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the Selfish Mom Podcast
Welcome to "The Selfish Mom Podcast," the ultimate destination for wellness and empowerment tailored specifically for moms!
Are you a mom who's constantly juggling the demands of family, work, and life? Are you in search of a balanced, thriving, and fulfilling lifestyle? Look no further. Hosted by Ali Kay, this podcast is your go-to source for holistic wellness, self-care, and self-empowerment.
Join us on a transformative journey where we celebrate the beauty of self-care, self-discovery, and self-love. Discover how embracing "selfishness" can lead to a life of vitality, resilience, and happiness. Ali Kay, your guide and fellow Selfish Mom, shares actionable insights, inspiring stories, and expert advice to help you prioritize your mental and physical health.
Here's what you can expect:
Wellness tips and practices tailored for every type of woman m.
Empowering interviews with experts and inspiring moms.
Strategies to redefine "selfishness" as an act of selflessness.
A supportive community of like-minded moms on the journey to wellness.
It's time to put yourself first without guilt, embrace self-care, and rewrite the narrative of motherhood. Subscribe to "The Selfish Mom Podcast" now and embark on a path to become the healthiest, happiest, and most empowered version of yourself. Join Ali Kay and our community of Selfish Moms, because taking care of you is the first step to taking care of your family.
the Selfish Mom Podcast
From Succulents To A Multi-Million Design Firm with Morgan Mullen
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
One “yes” can reroute an entire life. Morgan Mullen went from stay-at-home mom mode to running a multi-seven-figure interior design business, and it started with selling succulent pumpkins at her dining room table. When a customer asked for help with a front yard, then a kitchen, she didn’t wait to feel qualified. She figured it out, documented it, and let social media and word of mouth do what they do best when the work is real.
We talk honestly about the parts people skip on Instagram: the money pressure of living on one income, the guilt that can show up when you want more than motherhood as your only identity, and the expensive lessons that come with fast growth. Then COVID hits, projects pause, and Morgan’s family is suddenly staring at major uncertainty. Her response is a masterclass in pivoting: she launches a home decor subscription box, sells out in 24 hours, and scales from a garage operation to full fulfillment.
We also go deep on health and burnout. Morgan shares the symptoms that led to her Hashimoto’s diagnosis, what inflammation looked like in daily life, and the practical habits that helped her feel like herself again, including protein-forward meals, prep, supplements, and strength training without perfectionism. We discuss breast implant illness as an inflammation question, her explant decision, and the recovery reality. And because she’s a designer, we end with how light, clutter, and organized spaces can change your mental state and help you show up better at home.
If this conversation hits home, subscribe to the Selfish Mom Podcast, share it with a mom who needs a reset, and leave a quick review so more women can find it. What’s one “yes” you’re ready to try next?
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Season Return And Guest Setup
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the Selfish Mom Podcast. Podcast for you so you don't get burnt out like a mother. I'm your host, Ali K, and this is the Selfish Mom Podcast. Learn to prioritize your mental and physical health first so we can thrive and not just survive. Let's take action, become our best selfies together, and redefine selfish as the most selfless thing we could do.
SPEAKER_02Hey guys, welcome to the brand new season of the Selfish Mom Podcast. We took a little bit of a hiatus. We took a little reset, we regrouped, and we are back. And I'm so excited to share this brand new season with you. On this episode, I have a guest, y'all, and I am so excited for you to listen to this episode. I had on Morgan Mullen. She is a mother, a designer, and an entrepreneur. With zero formal design experience, Morgan went from working for free to building a multi-seven-figure design business by year three. Based in San Diego, she balances raising four littles with her passion for creating beautiful, intentional spaces, all while leading a thriving design firm and retail store. Grounded in her faith, she prioritizes family health and long-term growth, building a life and business rooted in purpose, balance, and vision. Guys, this is a great episode. Sit back and Morgan Mullen. Welcome to the Selfish Mom Podcast! Welcome to the Selfish Mom Podcast.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. I'm so excited.
SPEAKER_02I'm so excited to talk to you because I feel like we both followed followed each other for a while. And we planned to do this, I think, like last year, and then it just never happened. And here we are. So I only did it. Yes. Okay. So tell me a little bit about you. So whoever doesn't follow Morgan, you are like really big interior design. But I also feel like we're kind of living the same life. Like I just saw the video of your son like riding the electric like motorcycle on your property that you just that you're renovating. I'm like, oh my God.
SPEAKER_00We are. We're living very similar. We live very similar lives in the sense that similar in the sense that you're kind of in the design world, right? With the staging and everything. And then which is is design. And then what? I said uh okay. Um and and um yeah, we started this massive project like six months ago and bought land in San Diego, which doesn't really exist. So it's uh it's been quite the journey.
The Side Hustle That Started It
SPEAKER_02Tell me where you first started because I know like I see snippets of you posting about like kind of how your business started, and I feel like it wasn't even that was like never the plan, like how big you are right now, like how big your business is. So just tell me a little bit about that and where were you in motherhood?
SPEAKER_00Okay. So I was let's see, I had so I have I had the two little girls and uh Brooklyn and Everly were about maybe like five and three. I was pregnant with my son, and I was just like itching for something more. You know, I it's not that I don't feel like being a stay-at-home mom is not enough. I just oh I've always had this like very strong entrepreneurial fire inside of me that wanted to make money. Also, we live in San Diego and it's really expensive to live here. So living off of one income is really difficult. So um, you know, we my husband and I had this conversation. It was kind of like, hey, I think you need to get a job. And I was like, I don't want to be stuck and not see the kids. So what do I do? I like literally had like conversations with him where I was crying in restaurants. And um yeah, it was just like one of those moments where I was like, I I had a degree in marketing and biological science. Oh wow, I wasn't using it. Um, I, you know, I I had always wanted to be in business in some form, but just didn't really I felt super lost. So without going on a few like a huge tangent, I was um, I was just I was staying at home and really long story short, I wanted I wanted a way to start making some extra money. And I started making these little succulent arrangements and I would make like succulent pumpkins around the like fall time and I would sell them as like you know, tablescape type um things that people could purchase. I would make little like teachers' gifts around like Mother's Day gifts. I was like always thinking, like, how could I make a little side hustle? And ironically, I actually ended up making some pretty good money selling these succulents. I believe and one day a lady showed up, what yeah, it was why it was so wild. Like I would take videos of like my my dining room table just full of succulent pumpkins, and it was so fun, it was cathartic for me to just like be able to use that creative side of my brain, and it gave me something to look forward to, and it made me feel like I was doing more than just like going to Target during the day or going, you know what I mean? Like it just gave me more to look forward to. So um, a lady came to pick up one of her succulent planters, and she was like, Hey, it looks like you have a green thumb. I see all these succulents out front of your house. Do you think you could help me with my front yard? And I was like, Okay, sure. Like I've always been just like, yeah, I'll try it, right? Yes, I think there's like two different types of people. Yes, I'm a yet. I'm I'm like a person that's like, if I can't, if I can't do it, I'm gonna figure it out. So I uh I'll never forget I like literally was loading things in the back of my car at Home Depot, like plants and directing them, putting boulders in her front yard, and like by the grace of God, it like somehow figured like looked great. And she was like, she was like, Hey, this worked out really great. Why don't you would you help me with my kitchen? And I had never designed a kitchen before in my life. She's like, you just seem like an artistic, creative type person. I think you could design my kitchen. And it just all snowballed from there. Like I posted the kitchen, it went on pottery barn, it went on rejuvenation. At that time, social media was like, there wasn't all these uh design accounts and all these people doing design. They were just, I mean, do you remember when we was did we would do Instagram and it was like you would just use it as a filter? Yeah, yes, and then you would just get it. Yes, yes, right, and like and like I would look at it and be like, I I look back on some of my old stuff, and I it wasn't used with reels, it wasn't used with stories, it was just like a little random, you could make your photo look like a vintage photo or something. So I was just starting out taking pictures of my house, taking pictures of the planters, um, but then posted that and it just it all was like from there trajectory.
SPEAKER_02What year was this 20 like 15? Like we what year was this?
SPEAKER_00Um, this was around probably 2019. So I've only been doing this for like six, seven, six or seven years.
SPEAKER_02Okay, gotcha. And then uh if you don't mind me asking you, what year were you born?
SPEAKER_00Oh 84. I'm 40. Okay, I mean, oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02It's it's all the same. I feel like at a point, my birthday's next week, and I'm like, shoot, how like how I always ask Joe, like, how old am I?
SPEAKER_00And he's like, 84. Okay, yeah. I still feel like I'm 24, but um I'm 20, I'm 41. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So it's interesting because I'm reflecting a lot. You know how there's like this trend where like 2016 is the new 2026, so a lot of people are like going back and reflecting. And I think what it is, because like you just talking, that's exactly how I started my staging business. Yeah, someone just asks, and I and I think like entrepreneur like mentality, it's the same. It's like we're gonna say yes, and then we'll pivot, we'll figure it out. And and of course, there's probably someone that's way more qualified than us, but they're just sitting on their butt, like just thinking about every different thing. Overthinking it, and and unfortunately, that's just what makes it work in entrepreneurs, but it's our stories are so similar. But just reflecting on social media and stuff, I feel like we're that age, you know, where it's like there wasn't there's not a lot of us at our age like making the content. We're almost like the first like people doing it in a sense. Like of course, like now everyone's doing it, but it was like the first of its kind, like you taking the pictures for pottery barn and rejuvenation, like really just like pioneers in this space. So that's really interesting. So then what happened after that? So you did her kitchen, you took you took the picture, you're now on social media. Social media is now a thing now. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, from there, it was just like this upward trajectory, honestly. It was, it was, I'm we're so I'm like sometimes I think back on it and I think, you know, what if I hadn't have done that? What if I what if I hadn't put myself out there? What if I didn't take the leap? I didn't know what I was doing. I literally didn't. I I've always I've always had like an eye for things. Like I was always rearranging furniture. I've posted on Instagram, like I literally look back to my childhood and I had, you know, I I think back to my parents. My dad was a contractor. My mom designed a ranch-style home in Rancho Santa Fe and ended up getting awards, and my mom didn't know what she was doing, and my dad was, you know, they they just figured it out. And so I think, you know, growing up, going to antique stores and what and going to my dad's construction sites and always being around that and seeing my parents hustle. My parents worked really, really hard. Um, Rancho Santa Fe is a very affluent area here in San Diego, but my parents were like flipping homes. We were living in like it's so funny and ironic to me because we'll get to like the project that I'm working on now. But my mom's my mom's house, the house that I grew up in, was infested with rats when we moved into it. And now I'm like fast forward, and here I've like taken on this massive project. But like my parents bought the the least expensive home in Rancho Santa Fe in the 90s, turned it into this like award-winning home, and and they worked really, really hard. So I've always I was always seeing that, and I was always like, my mom always worked, my dad always worked, and um, so it had it in me, and I always just had this like, how can I, how can I, how can I make this work? How can I figure it out?
SPEAKER_02So I love that, and I feel like even as moms, we can have this guilt of like moms, like motherhood needs to be our identity, and if we want something more, it's almost like that guilt, like, why would you want more, you know? And especially if you have the luxury of staying at home too. Like, why would you ever, you know? But I think, like, especially now in this in this phase of my life, like you, like, I want my kids to see me go after my dreams. Like, I want them, just like you're talking about your parents, like I want to show them, I want to teach them, you know, I want to be that example.
Ambition, Mom Guilt, And Money Pressure
SPEAKER_00And not that there's anything wrong with women who it's a very, yes, it's a very sensitive subject. And you don't ever want to, I don't want to offend anybody because my story is not your story, is not the next person's story, right? So when you say, like, when I say I wasn't fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom, some people take offense in that, right? And for me, I that's just my truth. I I I wanted to, I I've always wanted to build and grow, but simultaneously having that as much balance as I possibly can, right? Like I want to be with my kids. However, I started to see when I was working and making money and feeling good, and it's not about even recognition, it's just about like feeling proud about what I was doing. I show up differently at home. I show up better for my kids. Yes, my girls are watching me. I have a large styling and I come home and they're like, What did you do today, mommy? And they want to see the videos, they want to see the before and afters. And I I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Like, I think that that, you know, creates that drive in them, that that creates that that spirit in them of like, hey, look what mom's doing. And we want to do that. Hopefully, you know, hopefully. And I'm not saying by any means that if you are a stay-at-home mom, you're not being a good example for your kids. I'm just saying that that was for that was my story, you know.
SPEAKER_02So I feel like everyone's so different because, you know, I reflect back, like I'm not good, I'm not like the nurturing type of person, you know. Like I just, it doesn't come natural to me. I am, but like I think it's so hard to be a stay-at-home mom in the sense of like, you know, meal, like there's women that all they dedicate their entire life and they are amazing at it. And I just feel like we're all different, we can't judge each other. Like you said, everyone's story is different, but it is amazing. Like, I look back, you know, in 2016. I only had one son, but like we lived off of one income at that time. I just, it's how do you how do people do it? Like, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_00It was so stressful. It was so stressful. I was literally just talking to one of my designers on my team yesterday, and I was telling her, I was like, I when I wasn't working, like my husband has never been controlling about money or anything like that, but I always felt like, oh, like this is hard, you know. And I told her, I'm like, I would even have these moments where it was like, should I get the kids some shoes? Or like, that's a cute shirt, but like, no, I'm not gonna get that for myself because I need to prioritize them. And and I still think that way, but I think it's just a different level when you are making your own money and you can you're feeling good about what you're doing, you know, you don't feel that like you know, that pressure, I guess. I don't know. It's just it is difficult. I don't think I whether you're in California or wherever you are, living on one income, and that is a lot of pressure on one person. Um, so it's hard.
SPEAKER_02It it's it's just uh yeah, I don't know how you're doing it in California, not to go off on that, but but let's get back. So all of a sudden you're like you're designing, and you said you had a degree in marketing. So, like you're I mean, you basically have like I don't what is it, like a design studio, and you're taking on so many projects. Like, how did that happen just as you continue to go, or that was always the plan once you were like in it? Like, how did you get there? And also, like, what what are you doing with your kids now? Like, what was that transition like?
Growth Pains And Costly Mistakes
SPEAKER_00Um, I had no idea that this was gonna happen. Like, I literally thought, you know, um, it's so interesting. I think I was just I've always had like a very, very strong gratitude practice. And I, you know, I would get these submissions that would come through our website, and I would always just like sit there and be like, oh my gosh, like this person wants to work with me. This is so amazing. I still feel that every time I see them come through, but I would send them to my husband and be like, look at this, look at this, like this is so amazing. So they just kept building. And I think, you know, um, I I've always used the term like build, grow. Like I was building and I was growing at the same time. I was making mistakes, I was making extremely expensive mistakes, like massive mistakes, um, you know, not working with the right team, not hiring the right people, um, you know, not using the correct programs, not keeping track of my expenses properly. So the first couple of years was difficult. Um, so that was like 2000, end of 2018, early 2019. Things are growing very fast to the point where I was like, shoot, I need to start hiring people. I can't do this all on my own. It was a very difficult year, not to get too cra into like all of the weeds, but that first year, my husband's father, who was basically a father figure to me, my my father figure to me, um, he was passing away. And um, my son, at the time when he was born, he had he was born with a club foot. So his foot was like, his Achilles was really, really tight. And he ended up having to go up to LA like weekly, and we had to have surgery. So that whole first year, I was trying to build business. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, which we can talk about. Um, my father-in-law slash father was dying, and I was trying to build all of this all at once, and it was very, very difficult. But so all these submissions are coming through and we're building it. Um, and like I said, making a lot of mistakes. So by by the end of 2019, I'm starting to see this like very strong flow of projects. Things are starting to really grow, and then COVID hits. We're like that, we're like, uh, okay, we had just bought, we had just bought a brand new home. Um, you know, we thought everything was great. We were booked out for a year. We had like the whole year planned out. And then I started seeing like email after email, hey, um, I'm feeling a little uncomfortable. I don't think I want people in my house. And we were supposed to demo next week, but like we're gonna put it on pause. And I was like, oh shoot. Like now what? Right? Like how now what do I do? Um, my husband had quit his job um because his dad was sick. Yeah, my husband um had quit his job because we had this moment where he was, you know, he his dad was really, really sick. Everything was taking off with the design side, and he had asked for some time off to be with his dad because his dad couldn't drive him to and from his um cancer treatment. Um, and he asked his corporate job, he'd been there in corporate finance for like 11 years. He was like, I need some time off. And they declined, they declined it. And we just had this pivotal moment where I was like, screw them. We're doing this, we're gonna grow this. I've like, if you need a little bit of time to help your dad, I'll take over. And it was like this um, oh gosh, it was like this, like I was so grateful for him for letting me be like, not letting me, but like allowing or like providing for me to be a stay-at-home mom through the first like five years of my girl's life. And then I was able to take over, you know, for that six months that he wasn't able to work, he was caring for his dad. Um, so where was I? So COVID.
SPEAKER_02Let me ask you a couple questions because I feel like I'm in this spot right now. So I'm like, oh my gosh, we need to just unpack this. So that that's a major move. First of all, you have kids, your husband has a corporate job, that's security, that's that's I mean, health benefits, I can imagine, a steady paycheck every month. You have a design business that's building, but uh if you're if it's anything, any business, I feel like you have good months, bad months, you know, months that look amazing, months that don't look like the pre- you know, like you're it could be all over that place. So when you were taking, I mean, it sounds like you guys obviously with his dad, you were almost cornered to make that decision, but did you put finances away? Like, did like what did that look like in the sense of like, or was it like, oh shoot, again, we'll just pivot as we go?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we were scared, honestly. Um, no, finances were not set aside. Um his it was it was scary, but I had this trust and like it's all gonna be okay. It's weird. I've always had that. Some people, and I think that that's where again, going back to the entrepreneurial spirit and that like that trusting. I've always just been like, hey, I want to do this and I'm gonna do it and it's gonna be okay. I've always had this this, I guess maybe confidence that like it's I'm just gonna be able to do it.
SPEAKER_02And you believe it. You believe it.
SPEAKER_00I believe it. And yeah, it was scary. And if you think back to COVID, what a freaking weird time, like, but also what a great time, like in a weird way that we were able to stay home and be with our kids. So what ended up happening was those projects started saying, I'm not moving forward. Joe had hit quit his job, and I was like, okay, for me, you you have two different options. You can either be paralyzed and be scared with fear, or you can shift into what I always tell my team, we need to shift into solution-oriented mindset. Stuff's gonna go wrong. You're gonna have to figure it out. When you say pivot, yes, it's 100%. We pivot. And that was a moment where I literally, I like, I'm a very I'm a religious person. I said a prayer and I was like, I need to figure out what I'm gonna do next, what's gonna be the next step. Woke up the next morning and I had this idea that was like literally so heavy in my heart. I was like, what if I launch a home description home decor subscription box? All these people are asking me to design their homes, but now we're stopping. I have access to all this beautiful home decor. People don't know how to style their homes. There's a problem, I have a solution, I can do it. I can source all the beautiful stuff, I can put this all into a box. Let's see, let's see what happens. So, my husband, being the son of a lawyer and very cautious, I bring this idea to him and he's like, Yeah, that sounds amazing. Like, let's let's work on it, let's let's talk about it. Let's um let's look at every angle. Let's look at every angle, let's look at like everything that could possibly go wrong, all the risks it's gonna cost. And me, I'm like, F this. I post on Instagram, I'm like, hey, I'm thinking about putting out a home disc home decor subscription box. Would you buy it? And it's like, yep, like it was wild. We launched it, we sold out in 24 hours. My husband and I are boxing all this stuff in our garage, and we pivoted, we we figured it out. We grew the subscription box from our garage to a studio to a full, like full blown fulfillment center in less than two years.
SPEAKER_02That is insane. So, how did you know, like, where did you source this stuff? I mean, I don't want to like give away, but like No, it's fine.
COVID Forces A Business Pivot
SPEAKER_00So, so I was already doing, I was already buying stuff. We were buying stuff overseas, we were buying stuff from like local, not necessarily local, but like a lot of things. On like Etsy type shops where it was like handcrafted stuff or things. I ended up meeting this amazing woman who was pouring candles in her garage. And like everyone got a glow up. It was just so cool because it was like she ended up getting a studio and pouring, you know, tens of thousands of candles. And um, you know, we were we were purchasing so much. It just it just started to grow. So it was um it was a crazy, crazy ride, honestly. The the subscription, all of that. So um it just started to take off, and um that was all through Instagram that you announced it, everything.
SPEAKER_02And so everything. So a lot of people weren't even local, it was like a lot just from anywhere and everywhere.
SPEAKER_00It was everywhere, yeah. It was all across the country. It was just from Instagram following. I would post in my stories. Hey, we have a launch. I was posting, we were we were doing four boxes a year, so we were doing um, you know, we were doing uh the seasons, so my brain, right? Uh winter, you know, fall, winter, spring, summer, all of the the boxes were geared around a the season basically. So I love it. So yeah, it was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02So you're blowing up that way, but you also your husband's going through with his father, COVID's also going on. And I know you said you got diagnosed with Hashimoto's. So I kind of want to back up. Like, how did you actually get your diagnosis? What were you feeling before? Was it after pregnancy? Like, when did all this start?
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah. So I had my my little boy, and I started feeling I think it was a combination of very high levels of stress with starting the business, his dad getting sick, um, my son's health stuff going on. I was not taking care of myself. You probably weren't sleeping. I can't. I wasn't sleeping, I was nursing, I was, you know, depleting every ounce of my energy and my nutrients and everything. So um, yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people have it and they don't know it. I was um unable to lose weight. I was um very inflamed. Like I would wake up and I couldn't even move my wedding ring, you know, um, skin issues. I would have these, like I have my my face would be so itchy and like the creases of my arms or behind my legs was itchy. Um just like freaking miserable, honestly. And I just ignored it because you know, you're a mom and you're you're putting yourself last and you just like you almost like you know that analogy of like putting a frog in hot water, they'll immediately jump out. But if you put it in and turn on the water and it just slowly starts to boil, they won't jump out. I feel like that's what was happening to me because all of a sudden I have three little kids to take care of, and I'm trying to do all the different things. Um, so I had kind of like a pivotal moment where I was like, I've got to get this under control. Um, I ended up ironically finding out that I was like very, very, very allergic to eggs and I didn't know it. Um, and that was where a lot of the skin stuff was coming from. And um, I don't know entirely if it was Hashimoto's or if it was hormones or if it was my implants that I ended up having removed last year. Um, I was having some major skin stuff that was just so uncomfortable. So I um I ended up having a test. My antibodies, like so your antibodies are supposed to be, I don't know, I think it's like under 64 or something like that. Mine were almost 4,000. I was so inflamed, so miserable. Um, and I just was like, okay, now what? So um I'm a little bit on the crunchy side where like I and when I say crunchy, it's like a lot of it is yes, crunchy, but I'm also like just stubborn. So I didn't want to take medication. I was afraid that if I got onto medication, that I would never get off of it.
SPEAKER_02Because your thyroid becomes dependent on it. It's like telling your thyroid to just like chill out, and then yeah, you're putting it in. Okay, we got it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Forever. And I'm not saying like I'm not a doctor, I'm not saying don't take medication, but I'm the type of person, like, if I have a headache, I'm not gonna take an Advil. I'm just like I that's just who I am.
SPEAKER_02Um my husband is so frustrated at that.
Subscription Boxes Built From A Garage
SPEAKER_00No, Joe's like, just take why are you so stubborn? I had four C-sections and I never took pain medication after any of them because I was so freaking stubborn. Never once. I just I just no, it was so gnarly, but I um I where was I? Um I didn't take medication, I just kicked in again. And anytime there's a problem in my life, I'm like, what do I need to do? Right. So I got pretty serious about my health. It just took me a couple of years of not being serious about my health and still just being that frog and just like it sitting in the boiling water until finally I was like, okay, no more. I'm miserable. Um, it took me, I've posted about it, I saw a picture of myself on Mother's Day um at my daughter's soccer tournament, and I literally didn't recognize myself. I was like, what is going on? My face was so puffy. I just, you know, I guess it's vain, but I just hated the way that I looked. And I remember this person telling me one point at one point, she was like, I just, it's not about weight, it's really about just being comfortable in my own skin. And I was so uncomfortable in my own skin that I was like, okay, I have to get serious about my health. Like, I don't want to be in a situation where I'm not healthy for my kids, you know. And Hashimoto's is so easily reversed with diet and nutrition, like diet and exercise. It is like I saw my numbers like drop to nothing after I cut sugar and started focusing on protein and started taking tons of supplements and you know, heavy lifting and all of that, like everything changed as soon as I was like, okay, I have to make this, you know, this decision here.
SPEAKER_02So, how did you so when you started cutting sugar and gluten and all the things, like how was it like, okay, I'm done, and then tomorrow you're just gonna wipe it all out, or was it like a gradual thing? How did you kind of like get to that point? And then do you still like sometimes have sugar? Like, what is that lifestyle look like? Yeah, and then like how did you get to where you decided, okay, I'm gonna do the implants?
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. So with the sugar stuff, yes. I mean, I feel like everything is in moderation. I will still like I listen to my body. Like, if I want a piece of chocolate, I have a piece of chocolate. But and I was, I'm not like I'm not really a huge sweet person. It was really for me more about focusing on like protein and like the the meal planning, which I know people talk about and it sounds kind of silly, but like it's really, really important, especially as a mom, if you're not get making sure you have your lunch on you. Like for me, like I posted the other day, like I'm eating little like things in the car. I always make sure I have little packages of things because otherwise then you're either in a moment where you're starving yourself all day and you're going home and like eating way too much for dinner, um, killing your metabolism, or um, you're picking up something that's garbage, you know? So um focusing on having things prepped was like super, super big for me. I still have sugar. Um, I still have a glass of wine. I think it's just like a different mindset of focusing more on like on the protein for me. It was a huge thing for me to be able to say, hey, I'm not gonna have that. Um instead I'm gonna have, you know, something like this. Like I'm always just thinking about like protein and how I can fill myself with that versus like having a piece of toast for breakfast.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I think also once you start, and I I I'm learning this too as I go because it's it's like the nutrition part is like an ever-growing like journey, you know. But I think it's once you become mindful and aware, like, hey, when I eat this, I feel like crap, or I'm like super bloated at like all of a sudden you're starting to make those connections rather than like fully restrict, you know. I think that's really where that sustainable, like balanced lifestyle comes.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I did the, I mean, I did everything. I did the Atkins, I did, you know, the Mediterranean diet, I did all those things. And the more you feel like you're restricting yourself, the more it feels like it just feels awful, right? Like it feels like um, and so I didn't even, I don't, I don't track what I eat, I don't do any of that. I just it's like if I have two different options, if I have cottage cheese or something else, it's it's like you just try and choose the best option, but you also live your life, you know, and enjoy your life. And if someone brings cookies into our studio, I'm gonna have a freaking cookie, you know, I'm not gonna deprive myself. Yeah, and then I'll just decide to make a better decision later. So um, to answer your question on the implants, it's uh it was like this weird thing for me because you've seen my Instagram. I have like my I have like clients there, right? I have like, and and it's not so much it's like my clients are people that I'm working with for years and they become friends, like we we are friends, but I also am always trying to be cognizant of like having a professional Instagram. So it was like a struggle for me on whether or not I was going to share the journey, but I knew it was gonna become a thing because I was gonna have to be out for a little bit to have this pretty decent sized surgery. Um, so I just like kind of put it out there and I was like, hey, I'm doing this. And um the response was crazy. Like there were people that I mean, it was just I think there's such a it's such an amazing social media is such an amazing thing how how you can reach so many people and people being like, I had no idea that my Hashimoto's could be linked to this, or I had no idea that XYZ symptom that I'm having could be linked potentially to my implants. And I still don't know if I had the the the BII, the breast implant illness. I'm pretty sure I did. Um, I think I always had this narrative in my head of like, oh, well, they're not silicone, they're saline, but the exterior portion of every single implant that's in any body is silicone. And silicone is one of the number one things that causes inflammation. Right. So I had mine, I got mine. It's like embarrassing, but I got mine when I was like 19. I was so many of us did, you know. I was like, wasn't it like the cool thing to do? Like Paris Hilton had her, I think I had a chihuahua.
SPEAKER_02So did I, so did I. Oh my god, I lived off of like tabloids and stuff. Mary Kay Nash. Oh yeah.
Hashimoto’s Warning Signs And Testing
SPEAKER_00Oh Jessica Simpson. I was following all of those girls on the tabloids, TMZ. I was like, you know, it was just like, hey, it was easy. It was like I was making good money. I was managing a coffee shop and making great tips and hustling in college, and it was like five grand to get your boobs done back. It was affordable. And I was like, shoot, I'm gonna do it. You know, I've always like wanted to like feel good about myself. I never really loved them. And so I like went in, got them, and it was like done, right? And then 20 years goes by and I still had them. Um, and it kind of came to this moment, was like, okay, they're still okay, but it's probably time. I've nursed four babies. Yeah. Um, do I get new ones or do I take them out? And I went in and I started talking to this doctor um in San Diego, and he's like super, super well known for just like basically all he does is ex-plants, and he works with people that have really, really serious BII issues, which was not me, but I definitely definitely had stuff going on. My body wasn't happy about it. And it makes sense if you think about like it is still a foreign object. Yep. So he started explaining to me, um, you know, that that silicone is an irritant inside of your body. It does cause inflammation. And, you know, end of the day, I could replace them, or I could just um or I could just take them out, lift them up, and here we are. So I decided not to to put new ones in, um, which was a little scary because it's like kind of part of your identity, right? Like I could take the votes, I was like a good size D and went to like much smaller than that. I think I'm I haven't even gotten like a full measurement now, but I'm probably like a very large B, small C at this point.
SPEAKER_02Big change. That's where like I'm I'm stuck because I got mine recently. Like I got mine done and then I got pregnant. That of course that happens, you know. And you did the tummy tuck too. Yeah, I did the tummy tuck too, and I get so note to everyone don't get a tummy tuck or your boobs done because you'll just end up getting pregnant. Okay. So, but like I love the way mine look. And you know, it's like, yeah, I I have the hashimoto's. I have we think like feeling like crap is our new normal, kind of like how you're swinging the frog, like, okay, let's just live that way. But and then like with the breast implant illness, like learning about it, the more I learn about it, from my understanding, it's just inflammation. Like that's right, so it's like it's a very gray. So like they can't say, hey, if you take out your implants, you're gonna feel better. But it's like you're saying, like anything foreign, your body's gonna fight inflammation. It's fighting, I mean, that's just common sense, you know. It's common sense, right?
SPEAKER_00I mean, and here we are talking about eating healthy and doing all this stuff and living this healthy lifestyle, but yet having that in your body kind of feels like an oxymoron. And I'm not opposed to it. Like, I honestly went back and forth. And I think at the end of the day, whatever makes you feel good is what you need to do. And I really was like in an internal struggle, and like, you know, it's it's one of those weird things where it's like, especially when you have them for such a long time, it is part of your body. It's so it's so bizarre. But I honestly, I'll it'll be a year in February for me, and it's so freeing. Like so freeing. Like, I um I don't know, it there's just something about it. You can exercise differently, like clothes feel different when they're on. And and there's always like, of course, there's like something to be said about having like an hourglass figure and whatever, which I will always have because I'm just always had like a bum, but like um clothes. I remember putting on like you know, those like baby doll shirts or something cute, and then you put it on and it just looks like you're in a you look like you're just wearing a balloon and and nothing would sit properly. Yeah, and it was so funny. Like, even when I first got them out and I like put my seatbelt on, I was like, whole, like, what is this? My seatbelt can like fit, like what is this? It feels so weird, and it took me like a good six months to really get used to it. But like having them lifted after having babies, um, it just feeling more sporty, I guess. Like I just I can like throw something on and not feel like, oh gosh, like sometimes I would feel like, oh, I have to like keep my shirt up because they're they're like everywhere. And now I'm just I don't know, it's been so liberating, honestly. It feels great. And I just I would do it 10 more times.
SPEAKER_02Have you tested your blood work recently or anything? Like, do you have anything like where you're like, is it all in your head, or do you have like any like physical, like no?
SPEAKER_00I I I will I think that there's definitely something to be said about that, that placebo effect, right? I have not gotten my blood tested. I'm it's like literally on my calendar to have it done, and I'm like dying to see what happened to my numbers. Um, but I mean, overall, I don't really even need to to know, and then maybe it is in your head, maybe it is that placebo effect. But the way that I feel in my clothes, the way that I feel um exercising, I like just the way that I feel in general, I feel like so much better.
SPEAKER_02So I mean, how was the recovery process? Like, how was that a very large recovery or talk with?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was hard. But I had four little kids, and West and West was like um at the time, he was two, and like he still wants to be held all the time. Yeah, but old your little one, I think. Ours are like a week apart.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he's three. He's three, he's August 22nd, but same, like I'm holding the kid the entire, like he's and he's like dead weight now, you know.
Food, Protein, And Sustainable Health Habits
SPEAKER_00West is uh August 15th, so our kids are literally a week apart. Yeah, and yeah, he still wants to be held, and that was a big thing for me where I was like, should I wait until he's a little bit older before I do something like this? But there's always going to be something that's gonna get in the way, so you know it was it was difficult, but I would just like sit on the sofa and he would climb into my lap. I didn't do any heavy lifting. Um, I didn't go to the gym for like six or seven weeks, I think. Um, the recovery was pretty gnarly. I wasn't expecting it. I'm not I'm not really great with like drugs, so it was like, I mean, they drugged me out. Um and uh the uh the drains and all that, it was messy, but it's just it's so interesting because when you're in something, I've posted about this before. When you're in something, it feels so overwhelming and so all consuming, and it's all I could think about. And I was like, I did also have like a little bit of like post-surgery depression, I think, which people don't talk about. Um, it's a thing. I I actually ended up looking it up because it's it's all the medication, all the sedation that they do.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that anesthesia, they say it can take a year for your brain like to recover from anesthesia, like to get it and level out. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I was taking like boatloads of glutathione. I was having people come in and bring me IVs of glutathione to try and detox all of the crap out of my body. But I went through like a foggy period where I was like, I think I made a mistake. Um, you know, I'm not loving this. Um, I don't feel like I didn't feel like myself. I felt really just um foggy and sad. Um, but it passed. It's just like postpartum, right? But anytime you're in something, it just feels like, am I ever gonna get out of this? And now I'm about, you know, like I said, a year. And I would even with all of that said, I would do it again. I'm so happy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, I'm glad you you talked about that because yeah, I don't hear people that typically get it out, they're like, oh yeah, I love it, and that's that. But yeah, that recovery time. And I and believe me, I get the whole like when you're in it, like the days are long. I I feel like that's how it is with my house. You know, we we were in limbo for two years, and every day was so long, you're depressed, and then all of a sudden, like I'm out of it, and I'm like, oh, that was like it took a second, like it feels like you know, and I'm like, I'm glad I went through that. Yeah, it's yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think that's honestly, you could say that about anything in life. And I always use the analogy for clients, like when they're doing a remodel similar to similarly to what you just explained. Like, it's the same concept when my clients are gonna do a remodel where they're like, Yay, we're gonna do this, like, yay, we're gonna get permits, or yay, we're gonna start demo. And then there's this portion of time where it's like, oh, this is awful. Like, I hate this, I don't want to do this, I want this to be over. My analogy is like pregnancy. If you've ever been pregnant, you know you're super excited to get pregnant, and then there's a portion of time, even if you love being pregnant, you're still there's a portion of time where you're miserable, and then you have the baby, and all of a sudden you forget how hard it was, and you do it, you want to do it again, you know. So um, for me, I like completely forgot how awful it was because I did it so many times. Um, but anyway, it's it's the same concept, I think. Whether it's a surgery or building a house or going through a renovation or whatever it is that you're in, it feels like it's never gonna end and it feels so consuming, but it's it's like this little snippet in time, you know, and then it passes, and then it's like you can come back up for air. And that's like literally what's happening to me currently because we've been in this renovation for it feels like a lifetime, it hasn't even been that long, but it's um it's a lot.
SPEAKER_02There's always light at the end of the tunnel. That's I feel like in every situation. Moving into the renovation part, I'm so excited for you. You took a big leap, and also I feel like this is your like your own project, you know? And I mean, I'm not a design, a designer or anything like that, but like I I love design and I know like I'm putting this pressure on myself, like you want it to be perfect in a sense. It's like you got one shot. How are you dealing with that? Like, have you how many change orders have you made? Like, do you did you make a decision and you're like, oh shit, like I should have I and you or you see a photo and you're like, oh my god, why didn't I think of that? Like, walk me through what you're going through right now.
SPEAKER_00So, yeah, I think the whole like because my brain is so saturated with design and Pinterest photos, I can like close my eyes and see, you know, different kitchens. We've worked on, I've I don't even know at this point literally thousands of projects, thousands of spaces, bathrooms, kitchens, you know, everything, all of the furniture. So it's like it's almost as if my brain is like a Rolodex for all these beautiful things. And and it's so like to go and pick a chandelier or a pendant light, you're like, oh, that one's pretty, but what about the 5,000 others that are like in this, you know, in this memory bank of mine? So um, yes, there have been change orders. I knew I knew when I went into it that this was gonna be hard because we were kind of we were kind of forced into the renovation pretty quickly. It's like basically the opposite of what I tell my clients. We bought this land, we bought the house, we bought the house for the land because in San Diego it's nearly impossible to find anything over like a 7,000 square foot lot. Um, it's crazy. Like these are, yeah, like uh most of San Diego is very compact. There's certain areas, but those get into the like 5 million plus pieces of land. Um, or you get so far away from the coast that I'm not a big beach person, but it's still nice to have like to be closer to the beach. And our whole life is over in this area. So we got super. Lucky we found almost eight, it's like eight and a quarter, eight and a half acres. That's cool. Um, yeah, which is just it's it's wild. Like when we got here, I was like, Oh wow, this is really like this is this is crazy. We had been talking about moving to Tennessee. We really wanted to get to Tennessee. I wanted space, I wanted, you know, everything. I wanted what you're doing right now, basically, but my business is in a normal place, like that actually has like a city and culture.
SPEAKER_02Get it. I totally get it.
Breast Implants, Inflammation, And Explanting
SPEAKER_00No, I wanted, I wanted the I I fell in love with the idea of land. I fell in love with the the culture, the everything. Everything there aligns with what I wanted for my kids, for our life. Um, however, our business is heavily rooted here, and our family is rooted here, and it just became you know very, very difficult. Like it would be nearly impossible for us to leave. Could we do it? Yes. And I am all about like, let's take the leap of faith. We went out to Tennessee so many times to look at houses, to look at land, to like figure out different areas, but end of the day, something still just didn't feel right. And so I got my heart set on just trying to find my Tennessee in California. And someone sent this listing to me. And I had been looking at listings for probably a year, honestly. Someone sent this to me, and like every single hair on the back of my neck stood up, and every like cell in my body was like, this is it. And it was listed way more than I would want to spend. And um, I just I became obsessed with it. Like, that's one thing about me where if I want something, it's like you better get out of my way because I will bulldoze you until I can get what I want. And that's maybe a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know. But my mom, my mom says it's tenacity. She's like, you're very tenacious. Like when I want something as a kid, it was like the strong-willed child, which I have a few, I have a few of those now.
SPEAKER_02Um it's gonna take them far in life, but navigating it, like I never want to dim that light because look at like look how far it's taking you, but to like as a parent to manage it, oh my god.
SPEAKER_00I like I literally, one of my daughters is so spicy, and I just I see so much of myself in her, and which you know makes you almost kind of butt heads a little bit. And I but I like know, like I'll literally say to myself, like, this this kid is going places, she's gonna be, she's not gonna take shit from anybody, she's gonna be a boss lady, she's going to have she has so much confidence in herself already at 10. But um, it's hard when you're parenting that kid, you know.
SPEAKER_02So yep, that's my 12-year-old right now. Oh my gosh, like uh he's so persistent. Like, I admire him, but I'm like, oh my god, being that parent, whoo, let me tell you.
SPEAKER_00I know it's hard. So you get the house. So we get the house. Well, yeah, the reason I I wrote this whole letter and I was like, here's a picture of our family, here's my dream for this land, here's what we're trying to do. I offered him significantly less than what he was asking for. And we got the letter back that they accepted it. Wow. And we're like, oh shit, here we go. Um, and so it was like, you know, that moment where you're like, okay, it's actually happening. Like we're actually going for it, we're doing it. And um yeah, it's been just like a crazy roller coaster. We packed up our house, we sold our house really, really fast. Um, we we packed up our house. And then what ended up happening was like we knew that the house needed work, but my plan was always like, look, I want to take this slow. Um, you know, I want to like be very thoughtful in my design here. Let's just get the crusty carpet and the floors out, and we'll deal with the kitchen, we'll deal with the gross bathrooms, let's just like get in and like settle, and then we'll go from there. But then what ended up happening was um we closed escrow and I kept coming back to this house to like meet with my window covering girl or to meet with my flooring guy to like start getting some of the stuff together. And right after we closed escrow, I start seeing rat blood everywhere. Oh it's like it's on the windowsills, it's on the toilets, it's coated on the group in the garage. There's blood dripping down the garage door. I mean, it's gross, but it's like literally everywhere. And and the thing that was kind of crazy was that the floors in this house were like uh that the red clay tile, Sosolito tile. And um, so then like once I saw it, I was like, oh, I'm seeing it everywhere. And um, we didn't see it, and I don't know, I'm not gonna get into a whole thing, but like we didn't see it until we closed escrow. So you can kind of read between the lines. Um, yes, it came up in an inspection that there was rodents, but we knew that this is the freaking country. Yeah, it's on eight acres of land backed up to a creek. Of course, there's gonna be some rodents. And I'm when they said rodents in the attic, I'm like, sure, easy, right? Like, we can get those out. I didn't know it was in the walls, infested everywhere, literally infested with rats. Um, and fighting rats at that. They call them fighting rats. I'm like, what is fight each other? Like they they fight each other. So this guy shows up and he's he's the rat expert, apparently. Like a rat exorcist. The rat the rat exorcist. And he's like, Yeah, there's three things that rats do they eat, they mate, and they fight, and they will fight over these pheromones that are basically spread all over your house. And like at this point, I've got these four little kids, I've got a million projects going. I can't move our family into this house because it's disgusting. And I now that I'm seeing it, I'm like, oh, there it is. It's like little puddles of blood in every corner. So we move into an Airbnb, kind of like what you guys did, right? Um, rental. And that's stressful because it's super expensive, especially in San Diego, to rent that while renovating this home while carrying this mortgage was like the almost the death of me. Yeah. Um, so stressful. And it just it was so much at all at once. But again, you know, when you're in it, it's all consuming and it's so stressful, and you feel like you're never gonna come up for air. And I felt like I made the biggest mistake. It wasn't just the rat blood, the the plumbing was corroded throughout the entire home. We had to have all new plumbing put in. Um, it's on a well here, and when we had an inspection, the well said the well specialist said everything was good to go. And the the one thing for me, like I'm a huge tree person. I brought all my trees over and they were out in the yard and I was watering them, and I'm like, why are all my trees dying? Oh the lord. Sure enough, they come out and the water is toxic. So we had to redo all of the water and the well. I mean, it's just been like one thing after another. Basically, we did a whole new house because that's what I'm going through. Basically done a whole new house. Yeah, we had to like get the rats out, we had to do all new plumbing, we had to do all new water. Um, it was it was just crazy. And now it makes sense why he took so much less.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was gonna say that would have been why I would have gone back and like sued if you got it for like top dollar and stuff. I mean, still wild.
Land Dreams And Renovation Reality
SPEAKER_00It's it's been so stressful, honestly. But we're just like, I'm just now like I literally just got my range two days ago. I'm like able to cook that's my dream. Oh my god. Like cook food for my kids. Um, there's something to be said about that, you know. Like I don't want to see another Trader Joe's frozen meal ever again in my entire life. Like, that's all we had is like Trader Joe's meals, and um, you know, it and it's fine and we're blessed, and like everything is is we were good, right? Like it was fun. The kids thought it was great. Kids thought it was an adventure. They thought it was so fun that we didn't have floors and and all that, but um we're just like starting starting to be in a position where it's like, okay, awesome, we're like coming back to life and getting excited about it. I feel like I've been like sleeping first like seven months, if that makes sense. Oh, I totally get it. Checking boxes, trying to make sure that like the kids are okay and that they're comfortable. They were they were displaced. Like we were living out of suitcases for four months, you know. Um, and like living, like we were renting this Airbnb, but every once in a while she'd be like, Hey, just so you know, um it's it's randomly rented this weekend to a family member. Can you guys get out? And we'd be like, uh, okay. So we like go find a hotel room, and everyone's like, Oh, poor you, you've got to go to the Omni. I'm like, no, it's not fun. We yeah, you're like looking on a suitcase, and you're you have a puppy too. It's like it wasn't a vacation.
SPEAKER_02So I get that's how like the last two years of our life. Like, of course, we had a rental and a house over like a roof overhead, but like everything was like like my kids have to share a room, boxes are packed up, they haven't seen stuff, like you just don't feel like we're not laying roots and we're not at home, you know.
SPEAKER_00You were you're going to get there. So we like literally the pod that's been in our front yard is like was just picked up before we got on this call. Um, you're gonna start seeing all your stuff come out, and it is just like the most, it's so weird because it's like I totally forgot about those shoes, or I totally forgot about that pan or whatever it is. Um, I will say that something that you'll I don't know, maybe this was just my experience, but I realized that in going through all of this, like how little we actually need. Like we lived in that Airbnb with these suitcases. The kids had like two pairs of pajamas, a couple pair of shoes, their uniforms for school, um, like a couple of outfits to go to like dinner or church. That's it. Like they had a suitcase and I was washing stuff and I had my few things, but like now it almost feels gluttonous, all of this stuff everywhere. Yeah. Where, like, all you know, my husband brought in this box of like garage shoes, and I'm like, we don't need all of this, we don't need 15 water bottles, we don't need all of these shoes, we don't need all this stuff. And I was always like historically a minimalist. Like, if you see any of my designs, everything is very clean. I don't like the organic, yeah. Everything is very like, and that's how I live, but I thought I was a minimalist until I went through this process and realized, like, no, I actually have way more than I actually even need. Yeah, so I've been like major purging, like the kids don't have as many toys, like the toys, all of it, like it's just been so cathartic to get rid of everything.
SPEAKER_02I I've been tempted to like because what they say is like if you haven't seen a box in over a year, just don't even open it and throw it away. Like it's basically doesn't exist anymore. But we learned that too. The first rental well, the rental we lived in for two years, you know, it it's a it was a 1400 square foot historic home with one bathroom. And we lived in a 400 square foot with almost an acre of land, you know. So to be confined, but what was so beautiful about the situation of course, like now reflecting on it and stuff is like we were always in the family room together, like my oldest who preteen, like he was never in his room with the door locked, you know. We were all sitting here, and that was like one of the things because during those two years we edited our plans, you know, we thought we were gonna build this bigger house, you know. Of course, like we couldn't afford that. We had a downsize, and I was like good with downsizing, like the house is smaller that we're building because I'm like, I don't, we don't need all that. Like, I loved I love just having one living space, you know. Of course, like the bathroom thing, like we're very happy to have like one bathroom, but like that it is one of those beautiful things you kind of have to like go through it, and yeah, it sucks. But then, like looking back, it's like, oh wow, you know, you see a different perspective.
SPEAKER_00No, I literally went through the same thing, and the house that we were renting was probably like 1800 square feet, 14 probably, I don't know, somewhere in there, probably 14 to 1800 square feet. I don't know the exact square footage. It was cozy and the kids were always in the living room, and um, you know, the it just it's like it also felt more manageable, if that makes sense, you know, like it's like less to clean, it's less to keep up with. My mom has always said the more that you have, the more it has you. And like the more stuff you have, you know, the more it has a hold on your life.
SPEAKER_02And um and like your mental state too. Like, I feel like when you're surrounded with stuff, like that's the reflection of your brain, you know.
SPEAKER_00And I've always been that way. Like, my mom is my mom is like the ultimate minimalist. My mom has like to the point where when like growing up, kids would come over and be like, Are you guys moving? I'm like, No, it's how we live. Like my mom was constantly having garage sales or always had like a goodwill pile. Um, and we were always getting rid of things. Like my mom had this like, if you get a new pair of shoes, you get rid of a pair of shoes type mentality. And I was always that way. And and our house, even our previous house, was very minimalist. Like people were coming in to see our, you know, our listing, whatever, and and it and it showed well because we didn't have a lot of furniture, we didn't have a lot of stuff, everything's very clean and simple. However, I've realized even more so how much more I can get rid of in this process and how much better I feel when things are organized, things have a place. Like I go through that with my clients, where you know, they'll we'll be designing, I'll be design, I'll be designing their kitchen and they'll say, Well, I need more, you know, this, I need more cabinet space because this is where I put all of my Tupperware, and then I open the drawer and I'm like, Jenny, you don't need six thousand pieces of Tupperware. Like there's only seven days in the week. And even if you're meal planning, you need watchlets. Yeah, we don't need that many. We don't need that many water bottles. You would be so it's so funny. Like, people have like mugs from like everywhere that they go or water bottles from everywhere that they go. Anyway, I could go on about it forever, but I think that like it is part of that process because for my clients, when we do this, they have to go through a massive purging phase to be able to like demo out their kitchens or to demo out their spaces, and you have to get really real about what you need and what you don't need and the things that you've like collected over the years, especially with kids. Um, so you know, they purge everything, and then um, you know, we build these beautiful new kitchens, and then it's like everything has a place like here's where your knives go, here's where your dishes go. Everything feels organized and clean. And I truly believe that that's life-changing. Like it really makes you show up differently when you feel like your house is tidy, your brain isn't, you know, we all pretty much have ADD at this point or ADHD, right? All the distractions. And so if there's a bunch of extra shit in your house, you're gonna feel that much more distracted or overwhelmed, or I don't know where to start. People always ask me that like, how does your house look like that? How does your house, you know, where are all the toys? And I'm like, we just don't have them that they kids want to play, they can go outside, you know. Yeah, they can play with a box, they could, but I will.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think you're so I I think anyone that's in in design for a living, or even like me, like I love studying design and like staging. Like, you know, I could get a house ready for market. I feel like you have it's it's that side of the brain. Like you either have it or you you you don't, and I I think that's just the reality of it. But I think one thing is we're like highly sensitive to our environment and how it makes us feel too, you know. And I really do think like if someone I I always know, like when I am in funk days and I just feel unmotivated, I'm like doom scrolling, I'm in bed. I know doing the bare minimum of just like putting my clothes away or like getting this stuff off the kitchen counter, just doing like something that's going to affect my environment mentally is going to do big things to me. And then, like, I keep telling my husband when he wants to like make all these um changes with like the um the materials that we're using. I'm like, you don't understand when it reflects my reflects me, when the environment reflects me, I'm so inspired, you know. Like I want to do it's an investment, like I want to do all these things, so it's like I don't know. I I it's life-changing.
Minimalism, Light, And Daily Reset Routines
SPEAKER_00It really is. It's it really is. I I I've told clients that and I've seen it happen with literally countless clients, how differently they show up. I'll tell you like a really quick story. I had a client that was going through a really hard thing. She had just found out that her husband was cheating on her. She had this business. Um, the business was not doing well. She wasn't, she was just, you know, when you're around somebody whose energy is just sad and low, low vibration, just not not, I don't know, just she just was not in a good spot. Yeah. Really, really long story short, we transformed her business. She, we just I designed everything. She, she like, I can't say the business because I don't want to give it away, but basically, she now has like her business is booming, she's showing up differently, she feels good about herself. And if you saw what her business looked like before from like a design standpoint, it was dark, it was outdated, nobody wanted to rent a booth. It was just not the place that people wanted to go. And we transformed it and um her whole life changed, literally. Like it's it's life-changing because I think, yes, she's walking in there, she's feeling proud of that space. And whether it's her home or your business or whatever it is, if you're walking in and you're feeling proud and you're feeling excited about it, you show up differently. You're a better mom, you're a better wife, you're a better friend. And so some people might say, Oh, it's just a kitchen, it's fine. But like, why wait to update your kitchen just to sell your house or live in something that you hate? And yes, of course, money is a factor, right? But if you're able to add value to your house and like make your house look beautiful and enjoy it and show up and come down in the morning, have your cup of coffee and your pretty mug and you feel good, you're gonna be better all the all day long. You really are.
SPEAKER_02No, you know, the biggest thing too that people can do, like, because I know it changes me, like open your blinds and let natural light. Oh my gosh. Like, I feel like some people don't understand that. Like, that is like the biggest thing. Like, you can't renovate. Like, I know that if I don't have natural light in my like I my brain does not function.
SPEAKER_00Oh, and the lights, yes, the lights. People don't even realize it. I think people live in their homes for so long. And like I said, I go into so many homes, I do consultations, I'm doing discoveries, I'm doing walkthroughs, and they don't realize how how much that affects them. Like the clutter one is number one. The light. I posted something about this. I said something about like the things that people notice the first thing when they walk into your home. And this is my my thought, but like the smell, the clutter, the light, opening up the blinds, getting some sunshine. You don't have to be in like stark white walls. I I understand, but like just feeling really good. It definitely changes your vibe, it changes your whole energy, like the light, especially. I feel very strongly about the light. My daughter wasn't feeling well the other day, and she was sitting in bed and she was she's like, Oh, I just feel awful. And she was laying there, and she was laying there, and I was like, Go get your book, go get outside, lay in the lounger, take your puppy with you and get some sunshine on your head, and you're gonna feel a lot better. She came back in and she's like, No, and I'm like, Because I know everything, I'm your mom. Yeah, yes, no, I think sunshine is huge, light, um, having clean spaces, um, as much as you can. And it a lot of people get very overwhelmed by that. So just start small, like you said. Start with one little area. I'm gonna tackle this pile of laundry. Something that has changed my life as a mom is doing laundry every single day, which people say, oh, that sounds horrible. No, it's amazing. I don't have to do all of my laundry on Sunday. I throw everything in the laundry once a day. I throw it in the chair, I have these piles this big, and I have four little kids and me and gym clothes. Yeah, I do laundry every single day.
SPEAKER_02Sometimes you have to, you have to like if you're not doing, I don't understand, especially maybe it's because we have a lot of kids, but like I have to do a like as soon as I wake up, I put a load. Like, that's I don't really have like a morning routine, it's uh it always looks different, but that's one thing. Like, I wake up, I go to the bathroom, and I start a load of laundry. I swear now, I might not switch that laundry until a couple hours later, but I'd say I have to, yeah, you have to do laundry every single day. It's never ending.
SPEAKER_00No, it's not. I mean, luckily, I do feel I feel like because my kids wear uniforms to school, it helps just have a very small amount. But there's still a lot, right? And I think it's just again that like overwhelm. And people, I mean, I'm I've go into people's houses and I see potties everywhere. And I think to myself, just don't do start small, like just get it all done at once, and then you have to keep up on it. You can't like it's like having your house cleaner come through and doing a deep cleaning on your house and then letting it all go to shit. No, she had like whoever, if it's your house cleaner, if it's you, you've got to keep up on it, you know. Like you can't just like you can't just like do it once and then think that that's gonna be it. You have to keep be consistent with it with anything.
SPEAKER_02It's like, yeah, exactly. It's like putting the work in towards yourself to be a better person. Like, you don't just cross a lot, a finish line, you put in the work every single day. I love, okay, so Morgan, I feel like we we could talk forever. I know. But the biggest takeaway I love, and you know, I like to live my life that way, is like you gotta bel like what you said, you have to believe whatever it is that you want and like know that it's going to happen. And have gratitude and attract that. I feel like you live your life that way. And that's like, look how much your life has evolved and what you've conquered. So I love that. Um, tell everyone where we can find you if they are not following you.
SPEAKER_00Um, I am Morgan Mullen. I'm at Mullen Design Co. and on Instagram. I don't do TikTok. I like applaud you for that. I feel like I'm gonna get you on there. I don't know how to even do it. I like posted a few videos at one point and then I didn't know how to work it.
SPEAKER_02You can feel it on there, just take video, especially now with like your home. Like, you have so like I want to follow you on TikTok. Just take videos like you do on the stories and just throw them up there. Don't think twice about it and just like get them out there. Maybe I will.
SPEAKER_00Maybe I will report back in six months. I'm gonna hold you account. Yeah, so fun to talk to you. You're awesome. Yeah, I like I am so excited to see your house come together and like talk to you in a year and see where you guys are at. You guys, what's your what's your estimated completion date?
SPEAKER_02So, our estimated, so we have a construction loan, so we have to close the loan out within a month or a year, which would be June. But we didn't break around until August. So my husband's saying May.
SPEAKER_00Um and he's doing this all on his own.
SPEAKER_02So my my brother-in-law is a contractor, he has his contractors like my husband used to frame houses for a living, so they used to do they used to build so many houses for like um a cookie cutter builder out here, and then we flip like he's very handy, but it it's still very much a learning process for him, too, you know. But what was I going to say? Oh, I was going to bring something up and I completely forgot what I was gonna say. Oh, I was gonna say about like the whole um, like I want to complain so bad about this building process because it's so stressful, but it's also like, you know, oh you're building a house, like poor you, you know.
Key Takeaways And Where To Find Morgan
SPEAKER_00I know. It's like I have to have the gratitude, but no, I've got, you know, of course, there's always those trolls that show up in your DMs that are like, oh, I'm sorry, we feel so bad for you, especially when we when we were, you know, living in Airbnb or whatever. We were like blessed to be able to do that, and um, we're blessed to be able to like do this house and everything. And it it's it is what I call what I tell my clients, it's a first world problem. High class problems, baby. It's a high class problem. Yes, we are we are able to do this, we are very grateful, but that doesn't mean it's it doesn't suck. Yeah, you know, like it doesn't mean it's not difficult, it doesn't mean that it's not hard for our kids to be displaced and to not know where their stuff is and to to to go through this, but end of the day, it's it's a good decision to make, and yeah, you're gonna be so happy that you did it. So and if you need design help, you just let me know. Oh, you better tell me all right, Morgan.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Thank you, and then you have to come back on soon. I would love it. So I feel like we could do like yes, part two. All right, I will talk to you later. Thank you. All right, bye. Thanks so much.