold but like windy, like it can still work, like you know, and and i'ma, i'ma definitely find a way to do, but like it now has, it now has more character, like I gave it more I was going to say I'm to lie, I kind of like the holes.

Speaker 2: 10:47

But well, the next iteration we'll send you some to test. So if it survives you, I know it will survive any customer. It will be like our research and design, like product development team.

Speaker 1: 10:58

But that's the thing that only happened at Podfest. So I don't know, like you know, because I was rocking it fine when I was in Atlanta, and only until I hanged out with the Mopad boys, you know. So I don't know what Joe and Mike got me doing, you know.

Speaker 2: 11:15

Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's another level. I really do like the worn look. We got to fix the patches, but the holes I kind of dig.

Speaker 1: 11:24

I know right, it brought a character because because I mean, they're all these shredded jackets. So it does still work. I still love it, I like, but I was just shocked at what the fuck right?

Speaker 2: 11:37

I don't even like dancing or like. I feel like you got drugged by, like a, like a four-wheeler or something.

Speaker 1: 11:48

So my roommate told me that. But this was on. Yeah, my roommate was like you texted us to come get you and you almost fell out of the car, or did I fall out of the car, so I don't know. I was just like I don't want to hear it. Today's another day. Let's keep it moving. We survived. I'm alive. Exactly I it.

Speaker 2: 12:05

Today's another day. Let's keep it moving. We survived, I'm alive. I'm alive. More turmeric than less tequila maybe on day two.

Speaker 1: 12:11

But again, you see, you have tequila in there. So I think, whether I drink tequila or not, the tequila just came in me. It's real. It's just simply slow, but you know what you're here like you said, forward, all right.

Speaker 2: 12:29

So, um, how have you been? By the way, I've been good. Uh, as we were kind of talking about, we ran um a marathon. It was actually a marathon plus. It was like 48.6 miles in four days, so that was a cool kind of out of the box challenge. We're pushing the podcast hard. We just broke the top 200 in mental health, so that's awesome. Uh, we're just like you. We're out here just just doing as much as we can, as fast as we can, but also like be in the flow of things so we don't get too caught up in like the everyday hustle. Uh, but it's been good. We got big plans for 2024, as I'm sure I want to hear on your side of things. I see I mean this way you're the mayor pod fest, but you're on the socials, you're doing the merch, like you've got it all going on as well.

Speaker 1: 13:06

Well, first, shout out to you for 200 episodes and every amazing thing you're doing, like you literally inspire me and because of you, I keep pushing, especially when it comes to my brand awareness, like I watch and I share and I just take it in and I learn. So thank you. And, and again, it all comes out to surrounding yourself with people you want to be like or learn from, and and I see you're doing it. And it's not even about because I know people use finances as an excuse, because I can also do that. I live paycheck to paycheck and shit. But if you really want to make it happen, you got to just be disciplined and figure it out. And you know this one month you don't have to go out or you don't have to Uber Eats and put it in ordering your merch or paying for that ad or whatever it is.

Speaker 1: 14:04

So, um, I love that I have, I'm around people like you and who show me, who are willing to help me, who are willing to share, who are willing to, and just by observing, like I say, just like you, 2024 I'm, I'm about to, to break it into the game and and the way january started, like when I was a portfair, and I think that's why I also like being a portfair, being around creators, right, and everybody's sharing and and preaching and people seeing you, because a lot of people who saw me last year and who saw me this year, they kept on telling me about my growth and how much they they're watching and seeing. So that assurance when you come back, you're like yo, people are really watching. I gotta go harder and harder. People are seeing, people are noticing, so I think that's a blood rush and since, um, actually you just done you. You it was in December, right, 200 episodes, if I'm not mistaken yeah, yeah, we hit it Um shoot.

Speaker 2: 15:06

I can't remember right before, no, right in October, cause it was right around my birthday. So right at the end of October we hit 200 and I'll have 205 coming out tomorrow. Yeah, yes.

Speaker 1: 15:17

So, um, I want to talk to you about consistency only because, um, shit happens, right, shit happens is is a is a new thing under the toxic with the umbrella. So I'm trying to make it like I've studied to 45 minutes where we pick something and talk around it, depending on the person who comes, and, uh, it's not an interview of constantly questions and asking. And the reason why I picked consistency with you is because 205 episodes in you do a lot of other shit. If anybody's on your social follows you watches, you will say I feel like maybe God gives you extra hours on the day than anybody, because the way you be moving is like damn, and that's what you, you lucky, like my accountability buddy, because I'm like, if she can put in all that, who am I to be crying about this? And I just have to.

Speaker 1: 16:14

You are, you are creative, you have a company core alliance. You, you, you are big in the health awareness, like you're a competitor. You just say you came back from running. You, you know your brand awareness, your mental health advocate, your podcaster, you are, and still, with all that going on, again, you're also a sister, a friend, uh, and all that, a daughter and all that, and you still gotta live life, but you still stay consistent with your podcast, with everything that you put your mind to. So I feel like we need to dig into that. How the fuck do you stay consistent?

Speaker 2: 16:55

Well, thank you for all of that. That really means a lot, especially coming from someone like you, because I feel like you're the same way, like we're in it, we're on it, we're doing all the things. Truthfully, the short answer is like I don't, like I know it looks a certain way, but part of like the funny piece of how turmeric and tequila came together and I've really had to work with like the language and the explanation of it because it's like you know, an anti inflammatory and inflammatory like two opposing things can exist in harmony that's it. And it's just like about balance. And that's funny because I was like I'm not good at balance. I go all in on fitness and all in on business and then like I'm burned out because it's too much. But I don't think that ever really changes. I've learned that about myself. We're just getting a little bit better at balancing it ish. So you know you get better.

Speaker 2: 17:36

Like you were saying, you kind of just stay sacri, stay consistent in your discipline and then sacrifice what you have to do for other things and you just kind of figure out your priorities and a lot of it's like cost benefit analysis, like if I'm going to do this and I know I can't do this, or really a better analogy is opportunity costs. Like you know, if you're spending time and energy on one thing, you're not going to be able to do something else. So getting really clear on what you're investing in is a big piece of it, especially as I get older. With you know, personal life, relationships, free time, time with my dogs, all that stuff outside of work, things that I truly love. It's a constant balance.

Speaker 2: 18:15

But the biggest secret to me is just finding out what really does bring you joy and you can have fun doing it, even if it's work or whatever, and then prioritize that, then fit everything else around those things, because I think if you're having fun and you're enjoying it, all the other stuff doesn't seem as overwhelming as a process, not such a dredge in like hard work in the process. You can work hard, but it's not like it's got to do this. You have to dredge through the situation. So really try and maintain the fun in all of it wherever you can. I think that on the busy, long, hard days that's what pulls you through and it's funny.

Speaker 1: 18:46

You said, um, fun, right, because shout out to justin, I can never pronounce his last name shank, shank, shank, justin growth movement.

Speaker 1: 19:01

And he says this thing, right, he's like, as soon as it stops being fun, I stop doing it, which is so true because, uh, I feel like, uh and it all. I, I love content creating, right. But, um, and the more I enjoy it is because, also, I know my purpose around it, right. So I feel like, even when I get depressed and stuff, and then I start watching a show and it gives me an idea of content and I'm like, oh, my god, I gotta get up, like I'll literally be in bed in my darkness and watching and trying to distract myself, to get out of, and something shows up and the next thing is I'm jumping out of my bed, going into my closet, trying to find an outfit to go out and create content.

Speaker 1: 19:44

And yes, and because the content creating part of it, it's, it's fun for me, the posting part of it, it's really annoying. I need a social media. But you're so right, once you know, once you make it fun, whatever you're doing, whether it is fun this way, I feel like that also helps with your mental health, yeah, yeah absolutely Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 20:09

It's in. Parts of it aren't always going to be fun, like running the marathon I don't really like the training but it's really awesome when it's completed. So there's pieces of things that are hard and that's always part of it. But I do think, if you can have the mindset cause I'm like you, like I like pieces of the puzzle. I don't love doing all of it, Like I don't love the backend of editing and all this Like I like the interview and the humans and the community and like the other stuff isn't my flow. So at some point the goal is to get to where you can outsource those things. So I always say, like the part that isn't fun, just keep working to get to where you can do the fun part and then outsource the things that don't serve you. So that's that's where I'm running towards right now is eliminating that piece. That isn't my vibe.

Speaker 1: 20:46

That's so true and that's why I started doing broadcasting, because I love connecting to people, I love talking to people, I love hearing their stories and hoping that they reach somebody out there who inspires them, and I keep that consistent. But when I am going through that okay, now the season is up and I have to post every week that starts draining me and annoying me, and then so I'm like, okay, let's do a live where, once it's out there, it's out there. I don't have to do that, that mini little part that I would normally do when I pre-record. So if you can't outshores, figure, figure it out, find ways around it, right.

Speaker 2: 21:29

Absolutely, and I think that's great because, like, not a lot of people do go live. So I think that's another competitive advantage and I completely agree with you. Find a way that really does serve what you're doing. And also, if you aren't enjoying something or you feel like your consistency is off, like even the past three weeks, two weeks, I have not released a podcast, I think in two and a half weeks, and I just been busy and a lot of stuff you know kicking off, which is good, but I wasn't consistent. So I think it's important to you to give yourself some grace. Like, if you slip off a little bit, that's okay. Like nothing's, you know going to end, it's not. You know, we're not surgeons saving people's lives on. You know need to take a break or it's an off day, like give yourself some grace in that and then get back on it and then again it's. And then the process, not so rigid, but also lean into it.

Speaker 1: 22:13

if you don't like something, listen to that and like what you did, find a way to maneuver around it in a different fashion you said you haven't released an episode for two weeks because, um, the friday I was at Podfest and last Friday my newsletter used to go out on Thursdays because of my episode will come out on Wednesday. But when I took a hiatus I was like, let me do it on Friday, that way it goes towards the weekend. So I switched that. But then for the past two weeks I didn't release a newsletter and because it's like to be honest, I was wearing so many hats and portals I was going to bed at 3, 4 am and having to be up by7 to start volunteering.

Speaker 1: 22:58

So the thought about finding a place and I'm a person who, with my newsletter, I don't schedule, even my post I don't schedule. I want in the moment what I'm feeling there to go, because sometimes I schedule and I'm like, but that's not the post I want to go out, oh, I need to add new stuff. So I do it. I wake up at 4, 5 am to write the newsletter and send it out. But I wasn't going to do that at Port First, and last week I was moving. I wasn't going to do that at port first and last week I was moving, I wasn't.

Speaker 1: 23:30

So I literally sent a message to my broadcast, my broadcasting people on on Instagram, and I was like, I know I haven't sent a newsletter in two weeks, but it's okay, nobody's dying from the news that I have to give, like it's my personal news to share, it's okay. Uh, as long as I remember, because it's so easy to to let go and slack, right, right, right, it ends up two weeks. Oh, if I miss two weeks, I can miss one more week. I can miss one more week. Oh, then you know it's a month, then two months. So as long as you remember to get back in it before it it drifts away, that's perfectly fine. Grace is is very important in giving. Giving yourself grace in this race of consistency is very important, because shit's going to happen, right Shit happens Exactly and people understand, like they're in it too.

Speaker 2: 24:15

Like you said, you can go out, take a water break, take a minute and then get back in it when you're ready. You just don't take too much time off. But people understand that human condition's real. We're all kind of in it and live in it and it, and so you know if you're consistently doing the best you can and things slide off and you get back on, that's okay, that's everybody and and and.

Speaker 1: 24:32

If people don't understand or they're not human enough to get it, then they're not your people, because I feel like you know everybody understands, because they also have shit in their world going on. They probably didn't even notice because of what also they are going through. No offense like yes, I want everybody to notice when my newsletter is not out, but they might be dealing with shit that it didn't even link to them. That is friday, especially emails. Like people get so many emails and they probably they got a thousand and your email got pushed down that they didn't even notice it.

Speaker 2: 25:07

So be kind to yourself it's, it's real, yeah, and then and then, if you know you have that space, it doesn't feel rigid, you're likely to be more consistent knowing that now I'm curiosity, right.

Speaker 1: 25:21

Um, how do you balance? Because as you balance is important for you to find and to stay consistent, and we already noticed how much shit you do Like God damn it girl, If you all watch her stories and the shit she does in the gym. Like people call me because I'm small, People think I am strong, but damn when I watch her stories when I watch. Let me pick something up how do you manage your balance to balance shit out.

Speaker 2: 26:01

Yeah Well, my big thing. So I'm a long time athlete, you know, and then was a D one athlete and then competed in CrossFit after college. So like that's always been a consistent in my life, not so much for physical health but mental health. Like that's my release, that's my happy place, that's a lot of my community because I'm an entrepreneur, so I work a lot alone. So that part of the gym right now, crossfit is a huge piece of my world.

Speaker 2: 26:29

So I go every morning to the nine 30 class so I can avoid traffic, and this year I'm actually working to wake up earlier to get a little bit more work done before that um class, cause then I don't get home at 11. And so it's. It's a good chunk of the day, however, and I'll end up working later. It's really important to me. So I literally Monday, tuesday, wednesday and Friday nine 30 to like 11 is CrossFit time and I work everything around that and you know I get some content out of it and some business stuff, but really that's like my happy place, my people, it's where I go. So everything kind of works around that.

Speaker 2: 26:54

I schedule my podcast in the afternoon around that. So I think if you have one thing in your world that's your priority, that you want to work around that like it's one thing you can't do without work stuff around that, and so if it's a standing place on your schedule you can maneuver a lot of things around. You know that one priority and it might be you know you're bringing your kids to school or picking them up, or you know doing a meditation for an hour in the morning. Whatever your thing is, I try and pick like one thing and then work everything around that one thing and that's true.

Speaker 1: 27:22

I feel like once you you find one of your happy places again, be it waking up a little bit earlier than your kids and having coffee in silence, or meditating, or journaling, finding that time, I feel like once you have your happy place and you start with that in the morning, it sets your entire day right. Or am I wrong? Because I feel like that that's what works for me, like, and anytime I end up missing that happy thing of mine to do which I normally do in the morning, it kind of ends up missing my all day and it just kills it.

Speaker 2: 27:54

Absolutely, and yet it doesn't need to be over complicated thing Cause then you wake up thinking I got to do all this stuff, like flow into it, enjoy it and know that everything else will get done and if it doesn't, again you can't like make it this really hardcore process.

Speaker 2: 28:07

You got to do the best you can and stay disciplined in your time management and whatever. But also you know days of our lives are moving fast. I think it's really important to slow down and embrace and enjoy some things versus get everything done, and that took me a long time to get to that space and I'm still working to get there. But you know, when we wake up, you know on a Sunday and the whole week's flown by and it's like shit, what did I do where I was like fully present this week or I really enjoyed, and it's like you're just constantly running from one thing to the next. That's not really the point. So you got to find that balance of getting stuff done and whatever, but also, again, just having that grace. We're like let it go. I gotta just I gotta be able to pause at points in life and find that that joy.

Speaker 1: 28:43

otherwise I'm not doing any of this right so true, there's that thing where don't forget to stop and smell the roses or something.

Speaker 1: 28:51

Yeah, there you go because, especially when it becomes a repetition, right? Next thing you know, february is over. When you look back, you're like what did I actually do? Yes, you have produced your podcast, you have done this, but what have you actually done for you? And I always tell people sometimes, you know, because I used to be this person who thought I needed to be busy, right, because being busy means I'm doing something, right, that's what my mindset at that point was. But then I came to realize, okay, I'm busy, but what exactly am I doing? Like? And so, for me, I switched my mindset from I rather not be busy, but be productive, right? So even if in that day, even if in that day I was just able to accomplish one thing, that's fine, because you can be so busy and when you look, you haven't done shit. You have just been busy running around 100.

Speaker 2: 29:49

that's a waste of energy, like that burns you out too and you're not even like you said, you're not being productive. But sometimes in our mind, if you get one productive hour and you have time off, you think like I didn't do that much, versus like five hours of just effing around. You're like but I worked at five hours. It's like, well, not really. But you know, the narrative we kind of grew up with is like just do more to stay busy and it's like you're doing a lot and it's like you're not actually.

Speaker 1: 30:10

You know I love that, so out of curiosity right in your life right now.

Speaker 2: 30:22

What's the hardest shift that you're having? With staying consistent with the hardest thing? Well, it's funny because the marathon was so CrossFitter, not a runner. That's why I chose to do this run. It was really hard because I wanted to do a marathon once in my life but I wanted to do an extra hard one just to check the box. Blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 2: 30:34

So after, the podcast coming out tomorrow is about that experience and training and whatever, and none of my lessons were really about the physical. It was really great because it makes you consistent Like you have to do the training, otherwise you won't I mean you won't complete the race Like you've got to show up and do the training. So the consistency is there's no gray area there like grace or not, like you got to do it or you're going to die on that day, which I was fine in that. But the lessons I got out of taking that chunk of time and being with yourself, you really got to see okay, what do I really want to be doing? You know, I just turned 43 this past October and I'm getting to a point where I'm like, really, I really want to get clear on what do we want to do, like, what do I want to do with this podcast?

Speaker 2: 31:11

What do I want to do with, like, my personal life, with my dogs, with my fan natural stuff like what are the end games? So stuff like what are the end games? So my big focus now for 2024 has been getting deeply, deeply clear on what I want and then consistently uh go after and pursue those. I hate to say goals, but they really were goals. I'm not a new year's resolution type person, but you know I've got, you know, excellent amount of downloads. I want to hit with tumor cantila and bring on sponsors. I want to make more time for my let's go to for milestones instead of goals.

Speaker 1: 31:39

Milestones, how about?

Speaker 2: 31:40

that Milestone, yeah, yeah, milestone, we'll go with that. So we've got milestones set in place and um, it's just getting clear on what you want. So to me it kind of sounds like a simple thing, like I think if you would have told me 10 years ago, like you know, at 43, you're going to be figuring out, you know we're going to work in on clarity, I'd be like what? The like at 40, I don't have it figured out, like what?

Speaker 2: 32:00

But life changes so much and you know, every decade, every year really, and the world around us changes. So I think consistently figuring out and and um, seeking clarity is more important than like consistency in business. So if you're working towards your authentic issue I don't know where you lost me, but I was saying I think the consistency piece is important in knowing your goals, desires, milestones, even more than just like your consistency in your day, like your morning routine, your training, what have you. I would say hardest part for me and what I would suggest is get consistently clear on what you want and what you're working towards you want and what you're working towards.

Speaker 1: 32:38

And it's funny you say that because I believe you know, when we were growing up, we thought that in our 20s we should at least have an idea. That's why I think most of my friends started getting married in their 20s, because that was what we grew up Like. You go to school, you come home, you get married, you start a family, you, you, you, you do that job, you got and life goes on. And then, um, when I got into my 30s, that's when I really started doing work on myself and and and getting more clear, like, no, I want more for my life, I want this, like the clear, instead of coming to me because I started doing work on me.

Speaker 1: 33:20

And then, when I hear now, when I walk around and I hear this 20-year-old kid who was such in a rush to grow up, I'm, like you know, enjoy this moment, live in this moment, because you think you got to figure it out. There's going to be a new version of you in your 30s, a new version of you in your 50s, like it's going to shift, because the more we keep going, the more we grow. We grow and we unlearn. We are constantly unlearning the shit that we were. We were put in our minds because, you know, in the beginning, when we come to life, our parents are the ones who are telling us shit. And then you come to realize that even our parents didn't know shit 100%. Now me and my dad are learning a different kind of life and he's like, well, that's what I knew back then. And it's true, everybody thought they knew what they knew until they realized they don't know shit 100%, and the variable is culturally, generationally, the world around us, nurture nature.

Speaker 2: 34:25

Everything's changing at a rapid pace and I always laugh when kids are like I know what I'm going to do and I'm like, well, that's cool, what you're actually passionate about might not even exist yet. When we were young, podcasting wasn't even invented yet, it wasn't even a thing. So it's like stuff's moving. You might. What you're going to do might not even be a thing yet. So you've got to just chill and, like you said, just absorb the phases.

Speaker 1: 34:46

And accept them. And I think most of us sometimes feel like it's a failure when, when we have to let go of the life we thought we knew or wanted and come into a different life or choose a different lifestyle. But that's not a failure, that's actually growth.

Speaker 2: 35:02

Yeah, yeah, well, and something I've really and, like you, have done a lot of personal work and been around really great leaders and intuitives and coaches and all the things, though I think that one of the bigger takeaways that I would say, especially to young people, is knowing that as great or as great of a plan as you think you had, or as beautiful as you thought it could be, just open up your mind, not so that it might not work out the way you want, but it could be better. Like the plan that's out there God, universe, madonna, whatever you believe in, it might actually be better than what you planned. So, even if you're disagreeing, you don't like it, just be slightly open-minded to the idea that whatever larger order could be better than what you had in mind.

Speaker 1: 35:38

So true, and I feel like sometimes that's when we, we miss our blessings, you know, because we, we, we tend to stick to what we know and don't want to allow all these other beautiful things to come into our life and show us like, oh my God, yes, that, that is good, that's cute.

Speaker 1: 35:56

You know, I like that, you want that for yourself, but you know that it can even be bigger and better for you, so I I I love that. Now, um, before we end this, I want to, I want to talk a little bit about something with you which is branding, because to me, you are the queen of branding, like, I mean, look like right there, like right there. So for people, right, you know, because branding takes a lot of time, energy, also money, because you can't just create it. So, for those people who are really thinking about branding themselves because, oh my god, I've never seen, I feel like you and essay are the people who I know who are constantly on their brand, like and you have so much shit, because I've watched your stories, I've seen like you go hard on your branding. So what's the a way for people who either live paycheck to paycheck or they're not very high on the finances to get into branding their shit and staying consistent with their branding.

Speaker 2: 37:07

Yes, my number one piece of advice is be your number one ambassador. So, before the physical, before the money, investment for anything, get your mindset right in your heart space that you believe in this. You bleed mindset right in your heart space that you believe in this, you bleed it and it's authentically you. If any of those things are not true, the brand's not going to work, it's not going to stem. So it's got to be who you authentically are, something you authentically bleed. Everything else from there will happen and especially in our young people, we'll see through any sort of bullshit back in the day. You know there's all kinds of companies that can come up with cool slogans and kitschy details and, like you know tons of dollars to market it and just wear us down until we're fans. That's not the case anymore. Instagram, social media, the you know people are watching tv less. Everything's really irl in real life, like everything's got to be authentic, which is a burned out word, but as is influencer. But I always say you got to be your number one brand ambassador. Be the one that ble, bleeds it. So that's why I'm always in a shirt, I'm always rocking it, because Tumor Against Tequila especially like you and I as podcasters like this is us. We're not hiding behind a product, we're not, you know, selling something, a service or whatever, like, like, we are the brand. So it's even more important for us to be authentic in it and let it be real, let it be flawed, Let it be all the things.

Speaker 2: 38:16

Financially, I think the next, the first step you can take that's really easy and cheap is, you know, get your logo done, and even that I wouldn't overthink, because lots of big companies redo them down the road and there's different iterations. But get something done and then get stickers. That's the easiest, quickest thing you can do. You can put on a water bottle, a computer, whatever, and and make sure you're taking advantage of the social. So all things, social media, that's all free. Just get on there and if you can afford one shirt, you can go on Printful or any of those situations and order one shirt. So if you have one shirt that's branded, wear it Every time you're on your socials, wear it out, like, do whatever you can. The bottom can be, you know, really, really simple and you don't need to invest in all this stuff.

Speaker 2: 38:57

My next steps from there, outside of stickers and like one shirt, and just using all the social media channels would be to buy a print press, and I did this. You can buy a print press off Amazon I think mine was like 150 bucks and then you can source the vinyl. So I took my one logo and I can buy this in black and white. I kept my stuff simple and it'll come to you in sheets. So I actually had a printer at one time that printed the vinyl and that was. It was just too complicated and it was just a pain in the ass. You have to do the artwork. To me it was worth it to buy. I think I can get a 10 large and these are large logos. You can do them smaller. You can put probably hundreds on one sheet, but overall I spend about 200 bucks on logos. So then whenever I get stuff that I want to wear you know, a cropped pink shirt or whatever, maybe that not a lot of people want to wear I can print it Because when you go to print stuff and order big orders of things, usually it's more.

Speaker 2: 39:45

The less you order at one time, the more expensive each piece is. So most times you'll order like 10 to 25 shirts of the same thing and you got to commit to that inventory and then sell it, blah, blah, blah. I didn't want to do that and I knew I wanted to be in this all the time, so and I was going to be printing random stuff A lot of people wouldn't want to wear, so then I can go to like forever 21 and buy like discounted items and then print them myself. So I think people far overlook how important it is um to rock it on your shirt, cause people are reading shirts all the time.

Speaker 2: 40:11

Like you, you are your own walking billboard, so if you're in it and you're walking in and you can pick pieces that are different, that you like, you can print yourself. I mean, I loved it. And this is why I really want to go into apparel, cause this is like a you know a thing for me. But um, find a way to just, yeah, there you go, get your stuff, print it and you can do your own thing and it's. And now there's stuff like printful where you can go on and you can order all kinds of stuff pretty cost in time, effective, like I've got blankets and pillows where you don't have to order a hundred pillows back in the day. Stanley cups like dude, that's varsity, that's awesome. Um, there's, yeah, see. I mean you already know the game like that's what it is, and when you're excited about it and you want to rock it. People want to rock, they want to be part of your community. So, like, the energy and the mindset is way more important than any of the print materials.

Speaker 1: 40:55

And sometimes there's great content around there and share it. Like every time there's a deal, I'm like I don't know when I'm going to use this, but right now it's in a price that I can afford it. I'm a buy it like legit. I have let me show you something, and this is people think I'm crazy, because sometimes, again, especially for those of us who are, you know, paycheck to paycheck, you never know when you're going to have money. So when you have it, you invest. You see, I ordered this bag. I wasn't sure what I'm going to use. Then the mailing, I was like, but they will come in handy one day, and they did it. First, when I was putting people's stuff to give out, to give them and create content, I put them in here. So from from the package, when they got it, it had talk she would be to. When they opened it, it had talk she would be. I have these ones, these little porches, you know the standard porches.

Speaker 1: 41:53

I was like I don't know what I'm gonna do in there, but the price was right, I ordered them. I'm like they will eventually when I have something and I might not have the money, but I will have them Now. This was the winner at PortFest this year, right? So I wasn't sure what I was going to take with me, because it was last minute, my budget wasn't there, and then I went to Amazon because they do quicker compared to ordering it in shop. So I was like, let me see what they can have in a price I can afford to get me to. And they were the wine openers, right? Oh, okay, yes, it has stock. She will be. That's the logo and it's a kitchen. And these were $40. You get a hundred of them. You can get them in different colors or purple. My color, my brand color, is purple. Of course I got them and then I added five dollars to get this. So I was putting them in this and I gave them out to the ambassador on the first night we had. On Wednesday night, we had the ambassadors meet up and I gave. They were the first people to get them.

Speaker 1: 42:56

So the next day, jen comes to me and she's like oh, my god, guess what I was like? What he's like you can't believe. Katie was looking for me yesterday wondering if I had your opener, because they really needed an opener. She had left hers at the you know how at port. First it can be literally you're talking, because I put them on the table the other, so she was talking to people. And then she got called out. She forgot to to pick it up and she walked away. So then at night the father wanted a beer and nobody had an opener and she was like oh my God. So she texted Jen do you have Paula's opener by any chance? And Jen had it. She used it to begin because when Katie went to her door she was like I'm not going to give it to you until you remember that bonus I was talking about how bad did you want the opener?

Speaker 1: 43:43

But then it also became into a story and even when Mopad had their booth they had like a beach thing, like they had beach chairs, they bought a furry rug like sand and they had beers, but they forgot they didn't have an opener. So I gave them because this came when I got this. Um, they only brought like 50 of the bags. So I had 50 which didn't have bags. So I took a few of them and I put them in their booth and I was like whoever gets a beer, give them my key, my kitchen as well. So that's awesome, I love it, that's perfect. And all it took was 50 bucks.

Speaker 1: 44:22

So I know sometimes it seems like it's a lot and it's a thing that somebody's gonna put it on their kitchen, because who that? Anybody who like? If you like to drink beer or anything, you're gonna want our opener with you all the time. So it's there and I always make stickers. These were big and different. I have other kitchen, other stuff, and whenever I'm in Atlanta and I go to events and I just talk to people because people forget the name of your podcast, especially if they're talking to a lot of people and you're drinking they'll wake up the next day and they'll be like oh my God, was it talking shit or talk shit? So I always end up giving them a sticker or a key chain or something I just give them out in anywhere I go. I'm like that way they will wake up, they'll look at that sticker and they'll be like wait, what is this? Let's go Google it, let's go check it.

Speaker 2: 45:12

I love it and it can be that simple and we're in such a great day and age where you can get it affordably, Like back in the day there were so many gatekeepers to a lot of things.

Speaker 1: 45:24

Now you can get creative and make a lot work with even 10, 15 bucks Exactly. Don't sleep on Amazon. I literally go to Amazon and I write personalized much and it just gives me all these different things for affordable prices. So, even if you feel like you can't order them elsewhere, check them on Amazon and do that. And because of you and Essay, I also started rocking my own brand. When I went to Apple's and Audios I had my shoes with my logo, my bag with my logo, my jacket and everybody's like we need to give Paula an award for brand awareness. Because look at us, even at Portfors my shoes, those Nikes, everybody's like I. I have socks. I went on the stage when I was presenting I had my socks of talk shit with people with my face and shit and my nikes and everybody was like wait, what? Even socks? I'm like, yes, even socks.

Speaker 2: 46:11

That's what's up yeah, people, it's hard to stand out in a crowd of like voices, extroverts, whatever. But like, if you are branded out and like, again you've got the energy because you are that fucking excited about it, like it's real, so it's like I mean, it's all the shine behind the logo that really makes it run. But if you do it, you're walking in it and you bleed it. People love it. I don't think you can have too much.

Speaker 1: 46:32

I really don't so now I'm, and when I saw those glasses I was like man, I also want, like I'm gonna make all my glasses with my logo. But it also gave me an idea that, okay, now for everybody who I really fucks with, who really pours into me, like it's it's not gonna be for everybody's birthday, but those specific individuals, this year I will be making those and shipping them for them because they were affordable and they're so good and the fact that they have that message like my, my text sent me two days ago and was like yo, I'm never drinking whiskey in anything else anymore. Like, this is my favorite new and just to hear that like and he will be sipping it with people and people will be like what stock she will see, yeah, well it's.

Speaker 2: 47:19

It's cool too, because if you've ever created or done branding or bought stuff, you know how much it is, especially on a budget. And it's not just the money, it's the time and energy and packing it yourself like you do all of it. So when someone's had some pieces that may understand like the process you went through to do that, it's like damn, I really appreciate you, like I really appreciate that human exchange, so true all right, we are almost coming to an end, but before we go, all right, you do amazing shit.

Speaker 1: 47:44

I am, so this is the time where I let you brag about yourself. By the way, um, I did not want to talk so much about your experience with disney because I know your episode comes tomorrow and you have shared that. So I want people to actually go listen to your episode and get it, so you can get those downloads, because if we're giving it out for here for free, like what's the point, right, but I do want people to know how many miles did you run?

Speaker 2: 48:12

We completed 48.6 miles in four days. It was a 5k day one, a 10k day two, a half marathon day three and then a full marathon day four. So it was a whole vibe. I am so proud of you that's fucking incredible.

Speaker 1: 48:30

I was watching your stories but I was more jealous about you being in disney and all those like I was like I don't care about the running, I just want to be in Disney it was cool.

Speaker 2: 48:40

It's honestly, it was like I said it's worth listening to the podcast. I break down like how I train for it because, again, I'm not a runner, so I was out of my comfort zone. But I talk about the gear, the fueling, the experience, disneyland, like the whole everything around it was super weird, like if you've ever had that moment in your life and you're like where in the fuck am I and how did I get here? That was it like. It was truly like because I'm not a Disney person and it's like 4 am a guy in full Jack Sparrow, like movie theater costumes running by me, like a better runner than I am in full cost, like everything about. It was like what, what is going on? But it was like a good experience for life in general. Um, so it was cool. I certainly was absolutely not the best runner there, like that was beyond clear, but we showed up and we hung with it and it was an experience for life for sure.

Speaker 1: 49:23

I think it's about being the best runner. I think it's about just enjoying the experience and being being a part of it and saying I fucking did that. You know you should be damn proud of yourself and I'm looking forward to that's why I also didn't want to like talk about it here, because I really want to take in the episode and really get into the moment, because you know, when you, when you experience something and record about it, it's a deep listening to it. It's a different feel than you know like. It's like you hear somebody's excitement, somebody's joy, like they take you through the process. So that's what I want to get from that, that's what I'm saving it for tomorrow and I hope you all go listen to it and just take it all in. But let the people know all the fucking amazing things you do, because you do a lot. You also have a company that does incredible things for the community and for the branding, so that and where people can reach out to you to connect with you yeah, so ko alliance is my company.

Speaker 2: 50:23

We are a consulting firm, so we help companies primarily activate in health, wellness and lifestyle. So if you've got like a consumer package, good, or you work, we do a lot with influencers, aligning key voices, strategic partnership sponsors. We do a lot with getting health, wellness and lifestyles into niche communities or working to build brands. So, um, you know, if you fall in any one of those categories, you're looking to build your brand or attract key voices, influencers or strategic partnership sponsors, that kind of stuff, relationship-based. Give us a call. Uh, turmeric and tequila is the podcast. It's the official podcast, the K-O Alliance.

Speaker 2: 50:55

We do it a lot to disrupt the smoke and mirrors in marketing and branding. Obviously, we're living it on one side and then we're telling the truth always on all things. We work specifically with mission driven companies, but we're in that space really to disrupt it and the podcast is the voice of that. And then I try and pretend to be a professional athlete when I can and we cross it, do runs mostly just do hard things to keep the edges sharp and be around. Like you were talking about good people doing good things, people that are certainly better than I am. So I you know that when the water level rises, all boats rise. We try and stay amongst those people with deep waters so we can hang and like, like Paula herself, that are out here doing it, chasing the dream.

Speaker 2: 51:34

Um, that's it, I w. We're out here really just trying to have a good time, be useful where I can. I'm good at marketing and branding. I like to think we're good at the podcast. Yeah, yeah, you and I both. I think we're both good at like getting good people together, so I don't know where the next. I think that's what's important in our world and I really do think that's where we contribute almost probably more than the business and maybe even more than the podcast, but which is a good thing.

Speaker 1: 51:58

Yes, I definitely need to be like giving you a call on, not on the on the on the friend side, but more on the on the business side, like you know, like a proper call Cause I say 2024 is the year that I, I, I really am putting in the work and getting shit done. And now that I'm finally settling in my new and the highness that I came with from Podfest and being able to be seen and be recognized, when here I'm thinking like you know, who am I? Like nobody knows me, like nobody's paying attention to me, and you go there and people are just validating you, like my head went a little bit bigger and I'm like yo, I'm really sleeping on myself, I need to get shit done because I'm already there, and I think that's what ends up slowing most of us down, because we get it into our head that who am I, who is listening to me, nobody knows me, nobody is watching, but literally people are watching, people are seeing you.

Speaker 2: 52:57

Meanwhile you're the mayor. Yeah, like, let's go. Like, let's call it what it is. Well, I will suggest this to you my friend and I she's also an entrepreneur we just wrote letters to ourselves in six months. So we wrote down I will be making X amount of dollars a month. I will be having these fitness goals. We wrote like desires and goals and milestones for six months from now. So I would suggest that, for anyone listening, go write a letter to yourself for six months from now to where you start to manifest what you want and dream big Like I wanted you know a hundred grand a month this and that like things that are huge. But put it down on paper, see it and then, when in doubt, go read that letter to yourself. She, we, we got to put ours away and then read it in six months. But if you need to mark those milestones or whatever somewhere, or just read it, but then in six months, check in with that mindset from now for six months now and see what comes true and what happens.

Speaker 1: 53:45

I'm going to do that because you're my last call for the day and I'm definitely going to. I'm going to do that and and I think that would be a nice episode in six months I'll let you read the letter on my episode and share with people what has come from it. Thank you so much for hanging out with me and thank you for being a vassal in the community, because you do bring your community. Sometimes I'm like I hate the call but maybe I should move to Denver because I need to be around. It's too much call for me over there. If it wasn't for the call, I'd have been like, yeah, it's too much cold for me over there, it is cold. But if it wasn't for the cold, I would have been like, yeah, I'm going to Denver because there's something Kristen is doing over there and I want to be a part of it, like literally, but in any way I can be a part of it virtually. You know, I'm all in. I'm an official, officially a turmeric and tequila brand ambassador there.

Speaker 2: 54:46

You're one of like eight people that has that jacket. I have, like I think it's you and um one other podcaster and then like four of my best friends and that's it.

Speaker 1: 54:50

You see, that's why it meant so much to me and it's from the day I got it. I literally was wearing it every time. But sometimes I get overwhelmed when I have too much content and as I was going through content I realized I made a nice video I just never posted it of me in my full black true make tequila. Like they got it at the back before the badge was gone. So maybe now I'll post it, since my badge came out. So now I can reminisce.

Speaker 2: 55:16

We'll figure it out as a top ambassador. We'll get you outfitted, Don't worry. I promise you.

Speaker 1: 55:21

But thank you so much for coming in and thank you for hanging out with us and thank you for sharing all that incredible jam For people who are having a hard time staying consistent. What's the last word you have for them?

Speaker 2: 55:33

Find somebody, get your group around you. Community is everything. So I think community saves lives. So get your good people around you, even if it's one person, one friend, your mom, your brother, whatever and tell them what your goals are or what you're doing, and then they can help you keep consistent, because none of us can do any of this alone Like you need your community. So be honest with at least one person and just say here's what I'm doing, can you check in with me? Can you do this? And I've never experienced something when I've done that where someone's like no. So if someone does say no, I mean FM, that wasn't your community. To go on. But I've literally never heard a story where someone like you knew you asked to help. You know, keep that accountability alive and to help keep that consistency moving. That's that's never not wanted to help out a friend.

Speaker 1: 56:16

All right. Well, thank you so much. And that's a true community support system, accountability body. All those are important when you are just living life, whether it's building a brand, whether it's being in a creative side or just living life. All those are important. So thank you all for tuning in.

Speaker 2: 56:35

I got it.

Speaker 1: 56:35

All right, all right, I'm going to end this. Shit, shit happens, shit, shit happens, shit, shit, shit, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens. Tidavis.