Top 5 Takeaways From 100 Episodes of Growth!

Join me as we celebrate 100 episodes of The Cameo Show! In this milestone episode, I’m reflecting on the biggest lessons learned along the way—about resetting your mindset, embracing change, and finding resilience in the messiest moments of life. Plus, I’ll share an exciting look at what’s next for the show.

Whether you're here for the laughs, the lessons, or the journey itself, I invite you to continue this empowering path with us, offering your feedback to help us grow and transform. Cheers to what we've built together and to the countless stories yet to unfold!

Chapters

• 0:00 100 Episodes of the Cameo Show
• 14:41 The Power of Community
• 20:30 Liquid Death Toast to a Century

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:30

Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of the Cameo Show. I'm your host, cameo, and I'm so glad you are here today. If you're new and you've never listened to our show before, where have you been? Just kidding kind of. And if you've been here week after week after week, I can't thank you enough because you are the reason we are on episode 100.

Speaker 1: 0:56

Your support and the community that we've built around this weekly podcast is unlike anything I could have ever imagined. In fact, you guys, when I started this podcast in February of 2023, I had no idea if anyone would give would give a shit, if anyone would listen, if anyone would care to hear me talk for 20 minutes or an hour, and I dropped three or four episodes on the first day and I was scared to death, but I had committed that I was going to do it for at least a year. Whether one person or a thousand people or no people, I suppose that would have been really hard, but, no matter how many listeners, I was going to commit to a year of recording and editing and producing an episode each week, and then I would decide at that time what to do from there. Well, a year came and went really fast every week, having a solo conversation with you, my listeners, or with Greg, my husband, where we would open up our conversations that we really have behind closed doors for you to hear us talk about how we've overcome the problems in our marriage, how we stayed married after nearly divorcing 10 years ago, how we rebuilt our life from scratch when we moved from Ohio to Florida and didn't know a soul, how we stopped drinking almost a decade ago for me. And then also these incredible guests, people who are top performing professionals, who are Grammy award-winning artists, who are professional athletes, joined us, greg and I, as we sat and we asked questions and we were curious about their journey, of the pursuit of their goals and the things that they had to overcome.

Speaker 1: 2:44

Because, at the end of the day, that's what this podcast is about Making sure that everyone understands that we are all in this. We are all trying every day to wake up and do the best we can. We are making mistakes. We are stumbling. We are making choices that we aren't sure how they're going to work out. We are showing up scared. We are doing brave things. We are doing them when we don't feel like it. We are doing them when we aren't sure we can. We are doing them when people are talking shit. We are doing them when we are talking shit about ourselves and going for the optimization of this life and understanding human emotion and experiences and trying to be inspired and motivated by each other every day. And that's what this podcast has brought.

Speaker 1: 3:28

So after a year I decided well, jeez, I want to keep doing this. I'll get to a hundred episodes and then I'll decide and here we are and I can't even believe it. And it's because of you, the listeners, this community, that we keep showing up, that we keep delivering this message, because it's not about the streams and the numbers although that's fun because I'm a data nerd but it's about the community. I can't tell you how many people have reached out to me since the start of this podcast and said hey, because of you talking about why you stopped drinking, I gave it a try and I didn't drink for three weeks and then I drank again and I'm not sure what I'm going to do, or I haven't drank for a whole year. Those are the big ones that really get me, the people who reach out and say how did you do it? How did you pick up and move across the country.

Speaker 1: 4:20

Greg and I have been very open in sharing that we were financially in a really bad place. Well, how did you get your finances in order without filing bankruptcy? How did you climb out of toxic debt and start your own business? People who reach out and say, hey, I know you were a former professional bodybuilder. Here's what I'm doing to stay active and stay motivated. And because you show up every week and talk about these things, I've learned more about my body composition. I've learned more about my body image and how to respect and appreciate my body for its movement and its abilities, and how to look at appreciate my body for its movement and its abilities, and how to look at fitness as a tool for longevity. And man, I never knew that that was going to be part of this.

Speaker 1: 5:04

Greg and I do a lot. We run a mortgage business, we are the parents of two amazing teenagers, we write record and produce music with each other and with other people. We write record and produce music with each other and with other people, and the thing that seems to always come up, the thing that seems to be the recurring theme, is man. Thanks so much for doing the podcast, guys. How's the podcast? What's it like to do a podcast? And I, 100 episodes in, can tell you that it's the same as day one. It's scary as hell, it's a lot of work, but it's rewarding and it's why I will continue. I don't know what next level I'll put on it, but it's why I will continue and thank you so much for being here and being a part of it.

Speaker 1: 5:47

Now, I had big plans for this episode to put together a montage of some of my favorite moments from the last 100 episodes. To put together a montage of some of my favorite moments from the last 100 episodes, including those amazing guests that I was talking about. But if I'm just going to be real here, because that's what this is about, holy shit, the last couple of months have been just a lot and there hasn't been any free time, any balance, any ability to do that. I'm still kind of a one-man show with the writing, the recording, the editing, the producing, the uploading of these podcasts and, you know, with everything else going on between hurricanes and travel and illnesses and all of the things, I couldn't. I just couldn't. I couldn't get the montage together. But what I did do is put together the top five lessons that I've learned and taken away from hosting this podcast for almost two years and a hundred episodes.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Let's start with number one. I kind of already said this, but everyone has a story. It's when we're vulnerable and we're willing to share that story with others that we can connect. That's what builds community. That's what makes people feel seen and heard and like they're not weird or they're not wrong or they aren't crazy. We're all going through a lot of the same things, similar things, transitions in life, grief, fear, challenges, triumphs, and we all handle them differently. But what's nice is hearing how someone else handles. It can help you see things in a different way, and there's a ton of power in that. And so, number one, the number one takeaway is everyone has a story and there's a ton of power in that. And so, number one, the number one takeaway is everyone has a story and it's not always what you think it is. And if you take the time to listen to someone, if you take the time to connect with someone in that way in person, online, on a podcast, man, there is so much richness in this world and so much that you can observe and apply to your own life if you want to. Number two is that there is always an opportunity for a reset.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Now, if you've been listening for a long time, you know that I have a book that is finally finished. It's called the Reset Button. It is the practice of reflecting, resetting and reinventing your life. It will be out in the beginning of next year, so shameless plug there. You can go to my website, cameoelisebrunncom, and you can sign up to be the first to hear the release date for any specials, any bundles, any discounts that we put together as we launch this thing. Because, lord knows, I've been writing this book for four years and I am ready to launch this thing Because, lord knows, I've been writing this book for four years and I am ready to launch this thing.

Speaker 1: 8:38

Anyway, reset is an important word in my life for a multitude of reasons, and the biggest reset of my life was when our family moved from Ohio to Florida on a whim. We didn't really have much of a plan and we hung on to the idea that we see what it looks like when it's done, like we have an idea of what we want and what we don't want and we're going to give ourselves permission to reset our life Now. You don't have to pack up and move a thousand miles away, like we did, to reset your life. But the point is number two the reset is always possible.

Speaker 1: 9:14

There are so many people who were on this podcast as guests who talked about being ready to burn it all down, setting these big, audacious goals and saying, okay, well, I'm traveling too much and it's causing my marriage to fail. I've got to do something different. But I've worked my whole life for this career and moment and figuring out how to reset people who have shared that they've lost someone or they've been in a major accident themselves and they had no choice but to pick up the pieces and reset their life. Sometimes that starts with just a mindset. Sometimes that starts with putting down the drink. Sometimes that does equate to a move across the country. Whatever it is, it's always possible.

Speaker 1: 9:59

And for those of you out there who are feeling stuck and are feeling maybe like I don't know what's next for me and I don't know how to make meaningful change in my life, because it's scary as hell and I don't want to mess anything up and what I have is fine and it's's not that bad and I'm unhappy about this but I can deal with it. Stop, take a deep breath and know that it is possible. It doesn't have to be reckless. You can do it. We all can, we all have, and you can do it as many times as you need to. That's a great segue to number three. And you can do it as many times as you need to. That's a great segue to number three.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Feeling overwhelmed is a signal. It's not a prison sentence. So if you're in that moment where you feel stuck and you feel overwhelmed and you feel like you've got too many plates in the air, it's an opportunity to pause. I mean, if you're, if you're literally spinning plates, I wouldn't pause because they would probably fall and break, but the idea is that you pause and you realign yourself. The late Dave Hollis, a great thought leader if you haven't read his books, I highly recommend them. He once said I believe that it's about knowing which plates to be able to set down, or which balls that you're juggling that are glass and which ones are plastic, so which ones can be dropped and which ones need to be handled with more delicacy. Overwhelm is a signal, not a prison sentence. You have the ability to pause and say, okay, this isn't working for me anymore. What will? What is it? Be curious about your life. It's your life, and that was a common theme through many of our episodes. Curiosity, I think it's when we start asking why and then how we start seeing opportunities, as opposed to succumbing to this feeling of overwhelm and feeling trapped. So stay curious and also stay courageous. That's number four.

Speaker 1: 11:54

Reinvention takes courage, but it doesn't take perfection. Oftentimes we just get in our own way. We don't want to be judged, we don't want to be criticized, we don't want to do it wrong. For me it's been a challenge because I have this idea and many of you, I'm sure that there's like a right way to do things. That's all conditioning, that's all labels that have been slapped on me and what's supposed to be for my life. I call it shoulds and shame that I carry with me.

Speaker 1: 12:22

You have to be bold enough to break through that, to really reinvent your life, to really stand up and say this is what I want and it might not look like what you thought it should look like, and it might not look like what you thought it should look like, and it might not look like what I thought it was going to look like, but this is what I want and I'm going to be brave and courageous, and I know I'm going to trip and I know I'm going to mess up and I know I'm going to make bad choices and mistakes, but I'm going to learn from every damn one of them and I'm not going to keep repeating them over and over and over again. I'm going to cultivate some self-awareness so that when I make these courageous, brave, bold decisions, I'm self-aware enough to recognize, if they aren't working, why they weren't working. Staying curious and if I'm aiming for perfection, I'm never going to start, I'm never going to be brave enough because I'm going to be too damn afraid to mess up. Being tenacious in your pursuit of what you want is scary. Many of our guests talked about that as well that there were moments in their life when they had been rejected. There were moments in their life when they felt like this is it, this is my one shot. I have to show up and put so much pressure on themselves to get it perfect, to get it right, that then they became timid, they became a smaller version of themselves, and they had to bravely and courageously break free from that to pursue what it was that they really wanted, and that doesn't have to be something big, whatever big is by whoever's definition of what big is. It's all relevant to what's important to you, and the fifth thing that I've learned from doing a hundred episodes of this podcast I've already alluded to it's that connection fuels growth. It is so important to find your people. It is so important to find the right community. You can then find strength in others' journeys. Pay attention to how you feel when you're around certain people, when you listen to certain things, the energy that you feel before and after an interaction with someone, an engagement with a community. That's very telling about whether you should continue to seek out opportunities to be around those people or involved in that community.

Speaker 1: 14:42

Aside from the podcast, over the last couple of years, I've put myself in positions where I've been a member of communities coaching communities, athletic communities and I have met some really incredible people. I have traveled and been able to hook up not hook up with, because that sounds terrible, so let me just back up. I've been able to meet up with the people that I've met through social media and online groups that I've bravely become a part of, knowing that, like these are the people that I want to surround myself with. A couple of them have been podcast guests and I feel so fortunate to have had that opportunity. But without the power of community, without seeking that out, without being mindful of the people that I'm surrounding myself with and aware of the interaction and the energy that comes from that engagement, I wouldn't have met these people and I definitely wouldn't have probably made a lot of the decisions that I've made without that interaction and influence from them.

Speaker 1: 15:42

And I'm a lone wolf, I'll be the first to admit I am an only child. I am very independent. I haven't always been open to the idea of groups and communities, but when you find your people, it just feels right and it makes a huge difference in your life. And communities can be like this podcast community. As I mentioned, hearing from you, with your stories and your struggles and what resonated and what didn't, has meant everything to me over the last year. I too, even if it doesn't seem that way, feel intimidated, I feel imposter syndrome, I feel exhausted and like quitting and burning it all down. And without having this community and this commitment and these guests and you as my listeners, there have been times when maybe I wouldn't have made it through. Community is so important.

Speaker 1: 16:30

So what's next for the Cameo Show. Well, let me first say that after this 100th episode, I am going to take my first official break. I'm going to close out 2024 by giving myself a few weeks off to reflect and prepare for what's coming up in 2025 personally, professionally, and then, of course, with this podcast. What you can expect in 2025 is that we're going to have more Greg. The feedback that I've gotten from many of you through social media and through contacting the show directly on one of the platforms, is that the dynamic that Greg and I bring is something you all enjoy, and that's because he brings a different side, a different perspective, to the conversation. So Greg is definitely going to be a part of more of the conversations. He's already a part of more of the conversations. He's already a part of many of them, but I also believe that with the release of my book, the reset button, there will be more conversations about things that we've maybe not spoken about yet, waiting on the release of the reset button.

Speaker 1: 17:32

So what's next for the show? A quick break and then more Greg, greg and his dad jokes. For those of you who haven't been here before, my husband, greg, joins me on many episodes and he always starts us off with the dad joke and I cannot believe, honestly, how big of a hit the freaking dad jokes are. How many dad jokes I've received. Someone sent him a book of dad jokes I digress and we have a whole list of new guests that we've been speaking to and scheduling and planning to bring to you More high performers, more thought leaders, more experts in their field.

Speaker 1: 18:10

A lot of you have been very curious about, for example, the DEXA scans and the blood work that Greg and I referred to, that we had done and do, and so I want to bring on some experts who can talk more about those things for you. I also encourage you to please send in your feedback or your questions or topic suggestions, because a major part of the show is addressing the questions that you present to us, touching on the topics that you want to hear about, because that's what this is all about, and so if we can make sure that we hone in on that message to really reach where you are in your journey, that makes it better for everyone. That's what this is all about the opportunity to learn from each other. Definitely reach out and let us know what it is that you want from us in the coming year. You can do that.

Speaker 1: 18:58

In the show notes there's a text, the show feature or you can go to my website, where you can email me directly, or my Instagram at cameo, elise Braun, and you can DM me. Those are probably the best ways to reach me. Facebook also um, things get lost in the weeds and the DMS and the Facebook messenger, right. So probably email and texting the show is the best. And then those social media platforms would be be next. Um, I spend a lot of time communicating with a lot of you through those platforms, so I know it is a way to reach out, but just know that if you do reach out in that way and you don't hear from me, you will eventually. It's just sometimes things get lost or scrolled by or hidden and I still have trouble figuring out where they go. Honestly, that's kind of embarrassing, but it's true. So we are going to be revamping some things. We are going to be building out a team I will no longer have to be a one woman show which will allow us to bring you more content, more consistent content, a better delivery across the board. So I'm really pumped about that.

Speaker 1: 20:03

Thank you again for being here. I hope you've enjoyed celebrating with me today and going over the top five things that I feel like I've gotten the most of from these 100 episodes of the show and what's to come in the future with regard to the show and how to bring more of what you need to your weekly experience with us. So, thank you. Thank you so much. I'd like to end with a toast of sorts.

Speaker 1: 20:30

Many of you know that I don't drink alcohol for the last almost 10 years, but here I have not sponsored, by the way, but I would be open to it A liquid death mountain, still drinking water, and it is amazing and it makes me feel like I look cool. What would these be called? Like a deuce back in the day. If you're watching the video, you know what I'm talking about and if you're just listening, you're probably like what is this lady doing? Anyway, I would like to raise my liquid death, still drinking water and propose an empowering toast here to a hundred episodes, to a hundred lessons, to a hundred more chances to rewrite your story and to a hundred more episodes, at least in the future Hopefully way more than that, but we'll see. Cheers, everybody and thanks for being here until next time.