S5:E10: No Blueprint, Just Vibes: Love Without A Script (with Darien Eberhart)

What do you get when a business appointment turns into a 3-hour conversation, unexpected sparks fly, and a new relationship unfolds with no roadmap? You get this episode.

In this intimate and wildly entertaining conversation, host Chantée Christian sits down with Darien Eberhart — her real-life partner — to unpack the beautifully unscripted story of how they met, connected, and grew into something more. From their first encounter at a bank (spoiler: someone was definitely flirting) to navigating the chaos of dating a solo entrepreneur, this episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what it really takes to show up for someone else while building yourself.

They talk candidly about:

• 💼 The unfiltered truth of dating an entrepreneur
• 🧠 How men and women process relationships very differently
• 💬 Why communication is the ultimate love language
• ❤️‍🔥 The value of emotional safety and showing up as your full self
• 👶🏾 Co-parenting with maturity and intention
• 🧭 And why following your gut might just be the best relationship advice you’ll ever get

No scripts. No filters. Just vibes, growth, and a whole lot of laughs.

Connect with Darien via FK Bodega | Instagram

Tag us & share your biggest takeaway using #MyBestShiftPodcast.

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Transcript

Meeting Story & First Impressions

Chantée Christian 0:03

Welcome to the My Best Shift podcast. I'm your host, Chantée Christian. In today's episode, I'll be talking about entrepreneurship, resilience and the power of support systems with Darien. Hi Darien, how are you doing today?

Darien Eberhart 0:19

I'm good, Chantée, how are you?

Chantée Christian 0:22

I'm doing good. So before we get too far into our conversation, why don't you tell the people a little bit about you?

Darien Eberhart 0:28

I'm Darien, I guess. Tell them about myself. What do I do? A little bit of everything. Just a kid from New York Into photography, into finance, and just dabble into a little bit of everything.

Chantée Christian 0:42

Yes, and amongst my friend group you are known as the banker.

Darien Eberhart 0:51

It's like a killer movie. Like the accountant, I can't. That's funny.

Chantée Christian 0:58

So a lot of people often want to know how we met, and so when I tell them my version, they're always curious about your version.

Darien Eberhart 1:08

So tell the people how we met roughly, roughly, try to walk into the bank like we don't have work to do. To come open your business account. Like we don't go by appointments Wait.

Chantée Christian 1:21

Is this how we're going to start the story?

Darien Eberhart 1:25

This is all the people. That's not just you.

Chantée Christian 1:28

Everybody does it. This is your story.

Darien Eberhart 1:29

Everybody walks in like we're just supposed to be waiting for them. But yeah, you came and opened your business account, kind of just navigated you through that, and then that's how we met.

Chantée Christian 1:39

Uh-huh. And so because then people are like oh so, like you were like trying to pick me up while you were working, and I would say no. However, when I think back, maybe, yes, how do we think back? Y'all can't see his face. You didn't want to leave, we was done. Whoa, wow, okay, all right. So now it's time for me to tell my side, because you out here wild, that's not what happened. I mean kind of the account was done. I didn't know that, though. How was I supposed to know?

Darien Eberhart 2:08

I gave you everything. You put the folder away, you did everything you needed anything else, and then you said no and we just was chit-chatting. This was my last appointment for the day, so I had time to kill.

Chantée Christian 2:20

Oh, so then the truth comes out. You had time, I was at work.

Darien Eberhart 2:24

I had nowhere to go.

Chantée Christian 2:28

Okay, so let's get this story straight. So yes, I did come in there, expecting to be able to walk in and do what I needed to do. However, allegedly you were busy and the only person that could open said account, so I was like all right, fine. And then what? Later I find out, should have taken 45 minutes, took almost three hours. You held me hostage.

Darien Eberhart 2:50

No, it took 45 minutes. We were done.

Chantée Christian 2:54

So what I'm gathering here?

Darien Eberhart 2:55

And you did not want to leave.

Chantée Christian 2:57

Okay, so what I'm gathering here is that we had a really good conversation. It was a really good conversation and it's like oh wait, what time is it?

Darien Eberhart 3:04

It's almost time for me to go home. I said, man, we have to go. Bank is about to close.

Chantée Christian 3:11

Jesus be a whole fence. This is so extra, because that is not what happened.

Darien Eberhart 3:16

Well, you started off when I tried to kidnap you and adopt you and you was taken.

Chantée Christian 3:21

So it falls in alignment. So we meet at the bank. We have a good connection, although I will say that I had a ulterior motive to hook you up with one of the podcast fan faves, janae, and I didn't tell you that, though, but I told her and so so I was like, ok, how am I going to get them in the same room at the same time? And it didn't work out the way that I thought it would, and so then we synced up for a business meeting.

Darien Eberhart 4:00

That's after I got you into the event.

Chantée Christian 4:03

Yeah, you got me into the event and then you hit me with a do you mind if I text you? And I was like, yeah, sure, whatever, so that we could coordinate the time and the date for our meeting. And next thing, I know I feel like you were shooting your shot at our meeting.

Darien Eberhart 4:19

Okay.

Chantée Christian 4:20

You don't recall that.

Darien Eberhart 4:22

I was having a conversation, you was telling me about the event. Yeah, I texted you because you was talking about non-work stuff on work stuff.

Chantée Christian 4:29

It's work stuff to me. So let's be clear, just listen, they don't pay me to do that, okay, so to be fair, let's be very clear. You and our first conversation gave out like so many gems and so many things that I felt like was so valuable, and so I doing the thing that I do best. I went and told people about it. I was like, listen, you need to do this. You got to do this. This is what he told me to do, and one of my friends, specifically, was like yo, you have a platform. You should get him to talk about that. I was like you're right, I should. And so then that's why I messaged you, and so for me, it was work, like what they pay you for that's y'all business. I don't know nothing about that.

Darien Eberhart 5:11

So exactly, so you can't say it's not work, they're not going to pay me to do that. They're not going to pay me to attend events.

Chantée Christian 5:18

And that's fair. And so that was what we were there to talk about was my event and how you could support it and be a part of it. And let's let the story be very clear that you looked me up and down. It was like, oh, you're cute, as if you did not know that when we first met. You don't even remember. I know I'm better.

Darien Eberhart 5:38

That's all. You look cute. I can't get that. Now was the shoot of my shot. I could just give you a compliment.

Chantée Christian 5:43

Well, I would say that I didn't realize it was you shooting your shot until much later in the conversation.

Darien Eberhart 5:48

It was just a compliment.

Chantée Christian 5:50

Oh, okay, just a compliment.

Darien Eberhart 5:52

All right, cool, and that's how you took it. That's how it made you feel what we can talk about it Wait, wait back up, what?

Dating an Entrepreneur

Chantée Christian 6:03

No, when you said it, I thought to myself of course I'm cute, why would he say that? Okay. And then when we sat down and we talked and whatever, I was like okay. Now, meanwhile, janae was saying are you sure he's not into you? And I was like yeah, I'm sure. I was like I just need to get y'all in the same spot at the same time. This is going to be perfect. And then by the time I left Starbucks, I was like nah Slim, I take it back. You might have been right. You might have been right, but I'm curious, right. So it's been almost a year since we first met and you have seen me in this entrepreneurial space of, I would say, what feels like a struggle year, but you've been a part of that. What is it like dating somebody who is a solo entrepreneur, specifically me?

Darien Eberhart 7:00

Solo entrepreneur, mm-hmm. But you got a team, though we're not by yourself, who is the team? I don't know, it's just your personalities. Who are the people? Oh, wow, it's like a real support role, right. Like you got your highs, you got your lows. Dei went away trying to find ways, you know, like hey, maybe I don't know, try this, or there's only so much I can do, because I'm not. Even though we have businesses, we're not in the same field, so like I could talk from a business aspect, but I don't know the world, how it navigates and how you get these contracts and verbatim what to say, because it's just not my wheelhouse. It's just, you know, being supportive, being the sounding board. Sometimes you just be venting. I'm like, yeah, it's crazy.

Chantée Christian 7:55

I do be venting my gosh. Yeah, it's just like alright, what's next?

Darien Eberhart 8:00

I get that didn't work out, so I figure out what's next, that's interesting. I think that didn't work out, so I figure I'll wait next.

Chantée Christian 8:04

That's interesting. I think that that had been a challenge with dating before is being an entrepreneur, because I think that it's been over-glorified, and so a lot of people feel like it's this, like amazing rainbows and butterflies all the time, when sometimes, and then other times it feels like a flood, tsunami, like it is not happening the way that you think, and so I think that over the years that have been like a challenge for me when it came to dating was finding somebody who not necessarily understood but supported the space yeah, you're an entrepreneur.

Darien Eberhart 8:42

I understand that, that You're always grinding, you don't have office hours. You can't afford to have office hours, right? So it is what it is.

Chantée Christian 8:50

Yeah, for sure, my sleeping habits are horrendous.

Darien Eberhart 8:54

I'm not even going to ask. We already know it's like wait, you was up until when. Why? That sounds crazy.

Chantée Christian 9:00

Who else going to do it?

Darien Eberhart 9:01

Just you.

Chantée Christian 9:02

Yeah, so if you were to give out some dating advice, because there's some people out here let me get my words right it's ghetto. The dating streets are ghetto. It is a pool of just nastiness, a cesspool, and so how do you recommend or provide some sort of advice to people who are trying to navigate that?

Darien Eberhart 9:31

I don't know, Like doctors, you just got to stay strong. I don't know what advice Be supportive, empathetic.

Chantée Christian 9:42

So okay, let me back up. So before me, what did you require for support, as it looked like a Black man dating?

Darien Eberhart 9:53

What did I require for support? I don't know.

Chantée Christian 9:57

What did you need? Do y'all not do that?

Darien Eberhart 9:59

Nah, I just gotta get it Like, if that don't work, then I gotta figure it out. Like, if that don't work, then I got to figure it out. Like, if that don't work, then I got to figure it out. Like, I mean, it's just, it's no, I need a support system. Maybe I need to be able to communicate with you. I need to be able to talk to you, right, I need to be able to have a conversation. The support is nice, but is it required? Not necessarily. It might be other things that happen outside of that. I don't know, it's a mixture of all. The biggest support is just to be able to communicate.

Chantée Christian 10:30

Okay, because I mean, like when I think about it right, like I think about women, we get together to talk about what went well, what didn't go well, what we could learn from. I was just curious, like, do y'all, as men, have that same kind of like support system?

Dating Advice & Men's Support Systems

Darien Eberhart 10:47

No, no, oh, y'all not together. Alright, you wanna go out. You wanna go Like it's different, we don't.

Chantée Christian 10:54

I feel like that's unfortunate. I feel like y'all need some of that, because like it's an opportunity to retrospect, because, sometimes, speaking from my own experience, if, because, sometimes speaking from my own experience, if somebody had sat down and told a couple people some things, maybe they would be better for the next person.

Darien Eberhart 11:10

Somebody sat down and told you but listen, as a person receiving that information, you take that as wisdom and guidance.

Chantée Christian 11:22

Or you take that as who the fuck are you to talk to me like this?

Darien Eberhart 11:27

No, so I think you would come like that if like, but you have to have that communication. You got to have that type of relationship to be able to say that you communicate that way.

Chantée Christian 11:34

Fair. I mean because, like Most of the times, y'all don't have to. Most of the times it's not there. Okay, this is giving me what I thought it would give.

Darien Eberhart 11:45

Oh, you came up with a game plan.

Chantée Christian 11:47

I thought y'all were more nuanced than this. No, I didn't have a game plan, but in my mind I was like, ooh, we're going to crack the code on, like trying to help some friends out. You know they out here looking. I'm trying to help my girls and guys.

Darien Eberhart 11:59

Stop looking in all the wrong places, oh Lord.

Chantée Christian 12:04

What they need to go to the bank, like what the Make an appointment first though, all right, cool, cool, cool. I got that, I got that, so I don't know.

Darien Eberhart 12:16

That's a mystery that would never be cracked. Like you, trying to crack that is a mission on its own. It must be the sole entrepreneur in you to go for the toughest assignments, huh.

Chantée Christian 12:27

But wait, is it your degree in entrepreneurship?

Darien Eberhart 12:31

It is.

Chantée Christian 12:32

Wait, how are you coming for me?

Darien Eberhart 12:34

I'm just saying I'm not a sole entrepreneur, oh excuse me. I'm a side entrepreneur.

Chantée Christian 12:41

Fair.

Darien Eberhart 12:42

You're very strong and courageous to do it, like you jumped in both feet. I'm just dipping the toe to see the temperature. It's ghetto, it's all ghetto.

Chantée Christian 12:51

It's all ghetto.

Darien Eberhart 12:52

Yeah, oh my gosh, okay, it's ghetto, it's all ghetto.

Chantée Christian 12:54

Yeah, oh, my gosh, okay. So what is something that you've learned about me over this year that you would say is like kind of like a surprise, like surprise?

Darien Eberhart 13:06

surprise, that's a surprise, mm-hmm, I don't know. Like that's to say that I came in with expectations and you surprised me with something. When everything is just is open, as the you know, the experience goes on. You learn new things. Surprise, surprise, you don't sleep.

Chantée Christian 13:27

The shots that are being fired right now.

Darien Eberhart 13:30

It's me wanting to surprise. I'm like man. You can't function on 30 minutes of sleep. That's just not.

Chantée Christian 13:37

That is an exaggeration, Okay 45. No, but you said something that is interesting. Right, like you didn't come into this with any expectations, and I think that that's so important when dating, because I think that expectations are a one way road to um frustration. Frustration, right, elaborate, elaborate.

Darien Eberhart 14:05

Feel it Because, like, if I got this set standard of you in my mind and you don't fit the mold and you get mad because I don't fit the mold that you expect, like you know, people get mad because you don't say something right that you expect, like you know, people get mad because you don't say something right. You having a conversation you go with, I'm going to tell them this and they're going to say this Well, you didn't give me the script for me to know my lines, so I can't be in this scene with you because I don't know my lines. That's good. Yeah, there was no set expectation. Everything is a surprise.

Chantée Christian 14:37

I don't know. I know I know nothing going in. That's fair. Well, I remember one of the questions you asked me like early on. You were like what's your crazy, or something like that. Like I was like what. You were like everybody's crazy, like what's your?

Darien Eberhart 14:50

oh yeah, what's your level?

Chantée Christian 14:51

yeah, where you're on the radar and I was like what type of question is this? And I was like then it made me think. I was like maybe just a little. A lot sometimes it depends, because I'm like most of the time I like to think I'm pretty chill chill is like chill to me is like level 3. Wow, I mean I don't think I could ever be a one like. That is just not in my not in my dna, right like I get happy and sing about food.

Chantée Christian 16:03

Like that's not normal you know, yes, those things excite me, right and so like I feel like that's not normal. However, I also feel like I'm not the woman. That's gonna be like banging on your door because you ain't answered the phone when I called. You know what I'm saying. Now I might call you or I might text you and be like hey yo, where you at what happened, but it's not like I'm hunting you down like that to me is like level 10 type of crazy okay, so you fluctuate between two and seven or two and eight?

Darien Eberhart 16:37

I'm just like I think you were trying to answer the question but didn't quite answer the question.

Chantée Christian 16:42

I don't think I answered it when you asked. I mean, I think that I am a solid four. Some days I'd be a lower, sometimes higher.

Darien Eberhart 16:52

No, yeah, so that's not a solid four. You in the range, he uses a window there.

Chantée Christian 16:59

So what is your perception? What is your? I said two, seven, yo seven, okay, so what's a seven to you?

Relationship Lessons & Co-Parenting

Darien Eberhart 17:06

A seven to me, I see. So when you did that was a seven, ha ha, hold on, I don't know.

Chantée Christian 17:14

I don't know, colby, oh, okay, hold on, hold on listen the reaction.

Darien Eberhart 17:20

Okay, that's your story go ahead alright, it's the reactions okay and like you started out at 2-3 and over the course of the time with dealing with this man to try to get this job, you metered, you peaked at a seven. You definitely like you, probably like, just tapped it Like ugh, like you. Just you tapped a seven. I didn't say you stayed at seven, but you used 6.8. You rounded up to at least seven. I think you like you skimmed it with the tip of your finger or fingertip or fingernail, just scraped it at the very least.

Chantée Christian 17:56

Oh my God, and I can't stop laughing because I know exactly what you're talking about.

Darien Eberhart 18:03

I can't deny it.

Chantée Christian 18:05

I can't deny it. That's fair. That's a fair assessment, that's fair, and I think that one of the things that I can appreciate about my growth over the years is that I didn't start off there.

Darien Eberhart 18:19

No, you didn't start there.

Chantée Christian 18:21

No, no, no. But I'm saying like for me perspective, like that's growth for you. No, it is because I realized like I extend so much grace to people, specifically because of the work that I do. I'm constantly dealing with them and so by the time I get to that point like they have just taken my nerve as what my grandma used to say, my last nerve and rattled that joint into pieces and just thrown it, and the next thing I know I'm crashing out, as the kids say.

Darien Eberhart 18:51

Well, not crashing out, I'm crashing out. I'm like I don't know what else to say. Well, not crashing out, I'm crashing out.

Chantée Christian 18:54

I'm like I don't know what else to do. Yeah, that's funny. Oh, my goodness, that was good If because you've been married before right.

Darien Eberhart 19:05

Mm-hmm.

Chantée Christian 19:06

What would you say was like one of the biggest lessons that you learned from that experience.

Darien Eberhart 19:13

Noticing the red flags in the beginning and communicating, got to pay attention to those flags. Those are very important flags.

Chantée Christian 19:21

That was a quick answer Okay, red flags. And so were you saying the beginning of like the relationship, or just along the way?

Darien Eberhart 19:30

The beginning of the relationship. Along the way, I mean some things and I guess it's to that you know, maybe because I was younger, but like, oh, it'll change over time, things will get better. You know what I mean. You keep the optimism alive, but you just also got to do a reality check, Like if it ain't working. It ain't working, it's not even more so, like in the relationship, or it's just mainly in for yourself.

Chantée Christian 19:54

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people say that they've stayed for their kids or, like even my parents, They've stayed together until I went to college. Both of them say they stayed for me and I was like y'all could have left and it would have been fine. But like when you think about the, I mean I think it's braveness to be able to say you know what, Let me separate for the betterment of our child. But like when you think about then versus now, what would you tell yourself back then about who you are now and the lessons that you've learned?

Darien Eberhart 20:33

He's going to be all right.

Chantée Christian 20:35

He who yeah be all right, he who, yeah, he who.

Darien Eberhart 20:37

Yeah, when you have kids, it's like the kids will adapt. It's going to be tough in the beginning, but not having that chaotic environment growing up as a kid makes a huge difference too, right? So all that is trauma is childhood trauma, right, granted, I left, but he always with me, so like I ain't out to pitch him. It's just we don't listen, it ain't you. We just don't live together and having that talk with a five-year-old is tough because they don't understand. But you know, constantly communicating, over-communicating, like hey, how are you feeling? Checking in, all those things work. So if I knew that early in the beginning, I would have probably left earlier. He's good, we're good, you know everything works out.

Chantée Christian 21:27

Yeah, I was telling one of my friends about how I don't know if I've ever told you this.

Chantée Christian 21:32

actually I didn't realize that I hadn't been with somebody that knew how to have a mature relationship with their child's other parent, like to actually co-parent, like not the crazy back and forth and yeah, all of that drama that I have been exposed to, and even, like in my friend group, some of them are, you know, going through things with their co-parents where I'm just like ain't, no way, ain't, no way, ain't, no way, ain't, no way. And then when I met you, I was like I think they're friends. This is weird, but it was like it was so out of the norm of the toxic behavior that I had seen where I was like yo, they ought to do a class because this shit is, they talk Like they are friends.

Darien Eberhart 22:20

And that's the thing. Like we were friends before you know what I mean. And we talk, we went through life experiences as fucking young adult, young parents and we have this interest at the kid. We have the same interest, like we got to make sure the kid is good right. At first it was not like this, but over time it's like hey, you know what I mean, it's bigger than us, right, it's bigger than about whatever we have, but we still have to make sure he's good Because, shoot, when I left, he was with me every weekend, he was with me during the week, like he was always with me. I was going to take him with me. If she wasn't going to fight me she'd probably kill me, but I was going to take him with me. Like, that's just who. I am right, and most of the time it's just to communicate. It's the person too, it's the people. You hear stories, you see things and dad's not really in the picture X, y or Z because he chooses not to be. But that's not the case.

Chantée Christian 23:23

Yeah, it's one of the things that I admire most about you Because, as a non-self-proclaimed daddy's girl, I think everyone else has said it. I don't have to say it. You don't need to say it for yourself. I don't need to say it for myself. How?

Darien Eberhart 23:40

do you say what I'm saying, just like that.

Chantée Christian 23:44

My daddy, but like I know firsthand what it feels like to have parents that care about you as an individual and so that they're willing to sacrifice so much just so that you have everything that you could ever imagine having. And I don't mean that from a material perspective, I mean that from a like trying to minimize the trauma as much as possible, even though you will still end up having a therapist, because even that has its own thing to it.

Darien Eberhart 24:18

But there's nothing wrong with that, right yeah, sometimes a therapist is a stranger sounding board that you just get everything off of because you just need to function.

Chantée Christian 24:28

Yeah.

Darien Eberhart 24:29

Therapy wasn't a thing growing up as a kid. Ain't nothing wrong with you, you just learn how to self-manage.

Chantée Christian 24:37

Yeah, and we had. I'm surprised we've gotten this far into the podcast and you haven't called me country or said something wild about Listen you said what your grandmother said She'd take your nerve and rattle it around.

Vulnerability & Communication

Darien Eberhart 24:47

I didn't have to. I didn't have to mention it because that was real country. It rattled a nerve around like it got beans in it or something.

Chantée Christian 24:56

Okay, all right, okay, all right.

Darien Eberhart 24:58

Okay, if your nerves rattle, you need to see a doctor.

Chantée Christian 25:05

This is my whole nerve. Nerves rattle. You need to see a doctor, I don't disagree, but it's like you know. So I laugh at that. Because we grew up different, right. Like you grew up in a city, For the most part I've grown up in the burbs, you would say the country.

Darien Eberhart 25:20

I would say the burbs. Yeah, yeah, that's not listen, it's not about trees and dirt.

Chantée Christian 25:24

Oh my gosh drama, okay, anyway, the point here is that, even though we grew up differently, we have a lot of similarities with how we communicate and I think that, from my perspective, that has been helpful for us, because I know that there could be times where I feel like it could be a difficult or an emotional conversation, but we both just come back to center and like it never becomes a thing.

Darien Eberhart 25:55

You know what I mean because it doesn't need to be. Well, there's no reason why a simple question, or even a question about, like, how you feeling or getting clarity, should alter anyone's emotion wait, say it again I can't come to you and ask you a question.

Darien Eberhart 26:12

You get upset because I'm asking you a question, right? Or you shut down because I'm asking you a question, right, or you shut down because I'm asking you a question. I want to know. That's why I ask, because I don't know. It's very rare that I ask a question that I know the answer to. So, with that being said, as a person receiving the question, I'm like okay, she's unsure, she doesn't know. How can I communicate how I'm feeling without being I guess people don't like to feel vulnerable?

Chantée Christian 26:39

Big facts, big facts.

Darien Eberhart 26:42

So that could be the problem Trusting people in your space. Those are all therapy issues that you gotta go to somebody else, but I can't. I don't have the answers to weigh.

Chantée Christian 26:53

But you know what? I think that that's important, though, because no matter how much therapy you go to, no matter how much coaching or community you have, there are going to be things that come up that you're unsure what to do with them. Do with them Like, for example, when you talk about vulnerability, like if I think about my past relationships or anything like that. You have been the first person that I feel like I can be me around, like I'll dance in the kitchen, and then I'll turn around and you're looking at me and I'll laugh instead of feeling like embarrassed or like, oh no, he saw me.

Chantée Christian 27:30

It's like you saw me and you're looking like what you good, I am I am, I see right, but I don't feel judged in it, and so then I feel like, okay, I can continue to show up, and show up fully as me and not in like compartments of me, if that makes sense. Understandable. So I feel like it also has to be the other person helping cultivate a space that allows for the vulnerability, allows for the transparency to grow.

Darien Eberhart 28:08

Yeah, yeah, it's all about having that communication. Yeah, you don't come out and say, hey, can I feel vulnerable around you, right? You show the person, you show the person that it's more about the actions than the words, I guess.

Chantée Christian 28:21

To summarize it, yeah, for sure, and I think that as a woman, it's challenging at times to like let your guard down and be in a space to be like all right see me as a human being. Okay, human being.

Darien Eberhart 28:39

Listen as a person like, and that's where, like, when you see things fail, things don't work out because people either don't know how to be vulnerable or just got their guard up because they was already hurt, right, those are usually the two instances. Oh yeah, instances, oh yeah, for sure. So, like, it's all about comfort level. You gotta feel comfortable to be vulnerable, right. You gotta feel comfortable to really say how you're feeling yeah, yeah.

Chantée Christian 29:04

So what's your level of comfort with me? Scale of one to ten, one being not at all ten being out of this world how is ten out of this world?

Darien Eberhart 29:12

what's five? Wait what who made this girl I made it how's one? How's one and ten? Ten is out of the world, six is in the sky. What are we doing?

Chantée Christian 29:30

it's high, but not as high as ten, alright on a scale of one to five, then five being, what are we doing?

Darien Eberhart 29:37

Oh my goodness, it's high but not as high as 10. On a scale of 1 to 5, then no, no, you can do 10. No, no, what's 1?, what's 5?

Chantée Christian 29:41

I'm listening. 1 is like non-existent 5.

Darien Eberhart 29:44

And if we do?

Chantée Christian 29:45

it. Wait, is this a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10?

Darien Eberhart 29:48

Oh, carl, whatever is your world, what do you want to do? What are we doing?

Chantée Christian 29:52

Ten, ten feels good.

Darien Eberhart 29:54

Yeah, all right. So ten is out of the world, and what's five?

Chantée Christian 29:57

Five is like in the middle, kind of like meh.

Darien Eberhart 30:01

Okay, seven Eight.

Chantée Christian 30:04

I'll say eight. Okay, what would take it to a nine?

Darien Eberhart 30:13

I don't know, I have no idea. Why are you asking me these questions?

Chantée Christian 30:15

It's the look on your face.

Darien Eberhart 30:18

I don't know Like you ask that question with me really having to answer. I don't know.

Chantée Christian 30:28

I'm curious.

Darien Eberhart 30:29

I don't know.

Chantée Christian 30:32

What's your level? I knew that was coming. I would probably say an eight, an eight. We'll take it to a nine. Oh, more time. I feel, like we've gone through, not even gone through. I feel like we've just experienced some life together, like you know, like all the seasons and things. Yeah, because you'd be almost dying oh my, he is talking about my allergies for those. Well, actually I was sick a lot over the year. Yeah, I had to. Yeah, yeah, wait, a minute. Wait, what is happening?

Darien Eberhart 31:11

here Still got to worry in that bubble.

Chantée Christian 31:15

I do. I think it's time. I think the more that we get to spend time together and the more that we get to learn about each other, the more that the comfort just goes up. Hearing that you didn't have a playground where you were in middle school blew my mind. I was like oh my goodness.

Darien Eberhart 31:33

Because I'm from the city. We played on the concrete sidewalks. That was recess.

Chantée Christian 31:38

I know, but like you sharing that experience with me, I was like, oh, wow, this is interesting.

Darien Eberhart 31:44

Yeah, you had that game. Does that tell the ball? We smacked the ball around the pole. That was a non-existing game in New York. This kind of exists. I was like why is there a ball to a pole? What is this? But it was like yes.

Chantée Christian 32:00

I was like it's so fun. What are you talking about? But I think it's stuff like that right, Like literally, like getting to know you and continuing to get to know you. I think that it allows it to grow a little bit for me.

Darien Eberhart 32:14

Were you winning when you played teleball?

Looking Ahead & Final Thoughts

Chantée Christian 32:16

Okay, we're not doing this. I was just asking, yes, I was winning. I keep telling you I was tall until I wasn't Huh. I was tall until I wasn't, I was the same height. I've been the same height since seventh grade, right so which means I was tall for a long time because everyone else was short, and then, all of a sudden, I got left behind.

Darien Eberhart 32:48

So you went from always being the back of the line.

Chantée Christian 32:51

Yeah.

Darien Eberhart 32:52

To being in the front of the line. Yeah, to being in the front of the line Having to sit down.

Chantée Christian 32:58

You had to sit down on the floor. You won't find one of those. You got to dig real deep to find one of those pics.

Darien Eberhart 33:07

I don't have any of those.

Chantée Christian 33:10

Okay, so tell the people how tall you are.

Darien Eberhart 33:13

Taller than you.

Chantée Christian 33:14

Wow, how much taller than me. Probably like a foot and some change. Literally. It is outrageous. I'm offended. So before I ask you the last question to wrap us up, what would you tell yourself a year from now, Because you're getting ready to turn 40. You're about to walk into 40. What's happening? Aren't you getting ready to walk into 40? What do you mean? What's happening?

Darien Eberhart 33:43

27. Okay.

Chantée Christian 33:45

So you're getting ready to walk into 40. What is it that you want 40-year-old Darien to know? Huh?

Darien Eberhart 33:55

What do I want a 40-year-old me to know? I guess I would say continue to bet on myself right. Continue to especially like career-wise, life-wise go with your gut feeling. Stick with your gut. You know, when you don't go with your gut decision, you always think back like damn, I should have did this. I'm like I knew I should have did that. Continue to go with the gut right, because that's going to lead you to where you want to go. We already know. If it don't work out, we always got to pivot. There's always another way, another exit. So let's take it over your gut.

Chantée Christian 34:24

I like that. I would offer a 40-year-old you to enjoy life fully. It's for anyone. It's something magical that happens when you turn 40. That can feel not so magical at first and then, if you sit back and you start to embrace it, it's like, oh, this is pretty dope. This is all right, because I'll be the first to say my 40s at first felt like grade A trash. I wanted a refund, I wanted to go back to my 30s, but it was because it wasn't the life I had planned. Right, it wasn't where.

Darien Eberhart 35:04

I had thought I was going to be.

Chantée Christian 35:05

You wasn't following your gut, yeah, yeah, or I didn't trust that me following my gut was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Darien Eberhart 35:13

You don't want to know until you get there.

Chantée Christian 35:16

Right, yeah, so I would say that that would be my in the 40s already advice to you.

Darien Eberhart 35:23

Yeah, that's good. That's good advice. I thought you were going to say something different, but that's good.

Chantée Christian 35:26

You would say take naps.

Darien Eberhart 35:28

That'll be a subscription for Tiger Bomb. What are your Amazon followers?

Chantée Christian 35:31

That'll be a subscription for Tiger Bomb. What are your Amazon followers, Yo you? Make sure it's not auto-replenish. Tiger Bomb deep blue. You gotta make sure you're good.

Darien Eberhart 35:47

Listen, we need promos.

Chantée Christian 35:50

I can't Okay. So we've covered quite a few things in this conversation today, or today, whatever time the people listen to us. What would you like to leave the people with?

Darien Eberhart 36:03

Yeah, I guess he took my wrap up. It's just, you know, follow your intuition, go with your gut, live regret free. If you want to do it, you have intent to do it, just do it. If it don't work out, you can always come back. You can always go back to the drawing board. You can always go back in the corporate. It's harder right now but hopefully, three, four, whatever how much time we got Three years, four years, hopefully in four years you know it'll be all right, right, maybe. Stay positive, yeah. So follow your intuition, go with your gut feeling, communicate and enjoy life.

Chantée Christian 36:41

Yeah Well, I thank you so much for joining me on my podcast and, because you're a side entrepreneur, tell the people where they can find your side entrepreneurial stuff.

Darien Eberhart 36:59

Go to my Instagram. Life of a fat kid is literally life of OF A fat kid on Instagram Links to my Shopify store in there. You know portraits, paintings. You know when I'll be outside, we outside Right, so and that's it. You want me to do some financial classes. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.

Chantée Christian 37:22

Oh, I think you are, but we'll have to. We'll get you ready Because I think it's important. I really do. I think that the way you deliver it in Laming terms yeah, it resonates.

Darien Eberhart 37:34

Yeah, Growing up, they don't teach us about this right.

Chantée Christian 37:38

Yeah.

Darien Eberhart 37:39

When I find it, I share it.

Chantée Christian 37:41

Yeah, awesome. Thank you so much for being on my podcast.

Darien Eberhart 37:46

Thank you for having me. It's been fun.

Chantée Christian 37:49

Yes, I enjoyed talking with Darien about the unexpected ways connections can form. His insights on the importance of communication in both business and relationships were invaluable. Thank you for joining us and remember to stop doing shit that doesn't serve you. For more information or if you'd like to reach out to us via visit on Instagram. See you later.