December 30, 2024 • 29 mins
Dive into this episode as we unpack the transformative power of a relentless pursuit toward your goals, emphasizing the significance of commitment and resilience. Learn how adopting a "no matter what" attitude can significantly alter your life's trajectory and inspire you to chase your dreams without hesitation.
We'll also explore the enriching experiences of solo travel, from overcoming language obstacles to embracing the adventures of new environments. Additionally, we examine the influence of privilege on our perceptions and the deep gratitude that can emerge from broadening our horizons. Listen to personal stories about stepping beyond familiar boundaries and the remarkable impact of simply showing up, which can elevate an ordinary opportunity to a pivotal career moment.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Morning Motivation with GoGo and Natasha.
(00:17):
Welcome to the show.
Welcome to Morning Motivation with GoGo and Natasha.
The miracle is you.
Mm.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
If I could just sit in that for a moment, the miracle is you.
So many times we're looking for some external person, entity or thing to save us from whatever
(00:42):
situation that we have found ourselves in.
And ultimately, it is us that has to take the action because we've been given the power
already.
And that is, even as I say that, that's taking on a lot of responsibility for my life.
And yeah, absolutely, because you are the miracle that you're waiting for.
So I ask you, Natasha, what is a time that you showed up for yourself?
(01:07):
I love that question.
I was thinking about this before we met today.
And a couple things came, like at first I was like, oh, I don't know.
I don't know when I showed up from, you know, when your mind kind of tricks you and it's
like, oh no, like you've never showed up for yourself.
Like that, I don't know why my mind goes, there's like, oh no, you've never showed up.
No, that's not true.
Wait, hang on, let's back it up.
(01:27):
When did I show up for myself?
And I started thinking about that question in terms of, I think the way you had phrased
it, like you did something for yourself that made you better.
Like in terms of that.
And a couple of things came to mind for me.
The first one was the year I decided to study abroad in Germany when I was in college.
(01:54):
And that was an opportunity that came up very late in my sort of college academic career,
I want to say.
I don't know if that's the right word for it, but right at the end of my undergrad studies,
I was approached by a graduate student who said, you know, have you thought of doing
the study abroad year?
(02:14):
And I was like, well, I'm a senior already.
Basically, I'm nearly getting ready to graduate next year.
I would be graduating.
Well, you could go.
You could go during your senior year and do this.
And it was just out of the blue.
It made me think, is this, I mean, this is going to live in another country for a full
year, a country that I have no ties with, no background with in my family.
(02:41):
It would be completely a foreign country.
And I wouldn't know anybody there at all going to this country.
And I wouldn't know the language fluently yet.
I knew enough, you know, to sort of say, hello, I need to find the toilet, that kind of stuff.
Hi, I need to be.
Where can I be?
Exactly.
(03:01):
So my family was, are you sure?
So they started bringing some doubts to the forefront.
And then, you know, I was doing an internship.
Wait, wait, wait, I just gotta, I gotta stop you right there because you just hit on something
that I have to, I have to comment on.
And you said that your family, some family members were, were kind of placing some doubts
in the situation.
And a lot of times when you talk about vision or when you talk about having a, doing something
(03:26):
that is considered out of the norm or out of the realm of comfortability for your surrounding
circle, they will then start to doubt you to try to keep you in the box of comfort because
it's like, oh wait, it's comfortable here.
So I'm going to, why don't you stay here with us?
It's comfortable here.
(03:47):
We know what's happening here.
If you step outside of this zone of comfort, then I then have to step outside because I'm
your family member and I care about you and I don't want to do that.
So why don't you just stay over here?
And, and it's not a malicious intent.
It's really out of safety.
It's like, I want to make sure that you're safe.
(04:08):
And I know that you're safe over here, but this other variable of Germany is, is unknown
to me.
So I'm not sure if I can handle that.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
They didn't know if they could, they could support me in that as they brought up doubts.
I was like, okay, well that's something to consider.
And then I was doing an internship and my mentor at this internship and I greatly valued
(04:31):
her feedback.
You know, we went to lunch and we talked it over together.
This was, this was at a time when I was doing a radio internship of all things, which I
don't know if I shared that with you, go go.
I know all these things hidden up my sleeve.
And here's why.
So I was doing this radio internship at an amazing station in Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
(04:57):
That's where I was studying as well.
UC Berkeley, but this was a local, actually a national radio station.
It was a pretty amazing opportunity where I got to be an apprentice into radio production.
Wow.
So taking me back to, it took a lot to get into this program and to go to Germany meant
I would have to give that up.
(05:18):
I would have to walk away from it halfway through.
So there was some, some stuff at stake.
Yeah.
Oh, I have to jump in here.
This is, I mean, you are just dropping so many gems and I'm so glad you're sharing this
because I'm just getting all of this information because what I think about, and I'm getting
(05:39):
emotional and just, just even saying it, what is it that you have to walk away from to get
to the thing that you really truly desire?
And that right there is, it's so layered.
We know that in order to get something new, you have to let go of what you previously
(06:00):
had because if your hand is already full of something, how then can you grab onto something
new?
Yeah.
And you had to, you had to then make a decision.
Was that a hard decision for you to take me through that thought process of, okay, I'm
going to have to end this internship early to go do this thing.
(06:20):
Was it an easy decision for you or how did that work out for you?
Yeah.
I mean, all of that, Gogo, I started getting some, I wasn't fully in my body feeling anything
as I was like reciting the story until like you brought me back to, yes, yes, this was
a, this was a big moment in my life.
And I'm going back now this early to that moment.
(06:42):
It was not an easy decision to make.
Like I said, this program was amazing.
I loved it.
I was learning so much.
I was in a group of other people who were learning about radio in the same pace.
My mentor was amazing, a nationally recognized producer, radio producer.
This wasn't anything to just turn your back on with ease.
(07:04):
I knew that it was a decision that would change the trajectory of my life in some way.
So in making that choice, I did consider everything.
I talked with the people whose counsel I trusted, my mentor, my parents.
I talked with other friends.
I talked with the people in my program at the college.
(07:27):
And as I started weighing it, what I ended up really starting to turn inwards and feeling
what was inside of the pit of my stomach.
How did I feel when I thought about continuing with this program and turning my back on the
opportunity to go to Germany?
(07:48):
And every time I kept coming back to that question, you have to go to Germany.
I have to go there.
I have to see what's there.
There's something there that I need to find out what it is.
And if I don't go now, I'm never going to do it.
It was a dramatic decision.
It was a turning point that I knew had come in my life.
(08:08):
Like a fork was there.
It was like, here's the fork.
Boom.
Wow.
And I'm looking at one way or the other way.
And there was no through middle way.
It was one or the other.
I had to choose.
And when you feel that visceral reaction to something, it's like, okay, this is where
(08:32):
I'm at.
And it brings me to a book that we both have read, Sighted Edge.
Either you're trending up or you're trending down.
There is no neutral space.
And you talk about this fork in the road of decision of it is only one or the other.
One space takes me this way, but this other space of unknown is where I need to go.
(08:53):
And so you made that choice.
And wow.
Go you.
Because think about the stakes at hand.
I mean, there was so much that was on the line, but you said, hey, I'm going to go do
this thing.
And the people that are known in history are the ones that made choices that went against
the grain.
And I do believe Natasha is a history maker.
(09:16):
Come on.
Let's go.
Yes.
Thank you for all of that.
And it just brings me back to our topic.
The time I showed up for myself and I really was what I was waiting for.
That was me showing up in that moment saying, this is what you are doing.
And I felt that clear message and I listened to myself.
(09:39):
All the other voices got turned down that turned the volume all the way down.
And I just said, this is what I must do.
And I don't regret ever making that choice because that year was amazing.
It changed my life.
I met people I'm still in touch with to this day.
(10:00):
It broadened my perspective of the world.
There's no way I could have ever become the Natasha I am today without that year in Germany.
So yeah, it was difficult to make that choice at the moment.
And I was apologetic.
I was humble to the people who I needed to say, I'm sorry, I can't continue with this
(10:22):
particular path at this moment.
Thank you for this opportunity.
And I do understand the consequences.
But I need to do this right now.
Yeah.
I showed up for myself.
Come on.
She showed up.
She showed up.
Claps, claps, clap.
(10:44):
There was audition in Virginia.
And it was advertised as a featured extra role.
And my agent told me, hey, you should go and go to this audition because then you can work
on getting your SAG eligibility.
And so I drove three hours and I showed up to this audition.
And when I got there, this character then had a name, then had lines, and now became
(11:08):
a much bigger role than what I initially thought.
But I've not shown up for myself or shown up to that audition, then I never would have
had that opportunity.
And that created so many opportunities after booking that role.
And you taking that step and I guess both our stories involve travel.
You had to travel to another country.
(11:29):
I had to travel to another state.
I mean, you travel further.
But both were moments of stepping outside of what is comfortable to go and do this thing.
Now you're in a new situation.
You were in Germany and figuring that out.
And then it's like when you are in the trenches, that's where the amazingness is created.
It's not created when you just sit in this high comfort.
(11:51):
Because diamonds are created under pressure.
And you had to put yourself under pressure to progress.
And that's amazing.
Wow.
Yes.
And likewise, what you've just mentioned, you're driving across state lines to go to
do an audition that you didn't really know what the outcome was going to be.
(12:11):
That's a risk.
And I don't know what that took in as far as the arrangements and logistics you needed
to make to get transportation, to get enough gas money, whatever it was at that point,
because everything, all those different things, they add up to creating what can seem like
a huge obstacle to whatever it is that yourself, you yourself are telling, hey, I need to do
(12:35):
this.
I need to get to this audition no matter what right now.
I need to go and study in another country no matter what, no matter what anybody is
telling me right now.
Ooh.
Ooh.
Listen, you just, every time you speak, you just be hitting on something.
(12:55):
This whole notion of no matter what, when you have that mentality of no matter what,
you can literally change the world.
Because if your baseline is no matter what, you're going to accomplish it.
Because you've just said no matter what, it doesn't matter how much it costs.
(13:16):
It doesn't matter who I have to say goodbye to.
It doesn't matter how uncomfortable I'm going to be, but I'm going to do this thing no matter
what.
And when you make your goals a no matter what type of scenario, you're going to accomplish
it.
Ooh.
Yes.
I like that.
Oh my gosh, that might be a slogan.
(13:36):
That might be, I feel a slogan coming on.
I feel a slogan.
Put it on a shirt.
Put it on a t-shirt.
Put it on a t-shirt.
We getting merch already.
Okay.
Merch is happening.
It's never too early.
It's never too early for merch.
It's never too early for merch no matter what.
When you have that type of conviction and you decide, okay, this is what I'm going to
(13:57):
do, then you see what is it that you accomplish.
Of course, we both are creative people.
We get bombarded with different things to do.
And then it's like, okay, well, this has to happen.
This has to get done.
If I'm going to go do this thing, I'm going to create a way.
I'm going to figure it out.
Find a way to win.
When it's a no matter what situation, you find a way to win because that's the position
(14:20):
and the posture that you've put yourself in.
If I'm not mistaken, you're an international woman.
So making that flight was simple to you, correct?
Well, that's a good question, Go Go.
I don't think it was exactly simple because for the fact that that was the first time
I was traveling by myself.
Oh, so it was the first time.
(14:41):
So first time traveling.
Internationally.
Okay.
Okay.
That's what I wanted to uncover.
Yeah.
Okay.
So you were dealing with that as well.
For the first time.
Yeah.
I mean, I was traveling with, of course, the other students who were going there, but I
didn't know them.
So I was basically on my own and for the first time and as a young woman.
(15:03):
So it was what it was, but I traveled a lot growing up.
International flights were not something unusual to me.
I had done that from a young age.
So that part didn't scare me at all.
It was just the language barrier a little bit, the speed at which people were talking
and maybe not knowing all of the words that were being used and all of that, that just
(15:27):
kind of, okay, I'm in a different country where I'm not in an English speaking country
anymore.
Like the main language is not English.
It's interesting how me and Tasha have these conversations all the time and she was just
say stuff.
And once again, you've, you've, you've hit something else.
That's a whole different topic that we will have to definitely dive into, especially for
(15:50):
people at different levels, different races, different creeds.
And there's one topic of processing your privilege because you just, you just hit something.
I've gone on multiple international flights, just growing up, realizing in that moment
as you're telling me the story, because I have a similar story because my father is
(16:13):
from a different country, traveling was something that was second nature to me as a kid because
we just go, we're going to Nigeria.
Oh, we're going over here.
We're going over here and realizing that there are people even today that are in their thirties,
forties, fifties and beyond that have not left the state that they are in processing
(16:34):
what that privilege looks like.
Because we all know that when you travel, you get new experiences, you get certain biases
that you've had become erased because now you see things differently because you've
seen a different perspective.
It is a privilege to be able to travel.
And that takes me back to just having gratitude for where you are in life and kind of realizing
(16:55):
that that people aren't, aren't there.
Even as we have these different goals that we want to accomplish, there are so many people
that are like, how do I even start providing for myself?
So that's a whole nother, the different topic, but something I definitely want to dive into
and processing, processing your privilege and realizing what that is.
And I think there's been a movement in entertainment where younger kids of celebrities are aware
(17:19):
of the nepotism that they are in and they're acknowledging it and they're longer shying
behind it.
Yes, I got this because so-and-so is my mother or that helped me in this way.
And just acknowledging it.
And I think that ended up, when you acknowledge the privilege that you have, then less people
know that you're not ignorant to the position that you are in.
(17:41):
And I think for me, the position that I'm in, I definitely acknowledge that my mindset
is a privilege.
It comes natural to me, but it's not, everyone doesn't, it's not born that way.
And I've now had to then realize that as I tell people, oh, you know, you just, just
think your way through it.
You know, there are other, it's not that easy for a lot of people because they didn't have
(18:05):
the privilege of the parents that I had, the privilege of the mindset that I grew up in.
And that right there is something I have to deal with as an adult now knowing I have a
mindset that is not like a lot of people.
And this is because my experiences were very unique growing up.
Well, we are, we are taking them on a whole journey.
(18:26):
We brand the whole gamut, processing privilege mindset is a privilege.
I mean, that is, that's even another topic too.
Like these coming attractions.
Okay.
We're going to hit all these different things.
All the notes, all the notes.
I mean, but it's still, I mean, if we, if we're coming back to, and I don't know if
(18:46):
we want to do this, I mean, the way that we talk, once we start a topic, we tend to spiral
off into like tangents.
So I hope everyone's okay with that because that's kind of what's going to happen.
Yeah, that's, that's really the show.
We said we had a structure.
Ah, we lied.
Ah, gotcha.
It's a free flowing.
Natasha's favorite word that she uses is slow state.
(19:09):
When you're in that flow state, you just kind of let it flow.
You don't fight it and you don't try to control it.
You just let it flow.
I was here.
I was listening to the conversation.
I saw it flowing in the direction it was going.
It was going downstream and upstream and starting to bubble away from the top.
I went, you know what?
This is kind of, this feels good over here.
And then I was trying to fight back upstream a little bit.
Oh, let's go look at the topic.
(19:30):
I don't know.
This is too tiresome.
Let me just flow the way things are going.
Cause yeah, this, this, this is the, this is the whole point.
The conversations that we have, they motivate me endlessly.
We're talking a decade of conversations that we're just starting to now unravel and share
(19:52):
with the world.
So I hope you're all enjoying this as much as we are.
Cause we love having you with us.
It's so exciting to not limit yourself in creativity.
I was with a friend of mine named Zoe.
Zoe Rose.
She is a amazing visual artist.
She's here based in Malibu and she does different art and stuff.
And I went over to her studio to see her stuff and we're just having a conversation and she's
(20:15):
now taking acting classes and, and she's not limiting her creative self.
And I think wherever you are in life, whatever you're doing, it's important to not limit
yourself.
The miracle is you don't limit yourself to what you think you can do.
Cause you can do so much more.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
You can do so much more.
(20:36):
I'm trying to mute and type so you don't hear the clickety clack as I'm typing all that
cause it's go-go talks.
Like I just want to type.
So just.
Right.
So we can, cause I'm literally in this, everyone can't see because this is an audio podcast
situation, but I'm literally inside of my studio and I may share little clips of me
(20:58):
being inside here.
We'll see.
So when you got to Germany, cause I do want to finish the Germany story because you know,
when we do segue out, we do eventually come back.
When you got to Germany, what was the most surprising thing about being there and what
was the most say scary things as the two S's if there was one.
(21:19):
Those are great questions actually.
You know, what was surprising, what was scary.
When you go into any situation where you're heading into the unknown, your brain has already
gone on a little bit of a journey for you and it's like, Oh, this is what might happen.
This is how it might look or be.
You try to anticipate a few things.
(21:39):
When you arrive and you're finally in a location, it's going to present itself to you in the
way that it is or the way that you're able to perceive it at that time.
Right.
Yeah.
What was surprising to me looking back on this now, where I stayed initially was well,
where I stayed for the whole year was at a, an international dormitory where people from
(22:04):
all over the world who were studying at that university were placed.
So there would be some German students mixed in on the, on the floors with us.
We had several different floors in this sort of dormitory building, but there were people
from all over the world and they were coming there for different reasons to study.
(22:27):
I guess what was the most surprising was how the people on this floor of my dormitory.
So there were two sides.
There was the middle section where the joint shared common room where everyone could hang
out and talk and communicate whatever there wasn't a television.
It was just about coming together as a community in that building and talking, sharing food,
(22:52):
that kind of thing, really talking with each other.
So on one side of the building, there was a set of people and then on the other side
of the building, as we didn't know, always know each other, but we had responsibilities
as an entire floor to come together.
And what was surprising to me was how we became a family over that year and how much we were
(23:15):
going to miss each other.
The end of that year coming into it, I would have never imagined that leaving, like I would
have some of the people from my floor that I didn't think I would ever connect with.
They were driving me to the airport with my mom, I mean, sorry, to the train station.
We were all crying.
They were pushing my luggage.
We were hugging.
(23:35):
I was sharing recipes.
It was really special.
And that was surprising.
Nobody could have told me that that's what would happen in a year's time.
Scary, scary.
Now what's scary that happened?
I've got a story for you.
This might take longer than the allotted time for our podcast, but let's go for it.
(23:58):
We'll talk to the Bruce's about it later.
It's fine.
So as an international student who's visiting for a short time, we're encouraged to take
weekend trips.
Get yourself a ticket, get on the train, go to another country, explore.
So I had the opportunity to go to Holland.
(24:21):
A lot of people who know about Europe understand why Holland might be a place that a college
student might want to visit, namely Amsterdam.
Okay.
All right.
So I planned a trip with another friend of mine who had come over, I think, was that
(24:44):
at that time?
Now things are starting to get a bit swimmy with the memory about like when it was that
I traveled, but I was in Holland by any chance.
And I was traveling by myself at that point.
I experienced a scene not too unsimilar to The Hostel.
You know that little film, The Hostel?
Oh, yes.
Yes.
(25:04):
I only watched like a portion of that film.
Like I could, I don't think I could watch past the first 10 minutes and I was just done.
Like I was so scared out of my socks that I just, I couldn't continue.
I was traveling alone in the train and that was something that I was doing the whole time
that I was there for that year.
But this particular time, a gentleman came to join me in my private cabin.
(25:28):
They have these different cabins and they had glass on the window so the conductor could
see in.
So it wasn't like you were just there and like no one could see what was happening.
But there were seats there.
It was anybody could sit there.
So this gentleman asked me if he could join me.
Yeah, it was a bit, okay, this is a bit uncomfortable, but okay, cool.
He can join me.
Then as we started talking, it just, the conversation just felt very, I can't put any other word
(25:51):
to it, but creepy.
He was being very pleasant and very polite, but it just felt really creepy.
And he was asking if I would accompany him to go to some place and leave the train.
And I was like, no, like that's not going to happen.
(26:13):
I was being very polite back.
And then this other young Dutch man closer to my age, for some reason he like came, maybe
there was no other other seats available on the train.
Who knows, but he ended up coming in and joining us.
And I could see that the older gentleman was a little bit peeved by this.
Like he wasn't very happy that this other person had come to join us.
(26:35):
Cause I think he was like, you know, it was ruining his plan or whatever that was.
Yeah.
And so this, this younger guy just, he kind of like took over the vibe and he was like
so full of light and so full of like, like he was literally glowing.
There was light coming from him and I'm like, he is my savior.
I heard the music.
So anyway, so that scary moment, whatever it was, it was over, but what if this hadn't
(27:01):
happened?
The universe intervenes in ways that we don't, you know, we don't know, but I'm so grateful
for that.
Cause it was getting a bit scary in that train.
Yeah.
That was the scariest moment.
Wow.
And you think about, you know, life angels that come in to literally save you.
Cool.
I'm out of this situation, out of this scenario because yeah, that is such a scary moment,
(27:22):
but I'm glad that you lived to tell about it because who knows, who knows?
And you know what?
We don't want to know.
So we're good on that.
There were other scary moments, but we'll leave those for another time.
Another time, another time, another podcast, another topic.
(27:43):
I wow.
Thank you for sharing.
This has been such a, we went on a whole whirlwind of topics and stories and this is what, this
is what it is.
This is the morning motivation with the story pieces really getting to acknowledge the moments
and that's where you find the motivation.
The motivation is inside the moments.
(28:04):
So that acknowledgement of that person stepping in to change the energy and not even knowing
that that's what they were doing, but they were just being there, being present in the
moment, which is what we have to do as we just continue on in our life is just to be
present in the moment because so much is happening around us, but all we have is right now.
(28:25):
In this moment.
So well said.
Thank you so much insight.
Oh, I love it.
I love it.
Well, I'm so happy to have gotten to talk to my friend, Natasha, and you've now heard
another episode of morning motivation with go go and Natasha.
(28:47):
We thank you for listening.
There's much more to come, so stay tuned and we're getting deeper.
We're growing together until next time.
Morning Motivation with GoGo and Natasha.
(00:17):
Welcome to the show.
Welcome to Morning Motivation with GoGo and Natasha.
The miracle is you.
Mm.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
If I could just sit in that for a moment, the miracle is you.
So many times we're looking for some external person, entity or thing to save us from whatever
(00:42):
situation that we have found ourselves in.
And ultimately, it is us that has to take the action because we've been given the power
already.
And that is, even as I say that, that's taking on a lot of responsibility for my life.
And yeah, absolutely, because you are the miracle that you're waiting for.
So I ask you, Natasha, what is a time that you showed up for yourself?
(01:07):
I love that question.
I was thinking about this before we met today.
And a couple things came, like at first I was like, oh, I don't know.
I don't know when I showed up from, you know, when your mind kind of tricks you and it's
like, oh no, like you've never showed up for yourself.
Like that, I don't know why my mind goes, there's like, oh no, you've never showed up.
No, that's not true.
Wait, hang on, let's back it up.
(01:27):
When did I show up for myself?
And I started thinking about that question in terms of, I think the way you had phrased
it, like you did something for yourself that made you better.
Like in terms of that.
And a couple of things came to mind for me.
The first one was the year I decided to study abroad in Germany when I was in college.
(01:54):
And that was an opportunity that came up very late in my sort of college academic career,
I want to say.
I don't know if that's the right word for it, but right at the end of my undergrad studies,
I was approached by a graduate student who said, you know, have you thought of doing
the study abroad year?
(02:14):
And I was like, well, I'm a senior already.
Basically, I'm nearly getting ready to graduate next year.
I would be graduating.
Well, you could go.
You could go during your senior year and do this.
And it was just out of the blue.
It made me think, is this, I mean, this is going to live in another country for a full
year, a country that I have no ties with, no background with in my family.
(02:41):
It would be completely a foreign country.
And I wouldn't know anybody there at all going to this country.
And I wouldn't know the language fluently yet.
I knew enough, you know, to sort of say, hello, I need to find the toilet, that kind of stuff.
Hi, I need to be.
Where can I be?
Exactly.
(03:01):
So my family was, are you sure?
So they started bringing some doubts to the forefront.
And then, you know, I was doing an internship.
Wait, wait, wait, I just gotta, I gotta stop you right there because you just hit on something
that I have to, I have to comment on.
And you said that your family, some family members were, were kind of placing some doubts
in the situation.
And a lot of times when you talk about vision or when you talk about having a, doing something
(03:26):
that is considered out of the norm or out of the realm of comfortability for your surrounding
circle, they will then start to doubt you to try to keep you in the box of comfort because
it's like, oh wait, it's comfortable here.
So I'm going to, why don't you stay here with us?
It's comfortable here.
(03:47):
We know what's happening here.
If you step outside of this zone of comfort, then I then have to step outside because I'm
your family member and I care about you and I don't want to do that.
So why don't you just stay over here?
And, and it's not a malicious intent.
It's really out of safety.
It's like, I want to make sure that you're safe.
(04:08):
And I know that you're safe over here, but this other variable of Germany is, is unknown
to me.
So I'm not sure if I can handle that.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
They didn't know if they could, they could support me in that as they brought up doubts.
I was like, okay, well that's something to consider.
And then I was doing an internship and my mentor at this internship and I greatly valued
(04:31):
her feedback.
You know, we went to lunch and we talked it over together.
This was, this was at a time when I was doing a radio internship of all things, which I
don't know if I shared that with you, go go.
I know all these things hidden up my sleeve.
And here's why.
So I was doing this radio internship at an amazing station in Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
(04:57):
That's where I was studying as well.
UC Berkeley, but this was a local, actually a national radio station.
It was a pretty amazing opportunity where I got to be an apprentice into radio production.
Wow.
So taking me back to, it took a lot to get into this program and to go to Germany meant
I would have to give that up.
(05:18):
I would have to walk away from it halfway through.
So there was some, some stuff at stake.
Yeah.
Oh, I have to jump in here.
This is, I mean, you are just dropping so many gems and I'm so glad you're sharing this
because I'm just getting all of this information because what I think about, and I'm getting
(05:39):
emotional and just, just even saying it, what is it that you have to walk away from to get
to the thing that you really truly desire?
And that right there is, it's so layered.
We know that in order to get something new, you have to let go of what you previously
(06:00):
had because if your hand is already full of something, how then can you grab onto something
new?
Yeah.
And you had to, you had to then make a decision.
Was that a hard decision for you to take me through that thought process of, okay, I'm
going to have to end this internship early to go do this thing.
(06:20):
Was it an easy decision for you or how did that work out for you?
Yeah.
I mean, all of that, Gogo, I started getting some, I wasn't fully in my body feeling anything
as I was like reciting the story until like you brought me back to, yes, yes, this was
a, this was a big moment in my life.
And I'm going back now this early to that moment.
(06:42):
It was not an easy decision to make.
Like I said, this program was amazing.
I loved it.
I was learning so much.
I was in a group of other people who were learning about radio in the same pace.
My mentor was amazing, a nationally recognized producer, radio producer.
This wasn't anything to just turn your back on with ease.
(07:04):
I knew that it was a decision that would change the trajectory of my life in some way.
So in making that choice, I did consider everything.
I talked with the people whose counsel I trusted, my mentor, my parents.
I talked with other friends.
I talked with the people in my program at the college.
(07:27):
And as I started weighing it, what I ended up really starting to turn inwards and feeling
what was inside of the pit of my stomach.
How did I feel when I thought about continuing with this program and turning my back on the
opportunity to go to Germany?
(07:48):
And every time I kept coming back to that question, you have to go to Germany.
I have to go there.
I have to see what's there.
There's something there that I need to find out what it is.
And if I don't go now, I'm never going to do it.
It was a dramatic decision.
It was a turning point that I knew had come in my life.
(08:08):
Like a fork was there.
It was like, here's the fork.
Boom.
Wow.
And I'm looking at one way or the other way.
And there was no through middle way.
It was one or the other.
I had to choose.
And when you feel that visceral reaction to something, it's like, okay, this is where
(08:32):
I'm at.
And it brings me to a book that we both have read, Sighted Edge.
Either you're trending up or you're trending down.
There is no neutral space.
And you talk about this fork in the road of decision of it is only one or the other.
One space takes me this way, but this other space of unknown is where I need to go.
(08:53):
And so you made that choice.
And wow.
Go you.
Because think about the stakes at hand.
I mean, there was so much that was on the line, but you said, hey, I'm going to go do
this thing.
And the people that are known in history are the ones that made choices that went against
the grain.
And I do believe Natasha is a history maker.
(09:16):
Come on.
Let's go.
Yes.
Thank you for all of that.
And it just brings me back to our topic.
The time I showed up for myself and I really was what I was waiting for.
That was me showing up in that moment saying, this is what you are doing.
And I felt that clear message and I listened to myself.
(09:39):
All the other voices got turned down that turned the volume all the way down.
And I just said, this is what I must do.
And I don't regret ever making that choice because that year was amazing.
It changed my life.
I met people I'm still in touch with to this day.
(10:00):
It broadened my perspective of the world.
There's no way I could have ever become the Natasha I am today without that year in Germany.
So yeah, it was difficult to make that choice at the moment.
And I was apologetic.
I was humble to the people who I needed to say, I'm sorry, I can't continue with this
(10:22):
particular path at this moment.
Thank you for this opportunity.
And I do understand the consequences.
But I need to do this right now.
Yeah.
I showed up for myself.
Come on.
She showed up.
She showed up.
Claps, claps, clap.
(10:44):
There was audition in Virginia.
And it was advertised as a featured extra role.
And my agent told me, hey, you should go and go to this audition because then you can work
on getting your SAG eligibility.
And so I drove three hours and I showed up to this audition.
And when I got there, this character then had a name, then had lines, and now became
(11:08):
a much bigger role than what I initially thought.
But I've not shown up for myself or shown up to that audition, then I never would have
had that opportunity.
And that created so many opportunities after booking that role.
And you taking that step and I guess both our stories involve travel.
You had to travel to another country.
(11:29):
I had to travel to another state.
I mean, you travel further.
But both were moments of stepping outside of what is comfortable to go and do this thing.
Now you're in a new situation.
You were in Germany and figuring that out.
And then it's like when you are in the trenches, that's where the amazingness is created.
It's not created when you just sit in this high comfort.
(11:51):
Because diamonds are created under pressure.
And you had to put yourself under pressure to progress.
And that's amazing.
Wow.
Yes.
And likewise, what you've just mentioned, you're driving across state lines to go to
do an audition that you didn't really know what the outcome was going to be.
(12:11):
That's a risk.
And I don't know what that took in as far as the arrangements and logistics you needed
to make to get transportation, to get enough gas money, whatever it was at that point,
because everything, all those different things, they add up to creating what can seem like
a huge obstacle to whatever it is that yourself, you yourself are telling, hey, I need to do
(12:35):
this.
I need to get to this audition no matter what right now.
I need to go and study in another country no matter what, no matter what anybody is
telling me right now.
Ooh.
Ooh.
Listen, you just, every time you speak, you just be hitting on something.
(12:55):
This whole notion of no matter what, when you have that mentality of no matter what,
you can literally change the world.
Because if your baseline is no matter what, you're going to accomplish it.
Because you've just said no matter what, it doesn't matter how much it costs.
(13:16):
It doesn't matter who I have to say goodbye to.
It doesn't matter how uncomfortable I'm going to be, but I'm going to do this thing no matter
what.
And when you make your goals a no matter what type of scenario, you're going to accomplish
it.
Ooh.
Yes.
I like that.
Oh my gosh, that might be a slogan.
(13:36):
That might be, I feel a slogan coming on.
I feel a slogan.
Put it on a shirt.
Put it on a t-shirt.
Put it on a t-shirt.
We getting merch already.
Okay.
Merch is happening.
It's never too early.
It's never too early for merch.
It's never too early for merch no matter what.
When you have that type of conviction and you decide, okay, this is what I'm going to
(13:57):
do, then you see what is it that you accomplish.
Of course, we both are creative people.
We get bombarded with different things to do.
And then it's like, okay, well, this has to happen.
This has to get done.
If I'm going to go do this thing, I'm going to create a way.
I'm going to figure it out.
Find a way to win.
When it's a no matter what situation, you find a way to win because that's the position
(14:20):
and the posture that you've put yourself in.
If I'm not mistaken, you're an international woman.
So making that flight was simple to you, correct?
Well, that's a good question, Go Go.
I don't think it was exactly simple because for the fact that that was the first time
I was traveling by myself.
Oh, so it was the first time.
(14:41):
So first time traveling.
Internationally.
Okay.
Okay.
That's what I wanted to uncover.
Yeah.
Okay.
So you were dealing with that as well.
For the first time.
Yeah.
I mean, I was traveling with, of course, the other students who were going there, but I
didn't know them.
So I was basically on my own and for the first time and as a young woman.
(15:03):
So it was what it was, but I traveled a lot growing up.
International flights were not something unusual to me.
I had done that from a young age.
So that part didn't scare me at all.
It was just the language barrier a little bit, the speed at which people were talking
and maybe not knowing all of the words that were being used and all of that, that just
(15:27):
kind of, okay, I'm in a different country where I'm not in an English speaking country
anymore.
Like the main language is not English.
It's interesting how me and Tasha have these conversations all the time and she was just
say stuff.
And once again, you've, you've, you've hit something else.
That's a whole different topic that we will have to definitely dive into, especially for
(15:50):
people at different levels, different races, different creeds.
And there's one topic of processing your privilege because you just, you just hit something.
I've gone on multiple international flights, just growing up, realizing in that moment
as you're telling me the story, because I have a similar story because my father is
(16:13):
from a different country, traveling was something that was second nature to me as a kid because
we just go, we're going to Nigeria.
Oh, we're going over here.
We're going over here and realizing that there are people even today that are in their thirties,
forties, fifties and beyond that have not left the state that they are in processing
(16:34):
what that privilege looks like.
Because we all know that when you travel, you get new experiences, you get certain biases
that you've had become erased because now you see things differently because you've
seen a different perspective.
It is a privilege to be able to travel.
And that takes me back to just having gratitude for where you are in life and kind of realizing
(16:55):
that that people aren't, aren't there.
Even as we have these different goals that we want to accomplish, there are so many people
that are like, how do I even start providing for myself?
So that's a whole nother, the different topic, but something I definitely want to dive into
and processing, processing your privilege and realizing what that is.
And I think there's been a movement in entertainment where younger kids of celebrities are aware
(17:19):
of the nepotism that they are in and they're acknowledging it and they're longer shying
behind it.
Yes, I got this because so-and-so is my mother or that helped me in this way.
And just acknowledging it.
And I think that ended up, when you acknowledge the privilege that you have, then less people
know that you're not ignorant to the position that you are in.
(17:41):
And I think for me, the position that I'm in, I definitely acknowledge that my mindset
is a privilege.
It comes natural to me, but it's not, everyone doesn't, it's not born that way.
And I've now had to then realize that as I tell people, oh, you know, you just, just
think your way through it.
You know, there are other, it's not that easy for a lot of people because they didn't have
(18:05):
the privilege of the parents that I had, the privilege of the mindset that I grew up in.
And that right there is something I have to deal with as an adult now knowing I have a
mindset that is not like a lot of people.
And this is because my experiences were very unique growing up.
Well, we are, we are taking them on a whole journey.
(18:26):
We brand the whole gamut, processing privilege mindset is a privilege.
I mean, that is, that's even another topic too.
Like these coming attractions.
Okay.
We're going to hit all these different things.
All the notes, all the notes.
I mean, but it's still, I mean, if we, if we're coming back to, and I don't know if
(18:46):
we want to do this, I mean, the way that we talk, once we start a topic, we tend to spiral
off into like tangents.
So I hope everyone's okay with that because that's kind of what's going to happen.
Yeah, that's, that's really the show.
We said we had a structure.
Ah, we lied.
Ah, gotcha.
It's a free flowing.
Natasha's favorite word that she uses is slow state.
(19:09):
When you're in that flow state, you just kind of let it flow.
You don't fight it and you don't try to control it.
You just let it flow.
I was here.
I was listening to the conversation.
I saw it flowing in the direction it was going.
It was going downstream and upstream and starting to bubble away from the top.
I went, you know what?
This is kind of, this feels good over here.
And then I was trying to fight back upstream a little bit.
Oh, let's go look at the topic.
(19:30):
I don't know.
This is too tiresome.
Let me just flow the way things are going.
Cause yeah, this, this, this is the, this is the whole point.
The conversations that we have, they motivate me endlessly.
We're talking a decade of conversations that we're just starting to now unravel and share
(19:52):
with the world.
So I hope you're all enjoying this as much as we are.
Cause we love having you with us.
It's so exciting to not limit yourself in creativity.
I was with a friend of mine named Zoe.
Zoe Rose.
She is a amazing visual artist.
She's here based in Malibu and she does different art and stuff.
And I went over to her studio to see her stuff and we're just having a conversation and she's
(20:15):
now taking acting classes and, and she's not limiting her creative self.
And I think wherever you are in life, whatever you're doing, it's important to not limit
yourself.
The miracle is you don't limit yourself to what you think you can do.
Cause you can do so much more.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
You can do so much more.
(20:36):
I'm trying to mute and type so you don't hear the clickety clack as I'm typing all that
cause it's go-go talks.
Like I just want to type.
So just.
Right.
So we can, cause I'm literally in this, everyone can't see because this is an audio podcast
situation, but I'm literally inside of my studio and I may share little clips of me
(20:58):
being inside here.
We'll see.
So when you got to Germany, cause I do want to finish the Germany story because you know,
when we do segue out, we do eventually come back.
When you got to Germany, what was the most surprising thing about being there and what
was the most say scary things as the two S's if there was one.
(21:19):
Those are great questions actually.
You know, what was surprising, what was scary.
When you go into any situation where you're heading into the unknown, your brain has already
gone on a little bit of a journey for you and it's like, Oh, this is what might happen.
This is how it might look or be.
You try to anticipate a few things.
(21:39):
When you arrive and you're finally in a location, it's going to present itself to you in the
way that it is or the way that you're able to perceive it at that time.
Right.
Yeah.
What was surprising to me looking back on this now, where I stayed initially was well,
where I stayed for the whole year was at a, an international dormitory where people from
(22:04):
all over the world who were studying at that university were placed.
So there would be some German students mixed in on the, on the floors with us.
We had several different floors in this sort of dormitory building, but there were people
from all over the world and they were coming there for different reasons to study.
(22:27):
I guess what was the most surprising was how the people on this floor of my dormitory.
So there were two sides.
There was the middle section where the joint shared common room where everyone could hang
out and talk and communicate whatever there wasn't a television.
It was just about coming together as a community in that building and talking, sharing food,
(22:52):
that kind of thing, really talking with each other.
So on one side of the building, there was a set of people and then on the other side
of the building, as we didn't know, always know each other, but we had responsibilities
as an entire floor to come together.
And what was surprising to me was how we became a family over that year and how much we were
(23:15):
going to miss each other.
The end of that year coming into it, I would have never imagined that leaving, like I would
have some of the people from my floor that I didn't think I would ever connect with.
They were driving me to the airport with my mom, I mean, sorry, to the train station.
We were all crying.
They were pushing my luggage.
We were hugging.
(23:35):
I was sharing recipes.
It was really special.
And that was surprising.
Nobody could have told me that that's what would happen in a year's time.
Scary, scary.
Now what's scary that happened?
I've got a story for you.
This might take longer than the allotted time for our podcast, but let's go for it.
(23:58):
We'll talk to the Bruce's about it later.
It's fine.
So as an international student who's visiting for a short time, we're encouraged to take
weekend trips.
Get yourself a ticket, get on the train, go to another country, explore.
So I had the opportunity to go to Holland.
(24:21):
A lot of people who know about Europe understand why Holland might be a place that a college
student might want to visit, namely Amsterdam.
Okay.
All right.
So I planned a trip with another friend of mine who had come over, I think, was that
(24:44):
at that time?
Now things are starting to get a bit swimmy with the memory about like when it was that
I traveled, but I was in Holland by any chance.
And I was traveling by myself at that point.
I experienced a scene not too unsimilar to The Hostel.
You know that little film, The Hostel?
Oh, yes.
Yes.
(25:04):
I only watched like a portion of that film.
Like I could, I don't think I could watch past the first 10 minutes and I was just done.
Like I was so scared out of my socks that I just, I couldn't continue.
I was traveling alone in the train and that was something that I was doing the whole time
that I was there for that year.
But this particular time, a gentleman came to join me in my private cabin.
(25:28):
They have these different cabins and they had glass on the window so the conductor could
see in.
So it wasn't like you were just there and like no one could see what was happening.
But there were seats there.
It was anybody could sit there.
So this gentleman asked me if he could join me.
Yeah, it was a bit, okay, this is a bit uncomfortable, but okay, cool.
He can join me.
Then as we started talking, it just, the conversation just felt very, I can't put any other word
(25:51):
to it, but creepy.
He was being very pleasant and very polite, but it just felt really creepy.
And he was asking if I would accompany him to go to some place and leave the train.
And I was like, no, like that's not going to happen.
(26:13):
I was being very polite back.
And then this other young Dutch man closer to my age, for some reason he like came, maybe
there was no other other seats available on the train.
Who knows, but he ended up coming in and joining us.
And I could see that the older gentleman was a little bit peeved by this.
Like he wasn't very happy that this other person had come to join us.
(26:35):
Cause I think he was like, you know, it was ruining his plan or whatever that was.
Yeah.
And so this, this younger guy just, he kind of like took over the vibe and he was like
so full of light and so full of like, like he was literally glowing.
There was light coming from him and I'm like, he is my savior.
I heard the music.
So anyway, so that scary moment, whatever it was, it was over, but what if this hadn't
(27:01):
happened?
The universe intervenes in ways that we don't, you know, we don't know, but I'm so grateful
for that.
Cause it was getting a bit scary in that train.
Yeah.
That was the scariest moment.
Wow.
And you think about, you know, life angels that come in to literally save you.
Cool.
I'm out of this situation, out of this scenario because yeah, that is such a scary moment,
(27:22):
but I'm glad that you lived to tell about it because who knows, who knows?
And you know what?
We don't want to know.
So we're good on that.
There were other scary moments, but we'll leave those for another time.
Another time, another time, another podcast, another topic.
(27:43):
I wow.
Thank you for sharing.
This has been such a, we went on a whole whirlwind of topics and stories and this is what, this
is what it is.
This is the morning motivation with the story pieces really getting to acknowledge the moments
and that's where you find the motivation.
The motivation is inside the moments.
(28:04):
So that acknowledgement of that person stepping in to change the energy and not even knowing
that that's what they were doing, but they were just being there, being present in the
moment, which is what we have to do as we just continue on in our life is just to be
present in the moment because so much is happening around us, but all we have is right now.
(28:25):
In this moment.
So well said.
Thank you so much insight.
Oh, I love it.
I love it.
Well, I'm so happy to have gotten to talk to my friend, Natasha, and you've now heard
another episode of morning motivation with go go and Natasha.
(28:47):
We thank you for listening.
There's much more to come, so stay tuned and we're getting deeper.
We're growing together until next time.
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