October 15, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, Iris and Elaine share their near death experiences and how lucky they are to be alive and how they both might have had help from the other side.
We'd LOVE to know what you think and if you've had anything close like this happen to you! It is that Spoooooky time of year too!
Iris Goldfeder is the owner and chief bottle washer for GasStoveCreative, which is is a full-service, holistic marketing company. We provide custom, boutique work for small, local businesses in the Lafayette, Indiana, area and beyond. We provide marketing and consultation services to small business owners who are lacking the time, skill-set, and resources needed to successfully market their business.
We specialize in brand marketing, traditional marketing services, podcast production, video production, animation, and more.
Iris shares part of her amazing entrepreneurial journey with some laughs along the way. She is about as real and raw as they come which makes people fall in love with her authenticity and her as a human being!
You're in for a treat when you listen to this spooky, cool episode!
MY MOTTO IS: “If you’re not online, you’re not an option!” (this is a pending ™)
To Learn more about Iris, visit her Website
Listen to her podcast, The Cook Book Podcast
Follow Iris on social media- Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:08):
I'm about to do my first episodeof Captivate the Mic and I'm so
excited.
I have Iris coming on and she issuch a great storyteller,
fabulous personality and amazingbusiness woman.
If you know anybody who wants towork on their speaking, their
camera presence, their podcastguesting, please share this with
(00:29):
them because my goal is thatthey're It's funny,
entertaining, but also that youwalk away with actionable items
that you can implement rightaway so that you can become a
better speaker, a dynamic,charismatic, owning your badass
in a fun, authentic way.
This is the first episode ofcaptivate the mic with Iris
(00:50):
Goldfeder as my fabulous,amazing host, who is a marketing
guru and has.
Inspiring transformationalstories.
You're going to love thisepisode and we're so happy that
you're here, please enjoy.
Hello.
I am so excited to have my veryfirst guest on my first episode
(01:10):
of Captivate the Mic, IrisGoldfeder.
Iris, you are so amazing.
You've done so many things.
You're one of my heroes.
You're so generous.
And supportive and brilliant andfun.
And I got to be the first gueston your first episode on your
podcast.
So it just seems absolutelyperfect that we're doing it this
(01:31):
way.
thank you so much for beinghere.
Thank you for having me.
I'm really honored andflattered.
Do you want to tell us, I, Ilove your origin story.
I know that you had some troubleand now you're this really
successful marketing guru, butit wasn't always this way.
And so do you mind telling us alittle bit about.
Your evolution.
(01:52):
Sure.
So I was in the Bronx.
I grew up in Queens.
Woo.
Yo for ourselves.
And then we moved to Florida andI went to high school in
Florida.
Where I did not graduate becausemy mom moved in with her
boyfriend and left the 15 yearold to her own devices.
(02:13):
Oh, Lord.
Yeah.
And so I didn't graduate.
I did get my GED and I gotreally high scores on my GED,
but I'm not a college graduatehomeless when I was 19 years
old, I've a hard beginning.
There was a lot of shit thathappened when I was younger
seven, eight years old.
And I guess we talk about allthis stuff.
(02:33):
My grandfather molested me for ayear.
And then I had another episodehappened when I was 10 and and
then moving to Florida.
I was in boarding school andthen we took me out of boarding
school.
I went to junior high school andForest Hills for a year and then
we moved to Florida.
And it was just like this crazytime.
And I was homeless when I was 19and didn't really find myself.
(02:57):
I think I had a rest ofdevelopment and didn't really
grow up, and I think everybodywho's had a hard beginning at
one time or another got to apoint where it felt like it was
too much.
And I knew though it's I knewthat I was meant for something
greater.
(03:18):
Don't ask me how I couldn't evenbegin to tell you, but I did and
I reinvented myself.
I met somebody online and movedto Illinois where I completely
remade myself.
And here we are 30 years later25 years marketing experience.
(03:41):
And just, I pinch myself somedays.
How am I not dead?
How did I make it?
And then, even after making it Iknow this is your favorite,
story, but I had a guy tell mehere to be less me.
And I was what do you mean?
And he goes you're a New Yorkerand you're in a group with a
bunch of introverts and so youshould pull back a little.
(04:05):
And I was like, huh I can beintense.
Like I know I'm intense.
Everyone tells me I could be alittle intense.
So I did, I pulled back and Igot clients.
But they weren't the rightclients because as soon as they
came out they were like, ah, andbecause I curse clearly, sorry.
And as soon as I think my firstF bomb came out, they were like,
(04:27):
oh my God.
And then I would lose them.
And I finally looked at it and Iwas the hell am I doing?
Work with me because They knowmy experience.
They know my skill set.
They know my brain.
They want to work with mebecause they want to work with
me.
So finally I was like, screw it.
I'm just going to be me.
And here we are.
I love it.
Three years later.
(04:49):
I love it.
So many women I know, myselfincluded, have been told from a
very early age, you're too much.
You're too much, but you're alsonot enough.
You're too loud.
You're too bubbly, pull it back.
But then I also was told Iwasn't good enough.
And then, we keep going withthat.
I'm so grateful that you wereable to, have that
(05:09):
transformation.
It's amazing.
I feel like the universe sendsyou an angel and then you're
like, Oh wait, I know I meantfor so much more.
Yeah.
And I just had a rough start.
Yeah.
Did I ever tell you the roadangel story?
No, tell me.
This was crazy.
First off, I love how we'relike, we did not coordinate
this.
We're not planning this, butwe're ordering blue.
(05:30):
Okay.
So years ago, so I, I washomeless.
And then I was with thishomeless shelter.
I'm not going to mention theirname so anyway woman who ran the
not for profit was a nun, SisterAmy, and we're still dear
friends today.
But after, I was homeless andthey'd helped me, I always went
to give back and she calls me upand she goes, the antenna on the
roof is a little wonky.
(05:52):
Can you come and fix it?
And I said, sure, because.
That's what I do.
I like fix shit, right?
Whether it's for my clients orjust in life in general, I'm a
fixer.
So it was pouring and I'm in alittle Fiero and I'm driving
from, I think I was in likeLevittown or something, but I
(06:13):
was like driving from Levittownto.
Baldwin and if you're from NewYork, Long Island, right?
And so anyway, so I'm onSouthern State Parkway and
there's this like overpass,right?
So it's like Southern StateParkway and then there's the
Meadowbrook Parkway and there'sthis overpass and then when you
get under the overpass, there'sthis hill because it goes up so
(06:33):
that you can get on theMeadowbrook.
I'm driving and it's pouringdown rain and I'm in the left
hand lane.
And all of a sudden I fishtailand I spin three times and I end
up horizontal on a three lanehighway.
Oh my gosh.
And all the traffic stopped.
(06:53):
Nothing hit me.
And this great car pulls up nextto me and this guy gets out and
gets in my car.
I don't let anybody strange inmy car, right?
This guy gets out, gets in mycar.
And he goes, you're okay.
And he puts his hand on myshoulder and he goes, and I'm
like, the car's not starting,the car's not starting.
He goes, you're in drive.
(07:16):
He goes, put the car in park andthen put it back in drive and
pull over to the, to the median,which is, or the, the shoulder,
so I'm looking at him going,okay, and I put it in park and
then I start the car again.
And then I put it in drive and Ipull over and it's boring,
right?
It's just like boring.
So I have to go around his carand he, follows me onto the
(07:40):
shoulder and then a hill, andthen I was like, Thank you.
And then all of a sudden thetraffic starts moving.
So it was time stop.
It was the weirdest thing.
The traffic is moving and I'mlike, cause I'm still in shock
at this point.
You're stunned.
And he goes, you're okay.
And I went, yeah, I said, thankyou.
And mind you, there's a strangeguy in my car.
(08:04):
Now, after somebody.
Who's been through what we'vebeen through.
We don't trust guys.
He had a hat, like almost like afedora and a raincoat kind of
thing.
I don't know.
Anyway.
So he puts his hand on myshoulder again and he says,
you're okay.
He said, give yourself aboutfive minutes.
Cause I had to get on theMeadowbrook to get to the house.
(08:26):
So he goes, in five minutes,just hop back on the ramp and
you'll be good.
And I went, okay.
And he gets out of the car andhe gets in his car and he
leaves.
And I'm like, Oh crap.
I never got to thank him.
So I get out of my car.
There's no tire tracks.
It was like that car was neverthere.
So I'm like, what the fuck justhappened?
(08:47):
So I, get the sister Amy's andshe opens the door and she's are
you okay?
You look like you just saw aghost.
I was like, I don't know what Ijust saw.
And so I told her what happenedand she said, Oh, it was a road
angel.
I said, What do you mean a roadangel?
She goes, You probably wouldhave died if there's somebody
watching out for you becausethat was a road angel.
(09:10):
If you were meant to see thatperson and thank that person,
they would have still beenthere, but there was no track of
them.
I didn't even see his car leaveit was the worst.
Oh my gosh, Iris, and I justknow, I, I lived in New York
City and I drove all over theplace for comedy and speaking
and the traffic is next levelintense.
Oh, it's nuts.
So that, yeah.
(09:30):
That is a miraculous story.
And you know what is so crazy?
Last night, I was listening toone of my favorite podcasts, my
favorite murder.
And they were talking about thisphenomenon called third person
when, and it's when people arein some kind of really dangerous
situation, a person will appearand talk them through it.
(09:53):
So it happened to this guyduring nine 11 he was in the
stairwell and he was laying downbecause there was so much smoke
and there were fires and yeah,goosebumps.
And he's he's done all thethings he's trying to help
people and he's stuck.
He was laying down and then thisvoice said, you can do this.
Let's go.
So he made it all the way out.
And only three other peopleabove where that happened
(10:17):
survived.
There's this whole thing calledthird person, which I had never
heard about.
That to me, that's a road angel.
And it's gotta be, that'sinsane.
I love that.
I'll tell you.
So I was doing comedy wayupstate, at this really fun
little town.
It was a firehouse that had beenconverted into a theater and it
(10:38):
was a Valentine's Day thing.
And it was three femalecomedians.
You can always tell people areready to have fun when they're
dressed up and they have jewelryon.
It's this was their big night,right?
So we had a great show.
Everybody had a great set.
It was really fun.
And the next day was Valentine'sday.
And I had given the other one ofthe other comics a ride up in my
(10:59):
mini Cooper.
I used to have a two door blackmini Cooper.
And the next day I was doing mycoffee, did a little yoga.
And we both said, let's go backearly.
Cause it's Valentine's day.
She wanted to be with herhusband.
And it's 9:00 AM on a Sunday Sothank God I have my coffee.
And you always see those signs,bridge may be icy, right?.
We hit this bridge and I'm going65 and all of a sudden we are
(11:25):
spinning.
And I remember my dad used toalways say, never put your foot
on the brake.
Turn Into the turn.
Yep.
Turn into the spin.
And I swear to God, SteveMcQueen came and took over.
And luckily I had both hands onthe wheel, so I'm like turning
into the spin and then turninginto the spin.
We spun six times and I justkept turning into the spin, and
(11:48):
I was slowly, I was easing myfoot off.
And then we, by the time we gotto the end of the bridge, I had
regained control.
Meanwhile, my passenger is Oh myGod.
She is freaking out.
So I pull over and we're both myGod, like what just happened?
What just happened?
And I was okay.
So I'm.
(12:09):
I'm going to go slower, eventhough we're both in a hurry,
I'm going to go slower on theway back because slower is
better than dead, and and and sowe, I went much slower the rest
of the way and we saw eightwrecks on the way back down.
Cause it was way upstate.
(12:30):
So it was a five hour thing.
And.
I really think I had SteveMcQueen and or my dad in the car
with me because I've never takenFancy driving lessons, but you
know somehow I knew what to doand I was able to regain control
Cause everybody else was like inthe ditch or in the rail or had
(12:51):
run into another car.
We saw it.
And I was so grateful because Ididn't want to hurt my friend
either, and then when we gotback to New York, my agent was
like, what the hell happened?
Vicky said, she's got whiplash.
It was intense.
But with the, with the roadangel thing, right?
With that, I was turning intothe spin as well.
I took my foot off and I justwas, going into the turn and
(13:14):
however it was spinning, that'show I had the car angled and it
was just the craziest thing.
And that's amazing.
And I still see his face.
I still see the car.
It's like one of those thingsthat just stays with you.
Yeah.
But thank God you, you were,see, somebody's watching out for
us.
I know.
When I think about, I had lotsof substance abuse issues.
I was putting my first diet inthe first grade and was bulimic
(13:37):
and then found drugs and alcoholand boys All the things.
And I'm, I had, three addictionsand I'm so lucky to be alive.
I just celebrated 24 years,which is crazy to me.
Congratulations.
That's amazing.
It was so funny.
I was because I had neverinvited my sister because, I'm
usually on the East coast, butI'm currently in Dallas.
(13:58):
And so I asked her if she wouldcome and give me my coin.
24 years, she was this is thefirst meeting I've ever been to.
And it was raucous.
It was joyful.
There were people therecelebrating 30 days and 36
years.
And it is like a warm bath oflove.
These anniversary meetings aresuch a beautiful thing.
I used to not celebrate.
Cause I was whatever.
(14:18):
And people said, Elaine, it'snot about you.
It's about showing others,right?
I was making me stuff about meand They said, when you
celebrate it shows other peoplethat they can do it to one day
at a time.
And once I realized, Oh, it'snot about me, then I celebrate
every year wherever I can,whether, sometimes I'm upstate,
(14:40):
sometimes I'm in a foreigncountry at the end of August,
you never know where you'regoing to be, but it was so cool.
To get for her to say what shesaid, then give me my coin and,
I'm just so grateful to bealive.
We've both been through it, whenyou're assaulted at a young age,
I don't think you realize howmuch that.
(15:00):
We'll mess with you.
And then unfortunately, I thinkonce that has happened to you,
you're like a beep for otherpredators.
And it's an energetic thing.
And at least in my experience, Ispoke on this topic for years on
college campuses and thank Godmore and more people are talking
about it because unfortunatelyit is so common.
We're so lucky to be alive.
(15:22):
And, I was, you're so generous.
the first time I met you, yousent me a client, like I was Who
is this woman?
I know you have a podcast andI'm sorry I sent you her, No,
it's, I thought you were, Hey,you know what?
We all live and learn.
Some clients become intimatedear friends, and some clients,
you're like, okay, we're done,Yeah.
And I fired her too.
(15:43):
I was like no.
Yeah.
You know what?
It's okay.
Some people think they'recoachable and they're actually
not, yes.
It's of the journey.
Percent correct.
On it.
I want to hear about what you'redoing now, tell us about Gasto
creative for people who don'tknow what you do.
Tell So we are all in onemarketing solutions for service
(16:05):
based business.
And when I say all in onemarketing solutions, it's where
the company that you come towhen you don't want to deal with
20 different people to get yourmarketing done.
Yeah.
So if you need a website, if youneed SEO, if you need social
media, if you need branding,design if you need trade show
setups, if you need.
Where's my little, all thethings like, chachki is right.
(16:28):
Promotional, we do it all and wedo it all.
It started because one of myclients needed all of the
services and I, I haveexperience in all of it.
And so she was like, can you dothat?
And I went.
Yeah, actually I can.
And then I realized that if sheneeded it, probably other
companies needed it.
And we don't do, if somebodylike you don't have to do all
(16:51):
the things, like if you need awebsite and SEO, we'll do that.
If you need, social media, we'lldo that.
But mainly, it's websites, SEO,podcast production and video
production are four coreservices.
And then everything else justfalls down.
I love it.
I love it.
And.
And you have a great podcast.
It's been going for a couple ofyears now.
Yeah.
The cookbook recipes for successin business and marketing or
(17:14):
it's recipes.
I think I, I say recipes forsuccess in business and
marketing.
Yes, it's the cookbook recipesfor success and business and
marketing.
And it is aboutentrepreneurship.
And it is.
For people who are thinkingabout becoming entrepreneurs,
people who are entrepreneurs,seasoned entrepreneurs, and also
the C suite because a lot ofpeople in the C suite are
(17:34):
thinking of leaving the C suiteto become an entrepreneur,
right?
I it's my passion project.
I love it.
And it's, it is about thejourney, right?
So we talked about, yourjourney, you're my first guest
the journey to entrepreneurship.
We talk about how overnightsuccess takes about 10 years, 10
years.
Yeah.
That entrepreneurship is not forthe weak of heart.
(17:57):
Yes.
Oh, I love that.
I love that so much.
Yes.
It's it's so up and down and foryears I had a training corporate
job at a restaurant and I woulddo all these other things on
this side.
And then when I finally took theleap, woo, it was, I kept
thinking, Oh my God, I should dothis first.
No, I should do, I was like adog chasing my tail.
I didn't know how to work, I wasused to I've got an hour and all
(18:19):
of a sudden here I had all thistime, that's been quite an, a
slow evolution for myself.
Before I forget, I want to say acouple of things about the story
that you told, because you are agreat storyteller, Iris.
So when you were talking aboutthat road angel guy, you really
(18:42):
painted the picture.
You painted even if we don'tknow Long Island, we saw all the
highways and the freeways andthe overpass.
We all have a vision of that.
And then the rain, and then thespinning and the out of control
and then how magically all thetraffic stopped, I saw that I
was totally with you.
(19:04):
And then all of a sudden, Thisguy is in your car, what the
hell, right?
And I just, it's a beautifulstory and I'm sure you've told
it many times, but keep tellingit because it's, I think we all
have a version of that.
You haven't.
Okay.
I don't, it's so fun.
Whenever we talk, something newcomes out, right?
It's you'll remember somethingthat happened.
(19:25):
I'll remember.
And that's what happenedbecause, to me, that was one of
the, that was one of thosemoments, right?
We have moments in our lives andthat I'm going to get like for
clamped, but that was one of themoments that I believe I was
saved to be able to do what I'mdoing.
(19:45):
And there, there were threemoments like that, but that was
I think one of the mostsignificant because I should
have been easily dead, hit by 30cars easily.
So that was super pivotal for meand it was, after I saw Sister
Amy and.
She told me what it was.
And I remember being up on theroof and I'm walking on the roof
and I'm doing stuff and then I'mokay, just because he saved your
ass on the road, doesn't meanyou're not going to fall off the
(20:07):
roof because I was acting likeI'm invincible and I'm not and
it was it raining?
We were on the roof when it wasraining.
Cause I was stop raining.
So by the time it was so I'mtelling you, this was so crazy.
By the time I got to her.
So if you No Long Island at alland New Yorkers, right?
You're on Southern State Westand then you're getting on
(20:28):
Meadowbrook.
And then you're getting onMeadowbrook East.
So you're going, on this circle.
And by the time I get lost everytime, just, I'm just saying Long
Island has always been my time.
It's torrentially raining and bythe time I get to Sunrise
Highway, it ain't raininganymore.
And by the time I get to her,it's sunny.
Wow.
(20:49):
So the roof was a little wet,but.
It wasn't raining anymore.
And I didn't even think aboutthat until you said that, but
yeah, no, it's right.
That makes it even more freakingcrazy.
And here's my other question.
Did you fix the antenna?
Of course I did.
Of course you did.
Even though you had no training.
I love it.
I love it.
You're just, it just, one of thethingies was bent.
(21:10):
So she had to buy a new thing.
So I just had a, so I just hadto like, take the old thing off.
She had to turn the electricityoff, but I had to take the old
thing off, put the new thing in,reconnected and.
And there you go.
I love it.
And that's how you do.
I feel like that's what you justdo.
What needs to get done.
Let's roll up our sleeves andget it done.
(21:32):
A hundred percent.
And I do that in my business aswell.
My clients laugh because they'rewe need to get this, and this
done.
I'm like, okay.
And we get it done.
My wife last laughs and says, myname is Iris.
I get shit done.
Goldfeder.
And my, and those are ISG.
So it's IGS.
Oh, that's funny.
I love it.
(21:52):
Iris, if people want to knowmore about you, if they want to
come listen to your fabulous funpodcast, tell them where to go.
You want me to tell you where togo?
Okay.
Apple Vimeo, it's called it'scalled gastro creative presents
the cookbook recipes for successin business and marketing.
We're just taking the gastropiece off, but it is called the
(22:13):
cookbook.
It is on all the places Youcould find me at gas stove,
creative.
com.
That's two words.
Three words, actually.
Gas stove is two words otherthan creative.
I'm on LinkedIn, Iris Goldfeder.
I'm on all the socials,Instagram Facebook, you can
always, find me.
I'm very findable.
And if you Google my name, awhole bunch of music is going to
(22:35):
come up.
Okay, wait, what I did.
I knew that you sang, tell meabout the musician part.
I've been in like differentbands.
So there's a lot of video of mein my different bands.
On, if you Google my name it'llcome up.
If you go on YouTube, it'll comeup.
And I just auditioned for aband.
On Tuesday and they said they'dlet me know and then they called
(22:56):
me an hour later and said, wewant you.
So I'm in a new band.
Okay.
The band is called theinfringements and we're local in
Lafayette, Indiana.
Come check us out.
I'm super excited.
And their values align withmine, which is amazing because
to find a band in Lafayette,Indiana, whose values align with
mine is extremely difficult.
But but you did it.
(23:17):
They found me.
I didn't do anything.
I literally was sitting here inthe universe was like, okay,
it's time.
And I went, it's time.
That's so cool.
Okay.
I love it.
Iris.
And if you had one partingthought to tell people whether
they're thinking of leavingcorporate or they're in the
middle or they're beginning,what is something you wish you
(23:39):
had known or that you feel likeeverybody needs to know?
It's so funny because I askedthat question on my podcast and
I've we're almost at a hundredepisodes.
And so I have all of this stuffin my head from other people,
make sure that you've doneresearch, that there's a need in
(24:01):
the market for what you want todo.
Then the last thing I'm going tosay is if you can stay in your
job and save money, do that,because if you have to look for
capital, it, it makes itextremely stressful.
And then you don't know whereyour next meal is coming from.
You don't know where, your nextclient's coming from.
(24:22):
If you Have the capital.
If you have your own money itmakes it a lot easier.
So if you could stay, hang inthere, stay.
And if it's something that youhave to do out of necessity, do
it and find a mentor who is inthe same area, the same field
that you want to be in so thatyou don't have to go it alone.
(24:43):
I love it.
I love it.
Yes.
I've seen so many people yes.
We want to know your story andwe want to be creative and all
that stuff, but you need to testthe market I've seen people
spend years writing a book,fixing a website, building all
the things before they even haveone client.
I always tell my new people, geta practice client today because
(25:06):
you're going to learn so muchand it's going to help you
remember, Oh, I do love to coachand it's going to help you It's
just one of the best ways Yeah,it's, it can be hard to hang in
there, but, and it's excitingwhen you finally take the leap,
but it's better if you alreadyhave some stuff going.
It's rewarding.
It's all about the journey,right?
So it's going to be, I don't saythat we ever fail at anything.
(25:29):
I say first attempt in learning.
And I, I don't believe that weever fail.
Just keep trying, don't give up.
I love it.
You were meant to do it.
So I love it.
Don't give up.
Yeah.
And the, just the overnightsuccess, Chapel Rowan is my new
musical crush.
I'm in love with her and hermusic and everything.
(25:49):
And, she's I've been at this for10 years.
It was time, and Sheryl Crow,when she got the newcomer award,
she was thank you.
And I've been running around LAfor 10 years.
I have goosebumps.
wherever you are.
The only person you should becomparing yourself to is you.
And we never know, and yourbeginning or messy middle, don't
(26:13):
compare that to somebody elsewho's in the final thing or
who's been doing it longer orwhatever.
Thank you, Iris.
This has been so much fun.
It has.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm super excited for your newpodcast and I'm honored to be
the first guest thank you somuch.
Thanks for tuning in everybody.
If you love this, pleasesubscribe, rate and review cause
(26:33):
it really helps and go check outher podcast too and have an
awesome day.
Bye everybody.
I'm about to do my first episodeof Captivate the Mic and I'm so
excited.
I have Iris coming on and she issuch a great storyteller,
fabulous personality and amazingbusiness woman.
If you know anybody who wants towork on their speaking, their
camera presence, their podcastguesting, please share this with
(00:29):
them because my goal is thatthey're It's funny,
entertaining, but also that youwalk away with actionable items
that you can implement rightaway so that you can become a
better speaker, a dynamic,charismatic, owning your badass
in a fun, authentic way.
This is the first episode ofcaptivate the mic with Iris
(00:50):
Goldfeder as my fabulous,amazing host, who is a marketing
guru and has.
Inspiring transformationalstories.
You're going to love thisepisode and we're so happy that
you're here, please enjoy.
Hello.
I am so excited to have my veryfirst guest on my first episode
(01:10):
of Captivate the Mic, IrisGoldfeder.
Iris, you are so amazing.
You've done so many things.
You're one of my heroes.
You're so generous.
And supportive and brilliant andfun.
And I got to be the first gueston your first episode on your
podcast.
So it just seems absolutelyperfect that we're doing it this
(01:31):
way.
thank you so much for beinghere.
Thank you for having me.
I'm really honored andflattered.
Do you want to tell us, I, Ilove your origin story.
I know that you had some troubleand now you're this really
successful marketing guru, butit wasn't always this way.
And so do you mind telling us alittle bit about.
Your evolution.
(01:52):
Sure.
So I was in the Bronx.
I grew up in Queens.
Woo.
Yo for ourselves.
And then we moved to Florida andI went to high school in
Florida.
Where I did not graduate becausemy mom moved in with her
boyfriend and left the 15 yearold to her own devices.
(02:13):
Oh, Lord.
Yeah.
And so I didn't graduate.
I did get my GED and I gotreally high scores on my GED,
but I'm not a college graduatehomeless when I was 19 years
old, I've a hard beginning.
There was a lot of shit thathappened when I was younger
seven, eight years old.
And I guess we talk about allthis stuff.
(02:33):
My grandfather molested me for ayear.
And then I had another episodehappened when I was 10 and and
then moving to Florida.
I was in boarding school andthen we took me out of boarding
school.
I went to junior high school andForest Hills for a year and then
we moved to Florida.
And it was just like this crazytime.
And I was homeless when I was 19and didn't really find myself.
(02:57):
I think I had a rest ofdevelopment and didn't really
grow up, and I think everybodywho's had a hard beginning at
one time or another got to apoint where it felt like it was
too much.
And I knew though it's I knewthat I was meant for something
greater.
(03:18):
Don't ask me how I couldn't evenbegin to tell you, but I did and
I reinvented myself.
I met somebody online and movedto Illinois where I completely
remade myself.
And here we are 30 years later25 years marketing experience.
(03:41):
And just, I pinch myself somedays.
How am I not dead?
How did I make it?
And then, even after making it Iknow this is your favorite,
story, but I had a guy tell mehere to be less me.
And I was what do you mean?
And he goes you're a New Yorkerand you're in a group with a
bunch of introverts and so youshould pull back a little.
(04:05):
And I was like, huh I can beintense.
Like I know I'm intense.
Everyone tells me I could be alittle intense.
So I did, I pulled back and Igot clients.
But they weren't the rightclients because as soon as they
came out they were like, ah, andbecause I curse clearly, sorry.
And as soon as I think my firstF bomb came out, they were like,
(04:27):
oh my God.
And then I would lose them.
And I finally looked at it and Iwas the hell am I doing?
Work with me because They knowmy experience.
They know my skill set.
They know my brain.
They want to work with mebecause they want to work with
me.
So finally I was like, screw it.
I'm just going to be me.
And here we are.
I love it.
Three years later.
(04:49):
I love it.
So many women I know, myselfincluded, have been told from a
very early age, you're too much.
You're too much, but you're alsonot enough.
You're too loud.
You're too bubbly, pull it back.
But then I also was told Iwasn't good enough.
And then, we keep going withthat.
I'm so grateful that you wereable to, have that
(05:09):
transformation.
It's amazing.
I feel like the universe sendsyou an angel and then you're
like, Oh wait, I know I meantfor so much more.
Yeah.
And I just had a rough start.
Yeah.
Did I ever tell you the roadangel story?
No, tell me.
This was crazy.
First off, I love how we'relike, we did not coordinate
this.
We're not planning this, butwe're ordering blue.
(05:30):
Okay.
So years ago, so I, I washomeless.
And then I was with thishomeless shelter.
I'm not going to mention theirname so anyway woman who ran the
not for profit was a nun, SisterAmy, and we're still dear
friends today.
But after, I was homeless andthey'd helped me, I always went
to give back and she calls me upand she goes, the antenna on the
roof is a little wonky.
(05:52):
Can you come and fix it?
And I said, sure, because.
That's what I do.
I like fix shit, right?
Whether it's for my clients orjust in life in general, I'm a
fixer.
So it was pouring and I'm in alittle Fiero and I'm driving
from, I think I was in likeLevittown or something, but I
(06:13):
was like driving from Levittownto.
Baldwin and if you're from NewYork, Long Island, right?
And so anyway, so I'm onSouthern State Parkway and
there's this like overpass,right?
So it's like Southern StateParkway and then there's the
Meadowbrook Parkway and there'sthis overpass and then when you
get under the overpass, there'sthis hill because it goes up so
(06:33):
that you can get on theMeadowbrook.
I'm driving and it's pouringdown rain and I'm in the left
hand lane.
And all of a sudden I fishtailand I spin three times and I end
up horizontal on a three lanehighway.
Oh my gosh.
And all the traffic stopped.
(06:53):
Nothing hit me.
And this great car pulls up nextto me and this guy gets out and
gets in my car.
I don't let anybody strange inmy car, right?
This guy gets out, gets in mycar.
And he goes, you're okay.
And he puts his hand on myshoulder and he goes, and I'm
like, the car's not starting,the car's not starting.
He goes, you're in drive.
(07:16):
He goes, put the car in park andthen put it back in drive and
pull over to the, to the median,which is, or the, the shoulder,
so I'm looking at him going,okay, and I put it in park and
then I start the car again.
And then I put it in drive and Ipull over and it's boring,
right?
It's just like boring.
So I have to go around his carand he, follows me onto the
(07:40):
shoulder and then a hill, andthen I was like, Thank you.
And then all of a sudden thetraffic starts moving.
So it was time stop.
It was the weirdest thing.
The traffic is moving and I'mlike, cause I'm still in shock
at this point.
You're stunned.
And he goes, you're okay.
And I went, yeah, I said, thankyou.
And mind you, there's a strangeguy in my car.
(08:04):
Now, after somebody.
Who's been through what we'vebeen through.
We don't trust guys.
He had a hat, like almost like afedora and a raincoat kind of
thing.
I don't know.
Anyway.
So he puts his hand on myshoulder again and he says,
you're okay.
He said, give yourself aboutfive minutes.
Cause I had to get on theMeadowbrook to get to the house.
(08:26):
So he goes, in five minutes,just hop back on the ramp and
you'll be good.
And I went, okay.
And he gets out of the car andhe gets in his car and he
leaves.
And I'm like, Oh crap.
I never got to thank him.
So I get out of my car.
There's no tire tracks.
It was like that car was neverthere.
So I'm like, what the fuck justhappened?
(08:47):
So I, get the sister Amy's andshe opens the door and she's are
you okay?
You look like you just saw aghost.
I was like, I don't know what Ijust saw.
And so I told her what happenedand she said, Oh, it was a road
angel.
I said, What do you mean a roadangel?
She goes, You probably wouldhave died if there's somebody
watching out for you becausethat was a road angel.
(09:10):
If you were meant to see thatperson and thank that person,
they would have still beenthere, but there was no track of
them.
I didn't even see his car leaveit was the worst.
Oh my gosh, Iris, and I justknow, I, I lived in New York
City and I drove all over theplace for comedy and speaking
and the traffic is next levelintense.
Oh, it's nuts.
So that, yeah.
(09:30):
That is a miraculous story.
And you know what is so crazy?
Last night, I was listening toone of my favorite podcasts, my
favorite murder.
And they were talking about thisphenomenon called third person
when, and it's when people arein some kind of really dangerous
situation, a person will appearand talk them through it.
(09:53):
So it happened to this guyduring nine 11 he was in the
stairwell and he was laying downbecause there was so much smoke
and there were fires and yeah,goosebumps.
And he's he's done all thethings he's trying to help
people and he's stuck.
He was laying down and then thisvoice said, you can do this.
Let's go.
So he made it all the way out.
And only three other peopleabove where that happened
(10:17):
survived.
There's this whole thing calledthird person, which I had never
heard about.
That to me, that's a road angel.
And it's gotta be, that'sinsane.
I love that.
I'll tell you.
So I was doing comedy wayupstate, at this really fun
little town.
It was a firehouse that had beenconverted into a theater and it
(10:38):
was a Valentine's Day thing.
And it was three femalecomedians.
You can always tell people areready to have fun when they're
dressed up and they have jewelryon.
It's this was their big night,right?
So we had a great show.
Everybody had a great set.
It was really fun.
And the next day was Valentine'sday.
And I had given the other one ofthe other comics a ride up in my
(10:59):
mini Cooper.
I used to have a two door blackmini Cooper.
And the next day I was doing mycoffee, did a little yoga.
And we both said, let's go backearly.
Cause it's Valentine's day.
She wanted to be with herhusband.
And it's 9:00 AM on a Sunday Sothank God I have my coffee.
And you always see those signs,bridge may be icy, right?.
We hit this bridge and I'm going65 and all of a sudden we are
(11:25):
spinning.
And I remember my dad used toalways say, never put your foot
on the brake.
Turn Into the turn.
Yep.
Turn into the spin.
And I swear to God, SteveMcQueen came and took over.
And luckily I had both hands onthe wheel, so I'm like turning
into the spin and then turninginto the spin.
We spun six times and I justkept turning into the spin, and
(11:48):
I was slowly, I was easing myfoot off.
And then we, by the time we gotto the end of the bridge, I had
regained control.
Meanwhile, my passenger is Oh myGod.
She is freaking out.
So I pull over and we're both myGod, like what just happened?
What just happened?
And I was okay.
So I'm.
(12:09):
I'm going to go slower, eventhough we're both in a hurry,
I'm going to go slower on theway back because slower is
better than dead, and and and sowe, I went much slower the rest
of the way and we saw eightwrecks on the way back down.
Cause it was way upstate.
(12:30):
So it was a five hour thing.
And.
I really think I had SteveMcQueen and or my dad in the car
with me because I've never takenFancy driving lessons, but you
know somehow I knew what to doand I was able to regain control
Cause everybody else was like inthe ditch or in the rail or had
(12:51):
run into another car.
We saw it.
And I was so grateful because Ididn't want to hurt my friend
either, and then when we gotback to New York, my agent was
like, what the hell happened?
Vicky said, she's got whiplash.
It was intense.
But with the, with the roadangel thing, right?
With that, I was turning intothe spin as well.
I took my foot off and I justwas, going into the turn and
(13:14):
however it was spinning, that'show I had the car angled and it
was just the craziest thing.
And that's amazing.
And I still see his face.
I still see the car.
It's like one of those thingsthat just stays with you.
Yeah.
But thank God you, you were,see, somebody's watching out for
us.
I know.
When I think about, I had lotsof substance abuse issues.
I was putting my first diet inthe first grade and was bulimic
(13:37):
and then found drugs and alcoholand boys All the things.
And I'm, I had, three addictionsand I'm so lucky to be alive.
I just celebrated 24 years,which is crazy to me.
Congratulations.
That's amazing.
It was so funny.
I was because I had neverinvited my sister because, I'm
usually on the East coast, butI'm currently in Dallas.
(13:58):
And so I asked her if she wouldcome and give me my coin.
24 years, she was this is thefirst meeting I've ever been to.
And it was raucous.
It was joyful.
There were people therecelebrating 30 days and 36
years.
And it is like a warm bath oflove.
These anniversary meetings aresuch a beautiful thing.
I used to not celebrate.
Cause I was whatever.
(14:18):
And people said, Elaine, it'snot about you.
It's about showing others,right?
I was making me stuff about meand They said, when you
celebrate it shows other peoplethat they can do it to one day
at a time.
And once I realized, Oh, it'snot about me, then I celebrate
every year wherever I can,whether, sometimes I'm upstate,
(14:40):
sometimes I'm in a foreigncountry at the end of August,
you never know where you'regoing to be, but it was so cool.
To get for her to say what shesaid, then give me my coin and,
I'm just so grateful to bealive.
We've both been through it, whenyou're assaulted at a young age,
I don't think you realize howmuch that.
(15:00):
We'll mess with you.
And then unfortunately, I thinkonce that has happened to you,
you're like a beep for otherpredators.
And it's an energetic thing.
And at least in my experience, Ispoke on this topic for years on
college campuses and thank Godmore and more people are talking
about it because unfortunatelyit is so common.
We're so lucky to be alive.
(15:22):
And, I was, you're so generous.
the first time I met you, yousent me a client, like I was Who
is this woman?
I know you have a podcast andI'm sorry I sent you her, No,
it's, I thought you were, Hey,you know what?
We all live and learn.
Some clients become intimatedear friends, and some clients,
you're like, okay, we're done,Yeah.
And I fired her too.
(15:43):
I was like no.
Yeah.
You know what?
It's okay.
Some people think they'recoachable and they're actually
not, yes.
It's of the journey.
Percent correct.
On it.
I want to hear about what you'redoing now, tell us about Gasto
creative for people who don'tknow what you do.
Tell So we are all in onemarketing solutions for service
(16:05):
based business.
And when I say all in onemarketing solutions, it's where
the company that you come towhen you don't want to deal with
20 different people to get yourmarketing done.
Yeah.
So if you need a website, if youneed SEO, if you need social
media, if you need branding,design if you need trade show
setups, if you need.
Where's my little, all thethings like, chachki is right.
(16:28):
Promotional, we do it all and wedo it all.
It started because one of myclients needed all of the
services and I, I haveexperience in all of it.
And so she was like, can you dothat?
And I went.
Yeah, actually I can.
And then I realized that if sheneeded it, probably other
companies needed it.
And we don't do, if somebodylike you don't have to do all
(16:51):
the things, like if you need awebsite and SEO, we'll do that.
If you need, social media, we'lldo that.
But mainly, it's websites, SEO,podcast production and video
production are four coreservices.
And then everything else justfalls down.
I love it.
I love it.
And.
And you have a great podcast.
It's been going for a couple ofyears now.
Yeah.
The cookbook recipes for successin business and marketing or
(17:14):
it's recipes.
I think I, I say recipes forsuccess in business and
marketing.
Yes, it's the cookbook recipesfor success and business and
marketing.
And it is aboutentrepreneurship.
And it is.
For people who are thinkingabout becoming entrepreneurs,
people who are entrepreneurs,seasoned entrepreneurs, and also
the C suite because a lot ofpeople in the C suite are
(17:34):
thinking of leaving the C suiteto become an entrepreneur,
right?
I it's my passion project.
I love it.
And it's, it is about thejourney, right?
So we talked about, yourjourney, you're my first guest
the journey to entrepreneurship.
We talk about how overnightsuccess takes about 10 years, 10
years.
Yeah.
That entrepreneurship is not forthe weak of heart.
(17:57):
Yes.
Oh, I love that.
I love that so much.
Yes.
It's it's so up and down and foryears I had a training corporate
job at a restaurant and I woulddo all these other things on
this side.
And then when I finally took theleap, woo, it was, I kept
thinking, Oh my God, I should dothis first.
No, I should do, I was like adog chasing my tail.
I didn't know how to work, I wasused to I've got an hour and all
(18:19):
of a sudden here I had all thistime, that's been quite an, a
slow evolution for myself.
Before I forget, I want to say acouple of things about the story
that you told, because you are agreat storyteller, Iris.
So when you were talking aboutthat road angel guy, you really
(18:42):
painted the picture.
You painted even if we don'tknow Long Island, we saw all the
highways and the freeways andthe overpass.
We all have a vision of that.
And then the rain, and then thespinning and the out of control
and then how magically all thetraffic stopped, I saw that I
was totally with you.
(19:04):
And then all of a sudden, Thisguy is in your car, what the
hell, right?
And I just, it's a beautifulstory and I'm sure you've told
it many times, but keep tellingit because it's, I think we all
have a version of that.
You haven't.
Okay.
I don't, it's so fun.
Whenever we talk, something newcomes out, right?
It's you'll remember somethingthat happened.
(19:25):
I'll remember.
And that's what happenedbecause, to me, that was one of
the, that was one of thosemoments, right?
We have moments in our lives andthat I'm going to get like for
clamped, but that was one of themoments that I believe I was
saved to be able to do what I'mdoing.
(19:45):
And there, there were threemoments like that, but that was
I think one of the mostsignificant because I should
have been easily dead, hit by 30cars easily.
So that was super pivotal for meand it was, after I saw Sister
Amy and.
She told me what it was.
And I remember being up on theroof and I'm walking on the roof
and I'm doing stuff and then I'mokay, just because he saved your
ass on the road, doesn't meanyou're not going to fall off the
(20:07):
roof because I was acting likeI'm invincible and I'm not and
it was it raining?
We were on the roof when it wasraining.
Cause I was stop raining.
So by the time it was so I'mtelling you, this was so crazy.
By the time I got to her.
So if you No Long Island at alland New Yorkers, right?
You're on Southern State Westand then you're getting on
(20:28):
Meadowbrook.
And then you're getting onMeadowbrook East.
So you're going, on this circle.
And by the time I get lost everytime, just, I'm just saying Long
Island has always been my time.
It's torrentially raining and bythe time I get to Sunrise
Highway, it ain't raininganymore.
And by the time I get to her,it's sunny.
Wow.
(20:49):
So the roof was a little wet,but.
It wasn't raining anymore.
And I didn't even think aboutthat until you said that, but
yeah, no, it's right.
That makes it even more freakingcrazy.
And here's my other question.
Did you fix the antenna?
Of course I did.
Of course you did.
Even though you had no training.
I love it.
I love it.
You're just, it just, one of thethingies was bent.
(21:10):
So she had to buy a new thing.
So I just had a, so I just hadto like, take the old thing off.
She had to turn the electricityoff, but I had to take the old
thing off, put the new thing in,reconnected and.
And there you go.
I love it.
And that's how you do.
I feel like that's what you justdo.
What needs to get done.
Let's roll up our sleeves andget it done.
(21:32):
A hundred percent.
And I do that in my business aswell.
My clients laugh because they'rewe need to get this, and this
done.
I'm like, okay.
And we get it done.
My wife last laughs and says, myname is Iris.
I get shit done.
Goldfeder.
And my, and those are ISG.
So it's IGS.
Oh, that's funny.
I love it.
(21:52):
Iris, if people want to knowmore about you, if they want to
come listen to your fabulous funpodcast, tell them where to go.
You want me to tell you where togo?
Okay.
Apple Vimeo, it's called it'scalled gastro creative presents
the cookbook recipes for successin business and marketing.
We're just taking the gastropiece off, but it is called the
(22:13):
cookbook.
It is on all the places Youcould find me at gas stove,
creative.
com.
That's two words.
Three words, actually.
Gas stove is two words otherthan creative.
I'm on LinkedIn, Iris Goldfeder.
I'm on all the socials,Instagram Facebook, you can
always, find me.
I'm very findable.
And if you Google my name, awhole bunch of music is going to
(22:35):
come up.
Okay, wait, what I did.
I knew that you sang, tell meabout the musician part.
I've been in like differentbands.
So there's a lot of video of mein my different bands.
On, if you Google my name it'llcome up.
If you go on YouTube, it'll comeup.
And I just auditioned for aband.
On Tuesday and they said they'dlet me know and then they called
(22:56):
me an hour later and said, wewant you.
So I'm in a new band.
Okay.
The band is called theinfringements and we're local in
Lafayette, Indiana.
Come check us out.
I'm super excited.
And their values align withmine, which is amazing because
to find a band in Lafayette,Indiana, whose values align with
mine is extremely difficult.
But but you did it.
(23:17):
They found me.
I didn't do anything.
I literally was sitting here inthe universe was like, okay,
it's time.
And I went, it's time.
That's so cool.
Okay.
I love it.
Iris.
And if you had one partingthought to tell people whether
they're thinking of leavingcorporate or they're in the
middle or they're beginning,what is something you wish you
(23:39):
had known or that you feel likeeverybody needs to know?
It's so funny because I askedthat question on my podcast and
I've we're almost at a hundredepisodes.
And so I have all of this stuffin my head from other people,
make sure that you've doneresearch, that there's a need in
(24:01):
the market for what you want todo.
Then the last thing I'm going tosay is if you can stay in your
job and save money, do that,because if you have to look for
capital, it, it makes itextremely stressful.
And then you don't know whereyour next meal is coming from.
You don't know where, your nextclient's coming from.
(24:22):
If you Have the capital.
If you have your own money itmakes it a lot easier.
So if you could stay, hang inthere, stay.
And if it's something that youhave to do out of necessity, do
it and find a mentor who is inthe same area, the same field
that you want to be in so thatyou don't have to go it alone.
(24:43):
I love it.
I love it.
Yes.
I've seen so many people yes.
We want to know your story andwe want to be creative and all
that stuff, but you need to testthe market I've seen people
spend years writing a book,fixing a website, building all
the things before they even haveone client.
I always tell my new people, geta practice client today because
(25:06):
you're going to learn so muchand it's going to help you
remember, Oh, I do love to coachand it's going to help you It's
just one of the best ways Yeah,it's, it can be hard to hang in
there, but, and it's excitingwhen you finally take the leap,
but it's better if you alreadyhave some stuff going.
It's rewarding.
It's all about the journey,right?
So it's going to be, I don't saythat we ever fail at anything.
(25:29):
I say first attempt in learning.
And I, I don't believe that weever fail.
Just keep trying, don't give up.
I love it.
You were meant to do it.
So I love it.
Don't give up.
Yeah.
And the, just the overnightsuccess, Chapel Rowan is my new
musical crush.
I'm in love with her and hermusic and everything.
(25:49):
And, she's I've been at this for10 years.
It was time, and Sheryl Crow,when she got the newcomer award,
she was thank you.
And I've been running around LAfor 10 years.
I have goosebumps.
wherever you are.
The only person you should becomparing yourself to is you.
And we never know, and yourbeginning or messy middle, don't
(26:13):
compare that to somebody elsewho's in the final thing or
who's been doing it longer orwhatever.
Thank you, Iris.
This has been so much fun.
It has.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm super excited for your newpodcast and I'm honored to be
the first guest thank you somuch.
Thanks for tuning in everybody.
If you love this, pleasesubscribe, rate and review cause
(26:33):
it really helps and go check outher podcast too and have an
awesome day.
Bye everybody.
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