Ep. 104 with Christi Cossette | CEO, Cossette Transformation Coaching

Fulfilled And Limitless

A bright blazer turns into a big conversation about identity, ambition, motherhood, and what success is supposed to feel like. I sit down with Christy Cassette, a corporate finance transformation leader and executive coach, and we get honest about the hidden weight so many women carry: leading at work while also managing the mental load at home, often without the support men routinely receive. If you’re wrestling with burnout, confidence, or that quiet feeling that you’ve outgrown your current season, this one will land.

We talk about designing a values-driven life instead of living by someone else’s definition of success, plus the practical systems that make “balance” possible: hiring help, planning content a month ahead, setting boundaries, and treating career moves like a mutual fit rather than a permission slip you’re begging for. Christy also shares how prayer and discernment shape her decisions, why rejection can be redirection, and what it looks like to keep walking toward a calling before you know exactly how it will unfold.

Then the conversation goes deeper. Christy opens up about learning in utero that her son has Down syndrome, the intense pressure she faced to abort, and how her family’s story rewired her views on purpose, performance, and what a “fulfilled life” actually means. Expect candid stories, mindset shifts you can apply today, and encouragement that doesn’t sugarcoat the hard parts.

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Connect with Christi:

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Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
• Music: Kristofer Tanke 

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Transcript

First Impressions And Color Confidence

Kelly 0:00

Good morning, Christy. Good morning. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:05

I'm fantastic. Glad to be here.

Kelly 0:07

I'm happy that we officially get to meet in person because when we had our initial like, I think it I think what was supposed to happen is we were supposed to do Zoom. I needed to pivot. We FaceTimed. Yeah. Did we FaceTime? So it's always nice to officially meet somebody in the flesh and feel their energy as well. And let me just say for the listeners who cannot see you, she's got this fantastic pink, bright pink, vibrant pink blazer on right now. And I am just living for it. Well, thank you. Well, it's it's very on par for the podcast and the theme of the podcast, too. So I appreciate it. I don't know if you did that on purpose or not.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

Or if it's just like I always dress for the occasion so that I my energy rises to what I'm trying to do.

Kelly 1:02

I love it. Well, you had said too that um you had partnered with a stylist. I did, yes. I love that. And I also love like, did you get your colors? I did. Like do the color analysis?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yes. And I wish I had done it sooner uh because I ended up doing a complete rebrand in my business after I had my colors done because there was such a big difference in what I wore and how I showed up.

Kelly 1:26

Totally. Did that influence then like what you did with the branding and the colors of the brand? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Yeah. I took my color palette and I had my techie person build my website and everything based off the brand.

Kelly 1:40

So cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

I did a photo shoot based on the colors that resonate. And I mean, because you can just, I don't know, it just makes you look more vibrant. Totally. So I used to wear black all the time, and now I'm not supposed to wear black. I still do sometimes, but very rarely. And uh what's really interesting is I, you know, especially during COVID, I used to wear like yoga pants and then like a sweatshirt, just enough to look nice on top while on my Zoom calls. Yeah. And uh there was a day after I had my colors done and I had been dressed, I completely redid my wardrobe and I I changed, I put on my yoga pants again. I was like, oh, there's nothing I have to do today. I'm just gonna sit in my sweats. But my energy was so much lower. I literally felt like I needed to take a nap. And so I had to go upstairs and change.

Kelly 2:30

I I love this about you. Okay, so I wanna I want to talk through this for just a hot second. It may maybe we piece it in somehow, some way to the theme of the podcast, but I think it's fun that we're just having this conversation. So I want to share. Back in 2020, for me, I had always dressed up for what I was doing for business. And when we had this like, you have to quarantine, like quarantine yourself and stay in your house, I was like, I'm still gonna get up and get dressed. And I did for a period of time. And then I was like, but why? You know, like why? If I'm gonna be sitting, like, I'm not maybe I'm doing Zooms here and there, and this is so to to give reference to this, Chrissy. This is when I was in the mortgage industry. So for the most part, you're behind a computer working on loans, and so it's like, whatever. But I decided to make it fun, and I was like, okay, I've got a lot of athleisure stuff, and I like did this whole series on like every single morning on my stories. I would go, like, what's the athleisure outfit of the day? And I would be like, okay. So I'd be like, I've got these buttery stuffed, like yoga pants, and I'm I'm deciding to partner it with this like somewhat casual sweater of mine. And people loved it. I thought, like, so stupid. I hate that I have to do any sort of athletic outfit stuff. You know what I mean? For just on a day-to-day basis. I'm like, this is dumb, but I'm gonna embrace it. So I decided to embrace it. And I remember somebody going, I wish you would do more of that athleisure stuff. And I'm like, yeah, we're pat, like we're way past that now. We're moving on. It was fun in the time being, like it felt like it was a completely different world back at back in 2020.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Well, I think everyone was just in that same place and they wanted to talk about it and help them feel seen and and known.

Kelly 4:35

Yeah, for sure. I love though, just to kind of bring this back full circle, that um go even going through the process of like the color analysis, because I had done that too, how much it totally like shifts you. You're like, oh wow. And then you look at your wardrobe and you're like, I actually had like a temporary identity crisis.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Did you? Yeah. Um, because so first of all, so Brent Brenda Iris is the woman who I've worked with and she's absolutely amazing. Um, and she she so she came over to my house and she went through my wardrobe, and it was essentially, yes, no, yes, absolutely not. Don't ever wear this again. And we we and then other ones were like, oh, this is this is good, like you can keep this one. Um, but I made the mistake of getting rid of all of my stuff right away. Uh, and oops, I didn't have enough clothes to wear for all the things I wanted to do. There were events that I would have worn a certain dress for that I didn't have anymore. So I would say if you're going to do it, hold on to it until you replace it. Uh, but it was such an incredible experience. And I have a whole new wardrobe now. And I remember when I started to wear colors that matched my my skin tone or whatever. Brenda would say it way more eloquently. Um, I could tell that people reacted to me differently. I looked different, I acted different, and my energy was different, and so people responded to me differently. Totally. And although I knew it was a really good thing, I also had to like grieve the old me because I was like, but I really liked her. I thought she was pretty great. And I I so I was like, how do I become the new me and let go of the old me when I liked the old me? So it was, it was probably about a month where I was I struggled with that. And then ultimately it it was actually when I what I shared earlier, when I put on the old outfit and I felt my energy lower, that I was like, oh, this is why, this is why it matters.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

And so after that, I was like, okay, I'm gonna embrace it because I now know that my energy is even higher and that I'm up, I would say I'm resonating at a higher frequency now.

Grieving Old Identities As We Grow

Kelly 6:41

Yeah. Okay. The whole like grieving of an old version of ourselves, yeah, and also wanting to honor this like new version of who you are as a person, I think about that in context of like why I even started the podcast, right? I we might have talked about this when we initially um connected, but I remember thinking like, oh my word, how am I going to consider this old version of myself as I'm in my like pregnant, like very pregnant state of mind, and also understand like what does this mean moving forward? And I feel like there's a lot of women who identify with this and are like, oh yeah, that piece is incredibly challenging to like wrap your head around. There's an official term for um not all of what we're talking about right now, because there's a lot more that encompasses it, but it's called matrescence. Have you heard of this? I haven't. So you know, like when kids go through adolescence, it's very much the same concept, but for women, when they transition from not having children to then having children, isn't that fascinating? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Well, it's cool to know that there's a word for it because it was a very holy cow eye-opening time for you personally, yeah. So just a little backstory. When I was young, this is probably a little bit of an overshare, but I was the I was the middle child and the oldest girl, and my dad was really scared about me dating and potentially you know teenage pregnancy and all of that. And so they always used to tell me if you if you were to be intimate with someone, you're going to get pregnant and your life will be over. And they they said that message over and over and over again when I was a teenager. Really, it started in middle school.

Kelly 8:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

And so, and my family, I there's five kids in my family, and my mom was exhausted. My dad worked all the time, and she had me and my brothers are back to back to back, like one per year for three years in a row. Wow. And then I have a sister who's six years younger, and another who's five years younger than her, so 11 years younger than me. Uh, so tons of kids. My mom was exhausted, and so I saw her just really struggle and she was freaking out a lot and just my gosh. Yeah, uh so it's a little dysfunctional.

Kelly 9:23

Not TMI. This is these are things that actually play into who we are as adults.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Yeah, yeah. So, um, so when it was time for me to start having children, I was terrified because I had always essentially been raised that you're a burden. And even though I know that my parents didn't believe that, yeah, that's the message I received from my mom being so overwhelmed all the time. And I mean, they struggled financially because there were so many and all of that, right? So it was like, I'm a burden. I don't want my children to feel like a burden. So if I'm going to have them, I want to be ready for them, but I'm not ready. I'm not even close to ready. And what kind of a mom am I gonna be? Because she was stressed out all the time. I don't wanna, I don't want to fly off the handle because I I was pretty emotional a lot. So I was like, I can't do this. And I I literally felt like having children was like choosing to jump off a cliff and just praying that God will catch you. I've really struggled with it. Well, there's a little bit of that, yeah, yeah. So um, so my husband and I got married at 23, and we were babies, and we didn't have kids until I was 31. And we got so much crap from it from my dad. He was like, Well, when are the babies coming? When are the babies? And I was like, My entire life, you have told me that once I have children, my life will be over. Like, I am not ready for my life to be over yet. Did you tell him this? I did. What did he say? He was like, Well, I was I I was talking about then, like during that season. I didn't and I'm like, but that's not what you said.

Kelly 10:51

Yeah. Uh you said this is the way it was interpreted. My my teenage brain was interpreting that as such.

SPEAKER_02 10:59

Yeah. So it basically created trauma associated with having children.

Kelly 11:03

Oh my gosh. Well, yeah, this, these are the things that we truly, as women, um, and this is certainly not the first time that this has been talked about on the podcast, but how our body carries those emotions. There's a book called The Body Keeps Score. Have you read it before?

SPEAKER_02 11:24

So I've read about half of it. It is very, very scientific, and I could not get through it. You couldn't get your and then I started skipping chapters to topics I was interested in. I still couldn't get through it. So I get the concept, the body does keep the score, and I've been doing a ton of like somatic work to like balance my nervous system and get inner healing and all that. But I I couldn't make it through the book.

Kelly 11:43

Do you know who um was like the person that I've had so many women on this podcast where this book has either they've referenced it or I've referenced it, but I had never read it. Yeah. And it was Ashley Roloff when we've we were talking about it and we kind of giggled because she was like, What book do you not have, Kelly? Like, because I have so many books and there's more up, like owed in our living room, in our bedrooms, and downstairs. So many. And I was like, Ashley, I am going to finally purchase this book because enough is enough. Like I've talked about it too many times. So, okay, this is actually a nice, interesting segue into who introduced us. Like, do you remember who introduced us? Yeah, it was Ashley Roloff who introduced us. Shout out to Ashley. Yeah, she's amazing. She really is. I love her to pieces. Um, and she's she's actually introduced a few other individuals who will be on the podcast here in the not so distant future. But um, I loved her introduction and I loved our conversation that then sparked having you on the podcast. And so, well, what came first for you, Christy? Motherhood or my business? Yeah. Entrepreneurship or business. Or um motherhood.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Okay. Motherhood,

Corporate Leadership And Softening Your Approach

SPEAKER_02 13:02

dad. I uh I was in the corporate world for a really long time. I still am actually. And my dad was an entrepreneur and he was a farmer, and farmers didn't make a lot of money. And so where most people think like entrepreneurship makes money, like that's not what I witnessed. And so I wasn't really interested in that. So I was interested in getting into the corporate world and climbing the ladder to get the the title and the salary and the influence. Yeah. Um, and I would say once I got there, it was very, very lonely. And I found myself in a place where there wasn't a lot of support for women. I um I so about three years ago, I'd kind of reached the the pinnacle at the time, and I had I had a VP title, I had a team of a hundred people reporting to me. Uh, in the corporate world, I lead major like finance transformations. So after they acquire a bunch of companies, I help them restructure, streamline, and automate.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

So I usually come into a company and I'm there anywhere from six months to three years, depending on either they defund the project or I complete the project. And um, so I've had a lot of different jobs over my career, a lot of industries, cultures, you name it. I'm very good at getting jobs. And I it's now to the point where I will literally negotiate a severance package when I take a job because I know it's a matter of when, not if.

Kelly 14:28

Yeah. Look at you. So um, so I'm in this. Teach me your ways because negotiation is uh an area that I'm uh working through as it pertains to the sales side of things. Normally that's my husband.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

Yeah. Well, uh, I'll I'll just say that when they know so what I do is pretty niche, and when they know they need you, it's just a matter of do I do I need it more than you do? Yeah. And what are you willing to pay for it? Um, and so I I'm just very frank and open about what I need and versus what I have now. And um if they if they need it badly enough, they'll pay for it, right? And they'll they're gonna get the value out of it. Um so to to restructure, streamline, and automate is a really big change moment in an organization. And so you need someone who has done it before, done it well, knows, knows all the change management initiatives, the communications that are necessary, the people changes that have to happen. And quite honestly, forgive my language, but the balls to make the tough decisions. Sure, sure. Uh so it's it's tough to find someone who has that expertise. So um that has helped a lot.

Kelly 15:37

Do you know something that I just have to mention is um you're so unassuming. You're so unassuming. And what I mean by that is when I first like physically met you in person, I'm like, she's sweet as a pumpkin cake. Like, seriously, like so sweet. And then you start talking like that, and I'm like, whoa, sister. Again, teach me your ways. I love it. This is so cool. Oh, I've had to learn to rein it in. Yeah. Uh but why? But why do you feel like you need to rein it in?

SPEAKER_02 16:16

Well, when I'll say when I was in my 20s, I was basically just very demanding. I would like tell, I would boss everybody around. And guess what? People don't really like that. And it's what's interesting is I've learned that people actually love being told what to do because most people are frustrated and they're like, just tell me what to do. Yeah, they don't want to feel like you just told them what to do, and they certainly don't want to feel like it's demanded.

Kelly 16:38

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

So I had to learn to soften my approach. Okay. Um, my if any of those like personality tests, like in the ESTJ, the Myers Briggs, I'm like the executive and the disc assessment, I'm a high D insights, I'm a high red, which is like, you know, be be brief, be bright, be gone. So it's like it's very like masculine energy, tone in your face.

Kelly 17:04

My husband is the same way. Yeah, it's so funny. And you just said, like, pardon me when I say this, but like the balls, and I'm like, I'm gonna go a step further. He shared this uh reel with me on Instagram about like um, like very to the point about who Ds are, like they're direct, they to your to your point, they're very direct, but they're also assumed as dicks.

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Yeah. Well, not Matt. Being a female in that situation, um, where there were a lot of people who were like, Oh, you're not no way, like, no way is she coming in here doing that thing, right? So I definitely had to change my approach and focus on listening a lot more, building trust longer, and then essentially getting permission to tell people what to do. And it took a long time. So, I mean, I'm in finance, my background is in finance, and you have to start at the bottom and prove your value.

Kelly 17:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

And I have been a natural leader my whole life. Of course, I was told I was bossy when I was younger. If I had been a male, I might not have been called bossy, but I was regularly told to sit down and shut up. What value could you possibly bring to this conversation? Sit down and let the men talk. You name it, I've heard it. And so I was like, I didn't care about ego. I just cared about the right thing happening. Like, I didn't need the credit, I didn't need, I didn't need to be the one in charge. I just wanted them to listen to me and do what I told them to do because I knew I people ask you, but like, what's your superpower? My superpower is I can see all the steps that are necessary to get from A to Z. And I can just build that roadmap or that path and drive it out.

Kelly 18:41

Christy, you are like the female version of my husband.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

He's such a healing- Maybe that's why we hit it off so well.

Kelly 18:47

He is, he can recognize patterns and he will like take something that he learned from like uh what feels like a million years ago, and then something here and now today. And it's he's he thinks of it like how he's explained it to me is like everything just kind of goes and falls into place, and he's like, he can make these connections like out of nowhere. And I'm like, Can you help me on this journey? Like, help me on this journey. But I love it too because he'll think of things and have like, are you are you like visioneer type of person too?

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Yeah, big vision, yeah, for sure. So that's actually what I it was so interesting is I didn't realize that it was my superpower for a long time because especially women, when something comes so easy to you, you devalue it and you think it's not important. I just assumed every everybody could do it. And it it was literally my mid-30s before I realized that it was a gift that that I only had or that only a few people had, yeah, and that I could use it to help people and capitalize on it as well. Um, so it's it's been such a journey. Um, but yes, I'm very, I'm very masculine energy. So I I've worked hard to have the suite. So I think my colors have helped with that too, where you can see the softens you.

Kelly 20:01

Yeah, yeah, it softens you. I love it. All right, so let's catch the listeners up to speed in terms of your entrepreneurial business.

From VP Burnout To Coaching

Kelly 20:11

Yeah. When did that come to fruition? And I don't want, I just want to kind of plant that flag out there for them and then we can fill the gaps in. Yeah. But I think to give um like the understanding right now is important.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

So it was at that situation when I was in corporate and I was one of only three women above a director in the whole company. I was traveling three weeks out of the month. I was physically and emotionally exhausted, I was missing my family, and I realized that there was just no support for females. Like I looked around me and I saw all the men that I worked with. They had help, whether it was their wife, their mom, their executive assistant. Someone was literally, they were managing their calendar, their emails, they were paying their expense reports for them, they were booking their travel, they were bringing them coffee and lunch, in some cases, even scheduling their doctors and dentist appointments and even their haircuts. All they had to do was show up and lead. Meanwhile, I was doing all of that for myself, both in my corporate job plus at home. I was, you know, cooking, cleaning, meal planning, grocery shopping, making sure that my kids had new clothes and I have boys and they grow quickly. So I'm always buying new outfits and uh I mean, just basic things. They were like, mom, what should we do? Right. So I I just looked around like, this is such BS. Like, where is my support? How come no one's asking what I need? And it was interesting because no one even thought to ask. Because as women, we are, you know, society really expects us to be the helpers, right? And there's nothing wrong with that, except that if we believe that we can't ask for help because we need to do it ourselves, yeah, that's when it becomes a problem. And so I just looked around and I realized that. There was a major need to support women in the workplace. And that's when I started my company. And I started coaching women. Um, I say out of jobs they hate, because uh there's a lot of women who put up with a lot of things that they shouldn't.

Kelly 22:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Um, and because I've gotten a lot of jobs and and have a lot of experience interviewing and negotiating, I started supporting women in transition. Uh, but then uh at that time, God had really started to lay on my heart, you know, you have a story to share and you need to put it in a book. And I was like, you know, God, who would care what I have to say, what no one's gonna read it. But he started putting people in my life that I I ended up going on, I joined this online coaching program for an organization called Heroic, which I will give a shout-out to. It's an amazing program. A guy by Brian, the name of Brian Johnson leads it. Um, I will say it's very masculine energy, but I was I was here for it, right? Because they were they were teaching me lots of things that I jive with anyway. So I I went, and the graduation was to do a Spartan race in LA. Oh boy. So I went to the graduation. I and I meet this woman, her name is Laura Garris, who has become an amazing friend of mine. She lives in Seattle, and she was just like, Oh, hi, my name is Laura. I just published this compilation book, and I'm an author. And I was like, wait, what? What is a compilation book? And she's like, Well, I wrote a chapter. And I was like, What? You can be a published author from writing a chapter? I think I could write a chapter in about 20 minutes. Like, that wouldn't take me very long. And for sure, an hour I could get a really good something out. I love you. So I was like, tell me, teach me your ways. How did you do it? And so she introduced me to the publisher and the editor and all that. And before I knew it, I was publishing a chapter in an um in a compilation book that went to international bestseller, thanks to the publisher. And I was like, Well, that was quote unquote easy. Um, so I was like, here I had built this idea of like, oh my gosh, someday I'm gonna publish a book and it's gonna be this big, huge job. But they just kind of had they had the process, and I just I was able to tag along, right? And so then I ended up doing that a second time and it also went to international bestseller. And so then finally I had the confidence to do it myself and publish my own book. And so the same publisher and the same editor helped me with my book and it, so that one's called Fulfilled and Limitless, and it was really my it's my story of all the crap that I've been through in my life and ultimately how I found fulfillment. And uh, I have a framework that I use called the fulfilled life formula, and that's what I use to help my clients uh because I learned that the career transition wasn't enough and they wanted to go deeper. Like, well, what about my marriage? What about my kids? What about my health? What about my mindset? Uh I'm really struggling with confidence. Can you help me with that? You look pretty confident. Like, what's up with that? Like, how do you do differently? Yep. So the book is all about the framework and how to build that roadmap of how to get from A to Z and all the simple steps, right? So the book was the foundation, and then from there it just expanded into the coaching, and now I'm doing keynote speeches in order to get more have more impact and reach more people. And who knows, who knows what's next? Maybe a podcast, maybe another book. I'm not sure.

Kelly 25:22

Oh my gosh. Author times three. Yeah. That's incredible. And I love that you were like, Well, that was really easy.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Well, we make we like blow things up in our head of how hard something's gonna be. And oh, seriously. I found that if you just find the formula, like somebody's got it, somebody's already done it, and they have a formula or a process that they follow. And so all you got to do is either pay them or get to know them to figure out what it is or read their book, or YouTube videos, or whatever, and suddenly you have the formula and you can do it too.

Kelly 25:53

Oh my gosh. Well, you I mean, mic drop. We're done here, right? Kidding we are not done here. Okay, so I am so curious, and I'm sure that the listeners are as well.

Systems And Support To Do More

Kelly 26:06

Um, what it is looking like for you and the harmonization of what you're doing in in corporate world. Yeah. Being a mom, and doing the consulting.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Yeah, this is a question of the how do you do it all, Christy? Which I get asked all the time. Um I I would say, like, go ahead. Yeah, go ahead. Maybe you'll just answer my question. Like, that's not what I meant, but kind of. Yeah. Um, so how do I incorporate it all together? Is so, first of all, so back to that job that I that wasn't going well and I was traveling all the time and I was super burned out. I ended up getting let go or laid off from that job about a year into that position, which by the way is not uncommon when you're doing transformation work, which is why I now I negotiate an exit package every time I come. So, because again, it's a matter of when, not if. So when I got let go from that, they only gave me four weeks of severance because it was a private equity-backed company and they didn't have a lot of funds. And I quite honestly, I was pissed about that. But where I should have felt anxious and I should have been scared, I was actually relieved. And so that really set me on the journey of gosh, this definition of success that I have is not really what I w want. And so I had to follow my own formula and get really clear on what do I really want? Uh, what do I like, what do I dislike, what energizes me, what depletes me. And then ultimately, like, how do I want to feel on a daily basis?

SPEAKER_01 27:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

And that's really what created the framework and what helped me write the book. Um, so that's that was really the foundation of it. But I learned a lot after that job of again, what I didn't want. And before that, I had mindsets of, you know, there's just certain rules or ways of it being done in corporate that you have to settle for, like the long hours, like uh being at your boss's beck and call, etc.

Kelly 28:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:05

And I just realized that it was a lie that I had been believing and that it was BS. And if I didn't want that, I I didn't have to accept it. I could find a job and a culture and a leader uh that would actually support what I really wanted. And I don't get me wrong, I do, I do like to work. I'm kind of a I'm kind of a nerd that way. I love when you're doing what you love to do, it's not hard. It doesn't work.

Kelly 28:30

It's enjoyable and it doesn't feel like work.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Right. Yeah. Right. So I was able to find a position that allows me to work from home 100%. Uh so I literally sit in my office at home and my commute is I open the door and go into the kitchen and start dinner for the kids and well, my family, my husband too. Um, and they can sometimes come in and interrupt me. I can sometimes come out if I'm like missing them and I want to hug or quick conversation. So even though I might be working a lot still, they don't feel it the same because mom's home and she's available if needed. And I'm not traveling hardly at all anymore. Okay. Um, I only have traveled once in the entire year that I've been at the current company I'm at. Um, and I've only met my boss once during that trip. And I have team members all over the world who I haven't met yet. Okay. In some instances. So, and yet somehow it's still working and it's great and I'm enjoying it. Um, and when I interviewed uh my boss, his name is Mark, he's amazing. Uh I just said, you know, I have this company, I'm really passionate about supporting women and leadership. I do keynotes, I do coaching, and I also uh facilitate peer groups occasionally. So sometimes I'm not, it'll be during normal business hours. Is that going to be a problem? And he said, as long as you get the work done, I don't care. And I'm like, great. Um and so I What more could you ask for? Right. Seriously. And I mean, I'm obviously careful. There's I'm still in back-to-back meetings a lot for my corporate position, but I can meet with clients over my lunch break or at the end of the day. Um, and of course, if there is a keynote that takes me away during the day, then I just do what I gotta do to get the work done before or after, right? So I'm careful. I also hire help. So like I'm I'm not posting my social media, I'm not doing all the back end video editing and whatnot. Somebody's helping me with all of that. Uh, because I definitely have gotten questions. Like uh they've been like, gosh, we were just at a meeting with you and I saw your LinkedIn post go up. How did you do that? And I'm like, I schedule it in advance. I wasn't like posting live.

Kelly 30:46

Yeah. Uh so sometimes. But most people are so attuned to that, right? Like to the later, ladder, yeah, talk, Kelly, and just on the fly doing it where there's a much better, simpler way.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

Yeah. So I do everything a month in advance. I think about, I pray about what my audience wants to hear and what message do I think is necessary to share. And then I write my newsletters first. Okay. And then I create social content based upon the topics in the newsletters and whatever that focus is for the month. And then I send it to my VA who does the design. And is your VA here in the United States? She is. Okay. Uh she lives in um Monticello.

Kelly 31:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

I I've never met her though, because it's too far.

Kelly 31:36

It is so far. Trust me, I know we just had basketball tournaments up there.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Yeah, so we we have weekly Zoom calls and um yeah, so that's that's how I do it. And I have a lot of help at home also. I I still have a nanny who comes in the morning and feeds my kids breakfast and gets them on the bus so that I can do my exercise, prayer time, journal, set intentions for the day.

unknown 31:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:59

It's really important for me to get outside in the sun in the morning. So I've been heavily focused on that.

Kelly 32:04

And if I don't do it when it's 32 degrees outside, like it is today in May.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

I don't. I don't. I'm actually in the process of I have a red light and I'm like, how can I set it up so that I could just stand in front of my red light panel on days like that? Yeah. Um, because I miss it on those days, and I'm figuring it out.

Kelly 32:23

TBD. I I love this. When I think that this is probably an important question to ask, but when did you realize it was time to hire this additional support?

SPEAKER_02 32:39

So I'm weird. I hired support from the very beginning because I knew that I didn't have the time because I I had the corporate role pretty much the whole time. I did try consulting for about a year. Um, but I think we talked we're talking about this before the show started. I I found that companies didn't give me the keys to the kingdom as a consultant to the level that they would as an employee. They didn't have access, I didn't, I didn't have access to the data. Uh, maybe there was only funding to do a certain piece. And yeah, so I lead, it's called order to cash. So billing, collections, cash applications. It's a system, it's a process. There's many different handoffs in it, and everything you do impacts it sales, it impacts collections, it impacts your clients. And so I was like, I can't just make a decision in this little silo because it's going to impact people upstream and downstream. And they were like, well, shrug. That's not what was funded. I don't own that part of it. It I don't care. Uh and so I that was frustrating for me. And I also realized that I wouldn't, if I was going to do consulting full-time, then I would have to become the business development person, the marketer, the salesperson, the cash collections person. And I didn't want to do that. The work I wanted to do was the transformation stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

So I was like, well, okay, this isn't gonna work. So I went back to full-time becoming a full-time employee, but making sure that it was uh in an environment that was aligned with my values and what I was really trying to do. And so

Values Based Life Design

SPEAKER_02 34:14

I was, I'm gonna say I found that and I'm really happy where I am right now. I it's really hard for me to talk about a position being permanent though. So I uh when people say where do you work?

Kelly 34:25

I say right now, I work at yeah uh and that's just the nature of what you're like what it is that you do in the particular silo that it is.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Yeah, because when the work is done, like I'm not a business as usual kind of person. When the work is done, I will I have to move on. I will, I will get bored. And so if there's a large enough organization that I can move to different parts of the business and like I can I can do transformation work in technology, I can do transformation work in operations, uh anywhere within finance, but I just tend to specialize in order to cash, which is a f a finance function, of course. So, you know, my boss loves me, I love him, so we'll I'll probably continue to work there longer and do other things. Yeah. Um, but at the end of the day, if something changes, then maybe not. I don't know. I love that you it's like you're shrugging your shoulders, like it just is what it is. Yeah. Well, I've had to do a lot of acceptance work because you wouldn't believe how many people used to give me crap for gosh, every time I talk to you, you have a new job. Like, what's wrong with you? And they were basically like, Did you get fired? Did something bad happen? Are you a bad employee? And I was just like, Nope, it's just the work that I do. It ended, and I'm moving on to the next.

Kelly 35:36

Well, and to your point, it's just accepting that that is what it is and that it's not, it's not, it's not good, it's not bad, it just is. And for a vast majority of people in the United States who have a nine to five outsiders' perspective is like that is like they can't wrap their heads around it because there's so it's a very narrow.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Well, most people stay in jobs for decades. I mean, even still. I mean, I know obviously there's a lot less than a lot of people. A little differently, but yeah, there's still most people prefer a job where they have the same thing every day and they can feel like the expert. And yeah, uh, it's it's very different for me. I have a completely different mindset.

Kelly 36:26

Well, and the fact that it's you've designed this life for yourself, that it works for you, it works for your family, and no that doesn't have to be explained to anybody else on the outside, right? That is something I just talked about this on the last episode where it's like I had this sort of epiphany. Like I am, I've literally designed this life that is just it works incredibly. Yeah, I love what I'm doing with my husband, I love what I'm doing with this podcast, I love how each one of them is evolving and growing in their own specific ways. Podcast is mine, right? Like there, it feels really nice to have something that's like mine. Yeah, and that doesn't have to resonate with somebody else. Yeah, why does it need to? You know what I mean? Like it and that that falls on me to look at myself internally and go, why do you need some sort of validation from somebody else? Exactly. You don't need the validation, you've designed something that is working for you, your unit, what your long-term visions and goals are.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

And that's why it's so important to know your values and what success really means to you instead of living off of someone else's definition of it, because the people who are unfulfilled are the ones that are trying to be everything to everyone else and do what they're supposed to do versus what they really want to do.

Kelly 37:58

What I love about like each week having these interviews with women is it isn't to have somebody else listen to it and go, oh, I have to do it exactly the way that Christy's doing it, or how Olivia's doing it, or how you know, Becky, Jamie, like whoever. It is about going, listening, finding the gold nuggets in that particular story to apply it to your own life, reflect on it. But the big picture is vision, yeah, goals. What are your core values? Getting really crystal clear on those, and then going, absolutely. This is how I want to design my life. And that um, did you ever come across? Um, do you know who Stephen Bartlett is? Yeah. Diary of the CEO. Okay, so I was like having a moment the other night, I was like obsessing about like how he does everything with his podcast because I'm I like want to have, yeah, I want to have a good mindset going into each of these interviews. And I'm like, what does Steven do? And I and then I got a little fascinated just on what he had been posting. And one of his recent ones was I can't remember who the interview was, but it was talking about how um they had they drew a line around an ant. And the ant wouldn't go past the line. Oh wow. Yeah. But then they started to just draw like little, little lines, not a circle, right? So not a circle around it, but like draw these little lines, and all of a sudden they would come across to come to that point, pivot, and then find this gap between two different lines. And he was like, This is crazy. And he's he applied it to his own life. He was talking about how he talks in kilometers, right? Because he's from the UK. So he was like, I would always consistently run, I think it was like 10 kilometers. I might like if I'm like way off on my mouth here. Forgive me. But he was talking about how he would run a specific distance every single day on the treadmill and he could see it. And there was one time where the treadmill wasn't working, like the the screen wasn't working, and he just kept running and running and running. And so, okay, let me back up for just a second. The point of all of this is that he would run a specific amount and he would hit a point with his body at that marker of fatigue.

SPEAKER_02 40:35

Yeah.

Kelly 40:35

And so he that was like, okay, I need to stop, right? Like, I'm not gonna push it, I need to stop. But when the screen wasn't working and he was running, running, he's not feeling this fatigue. Isn't that interesting? And then he stopped it and realized he had doubled the amount of running. He he applied it to this very thing that I was talking about with putting a parameter around our own brains of what we can or cannot do when the reality is all you have to do is cross over them.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

Yeah, it's so true. Wild. Okay, I want to know what you think about this.

Breaking Mindset Barriers In Career Moves

SPEAKER_02 41:15

So it makes me think of so many of the women that I coach out of a job that isn't working for them anymore. Because so much of what it is, is it's all we have to start with the mindset because the truth is that they are more than capable of a different job, that they'll have a better opportunity, that there is something much better out there for them. But they they've stayed in a role that didn't support them, which means that they started to question, is it me? Their confidence went down. And now they're starting to question, am I even capable? Can I even really do this? Who would ever want me? And so we have to break through all of those lies and barriers before we can even get to like, what do you actually want to do? What lights you up? Because in the beginning, they're like, Well, I just want to make enough money for my family. You know what? I'll even take a huge pay cut if I can just get out of this environment because I'm so sick of being treated like crap or whatever. And I'm like, no, no, honey, you don't need to take a pay cut. In fact, I'm gonna get you more money. Like you're gonna have a better job, closer to home, more flexibility with more money, and it is possible. But they they can't see that yet because they've been beaten down and overwhelmed and their confidence is so eroded. So it's it's the same thing.

Kelly 42:26

Thank you for sharing that. I am curious, how did you get to this point of like, I want to do this work of empowering other women?

SPEAKER_02 42:38

Because I was held down for so long. Okay, and I I always knew I knew that I had something important to do. I knew that I had gifts and skills, I knew that I was a natural leader, but when I was young, nobody wanted to listen to that. And it was constantly held back and pushed down, and I was actually shamed for it. You're so bossy, you're so this, you're so that. Like I was, it was very, I was ashamed. And I used to pray when I was a little girl, and I was just like, God, you made me wrong. Like if I was a man, I would fit in and this would work, and I could be myself, but that's not who I am, and you made me a woman for some reason. So what what's up with that? And now I know. Talk more on that. Uh I I I feel led first of all, my passion is supporting women because I feel led to model the way forward to show them what's possible and to just help them break through all the lies, all the confidence issues. Like I think it's so important because women, I mean, even so I support a nonprofit based in India. I'll go on a little tangent here for a minute, but the the nonprofit focuses on teaching the women business skills. Because they know that if a woman is beat down, pushed down, you know, literally beat up, physically beat up, abused, but if she has children and if she she's gonna take care of her family, she's gonna take care of her city, she's gonna take care of the whole community. So if they get funds in her hand, if they educate her, she's gonna change the world. What's the name of this nonprofit? Uh it's called Hands of Freedom. Uh, you probably never heard of it because it's it's it's a Jesus-based one, and they're, you know, in India, you're it's not really allowed. It's not encouraged, right?

Kelly 44:30

I've I feel like I've heard of this this concept though, with women and empowering them over overseas. There are many organizations that focus on the women. Is that politically correct to say that anymore? Three world countries. I think so. Okay. I think so.

SPEAKER_02 44:44

Yeah, I think there's first, second, and third world countries. Okay. I think there's actually a list that there are a list that each one is on.

Kelly 44:50

So yeah, I feel like I've heard that when um there's this empowerment of being able to like do something to earn the income and then be able to just be like, you know, shove it to somebody. Yeah. There's so much more dynamic in there though.

SPEAKER_02 45:06

So well, what's interesting is what they found is that the men in the same situation usually turn to drugs or alcohol and they be they kind of list away or they like they fade away, and so a lot of them end up um killing themselves or just being, you know, overdosing or whatever. But the women usually don't get to that point because they have to take care of the kids and they're worried about their family, and so they will do anything necessary to take care of their family. Wow. Uh so it's so powerful. Um, and so I'm just I'm just really I think women are so amazing. We are so strong. Having kids also changed my whole perspective. Like my pregnancies and deliveries were awful. And when I got through that and I knew that I could overcome something that painful and that debilitating and still come out the other side, I was like, man, there is nothing that I can't do.

Kelly 46:03

It's interesting. Did you ever do anything with Ama Mama? No, like the Ama Mama programs. Um, I my labor and delivery was not bad by any stretch of the imagination. It was still hard. Okay. Yeah. Like, so I didn't have any major difficulties, nothing um with Maddie. And I remember being a part of this Ama Mama group and listening to one of the women speak about her labor and delivery. And I was like, and I think that that was um a moment too for me. Like, I hear what you're talking about, where it's like you go through this immense amount of pain and suffering in order to have something just absolutely amazing and joyful come out of it. And it's like, it rocks your world. You're like, how can these two things be true? Yeah, it's incredible, but this is how God is. This is how God is. But she was sharing all of this, and I was just like, hmm. Not to not to go like feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm like, how do these men, these husbands, not appreciate us more?

SPEAKER_02 47:18

Yeah. I think my husband does mostly because I tell him, I tell him, I call it out. I'm like, what would you even do without me?

Kelly 47:24

Yeah, yeah. Well, my husband actually watched all of that labor and delivery. Yeah. And I was like, I don't know how you did that because, like, you know, it's pretty gruesome. Yeah. But he was like, no, I am so glad that I did because it gave major context to like what women have to go through. Yeah. So yeah, it's really incredible. Um, oh my gosh, I had a question and I totally just am drawing a blank, but this is just okay because we can pivot. So the next thing that I want to talk about is actually giving uh, so when did you start your consulting business? Like

Leaving Corporate And The Keynote Path

Kelly 48:11

give the context of timeline because 2026 now. 2022?

SPEAKER_02 48:18

I think 2022. Okay. Maybe 23.

Kelly 48:23

I know. I know. Time flies when you're having fun, right? And I'm gonna go here. I am curious. What would what would need to be true in order for you to leave the corporate world and do what you're doing with empowering other women full time?

SPEAKER_01 48:44

Yeah.

Kelly 48:44

And what would the like the the community that's being built through this podcast, what would they need to do for you in order for that to be true? Well, I would have to replace my income. Hopefully you're hopefully your um boss isn't listening to this. And if he is, he understands there's everything's finite, right?

SPEAKER_02 49:06

Yeah, well, we're already on a f a three-year plan. Oh me and my boss, uh, and of course he's trying to navigate how to move me into other areas to have it last longer, which we're we're gonna continue to talk about. But um, and I don't have a date, I don't have a deadline. Like I imagine that at some point because this is work I'm so passionate about that at some point I'm gonna be doing it full time.

Kelly 49:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:27

Um speaking specifically, I think I'm gonna be speaking all over the world at some point in time and that it'll have to become my full-time gig. But is it three years out? Is it five years? Is it 10 years? I don't know. I don't really care. It really matters is am I around for my family? Do I have the life that I want? Do I feel fulfilled in my daily work? Um, right now I'm really enjoying working one-on-one with people. I would imagine I would have to go do more group programs at that point in time. Um, and so in terms of what how people can support that vision, I would just say, you know, if you have a know of an organization who's looking for a keynote speaker, okay, uh, I that I think that is the most impactful way for me to do what I'm passionate about because it reaches more people sooner, faster. Yeah. Um, I speak on how to overcome burnout to build sustainable success and obviously fulfillment, since that's what my book is about. Uh also, you know, I would just say to the women who's listening, like, if you're struggling with either mindset issues or you're stuck in a job that you feel trapped in, or you know, I'm not feeling fulfilled in some area of my life, like call me. I would love to support. Or, you know, maybe if there's a group of women who want to get together and talk about that, that could be a program that we start. I mean, that's an idea.

Kelly 50:52

Let's add more on Christy's plate. Well, again, you just threw in that you are like doing stuff with this nonprofit too. And I'm like, what don't you do, Christy?

SPEAKER_02 51:02

I just do whatever I'm passionate about in the moment and think of how how can I have impact today? I mean, because so much of um so the other thing I haven't told you about is I'm I'm actually going through a ministry school right now.

Calling Preparation And Discernment

SPEAKER_02 51:15

Uh it's called Emerge Transformation School with an organization called Dare to Believe. They're based in Burnsville. And I wanted to go deeper in my faith and I wanted to make sure that as I was building my company that I was walking out what God has called me to do, and that I don't do anything that he hasn't called me to do, so I don't waste time.

SPEAKER_01 51:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:33

And that I'm walking with him and I'm not getting ahead of him and I'm not falling behind him. So they've they've been teaching us how to essentially carry the presence of God with you everywhere you go and how to live out your calling. And one of the coolest things that they talk about is if when God tells you what you're called to do, you can't just wait for it to happen. You you there are things you need to do to prepare yourself.

Kelly 52:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:00

And so if you know, like people can't see me, but like point in any direction. If you're like, that's the direction I'm going, you have to start walking in that direction.

Kelly 52:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:10

And so, for example, I had a dream that I was speaking to a very large auditorium, like the kind where you're in the middle, you're on a stage in the middle, and there's people all around you, and it's like floor to ceiling. Oh, yes. I had that dream like five, six years ago, and I literally woke up and I laughed. I was like, haha, yeah, right, that'll never happen. I'm not interested. No. Uh, and about a year ago, when I started doing keynotes, he reminded me of that dream and was like, it's time to start that process. And so by me walking in that direction, what I'm doing is saying, okay, I don't know what the topic is. I don't know how I'm gonna get in front of that audience, but I'm gonna get in front of a audience and I'm going to practice and I'm gonna talk about something I'm passionate about so that whenever that time comes, I'm ready. And I also join the National Speaker Association to hone my skills. So, and I think that it's all going to come together in some way, but I don't know how it's gonna happen yet.

Kelly 53:04

It is. This is a really powerful moment happening right now, Christy. All I can think about is how incredible of the words that you just spoke about if something is put on your heart, your job isn't to just sit on the couch and have it come to you or assume that it's gonna come to you. You you have to put one step in front of the other in order for that to happen. Trust me, I am having a moment right now as you're talking through this. Like, it's time to get up off the couch, Kelly. One thing that I wrote down is the word discernment, very applicable when it comes to faith. And also I'm curious what that has looked like through you in all that you just spoke about discerning what is from you and what's actually from God.

SPEAKER_02 54:08

Yeah, so I believe strongly that discernment comes from walking out in my relationship with him on a daily basis. So it's me being in the word, it's me praying for wisdom and guidance. Um, it's me literally asking for angels to guide me and like block. I'll literally I will literally pray. So here's another thing to all the women who are in a job that they hate. Um I'm gonna bring this together, I promise. But um, there's always a part when I'm working with someone, and we've started, we've updated her resume. We're we've updated LinkedIn, she's starting to apply, and inevitably you start to get rejections. Yeah. And to me, it's a quantity game of like, this is my message. I put out what I want into the world, and now my job is to get it to as many people as possible. And yeah, and I start praying, Lord, close all the doors that are a waste of time and where I'm not supposed to be, and only open the right ones. Because I don't even want to waste time in an interview with a job that I shouldn't be at unless it's gonna teach me something I need to know or connect me to somebody who is gonna leave me where I need to go, or it's just practice that I need. And I I firmly believe you need to practice your interview skills regularly. So there's always like one or two practice interviews, usually. Um, but then I'm like, don't waste your time, don't waste my time. Like, let's just go for the gold, right? So um that's how I view discernment. Like I am praying constantly. God, open the right doors, close the wrong ones. And then I don't have to feel bad. I don't have to take a confidence hit when I get those rejections because I know, oh, that wasn't the one. Oh, that wasn't the one. Oh, maybe this is an opportunity because they want to interview me. We'll see.

SPEAKER_01 55:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:48

And then when I go into the interviews, I'm literally like it's it's a it's like a we're dating. Like I'm assessing you to see if it's a good fit for me. And just like you're assessing if I'm a good fit for the culture, and we're gonna mutually agree that this is a good place for me or it isn't. And you know, occasionally maybe you're wrong and uh you think it's a great fit and you're super excited and it doesn't work out. Yeah, but I'm just like, oh, okay, I thought it was the right fit, but clearly it isn't, and you have something better. And every single time there has been something way better. And even like the earlier I shared that I got laid off. Yeah. Every time that's happened. So that's happened to me three times in my career. Every single time I had a better title, more money, more flexibility, happier in the end. Like, what am I? Why am I afraid? Why am I worried? Like, God is leading me, and I just need to let Him guide. So discernment is hearing His voice and knowing that if a door closes, then I was meant to be.

Kelly 56:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:50

Yeah. And truly, truly trusting that.

Kelly 56:53

Who quoted that? Like when one door closes, another open. I heard that Helen Killer. I don't know whose it is. I don't know. Oh my gosh. How do you how do you move through rejection? And then how do you help other women move through that rejection piece? Whether it's in this in the process of like applying for jobs and stuff and you know, making that transition, or they're like in the business and something comes up and and they're like, what am I supposed to do here, Chrissy?

Betrayal At Work And Rebuilding Confidence

SPEAKER_02 57:26

You mean like when people are blindsided by something they thought uh was gonna work out and didn't? Um, okay, so I'm gonna share a story that I don't share very often because I I'm always a little nervous that it comes across as negative. But so that that same job that I did get laid off from and I and I said I was relieved, while I was there, um, the company started to struggle financially. I mean, they were actually struggling before they hired me. Um, they wanted me to collect cash, and it turned out that the cash they wanted me to collect wasn't really real because the billing had been inaccurate. Oh. And so as we figured out what caused the issues, we figured out that all of that accounts receivable they had on their books, like at least 50% of it was fake. But the board of directors and all the investors were waiting on that money. So, long story short, about uh six months into my position, six to eight months, I forget, um, the president of the company quit, the CFO quit, and then the other head of finance quit because everyone saw the writing on the wall, like, oh crap, the ship is sinking. And so, um, but I couldn't leave. So I saw the writing on the wall as well. And I, but I couldn't leave because I had signed a one-year, like I would have to pay my severance or not several signing bonus back. Yep. And I, so I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna wait it out and see what happens. Like maybe there'll be a great leader who comes, whatever. Well, long story short, they brought in an interim CFO from a consulting company who turned out to be a total jerk. And this guy was so disrespectful to me. He came in and he was basically like, I was the one left holding the bag. So he came in pointing fingers, like, what the hell have you done? This is a total shit show and it's all your fault.

Kelly 59:10

I guess.

SPEAKER_02 59:10

And I was like, No, I'm part of the solution, not the problem. This was here when I got here, and these are all the things that I've done. Here's my roadmap of how to improve it. Yep. No, it's not gonna happen overnight, but we're working toward it and we're on our way. And he basically said, uh, well, I'm gonna bring in my people and we're gonna assess the situation because I think you're an idiot and that you're doing it wrong, but I'm gonna bring in my team. So then he got more money for his consulting company, bringing in his team. Uh, and then ultimately where did that money come from? Well, they found it from the they went to the board and they found it, right? Because they they're if it's a if it's if they believe it's gonna help them find a solution, they're willing to invest. If they need it, they'll they will invest. So um he brought in his cronies, they did their assessment, they found out that I was right, but they didn't want to tell them that. And so he said, Thank you very much. Um, I'm going to need your salary. And then he was the one who made the decision to cut me. And then they take my took my roadmap and executed it as their own. So imagine the confidence hit that I took just being literally like kicked out on the street saying, You're you're worthless to us. Thank you. I'm gonna take this from you and I'm now gonna use it to my advantage. And of course I was upset. Of course, I was like, God, what the heck? Like, why did you even bring me here? If only to be treated like crap and then kicked out. Um, and so I that was when I launched the company because I was kind of like, this is total BS. Like, not only was I in a tough spot and I put up with so much mistreatment, but I had to like re regroup, if you will, of like remember, no, no, I did that and I had the ideas and I had the plan, and he took my roadmap. And even though he said that I wasn't valuable, obviously I had to have been, or he wouldn't be still executing my roadmap. Um, so I had to do a lot of praying, and ultimately you find out after the fact, you can see in hindsight how it was a gift and a blessing and all the things you learned. And it gave me the higher title and the higher salary that I needed, and then it was easy to get into another position doing the same type of work in a better environment. And I learned a ton through that whole process, and I love to learn, it was fun to get paid good money to learn new things. I'm like, I'm all for it. So I just had to remember who I am, and um, I did join a peer group at that point in time. I joined SOAR, yeah, and so I just had a group of women around me who are, you know, raw raw, my raw raw squad and supporting each other. So that helped a lot too. And then ultimately I had to just trust that God has my back and he's got something better in mind. And wow, my life is so much better and so much different now. And I don't think I would have been as motivated, and I don't think I would have seen it as such a big issue if I hadn't been treated that badly and in that bad of a spot.

Kelly 1:02:12

As a Christian, I think about all of what we are provided as we are in the word, right? We're continuously like I am very similar. I'm on this uh one-year discipleship path right now where it's like going really deep into the word, and just like what do these words actually mean and applying it to your own life as well. And it's always humbling when you are having conversations about stuff that's happening in the word, and then you have to practice love, generosity, forgiveness, forgiveness in real time. Like it when you're for me, when I'm talking through this with my discipler, shout out to Pam. It's like uh, oh yeah, that's out there. You know, I'm sure it'll probably happen at some point, but like you don't think about like the fact that it is actually going to happen to you. You are going to have these circumstances where, you know, like Jesus was betrayed by Judas, right? We we hear about this, we learn about it, we read it, we listen to it consistently. And then it's like when it actually does happen to us, we're like surprised. We're so surprised. And it's like, think about what Jesus actually had to like work through. I mean, he is the perfect human being, right? But like he had to work through all of that.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:51

He was deserted by all of his friends, yeah, betrayed repeatedly. He was tr mistreated, he was his life was threatened.

Kelly 1:03:58

Yeah. And yet here we are, modern day and having what I sometimes like to call first world problems. This is just for me personally speaking, like these major first world problems, and trying to put into context like all that what Jesus had actually gone through for me.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:18

Yeah.

Kelly 1:04:18

And then going, how do you practice love in the moment like that? It's so hard. So I commend you, Christy. I commend you, and I'm sure that thank you there were still moments of like oh for sure. Oh, for sure. I did a lot of venting, absolutely. But I the key theme that I'm hearing from you is that just the importance of prayer as well. I am curious, because you mentioned it, and um, for the listeners, Christy just brought up Soar Group, and so there's an individual who's been on the podcast. Her name is Ashley Hawks. If you haven't had a chance to listen to her episode, highly recommend. She's amazing. I always love, I always love what she meant she referenced. Did you have a chance to listen to her episode?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:04

It was a it was a while ago. It was a while ago.

Kelly 1:05:07

But she talks about these levels, and I was like, oh, I love that. I like reaching these different levels like a game. Like she's a she gamifies ladies of like, I love you, Ashley. It's so awesome.

Building A Village That Lifts You

Kelly 1:05:20

So, but anyways, you you mentioned this like village of support, right? So I want I want you to elaborate on what that has looked like for you. And you've dropped these little seeds, right? Like, I I have a really supportive husband and I've hired help and then there's SOR group. But is there any expansion beyond that? Expansion in terms of village of support. Yeah. What that has looked like for you.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:49

I would say that I don't put anyone around me who is not supportive. Like if I discern that someone is negative or Competitive or trying to tear people down around them, like I just don't have time for it.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:05

So I purposefully surround myself with people who lift others up, who have an expansive abundance mindset. And uh so the first thing I did actually when I got let go from that position is I founded the Powerhouse Women Network. Okay. And in fact, I think I actually started Powerhouse before I got let go now that I think about it, because I was going through such a hard time when he was being so mean to me. Um there was a day that he pulled me into his office and just chewed me out because I had taught, I had spoken the truth in a meeting about a financial situation, and he was so pissed that I had, you know, aired our dirty laundry that he chewed me out. And in my head, I'm thinking, I have integrity, like I'm accountable to tell the truth so that people understand where we're at. Yeah. But he wanted, of course, to cater the message in a way that he could have control over it. And I had taken that from him in his mind. And so for the first time in years, I went back to my office and I balled like a baby. And I think it was around that time where I was like, I need women who understand me and they know what I'm going through, and they've been through tough times too, but they're also building something and they're passionate and excited to continue to grow. And at the time I couldn't find it. Coincidentally, I've since found it in a lot of places.

Kelly 1:07:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:23

Excuse me. But at the time I couldn't find it, and so I decided to build it. So my husband introduced me to a woman who has a great network, and her and I connected and hit it off. And we were like, you invite your friends, I'll invite mine. And we started with just a simple happy hour. And we had such a great time that then they invited their friends and they invited their friends, and it grew and grew and grew. And in less than a year, that that that first table of eight women grew to over a hundred. And today it's 150 women who get invited to the events. And so wow. Um, so that that has really fed me in many ways. And of course, I'm the leader and I'm I support everyone else, but I get so much back as well. Yeah. And I don't know, it I just love it. So we meet every single month in person and we also do an online connection call. It was at the same time that I I also went to SOAR, and that that's essentially a group of eight to 12 women who come together for three hours every single month to talk business and how to get to that next level. And there we, it's kind of like a mastermind where we talk through business challenges and we learn from each other's experiences. Um, but they're they have become some of my best friends, my total hype squad. They've supported me through so many things, both business and personal. Yeah. Um, my husband is extremely supportive. Um, he is the my biggest fear in life is that he dies and leaves me alone because I will be a wet noodle puddle. Same. I just like I can't even make it through. So he he travels for business sometime, and I am like a basket case when he's gone. She's she's prey, she's praying up. You're praying up, right? Yes, yeah. I'm like, you know, send angels to surround his car, bring him home safely. Um, yeah, he's he has always been able to balance me out really well. And uh he he's all he's the opposite of where I'm you know strong-willed and in your face, he's loving and kind and and peaceful, and he is such a helper. He cooks, he cleans, he he's changed diapers from the beginning with the kids when they were young, and he's such a good dad. So I would be absolutely lost without him, and I thank God for him every day. Um, but we have had nannies before our current nanny, we had an old pair who lived with us for six years because we needed live and help. It was amazing during COVID. I don't know what we would have done without her, but she's become part of our family. Uh, she she's now married and moved out, but but she still comes to all the birthday parties and she's graduating college soon. So we're gonna go celebrate her. Her name is Gabby. And um, you know, my family is pretty supportive as well now. Uh now that they've seen what Christy has become despite all of the bossy, yeah, younger version of myself. Um, so yeah, I just and there's and the other thing that I have to keep in mind is there's always gonna be naysayers, there's always gonna be people who don't support you. I just choose not to listen. And there's also that's how you know you've made it. Yeah. Well, and there's also that inner voice that still tells you who you think you are, and you know, nobody's gonna care, no one's gonna listen. And I I just slap that voice.

Kelly 1:10:32

Like I'm like, I'm not listening to you. You're you gotta name it, you know what I mean? Like, not you don't actually have to name that, but like name some of those things that are coming. And um, my my discipler has been like, name your habitual sins and pray out of it. And I'm like, I like that. Yeah, so I've literally started to write some of that stuff down and just be like, Lord, help me through some of this. Not some of it, help me through it. All of it, all of it, yeah. Careful what you ask for, Kelly. Not some of it, all of it, Lord, all of it. I'm

Self Care As Capacity

Kelly 1:11:12

curious, what has self-care looked like? I haven't asked this question in a while of my guests. We've been oh man, so it I was like, make sure to ask this because I think it's really important when talking about this.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:25

I think self-care is my biggest, the hardest job that I have. Because again, as women, we're taught that we're supposed to be everyone to everyone else.

Kelly 1:11:36

Yeah, everyone else in front of you.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:38

Yeah, everyone else, and that you come last, right? But I've learned the opposite. Like, we actually have to take care of ourselves first and build a steady rhythm and routine. Otherwise, we can't be our best selves. And then what's interesting is like, so for example, if I'm a basket case, if I'm exhausted because I didn't get enough sleep, yeah, everyone around me is going to suffer. They're going to know mom is stressed out crazy, and she's gonna be off. I'll I'm much more irritable, I'll yell faster, I can't think as clearly, maybe I forget something. So, I mean, the my family suffers if I am not doing well. I mean, there's just no way around it. And I would imagine everyone listening feels the same. Totally. So it's really important that I take care of myself, and I'm actually helping them when I take care of myself. Like I know that now, and I have to live in a way that I actually believe that, right? So, self-care to me is uh, I actually talk about this in my book and in the keynote about I call it capacity. Like we have to build capacity. I think of it like a battery on your cell phone. I mean, your cell phone is super intelligent, capable, it has a ton of apps, you can do all these, a million things. Yeah, but if you don't recharge the battery, you can't even make a simple phone call. Like it's useless.

Kelly 1:12:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:52

We are the same and we have to treat our bodies the same. Like I have to recharge, I have to plug in, I have to refill my battery because otherwise I can't do anything. So for me, that looks like getting outside and going for walks in the morning in the sunlight because there's actually I'm doing a ton of research on the benefits of light and all the things that it does. It actually helps, it communicates to your cells to do all the processes that keep you healthy. So sunlight is so important. Drinking enough water, and I'm I'm like I have to have at least 12 cups of water per day in order for me to exercise daily, get out and go for walks. Strength training is so critical when you're especially over 40 to not lose muscle mass. You've been watching Diarrhea of a CEO, haven't you?

Kelly 1:13:37

Did you watch that round table one?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:38

I with all of the women? No, I didn't, but I have a health coach who's like psycho about strength training, and I've been strength training for over a decade. And I swear I would not have been able to keep up with my kids if I didn't. Like I have three boys, like and like and my my middle has special needs and he has Down syndrome. And so, I mean, there's still times where I have to physically pick him up and move him so that he is either safe or that he we we get in the car on time and all the things. He's 65 pounds now. And I, you know, to be able to manhandle him and like carry him around and stuff, throw him over your shoulders.

Kelly 1:14:13

Yes, strength training is very important.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:15

Yes, I have to. I wouldn't be able to keep up with them otherwise.

Kelly 1:14:18

Um may I ask, um, like where is he at on like the functioning scale?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:24

Yeah, so I would consider him very high functioning. Okay. Um, but it's interesting because so he can read, he can write, he can, he knows all of his colors, shapes, numbers, um, he can run really fast and all the things. Um, so there's nothing he can't do. It just takes him longer than my other kids took. So it's taken him about a year longer. Like it he walked at two instead of one. He, you know, crawled at one instead of six months. He uh everything has taken about twice as long. And there's still things that he struggles with. Like he wasn't potty trained till he was eight. Um that's real. Yeah. And sometimes, you know, I s we still have to follow him into the bathroom to make sure that he doesn't play with things like he's not supposed to. Like sometimes there's poop on the wall and stuff still. And I'm like, how many times do we have to have this conversation? Poop does not go on the wall, we don't touch it. So things like that. Or he'll like he would still write on the wall uh with marker, and so we're always like, write on paper, we don't do that. So there's there's just a lot of, I would say, um impulsive behaviors that he struggles with. It took a long time to like teach him safety, like not to run into the street. And yeah, so it's our whole our actually our whole neighborhood is really on the watch to where's Mason? Like, hey, if you see him out and there's no one around, you can grab him and bring him home because he's he got out somehow. Most people have locks to keep people out. I have locks to keep Mason in. Oh my gosh. Like because he used to get up at like 5 30 in the morning and we'd hear the garage door open and he'd just run out and go ring people's doorbells.

Kelly 1:16:01

So oh my gosh, Christine, this is so yeah, interesting. Thank you for sharing this. We're gonna we're gonna dive deeper into this.

Parenting Mason And Rejecting The “Burden” Story

Kelly 1:16:09

Sure. Because I am sure that this plays and has an impact on how you show up. Talk myself and Melissa through that.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:22

Yeah. Okay, so the first thing that I'll say is um, I mean, what when we found out, we found out in utero that Mason had Down syndrome, and the very first thing they told me was that there was something wrong with him and that they really pushed us to abort him. Like uh, we actually saw a genetic counselor and they told us all the things that he would never be able to do. They shared a ton of scary statistics. Oh, 50% of people will have a heart defect and die young. They'll never be able to drive, they'll never have kids, they'll they'll never be a contributing member of society. And they basically framed it as though you are helping him by killing him is essentially what they were saying. He'll be better off because he's a defect. And well, that basically implies that like um our only value in life is to make money and you know, contribute.

Kelly 1:17:13

And well, I was thinking too on a spiritual side that that whoever is sh saying that to you believes that there's something after life, right? Because you wouldn't say something like it's better for him, because then that applies like his life is better not being here and in death. And that you know, that's a that's a way my perspective, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:38

Kind of perspective was in anyways, maybe that's just me like yeah, no, it's it I I hadn't heard that before, but that is a very interesting perspective. I that is not how I received it. I received it as though they they just was like your life isn't worth living, right? Like he'll be better off for everyone if he's not here. And I the whole time I was like, What who am I, God? Do I get to make this decision? Like, are you out of your mind? Uh and it was like, I swear, I they it was like a timeshare presentation that created by the devil himself. Like it was an assembly line where they just kept bringing in another person to try to convince us to have an abortion. We six people came in to give us scary information. Um, and when we said no, they would bring in another person to ask in a different way. Um, it was it was insane. We left home or we left that appointment just sobbing. And I was like, Lord, how oh my god, those people were trying to convince me that I would be better off and the world would be better off and he would be better off if I just killed my baby. And I was like, I can't do that, like that's not my decision. And so, um, and they were like, they well, at one point the woman put her hand on me and she said, Oh, honey, I don't think you realize what a burden this is gonna be on your life. And I was in my head, I was thinking, oh yeah, because we all have kids because they're convenient, right? Like what a joke. So, um, so that was a really difficult time. Uh, it brought my husband and I closer together, thankfully, because we were like united in our belief that God had a plan and a purpose for Nathan's life. And we were, we just had to trust that it was gonna be okay. And what was so interesting is that all the scary things they said he would never be able to do, by the time he was six, six years old, he was already doing everything except guess what? He hasn't had a child yet, because he's nine today, and he hasn't driven a car yet because he's nine.

Kelly 1:19:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:40

But everything else he has already been able to do. And I'm just like, Are you are you kidding me? So either they were lied to themselves and they're believing lies, or they're just horrible, cruel people. So I'm I'm I'm choosing to assume the the former, um, and that they believe they're helping me. But I mean, it's clearly lies from the enemy, like trying to convince people they're better off.

Kelly 1:20:02

I literally just thought about uh the book of Job, like and how he just kept having one thing after another after another, and he was just so like faithful to God in that moment, and the devil just kept going boom, boom, one thing after another after another after another, where he was literally left with nothing.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:22

Yep.

Kelly 1:20:24

It kind of feels like what you went through. Like you had one person and then another person, and it was just like all of these different like angles of how they wanted you to position your life. Yeah, it was it was truly a sales pitch.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:39

It was truly a sales pitch. I couldn't believe it. Uh so then when we had Mason, uh, and and what the the I would say the good part that came from it is that we were able to start praying for him immediately. And we were like declaring over his life that he was that he would be healthy, that he would not have any heart defects, that all these things. And you know, by the grace of God, he was born very healthy. He doesn't have any heart issues. The only issues that he has had is that he's had to have an ear tube surgery every year of his life because the there's fluid that builds up in his middle ear, and then he can't hear. Uh, and then he also uh has hypothyroidism, so he's on a little tiny pill that he takes every single day to support a thyroid, and that's literally it, besides, of course, the behavioral and just making sure that he's safe. And uh, but he's the life of the party. Everyone loves him. Um like he's got friends of all ages and stages. Like when he was in kindergarten, five fifth graders were high, five of them in the hallways. Like they just love him. He's such a he's such a gift, honestly. He's such what he has taught me is that life is is relational. I was so focused on so when I had my first, it was almost like a competition, and I hated that. Like I would literally have girlfriends who had a baby around the same time, and they'd be like, Oh, your son, he's not walking. Uh my son just started crawling this week. Has your son started crawling? Oh my gosh. How about oh, now he's walking? Like, your son, he must be a little behind, isn't he? And I couldn't believe it. I was like, this is a competition of whose kid reaches milestones sooner. And I was like, this is not the kind of a community that I want around me. Um, but I because I have always been so performance-based, and you know, in the corporate world, certainly it's performance-based. And so I believed that, you know, they had to reach their milestones and they have to get good grades and they have to get a good job and da-da-da-da. And so Mason has completely turned all of that on its head. And to truly realize if my kid does nothing other than love on other people and bring a smile to people's face on a daily basis, like, I think that's a pretty cool purpose to have in life.

Kelly 1:22:54

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:54

And what's so interesting is that he's not afraid of anything, he's not worried about his future the way that my other kids are.

Kelly 1:23:02

Yeah, his governor's off for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:05

That's incredible. So I mean, he can just walk out love every day. He can walk out like when we see if he sees anyone, hi, I'm Mason. What's your name? Oh, this is my mom. This is my brother Preston, this is my other brother Brady. He introduces us all and he'll be like, How's your day today? And he just chats people up, and then we're like, Hi, stranger, how are you today?

Kelly 1:23:26

Yeah, of course. You can't hide in the shadows with your son by any stretch.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:31

Oh my gosh. But it's just interesting because then, you know, my my oldest son is nothing like me. He's not performance driven, he's creative. He's and at when he was younger, it really frustrated me. And now I'm like, does it really matter? Like, God's obviously created him to do something creative, yeah, and he's gonna figure it out. And it doesn't have to be on my timeline. It doesn't have to, he doesn't have to make a certain amount of money. Like, I don't really care as much. And the other thing that's interesting is when Mason was born, my husband and I grieved like never being able to be empty nesters. We were like, oh my gosh, what if he never moves out and we're just stuck being parents forever?

Kelly 1:24:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:11

Like, well, duh, you're you're being you're gonna be a parent forever, regardless. Yes, but you know, we were young and naive. We didn't know that yet, of course. Um but what's interesting is like my oldest is now 14, and I'm already grieving when he's gonna move out. And I am so grateful that Mason might actually stay. Look at that. Oh my gosh. Yeah, so everything I thought was wrong.

Kelly 1:24:34

Yeah. Lord has just flipped your narrative upside down, yeah, which is so cool. And the acceptance of that too. It's like, yeah, this is this could be a really great thing, actually. Oh my gosh. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, you're welcome. That wow, you kind of threw me for a loop there with the dynamics of your family, and I think it's just really powerful that um well.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:04

The other thing I'll say is that society teaches you that they're gonna he's gonna be a burden. And my boys are so compassionate and so loving and so supportive. Like, so my youngest son is only 14 months younger than Mason, which by the way was a total surprise. Um, and he was born early, which is why they're so close together. So, but he has taken care of Mason since the time he could walk. It was it's just incredible. Like they have been buds, besties, yeah, doing life together. Um, like he'll there was a time that Mason was about to go fall in a lake and Preston like saw across, like it was it was at least sprinted, and he was like, No, Mason starts sprinting toward him and like grabbed him just in time to pull him from falling in. I mean, he's just always been a protector, so it's really cool to see just how God uses everything.

Kelly 1:25:53

God has provided for your family in such an incredible way. Absolutely. We have a motto in our house, it's called Achieving Excellence Together, and I think that's so applicable to your family. Yeah, seriously. You guys all just rally around each other, and it's really powerful to hear that. You mentioned something, um, and you so you've mentioned it on two separate occasions. Um one about how you surround yourself with the proper people.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:27

Sorry.

Kelly 1:26:28

Is it an alarm? Yeah, it's all good. So you surround yourself with people who are ensuring that they're moving in the positive direction, right? Yeah. I'm

Friendship Boundaries And Protecting Your Energy

Kelly 1:26:41

curious, and we can spend I we can spend just a little bit of time here, um, but I'm curious what it has looked like for you in terms of needing to um make really tough decisions about friendships.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:55

So here's here's what I'll say about that. I've had friendships, I've I literally have a friend who we've been friends since kindergarten. And as we started so I I I truly believe that there are friends for reasons, seasons, and lifetimes. And she and I were friends since kindergarten. And I she's still a wonderful person. I don't have anything negative to say about her, but I found that when I hung out with her, I would get anxious ahead of time and wonder what was the version her I was gonna get. Because sometimes she was fun and we'd have a really great time, and other times she would just be super negative and complain about things that she'd complained about the last five times we were together. And I just found that I would if I was dreading it anyway or was anxious about it, that I just didn't need to feel that way anymore. And then there were other times, there were times where I would leave and I was like, gosh, that was a total drain on my energy.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:52

I don't want to do that anymore. And it took a while because I I didn't want to let her go and we had so much history and whatever, but ultimately I just Stopped reaching out, and it was interesting how she stopped reaching out to me. And we just hardly ever see each other. And if I see if I see her now, I again nothing negative. Yeah. She's a wonderful human. She's got a great family. It just was like, I think that season has ended, right? Yeah. So um I've also had situations like even like there was a woman in Powerhouse who seemed wonderful. And um I she did something horrible behind my back and tried to ruin a relationship of mine with a mentor, and she outright lied about me, and the mentor believed it for a time. And I've had to rebuild that relationship, even though I didn't really do anything wrong.

Kelly 1:28:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:41

And so obviously she was immediately cut off.

Kelly 1:28:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:44

Uh and just completely. So um, and and if there were people that I felt like were like attack gravitating toward her, then I I just chose not to not hang out with them either because like like for like, yeah, you tend to be like the people you birds of a feather, right? So that's that's how I've chosen to. And uh I think you can really feel people's energy, you can tell if someone is for you or not, and so uh I I choose to walk towards connection.

Kelly 1:29:13

I love that. Ooh, that's good. Yeah, I choose to walk towards connection. I like that. I might steal it and reference you, Christy, of course.

Advice, Favorites, And How To Connect

Kelly 1:29:29

We are gonna start to land the plane. This has been such a joy, and you have given me a lot of really interesting things to chew on. And I can't I have a hard time believing that I am not the only one that feels that way that's listening to this right now. So that people take a lot from it. Um curious what a piece of advice would be to a younger version of yourself, knowing all that you know now.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:03

I wish I would have stopped caring about what other people think a lot sooner. Um because they're there are always the people who are trying to hold me back anyway. Yeah. And I I just needed to make the decision sooner to to not be around those people. So I would tell the younger version of me that you can, it is possible to build the life that you want, and that it's all about who you choose to spend your time with and the what you choose to believe about yourself. So you don't have to believe lies. And I would I would have spent, I think I would have done it just everything a little sooner. Like asked people for advice on what do you see in me? Like what what what are my gifts and skills? Like, I wish I would have identified before 35 that my superpower was actually my superpower. I think I would have come along a lot faster. Um, and then from a business perspective, if I had to do it all over again, I would have done my colors first. I would have done my colors. Yeah, so that I could build my website because I did I had to redo my website a multiple times. I was confused about my brand, I was confused about my products and service offerings. Should I, shouldn't I? Da-da-da. Uh, and to just embrace an experiment mindset, but get my brand colors right. I think I just think I would have been so much comp more confident sooner.

Kelly 1:31:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:27

Beautiful. And I would have wasted a lot less money. Ain't that the truth?

Kelly 1:31:34

How did you come up with the name of your business?

SPEAKER_02 1:31:38

So the name of my business is Cassette Transformation Coaching. Oh, okay. Yeah. So it's my last name, and I love transformation in all forms, and so I I had to have transformation in it. And I know it's a long word, and I know it doesn't just, you know, fly off the tongue, but I just love that word. And to me, it's it's like a butterfly, like you're transforming into your future. I should have a logo with a butterfly, but I have a I have a friend who passed away who was big into butterflies, so it's like a pain point for me. So I don't I haven't done that. Sure.

Kelly 1:32:09

Maybe eventually. Yeah. Maybe eventually. What's a piece of advice you would give a woman listening right now that's nibbling on the edges of entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_02 1:32:23

I would tell her that it is going to be harder than you think, but more rewarding than you think. Um, it's not going to look anything like you expect it to, but it's going to transform into something far better or morph into something better. Um, I would say go for it. I mean, I think entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to build the life that you truly love and that you want and that is in alignment with what matters most to you. Like when you, I mean, the good or bad or ugly, when you work in a corporate environment, you have to either adapt to the culture or just find the right culture that is in alignment. I choose to help people find the ones that get are in alignment, but I think it's hard to do because a lot of people don't like change. So once you're there, you're kind of stuck unless you get out of that mindset. So it's just easier to build your own culture.

Kelly 1:33:14

Yes. Oof, that's really amazing. Out of curiosity, we were talking a little bit about this beforehand about um designing your own house, which you and your husband did. Yeah. The home that you're currently in. I have been asking women what's a favorite room in your house in this current season.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:40

So when we built our house, um, I've been telling my husband for a long time that I wanted a sunroom. And when we got to build our house, he the the model didn't come with the sunroom, but my husband remembered and was like, Well, if we're gonna build this house, can we add a sunroom? And they're like, Well, of course you can. It's a custom-built home. And I was like, I wouldn't even have thought of that.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:00

Uh so we built a sunroom on the house, and it's my favorite, favorite room. It's just that's where I do my Bible reading and journaling and prayer time.

Kelly 1:34:10

Is it like three season or or is it four season?

SPEAKER_02 1:34:12

Yeah, it's four season. Oh crazy.

Kelly 1:34:15

Yeah, I love it. I um we had before we purchased this house, we had an offer in on a property over in um, it's called Interlock and Park. It's here in E Dinah. And there was a three-season porch that they had built on the back end of this property, and we were like, this is gonna be our place of peace. And so I always like to ask, like, you can tell, like, where it sometimes it's like this corner of my couch is like my favorite place to be, and here's why. Yeah, and I love hearing the explanation of it. I also just get fascinated, you know, being in the real estate space. Like, what does that look like for you? Yeah, so that I can be having conversations with clients too on the back end. What's uh what is a current um book or podcast that you're obsessing over right now? Are you is it the Bible?

SPEAKER_02 1:35:16

Is it the Bible? Sadly, it's not. Uh because I I mean, I love the Bible. I've read it many, many times, and I I continue to listen every day. Um, but the I would think the most impactful thing to me in a other than the Bible in a while has been. So I read a book several years ago. Um, and I hope this is okay to say, but there's it's called Get Rich, Lucky Bitch. It is okay. And um This is my podcast. Yeah. Um, I and I love it. It's a woman based in Australia. She's not a Christian, but she has, I love her accent, and it's all about empowerment. It's all about uh so she calls herself a money mindset coach, and it's it's really like all the money blocks that you have in your life, but she talks about business and she talks about, so she has a podcast called Chill and Prosper, and she talks just about all the limiting beliefs and the mindset issues and the posture syndrome. And I I swear the woman can read my mind, and she just always talks about whatever I'm struggling with at the time. So I love listening to her. Uh it's like listening to your best friend encourage you on a daily basis. And her book, Get Rich Lucky Bitch, is just it's just a path forward to get through some limiting beliefs about money. Uh, and given I grew up in a family that was struggling financially, it has helped me a ton. So it's it's still one of my favorites. I go back and re-listen. Um, and then the other, my other favorite book is Everything Is Figure Outtable by Marie Forlio, which again it's years old. But um I just love that book. I've reread it many times, and my favorite part about it was her saying the path to wherever you're trying to go. We all think it's a straight line up and it's really like a squiggly line back and forth and around, and totally um, but you ultimately end up where you want to be. And so that that has stuck with me.

Kelly 1:37:03

Love it. How can somebody who's listening right now get connected to you?

SPEAKER_02 1:37:08

Yeah, so the easiest way is my website, Christy Cassette.com. Okay. Otherwise, I'm on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, also as Christy Cassette. And yeah, they can follow me, connect, or they can on my website, they can join my newsletter. And I I send out an inspiring letter about overcoming burnout and dealing with all the things women face in the workplace on a weekly basis. So I'll make sure to sign up for your newsletter.

Kelly 1:37:32

Yeah, I love that. That sounds very inspiring, and I like that stuff. So Christy, this has been so fantastic. You are you're an inspiring woman. I admire all that you're doing with being in the corporate space and starting a business and doing nonprofit work and having just so much that's going on with your family dynamics as well. So you're an incredible person. Thank you so much. Yeah, it's been such a pleasure. Thank you. I hope you have a great day. You too. Thanks. Bye.