The BASIC Show

CAROLE CRIST: Rejuvenation Nation & Love Redefined | EPISODE 12

• Viktorija Pashuta • Season 2 • Episode 12

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In this inspiring episode of The BASIC Show, former First Lady of Florida and emerging documentary filmmaker Carole Crist joins host Viktorija Pashuta to share her mission with Rejuvenation Nation — a passion project uniting farmers, innovators, and changemakers to heal our soil, restore balance to nature, and create a healthier food system for future generations.

From her advocacy for regenerative agriculture to her candid insights on love, independence, and dating in your 50s, Carole opens up with honesty and wisdom about both saving the planet and navigating modern relationships.

You’ll discover:
 🌱 Why soil health is directly connected to human health
 🌍 How regenerative farming can fight the carbon crisis
 👑 Why Carole calls legendary farmer Steve Groff the “Elvis of Agriculture”
 🍴 How chefs and entrepreneurs like Zach Erdem are embracing local farmers
 💫 The importance of friendship, independence, and “walking alone” as a woman
 ❤️ Why commitment doesn’t mean giving up your freedom — and what true partnership looks like today

This episode is equal parts environmental wake-up call and empowering conversation about love, resilience, and building a life aligned with your values.

🎙️ The BASIC Show is hosted by Viktorija Pashuta, Editor-in-Chief of BASIC Magazine.
📍 Recorded at: The Maybourne Beverly Hills
🔗 Guest: @carolecristclc | Learn more: rejuvenationnation.com

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SPEAKER_02:

So I call him the Elvis of farmers because he's such a rock star. Sometimes you can just get so focused on that and then lose sight of the importance of maintaining really a really healthy support system and friendship. This is the first time I've actually walked alone as a woman. Commitment doesn't mean giving up your freedom. I think for a lot of men, that word is very scary. We're committed to seeing where this goes. That's a matter of respect, but it's not about giving up your freedom. We also have to have a sense of independence and be able to take care of ourselves. To love our You know, so we can share and love others, you know?

SPEAKER_00:

They say luxury is a lifestyle. I say it's a mindset. And this one comes with room service. Here at The Mayborn, where European charm meets California flair, I don't just check in, I reset. Because real power isn't loud, it's knowing when to ghost the noise and draft something far more lasting behind the scenes. The Mayborn, Beverly Hills.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome

SPEAKER_00:

to The Basic Show. We're here at this gorgeous suite at the Maybourne Beverly Hills and our very special guest, Carol Christ, who is the Former First Lady of Florida and an emerging documentary filmmaker. Welcome to The Basic Show, Carol. Thank you, Victoria. It's so wonderful to be here with you. You look wonderful. I like your look. Is it the Queen Bee vibes I'm getting from your...

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, it's really interesting. This is very special, this little sweater. I saw it and I was attracted to it because of the bees and the crowns. And I'm all about I mean, my film we'll discuss in a bit, but I'm very into, like, our pollinators, our bees, our butterflies. And so, yeah, I was just kind of feeling that whole vibe with it. Yeah, you gave me the

SPEAKER_00:

queen bee vibe. Queen bee vibe, of course. Yeah, so speaking of the planet, I know you're working on a very special project called Rejuvenation Nation. Give us a little bit of the background about the project, about the film, and the people who are involved in this project. Oh, how wonderful.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, it's really a passion project of mine. I've really been about nature, the environment, things that have all about impact. The work that I've been doing for the last few years really focused on anything with really positive social environmental impact. And then I just decided, gee, I really wanted to do something to sort of educate and advocate for pro-planet initiatives.

SPEAKER_01:

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02:

in that there's so much information out there and all sorts of different words, and whether it's climate change, global warming, or some believe in it, some don't, too much carbon, not enough carbon, or what have you. And I said, well, I'd like to set about finding out what this is all about. So Rejuvenation Nation is a documentary film all about sustainability, carbon capture, and regenerative agriculture. And we focus on supporting US farmers U.S. soil health and optimizing America's food system for the health and wellness of all Americans. But it certainly is a global issue and a global message. And we set about doing this in a very fun, entertaining way. We certainly do face issues. We have what I like to call a carbon crisis. Others call it a climate crisis. But I think it's more about the imbalance or sort of the We're not aligned with the natural order of things, like too much carbon up there, not enough down here. And by working with and mimicking nature, we can rejuvenate, restore, and rebuild our topsoil, our food system, and really live in abundance

SPEAKER_00:

and in health. And everything connected, right? Our human body is connected to nature. I love how you mentioned in our previous conversations when we had a little chat yesterday, I love what you said that the soil... is replicating what we have within our organism. Can you expand a little bit on that? It was really,

SPEAKER_02:

really fascinating. Well, what's interesting, and by no means I'm no expert, I'm not a scientist, I'm not a farmer, I'm not, you know, a guru by any stretch of the imagination. I'm simply a curious mind and a, you know, private citizen that set out to learn and discover. And what's so interesting is soil is really the lifeblood of life. life on earth like it really is a living thing soil is alive soil has you know like the root system and the microbes and the you know all these microorganisms and how it works and how nature it's just so fascinating but um really what goes on in the soil and what we ultimately put in our bodies we have the biome and then we have the microbiome so if we are not um taking care of our food source, ultimately that's going to affect our own bodies. So we need to be more mindful of our farming practices. And, you know, the intention is not to... It's to be very inclusive

SPEAKER_01:

and have

SPEAKER_02:

a very positive, uplifting message for everybody to participate and want to learn and work together to solve problems. But... There are ways, why I say rejuvenationation, it's about going back to the way things were and restoring our topsoil and our food system to the way it was decades ago before, more of the industrial commercialized farming

SPEAKER_00:

practice. And it seems such a global issue and such a big mission you took upon yourself. And I know- Humbling, yeah. It is a really big mission if you think about it, but great, great cause that meant for longevity- And I know you have quite a few very interesting, influential people who are part of the documentary. Maybe we can talk and name a few of them. I know you mentioned the Queen of Versailles is part of the project.

SPEAKER_02:

Speaking of royalty and queens and crowns. Yes, a dear friend of mine, Jackie Siegel. She's wonderful. Queen of Versailles. She's had her own documentary film and also her series. She's got a wonderful family. I've known her. Jackie and her husband, David, for many years. Unfortunately, he recently passed away. He was a tremendous leader, actually the king of the timeshares globally, the number one in the world, and brilliant man, a tremendous philanthropist, giving back, helping others. And yeah, so she and I got together. It was sort of by chance, we ended up filming at one of her resorts. Her family, they own 20, I think it's 25 resorts around the country. And it's called Westgate Resorts. And there's a wonderful one called Westgate River Ranch, and it's just north of Palm Beach. And we filmed there, and it was just amazing. We had a lot of fun, and it was really like out with nature and airboat rides. It's like being out in the, going back into the wild west, like the old western town with the saloon and the rodeos. And it was just a lot of fun. And she's been a big supporter. She is a through her foundation, Victoria's Voice, which I've been involved with for a few years now, about saving lives in the name of her daughter, who she lost to addiction, unfortunately. But it's all about health, wellness, and focusing on healing the earth and taking care of our planet. This is our home, but also taking care of one another in a positive way. So she's been a great advocate, friend, and she has really stepped up to help us with the film rollout and raising awareness.

SPEAKER_00:

Because they feel and support your mission. Yes. Because what you do is very, very important. Yes. Including some of the farmers you mentioned in Steve Groff, right? Yes. Maybe a few people, Steve Grof and Zach Airdem. Yes, yes. Those amazing people. Can you just give a few words? What's the involvement in Rejuvenation

SPEAKER_02:

Nation? Yeah, what's interesting is someone like Zach Airdem, he is a reality television host as well. His series is called Serving the Hamptons. It was on HBO. And Zach and I have a personal history going back like over 20 years. He has a tremendous American story coming to this country with nothing and building himself now. He's just got an amazing restaurant and real estate. And he's just truly the embodiment of the American dream and a friend. And so we got together to talk about the importance of supporting local farmers, utilizing local produce and healthy nutrient-dense foods on his menu. And he's like the... he has picture perfect health. You know, he is just so healthy, so strong. He works 24 hours a day. I don't know how he does. He's literally bionic because he takes such good care of

SPEAKER_01:

himself.

SPEAKER_02:

But how that's such a big priority. So we worked with him on that. And just a sweet, a friend supporting us with that. And my other dear friend for many years, Andy Saban, who is also someone I go back a long time with and I was supporting the SOFO Gala, which is a big pro-planet, pro-environment event in Bridgehampton every summer. And so I started working on that in 2019. And he really kind of opened my eyes to the importance. I mean, it goes back, yes, I care for nature. And as a little girl growing up, I always felt really close and connected to the ocean, particularly, and being just out in nature with animals and just the glory of it all and the magic of it all, but never really getting immersed myself in the advocacy for it. And so through Andy Saban, my involvement in that event kind of evolved. So he's a big supporter and advocate for Rejuvenation Nation. So we're very blessed to have him. He's a global philanthropist, wonderful human being, all about helping others. And finally, a new friend. So I have old friends and some new ones. I've met a lot of new ones. And one in particular, Steve Groff, he is a celebrity in his own right. He's a thought leader. And I guess now it's a fifth generation farmer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And I had consumed literally thousands of hours of content online. YouTube and every documentary you can think of and just doing my own research and online. And he was sort of a constant out there as someone who I just thought, gee, you know, he's really interesting. He knows everything about regenerative agriculture. And he really is. He's a speaker. He's an educator. He's sort of on the circuit out there really supporting other farmers. So I call him the Elvis of farmers because he's such a rock star. And he was just so gracious. We filmed with him as well. And he hosted a global summit with people from around the world and helped us on our mission. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So Carol, you're so busy. You have all these connections. You have these great people who are supporting your mission, which is amazing. And I know you all over the place. You travel. And you're a very, very successful and aspirational woman. So with that being said... How women like yourself find, you know, a match? How women like yourself find a man who would be a pair with your character, energy, your success? Can you share us your opinion about, you know, dating, I guess, in your 50s?

SPEAKER_02:

Ah, I see. Well, first of all, back at you, because you're a total rock star. You're so beautiful and fabulous, and we have our whole history that we can get into at a future date. But you're very sweet and very kind with your words. Well, you know, it's complicated because as a woman who married at a very young age, I was in my early 20s and I've been married twice. I was basically married for 26

SPEAKER_01:

years

SPEAKER_02:

back to back. And, you know, that was what I knew. I never really dated in the traditional sense of the word like kind of as a young girl and then a little later in life. And it's just that I've been so sort of busy dating. With everything going on, of course, we had COVID. And then I was sort of launching my business at that time in 2019 and all about capital with a conscience and hosting these tech summits and things like that. And then it was challenging. So it was really kind of new for me. But the question was kind of, what do I look for? I went, Well, here's what it is. It's about maturity. It's like coming into your own and connecting with your true self and who I really am. I think for a long time, I was part of a couple and sort of this sort of thing, which is like a meshing yourself and really, you know, connecting yourself completely in every aspect of your life. It's just kind of like human connection.

SPEAKER_00:

You kind of lose

SPEAKER_02:

yourself, right, in the relationship.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. You

SPEAKER_02:

forget who you really truly are, what you personally like. There you go. So a lot of the time is spent like, sure, you know, raising kids and running a business or whatever, but you become a true team together. And at least in my experience, I don't know that it's everyone's experience, sometimes you can just get so focused on that and then lose sight of the importance of maintaining really a really healthy support system and friendships and relationships. Male, female, all, you know, backgrounds and people who are there for you and have your back. And because in this life, you don't really know. Life is complicated. It's full of challenges. And we just, there are no guarantees of anything. So who is this

SPEAKER_00:

Mr. Right in your head? Because obviously you're gorgeous. You're successful. You have beautiful, amazing energy. Feminine energy, very feminine. I guess that's what most of the guys, no matter the age, looking for. But I feel nowadays we have this really messed up dating culture where we are looking for the things that we don't know we're looking for. And men, older men, may be looking for something that they don't even think what they're looking for. So in a sense, who is that Mr. Right in your head? Who would be a match for Carol?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. That's a great question. I don't know. When you figure it out, let me know. I'm not really sure. I'm still exploring. But yeah, you know, I've just been so consumed with this project. But to be perfectly honest, like now on the other side of it, you know, this has just been, you know, you have to understand if you're really intensely focused on a project like you as an entrepreneur, you've accomplished so much yourself, self-made and done so many extraordinary things. It's very, like, you need to focus. Like, when you know, okay, I'm ready for love. Like, I'm kind of really open and I'm going to make time for that person. And it's, I'm a really big believer in, like, manifesting. I'm a big believer in, like, connecting with the universe. I mean, that's part of why I love being out in nature. It's sort of like your own personal, I don't know, connection to God or whatever, that higher power or just even the universe, whatever your belief system is. and really get to your essence and your core of what you want and need. And ultimately, you gotta be your own best friend, have your own back, and you've got to believe in yourself and you've got to come from a mature place. It's easy to get caught up in emotion and it's also easy to be impatient, but it's just by nature, it's a numbers game. I mean, I don't wanna say it's a game, but navigating life certainly as a woman in her 50s out there in the dating world. I mean, it's just a far smaller pool.

SPEAKER_00:

Like when we're 20s and 30s. But you're already, you know, in the circle of really successful, a wealthy man. So what's the problem or what's the issue maybe you personally encountered, maybe not personally for yourself, but maybe around your acquaintances, why it's so hard to find your match? Especially in your 50s, right? We talked about the apps, right? So it's like, you're just kind of diving into this jungle, right? Of all kinds of you know, our characteristics. It's a good

SPEAKER_02:

metaphor. It's about the unknown and uncertainty and having to navigate parts unknown, right? So, I mean, it's a process. It's something that I think, you know, you have to have an open mind. You have to have an open heart. You've got to be, you know, we talked about guarding your heart, protecting yourself before you get to that stage, before you get carried away. You really need to get to know a person. And these things take time. And I feel at the very least, you know, the foundation is friendship. So we want to... And I'm not telling you these are things I focused on years ago. I'm saying this is something I'm coming to understand and evolve as a woman at this stage in my life. And forward-looking, like a lot of the friends that I have are typically older and some are widowed or divorced or whatever their life situation is. And not necessarily expected or... whatever. And, you know, you just really kind of figure out, okay, I thought for sure, you know, I definitely want to get married again. I'm so traditional. Like I want to be, you know, part of a couple, a unit. And, you know, but it takes a lot of time also as a woman to get to a place where you're comfortable going out to an event, to a party, to a dinner. And it's a lot, a bunch of couples and you're solo and they got to be okay with that. So it's, if you're not really comfortable being, I call it walking alone. You know, this is the first time I've actually walked alone as a woman. And it was certainly uncomfortable for a while where I was kind of like self-conscious, like, oh, you know, it's always couples everywhere. But I'm really okay with it now because I'm comfortable with myself and I understand that it is a process. And so that ideal man, okay, well, let's talk about the basics, right? Yes, what does he have? Let's do the checklist. He's gotta be sweet. He's gotta be kind. I mean, he's gotta have a, a good heart, honesty,

SPEAKER_01:

integrity. We're not into the players. I mean,

SPEAKER_02:

God bless them. We don't need to be judging them because who knows, they might outgrow it and be okay. But whatever floats your boat, like you don't know someone's situation or story and, you know, everybody's on their own journey. But I would say, I mean, intellect is very important. I mean, people don't have to be formally educated. I'm just saying what works for me. Like people can do whatever works for them. Yeah, you need to find your match. Whether they like musicians or poets or, you know, artists or whatever. But I'm really interested in people who are very conscientious. They're educated, at least knowing what's going on in the world, caring about the community they live in or the world that we live in, and just being aligned with my values, I think is... He needs to be handsome, maybe. Well, okay, we'll get to talk about the physical. I'm a sucker for a good-looking man. I mean, what can I say? He needs to be handsome. So looks are good. You know, we want somebody... I think ultimately... You know, it sounds cliche. Somebody who takes care of himself,

SPEAKER_00:

maybe, in a way, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Like, he doesn't have to be movie star handsome, but certainly, you know, health, wellness, fitness, being, you know, conscientious of your appearance, how you dress, how you present. I mean, it's just the business of life, right? You should show up and be your best self, I think. And more importantly, being healthy. You know, mentally healthy, physically healthy. You know, someone who... ideally is nurturing. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean physically. That could be emotionally. It could be mentally supportive. It could be spiritual. Just most important, I think it's about a deep connection. And I think in the process, I think if you go through it, knowing that friendship

SPEAKER_00:

is what matters

SPEAKER_02:

at the end

SPEAKER_00:

of the

SPEAKER_02:

day,

SPEAKER_00:

if you... But that takes time, right? Like things you talk about, very important, but that... doesn't come the first time you start dating somebody, right? Friendship, compassion, understanding, trust, communication all comes with time. So how do you, first of all, find your match and see them in instant, right? And then you probably have to have commitment issue towards each other to get to that point. And I feel from talking to many different women that the main problem from the men's side is not being wanted to be committed to a relationship. What do you think about that? Do you think women tend to be more committed than men? Well,

SPEAKER_02:

I can speak to that for a moment, I think, given I have many guy friends, many of whom are single and real friends to me. And I think people have a misconception, men have a misconception. I actually just talked about this yesterday. Commitment does not mean giving up your freedom. Being committed to another person in a relationship, meaning, okay, you get to know them the first couple days, you kind of get to know them a little bit, and then you're kind of like, okay, I think we've had some dialogue. I think we have compatibility. I think it's just like so important. You don't need to do the same things necessarily or be passionate about the same things, but you're kind of compatible. It sort of works together, right? Yes. And once you've identified that and it seems that the person is sincere and authentic and you're feeling those vibes, well, then I think that, you know, commitment to one another, like if you get to that next level of intimacy or whatever, it's sort of an understanding like you're not going to be running around dating 10 other people and I'm not going to do that. We're committed to seeing where this goes. That's a matter of respect, but it's not about giving up your freedom. Right. I think as a younger person, I just assumed, I guess it was modeled for me in my house with my mom. She was traditional. She immigrated here from Scotland, very old school values, very traditional household. Her life was my, you know, her family and her husband and her children. And she's a classic housewife. So, you know, but that's not necessarily the situation in the 21st century. I mean, the modern day. women are encouraged to have their own careers and their own interests and their own lives outside. And I just feel like freedom doesn't mean, like commitment doesn't mean giving up your freedom. I think for a lot of men, that word is very scary, but it

SPEAKER_00:

all boils down to communication. It probably feels fearful because when the woman maybe gives more initiative, so the guys kind of step back, does it come back to the natural, you know, basic instinct in the nature world that the guy, needs to work for the female, right? He needs to prove, you know, he is worthy. Because as we spoke yesterday, when a woman is in a relationship, she's willing to give everything, her time, her attention, her support, right? But if she would give it to every single guy she meets, she's kind of wasting her energy. And if the guy is not really ready to commit, it's kind of going one way. So is it maybe the... The initiative shifted. Maybe we need to give space and step back and let the men prove themselves and make their first move and prove themselves before you actually fully committed. But I guess they get feared and scared as soon as the woman shows a little bit of initiative and say, okay, I mean, we've been dating, seeing each other for six months. Where's that ring? So for the guys, they feel trapped. in the sense that it feels like they need to make that decision first. What do you think about that? Yeah,

SPEAKER_02:

well, I mean, it's sort of the chicken or the egg, like the Mexican standard. It all goes down to communication. I mean, all sorts of books have been written. You know, men, women, they're just simply wired differently in their DNA. I'm learning that more and more. But I think it's more like respecting and understanding the nature of women. Like, safety and security typically are... our driving principles, just like the, as maternal beings, as women, that's what we sort of seek out. And men, naturally, you talked about like being a hunter and going out and they like to pursue and they like the chase. I mean, that's not always the case. We can't make these kinds of generalizations, but I think generally you wanna feel when you're pursuing something perception that it has value right like if something comes too easy or someone doesn't really let's say value themselves and that's sensed I mean it's just in nature you kind of feel the vibe of like you can call it desperation or you can call it a little coming on a bit too strong or there are many ways of saying but I think just generally you know we could speak to all different generations of women whether they're in their I'm a total women's advocate I mean everything I've been through my life I've been through some stuff I've been through some things and it is a gift in a way if I can overcome that and get through that and use that to help others. And the wisdom and knowledge that was not available to me then, like if I only knew, then I would have made so many different choices and I would have probably spared myself a lot of pain. And so in the sense that I can do that for others and just sort of at least present possibilities to consider before going all in or whatever like just always be your your own protector your own take care of yourself and yes we want we're all dependent we're interdependent as a society humanity but we also have to have a sense of independence and be able to take care of ourselves to love ourselves enough you know so we can share and love others you know

SPEAKER_00:

well that's actually a great note to wrap up this conversation, which I think should definitely have to have part two. Oh, yeah. We have to definitely dive in because it's a very interesting topic. It's very unprecedented right now. A lot of women, especially successful women, face the same issues and they want to find a supporting partner. But at the same time, because the standards are so high now, because we have so much more freedom to do what we do and have hobbies and have businesses and be successful. So finding the right partner is a little bit more challenging, especially, you know, at this time we have so much choice in a sense, right? But so many people still finding their own, you know, their true love and trying to find their, you know, forever love, forever happy ending. But thank you for sharing your perspective, Carol. Thank you for having

SPEAKER_02:

me. This is so wonderful and an honor and I'm so proud of you and so happy for you and to celebrate this great success and this journey for you and Whatever I can do to be supportive, you know, to you. Thank you. Same here. Female power, women power. Absolutely. We got to take care of each other. I mean, on a final note, women, you know, we need to get with each other and stop this nonsense of like backbiting. Like we need to be united and have compassion for each other and be kind to each other. And because we need each other. And we're already doing that. So.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, either way, set a good example, right? Yeah. Well, thank you for coming to The Basic Show. And I'm looking forward for the part two. Absolutely. Thank you, Carol. Thank you. Thank you.