From Climate to Camera with Britten Evans

A hurricane, a climate change speech, and a pink margarita might not sound like the start of a photography career, but that’s exactly where this story leads. We sit down with Britten Nicole of Britten Nicole Photography, the artist who shot our branding content day and made us feel more like ourselves on camera than we ever thought possible. If you’ve ever dreaded being photographed, struggled to trust a creative partner, or felt like your personal brand doesn’t match who you are now, you’ll hear yourself in this conversation. 

Britten shares her origin story from Florida’s Gulf Coast, the loss and meaning wrapped up in her grandparents’ home, and how Hurricane Charlie became a catalyst that pushed her toward environmental science, public speaking, and a decade of nonprofit work. Then we get real about burnout, leaving politics behind, and picking up a camera as a way back to joy. We talk about what makes branding photography feel safe, why “awkward” often means you’re on the edge of something powerful, and how the right images can mark a true level-up moment in your business. 

We also go deep on manifestation and journaling with moon cycles, new moon intentions, and solstice rituals, including how Britten wrote down a specific six-month plan and received the exact money she needed to go full time. The second half turns into a needed reminder about alone time, nervous system care, and treating self-care like a real business expense, especially for moms and entrepreneurs carrying a lot. If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a push to be seen, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Guest Info:

Website: www.brittennicole.com

Instagram: @brittennicole 

Email: hello@brittennicole.com

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Transcript

Milestone Energy And Guest Tease

Barb 0:15

Episode 140. We're here.

Lyssa 0:20

We did it. I feel like these episodes are zooming by. I don't know why. We're in our normal one-week cadence, and yet it just feels like it's just moving faster.

Barb 0:32

I think it's just because it's a bigger number. And it's just like, wow, it is a true milestone of what we have shown up for consistently.

Lyssa 0:42

And that's pretty cool. I love that. Well, this is a fun one. We got an interview for you guys, a noob on the pod. And we are really excited to have her. So this week we are talking to Brittany Nicole of Brittany Nicole Photography, the photographer who we have been bragging about these last few episodes of doing our content day and our branding shoe. And this was such a great conversation to have and to open up and to just be able to talk about.

Barb 1:12

Yeah. Listening and learning more about her and her origin story was really cool because we've already developed this relationship. So now we get to have like the fun journey of friendship. Of like, oh well, now I get to learn you and all the things that have made you who I get to meet today. And that's what this conversation is about. While also just like loving on her because she has given us something really special. Um, and we we want to give that back to her. Always, always.

Lyssa 1:44

All right. You guys go listen. It's a good one.

Meet Brittany Nicole Photography

Barb 1:50

We're live.

Lyssa 1:51

I love being live. It's the best part of this podcast. We're doing it. We're doing it. This is so fun. All right. Well, I'm sure everyone can hear. There is a special guest on the mic. So let's start off with introducing yourself.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Yeah. Thanks for having me. Um, my name is Brittany, uh, also known as Brittany Nicole. Um, Brittany Nicole is my business name, uh, Brittany Nicole photography. Uh, so I'm a photographer and um I do a little bit of everything, got started in weddings, um, but my true love is maternity. And um, as a byproduct, I'm also a newborn photographer. And then I also love branding, um, branding photography and just like portraiture in general. Um, but that's a little bit of my business, um, but who I am as a human behind the business. Um I was born and raised in Florida. Florida is my home. Um, and I kind of grew up all over the Gulf Coast of Florida. I was uh born outside of Tampa, um, but we moved around a bunch. So um we lived in Tarpon Springs, then moved down to Port Charlotte, which probably nobody has heard of.

Lyssa 3:12

I was like, oh, that's a new place.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

Okay. Um, it's just kind of like it was a very undeveloped place when I was growing up there. And my dad and my mom had a land surveying business, and my dad was a surveyor. So I feel like I maybe got my love of being outdoors from him because he would take me out in the fields. Like it, but to me, as a child in Florida, in South Florida, it was a jungle. And to me, like it was so cool. Like every time it we went out, um, we would have to like drive out into the middle of nowhere. And it was just so much fun, right? So that was kind of like my younger years. And we my parents got divorced, and my mom and I moved to Sarasota. That kind of became, you know, like my my home in Florida.

Florida Roots And Family Archive

SPEAKER_03 4:05

Um, so I was there through high school and a little bit of college. Um, and uh also lived in St. Pete, St. Petersburg, went to college there. So anyway, all over Gulf Coast of Florida. I love Florida. I could talk about it all day long. Um if you ever want to know where to go, just ask me. That's not the beach or Disney World. Uh-huh. But so yeah, that Florida is a a huge part of like who I am as a human. Um my core childhood memories were at my grandparents' house, actually. They lived in Punagorda, Florida. And it was the only like stable place of my childhood because I had moved around so much. So all of my memories are at my grandparents' house. Like I can still remember every square inch of their home. Um, I can remember the backyard. There were um banana groves and orange trees and fire ant hills and coconut palms. And my grandfather would pick the bananas and they would always be drying in the carport. So I just like have these like really, really fond memories, mostly of being outside, but also inside the house. And there is a reason there I'm going with this story because it really is my like origin story, this home. Um, and my grandparents' house was filled with antiques. Everything they owned was antique. Um, my grandmother was like the pillar of the family. You know, she had Sunday dinners, and I was there basically every weekend because my dad would come pick me up from, you know, for his part-time parenting, but he would just drop me off at my grandparents' house. So spent every weekend there, and we did the same thing every weekend. My grandmother would wake up, she would make donuts, I'd have a cup of oval teen, we'd have some cantaloupe with some salt and some grits cheese and sausage. Like I just the memories are so vivid and core. Um, and my grandmother died when I was, you know, like in sixth grade. I loved her. She loved me. I know she did. Um, and I know she's still here with me, um, just as like an ancestor. Um, and but my grandfather was a historian, uh, a South Florida historian. So in my grandparents' home, there was it was the den. And it was closed off with curtains. So it was always very dark. You go in the door. My grandfather was sitting there, usually typing something, researching something. The whole room was floor to ceiling, books, newspapers, photographs. It was my grandfather's archive. Um, and it was also just like a fun room to play in, you know, as like a small child. It was like, I don't know, it was just so mysterious in there. And I was never really sure what he did because he was a very stoic man, you know, sometimes, but he was the pillar, he was a pillar of the community.

Lyssa 7:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

And I didn't fully understand who he was or what he represented

Hurricane Charlie And Finding A Voice

SPEAKER_03 7:10

to the community until after he died. Um, so in 2004, my grandparents' house was destroyed by Hurricane Charlie. Um, we arrived the next day just to check on my grandpa. The house had caved in. He was wandering around outside with blood on his shirt. Uh, and that was like a changing, like that was like a a catalyst. A catalyst. Um, and I was in college at that point studying biology. I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was like, I you guys know I've told you, I'm so shy, like brutally shy. I was bullied in school. You know, it's just I just people would ask me, why don't you ever say anything, Brent? But in a mean way. They're like, you never talk. Yeah. And I literally almost every time I just said, I have nothing to say. And that was my answer, and that was the truth. So I get to college, and after my grandparents' house was destroyed and the hurricane, it was right around the time, also in early 2000s, the Inconvenient Truth from Al Gore had come out. And it was kind of like a zeitgeist around climate change and just the, but also a firestorm. Uh, so I got interested in climate change because my family had just been affected by, you know, a natural disaster that will only be made worse by, you know, climate change. Yeah. So I changed my major, started majoring um in environmental science and policy. Uh, and I made that decision after I took a public speaking course, which was required, and I was absolutely terrified. I chose my persuasive speech on why I thought climate change was real. And I killed it. Like I got an A. People were like, You're so good at public speaking. And for me as a shy person, I was like, oh, wait, what? I do have something to say. Like I found my voice in that moment because I was so passionate about it, you know. And um, I remember saying, like, Al Gore needs to give me a job, you know. Persuasion, you know, I love it. Guess what my first job was? What? The Alliance for Climate Protection, which is Al Gore's nonprofit. I got the job before I even graduated college. Okay, wait a minute. Okay.

Barb 9:25

So you've actually been manifesting for a really long time now. I guess so.

unknown 9:31

I guess so.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Okay. I used to always say, like, whatever goals you have, just move towards them, and the universe will conspire in your favor. And that's kind of how I've gotten through my life a little bit, you know. Um, I've always been very ambitious, very purpose-driven, very passionate, like very fiery, feisty. Yeah. Um, justice is like at my core. And so um, I have I have a lot to say. And, you know, it's been an interesting process trying to figure that out. So anyway, I, you know, I

Burnout To Photography Career Pivot

SPEAKER_03 10:05

worked for the Alliance for Climate Protection. Um, and I went on to work for other environmental organizations across the country, and I did that for over a decade. Uh, got very burnt out um right around 2016, uh, November 7th, 2016, to be exact. If you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Um, or it might have been November 6th. It doesn't matter. It was election day and the world kind of changed then. Yeah. And I burned out, decided that I was done with politics, and picked up a camera and started just exploring, going on solo trips, taking pictures in nature, um, just as a way to just like reconnect with like what I was really passionate about, which is protecting the environment and people, but I'm, you know. Um, so that's how I got into photography. I taught myself photography. Um, a friend asked me to photograph their wedding, and I said, Are you serious? Like, are you sure? Do you know me? Okay. I almost said no, but then I was like, okay. Uh, and it the rest is history, truly. Like the phone, the moment that I picked up a camera, you know, photographing people, like in their most joyful moments, was such a reprieve from like the heaviness of like politics and like environmental catastrophe, like, you know, it's like really heavy stuff. But when I'm when I have a camera in my hand, it's for a beautiful reason. You know, people are getting married, they're having babies, they're bringing their babies home, they're celebrating their milestones. Like I could tear up, you know. And then for branding, I get to photograph people just being complete badasses, and I get to learn from them and get absorbed into their world. Um, and I love it. So yeah, amazing.

Lyssa 12:00

So witches, yes. What is in your cup? What's in your cup? Ooh, I don't know. It is a fancy little margarita, that's what it looks like. It's definitely a margarita.

Barb 12:13

It's pink in color. Yes, it's uh pink senorita. I taste grapefruit, a little bit uh like a pink lemonade-ish kind of thing. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, that's what we're having today. Um I love your story, right? We are still learning each other and like all the backstory of your childhood, and it just it makes so much sense. The story now, seeing your origin and knowing who you are now, like that that just makes so much sense. Um thanks for letting me tell my story. Yeah, you know, not many people ask. Everyone needs to, right? We we get so shy from shy, right? Like this, I I can't say anything, or who wants to who would want to know this? Who would want to say it doesn't matter. You saying it out loud is for you, right? It hits different, and that's what we've learned from these mics is that it doesn't matter who is listening, how many people are listening. It sometimes just saying it out loud is the only truth that you need. Yeah, yeah, and that's powerful in itself. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

And I don't know that I would have uh understood my origin story or how it makes me who I am necessarily, if it wasn't for entrepreneurship. You know,

Branding Photos And Being Seen

SPEAKER_03 13:40

it it really is true that like it kind of breaks you open a little bit and you have to confront things about yourself and like why you are the way you are, um, and really kind of like find your grounding, yes, your foundation, yes, which is your story and your you know why you're doing what you're doing.

Lyssa 13:59

And I think it's so important that we do kind of ask these questions, right? When we first came to you to talk about our branding photos, we were so nervous, you know, and and there's a lot that it gets packed into that, right? Because we don't know you, we don't know all the things, we don't, we don't know what to expect. And there's a there's an anxiousness that can kind of come with that. And then when you layer in the fact that we have had, you know, a a poor experience with previous photographers, you know, now we're also coming in a little tainted, you know. So we're kind of a a little bit of this like wounded animal that's like coming into your den and like seeking shelter, and there's a little bit of a a nervousness, you know, that that comes in with that. And we felt it then, you know, at our very first meeting, just how welcoming and warming and comforting you were. That energy was very present from the beginning. And now, just kind of again, right? Hearing your story, getting to know a little bit more about you, I can see how that thread line has actually been there your whole life. You've you've carried yourself that way since you were younger. And now here you are as an entrepreneur in this photography business that you maybe didn't see yourself in then, but now you're you're still making that change and doing that difference and utilizing who you are as a person and who you've always been today, and and helping others be able to feel comfortable enough to to share their story, right? Like photography can be intimidating for the ones in front of the camera. That's not easy to put yourself out there like that, to take the picture, to be okay with the picture, you know, all the things. And there was just this sense of ease working with you, and that was something that was necessary for us. That was like a a non-negotiable. We needed that because we were hurt, you know, in the past. We needed someone who was gonna be able to not just care about our future and what we want out of this session and these pictures, but we wanted someone who was gonna care that we were hurt before and that we needed a little extra love and attention in this area of our business because we were nervous to try again. And I I don't know how the universe does it, but it's magical, you know. And I just feel like you genuinely were just the perfect person. And I'm just so grateful that we were able to cross paths and and do that together because I feel like we've we made something together, and I think that we're building something together still, you know. Even after this, we're gonna go on a tour to talk about like another project, you know. Like I I think I just like love my life with Britton in it.

Barb 17:04

I know we we need to love our lives with Britain in it.

SPEAKER_03 17:08

Same, same. I have so many, like, well, thank you. Those are the that's like the sweetest thing I think anybody has ever said to me except all those things. My husband.

Barb 17:16

I forgot to tell you that we like to honey roast. Yes, that it's not just a podcast episode for you to share. It is a moment for us to just like love upon our gratitude.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Making my whole I just thank you. Yeah, the universe brought us together. Um, I when I first met you, what immediately drew me in, and I was like right away, I was like, I am committed, I don't care what it takes. But the fact that these were more than just photos for you, and I could tell that right away. Yeah, you know, as a photographer, I I want to take photos for people where this is like you're allowing me in, you know, you're allowing me to see you and really like under understand you. And, you know, when you came to me with, you know, the the wound and but just like also this desire to be seen, I was just like, done. I'm gonna make this happen for you. Um I wasn't nervous meeting you, but I was very nervous leading up to the session. You know, excuse me. It's it's always a good sign though. Like I love when I have those nerves. Yeah. Um, it just means that one, I really care. Yes, but also two, like, and I've said this to you before, you pushed my like creative boundaries, like there were some growth edges, you know. Um, I had to learn some new things to like to do this. Um, the video the video, you know. Um, and but that was super fun, you know. Like I feel like I grew being able to like work on this project with you and the fact that you received it so well and that you I was so nervous.

Barb 19:03

And that is the magic of a true artist, right? It's not just okay, I'm here for the session, you got me for the hour, let's keep it moving. Here are your pictures, we're done. It's uh a full experience, an experience that matters. And on the flip side, as another business owner, that's how we feel about everything that we do. So having that already, that understanding, knowing that no, she she's an artist that photographs, but it's it's so much more to her was a huge factor in us feeling comfortable and in doing the thing. And the reason why we're sharing this is so that other people can do that too, yeah, right? How you described speaking and how shy you were, and kind of like you made yourself small. Photos are like that for women in like general, because you are your worst critic. Yeah, it's sad, it sucks, and it's true. No one can criticize you like you can criticize yourself. So, how many times do women like say, Oh no, I'm gonna pass on that, or I don't think I need that, or you know, I I just don't feel comfortable. And standing in front of you in our best selves, yeah, embodying our best selves, it does amazing things for your confidence. Yeah, and you too did.

SPEAKER_03 20:36

You brought like goddess energy, legit goddess energy.

Lyssa 20:40

There are even points where again it's just like it's that trust that we were able to have. Like when you took us outside, and then you were like, now give us like a catwalk. And in my mind, I was like, what the fuck am I doing like on this catwalk? Like, what does this even mean? I'm like an event planner, I'm not catwalking, I don't even look like this all the time. Like, you know? So it was just like this moment, but then I saw the picture and I I understood it. Like, and so there's there's that level of trust, right? Where yes, I'm the brand and I'm the the quote unquote story, but you're the storyteller. And we have to be able to trust that the storyteller is going to do our story justice. And that picture, it's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

All of my clients the the more awkward you feel, yeah, the better the photo will be. Okay. You know what?

Barb 21:29

It's true. Trust me, it's true. Because I saw awkward AF, but I saw that the first scroll by we saw that photo, we were like, oh my god, who the hell it's my shut up.

Lyssa 21:43

Okay, no men.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

But yeah, you should all all the ladies should do account. What you needed was to have your goddess be a prominent moment. Like you're you're a badass bee, you know, like you're and that was what we wanted the story we wanted to tell, right? It was like you're trying. Transformation as business owners from being scared, unsure, yeah, noobs. And now you're not. Yeah. You know, you're you've matured, you know, like, and I hope that's what the photos speak, you know, not as like uh um, I hope they tell people that hopefully will hire you that you know exactly what you're doing, you know, you're professionals, but also like really fun and sweet, you know. Like that was so I hope the photos say that.

Lyssa 22:37

Oh, they definitely did. I mean, that was my initial reaction, my very first reaction. I was like, oh my god, I'm a grown-up. That's exactly what she said. I'm a grown-up, I'm a whole ass grown-up in these pictures. And now, you know, going through, I changed a couple of pictures on the website, and being able to see that difference was it just hits different. I don't know how to explain it. It was it was just a moment, it was a it was a milestone. And even though it was just changing a picture on a website, you know, and again, it's it's our business, so I get it. Um, but it just meant so much to change the pictures and to see this version of ourselves being represented. And like that is what is now on Google for you to see when you Google me. Um, that felt really good. It felt like a level up, and that's exactly what we wanted from these pictures. And girl, you delivered. Yes.

Barb 23:36

It was the right a picture says a thousand words. Oh, yeah, to every single person that sees it. When we see these pictures, we see the origin story. We see the entire timeline. Like you walked us through how you got here, and in photo, I I see that, and that is is powerful because you have to be able to speak your story, you have to be able to present your story, and we are finally there, we've done it, we're in it, and you helped us, and it was amazing.

SPEAKER_03 24:13

It was well, I would say you like what you put in is what you receive. So the reason why the I I think the photo spoke to you is because you you guys shared so much. You let me in, you know. Um, and some people that I take branding photos don't know who they are. They don't have a brand, they've never done that deep dive. And you two have on in so many ways. You've done the deep dive, you've done the work to understand who you are, what you're passionate about, who your people are. And that's why we were able to create what we were able to create. It's because you know who you are, you know. And I know that's it's that's ever evolving, you know. But um really like kudos to you two. Cause like I you brought everything to the table for these photos. And it was incredible. It was an incredible, incredible experience for me to just be a part of. Um, and I just know that there's gonna be many more where that came around. So yeah. But also when you say like changing the photo on your website, like I just see you guys turning a page. Yeah, you know, turning a page to the next one, yeah, you know, appreciating the story, how it's unfolded, you know, the good parts and the bad parts, and you're just like ready to for the next chapter.

Barb 25:38

Yeah, you know, I think this is where we found common ground. You mentioned how entrepreneurship was that like that shift, that little like you started this business and you were like, oh, okay, there's a lot uh to unpack here. And we had the exact same experience with entrepreneurship where we thought we were just starting a business and we were just gonna throw parties, and really we had to unpack a full suitcase of things that I didn't even know I was carrying in order to be five years in business, in order to

Manifesting The Leap To Full Time

Barb 26:15

know myself, in order to know what we're doing, and you experienced that too. So I I want to talk about your entrepreneur journey because you shared a story with us and you kind of talked about it in your origin story with this manifestation thing, and we're huge on manifesting, like I believe it. I I know it's true as I don't think it, I don't know it. And when you shared, I saw it. Like I immediately, oh, okay, like she can do this too. Yeah, it's not just us, and it's so easy. It's so easy.

SPEAKER_03 26:51

You just have to believe, yeah, and you have to dream. Um, so I shared uh the story of how I um eventually started my business. Like I said, I picked up a camera in 2016, but it took me um, let's say five years to actually start a business. So I was working for an environmental nonprofit that shall not be named, even though they should be called out to the heavens high for being the worst place to work. I was so stressed out. Um, I was just plotting my escape year after year.

Lyssa 27:25

I love that.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

And finally, um, but I I started really getting into oh, I think so it was through astrology and and the moons. And honestly, moving to Rochester changed that because we actually had seasons. And so I became more in touch with the seasons. So I started journaling around new moons. And because new moons are where you plant your seeds. And especially, or at least I feel especially around the spring and autumn equinox and the summer and winter solstice is like the best time like to go deep, you know. Uh, and the new moons, you know, you plant seeds. So I wrote out a six-month plan. This is in March 2022. Um, and I said, I want to leave my job by August 1st. And in order to do that, I need this amount of money in my bank account. Um, I need to pay off all of my debt and make it happen, you know? And but I don't know if I ever really believed that it it would happen, to be honest. Like you wrote it. It was a little bit of a pipe dream, you know. I was still like a baby at that point. Like I've learned so much about like what I'm capable of. Um, but I I was just like, I would love for this to happen, please universe. Yeah. Uh and but I started making it happen. I put one foot in front of the other, started paying off my debt, and I was taking out a lot of work at my job. So I was getting bonuses for basically like going above and beyond. Uh, and um I was able through that to, you know, stock away some money. And then I went on vacation with my husband. We did an amazing road trip and got back to an email basically saying my department has been eliminated, and you can either take this job, which would essentially be a promotion, and this other department, it would have been an amazing job. I'd have been like traveling to Brazil like all the time. You know, it'd been really cool. Um, but I would had to been working for this organization. I was like, no, not worth it. Yeah. Um, and with our union's help, I was able to negotiate like a pretty good severance package. And I got like another bonus, like an inflation check, you know. And it came to the exact, I think like two grand more than the dollar amount that I had written in my journal.

Lyssa 29:47

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 29:47

Yeah. So I consulted my friends and family, everybody I knew. I was like, what do I do? Do I take this job, this really safe path, but maybe be unhappy? Or do I start do I go full-time photography? Literally every single person, without even hesitating, was like, oh yeah, you you go be a photographer. Yeah. You start your own business. Like, even my husband, he is the most risk-averse person I've ever met. He his job is in risk. He's a risk officer at a bank. Okay. He evaluates risk and he's a reasonable. He has that job. Even he was like, I don't care what it takes. You go be a photographer, you start your own business. I believe you. I believe in you.

Barb 30:29

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 30:30

Um, so yeah. And but everybody else said the same. But he was really the one where I was like, obviously, I'm not gonna do this without his blessing, you know? That's a financial thing. Yeah, you know. So he's he was very supportive and he's still very supportive. I love you, Chris.

Lyssa 30:45

That's so sweet. Yeah, no, that's that was amazing. I remember when you first told us that story because those are the moments that people don't think are possible, right? If I write this down, if I make this plan, if I say I need this number by this date, there's no way that I'm gonna do it. And it wasn't so much that you were figuring it out the whole way through of like, I'm gonna do this to get this much money and this to get this much money and this to get this much money. It was more so of you had to surrender and you had to allow the universe to do what it does best. Trust. And when you trusted, you just continued to live your life, you continued to move the needle forward in the way that you wanted. And then the universe said, Okay, here's the money. You said you wanted this much money, here it is. It was wild. Make your decision.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

And I I grew up, I did not have money growing up. Like money, that that kind of that number that I put down on the paper was a wild dream of mine. Yeah, you know. Um, so anyway, it was yeah, I it's powerful. Yeah, it's just it's so powerful. But yeah, so like write down exactly what you want and be very specific about it. And honestly, do that every day. I mean, if you have time for that. But at most, like I recommend, you

Solstice Energy And New Moon Planning

SPEAKER_03 32:05

know, at least around the new moons, which is monthly, or around the equinox or the solstice. That's when you do like your your deep dives.

Barb 32:13

So you actually texted us, I think it was yesterday, and mentioned something about the solstice. So let's talk about like when is it? What do we do? Give us what the deep. Yes. Give us all the deets because we need to know. We need to do it. I need to go deep.

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Well, it's usually um, I think it's June 20th or 21st. Yeah. Uh sometimes it it kind of like fluctuates a little bit where the exact new uh the exact solstice lands. Um, but it's coming up in a couple short weeks. So it's my I I love the summer solstice because there's just so much energy. Like you're at like, you're at like energy maximum, you know? And I love to just be outside and that's like my time to really commune with nature. That's how I feel best celebrating the summer solstice. I don't actually know too much about like how historically it's been celebrated, but I know um like bonfires, you light bonfires, you know, at sunset, and but you just be outside, you know. So that's my plan. Um and yes, I will be spending as much time outside. Yeah, I love that.

Barb 33:31

So then when you say like journaling around the new moon, journaling around equinoxes, solstice, tell us more.

Lyssa 33:40

Yeah, like do you have like a prompt that you kind of like your go-to prompt? Like this is a new moon, so like, or is it more so that you just like new moons? I focus on like goals.

SPEAKER_03 33:50

Yes, good question. I don't have like standard prompts. Okay, um, I follow Chani Nicholas, astrologer, and she has a great app that has like journal prompts for your sign. So a lot of times I will meditate. You want to first like I always try to like meditate and really just kind of ground myself, just find a quiet spot and um meditate, meditate on the journal prompts that are presented. But um, and then honestly, I I answer the journal prompts and a lot of times it's just like evaluating, like what's what's going well? Where do you where do you want to go from here? And the simple part is you just write down where do you want to go from here. You know, I'm a very goal-oriented person, so how very you need to have like a six-month plan. You can have any kind of plan you want. Yeah, you know, I just think the most important thing is to have like some date in mind. Yeah. Like this is where I want to be by this time. It could be a year, it could be five years, it could be six months. I like to plan in six months chunks. That feels very like tangible, tangible and manageable, you know, and then I can evaluate quicker, like once I get done. Like that. Um, and then I just write as detailed a list as possible. And it it can be redundant, just brain dump what what you want, you know. Uh, write down what life looks like when you wake up on this day, you know, so you can really like go. So you're like injecting detail into and just be as detailed as, you know. Yeah. It's like you're writing your wishes down. Yeah. You know? Do you go back and read all the time?

Lyssa 35:36

Yeah. That's something that I have to get better with. I don't go back. And I don't know if it's sometimes because a lot of my journaling is just kind of like random brain dumps, like I just need to get it all out of my head. And so I'm like, what am I going back to that random thought on April 23rd? You never know. But like you never know. And I feel like I have to get into that. But I think something that I'm learning, right, is that I had a very tra I don't want to say very, I had a traumatic, right? Like life, you know, kind of going through all of the motions and doing the things. And now life is really good and I'm really happy. And so it's very easy now to not think about the life that I used to have. And I don't necessarily want to go back, you know, to the life and like read it and think about it and have to like feel it again. So I think that's always what has stopped me from going back and reading because I always feel like it's bad

Journaling Lows Gratitude And Permission

Lyssa 36:40

shit, you know, or something like rough that I was feeling or low. And I never want to go back and read the lows. But I don't think it's fair to only go back and read the highs either. So there's just like this balance, and I think that's where I'm at like right now, is like I'm just fearful of having to like go back and read it and just like remember all the dumb shit that I used to do, you know, and like do all that.

SPEAKER_03 37:07

What do you ever just journal what you're really grateful for?

Lyssa 37:13

So that's those are newer, newer ones. Um, and I would say like that's kind of what started the whole journaling thing for me in general, was like I I didn't know how to journal. I knew it was something everybody talked about, and you should do it. And you, you know, I knew I had a lot of feelings and people were saying, write it down, get it out. Um, and I just would sit there and stare at a blank page because my mind would race and then I'm like, well, I don't know what I'm supposed to say to the paper, you know, and my mind is kind of just going off. Um, and so they started with just lists. They started with gratitude lists, and I would just literally one, two, three, four, like to ten. And then if I was having a great day, then maybe I could do 20, you know? But like it started off very small and it it gradually grew in from a list into like now I can actually like write that I'm grateful for this and that this happened and it made me feel good. And there are definitely pages in the journal that have that because I know how important it is to kind of go into the gratitude, but I feel like sometimes it's always a matter of like this situation really sucks right now. So I'm gonna go be grateful for like all these other things because I don't want to like focus on the thing that's like really shitty in the moment. Yeah, and I think that that sh that part is where like I never wanna go back and read it because I'm just you don't want to revisit it. I don't want to revisit it. Yeah. So then I'm like, that's fine. But then if I start journaling only happy stuff so that way I can go back and read, you know, cheating. You feel like you're cheating. It's not real. I mean, let me tell you a quick story.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

I journaled the winter solstice. It was, you know, like December 20 something, 2025. And I love that's like my Christmas and New Year's, like all wrapped in one. And I I wrote down in the journal, I literally just wrote down over and over, I am so tired. I am so tired. I am so tired. That's all I could get out. That's literally like I had, I had not, I just was like, I'm so tired. And I was looking at that the other day and I was like, dang, Brittany, I'm so sorry you felt that way now. Like you didn't feel like that way anymore. Sorry you're feeling that way. But I think it's important to look back and see how far, how much things have changed. But there's also something to be said. There's some traumatic things that, you know, maybe make that like a sacred space to revisit it and like really give yourself a like a good container to like revisit that. Yeah. Um, because I mean, I know y'all know, like confronting the hard stuff is the only way that like we grow. And, you know, it's not just about like, I don't know, it's it's facing that is important, you know? Yeah. So that that's just what I wanted to say, you know, to that. And then, you know, just keep journaling about what you're grateful for, but don't feel like you need to always write things, you know, like how are you really feeling? And that's okay. Yeah. And if you have nothing to say, yeah. And if you don't have anything that like you really, you because you touched on that, if you don't have anything, you're like, my life is really good right now. I don't even know what I would what I would ask for, you know.

Lyssa 40:33

But is that really true?

SPEAKER_03 40:34

Yeah.

Lyssa 40:35

And I think that's the hard part too, right? Is because when I, it's this like that let fine line of like, I'm so grateful for everything that I have right now. And then if I'm asking for more, does that make me ungrateful for what I have right now? Like it almost feels like this contradictory, like, moment where I'm like, no, life is so good. Look at what it used to be, look at how much you've changed it, and like now you're asking for more. Like, that's exhausting, Alisa.

Barb 41:01

You know, I I think it's the pressure, and this is again uh like everybody has their own pressures that they put on themselves. Where in this is why we gather in community, this is why we talk to other women to get different ideas to hear, well, how do you do it? Because like I'm struggling with journaling because I'm feeling this and this, and all of a sudden, well, you don't have to feel that, right? And now maybe that's gonna prompt you to go home and all of a sudden be able to crack open something that you were avoiding. I there is no right or wrong way, yeah, right? Yeah, there really is. You always think I'm doing it wrong or I'm not doing it right, or I should be doing this, and it's it's a journey, and everyone's journey is different. We didn't, we never journaled, we were adult journalers.

Lyssa 41:54

We are literally five years ago, our adult journalers.

Barb 41:58

Does that coincide with when you became entrepreneurs?

Lyssa 42:00

Yes, yeah, no, a thousand percent because we were trying to expand and we we had to. I had to have a different life in order to show up for this business, right? At the time, we both had other jobs. She was a teacher, she had to go and perform and be in school, be in this place all day long. I was in a very unfulfilling, you know, corporate position that, you know, I felt the same way, right? Like, I fucking hate it here. What am I doing? This company is trash, and I just have to keep showing up every single day. And that's when it got hard. Um, and I think that is. That's where we were like, okay, we have to do other things. And journaling came came into the mix. You know, they were like, this really helps. And we're like, all right, guys, we're gonna see if this little notebook is gonna change my life. And and it did though. The the little gratitude lists, and I can go back and see my very poorly Instagram filtered, you know, posts where I posted that very first time where I sat on my deck and I just wrote 10 things that I was grateful for, and how that has now snowballed into what I can do today. You know, now I can, you know, pay attention to the moon cycles and journal and and move with intention in a way that I couldn't move with intention. In the beginning, I just had to write down that I was grateful for my coffee and my house and my health, and like that's all I could muster. And, you know, and now there's so much more to it, but it's almost intimidating to know that that there's still more to it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

I mean, your coffee and your your patio, like I would be grateful for that too. You know, those are the little things, you know, to constantly be grateful for. I don't know if you've heard like heard the saying, you probably have. Um, but the if you're not grateful for what you have right now, the universe isn't gonna give you anything else. You know? Yeah.

Barb 43:50

So that little nugget can help you change, right? You have to write how grateful you are to get more.

SPEAKER_03 44:00

And if you're truly happy in life, there's no pressure to try to dream bigger. But also, are you sure that's not a limiting belief? Saying, you know, I should just be happy where I am. I can't dream bigger. Yeah. Um, and that's always like as a woman, like every we're just we have so many limiting beliefs, you know. Yeah. Um, and I can only imagine, like as a woman of color, like I don't have that experience, but that's like that's another layer of you know, society trying to limit you, you know. Uh and so every day we're getting past like limiting beliefs. I think it's just an important question to ask. Like it could be true that you're completely fulfilled, and that's fucking awesome. Yeah, you know, but is there anything else?

Lyssa 44:52

Right. Or are we scared to ask for we scared to ask?

SPEAKER_03 44:56

Because we feel like we should be happy.

Lyssa 44:57

Yeah.

Barb 44:58

That is a good one. Um, one more question on this topic. What is your routine? Like, do you go back every day to revisit? Do you set like a sacred time to do this thing? Um, you know, walk us through that.

SPEAKER_03 45:16

I think it varies. Um, I keep my journal on my desk. And if I look at it and I feel inspired, I'll pick it up and just start reading through it. Um, but I do around the equinoxes and the solstice, like I said, like those are kind of like four points of the year where I do kind of set, like I'll go as far as like setting up an altar, you know, I'll light candles, I'll close myself in a room and tell Chris not to bother me and I'll meditate and I'll really just like ground myself. Um, and so it becomes like a ritual, but it like I don't do that every day or even once a month. Um, I did do that for this past full moon in Sagittarius because I went to a tarot astrologer and she told me to do this ritual. Um and so I had a wedding that day. As soon as I got home at like 9 30. I was like, Chris, I'm gonna go inside to be with the full moon. And he was like, Okay. Okay. Um so yeah, like whenever you feel compelled, damn it. You know, there's no, there's no rules. I mean, whenever you think that's what it needed.

Lyssa 46:35

It's the it's the rules, right? I feel, and I'm sure a lot of people, right? We feel like we're doing it wrong. I definitely don't do it every day. And I feel like that's how I start almost all of my journal entries. Like recently, are like, oh, there you go. It's been six days because there you still didn't do it every day. But again, I don't, I feel like it's the the unwarranted pressure. Like I'm just doing it to myself. Why do I have to journal every day? I don't know. I don't know. It's just like this unrealistic expectation that I keep putting onto myself. And yeah, maybe it's time to just like let that go. I journal when I journal.

SPEAKER_03 47:11

When you don't make it feel when you feel like uh compelled for it. When you need it, when you just need to be grounded. And you know, if you feel yourself just kind of like I do it all the time, I'm just like, I'm floating. Yeah, like I'm floating into space, like I need to ground myself, I need to just reconnect, I need to relax, calm my nervous system. Um, that's when I feel like I will lock myself in the office and light a candle.

Barb 47:36

It's the permission. Yeah. And that's what this conversation, or at least this piece is is like give yourself permission to figure it out. Give yourself permission to try things and not judge. And if you don't like it, guess what? Stop doing it. But if you do like it, guess what? Keep doing it. Something that works. So like keep doing it. You brought up this idea of like more rituals, and that's something for us. We are finding that we've learned how to be spiritual beings, or we're still learning, obviously. Um, and we need more. Like we we do it, and then like we're kind of consistent for a period of time, and then all of a sudden we're like, throw that shit away. I'm not doing that anymore. And then we feel the lack. Yeah, yeah. And like, holy, I'm not connected, I'm not feeling aligned, I'm not feeling this joy that I know that my life has. And we're starting to realize, well, the spirituality is not just a sometimes thing. Yeah, this is like you need this is a way of life, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:43

There is some intention and discipline, you know, that you need um

Retreats Alone Time And Creative Rituals

SPEAKER_03 48:50

if you want to be, you know, the best version of yourself. I think um that's something I'm trying to work on, like the discipline. I just started a book today. We'll see if I finish it. It's a it's called The Artist's Way. Oh, we have that one. Do you? Yeah, I haven't started it yet. I started it this morning. But on that note, like I one thing I'm promising to myself is to block off intentional times on my calendar. Like I'm talking about like week blocks, um, where it's just a retreat, like a going deep, a deep dive retreat. Um, I'm doing mine alone in the woods. I love that. From Fortress. That's right. That's right. I so I that's kind of why I picked up the artist's way. Um, I wanted to start it before I went into the woods. Like, you know, I don't want to put so much pressure on the trip that I like have to do this. I'm kind of hoping I get hooked in before I even get there, but then spend like some really quality time while I'm in the woods and just being with nature and alone. I'm a I'm a I'm a rechargeable alone. Yeah. Yeah. Um, some of my friends think I'm absolutely crazy, and I think my husband does too. Um I don't, but it's a thing.

Barb 50:02

You don't either. Yeah, yeah. I rather much enjoy my alone time, very much. So it's I think it's part of being right. We think of people as introverts or extroverts, like you love people or you don't like being around people. Yes. But nobody talks about the middle people, the people that can be extroverts, but like that's really tiring. And I'm so exhausted that I need to now go home and like close my doors and not talk to anybody to in order to recharge so that I can be an extrovert again. Yeah. Um, I think more people are that way than they realize.

Lyssa 50:37

Yeah. I think that a lot of people are scared to be with themselves. Um, I sp like I used to be one of those people. I used to always, I was always around someone. I always had to be at someone's house or there or someone's over at my place. I was never alone. And it was not until after my son was born and I left that relationship with his father, and it was just me and him where like I was experiencing nights alone. Like I always lived with someone. I always there was just always someone around. And it was not until I was literally 30 years old and in this apartment alone where I was like, oh, I'm by myself. And that meant that I had to sit with myself. I had to sit with my thoughts, you know. Like there's only so much TV you can watch, there's only so many things that you could use to drown out the noise in your head. Yeah. And I think that plays a huge factor into people think that they just like to be around other people. People think that they just like they, I just have a lot of friends and a lot of people love me. And I'm just, I'm always hanging out, you know, and you're you're making the memories. There are so many ways that you could look at always being with someone or having someone around, and they're all great things, but you have to be able to sit with yourself, like in a chair in silence, and be okay. And I think that there's a high number of people in this world that cannot do that, and it's not easy, like it took me a long time, and I used to not like it in the beginning, right? Because I don't like sitting with all the thoughts and all the feelings and all the things, you know, kind of just like there to be by myself. But once I had that, I can truly say I found peace within myself. Like that allowed me to find that peace. And now I realize that I get it from myself. So I can't be around you. I can't be around this person or that person when I need to recharge. I can only recharge from within. So, like having that alone time now is so important. Yeah. Something that I used to be scared of, I used to shy away from, and now I like live for it.

SPEAKER_03 52:50

I think extroverts need alone time too. I have a good friend, she's an extreme extrovert. Like she loves being around people so much to the point where she forces herself to go on silent retreats once a year. Yeah, yeah. Good. Just just to challenge herself to like be in that discomfort, you know, and I think that's awesome. Like here.

Barb 53:11

That's how we feel about you and your like camping trip. I I think it's a little different for us because whenever I go on vacation, I automatically have her there because she's like my right hand side. But to go on a vacation, a camping trip vacation, or not even a vacation, like just a solo trip. Yeah. I I think you're so brave.

unknown 53:37

Yeah.

Lyssa 53:38

Definitely never done a trip. When I say alone time, like that's just me sitting in my living room by myself.

Barb 53:43

You're gonna be in the woods. It's a little intimidating.

SPEAKER_03 53:45

I'm not like, oh yeah, whatever. Like I'm gonna have like bear spray, pepper spray, bringing a knife, like, you know, um things. I trust me, there's I'm intimidated, but I think the reason why I like it so much um is because I I know this is gonna sound crazy. I have an amazing husband and he does everything. Yeah, he he does our laundry, he does our grocery shopping, he does the cooking. Yeah, he likes doing that stuff. Nobody come at me. Yeah. But when I go out on these camping trips, I I am completely self-sufficient. I have to cook, I have to clean, I have to do everything myself. And it's like freeing. Yeah, you know, to just you just there's a liberation in that. Just depend on myself, you know. Um, that's really fun, you know. And I think I'm glad that I'm doing it this year because normally when I have to take trips like this, it's because I'm already burned out. I'm actually like in a pretty good place right now. Good. Like I feel great. I'm almost like, do I even need this right now? Um that's how I feel about journaling. See? Maybe maybe that's what you need to continue.

Barb 55:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:00

So like schedule out your time intentionally, you know. So like I booked the strip at the beginning of the year. This is not because I'm in emergency mode where we have to get away or else I'm gonna go in meltdown. Right. You know?

Lyssa 55:13

So I love that. Yeah. I feel like our one of our favorite little sayings though, too, is just to trust the timing of your life, you know. So, like you said, you you set this time intentionally months ago, and now it's arrived. And usually you arrive at this feeling one way and and you don't, but that just means that there's a new gift, you know, in this time away for you that you get to discover.

SPEAKER_03 55:37

Trusting the timing in the universe, but also I checked my astrology and this astrology said I'm not gonna say the time because just for personal safety. Yeah. Um, but this week, the astrology says

Self Care As A Business Line

SPEAKER_03 55:50

you need to rest that week. Okay. And so I'm like, okay, I'm gonna schedule it now. Yeah, that's awesome.

Barb 55:57

How smart. Yeah, we found ourselves this year, back in February, March, where we took like all the vacations in the world, yeah, but we scheduled it because we learned last year that if we didn't schedule it, we wouldn't stop, we wouldn't take the break, we would keep working because we do love what we do. And then all of a sudden we find ourselves exhausted, tired, crying, like what is happening? And then like just completely out of balance. Yeah. And looking at each other and saying, like, how did we get here? Yeah. And having to say, well, we got us here. Yeah. And learning that no, we need to schedule these things, we need to put these things on the calendar because that is what an entrepreneur does. It's not just always working on the business, it's not just always pushing and pushing and pushing. It is resting, it is taking intentional time, it is scheduling things for you because you are the business. Yeah. So it's just this loop, right? This circle that only entrepreneurs get, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 57:02

I was about to say, I feel like that's part of maturing as an entrepreneur is understanding like self-care is yeah, top priority.

Lyssa 57:11

It's a necessity. It's not, it's not seen as a luxury. And even though it's like us taking care of ourselves, we have to look at self-care as a business line item.

SPEAKER_03 57:22

Especially as a mom. Yes. You know, like I'm not a mom, so I realize there's my situation is different. Probably can't go, you're in the village, go into the woods, disappear. Um, but yeah, I can't like as a mom, especially, you have to schedule that time and be unapologetic about it. Hopefully, I know there's a lot of emotions around leaving your kids, but yeah, um, you deserve it.

Barb 57:47

But you have to you have to. It's you can get lost. I think we've we've found ourselves lost in the business before, we've found ourselves lost in motherhood before, lost in relationships when we weren't focusing on ourselves, right? We were giving, giving, giving to all of these other things and never giving to ourselves. And that has taken time and that's been a journey on its own. But insert any title or all the titles, you have to give yourself what you give everybody else.

SPEAKER_03 58:22

And that is taking care of your family. Yeah. Like taking care of yourself, your, your, you know, is taking care of your family, you know? It really is.

Lyssa 58:32

I wish my mom had done that. Yeah. Me too. I know, right? The it's the oxygen mask thing. You know what I mean? And and I think it's uh obviously like a generational thing as well. But like I remember being on planes, and they tell you, you know, if the oxygen mask comes down, you put it on first and then you help others. And my mother used to always say, No way in hell, I'm gonna put that oxygen mask on my kids, and then I will put it on myself. She used to be so adamant about that. And when I became a mother, and for the first three years of his life, I didn't put my oxygen mask on. Those were some rough years. Yeah. And then I learned how to put my oxygen mask on, and now I can show up as exactly who I want to be, exactly who he needs me to be. I can show up exactly as I want in my business because I learned how to take my oxygen. And when I have that, I can now be all the things. I can do everything that I need to do under the sun. I can wear all the hats and carry all these titles if I put my oxygen mask on first. So like I can never look at that as being selfish or doing anything just for my own gain. I know that taking care of me absolutely takes care of everything else under the sun.

Barb 59:50

Yeah.

Lyssa 59:51

That is that was a hard lesson to learn, but it is one that like I can't unlearn now, now knowing that it's still an everyday struggle, right? To make yourself first. It's still that habit of like, oh, well, here's all the things you got to do today, and you need to take something off the list because you only have 24 hours, and the first things are always gonna be, right? Those self-care things for you because you're the easiest thing to pop off the list. But at the end of the day, when you have that awareness and you know how important it is, you make it a point, right? Like you could have looked at, you know, your trip and said, Oh, well, I'm actually not even like feeling this way. Instead, maybe I can go book a few more sessions or do something that, you know, but you're like, no, I booked this time away from myself and I'm gonna take this time away from myself, whether or not I'm feeling burnt out or whatever it is we need to feel in order to take that time. It's not just being intentional with it, but it's also, like you said, the discipline to stick with it and to keep doing it because that's where that's where the change happens. Yeah. I'm not there yet.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:55

It's a journey. It's a journey. Yeah. But I'm glad you I'm glad you finally took your mask. Well, not take your mask off, but yeah, put your mask on first. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I'm so glad you've you I mean, three years. Um, I feel like some parents don't really take you know, put their mask on first for a lot longer.

Lyssa 1:01:19

It's a very hard concept for for parents, right? Because you're responsible for life. And I think the pressure.

Barb 1:01:24

The pressure, the pressure, the what I'm hearing from the general population of like you should do this and you should do this. And you at a certain point of maturing, I think you naturally just start shedding what other people think. Yeah. And like you're just like, fuck it. I'm just gonna do what I want to do. And you know, that is a gift that maturing gives you, especially as

Parenting Pressure And Keep Going Advice

Barb 1:01:50

a woman.

Lyssa 1:01:50

Yeah.

Barb 1:01:51

And it's hard. And that's why it is one of the reasons why we started this podcast. It is one of the huge reasons why we love highlighting other people's story because you carry that yourself. And all of a sudden you feel isolated from every other person on this planet because no one understands, quote unquote. But this conversation, right? You shared, you're not a mother, but you understand because you work with moms and you try to understand.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:21

I want to understand. I wish I was a mom, you know. Yeah. Um, there are definitely some days I'm grateful that I'm not. Those are all natural. But I try to understand, you know, because I know motherhood is so hard, you know. And honestly, I can't imagine being a business owner and being a mom. Yeah.

Barb 1:02:40

Like, how do y'all do it? It's we actually are finding ourselves um getting connected with more new entrepreneurs that have babies, like kids under two and under, multiple kids to and under, and they're sharing. Like, I am completely overwhelmed. I'm drowning on all of this. Like, what do you recommend? I'm having trouble with this. And we're it's so much grace that we hold in our heart for them because we didn't start our business when the kids were young in their younger years. We started it when they were a little bit older, becoming more self-sufficient. And I I couldn't imagine, I couldn't imagine doing all of the work that you have to do as an entrepreneur in order to be successful, in order to move that forward, and have these tiny little people needing you every day. So there's just there's so much grace that we're holding for them while also like reminding them that there's a future you there's that's gonna be so proud of you.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:50

I was about to ask, what advice do you give them when they come to you? Like honestly.

Lyssa 1:03:55

Honestly, it's just a keep going. Like you just you just have to keep going, understanding that you know, your parenthood journey changes. Like it's there's phases. You're in the baby phase, then you're in the toddler phase, then you're in this little kid phase, then they go to school and you're in the school age phase, and they're teenagers, and there's a teenager phase, which guess what, guys? Not that fun. Um then, you know, all the things, you know. So it's it's understanding that it's actually never gonna go away. You know, this feeling that you're feeling is never gonna go away. Um, so learning how to live with it, learning how to give yourself the grace because you're understanding that you're doing this for the first time too, right? Like we give ourselves all this pressure because we're parents and yet we don't, we're doing this for the first time. Yeah. It's just like anything else that you do for the first time. And obviously the stakes are so much higher because it's like a human life that you're taking care of. But at the end of the day, this is your first time doing something like this. So you just have to be proud that you survived the day and understand that if you keep going, you will continue to survive. And eventually that surviving will turn into thriving. But you just have to keep going and you have to keep trying. And so long as you try and you show up, and if you put your oxygen mask on first every once in a while, because it's hard in the beginning, you know, you will be able to get through it and see that light, you know, on the other side. And we do, we commend them all because our children were a little bit older, and it can't be easy. I was just telling her, I was like, I breastfed Oliver for two and a half years. So for the first two and a half years of his life, and he he'd never got a bottle. I didn't pump, he was just straight boob. Wow. So imagine trying to throw a party and care about someone's napkin color while there is a baby attached to my boob 24 7. Like, I couldn't do that. That feels really it feels so hard, right? So it's it's just taking that moment and Acknowledging that because I think that's all we really need. We just need the acknowledgement that yeah, what you're doing is really hard. Don't think that like you're failing because you're trying to do this and you're trying to feed and your baby and you're trying to get this package out on time and you're doing all the stuff you don't care about. You just want to take a nap with that part. And you know, all the things like you just you just gotta keep going. You just gotta show up. You gotta be like, okay, guess what? I fed my baby today, and your napkins are gonna be this color, and you just gotta move on. Um, there's like that dwelling that we can sit in for a very long time, and I think that's just like our our biggest piece of advice is like if you just keep going, like you will, you will get there. But we do, we give our flowers as much as we can because I don't know what that would have been like. I don't know if I could say that we would have done all the things that we did in this business or if we would have grown at the rate that we grew this business if I had a kid attached to me, the way that you know babies are attached to you. Like we just were able to move and do things a little bit differently because our kids were already a little bit older.

Barb 1:07:08

And that's our story, right? And recognizing that everyone's story is different. Yeah, your story is different than our story. Yeah, and that's okay. We can find the commonalities

Community Purpose And Where To Find Brittany

Barb 1:07:20

and we can find the things that bring us together and let everything else kind of just be the individual story. Yeah, yeah.

Lyssa 1:07:29

There's this shared wins and miserage and you know the shared human experience. Like she said, when we sit with ourselves and we think about all these things, we think that it's only happening to us, but we have to talk about it. We have to share our story. Everyone has to share their story because it helps you realize that we are all in this together. And you know, through this shared human experience, like we're able to find that motivation to keep going for sure. And it sounds like you have.

Barb 1:07:56

Yes. We we worked really hard and we feel like we're there. And again, this podcast was created to do just that. Yeah, it was created to share and highlight and build community and help people not feel as alone as we felt when we started this journey. Yes, we felt very alone, we felt very isolated, we felt like, oh my god, this must just be a thing.

Lyssa 1:08:20

And like we didn't have people to DM and say, hey, how are you feeling? Like we we didn't have that. So like the fact that we have built that and that people are messaging us and sharing their stories with us, it's it's magic. That's incredible. It really is.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:36

I am inspired by you two so much. First of all, you're moms, you're running multiple businesses. I don't know, I lost count. For now, should I say? And you're putting like you're you're giving yourselves, like you're building community, you know. You're not just making profit, you know, you're it sounds like you found your purpose that is your business, but also so much more. Yeah. We're here for the plot. Yeah, the story. Yeah, the life story. Yeah. Um, I I feel like I'm I'm almost there. Like I I know there's like something else that I could be doing. Um, I don't think it's a podcast for me, um but TVD.

Barb 1:09:26

Yeah, but you're gonna find it. I love it. I'm close. Yeah, I love that. That's amazing. And maybe this weekend with just you is gonna get you even closer. Yeah. It's not this weekend. Oh, no, no. Well, I guess everyone's no no, I'm like the weekend, the weekend that you have doing your thing for yourself will help push you even closer to that thing. I think it will. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:50

I think I'm there. Yeah, I think I have some ideas in my head and I don't quite want to share them yet, just because they're still like they just came to me after this full moon. Um, I did a meditation where I went into a cave, like visualized myself going into cave, into a cave just to see what I can find.

Lyssa 1:10:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:13

And it was really cool. I became a mermaid. This is awesome. I think you're gonna have to share this with you. Guided or you doing the work on your own? I just literally sat there out on my back deck and just it was hard. I kept having to go back in, you know, and kind of like restart it. But then once I like I eventually figured out what I was looking for, I think.

Barb 1:10:39

Um, okay, so then I don't want to ask what you were looking for. I do want to ask the mermaid.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:44

What color were you? What color was your hair? What color was your hair? It was kind of translucent, to be honest. I love that. Like I so I I ended up in the Florida aquifer system. I everything comes back to Florida. It's my home. It's like I don't really understand the environment of their place. So I was like basically traveling through roots, like a root system that eventually went into the Florida Aqua aquifer system. And if you're familiar, which you maybe not be, um, there is actually a massive case system underneath Florida that is you can swim through caves and go cave to cave, you know, um, essentially like underneath the whole northern half of the state. Um, so that's where I ended up. And I I found things and um yeah, I will keep you posted.

Barb 1:11:39

I love you. I can't wait for my first meditation to turn into a mermaid. I am so excited. I was surprised, actually.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:48

But um, I'm also a Pisces Rising, so we're like water people, you know, so we always end up in water somewhere.

Lyssa 1:11:56

I love that. That's so cool. No, I think that the biggest thing I think that I am grateful is that you are just so open. Your I feel the same about you, too. Your mind is so open and aware, and those are just not qualities that you find in everyone. Um, so we are very grateful. Kindred souls. Yes, absolutely. Um, but this does feel like a good place to love and leave our friends. So, would you like um to let everyone know like where they can find you, get more information on Britain?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:30

Yeah. Uh so I have a website that's where, like, if you're interested in working with me or exploring my work, uh BrittanNicole.com, B-R-I-T-T-E-N. Uh, and then on Instagram, if you're okay with a little bit of politics and a lot of deer, I my Instagram is at Britton Nicole. And again, that's photography and also just my life um strain, stream of consciousness.

Lyssa 1:13:00

I love your page. I love your deer.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:02

I love all deers.

Lyssa 1:13:04

Um and those are the I think the two main two main ones. Um, yeah, and we'll make sure. Absolutely. Thank you for being on. Thank you for sharing your story because again, these are not easy stories to always share. And we appreciate your vulnerability and your openness with us today. Literally the same to you. I love it. All right, well, this is the part where you guys are gonna do all the things you're gonna like and follow and subscribe. You can follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Marks and Mindset Podcast. And if you're local to the ROC and you want to party with us at Homemade Events ROC. Until next time. Bye. Sounds okay.