How to Grow a Podcast by Being Real: Erin Washington | Ep 70

She trademarked her brand, built her identity around it — and then walked away from it to build a top 1% podcast. If you've ever wondered how to grow a podcast (or a platform, or a life) by being unapologetically real, Erin Washington is your masterclass.

In this episode, Aimee Rickabus talks with Erin Washington — author of From Pain to Purpose, founder of the Blue Butterfly Foundation, and host of ThERINpy — about the business of being real: how authenticity built her audience, her guest list, and her voice.

Erin shares:
• How pandemic Instagram Lives turned into a produced podcast deal with DC's biggest radio station
• The secret she kept for years — and how sharing it unlocked her entire life
• Her step-by-step guest-booking strategy: publicists, angles, and credibility chains
• The Gabby Bernstein moment that gave her permission to rebrand Squats & Margaritas into ThERINpy
• How she stays creative through divorce, a move, and full-time motherhood

Whether you're dreaming about starting a podcast, building a brand, or finally saying the thing you've been holding back, this conversation will give you the playbook — and the permission.

🔗 CONNECT WITH ERIN WASHINGTON:
Instagram: @iamerinwashington
YouTube: @thERINpypodcast
Blue Butterfly Foundation: https://thebluebutterflies.org
Book: From Pain to Purpose (Amazon)

———

The Manage Her® Podcast — hosted by Aimee Rickabus. Honest conversations on leadership, financial empowerment, motherhood, wellness, and career reinvention for ambitious women.

🎧 SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:
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Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/91c217a5-4245-4b83-8d15-8edfdde06884/the-manage-her

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© 2026 The Manage Her®. All rights reserved.

Transcript

0:08

Someone who truly understands the power of storytelling, honest conversations, and what happens when women use media to create connection, community, and impact. I'm joined by the lovely Erin Washington, host of the incredibly popular ThERINpy. with Erin Washington podcast, entrepreneur, speaker, and creator known for blending humor, vulnerability, pop culture, parenting, relationships, and real-life conversations into a platform that feels deeply authentic and relatable. And today's episode is especially fun because I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on Erin's show, and now we're flipping the mic. and bringing her onto the Manager podcast as part of our July series focused on podcasting, media, women's voices, and building influence through conversation. One thing I really admire about Erin is that she built a show that feels human. In a world where so much content feels curated and overproduced or transactional, Erin has created a space where listeners genuinely feel like they're part of the conversation. So today we're going to dive into the business of podcasting being a loyal audience, navigating growth online, balancing motherhood and media, creating content consistently, dealing with internet culture and what it really takes to sustain a platform in today's digital world. We'll also talk about how podcasting changes people, what makes conversations connect. burnout, authenticity, sponsorships, and why women's voices matter now more than ever. If you've ever thought about starting a podcast, building a brand, growing a platform, or simply finding your voice online, this conversation is going to be packed with insight. So please welcome Erin Washington to the Manager Her Podcast here. Hey, I'm so glad you're here. I am obsessed with that intro and I will be stealing it. I feel seen and you totally get me and that's exactly what my show is about. So thank you for having me. Oh my gosh. Well, I'm just so glad you're here. This is going to be part of a broader series on podcasting and how women's voices, how to find your voice and what to do with it. We're living in this tech world where we have this ability to just log on to our laptops and basically record something that could go out into the universe and stay there forever. And never have we ever had this, really this ability to do this before. This platform of podcasting is very interesting for women's voices, especially in my opinion. Yes. And to be unbridled, like you don't have to run it by anybody. It's like when you're podcasting, you say whatever you want to say. Like nobody's, I like, sometimes we'll probably get to this. Like you think about being picked up by like a big company or something, but then I'm like, but then would I have to ask what I can say and who I can talk to? Because right now it's kind of working well that I can talk to the guests that I want. I can say what I want. I don't have to run it by anybody. It's very freeing. Oh, yeah. I have a master's in film and television production, so it's very rare to be in a situation where you're really solo casting. You don't have a producer. You don't have a writer. You don't have a line producer. You don't have anybody around you, over you, under you to check your lighting, check your makeup. I mean, we do it all here. We light it. If you have matching pants on or something like that. Yes, the no pants era, so we're good there. From the waist up. All we're showing, right? Yeah. That's all we need right now. So Erin, for people meeting you for the first time, how do you describe what you do today? I believe that I am finally walking in my purpose, which is sharing authentic, vulnerable conversations so that other women feel seen and less alone. After 20-ish years of struggling with body image, self-worth, not having a lot of confidence and kind of finding it later in life and then realizing the title of my book, From Pain to Purpose. I had to go through that so that I could have these conversations and share my story because it gives me credibility. When I'm vulnerable, it allows somebody else permission to be vulnerable. And I feel like A lot of women who follow me or reach out to me feel like they can talk to me because I kind of went first and sharing my story. And I can tell you whatever you're dealing with, you are not the only person dealing with it. Everyone struggles, just not everyone says it out loud. It's so true. So when did you publish your book, Erin? I published it right when the world shut down. 2019, I had a fancy book party, probably like, no, that was 2020, right before COVID. And what's really funny, that's an interesting question because it leads to the podcast. I didn't have any desire to start a podcast. I didn't have a media background like you. I was a stay-at-home mom and I put out my book and had a little bit of a following. I had a little fancy book party at Kendra Scott and... Right then it was like, yeah, my book's coming out and the world shut down. So then I go to Instagram and was very open and vulnerable and said, what in hell am I supposed to do with a two and a four-year-old when the schools are closed and the gyms are closed and the playgrounds are closed? So I was just going live every week on Instagram, talking to other moms about how to mom in a pandemic. And I would say, pour a cocktail Thursday nights. We'll talk about best practices. And I remember moms would come on and go live with me. And I remember one was like scavenger hunt. They have to find a pine cone and a stop sign. And we were like, yes, yes, yes. This is so good. Next Thursday, pour a cocktail. And I made like a little talk show. Nobody asked for it. But I realized that I... had an opportunity because bigger guests, Real Housewives, some bigger mom bloggers, they didn't have anything else going on. So I would be like, do you want to come on my show? And they were like, sure. I mean, I have shit else to do. Sure. So I would go live with some of the Real Housewives, big mom accounts. And I realized on one Instagram live, I had 5,000 people watching, but it was like the perfect time because nobody could go anywhere. Everybody was home on their computer. So again, no desire to start a podcast. There was no ulterior motive except put myself out into the world as I am authentically as I am. And unbeknownst to me, a program director at the biggest radio station in DC was watching my lives every week. And then after one of them, she DM me and said, this is a show we'll produce it. And we want it to be on podcast one and sent me the equipment and my podcast was born. Oh my gosh. That's like the dream girl. That is awesome. Yes. You don't know who is watching. It's like, I always just say, put yourself out into the world authentically as you are. Amy, if there was an ad, like on Instagram, that like podcast one is looking for a new host scroll, but that would have never crossed my mind. I never would have auditioned for it. But what's funny is if it wasn't audition, I would have been putting on my radio voice and being done at a, I, I wasn't trying to get a show. So she saw me just being me. I wasn't, I had no other ulterior motive. And when you are being you and putting your energy authentically as you are out into the world, what is for you will fall in your lap. That is right. That is right. Just like Dr. Seuss always said, there's only one you. That's exactly right. It's so true. Exactly. Yeah. And it's really, you know, people who are able to really be authentic in public. It's like the truth is just sounds different. Right. So it's like this authenticity. It just sounds different. Like when someone's just being real. You get allergic when you feel like someone's not being authentic. It makes my body react. I'm like, you don't mean that. Or like somebody's like, my life is so hard. And I'm like, but you're all matching. Your pants match your top. Yeah. You're not as bad as I am today. Like just be real. But I have to say it was very much a journey. I never had a voice or felt confidence in my voice until almost 40. And I was always like playing it down and trying to just appease everyone else. And I didn't find this until way later. And it came this like, I don't know, this energy that I have now in this like lighter, confident energy came when I shared some stuff that I never was gonna share. and got it off of me. And full disclosure, I was bulimic for a while. And I wrote about that in my book. And I can tell you if there's something that you haven't shared or that you're kind of, maybe you're not doing it anymore or something that happened to you in your past and you've kind of tucked it away. For me, I was like, thank God nobody found out about that because I wasn't doing the behaviors anymore. But I was like, I had a reputation to uphold, I was homecoming queen, I was prom queen. I also wasn't eating much during that time, but I had to just act like I had it all together. When I shared my big thing, and for anyone listening, that thing for you is whatever you're thinking of right now, get in there, write it, tell your husband, you don't have to write a book, get it off of you, and it's like the rest of your life opens up. The only thing holding you back was that thing, And the only reason it was scary and secretive was because it was in the dark. Now I speak very openly about bulimia because it doesn't have power anymore. Like it only had power when it was scary and secret. So whatever that thing is for you, it sounds scary to say it, but it is the only thing holding you back. It will just unlock this next level version of you. And if you're feeling hesitant to share it because I don't know, shameful, gross, I can't think of anything grosser than what I used to do. You're not the only one doing it. Like I've already said, you're just saying it out loud and not everyone does. But I can tell you the DMs that I've gotten, like you're the first person I told you. Not even my husband knows that I used to do this because somebody went first. You're not alone. Other people are in it. And then you can find purpose from like sharing your story and helping the people that are still in it get out. And that's kind of when I found my voice, when I was like, this happened. I don't do it anymore. But now, and people were like, oh my gosh, how did you... come out of it and you just start sharing and you create a community. And now I feel an obligation to show up for my community, but it all came out of something that was so dark and secretive. And if I had never unpacked that, it's like, I think about, I probably just not that there's anything wrong with being a stay at home mom, but I wouldn't have like a passion that lights me up. And only because I got in there to what was secretive and dark and scary. Do I have this now? I love that so much. My next book that's going to come out in November kind gets into this a little bit. I was kind of exploring human potential. And what I really realized is that me too, in my wounds, your wounds are really the portal to who you truly can become. So instead of running away from our pain, if we run towards it, that is often how we overcome, how we become better people and how we become people that can help other people. If we're constantly ashamed of everything and hiding everything and pretending that everything's okay in this patriarchal patriarchal mindset of like pain and emotions are like negative and something to be avoided. It's like, no, I really feel like we're moving towards this new earth. That's like, no, my pain, my story, my wounds are beautiful and they, they need to be celebrated and they need to be explored. Like exploring your wounds are this, it's this beautiful fertile ground. Honestly, I say, you know, plants can't grow without bullshit, right? So the fertilizer of our life is like the pain and the experience, the painful experiences we've gone through in our life are really these like highly fertilizing things for our personal growth. If we allow ourselves to see it that way. Yes. It was all purposeful. You're supposed to go through it to figure out what you're supposed to do. And it humanizes you and it's connection. And if you're talking about the series, building something, I had a Instagram account. I tried to be a mom, but like influencer when my daughter is like 10 years ago, my grid was like perfectly like colored. All the colors were in the same, all the templates were the same. And she, I wouldn't take a picture if there was like toys in the back and that it's funny looking back, like that account just didn't do anything. I found my following when I just started being real, like, don't like, I have pants on that are very weird right now, but it's like, That's, and I'm telling you, did I have to tell you about it? No, but it's like, just share and be you. And that's when people see your humanity, connect with you. That's when you'll grow your following. It's like what you're trying to build because you look at somebody who has a million downloads an episode, and this is the way she does it. It works for her because she does it the way she's supposed to do it. You don't copy what she does. You do it the way you do it and your people will find you. And the more you try to like make it cookie cutter and, It's just like less and less authentic. And like you said at the beginning, people can sniff that out. I just, I'm allergic to it now when people are just, I'm like, that's not real. Like you're not real. That's not who you gravitate to. And that's not how you cultivate your, the people that you follow. You follow the people that you can relate to. And so think about it when you're on the opposite side, when you're trying to build something, like, are you being all the way you, or are you holding back? Because some people may unfollow. Those are your people. You got to be you and your people will stay with you. And that's when you grow. That is so true. Oh, my gosh. Erin, yes. Amen. Preach it, sister. I love it. I had to figure it out. Ten years ago, my daughter was the playground fashionista. And I would take her to playgrounds in different outfits and take pictures. Because I was really bored, Amy. And I didn't have a lot going on. That is cute. I have a top 1% podcast because I just say what's on my mind. I took the filter off, pun intended for Instagram. Yes. Putting a filter on it for growth is actually stunting your growth. And until you show the messiness of it, again, think of somebody you follow that you're like, oh my God, every time they post, you click on theirs. She's probably just being completely who she is, not holding anything back. That's the magic. And it's hard when you first have to put it out there, but- that's if even maybe you will get unfollows and people start stop downloading, but it's like the people that are supposed to find you, it's almost like a slow burn, like let them go. Because then it's just finding your path to the people that you are supposed to speak to and that light you up. I found it out the hard way. I was on a pivot in my podcast. It was called something else, but this makes sense. Like it didn't feel aligned anymore to like how I was living. And it used to be called squats and margaritas. And I, really leaned in Amy. Like I, I trademarked squats and margaritas. Anytime I did a morning talk show, I was either making margaritas like a recipe or talking about how not to be hung over because I was a margarita girl. So when I started looking at sobriety, as I entered my perimenopausal era and Alcohol does not serve me like it did in my 20s and 30s. And I felt it wasn't aligned. And then I would want to talk to sober moms like Kyle Richards. She's sharing her sobriety story. Gina Kirshenheiter, Orange County. She's sharing hers. I reached out and I was like, my show's called Squats and Margaritas, but I don't really drink anymore. And I was like, why is it even called that? So I rebranded as Therian P because it became me just wanting to know how they were doing it. Like, how are you stopping drinking alcohol? How are you dating... in your forties with two kids when you haven't been on a date since you're 20. Parenting, parenting a neurodiverse child, co-parenting through divorce. I just wanted to like learn from other people. So I was like, what I do is therapy every week. And it's just me asking my questions and whoever like listens can get the answers from my vulnerability. They don't have to, if they're co-parenting, if they're worried about dating, you just click on an episode about that. I'll ask the questions. And I was like, my show is therapy. So it's therapy is me doing therapy. get anything I'm interested in. You can find an episode of me asking all the questions. Like I just had the custody Queens on as I'm going through a divorce. If there's another mom, I asked everything like it's questions you're wanting to know. It's like, you're sitting in on my therapy sessions. And I say all that to say this show is what I was supposed to do, but it evolved out of the squats and margaritas that I was holding onto. Like it's my brand. I can't start over. And I did. And it was scary. And I did lose some people, but I found my people. I love it. And was there a moment where you realized, wow, this podcast is really growing? Like, what was that moment for you? I interviewed Melissa Joan Hart, the actress, and we talked for like two hours. And I was like, what is happening right now? Like, how am I just like, I have built something that was worth her time. I had a member of Destiny's Child on. It's like when I have these bigger guests, I have these moments of like, I built something worthy enough for that person to respond to me and want to spend their time with me. And maybe get my number afterwards. That's how I gauge if it went well. If somebody's like, okay, thanks for having me, and they leave, I'm like, wait, what? We're not friends? I can have these opportunities to connect with these people that I would never have. Katie Couric did my show. I've had some moments that I was like, is this real life? But it's like, you built something that is worth these people who have a lot on their plate spending time with you. And when I have those bigger guests, I get those kind of pinch me moments like, this is a thing. It really is. No, it really, really is. I mean, it's the best part. When I was in film school, I did a documentary and it was having access. And when I went to do the podcast, I was thinking, wow, it's kind of like doing documentary because you get access to a lot of people. So I'm going to be able to, you know, have a lot of people answer a lot of different kinds of questions and I'm going to learn a lot. And that was my, my whole thing was like, how can I approach this as like, what can I learn this week? And what do I want to learn? What am I interested in? That's how I, I'm like, this is so indulgent that I get to talk to whoever I want and ask them all the questions I want. Like, it's so, it's almost seems like it's not fair. Like I get to do these things, but I'm like, at least I'm sharing the, the gems that I get from people, but it almost feels indulgent to do my show, to get access to these people, top mental health professionals, like this, the number one guy on grief and ask him my grief questions. Like it feels indulgent, but I'm sharing the information and it's exactly what it's supposed to be. But yeah, access, like you have access, but you built something that has gained you access and you, it's like, I don't know. I just, I think just from going live on Instagram to like the people that I've been able to talk to now, it blows my mind. But it also was a five year, anybody that's starting a podcast, I've been doing this for five years. So you will have to, and I have a strategy right now. When you're talking about access, we'll keep this here for access to people. whatever your show's about, if it is a wide variety of topics like mine, like I talk about parenting, divorce, sobriety, I try to find one big name in that realm. And it doesn't matter, it takes two years to book. So Kenya Moore, Teddy Mellencamp, like bigger Real Housewives. If I want a Real Housewife, I reach out and I, well, first I'll say, instead of reaching out to the person, If you DM them and they have 6 million followers, they're not going to see it. So what you have to do, and sometimes it takes a while, you look who they're mentioning in their posts, in their captions. You look who they're following. When you find their publicist or their assistant, you DM them because they maybe have 300 followers. They'll see it. And then you drop, here's a recent episode with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Teddy Mellencamp. Somebody that's a big name in their field. It gives you credibility. It's like, oh, Teddy did it. I'll do it. And it just keeps spiraling. Like a mom blogger. I had like, Tiffany Jenkins is, I mean, she's an author now, but like just this huge account. But I made a comment on, you just got to get them to see you. And then once you get that big one, this is a recent episode. That's why you use in your pitch. Like, oh, I just happened to have this episode. And they're like, If you get that one person to do it, that gives you credibility. And then they assume, oh, she did it. She must be legit. Relationship experts. I got the big one. I got Julian Trekkie. So now anytime I want to talk about relationships, I say, here's a recent episode with Julian Trekkie. Interviewed her three years ago. Don't mention that. But I legitimize myself by finding someone in that realm that that person will respect. I also look at who they follow on Instagram. And it may be like throw a... It may be just not even like something you're thinking of. It's not even the same realm, but like they're a fan of Melissa Joan Hart or they watch The View. I had Sarah Haynes. They watch, they follow Good Morning America. Here's my episode with Ginger Z. So there is strategy to it. And it sounds like that would take a little bit of time to actually do, but I'm telling you my bigger guess, that's how I've done it. That is so awesome. That is like fabulous. Yeah. No, you're not going to get keep. You're so right. You're so right. I love that you're not gatekeeping. I love that you're like just, you know, putting it all out there for us because you're so right. We have to oftentimes and I'm I'm so guilty of this. I will do something big and then just bury it and move on to the next thing. but you're right. Like, use it. I know i was able, I have a friend who's friends with like steve edwards and jillian barbieri and all these people who were on the good morning america good morning la and so i had steve edwards on my show and he's lovely. And then he came on my show again, interviewed me. I haven't aired that one yet, but then his friend nurse Mel, who has a show, a podcast with heather locklear and jillian Barbieri. So tomorrow i'm interviewing nurse Mel. So that's how it works. You Definitely, I'm like, okay, yeah, I just had Steve on the show, you know, and so that's how we, yeah. So I did the thing. It's weird to ask sometimes, but you have to ask, like, at the end, once they know you and they like, you're such a vibe, but like maybe not at the beginning, but once they've had an hour with you, just be like, now that you know, kind of how my show goes, is there anyone else that you think I would have a good connection with? And they'll give it to you. They're like, Oh my God, you know who you have to talk to. If they give you a warm intro to that person again, credibility, because they trust that person. So it's sometimes like asking, I also like finding an angle. I like to talk to like bigger celebrities that have a book coming out or more well are more willing to do your show because they have to do press anyway for the book or where they're a book tour if they're coming to Atlanta I record virtually but I'll be like if you're in Atlanta and then they are already doing press anyway or I'll say if there's 30 minutes they're doing GMA and then they're doing I don't know the view if they have 30 minutes in between and they're talking about the book can you just again go to their publicist and if they're already scheduling them sometimes they can get them in the Katie Couric thing when her book came out everybody wanted to know about Matt Lauer because she had all this tea on Matt Lauer I, I'll tell you another thing I do. I listened to her book on 1.5 speed. So I got everything real quick and she talked about bulimia and I was like, Oh my God. So I had an interesting angle. So I went to her publicist and I use that. Everybody's asking about Matt Lauer. I've really never had her talk about bulimia. I struggled to the next week she was on my show. So you have to find what would be worth their time? Maybe there's all these soundbites out there about their book, about this thing, but nobody knows about that. Download the book, find something that you haven't heard them talk about yet. And then it behooves them to do your show and have a soundbite. So then their publicist could be like, look at this. And then it's gotten to the point now, Amy, we're so fun that I've gotten in good with this PR agency that when they have these bigger books coming out, they're pitching me. That I guess is a pinch me moment. The fact that I'm like, would I like to have? Uh, sure. Yes. I would. Yes. Yes. I take them. I'm sometimes like you're pitching me like, like I'm gonna say no to this. So that's what you have to do. Just get, get scrappy, find an angle. If they're always talking about something else or their book, this book is about Christina Applegate trying that right now. Her book is about MS, but I'm, getting divorced and moving right now. But when I have a second, I'm going to download it. I'm going to listen to it. I'm going to find something that she hasn't talked about yet. And then I'm going to pitch it. And if you can't find a publicist and it is an author, look at the book, go find the book and see who like Harper Collins, whoever publishes press at Harper Collins, publicity at Harper Collins or whatever it is. So there's just, just takes a little bit of digging. But like, once you find the strategies, you can get to the right people. Then another thing, if you have a great interview with an author, I probably have One contact, Simon & Schuster. You reference it. Just like you just said, I loved having... I just had Misha Brown talking about his book. Do you have a contact for Christine Applegate? And because you already told him, okay, we already trust you. You've interviewed this author. Like, go back to... your connections. Instagram, you can see who they're following, what they're into, and then include that in the pitch. Maybe they love country music. My sister's married to one of the guys from in sync don't think that i'm not gonna drop that if i see that they're a boy band 90s person like to find out their vibe. Pitch somebody that they would be like, oh, my God. Or if you find a publicist, you can see who they think is cool, and then you include that in your pitch. It gets their attention. And so they're not getting this, like, straightforward pitch that they get from everybody. It's like, oh, you interviewed this person? Like, how did you even know? Well, I went to Instagram and I see who you follow. So I cheated a little bit, but it's also strategy. Yeah. Well, it's not cheating. It's just being smart about it. Honestly, you know, it's, it's, you're using all of the tools available, which honestly, if you're scrappy and you have to be podcasting, it reminds me, it's like, I was talking to an intern that I raised up back when I was in my early, my mid twenties, I guess we started Dirt Life Media. I guess it was about 30 when we started that company actually. And he came on as my intern. We shot a couple of TV pilots together and then he went out and was the producer. on um whale wars with the sea shepherd and then he went on to do like a shark tank and um just a bunch of other stuff. And I, I haven't talked to him in 15 years today i talked to him yesterday and it's, you have to, you, it all builds in this industry. It all builds on itself, but you're in you're all this is a guerrilla industry. That's the kind of like everything we were talking about my, what i've done in my life. And I'm like, it's always been no matter what, whether it real estate or film television or IT, we kind of like real bootstrappy and real like guerrilla, guerrilla style. You know, it was never like polished, fully funded thing going on. It was always like, no, we're going to do this thing and you just got to do the work. But if you figure out how to do the work smart, you can get there quicker. And like you, it sounds like you've really leveraged. It's leveraged is what it really is. Leverage what you have. I have the strategy down now. So like, I'm happy to share it with people because I had to figure out like, how do you, if you're pitching the wrong person, if you're pitching the guest, he's not, they're never going to see it. So you have to kind of get, and then there's these things that it's like, I think they make you pay to get who represents their agent or their publicist. You feel like pay, but if you just Google it, It says, I don't know, Molly Sims. I was trying to talk to Molly Sims. Who represents Molly Sims? Molly Sims agent is Patrick. And then they blur out, pay $59.99 to get the person. I'm like, I'm not paying $59.99. Go to Instagram, see who she follows. Patrick, there's three of them. Go through. This is clearly the publicist. Like it's so, you just gotta, I'm not paying $59. You just gave me the first name. So I go and she follows three Patricks. One is an old man that's like her grandpa. That's not him. you just, process of elimination. If you're gonna podcast you need these little, watch, everybody's gonna like take off now. And they're like, wait, hold on. I'm getting left behind. I love it. I like so, you know, you have to overcome things. Like there will always be challenges. What were some of the biggest challenges that you had building and sustaining your platform online? The algorithm. I don't gain. I just lose. So if anybody is feeling like some of their content isn't taking off, I'm telling you, I just go down. I think I was close. I had, I don't think I ever got 90,000. The closest, I think the most I ever had was 90. It's like the next morning, it's like 88. 87, 86. And I'm like, wait, I'm not even posting. It just goes down, down, down. So don't feel like... Something has changed in the algorithm. And I've talked to other big creators and they've said, I gained my following. I got my millions in 2018. And they're like, I haven't grown since. I still do it like the comparison game. Like that is a challenge. It doesn't reflect in my download. So it's like if a... podcast teaser for an episode doesn't really take off. It's not a reflection of maybe the downloads. So I haven't found, I don't know, like I referenced like getting signed by like a bigger company, like a Dear Media or something. When they reach out and ask for my downloads, they will be like, oh, I mean, I could lie. I could say I've 10 times what I have and it's still not enough for them to work with you. Getting like kind of caught in the, like if I don't have a big platform behind me, but they won't even talk to me and I'll say, I don't have a top 1% podcast. If it's not enough downloads, then I'll look and they'll sign other creators and I'll listen to an episode. And I don't, I don't know. They have found something. It's not like the greatest hosting I've seen. It's not the greatest questions. And so there's something that I haven't found yet that is like the secret to getting people picked up where that's going to be more ad dollars and all the things. I don't have that now. I love doing my show. I love the connections that I made. And if it happens, I would be open to it. But then again, I got to like run things by people. Maybe it's a blessing that right now therapy is just my baby. And if somebody produced it, they'd be like, well, you can't ask this or I don't know. And then there's another thing that I don't do. And I know you do. And I respect another girl that I'm on a podcast today. She wanted to do a pre-call and I almost am like, I'm going to do the legwork on my end. So for me to sit down for 30 minutes and then have another hour, like I don't, I'm not doing like, I will put in the time on my end, I guess like building the trust that like, it's going to be a strong interview, but I've been on shows where I'm like, and you know, they didn't read your book. And it's kind of like, I guess podcasters have to put that in place because some people aren't as diligent about their, I just have like a lot of respect for my craft. I told you this on your show. I don't want to use AI to do my questions because I feel like it's cheating. or to read a book for me. And I think I'm going to get left behind living that way. That's been hard for me to like get on board, that kind of stuff. I still record over Zoom. And then every time I'm a guest on a podcast, it's this beautiful Riverside like we're doing today. And I'm still kind of bootstrapping it, but it's working. Like I'm... I haven't found like the fancy, I don't know, like the teasers that some people have, like call her daddy. Like mine don't look like that. It's kind of where I want to be right now. And then if it's supposed to be something else, then somebody will pick me up and launch this bigger. But at this point, I don't have to run anything by anybody else. I may be getting left behind because I'm not using all the optimization tools that I should be. But I guess that's the next thing for me to look at to kind of level things up. Absolutely. I know. It's one of the things that every time I talk to a podcaster or I'm on someone's podcast and we start talking about the technology side behind the back end, I guess I jumped in post-COVID, plus I'm in digital transformation for like a living. So I've kind of decided, you know what, I'm just going to lean into this. Even I, who was selling all this AI automation, all this stuff, I was like, eh. I don't really want to do it. And I had a business coach who came in and was like, you are going to start using AI. You are going to get Alexa in your house. You are going to start using ChachiBT. She's like 25. You're going to adopt all of this technology. And my kids looked at me like, are you crazy? We have an Alexa now? I'm like, no, we have an Alexa in every room now. We have a ring camera, mom? Yes, we do. We have the Alexas. But honestly, it has been the one thing that has actually catapulted me over the last two years because i don't think i would have been able to do all of the things you know to write to write the book to publish the book to start the show and now i have a year worth of podcasts i've been consistently producing it's my birthday i'm a year old officially today's your birthday? No, I mean, my podcast birthday was May 1st and I didn't celebrate it. And I'm like, it was, I was in taking a shower last night and I'm like, I forgot to celebrate my birthday. So I'm going to celebrate it right now. Amen. It's a lot of work. When you think about, it's not like we're just sitting down, like you have to think about the questions that you're going to ask. And then as I'm talking, I'm like, I'm going to put a break right there. Ooh, I like this little teaser. It's like a, it's creation. It's like content creation. I love that part of it. That's another thing I don't want to let go of. If I had to do this for someone else and they wanted to like do the clips and stuff, that would be hard for me. It's like, I have my hands in so much and I spend way too much time doing things that I know are I could optimize. I'm kind of a dinosaur that way. And I, I guarantee that's what's holding me back because I'm like, I just want to make sure, like, I'm sure that like, I'm going to be honest, like templates that every week people's show looks the same and you just swap out the picture. Like I'm making, like I'm recreating or reinventing the wheel every week, but I know it's like, that's just the way I do it. And I, it could save me time. And maybe when I get on that wagon and, something will really take off for me. But right now I am bootstrapping it. I'm spending a lot of time to like get to people, but when it pays off, it's like, there's nothing better. Like when you put out an episode and then when they collaborate on it, it's like, that's another thing, staying in touch and staying on good terms with your guest. When they collaborate, it's putting you on a, I mean, on Instagram, collaborate on the post. It's putting you in front of a whole different audience that don't follow you yet. So that is gold. Another thing about the pre-call, why I don't like to do it, It's like, especially like bigger guests that have a publicist, they want to be on there and listen and they don't have their camera, but they're just listening. And sometimes when I do interviews, there's people, I've never been stopped yet, but they just kind of want to make sure. I don't want to do a pre-call because if I have something that, I don't want to say like juicy, but like something they haven't been asked yet, I don't want to run by them and then they say no. And that sounds like shitty to do, but it's like, no, I want to ask them about this. And what if they say, no, that's off limits. Then I'd be like, why did I even bring it up? Because they probably would have answered it if their publicist didn't shut it down in the pre-call. So I don't like to do it. I like to just have a conversation flow, have some things that they've never been asked before and not run it by anybody because of the potential that they won't let me ask that. And then, you know, that's going to be your clip. You find the thing that they've never talked about, they share it. And then their audience is like, oh, I've never seen this person say this before. What is this? Click on your episode. Viral. There's lots of little strategic things that I don't want to mess with my process. Totally. And for me, I'm getting approached by a lot of like random people now. A lot of people who are out on tours and I've never met them. So one of the reasons I'm running my 30-minute meetings before is because I want to do a camera test because I have a film background. So in a lot of ways, I'm casting. And sometimes... i was a, I was a casting director. I come from that angle too, you know um yes that makes sense so i want to make sure that there's synergy for us and also that the look is right. And it's gonna like if this make sure that this person like fits with my collection, because I do feel like my, it's a collection of people. Totally. Oh my God. Hold on. I have a question. Have you ever like been like, this is not a fit and then you don't do the show with them? I have. How do you handle that? I usually, you know, that's just part of my, that's actually, I'm very upfront with people when they come to me, when it's people I don't, haven't met or haven't been introduced from other people. I will be very honest. I'm going to do a 30 minute meeting with you. I'm going to see if there's good chemistry and if this is a good fit, if you're a good fit for the show. And then if you're a good fit, then I'll send you the next calendar, which is the booking calendar. So that's, that's like an audition. It is an audition. I can't wait. It really is. Yeah. Cause I want to make sure, cause you don't want to get somebody on your show who's all like monotone or has no personality or just says, um, all the time. I just carry it. I, that happens to me, Amy. And I just, I got to carry us out of here and I just all share a little bit more of mine. And I, I do, maybe I should be doing a pre-call because I'm like, all right, I gotta, we gotta make this work. Or they they're really, they have a great following and it would behoove me to interview them because they're going to put it in front of their audience, but it's not a great interview. I know what you're talking about. Yeah. I'd never considered being like, this isn't a fit. I just try to pull as... To the finish line. No, because I mean, I've been a producer. I've been a casting director. And I really do, in a lot of ways, I put on all of these different hats. Sometimes I'm my writer. Sometimes I'm my casting director. Sometimes I'm my producer. And, you know, so for me, I'm thinking, who's going to be, who's going to look good on camera? Because honestly, the little viral clips, like having, like as my guy, Nick, who helps me on the social media end of things, he's like, you know, the beautiful people really, catch fire a little bit. It's true. There's a little bit of that, but you also want to guess like I've had younger guests on who it's just hard to get a conversation going sometimes. And I, I would rather talk to somebody who has a lot of meat on the bone, who has a lot to talk about and who feels really comfortable talking to me about everything, you know, getting to that comfort level. But then again, like I told you, I record, I meet on Google meet. I do my 30 minute meeting. I have Gemini record everything. Then I take my Gemini notes and I've created a GPT in chat. I know everybody's using Claude now, but chat knows everything. So I'm still in chat and chat will help me come up with an intro questions and an outro for my guest. That at least gives me somewhere to start and then I can kind of refine it. Go, no, no, no. I wanted to talk about this. I like this. Let's bring this in. I want to focus, you know, this is going into a series about this larger picture. So make sure we get into that kind of talk on a broader spectrum and then I can really refine it. But I'm really using the tools that are available to me to streamline this, because I do the podcast in the margins of my life. The podcast is my thing. You have a full-time job. You have six kids. I have two kids, but this is like my baby. The podcast does take up most of my time, but it's not in the margins. That's my main focus. But just to have it streamlined like a template that you just had to go in and tweak versus me reinventing the wheel every single time, but feeling like, I really get, like, I'm just very, I don't give myself much grace. It's like, did you think of everything you could ask this person? And I end up, something is going to tangent us and we'll stay on something for like 20 minutes and I won't get to half of it, but at least I'll feel like I've got it and I've prepared everything. But you're right. Claude? I don't even know who Claude is. You don't know Claude? Oh, my gosh. Okay, so you're coming to my AI class. We'll do another one. By the time this airs, we'll be on to, like, level three. But, yeah, we're teaching an AI class for everyday women. So come to that. Claude. Yeah, Claude is another AI. Claude is, like, the new chat. Claude is like way better than chat. Claude work, co-work is like taking over the world right now. And if you figure out and master Claude co-work, you are going to give yourself like minimum eight, eight hours a week, more time to spend with your kids. Oh, okay. I need to meet Claude. Is he on my phone? Is it app? It's an app. You can have Claude. I like Claude. I have Claude on my phone. Although Claude on your computer has more features. So I would do both. I would do both. Yeah. But join us for our AI class. I'm working with Marcy Dean, who has a huge background in AI. I worked at IBM for like 18 years developing the user interfaces for AI. And she's, you know, I was like, come take us all the way through. Because we're, I mean, our generation of women, we're still like, some of us, my brother, who's 45, has never even opened AI. He's never done chat at all. And I'm like, what's? I'm close. My sister, I'm the oldest of four girls. And they're all like, are you? They talk to chat like it's their friend. Like they they talk like it's hilarious. I don't know how to talk to it. Right. They talk to it like they're talking to me. like very casually. And they're like, you have to like train it to like know your voice. Yes. Yes. So you're coming to our class. By the time this airs, that class will have already passed, but we'll have more. That one's on May 29th. It's a Friday morning. Those classes will be Friday mornings from 10 to 12 Pacific Standard Time. So everybody, no matter what coast you're on, that should be a decent time for everybody. Yeah. My kids are out of school, but I will figure it out. Yes. Yeah. I know. It's just, it's time for us to, if we haven't yet. Now's the time. And we're going to start at the very beginning because there are so many women that need to start at the very beginning so that we can do all the things we do better, faster, and have more time to, I don't know, learn how to bake bread or. I don't know. I'm playing with yogurt starters right now and trying to figure out how to culture yogurt. Yes, I am. In your free time. It is so funny. And chat makes fun of me because most of my experiments fail, but it's been alongside me the whole time. So now it just teases me that that's like, that's what I'm doing. I need a chat. Okay. I'm not utilizing my habit, but I'm not using it to the best of its abilities. I forget about it. I'm just, I feel like there's no time, but if you're telling me this will get my time back. It will. That's where you have me. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I can help you get your time back. Join me. Okay. Join me on the, on the AI journey. Cause I honestly, as moms, we have so much stuff to do. Why wouldn't we, who, what mom wouldn't want to have a little bit more time every week? I'll be completely honest. It's like sitting down to learn it. I'm like, oh, that's gonna take too much time. But what I will get back from making that two hour investment, I know, but it's like, that's the initial, like, I don't have time to do that. I'm moving. That's where my head goes. Two hours. Give me two hours of your time. And I'm gonna do like two hour sessions, like once a month. Until we get all of everybody learned, like trained up on how to use these things, because this is so important for us. Like this is a woman to woman thing that needs to happen. And I'm excited. Join me on that on your AI journey. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Oh, my gosh. Yes. My pleasure. I mean, I feel like God put me here for a reason in this very weird time and place. And I just happened to fall in to all this technology stuff, like right at the time that it was happening. So I might as well share what I've learned so far. I'm here for it. So you're in an especially overwhelming season in your life right now. How are you able to stay consistent creatively during this time? Do you have any, like, we all go through these things. Honestly, I have such a drive to grow my show and such a passion for what I'm doing. It doesn't feel like work. Like the other things feel like work, but it's like, this will never fall by the wayside. I'm excited about this. I haven't found that yet. The other things, like there's some laundry that should be attended to and I'm moving and getting divorced and everything is hitting at once. Like we're listing this house on the market, moving into the other one. Trial, like I... it's too many things. I went to, but that's the other thing I do it to myself. I had to go to field day. Cause I went to field day for my daughter. So to go for my son and looking around, there's not a lot of parents there, but it's like, I hold myself to like, you have to go to field day. So your son knows that you love him then come back. And so other things are dropping. But if my kids, I show up for my kids and this is like one of my other kids, like, I don't see it. It will never drop. I never can. I almost have the opposite problem. I can't stop creating. I think when you were on my show, I was like, how do you turn this off? And you're like, just voice note it, get it off your brain. And I'm like, I can't even be present because when you find something that lights you up so profoundly, if somebody has listened to this, like, what the hell is she on? This makes no sense. You haven't found it yet. There is something for you that when you find it and you know, the people that are living in their aligned purpose and they're just like in flow. And when I am on my show or I am on a stage talking to other women, it's like this fire. And so I, I don't ever feel like there's a lack of creativity for content because this is exactly what I'm supposed to do in the world. Other things maybe, but not show content. There's always a new guest to book. There's always a new, like if there's a book out and when I, my downtime, I'm going to download it on 1.5 and get ahead. But it's just when you love something and it's your passion, you're not going to let it slip. Right? Yes. Oh, I totally feel you. And it is a real maternal feeling that we have towards, I mean, the podcast is another thing we created. You're so right. It is definitely, it is my, you're right. This is my seventh baby. You can't let go of it because like some, my, I do have a producer, the radio station still produces my show from when they hired me. And they're like, you know, you have a producer instead of just, I just have him. Download. I'm not download it send it out to Spotify, Apple pocket. I don't know how to do that. So I, he is, he syndicates to me. Yeah. He syndicates for me, but it's like, he goes, I can find the ad brace. I'm like, I need that. I need to find where you're like about if you're like, well, so I'll add break. Like I like finding like little, like we're like what you gonna say or what if I take a left and start talking shit about my ex? How are you gonna know where that is? You're not gonna know how to take that out. I need to know that I go back and find where I was doing that. He that's out and I need my hands in all of it. And if I had an editor, I just, I like the creative aspect of like finding the breaks, finding where I'm out little part. I was like, that kind of didn't flow anywhere out. I need, I want all of it. I don't want anybody else's hands in it. And I, as it grows, I probably could use an extra help, but I love what I'm doing. And I want to have a hand in all of it creatively. I love that. I love that you're an editor. You know, I went to film school and editing is not my bag at all. What's my favorite? Oh my gosh, yeah. You know, women are traditionally very good editors. That's actually how we got our start in the film industry was as editors, women. It was the only thing they would let us do. So there you have it. It's the best. When you, somebody's kind of like rambling off somewhere, but you can find where you can get it to where you take out three minutes of something and it flows like they didn't even miss it. Like, I get so much joy from... a perfect edit or just like finding that you talk to somebody for an hour. Some of my shows have been going like an hour and a half, but I always like, I would always think if I was a mom, I wouldn't click on this one because it's an hour and a half and it's too much time. But then I look at other shows, like a call her daddy. It's like, number one, she's been doing longer form and an hour and a half. So I'm like, maybe people are fine with like a long form. So I will like leave other things in. But I'm saying that to say you sit down with someone for an hour and a half. And in Instagram, you've got maybe, like the cap is three minutes. I feel like that's too long to encapsulate a conversation that was an hour and a half and three minutes and just getting these hits of little things that could draw people in. I love it. I love going in and finding the gems and every part of it. This is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. And again, if you're not lit up like this at your job right now, listening to this, there's something else for you. And it may be in the stuff that you're not wanting to look at. The secret may be in there. Get that off you and then live as you are. And then just watch opportunities fall in your lap that align with who you authentically are and your vulnerability and just sharing who you are. It's like, oh, she's going to talk about this. Here is this opportunity. It almost like scares you because it's like, what? I don't I wouldn't even think about doing this. Live how you as a person you are. Don't dull anything down. Don't try to copy anything. rip off some other creator, put out yourself and the opportunities for you specifically will find you. Absolutely. Yes. So one thing we talk about on this show a lot, and I've talked on your show too, is invisible labor. How do you navigate balancing motherhood, work, content creation, and everything else that women tend to carry? It's hilarious because that's the number one question I ask on my show. I want other women to come and tell me that answer. I haven't found it yet, but I've, I think a lot of it is giving yourself grace. You're not going to find this perfect balance. Like I said, today I feel a little good about myself because I got to do this great show with you and I got to go to field day. So I'm killing it today. But if I didn't, I would be like, I didn't show up for my son. I'm falling short. Look at it as like a week. Like it's not day to day. Like you didn't, you weren't a shitty mom today. It's like, maybe today was a little bit more work heavy, but like giving yourself grace. And it's like not putting like shaming yourself, moving past something and not like ruminating over. I didn't show up for field day. I didn't, it's like just giving yourself a break. Everyone is doing the best that they can. I wake up an hour before my kids and I feel like I get a lot done there. And that like, they get up, I get up at 545, they get up at 645. And if I can just get a couple of things going like this, dishwasher unloaded and maybe a half hour of a show edited, I feel more equipped that I like knock some things out before they even got up. Like that's a strategy. But at night, some people are like, just do it when they go to sleep. But I go to sleep when they go to sleep. I'm tired. I got to bed at like nine o'clock. So getting up early, getting a walk in just keeps me centered. I used to live in a very force and punishing environment. workout energy where I had to like sweat and punish myself. And now I just am like, what do you need? You need to go for a walk. You need to sit in the sauna. It's kind of like a slower energy, but I feel like my mindset is a lot better. My nervous system is a little bit calmer. I know I'm a little bit, wired hot anyway, but this is better than when I was living in like, I must get in a workout for this to be a complete day. It's grace. Like giving yourself a little bit, you showed up at field day, you did a podcast. If I do nothing else today, I did those things and not be so hard on ourselves like we do as moms. Oh, we are. I feel like we're the hardest. We're our hardest critics. Definitely. Like motherhood has such a high bar. We're all trying to live up to like this impossible standard. So if we just be a little kinder to ourselves it makes it all a little easier yeah there's plenty to do there's plenty to do we'll get around to it yeah and not everybody's stop comparing not everybody's doing everything you think they are and you don't have to like keep up with it and just give yourself some grace. I just now finally started living that way. Like this year at 44, I would always be like, but this person again, back to field day. Cause I went there today. She was at field day and she works nine to five. And I got door dashed tonight. She probably went home and also made a meal. It's like, you don't know what she's doing. Stop like. making it harder. Like just do what's best for you. Get through the day. Everybody's you don't know just because she didn't put it on Instagram that she made a meal. Don't assume that you're not cutting it. Everybody's doing as best as they can. And the less you can compare, the easier it is on your nervous system. I can attest to that. A hundred percent. Oh yeah. It's like, I feel like it's so funny. Some people are so competitive with each other. Right. And then somebody, I feel like I'm always competing with myself. I'm like, Oh, I, today I wasn't as good as yesterday or I didn't have as much energy as I had. And it's funny. I'll do that. I'm like, Oh, I wish I had as much energy as I had for these little kids as I had for my older kids. Um, because it was a, Decade ago. Yeah. You were in your early thirties, girl. Of course you had more energy. Now I'm like, oh, but you know, life is life. They get a calmer, more centered, more well-balanced, wiser version of me. I can't carry them around on my back. So what? So what? Nobody else can either. Stop comparing. Exactly. So do you think women today are redefining what success actually looks like? Hi, God. Great question. I feel like I filed for divorce around this question. Yes. And I feel like we're finally allowed to or like other women are showing other women like it's OK. Come on. Like you don't have to stay at home and just. be a mom and not again, people come for me when I say just be a mom. It is the hardest job period, end of sentence alone. But if you want something else for you, you shouldn't hold shame about that. And I had a lot of noise specifically in my relationship around what a mom should be doing and it should be about the kids. And it's not really about you anymore. I feel like women are finally stepping into like what they want to do and what gives them purpose. And that gives you more energy and makes you a better mom because you're lit up. And then one other thing that really helped for me is you're showing your child how to live a full on lit up life. And if you're dulling and it's like, no, I just want to be a mom. No, it's just about you. Somebody was on my show the other day. She was like, you dulled down everything that you say. And I was like, what do you mean? And she's like, like, you ask your daughter about her day. And I was like, yeah, when we sit down at dinner, I'm like, how's your day? And she's like, does she ask you about yours? And I'm like, yeah, but I'm just like, oh, mommy had a show. How was your day? I'm always like spotlight back on her. And she's like, stop doing that. You need to show her. It's okay to be like, mommy talked to Amy Rick of us today. I was on the manage her podcast. You know what we talked about? And it was so good. And mommy had a great show, but I'm always like, I don't want her to think that my day was more important. And she's like, you need to be the model of showing her. It's okay to shine. And she's looking at you. And if you never talk about your day and I would, cut it off. Like mommy had a show, but how was your day? Cause that was a right thing to do. And it's conditioning. We're supposed to just be small and it's about our kids now. No, you're showing them how they'll live. And don't you want your daughter to feel confident sharing about her day? And of course you do. How is she going to learn until you do? It's just like, let go of that guilt about mattering. Like, Oh, it's just everything's small. Like I did that for so long and I don't want my daughter to ever live like that. So how can I show her anything different? I think that's so cool. Yeah, my five-year-old wants to be a podcaster when she grows up. Yes. She does. I want to be on her show. In the Rick and Bess show. She is so cute. She's a character. She'll do really well. I was even thinking, my gosh, as soon as she can read a script, I can get her going. Amy, give her a mic right now. Put her on Instagram Live. My daughter had the Amaya show. And I edited it up for her, but I was crying, laughing. She's just like this little ham. And she would see me. She's like, so guys, today we're going to talk about bubble gum. And then she would like, open a gum, blow it. Okay guys, thanks so much. Like and subscribe. Like she would do this whole thing. And so I edited it up and I would put it on. And my friends were like, we are watching the Amai show. My kids are. And she just saw me. It was amazing. Give her the mic. She doesn't need to just be like, if she says, what do I want to talk about? Talk about whatever you want to talk about. One day she talked about ice and she would just eat ice. And then show, like, ice in her water and be like, okay, guys, thanks for, that's our show. And I was like, that was great. So I would, like, edit it, put a little, this show's about ice by Amaya Washington. And she was just, I would let her watch it back. Spark that, if that fire is lit, help that fire, give her the microphone now. Do you have a way she can read a script? Be like, do whatever you want. I'll subscribe. I love it. I love it. Okay, I'll, as soon as I get her up, I'll shoot you her link so you can subscribe. Consider I'm her first subscriber. I'd be honored. She's got a fan. Okay, good. Stoke that flame. Let her shine. Oh, my gosh. You're so right. You're right, though. Yeah, we have to. That's one of our jobs as moms. If we see something that lights them up, it's our job to be like, okay, let's go ahead and fan that little spark there and see if we can get a fire started, right? Absolutely. Even if it's competitive cheer and they have to be there four hours early and it's two hours away. They love it. You take them to competitive cheer and you put a smile on just in case a friend of mine had to do that. Just in case you know somebody who might have to do that. Oh, my God, Mom, you're a good one. I've got three boys playing travel ball right now, baseball, and it is woo. Oh, my. Woo. Yes, I totally want to drive to Riverside today. That sounds awesome. Let's do that. And you're smiling as you say it. It's great. Stoke the flame. At 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Perfect. Yes, exactly. Have you ever had any moments ever where you questioned continuing the podcast? there do you, have you never never ever just your your rebrand you had you had a moment where you were like, let's pivot. Yes. Um, Gabby, well, when gabby bernstein tells you to do something, you do it. I will share. Gabby Bernstein was on squats and Margaritas. Again, how do you get to gabby Bernstein? I happen to be not opening for her, but she was the headliner speaker. And I was one of the opening, I guess an opener kind of. So because i was a speaker, I'm front row And she's speaking and walking. And I did have six shoes on. Like, let's just be honest, my shoes were sick. But she goes, those shoes are sick. And I was like, oh, okay. I was like, I feel like I haven't in. So I was like, Gabby, and I came up afterwards. She was like, oh my God, I'm telling her where I got my shoes. And I was like, I'm just going to shoot my shot. I was like, I have a podcast. And I have actually sent you a few DMs. You haven't seen them. She goes, here's my assistant. Send it right now. But I shot my shot and went up to her and asked her. Anyway, she comes on Squats and Margaritas. She's sober. And I was like, I am just getting these hits that I feel it's like, you should stop drinking. And I was like, I fought it for a while. I was like, no, it's my brand and it's fun. And I'm the margarita girl. And I was like, I feel like it's going to kill my brand. And she was like, I kept this in the episode. She was like, fuck your brand. This elevates your brand. If you were being called to stop drink, stop drinking, you lean into that. And I, but I was like, but I, all you hustle squats and margaritas everywhere. She kind of like gave me permission to do that pivot. And this is a top 1% podcast, not squats and margaritas. And I kept saying, I had convinced myself that my pain to purpose was getting my body image stuff in check, which I still credit squats and margaritas, a balanced lifestyle for doing that. But that was just the beginning. Then I could look at more things and it just didn't serve me anymore. And in COVID, it was all margaritas and no squats. And it was like, I just kind of outgrew it. And as much as you hustle it, you've It feels like you, you have to just make it work, but I completely pivoted. This is the lit up podcast. Like I would talk to trainers and about workouts and stuff. And it'd just be like, okay, what is your diet? And this now I can, I it's broad. I can talk about anything I'm going through. And it's just, I found my lane when Gabby gave me permission to just walk away from it. You are getting hits. Like you don't have to run it by somebody else there for you. If I was talking to my producer, it, the radio station, like I feel like I should call it something else. She'd be like, what are you doing? Like you have this many downloads. She's not getting the guidance. You're getting these hits and they're for you and you have to listen to it and follow that guidance. And it may seem like scary. I also, I have a children's book coming out that I just kept getting this, like, I swear it downloaded into my brain, Amy, like every stanza rhymed and I'm a vessel. Like this book just came through me that I'm supposed to put out into the world and comes out in June. And it's just like listening to these little, it's called I'm Just Like Me. And my kids are biracial. And my daughter is like super tall. When I say tall, it doesn't really, like head and shoulders taller than everybody in her class. So her skin is darker, her hair is curly. And she would come home and be like, why is nobody this tall? Why is nobody's ponytail like this? And I was like, you are just the way you're supposed to be. You're not, her ponytail is supposed to be like that. Yours is supposed to be like this. And it was like, there's no book that tells kids at a young age, you're exactly who you're supposed to be. And comparing, yes, you're not like them, but you're not supposed to be. Everybody's a little bit like their mom, a little bit like their dad. And it rhymed. And then I had to find a publisher. And then we were not on the same page with illustration. So it has been a journey. But this came out of, I guess, another like. I want to say like a painful moment, but my daughter's struggle of like every day coming back, like I'm taller than everyone. I'm like, you're not supposed to be like anyone else. You're like this, they're like that. And once they kind of get it, it's like, oh yeah, yeah, your hair's not like her and it's not supposed to be. You're supposed to be like this. She's supposed to be like this. And she was kind of like, all right, like nobody's ever put it that way. So I was like, I need to tell all the kids, like I have a history of like taking something and like really making sure now every child needs to know this message. But I just get these, if something's on your heart, it's for you. And it may not make total sense. And it may not be what you went to school for. But if you want to find profound purpose, you have to follow those little signs that you're getting. And mine is a blue butterfly. And when I did your show and the one right behind you, my foundation's called Blue Butterfly. I had a blue butterfly coming to my door. And I said, how long was I just on my phone and not seeing it? You have to put yourself out into the universe, authentically and organically as you are, and then sit back and watch for the guidance. Get off your phone, go for a walk without AirPods. And it's there. It's just like, we're on our phone, we're scrolling. So as soon as you're open to it, the guidance will show you exactly where you're supposed to be. And it may not be what you're doing now, and it may not be what you went to school for, but you have to just hear the guidance and trust that, not run it by somebody else. Maybe if you get to Gabby Bernstein, she'll tell you if you should do it or not. It was a pivot and it was the right one. That's amazing. So she had this huge impact, one show, one huge impact. Amazing. So if you could have anybody on your show, like who is your like absolute, I wish I could have, I mean, it's a list and they are very familiar with me, but they're following me. So we're getting there. Bethany Frankel, Sarah Blakely. Uh, I really want to talk to Kyle Richards at first about her sobriety, but now her divorce, like there's a double whammy and I I'm in touch with her. I've sent emails that her publicist has gotten to her. So I'm kind of just like sitting back on that one. But if I could talk to Kelly Ripa, those are my four. Kelly Ripa, Sarah Blakely, Kyle Richards, and Bethany Frankel. But Bethany has been sending me her merch and stuff. Like I've made it somehow onto her. When she has new products, she'll send me things. And the day she started following me, I've just been like, okay. But then you can't think about who's... The other thing I think we talked about, Gelman from Live with Kelly and Mark, I'm trying to do a segment on there. When he started following me, my first inclination was like, only post things that are about what you want to talk about. But that is not living as authentically and organically as I am. So I still do crazy lip sync things. And it was scary at first, but I'm like, no, if he doesn't want me to do live because I am doing lip sync voices, then live's not for me. You can't like... cater to certain opportunities you be you and then whatever maybe it's not live maybe it's today's show maybe it's gma just when you see but when i saw him and when i saw bethany following me it was like my inclination was like only post about the things you want to talk to them about and i'm like no that is not when you elevate and that is not an aligned opportunity for you you put out your energy and the energy that is supposed to match with that will find you no forcing energy no like catering all your content to the specific pitch you want to do on live, even though that's where your head will go, just be you. Yeah, absolutely. And you already got them there because of who you are. So just keep being you. Yeah, you already have your casting call, girl. Just you got to wear the same outfit and show up again. What kind of pants? Did I put on the right pants? Maybe not your workout pants. I don't know. Maybe don't wear. Right now, let's just share. I'm wearing workout pants on the bottom. I changed my shirt and curled my hair. Because life be lifin'. But you know what? I absolutely love this conversation. And I'm so glad I didn't push it off. I don't care if I'm getting divorced and moving at the same day. I don't care. I had a great... I did this for me and it poured into me. And that's what moms need to... do more for themselves. Erin, you are the best. You are fun and refreshing and absolutely hilarious. And I think that one of the reasons people connect with you so deeply is because you've created something that feels very real in a world that often feels so like filtered and performative. And honestly, I think that's why podcasting has become so powerful because people are craving real conversations, real voices, real nuance, real humanity. You know, reality TV was any think they're real and the podcasting is sort of the anti that, which is awesome. There's so many authentic voices in podcasting and every, you can really find your very specific flavor, you know, whatever you need she's out there, he's out there. There are all of these amazing voices out there that are, it's kind of just this amazing platform. But what I loved about today's conversation is that we got to pull back the curtain on it a little bit and actually look at what it's like to build a platform. sustain creativity, navigate motherhood, and grow something meaningful online while still trying to stay grounded as a human being. And I think so many women listening are going to walk away feeling inspired, not only to maybe start a podcast someday, but to trust their own voice a little bit more. So thank you for joining us today and for the work you're doing through your platform and your community. And to everyone listening, make sure to follow Erin Washington. She is at Erin Washington and at Theron P with Erin Washington on Instagram and her two books. Go ahead. Let's give a shout out to your two books. Sure. Well, my Instagram is where I show up the most and it's I am Erin Washington. Somebody else had Erin Washington. can get it. My book is called from pain to Purpose, Finding Meaning in the Mess. That is on Amazon. I self-published that one. But I got an actual publisher from i'm foreign just like me which is super exciting. Comes out at the end of june for any i want it to be like a book you bring to a baby shower so like any child can just get this in their hands early that you're not supposed to be like anybody else. There's no need to compare. I compared for so long with like body image and stuff. And it's like, once you just ingrain, you're supposed to be like you. Yeah, you don't look like them. That's the point. Then hopefully You won't have the struggle that I had for so long. It worked on my daughter. I hope it works on your child. And my show is Therapy with Erin Washington. And it's just me being vulnerable and asking the questions to a mental health professional or a coach. And it's for you if you are co-parenting, going through a divorce, looking at your sobriety, maybe dating in your 40s when you haven't in a while. I have dating coaches, relationship coaches, and therapists on. And I have a great episode with Amy Riccobus that you need to check out. And this was fabulous. I really appreciate you having me on your show today. You're so welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. I'm happy to have you as a friend. So if you guys are listening, please subscribe. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Share this episode with another woman who may need this conversation. Thank you for joining us here on The Manager Podcast. I'll see you guys next week.