What if a sudden life event could completely change the course of your business and personal growth? Join us on a heartfelt journey as we navigate the transformative power of life's unexpected moments, from a house fire that reshaped Holly's business to the joy of reconnecting with friends over our shared love for coffee. As we celebrate International Women's Day, we reflect on the value of community and enduring friendships amidst life's ups and downs. Holly reveals her unique coffee rituals, and together, we find solace in the simple pleasures that nourish our spirits.
Mentorship and community growth are at the heart of this episode, as Holly recounts her enriching experience at South by Southwest (SXSW). Where, She had the privilege of mentoring a diverse array of individuals, from building startups to ambitious students. This journey wasn't just about sharing wisdom; it was about the mutual exchange of knowledge and the power of mentorship to effect lasting change. We explore the vital importance of transitioning mentorship into paid opportunities, especially for women who often provide unpaid guidance, and highlight resources that empower women in the workplace.
Genuine engagement, whether in social media or in life, is a recurring theme as we emphasize the importance of attentiveness and empathy in building meaningful connections. Holly Shannon joins us to discuss how creativity can flourish through new beginnings and collaborations, inspiring listeners to embrace renewal in their pursuits. As we look forward to future projects and potential collaborations, there's an invitation to connect over coffee and cultivate enriching relationships. Whether you're seeking inspiration, empowerment, or simply a good coffee story, this episode promises to uplift and motivate.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Um, I had a house fire, like you, and I had to put
everything away and, as youknow, it depends your life, like
you are.
Nothing is the same after that.
You have your life before fireand after fire, and I had to put
everything away.
And when I pulled everythingback out, the model for that
(00:24):
industry had shifted a lot andhad moved from for sales to
consignment.
For small people I'm nottalking like the anthropologies
of the world, but for smallerentrepreneurs like myself that
was always putting the stampshop a little for a small
business Saturday that was me itturned to consignment and it
(00:46):
was really really hard to buildand flourish in that kind of
model, and so I lost my mojo onit and shit happens.
Shit happens to you and me.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It doesn't matter if you're a wizard, a king or a
queen, even if you are magic,you've got to agree it's worth
it to talk shit out, no matterhow messy shit happens shit
(01:34):
happens.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
FYI, this episode was recorded February of 2024 and
we are now in March of 2025.
I felt like this was theperfect timing, with everything
that's going on in the world,but also the fact that it was
just International Women's Dayon March 8th, so enjoy.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Hey everybody, I'm about to hang out with the most
beautiful human being.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I know I love this lady so much and I'm so sad I
didn't get to see her last week,but I did get to see her last
year.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So if you're new here , welcome to Shit Happens,
because shit happens.
I'm Paula, host of TalkShareWEP, and now we have Shit Happens
.
And before that, I'm going togo ahead and bring this
incredible beautiful lady on thestage, polly baby.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Hi, how's my favorite , paula doing.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm amazing.
Oh, my God, I missed you somuch last week, so so much.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Podfest is like our little jewel, our little
community, and I'm sorry Imissed you on the stage, but I
heard you crushed it.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I did Thank you, and even though you were not there,
you were actually there becauseCharlie used our picture of DC
on his slide, so you were there.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Oh, I love Charlie, charlie from Pondville.
We all met in DC right forlunch.
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And it's funny because it was like you know how
this community is more thanbecause look at what we do even
beyond the community.
I was like, oh my God, yes takeme back it's true.
You know, Holly.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, I've been okay.
It's been a little bit crazy mylife.
I had to sort of step off ofthe business and social media
train to attend to a familyemergency, so I've sort of been
out of the loop from what feelslike most of January.
So like January feels like anentire year to me right now.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I mean, january is always like a year.
That's why people always saylike okay, we are starting the
new year in February becauseJanuary is just always so long.
I'm right there.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
New year in February.
So happy new year, Holly.
Happy new year.
We need champagne and we needthe like sparklers and
everything.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Before we get to anything right, I want to know
why you're obsessed with coffee,holly, because I've never like.
I know people love coffee, butyour love is beyond, so let's
talk about that All right.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
So, admittedly and without apology, I am a coffee
snob and I know I am.
I've always just I'm kind oflike that with all kinds of
foods, like I really I don'tknow.
I love to cook, I love to eat.
I've been exposed to somereally incredible little shops
and boutiques and I I like tolike share really nice things
(04:50):
and coffee happens to be one ofthem and you know it's a ritual.
I enjoy preparing it, I enjoylike having it freshly ground
and using a French press or amocha pod and it's like a ritual
.
You know, like I mean, I thinka lot of people have like tea
rituals and maybe around hotcocoa or maybe even just pouring
(05:13):
a drink, like they like theirdrink made a very particular way
.
So I'm kind of like that withmy coffee, I have to admit.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I like that.
What's the best coffee you'vehad so far?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Oh well, that's a really good question, because I
have a few.
But right now I found thisreally cute place here in DC
called Zeke's Shout out, andevery Sunday I go to DuPont
Circle here for the Farmer'sMarket, which is one of the
biggest farmer's markets in allof Washington DC, and they are
(05:49):
there and I get it's called the1820 Espresso Blend, and so
that's what I've been using for,but I've been using it as my
French press, not as espresso,but I can use it for either.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So nice, I like that.
I missed you and it's so sadthat the one time I send you a
package you don't get it,because I sent you Tanzanian
coffee.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I know and you know what, sometimes there's like a
lot of thefts here in DC rightoff the porches, like if they
see a package, and I thinkthat's sorry, so oh, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Um.
One thing I learned about youas I was preparing for this is
um.
You are a mentor at um.
What is it?
Sxsww?
What's the long form?
Oh my God, how can I know?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
So they call it South by Southwest.
Yes, south by Southwest.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And I know it's quite a very I call it the expensive
niche in this world because theyreally are that brand.
So I want you to share aboutthat experience brand new stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So I want you to share about that experience.
Okay, so I took a chance andapplied to participate in that
and I thought it was kind of along shot, but I got lucky in
2022.
And I got to be a part of theprogram and one of the things
that they do is, uh, they dolike a mentorship program on one
(07:29):
of their tracks.
They have many tracks.
They have technology, culture,uh, music, film you know all
different ones, but they do haveone track under um, I think it
was under culture andtechnologies.
I came in and I had thisopportunity to mentor all
(07:53):
different people.
They might have been startups,they might have been planning on
an entrepreneurial journey,they could have been students
you never know who you'll end upwith.
And, strangely, this woman fromOhio University for Scripps
University there, which is aworld renowned university, she
(08:15):
put a bunch of her students in avan and came to Austin, texas,
to South by, and I ended upinterviewing them all in a row
and it was a really coolexperience.
I also got to meet with threefounders a really cool startup
called Mogul that actually wonthe pitch challenge there and
(08:38):
has gone on to do amazing things.
And then there was one womanthat I ended up mentoring.
She had read my book at thetime and I invited her to come
work for me as an intern so shecould get an opportunity to look
under the hood of a podcast.
And she took me up on it andshe was a very gifted sound
(09:00):
engineer.
Sound engineer and we ended upworking together for a couple of
seasons and she's gone on togreater things.
She's gone on to work with NPR.
So I felt like maybe I had likethis teensy little part in you
know, maybe helping her roundout a few skills that she wanted
(09:22):
, but so that was like reallycool being able to do that.
I got interviewed by a couple ofdifferent places an Asian
channel which I think isfeatured on my website, and I
got interviewed by an app called, two apps.
(09:42):
One was called Ible, where Imet our friend Johnny Um, and he
interviewed me.
And then, um, I'm embarrassedto say I forgot the name of the
other app.
I'm not even sure I think theywere trying to compete with like
a clubhouse or something.
I can't remember the name,sorry to say it was two years
ago, but applied again, and so Iwill be back in March, um,
(10:07):
doing my thing.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I mean that's impressive.
So that's how you met, johnny.
Look at how all theseconnections end up coming.
Yeah, yeah and um.
I like what you said aboutinternships because I feel like
most people when you offer theminternships, they feel like, oh,
I'm doing all this work for,but they forget how much you get
from that being mentored, likebeing in an internship in there
(10:33):
doing that with people, how muchit's better than even being
getting a job.
That's paying you, because you,when you get a job, uh, or
you're being paid for a job, youjust do the job, but when
you're being an intern, you getto to learn all the different
sectors and I feel like peopleare sleeping on that.
And it's funny because the guyI was, who was here an hour ago,
(10:54):
was engaged uh, I'minternshiping with him on his
intern and trade year program.
He started an intern programand I consider my mentors, so I
figured you are a mentor.
You have mentored people aregoing to do amazing things.
I wanted us to talk about theirmentorship and how it's
important in community, insociety, in your growth, of
(11:16):
whatever you're doing, to have amentor, your mentor to somebody
.
So did you ever have mentors ordid you get into that?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
um, I did have mentors along the way, um,
throughout my my life.
Um, I'm not sure that it wassomething that was, um I'm not
even sure it really kind of hada name when I was like growing
up and going through thebusiness world.
I'm not sure that we reallyidentified it as that.
(11:48):
You know, I'm a big believer init.
I'm also a big believer inbeing paid, you know, like I
think mentorship is important.
But I think women often getpigeonholed into offering
mentorship as opposed to beingsafe consultants.
So I think it's reallyimportant to sort of have a line
(12:10):
in the sand as to how much youdo of each.
And I will point out I didspeak to her on as an intern,
the woman who did come to helpme in the beginning and helped
to level her up.
But as soon as she startedhelping with other seasons, I
(12:30):
paid her the same amount that Iwas paying my original editor
for episode, because she wasstill doing the work and it was
hours out of her day that shecould have been maybe taking a
part-time job somewhere.
So I did move it into a paidinternship once I realized that
(12:51):
she really wanted to learn moreand that we were growing
together.
But I think mentorship is reallyimportant because I think it's
important to share whateverinformation you have.
It's not new.
Anything that we're sharingit's not new.
You're not, you know, creatinga universe, but you're sharing.
(13:12):
You know you're sort ofcarrying the baton that's been
handed to you, and so I thinkit's really important to mentor
throughout life.
And even if you haven't andgive that gift to somebody,
they'll probably pay it forwardbecause it'll be worthwhile for
them.
And then at some point, youknow, especially for women, I
(13:32):
think it's really important tohave um paid consultancy, I
think.
I think a lot of people love toput women in that mentorship
program, similarly how they loveto put women in volunteer work.
It's all important, and Ivolunteered endless hours, but I
think it's really important topay women their worth.
(13:53):
I think women get asked to dothat more than men.
To be honest, no shade, butit's just the truth.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It is the truth.
I've also seen that, like I'veseen more, even when it comes to
volunteering.
You see the numbers, you seewhere it's lacking.
And I'm also don't get me wrongI've had internships where I've
been paid and I haven't beenpaid, and I like it when, like,
(14:21):
if I'm being an intern and I dothe bare minimum, I get it.
It it's gonna stay there, but ifI'm doing, I'm being an intern
and I'm proving myself, I'mreally putting in the work, I'm
showing up, I'm doing the extra,I really want to learn.
I feel like that I am puttingin the work right, like how you,
(14:43):
how you turned it into becauseshe was putting it up, but if
she wasn't, if she wasn't doingnone of that, it would have
stayed as an internal.
Okay, your time is over, thankyou, you know.
But if you see that the ritualis growing and they really want
it as much as they're showing it, because sometimes people say I
want it so badly, but then whenyou look at what they're doing
(15:06):
in this, I want it so badly, youdon't, I want it so- badly in
the actions.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
you only see it in the words.
Does that make sense?
No, it makes perfect sense.
And, and I think also, um, yousort of need a little bit of
time to get to know each otherso that you can um make sure
they're not lazy or flaking outor disinterested.
You know, sometimes people askfor things and they get it and
and then they don't really showup for for the game, if you will
(15:31):
.
So, um, I think I think it isimportant to mentor, I think
it's important to show up, and Ithink there's, oh, it's always
important to have a bit of atrial period together, as maybe
an unpaid intern, um, and andthen to assess it.
And, that being said, um, Iwould also say to the person
being mentored, that intern um,use your voice.
(15:55):
You know, like, if you feellike, after a period of time,
you're bringing some worth tothe table, that you are um
helping that person out.
As much as you know it'sreciprocal, it's okay to show up
to the table and say hey, youknow, I think we've reached a
point in our relationship thatI'd like to look at a paid
(16:15):
opportunity with you.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I think that's important too, to have it be
very two-sided and not one-sidedtwo-sided and not one-sided,
and that's so true because, nooffense, some people will keep
you in the not paid for as longas they can, especially if you
don't voice it.
Some people are just like that.
Not everybody will be like ohmy god, I see how much you're
(16:37):
doing, let's see how far you cantake it, or anything.
There are only a few people whoactually see that and do it,
and that's why I like to be inplaces where I will do my part.
If you're not seeing me, I willraise it to the table and bring
it like hey, I've been doingthis for this time and if it's
(16:59):
not, it's fine, then my time isgone.
It wasn't wasted, because Ilearned some stuff.
I took a lot with me, but Ijust need to go take it
elsewhere where they will pay mefor it.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
no, I agree with you, I agree.
So, yeah, I think both arereally good and and when I was
speaking at South by Southwest,I had the opportunity to create
mentorship relationships withpeople and consulting A couple
of them flipped over from justour initial date together to
(17:34):
mentor in Austin where theyhired me to consult and help
them build out their podcast.
So that was a great opportunityand I think it's all good.
I think everybody at some pointshould mentor and probably
consult.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, because it builds relationships and you
never know where thoserelationships lead you or take
you.
So you, as we're talking aboutbeing paid right, and we are
women, for some reason we arealways scared of when it comes
(18:12):
to asking for a raise or gettingpaid fairly, like raising our
voices in those departments.
For some reason A man will walkup in there and be like I want
a raise and walk out, but wewill overthink it.
How to go about it?
What can I do?
Am I really worth it?
Am I asking too much?
Am I asking too much?
Like it's always so hard?
(18:33):
What would you suggest forpeople who are like you know, as
we're talking about, like yourmentoring, your internship it
gets to a point where yourealize, oh my God, now I'm on
this level where I need to bepaid or even just getting a
raise.
How would you tell somebody togo about that?
Because I know a lot of peoplehave an issue with that.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, it's a tough one, they say.
On the front side of that, whenpeople apply for a job, women
will make sure that they checkall the boxes on the job
description before they apply,and men don't do that.
Even if they have, you know,25% of the skill sets being
(19:15):
asked for, they apply.
So there is a discrepancy inhow our brains work in terms of
what we are worthy of forstarters.
Then, on the flip side of it,once you have a job, I think
women tend to be timid aboutasking for what they deserve, so
(19:40):
I'll probably share a couple ofresources here.
So I had the gift of being ableto interview two very powerful
women.
One's named Belly Gallant andshe is the founder of Female
Quotient, and they are anorganization that really helps
(20:00):
women understand their worth,helps women understand their
worth and, uh, they are backedby a lot of very powerful women
and they show up to all of themajor events.
Um, they have a podcast, butthey're very um active on
LinkedIn and in in those typesof communities and they, I
(20:20):
believe they have a lot of toolsto help women ask for what they
deserve.
She's a pretty amazing woman.
I did get to interview herabout company culture from the
beginning of my show.
And then another person withanother resource.
(20:41):
Her name is Lindsay Kaplan andshe's the co-founder of CHEAP,
and CHEAP is an organizationthey have.
They started in New York andnow I think they're in San
Francisco, Chicago, DC, Miami Ithink they're all over now and
they're a big organization ofwomen and you have to be a
(21:05):
certain level to get in.
But they have a lot ofresources to help them.
You know, break through thatproverbial glass ceiling, lift
each other up on the ladder,kind of thing.
So there's a couple ofresources there that you know,
maybe would help people to findsome ways to use their voice.
(21:28):
You know, sometimes you needthat kind of mentorship.
You need the resources thatprovide the tools that you need
for your box we do, we do, and Ifeel like I've been in that
place.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Well, now I'm very vocal.
I mean, have you met me in life?
I was in that place where, uh,even when I know what my worth
is, what I bring for that, likeI really go into a job and I
learn everything, I try to dothat and bring amazing customers
.
So at some point I'm like yo,I'm doing so much, I need a
raise.
But then at one point you'relike but I should feel lucky
(22:03):
that I'm, I even have this job.
Like I.
And men don't think like that,you know, and for some reason I
don't know why we have thatmentality, because I would sit
with other women and I would belistening to them as to why
they're not asking for raise andthey have to say, man, I'm just
lucky I have a job, I'm justlucky they hired me, I'm just
(22:23):
lucky I'm in this position, I'mjust right it really is.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
It's kind of like it's very unfair.
You know when you deserve it,but show up with the goods.
So what I would say is I wouldlook at your original job
description and I would checkoff other things that you you
know you are living up to thatjob description and maybe make a
(22:50):
list of, um, what you are doingover and above that.
Uh, a list of youraccomplishments, you know, oh I.
Uh, increased sales by 25%.
Uh, in cater, youraccomplishments, you know, oh I,
increased sales by 25% incatering, or you know whatever
it was like.
Make a list so that way, whenyou go to sit down and ask for
that raise, you could say I'mcoming to you to ask for a raise
(23:13):
.
For this reason you hired mefor this job and I feel that
I've done a phenomenal job ofmeeting all your expectations on
that.
But I also want to present toyou that I've done this, this
and this as well in my time hereand I'd like to discuss a role
going into my next calendar yearwith you, or something like
(23:36):
that.
So you know, position it sothat it's not at the wrong time,
like if you're coming on, likeyour one year anniversary or two
year anniversary or whatever.
Come in so that you're armedwith what you need Technus for
that raise and not just theconditional 4% or whatever the
company deems appropriate, thatyou're coming for a raise that
(23:59):
you feel merits more than theconditional raise for showing up
.
You know that.
I think you have to come armedwith evidence.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, and that's such a uh for me.
Um, after listening to thosewomen, I was like, oh my God.
And then, when I sit with theguys and I hear how they talk
and how they, I was like, yeah,this can be it.
And it ended up being.
At that time I was workingretail at HomeGoods and we all
(24:30):
had a base pay and then you know, every one year they give you
that one cent Two percent, yeah,probably some ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Now.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
But because I made sure that I learned everything
apart from just my jobdescription.
I made sure I becameundisposable, like you know,
even when this person is missingtoday or they called out Paula
can do that, paula can do that,paula can do that.
So I used that as my weapon.
I was like so we're going totalk about how to live better
(25:04):
than this.
So I ended up when, when someof my friends later on, after I
left I left I saw them how muchexactly I was making for a
person in my in the position, Iwas like because they wanted to
promote me, but only with adollar extra, with no worth, I
was like I'm not doing that,because sometimes people think
(25:26):
just having the title is fancy,like I want the money, you can
keep the title right, I don'twant the title.
So I declined that.
But with a position, I was themoney, money I was making.
There.
Nobody was making, even thepeople who got promoted to that
extra dollar position.
I was still making more.
Because every time I went towhen it was my one year and they
(25:51):
were talking about we're goingto give you this, I was like no,
I do this, I do this, I'm theonly one who does this.
I work every day because I cometo the weekends.
So I ended up negotiating and Ido this.
I'm the only one who does this.
I work every day because I cometo the weekends.
So I ended up negotiating and Ilearned that I was like you've
got to stand up, because if youreally know what you're bringing
, if you really see what you'rebringing, they will comply to it
(26:12):
, especially when you try tomake things undisposable.
And I used to tell people Iknow it's just home because I'm
rich, so people take it.
I'm just here to do my job andleave.
I'm like I'm going to learneverything.
I'm going to take it as anormal job while I wait for the
job I want and show up as eventhough I hate it, show up as I
(26:33):
love it, do the damn thing andmake my value that more higher.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
I think it's amazing what you did, and I think what
you did by sharing what your paywas when you exited with the
people that were on the samelevel as you, I think that that
was really huge that you didthat, because I think we need
more transparency so that peopledon't get taken advantage of.
(27:01):
That's in women, that's inwomen of color, paula, because
the scale is even lower right.
And I think you gave them a giftthat most people don't do by
sharing that, and I thinkshowing up and asking for what
you're worth is important.
You have a unique skill, paula.
(27:28):
You have a very high level ofEQ, which is that emotional
quotient.
You know, like you are verysensitive and worn and pay
attention to, to people, likewhen they drift off a little bit
or you don't hear hear fromthem or you notice that they're
not like engaging.
Like you're very good at the,you're very empathetic and you
recognize when somebody ishurting or is not really wholly
(27:52):
present because maybesomething's on their mind.
Something's on their mind andthat's a really valuable tool in
business.
And it's a bit of a lost artbecause a lot of people aren't
comfortable talking to otherpeople.
You know and there's nothingwrong with that there's a lot of
introverted people that don'twant to really engage.
They don't want to do thatcustomer service level, if you
(28:13):
will.
But for those who arecomfortable with it, like you,
and for somebody who has thatsixth sense about people, like
you recognize when somebodyneeds like a little special
attention, a little call of love, you know like hey, how's it
going today?
Or a little text.
You know sending, sendinghearts, like that's your gift.
(28:35):
Um, and that's a big thing.
Like in different jobs that youchoose, there's a lot of people
that can't do it.
I would probably say 80% of thepeople out there can't do what
you do, and that's always goingto be a really big gift that you
can bring to the table and makemore money with, because you'll
(28:56):
be telling the higher ups.
I'm the one who has my fingeron the pulse of what's happening
here, because I'm able to talkto people and I'm able to
recognize when people aren'tdoing well and a healthy, strong
workforce is important to youand I can ensure that they stay
that way because I'm dialed in.
(29:16):
I can tell when somebody is notdoing well and I'm okay with
approaching them.
So that's a gift that you have.
I truly believe that.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Thank you so much.
You're going to make me cry.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
And it's funny because when you grow up I've
always been the emotional, theempathy and I read a lot, like I
read people a lot.
But those were the things whenI was growing up appreciated.
Because you're too emotional,you're a cry baby, you're too
loud, you're all in our business.
(29:51):
Because when you be like so,how are you really, why are you
in my business?
You know all that becausepeople were so defensive back
then and people really didn'twanna.
Right now, a little bit, peopleare more open, warm and willing
to.
They want to be asked out whatyou're really doing and they
want to be like they are beingseen for whatever they're going
(30:12):
through.
But back then it was like getout of my face, leave me alone.
So to still be able to not losethat because it's so easy for
somebody to be like oh my God,everybody, fuck all this.
Why am I being?
You know, I'm just going tokeep it to myself.
So for me to be able to stillbe that throughout all the
(30:33):
things that has happened and forpeople to appreciate me for
that now means a lot.
And even when I, if I wasn'tscared about being fired at that
time I would have probably toldeverybody how much I was making
and how to get to make more.
I know there's specific peoplewho I literally talked to and I
know they won't run to go say,but they'll find a way to use
(30:55):
that information to helpthemselves.
So those I shared with while Iwas still at home.
Then, when I left, that's wheneverybody was like, listen, I
met this man.
So don't listen to them whenthey say they can't.
You just got to tell them whatyou have, because they see it.
They just pretend they don'tsee it Because it's retail,
(31:17):
right, I know they see it.
They just pretend they don'tsee it Because it's retail,
right, I know they see it.
They know what you're capableof, because when people call out
, when people do this, all that,they call you, you're the first
one to step in.
So they're just playing stupid,especially since you also don't
know how to approach it.
And they're like well, this isnot coming.
Why should we be the ones to goto them?
(31:38):
Because, and they're like, well, this is not coming.
Why should we be the ones to goto them?
Because it's future.
It's not like a company thatactually cares about your people
.
You get fired today.
They'll have another person tohire.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Well, it's interesting that you say that it
really degrades the companyculture when you cycle through
people repeatedly like that andit costs the company a ton of
money to onboard and thenoffboard people.
It's really a shame, because topay somebody another dollar an
(32:07):
hour or whatever it is, maybeeven every six to 12 months, and
to let them know that they'redoing a good job and to give
them little perks along the wayNot that perks are necessarily
company culture, you know, justbecause there's, you know,
kombucha and iced coffee in thefridge doesn't necessarily make
you want to stay.
But being recognized for thosethings, being recognized for
(32:32):
your gifts, and paying you alittle bit more and keeping that
trail of money coming in sayswe like you, paula, and we
appreciate the work you're doingand we are going to give you
money to you know we're, we're,we're putting on the bottom line
.
We're not just patting you onthe back and saying thank you,
we're saying, hey, here's somecash to put in your back pocket.
Um, you know that makes such ahuge difference and I and I
(32:55):
don't know why there's such adisconnect in businesses that
way, but there is.
And I do want to say something.
I just want to jump back tosomething you said when you were
younger how being empatheticand having, you know, that sixth
sense of emotion, likerecognizing when people were
(33:16):
blue or bad or you know whateverand you were, you know, given a
hard time, you were calledemotional or too sensitive, or
to whatever.
It was the same thing for me,by the way, and I truly think
now, now that we're more openabout discussing mental health
(33:37):
without it being like as much ofa stigma I mean, I'm not saying
it's not, but like people are alittle bit more comfortable
like being forward about, likehey, I'm going to take a little
personal time this afternoonJust got some personal things
happening.
I'm not doing so well, likepeople actually talk now and say
it.
So I actually think and I'vesaid this before but I think our
(34:02):
emotional, sensitive side isactually our superpower and not
a negative.
So I'm sorry that that's whatyou were given, as that's what
was said to you when you wereyounger, because the same thing
was said to me.
But I think now it's really ourstrength, because I think like,
(34:28):
for example, we let you knowthat I had gone silent on social
media for a period of timebecause I was going through some
shit and you reached out to meto check in and I have some
people in my life, um, friends,that I've known for years that
(34:50):
didn't do that, um, so you haveyour finger on the pulse of that
and it it is your power.
It might have been presented toyou as a negative when you're
younger, but it is powerful, um,I, I appreciated that you did
it, and then we startedcorresponding a little bit more
because I felt very comfortabledoing that, because I knew that
(35:12):
you were paying attention and wejust all want to be paid to.
You know, we want somebody topay attention to us, right, we
want to.
We want to be seen when, whenwe need to be Right.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Yeah, and that's true , all that you said.
First of all, thank you so muchfor saying all that stuff.
And and I'm a person who don'tlisten to people when it comes
to my life, so I'm glad that Iwas that way, that way.
That's why I am still who I amLike.
Yeah, okay, they told me that Iwas a negative.
It is what it is, but it didn'tstop me from continuing to be
(35:45):
that way.
And then now those same peoplethought I was a negative.
Now they're the ones who wantmy life when they are going
through their darkness.
But oh, so now it's good enoughfor you.
But no bad luck, but somethingabout, because I tell people a
lot.
Right, social media as good asit can be in building
(36:07):
relationships with people allover and promoting whatever, but
it's also as bad because peoplesee you posting or being on
social media media.
They assume you are good.
They forget that there's alsotools.
Not everybody when they post,they're actually what they're
(36:27):
feeling, what they're goingthrough.
Sometimes most of us contentcreators, we are always
constantly being told you needto post, you need to post.
So even I might be in my bedcrying and I'm putting a post up
, but that's not what I'm goingto.
Or some people have schedulingtools.
They schedule posts.
So, whether I'm on social mediaor not, my post will still be
(36:49):
going, but people have startedusing the social media.
Oh, as long as she's on socialmedia she's fine.
And me I'm a person who I reallyread people's posts or like I
see the switch.
Because when I see somebodyposting whether it's tested or
not and depending on how they'reposting, it's over, like very,
(37:12):
I'll be like something ain'tfeeling right here, feeling
right here, and I will tell.
But when I call not the typicaljust scroller, I literally will
, my friends will be likeanalyzes social media posts.
I'm like, yeah, because Ireally want to understand.
But yeah, I don't want to score, because even in my post,
(37:32):
that's why I want engagement, Iwant people to actually read,
feel and engage.
So I so I'm going to go throughthat.
So most of the time when I seeI'm like I need to reach out to
her, I don't think she's reallyokay or she's feeling bad.
Or even when I see people whoare normally online and then I'm
like wait, I haven't seen Hollyin here for two seconds.
(37:57):
I haven't seen Christophe'spost, because you guys are
always in my timeline, right?
So I'm like I need to reach outand just make sure that okay,
because sometimes people justtake social media breaks.
You know, just like, oh, I'mgood, I just need a time off,
you know, because Instagram cando that to you.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Yeah, well, it's a lot of work, but I think it's
really great that you're payingattention to the details and the
nuances of people's posts andyou can tell, like, when it's a
scheduled post and when it'slike a more spontaneous, in real
time kind of post, and I thinkit's really great that you do
that.
I like to read too.
(38:36):
I guess I'm one of thoseweirdos that read all the
captions.
I follow this influencer, tarynDelaney Smith.
I think she's freaking adorableand she posted once.
I'm going to read.
I'm going to put my finger onevery story of my friends and
read every last word that theyput on there, and I'm that
(38:57):
person and read every last wordthat they put on there.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
And I'm that person.
Also, if I'm in a place where Ican't read, I'll screenshot it,
so I can come back and read it.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Juices right, like people are putting stuff on
there for a reason.
You know what I mean.
It's not just like hey, here'sa fire emoji when people really
type some stuff on there.
I want to read it.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
I want to read it you know and we talked about this
when we were in DC togetherabout how people don't really
read.
That's why people like, theyjust like.
But there's no engagement,because if you actually read the
post, you would have had torespond, because have you seen
how juicy my post was?
And that shows me that peoplereally don't read, they just
(39:43):
like.
Because how are you gonna see awhole caption like that and not
respond like come on, you'reright, it's so true.
So before we get to an end, Ijust want to find out is coffee
culture coming back?
Are you giving us our coffeeculture back?
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Oli, I'm having trouble.
I am Hello, universe, where areyou?
I've gone quiet for a whilewith it.
My last episode was with StephBowden the end of May and I have
been on hiatus and I believethat stands for.
(40:25):
I hate this because I have beenwaiting for the epiphany.
I've been waiting for theuniverse to speak to me.
I've been waiting for somebodyto reach out and say what about
this?
I just I hit a wall with it.
You know, I every season it kindof the storyline shifted and
that really worked for me.
(40:46):
I loved rebranding it fromseason to season.
It worked for me.
Um, it's very much suits mypersonality.
I'm very, um, impulsive and Ihave a lot of things that
interest me.
So I have to keep shifting withthe tide and with trend and I
have been unable to dream up aseason six that I can wrap my
(41:11):
heart around and be passionateabout.
And, as we know, in thepodcasting world, if you don't
have passion, drive, interestand heart what it is you're
talking about, it's pretty hardto carry your podcast and to
show up and to interview peopleor moderate and create the
(41:35):
content and edit it and uploadit and share it.
There's so many things you haveto do with a podcast.
It could end up being afull-time job, if you allow it,
and I have been stuck, holly hasbeen stuck and I have just not
found the answer yet, so I don'tknow if I have a season six in
(41:58):
me or if somebody sees somethingin me that, uh, I should be
doing.
Feel free to reach out, I don'tknow that's why I had to ask
you.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You never know who will listen to this and be like
wait, I know how to get a group.
We are gonna get Holly'sprotesting group back.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, who knows?
Who knows what I'm supposed tobe doing.
I've done a lot of things, asyou know.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Let me share some of those amazing, incredible things
you have done, because I wasamazed by them.
When we were having this, I waslike, wait, you didn't.
I was like, oh my god.
And that's why people she's mynumber one influencer Like when
people talk about, oh, that's myfavorite influencer, holly is
my favorite influencer, becauseI feel like people feel like to
(42:47):
be an influencer.
You really need to have highnumbers, but if people really
watch your stories and theincredible stuff you do and the
incredible people you put onLike you have put me on to so
many people I wouldn't have met,and that's what an influencer
is.
And you don't have to put mepersonally.
But you're putting the contentout there.
(43:08):
I'm watching, I'm dissolving it, I'm resonating with it and
then I'm moving further and Imean we just connected on a, on
we're all following the same uhpoet oh, my god, I forgot her
name.
She does incredible poems.
And then you introduce me tosomebody else who now I'm in
love because that's what thatman's point.
(43:28):
Well, I know that's the type ofinfluence I want, not you
having numbers and just tryingto make me to go buy some shit
or anything.
A person who really just shares, because, holly, you go to
comedies, you go to poems, yougo to fashion shows, you go to
(43:49):
and you just share.
You support people, you supportyour friends, you share their
work and we can find it.
That's incredible, Becausepeople these days, even your
friends, will come to your stuffand they won't even post you or
whatever.
Like when I'm at Fortress.
Everybody knows I'm at Fortressbecause my entire content is
Fortress.
If I'm at somebody's event, I'mnot going to worry about taking
(44:11):
a picture of me or whatever.
I'll make sure I capturewhatever so people can know your
greatness who in tears, so thatthey can want to be here next
time.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
And that's what you do, thank you, thank you, and
I'll have you know I have toyedwith the idea.
I just haven't found the rightthing yet.
But when I was thinking about aseason six, I was kind of
thinking like what if it'ssomething that was truly where
culture shifts and where friendsstart and things that I see
(44:41):
happening?
Because I have like this weirdthing where I will create
something and like six monthslater I'll watch it blow up Like
it's a weird thing that happens.
It's happened throughout mycareers.
You know, like I like here's aweird thing that happens.
It's happened throughout mycareers.
You know, like here's a randomthing, so like people don't know
(45:04):
this, but I was a jewelrydesigner for about 15 years and
I was very fortunate.
I got to collaborate with somereally incredible designers and
my work was carried in somepretty cool places.
So I'll leave it at that.
I won't get into too muchdetail there Because sometimes
all the names often say boring,right.
So anyway, that's somethingthat I did and I did this series
(45:29):
of I called it All Things Wingsand I did scarab, beetles and
butterflies and hummingbirds andI made them from a process.
It was well.
I won't get into that detail,but it's made with a precious
metal clay.
So I hand sculpted them and Imade these scarab beetles.
(45:50):
And I'm not kidding you, sixmonths later I'm seeing them in
Soho, new York City, at me and,ro, I'm seeing them in
anthropology, you know, a yearafter that I'm seeing them on
Tory Burch and I'm like, yeah,been there, done that.
So it's that weird thing.
Like there was this reallyincredible comic that I saw here
(46:14):
in DC.
There might have been 50 to 100people in the room and I kept,
yeah, I posted about him.
I'm like this guy is gonna goto the top and I'm not kidding
you, in under a year he has soldout every stadium across the US
and across the world.
Since then.
Like I just I see something, Ican't put my finger on it.
(46:37):
I just I feel it.
And then I I see something Ican't put my finger on it.
I feel it and then I want toshare it.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Didn't he get a Netflix special?
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Yes, he did.
Yeah, Matt Rife yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
I kept on seeing him on your post and watching him on
your post and then the nextthing I I saw him from the
beginning when you used to sharehim, when it was just you
people in the room, and I'm likeI say you are my influence,
like when people tell me what,who's your top one influencer?
Speaker 1 (47:05):
that's you, holly, like oh you're so sweet I don't
know about the Kardashians ornobody.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I just know Holly Shannon.
I don't know.
I just know Holly Shannonspeaking of of Jerry.
You know, holly, I'm turning 35this year.
I feel like you should make,you should cast me a piece.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Oh, look at that, you're so cute.
Well, so here's the thing.
Happy early birthday.
When is your birthday?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
All the way in June.
You have time, you have enoughtime I have time, okay, so
here's the problem that I have.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
So I do miss making jewelry.
So the reason why I stoppeddoing my jewelry because a lot
of people are like, why don'tyou get back into it.
I had a house fire, like you,and I had to put everything away
and, as you know, it dependsyour life.
Nothing is the same after that.
You have your life like you are.
Um, nothing is the same afterthat.
(47:59):
You have your life before fireand after fire and I had to put
everything away.
And when I pulled everythingback out, the model for, uh,
that industry had shifted a lotand had moved from um for sales
to consignment for small peopleyou know I'm not talking like
the anthropologies of the world,but for, you know, smaller
(48:21):
entrepreneurs like myself.
You know that was alwaysputting the stop, the stamp,
shopping little little smallbusiness Saturday, that was me
Um, it turned to consignment andit was really, really hard to
build and in that kind of model,and so I lost my mojo on it.
(48:42):
And now I live in DC and I livein a smaller setting, and so I
don't have a bench and I don'thave my torch and I don't have
all of my tools.
I'm just not really set up forit here, so I will send you
something from a priorcollection for your 35th
birthday that I still have, butI haven't been able to set up
(49:07):
shop again.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
We need the gods to hear.
Please bring all the mojo forHolly.
We need to get her because shehasn't wrote another book.
By the way, she's also anAmazon bestseller.
She hasn't given us anotherbook.
There's no, any signs of seasonsix.
There's no jewels coming tolife.
(49:32):
There's been some mojo overhere.
All the gods, I need to go domy god gods rainy dance tonight
so that some sprinkles can falldown on you, okay, yeah, I have
to come up for my.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
I have to rise.
I have to be the phoenix rising.
I need help.
Come home and let me dosomething special with you.
I love to collaborate, sothat's what I need.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Oh, you'll be like if you ever watched oh my god.
Oh my god.
What was that show whereeverybody Game of Thrones, when
the dragon finally got out ofthere and flew and they blew out
the?
That's how you're going to rise.
Speaker 1 (50:18):
I'm going to have a GOT above my head right, like a
little symbol.
Come on, gots, where are you?
It's the biggest audienceThey'll find me.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
But if anybody wants to collaborate with Holly or
some ideas, whatever, we arealways creators.
We're always willing to listenand hear, because you never know
, by talking to somebody else Ijust have having a coffee meet
up and just talking somethingmight, because you might be
(50:50):
inspired from somebody who youdon't even.
You didn't even expect from aconversation that you weren't
even expecting to be inspired.
So y'all send some positivemojo to Holly, okay.
Speaker 3 (51:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Thank you so much for hanging out with me.
And people go get her book Zeroto Podcasts.
It's on Amazon and this is whyI tell you she's an influencer,
because it was top 10 bestseller in three categories.
Okay, and it was also Amazon'shot new release.
It was also 40 under 40.
She's like, oh, my God, let'sbring we need this human back in
(51:28):
this creative world.
So let's bring her back.
But before we end this, ali,since you are like in that stuck
moment, so I'm going to put youin the hot seat.
Maybe this might also becausesometimes you know, sometimes we
are very good to advisesomebody and then we are going
through the same shit, but theadvice we give we don't give
(51:51):
ourselves.
I'm asking you if I was thatfriend who was stuck right now,
who was in your position, whowas feeling what you're feeling,
what advice would you give me?
Speaker 1 (52:05):
You're good.
You are good, paula, yeah.
So I would probably say, reachout to people that you trust.
I would totally say, reach outto people that you trust, that
(52:27):
have seen all of your truecolors and still love you
without judgment, and maybe askthem what they have seen in you
at the height of your creativity.
You know what, what reallyshowed up, um, and where you
think, uh, their passion wasalong the way, cause you know,
(52:48):
passion ebbs and flows.
So I think talking to thepeople closest to you could help
reveal that, um.
And I would probably say, ifyou're more introverted and
you're not really comfortablehaving those deep dive
conversations I'm a deep divegirl, so I admire it, but, like
some people don't like it Iwould say trust in yourself and
grab a pad, like old school witha pen, not your phone Cause
(53:12):
then of course, yeah, if youhave your phone, you're going to
be like checking social media,instructed Yep.
So yeah, so like you need to golike sit quietly on your back
porch with a pad and a pen andjust writing down anything you
have enjoyed doing throughoutyour life.
I don't care if it's like rockclimbing, writing to your
(53:32):
grandmother, you know, makingfun drinks with friends.
Maybe it was a particular joband there was a role that you
played, like I don't knowediting podcasts, whatever.
Just like write down all of thethings that you've ever enjoyed
doing, and then just sit withit for a little bit and come
(53:53):
back to it, because we're alwaysour best editor later.
Come back and look at it laterand see if you see any through
lines in your creativity orsomething that you might want to
go back to that you've donebefore.
So that's what I'd probablyadvise now look at that.
Speaker 2 (54:07):
That is a perfect advice.
And since february is your newyear, we are beginning february,
so I'm gonna give you ahomework in this month.
Go do something like that.
Start with that, go, go, go.
The same advice you're givingus.
Do that, please, thank you.
Speaker 1 (54:27):
I will thank you before we go.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
I love you too, holly , and thank you for coming on um
.
Let the people know where theycan find you if they want to
connect with you or just vibewith you or have coffee with you
, yeah, so, um, I'm in dc so I'malways open for coffee, but, uh
, hollyshannoncom, that'speople's symbol.
Speaker 1 (54:50):
Um, if you want to launch something, collaborate
podcast, start podcast, need aspeaker for something, holly
shannoncom.
And um, I'm on instagram.
I have like two followers,paula's one of them and probably
my mom's the other.
So, like, I am not aninfluencer and I don't profess
(55:12):
to be, but I do have some fun oninstagram and I'd love if you
join me on there and feel freeto follow, if you want or not.
Whatever, I hope to see yousomewhere.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
You should, because you're going to enter a
different world.
The stuff she shares especiallyif you're into the world of us,
you will find a lot of thingsthat will end up calming you
into a whole different world.
So follow her, go ahead andfollow her and, with that said,
(55:42):
thank you all for those whojoined.
Thank you for joining.
If you're going to watch thislater, I do hope that this
inspires you, motivates you ormaybe ends up connecting you
with Holly for a collaboration,because we are looking forward
to that.
Thank you all for chilling withShit Happens, because shit
happens, shit happens, shithappens, shit happens, shit
(56:35):
happens, shit happens, ithappens, it happens.
Um, I had a house fire, like you, and I had to put
everything away and, as youknow, it depends your life, like
you are.
Nothing is the same after that.
You have your life before fireand after fire, and I had to put
everything away.
And when I pulled everythingback out, the model for that
(00:24):
industry had shifted a lot andhad moved from for sales to
consignment.
For small people I'm nottalking like the anthropologies
of the world, but for smallerentrepreneurs like myself that
was always putting the stampshop a little for a small
business Saturday that was me itturned to consignment and it
(00:46):
was really really hard to buildand flourish in that kind of
model, and so I lost my mojo onit and shit happens.
Shit happens to you and me.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It doesn't matter if you're a wizard, a king or a
queen, even if you are magic,you've got to agree it's worth
it to talk shit out, no matterhow messy shit happens shit
(01:34):
happens.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
FYI, this episode was recorded February of 2024 and
we are now in March of 2025.
I felt like this was theperfect timing, with everything
that's going on in the world,but also the fact that it was
just International Women's Dayon March 8th, so enjoy.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Hey everybody, I'm about to hang out with the most
beautiful human being.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I know I love this lady so much and I'm so sad I
didn't get to see her last week,but I did get to see her last
year.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So if you're new here , welcome to Shit Happens,
because shit happens.
I'm Paula, host of TalkShareWEP, and now we have Shit Happens
.
And before that, I'm going togo ahead and bring this
incredible beautiful lady on thestage, polly baby.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Hi, how's my favorite , paula doing.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm amazing.
Oh, my God, I missed you somuch last week, so so much.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Podfest is like our little jewel, our little
community, and I'm sorry Imissed you on the stage, but I
heard you crushed it.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I did Thank you, and even though you were not there,
you were actually there becauseCharlie used our picture of DC
on his slide, so you were there.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Oh, I love Charlie, charlie from Pondville.
We all met in DC right forlunch.
That was so good.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And it's funny because it was like you know how
this community is more thanbecause look at what we do even
beyond the community.
I was like, oh my God, yes takeme back it's true.
You know, Holly.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, I've been okay.
It's been a little bit crazy mylife.
I had to sort of step off ofthe business and social media
train to attend to a familyemergency, so I've sort of been
out of the loop from what feelslike most of January.
So like January feels like anentire year to me right now.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I mean, january is always like a year.
That's why people always saylike okay, we are starting the
new year in February becauseJanuary is just always so long.
I'm right there.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
New year in February.
So happy new year, Holly.
Happy new year.
We need champagne and we needthe like sparklers and
everything.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Before we get to anything right, I want to know
why you're obsessed with coffee,holly, because I've never like.
I know people love coffee, butyour love is beyond, so let's
talk about that All right.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
So, admittedly and without apology, I am a coffee
snob and I know I am.
I've always just I'm kind oflike that with all kinds of
foods, like I really I don'tknow.
I love to cook, I love to eat.
I've been exposed to somereally incredible little shops
and boutiques and I I like tolike share really nice things
(04:50):
and coffee happens to be one ofthem and you know it's a ritual.
I enjoy preparing it, I enjoylike having it freshly ground
and using a French press or amocha pod and it's like a ritual
.
You know, like I mean, I thinka lot of people have like tea
rituals and maybe around hotcocoa or maybe even just pouring
(05:13):
a drink, like they like theirdrink made a very particular way
.
So I'm kind of like that withmy coffee, I have to admit.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I like that.
What's the best coffee you'vehad so far?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Oh well, that's a really good question, because I
have a few.
But right now I found thisreally cute place here in DC
called Zeke's Shout out, andevery Sunday I go to DuPont
Circle here for the Farmer'sMarket, which is one of the
biggest farmer's markets in allof Washington DC, and they are
(05:49):
there and I get it's called the1820 Espresso Blend, and so
that's what I've been using for,but I've been using it as my
French press, not as espresso,but I can use it for either.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So nice, I like that.
I missed you and it's so sadthat the one time I send you a
package you don't get it,because I sent you Tanzanian
coffee.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I know and you know what, sometimes there's like a
lot of thefts here in DC rightoff the porches, like if they
see a package, and I thinkthat's sorry, so oh, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Um.
One thing I learned about youas I was preparing for this is
um.
You are a mentor at um.
What is it?
Sxsww?
What's the long form?
Oh my God, how can I know?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
So they call it South by Southwest.
Yes, south by Southwest.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And I know it's quite a very I call it the expensive
niche in this world because theyreally are that brand.
So I want you to share aboutthat experience brand new stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So I want you to share about that experience.
Okay, so I took a chance andapplied to participate in that
and I thought it was kind of along shot, but I got lucky in
2022.
And I got to be a part of theprogram and one of the things
that they do is, uh, they dolike a mentorship program on one
(07:29):
of their tracks.
They have many tracks.
They have technology, culture,uh, music, film you know all
different ones, but they do haveone track under um, I think it
was under culture andtechnologies.
I came in and I had thisopportunity to mentor all
(07:53):
different people.
They might have been startups,they might have been planning on
an entrepreneurial journey,they could have been students
you never know who you'll end upwith.
And, strangely, this woman fromOhio University for Scripps
University there, which is aworld renowned university, she
(08:15):
put a bunch of her students in avan and came to Austin, texas,
to South by, and I ended upinterviewing them all in a row
and it was a really coolexperience.
I also got to meet with threefounders a really cool startup
called Mogul that actually wonthe pitch challenge there and
(08:38):
has gone on to do amazing things.
And then there was one womanthat I ended up mentoring.
She had read my book at thetime and I invited her to come
work for me as an intern so shecould get an opportunity to look
under the hood of a podcast.
And she took me up on it andshe was a very gifted sound
(09:00):
engineer.
Sound engineer and we ended upworking together for a couple of
seasons and she's gone on togreater things.
She's gone on to work with NPR.
So I felt like maybe I had likethis teensy little part in you
know, maybe helping her roundout a few skills that she wanted
(09:22):
, but so that was like reallycool being able to do that.
I got interviewed by a couple ofdifferent places an Asian
channel which I think isfeatured on my website, and I
got interviewed by an app called, two apps.
(09:42):
One was called Ible, where Imet our friend Johnny Um, and he
interviewed me.
And then, um, I'm embarrassedto say I forgot the name of the
other app.
I'm not even sure I think theywere trying to compete with like
a clubhouse or something.
I can't remember the name,sorry to say it was two years
ago, but applied again, and so Iwill be back in March, um,
(10:07):
doing my thing.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I mean that's impressive.
So that's how you met, johnny.
Look at how all theseconnections end up coming.
Yeah, yeah and um.
I like what you said aboutinternships because I feel like
most people when you offer theminternships, they feel like, oh,
I'm doing all this work for,but they forget how much you get
from that being mentored, likebeing in an internship in there
(10:33):
doing that with people, how muchit's better than even being
getting a job.
That's paying you, because you,when you get a job, uh, or
you're being paid for a job, youjust do the job, but when
you're being an intern, you getto to learn all the different
sectors and I feel like peopleare sleeping on that.
And it's funny because the guyI was, who was here an hour ago,
(10:54):
was engaged uh, I'minternshiping with him on his
intern and trade year program.
He started an intern programand I consider my mentors, so I
figured you are a mentor.
You have mentored people aregoing to do amazing things.
I wanted us to talk about theirmentorship and how it's
important in community, insociety, in your growth, of
(11:16):
whatever you're doing, to have amentor, your mentor to somebody
.
So did you ever have mentors ordid you get into that?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
um, I did have mentors along the way, um,
throughout my my life.
Um, I'm not sure that it wassomething that was, um I'm not
even sure it really kind of hada name when I was like growing
up and going through thebusiness world.
I'm not sure that we reallyidentified it as that.
(11:48):
You know, I'm a big believer init.
I'm also a big believer inbeing paid, you know, like I
think mentorship is important.
But I think women often getpigeonholed into offering
mentorship as opposed to beingsafe consultants.
So I think it's reallyimportant to sort of have a line
(12:10):
in the sand as to how much youdo of each.
And I will point out I didspeak to her on as an intern,
the woman who did come to helpme in the beginning and helped
to level her up.
But as soon as she startedhelping with other seasons, I
(12:30):
paid her the same amount that Iwas paying my original editor
for episode, because she wasstill doing the work and it was
hours out of her day that shecould have been maybe taking a
part-time job somewhere.
So I did move it into a paidinternship once I realized that
(12:51):
she really wanted to learn moreand that we were growing
together.
But I think mentorship is reallyimportant because I think it's
important to share whateverinformation you have.
It's not new.
Anything that we're sharingit's not new.
You're not, you know, creatinga universe, but you're sharing.
(13:12):
You know you're sort ofcarrying the baton that's been
handed to you, and so I thinkit's really important to mentor
throughout life.
And even if you haven't andgive that gift to somebody,
they'll probably pay it forwardbecause it'll be worthwhile for
them.
And then at some point, youknow, especially for women, I
(13:32):
think it's really important tohave um paid consultancy, I
think.
I think a lot of people love toput women in that mentorship
program, similarly how they loveto put women in volunteer work.
It's all important, and Ivolunteered endless hours, but I
think it's really important topay women their worth.
(13:53):
I think women get asked to dothat more than men.
To be honest, no shade, butit's just the truth.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It is the truth.
I've also seen that, like I'veseen more, even when it comes to
volunteering.
You see the numbers, you seewhere it's lacking.
And I'm also don't get me wrongI've had internships where I've
been paid and I haven't beenpaid, and I like it when, like,
(14:21):
if I'm being an intern and I dothe bare minimum, I get it.
It it's gonna stay there, but ifI'm doing, I'm being an intern
and I'm proving myself, I'mreally putting in the work, I'm
showing up, I'm doing the extra,I really want to learn.
I feel like that I am puttingin the work right, like how you,
(14:43):
how you turned it into becauseshe was putting it up, but if
she wasn't, if she wasn't doingnone of that, it would have
stayed as an internal.
Okay, your time is over, thankyou, you know.
But if you see that the ritualis growing and they really want
it as much as they're showing it, because sometimes people say I
want it so badly, but then whenyou look at what they're doing
(15:06):
in this, I want it so badly, youdon't, I want it so- badly in
the actions.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
you only see it in the words.
Does that make sense?
No, it makes perfect sense.
And, and I think also, um, yousort of need a little bit of
time to get to know each otherso that you can um make sure
they're not lazy or flaking outor disinterested.
You know, sometimes people askfor things and they get it and
and then they don't really showup for for the game, if you will
(15:31):
.
So, um, I think I think it isimportant to mentor, I think
it's important to show up, and Ithink there's, oh, it's always
important to have a bit of atrial period together, as maybe
an unpaid intern, um, and andthen to assess it.
And, that being said, um, Iwould also say to the person
being mentored, that intern um,use your voice.
(15:55):
You know, like, if you feellike, after a period of time,
you're bringing some worth tothe table, that you are um
helping that person out.
As much as you know it'sreciprocal, it's okay to show up
to the table and say hey, youknow, I think we've reached a
point in our relationship thatI'd like to look at a paid
(16:15):
opportunity with you.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I think that's important too, to have it be
very two-sided and not one-sidedtwo-sided and not one-sided,
and that's so true because, nooffense, some people will keep
you in the not paid for as longas they can, especially if you
don't voice it.
Some people are just like that.
Not everybody will be like ohmy god, I see how much you're
(16:37):
doing, let's see how far you cantake it, or anything.
There are only a few people whoactually see that and do it,
and that's why I like to be inplaces where I will do my part.
If you're not seeing me, I willraise it to the table and bring
it like hey, I've been doingthis for this time and if it's
(16:59):
not, it's fine, then my time isgone.
It wasn't wasted, because Ilearned some stuff.
I took a lot with me, but Ijust need to go take it
elsewhere where they will pay mefor it.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
no, I agree with you, I agree.
So, yeah, I think both arereally good and and when I was
speaking at South by Southwest,I had the opportunity to create
mentorship relationships withpeople and consulting A couple
of them flipped over from justour initial date together to
(17:34):
mentor in Austin where theyhired me to consult and help
them build out their podcast.
So that was a great opportunityand I think it's all good.
I think everybody at some pointshould mentor and probably
consult.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, because it builds relationships and you
never know where thoserelationships lead you or take
you.
So you, as we're talking aboutbeing paid right, and we are
women, for some reason we arealways scared of when it comes
(18:12):
to asking for a raise or gettingpaid fairly, like raising our
voices in those departments.
For some reason A man will walkup in there and be like I want
a raise and walk out, but wewill overthink it.
How to go about it?
What can I do?
Am I really worth it?
Am I asking too much?
Am I asking too much?
Like it's always so hard?
(18:33):
What would you suggest forpeople who are like you know, as
we're talking about, like yourmentoring, your internship it
gets to a point where yourealize, oh my God, now I'm on
this level where I need to bepaid or even just getting a
raise.
How would you tell somebody togo about that?
Because I know a lot of peoplehave an issue with that.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, it's a tough one, they say.
On the front side of that, whenpeople apply for a job, women
will make sure that they checkall the boxes on the job
description before they apply,and men don't do that.
Even if they have, you know,25% of the skill sets being
(19:15):
asked for, they apply.
So there is a discrepancy inhow our brains work in terms of
what we are worthy of forstarters.
Then, on the flip side of it,once you have a job, I think
women tend to be timid aboutasking for what they deserve, so
(19:40):
I'll probably share a couple ofresources here.
So I had the gift of being ableto interview two very powerful
women.
One's named Belly Gallant andshe is the founder of Female
Quotient, and they are anorganization that really helps
(20:00):
women understand their worth,helps women understand their
worth and, uh, they are backedby a lot of very powerful women
and they show up to all of themajor events.
Um, they have a podcast, butthey're very um active on
LinkedIn and in in those typesof communities and they, I
(20:20):
believe they have a lot of toolsto help women ask for what they
deserve.
She's a pretty amazing woman.
I did get to interview herabout company culture from the
beginning of my show.
And then another person withanother resource.
(20:41):
Her name is Lindsay Kaplan andshe's the co-founder of CHEAP,
and CHEAP is an organizationthey have.
They started in New York andnow I think they're in San
Francisco, Chicago, DC, Miami Ithink they're all over now and
they're a big organization ofwomen and you have to be a
(21:05):
certain level to get in.
But they have a lot ofresources to help them.
You know, break through thatproverbial glass ceiling, lift
each other up on the ladder,kind of thing.
So there's a couple ofresources there that you know,
maybe would help people to findsome ways to use their voice.
(21:28):
You know, sometimes you needthat kind of mentorship.
You need the resources thatprovide the tools that you need
for your box we do, we do, and Ifeel like I've been in that
place.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Well, now I'm very vocal.
I mean, have you met me in life?
I was in that place where, uh,even when I know what my worth
is, what I bring for that, likeI really go into a job and I
learn everything, I try to dothat and bring amazing customers
.
So at some point I'm like yo,I'm doing so much, I need a
raise.
But then at one point you'relike but I should feel lucky
(22:03):
that I'm, I even have this job.
Like I.
And men don't think like that,you know, and for some reason I
don't know why we have thatmentality, because I would sit
with other women and I would belistening to them as to why
they're not asking for raise andthey have to say, man, I'm just
lucky I have a job, I'm justlucky they hired me, I'm just
(22:23):
lucky I'm in this position, I'mjust right it really is.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
It's kind of like it's very unfair.
You know when you deserve it,but show up with the goods.
So what I would say is I wouldlook at your original job
description and I would checkoff other things that you you
know you are living up to thatjob description and maybe make a
(22:50):
list of, um, what you are doingover and above that.
Uh, a list of youraccomplishments, you know, oh I.
Uh, increased sales by 25%.
Uh, in cater, youraccomplishments, you know, oh I,
increased sales by 25% incatering, or you know whatever
it was like.
Make a list so that way, whenyou go to sit down and ask for
that raise, you could say I'mcoming to you to ask for a raise
(23:13):
.
For this reason you hired mefor this job and I feel that
I've done a phenomenal job ofmeeting all your expectations on
that.
But I also want to present toyou that I've done this, this
and this as well in my time hereand I'd like to discuss a role
going into my next calendar yearwith you, or something like
(23:36):
that.
So you know, position it sothat it's not at the wrong time,
like if you're coming on, likeyour one year anniversary or two
year anniversary or whatever.
Come in so that you're armedwith what you need Technus for
that raise and not just theconditional 4% or whatever the
company deems appropriate, thatyou're coming for a raise that
(23:59):
you feel merits more than theconditional raise for showing up
.
You know that.
I think you have to come armedwith evidence.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, and that's such a uh for me.
Um, after listening to thosewomen, I was like, oh my God.
And then, when I sit with theguys and I hear how they talk
and how they, I was like, yeah,this can be it.
And it ended up being.
At that time I was workingretail at HomeGoods and we all
(24:30):
had a base pay and then you know, every one year they give you
that one cent Two percent, yeah,probably some ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Now.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
But because I made sure that I learned everything
apart from just my jobdescription.
I made sure I becameundisposable, like you know,
even when this person is missingtoday or they called out Paula
can do that, paula can do that,paula can do that.
So I used that as my weapon.
I was like so we're going totalk about how to live better
(25:04):
than this.
So I ended up when, when someof my friends later on, after I
left I left I saw them how muchexactly I was making for a
person in my in the position, Iwas like because they wanted to
promote me, but only with adollar extra, with no worth, I
was like I'm not doing that,because sometimes people think
(25:26):
just having the title is fancy,like I want the money, you can
keep the title right, I don'twant the title.
So I declined that.
But with a position, I was themoney, money I was making.
There.
Nobody was making, even thepeople who got promoted to that
extra dollar position.
I was still making more.
Because every time I went towhen it was my one year and they
(25:51):
were talking about we're goingto give you this, I was like no,
I do this, I do this, I'm theonly one who does this.
I work every day because I cometo the weekends.
So I ended up negotiating and Ido this.
I'm the only one who does this.
I work every day because I cometo the weekends.
So I ended up negotiating and Ilearned that I was like you've
got to stand up, because if youreally know what you're bringing
, if you really see what you'rebringing, they will comply to it
(26:12):
, especially when you try tomake things undisposable.
And I used to tell people Iknow it's just home because I'm
rich, so people take it.
I'm just here to do my job andleave.
I'm like I'm going to learneverything.
I'm going to take it as anormal job while I wait for the
job I want and show up as eventhough I hate it, show up as I
(26:33):
love it, do the damn thing andmake my value that more higher.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
I think it's amazing what you did, and I think what
you did by sharing what your paywas when you exited with the
people that were on the samelevel as you, I think that that
was really huge that you didthat, because I think we need
more transparency so that peopledon't get taken advantage of.
(27:01):
That's in women, that's inwomen of color, paula, because
the scale is even lower right.
And I think you gave them a giftthat most people don't do by
sharing that, and I thinkshowing up and asking for what
you're worth is important.
You have a unique skill, paula.
(27:28):
You have a very high level ofEQ, which is that emotional
quotient.
You know, like you are verysensitive and worn and pay
attention to, to people, likewhen they drift off a little bit
or you don't hear hear fromthem or you notice that they're
not like engaging.
Like you're very good at the,you're very empathetic and you
recognize when somebody ishurting or is not really wholly
(27:52):
present because maybesomething's on their mind.
Something's on their mind andthat's a really valuable tool in
business.
And it's a bit of a lost artbecause a lot of people aren't
comfortable talking to otherpeople.
You know and there's nothingwrong with that there's a lot of
introverted people that don'twant to really engage.
They don't want to do thatcustomer service level, if you
(28:13):
will.
But for those who arecomfortable with it, like you,
and for somebody who has thatsixth sense about people, like
you recognize when somebodyneeds like a little special
attention, a little call of love, you know like hey, how's it
going today?
Or a little text.
You know sending, sendinghearts, like that's your gift.
(28:35):
Um, and that's a big thing.
Like in different jobs that youchoose, there's a lot of people
that can't do it.
I would probably say 80% of thepeople out there can't do what
you do, and that's always goingto be a really big gift that you
can bring to the table and makemore money with, because you'll
(28:56):
be telling the higher ups.
I'm the one who has my fingeron the pulse of what's happening
here, because I'm able to talkto people and I'm able to
recognize when people aren'tdoing well and a healthy, strong
workforce is important to youand I can ensure that they stay
that way because I'm dialed in.
(29:16):
I can tell when somebody is notdoing well and I'm okay with
approaching them.
So that's a gift that you have.
I truly believe that.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Thank you so much.
You're going to make me cry.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
And it's funny because when you grow up I've
always been the emotional, theempathy and I read a lot, like I
read people a lot.
But those were the things whenI was growing up appreciated.
Because you're too emotional,you're a cry baby, you're too
loud, you're all in our business.
(29:51):
Because when you be like so,how are you really, why are you
in my business?
You know all that becausepeople were so defensive back
then and people really didn'twanna.
Right now, a little bit, peopleare more open, warm and willing
to.
They want to be asked out whatyou're really doing and they
want to be like they are beingseen for whatever they're going
(30:12):
through.
But back then it was like getout of my face, leave me alone.
So to still be able to not losethat because it's so easy for
somebody to be like oh my God,everybody, fuck all this.
Why am I being?
You know, I'm just going tokeep it to myself.
So for me to be able to stillbe that throughout all the
(30:33):
things that has happened and forpeople to appreciate me for
that now means a lot.
And even when I, if I wasn'tscared about being fired at that
time I would have probably toldeverybody how much I was making
and how to get to make more.
I know there's specific peoplewho I literally talked to and I
know they won't run to go say,but they'll find a way to use
(30:55):
that information to helpthemselves.
So those I shared with while Iwas still at home.
Then, when I left, that's wheneverybody was like, listen, I
met this man.
So don't listen to them whenthey say they can't.
You just got to tell them whatyou have, because they see it.
They just pretend they don'tsee it Because it's retail,
(31:17):
right, I know they see it.
They just pretend they don'tsee it Because it's retail,
right, I know they see it.
They know what you're capableof, because when people call out
, when people do this, all that,they call you, you're the first
one to step in.
So they're just playing stupid,especially since you also don't
know how to approach it.
And they're like well, this isnot coming.
Why should we be the ones to goto them?
(31:38):
Because, and they're like, well, this is not coming.
Why should we be the ones to goto them?
Because it's future.
It's not like a company thatactually cares about your people
.
You get fired today.
They'll have another person tohire.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Well, it's interesting that you say that it
really degrades the companyculture when you cycle through
people repeatedly like that andit costs the company a ton of
money to onboard and thenoffboard people.
It's really a shame, because topay somebody another dollar an
(32:07):
hour or whatever it is, maybeeven every six to 12 months, and
to let them know that they'redoing a good job and to give
them little perks along the wayNot that perks are necessarily
company culture, you know, justbecause there's, you know,
kombucha and iced coffee in thefridge doesn't necessarily make
you want to stay.
But being recognized for thosethings, being recognized for
(32:32):
your gifts, and paying you alittle bit more and keeping that
trail of money coming in sayswe like you, paula, and we
appreciate the work you're doingand we are going to give you
money to you know we're, we're,we're putting on the bottom line
.
We're not just patting you onthe back and saying thank you,
we're saying, hey, here's somecash to put in your back pocket.
Um, you know that makes such ahuge difference and I and I
(32:55):
don't know why there's such adisconnect in businesses that
way, but there is.
And I do want to say something.
I just want to jump back tosomething you said when you were
younger how being empatheticand having, you know, that sixth
sense of emotion, likerecognizing when people were
(33:16):
blue or bad or you know whateverand you were, you know, given a
hard time, you were calledemotional or too sensitive, or
to whatever.
It was the same thing for me,by the way, and I truly think
now, now that we're more openabout discussing mental health
(33:37):
without it being like as much ofa stigma I mean, I'm not saying
it's not, but like people are alittle bit more comfortable
like being forward about, likehey, I'm going to take a little
personal time this afternoonJust got some personal things
happening.
I'm not doing so well, likepeople actually talk now and say
it.
So I actually think and I'vesaid this before but I think our
(34:02):
emotional, sensitive side isactually our superpower and not
a negative.
So I'm sorry that that's whatyou were given, as that's what
was said to you when you wereyounger, because the same thing
was said to me.
But I think now it's really ourstrength, because I think like,
(34:28):
for example, we let you knowthat I had gone silent on social
media for a period of timebecause I was going through some
shit and you reached out to meto check in and I have some
people in my life, um, friends,that I've known for years that
(34:50):
didn't do that, um, so you haveyour finger on the pulse of that
and it it is your power.
It might have been presented toyou as a negative when you're
younger, but it is powerful, um,I, I appreciated that you did
it, and then we startedcorresponding a little bit more
because I felt very comfortabledoing that, because I knew that
(35:12):
you were paying attention and wejust all want to be paid to.
You know, we want somebody topay attention to us, right, we
want to.
We want to be seen when, whenwe need to be Right.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Yeah, and that's true , all that you said.
First of all, thank you so muchfor saying all that stuff.
And and I'm a person who don'tlisten to people when it comes
to my life, so I'm glad that Iwas that way, that way.
That's why I am still who I amLike.
Yeah, okay, they told me that Iwas a negative.
It is what it is, but it didn'tstop me from continuing to be
(35:45):
that way.
And then now those same peoplethought I was a negative.
Now they're the ones who wantmy life when they are going
through their darkness.
But oh, so now it's good enoughfor you.
But no bad luck, but somethingabout, because I tell people a
lot.
Right, social media as good asit can be in building
(36:07):
relationships with people allover and promoting whatever, but
it's also as bad because peoplesee you posting or being on
social media media.
They assume you are good.
They forget that there's alsotools.
Not everybody when they post,they're actually what they're
(36:27):
feeling, what they're goingthrough.
Sometimes most of us contentcreators, we are always
constantly being told you needto post, you need to post.
So even I might be in my bedcrying and I'm putting a post up
, but that's not what I'm goingto.
Or some people have schedulingtools.
They schedule posts.
So, whether I'm on social mediaor not, my post will still be
(36:49):
going, but people have startedusing the social media.
Oh, as long as she's on socialmedia she's fine.
And me I'm a person who I reallyread people's posts or like I
see the switch.
Because when I see somebodyposting whether it's tested or
not and depending on how they'reposting, it's over, like very,
(37:12):
I'll be like something ain'tfeeling right here, feeling
right here, and I will tell.
But when I call not the typicaljust scroller, I literally will
, my friends will be likeanalyzes social media posts.
I'm like, yeah, because Ireally want to understand.
But yeah, I don't want to score, because even in my post,
(37:32):
that's why I want engagement, Iwant people to actually read,
feel and engage.
So I so I'm going to go throughthat.
So most of the time when I seeI'm like I need to reach out to
her, I don't think she's reallyokay or she's feeling bad.
Or even when I see people whoare normally online and then I'm
like wait, I haven't seen Hollyin here for two seconds.
(37:57):
I haven't seen Christophe'spost, because you guys are
always in my timeline, right?
So I'm like I need to reach outand just make sure that okay,
because sometimes people justtake social media breaks.
You know, just like, oh, I'mgood, I just need a time off,
you know, because Instagram cando that to you.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Yeah, well, it's a lot of work, but I think it's
really great that you're payingattention to the details and the
nuances of people's posts andyou can tell, like, when it's a
scheduled post and when it'slike a more spontaneous, in real
time kind of post, and I thinkit's really great that you do
that.
I like to read too.
(38:36):
I guess I'm one of thoseweirdos that read all the
captions.
I follow this influencer, tarynDelaney Smith.
I think she's freaking adorableand she posted once.
I'm going to read.
I'm going to put my finger onevery story of my friends and
read every last word that theyput on there, and I'm that
(38:57):
person and read every last wordthat they put on there.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
And I'm that person.
Also, if I'm in a place where Ican't read, I'll screenshot it,
so I can come back and read it.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Juices right, like people are putting stuff on
there for a reason.
You know what I mean.
It's not just like hey, here'sa fire emoji when people really
type some stuff on there.
I want to read it.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
I want to read it you know and we talked about this
when we were in DC togetherabout how people don't really
read.
That's why people like, theyjust like.
But there's no engagement,because if you actually read the
post, you would have had torespond, because have you seen
how juicy my post was?
And that shows me that peoplereally don't read, they just
(39:43):
like.
Because how are you gonna see awhole caption like that and not
respond like come on, you'reright, it's so true.
So before we get to an end, Ijust want to find out is coffee
culture coming back?
Are you giving us our coffeeculture back?
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Oli, I'm having trouble.
I am Hello, universe, where areyou?
I've gone quiet for a whilewith it.
My last episode was with StephBowden the end of May and I have
been on hiatus and I believethat stands for.
(40:25):
I hate this because I have beenwaiting for the epiphany.
I've been waiting for theuniverse to speak to me.
I've been waiting for somebodyto reach out and say what about
this?
I just I hit a wall with it.
You know, I every season it kindof the storyline shifted and
that really worked for me.
(40:46):
I loved rebranding it fromseason to season.
It worked for me.
Um, it's very much suits mypersonality.
I'm very, um, impulsive and Ihave a lot of things that
interest me.
So I have to keep shifting withthe tide and with trend and I
have been unable to dream up aseason six that I can wrap my
(41:11):
heart around and be passionateabout.
And, as we know, in thepodcasting world, if you don't
have passion, drive, interestand heart what it is you're
talking about, it's pretty hardto carry your podcast and to
show up and to interview peopleor moderate and create the
(41:35):
content and edit it and uploadit and share it.
There's so many things you haveto do with a podcast.
It could end up being afull-time job, if you allow it,
and I have been stuck, holly hasbeen stuck and I have just not
found the answer yet, so I don'tknow if I have a season six in
(41:58):
me or if somebody sees somethingin me that, uh, I should be
doing.
Feel free to reach out, I don'tknow that's why I had to ask
you.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You never know who will listen to this and be like
wait, I know how to get a group.
We are gonna get Holly'sprotesting group back.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, who knows?
Who knows what I'm supposed tobe doing.
I've done a lot of things, asyou know.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Let me share some of those amazing, incredible things
you have done, because I wasamazed by them.
When we were having this, I waslike, wait, you didn't.
I was like, oh my god.
And that's why people she's mynumber one influencer Like when
people talk about, oh, that's myfavorite influencer, holly is
my favorite influencer, becauseI feel like people feel like to
(42:47):
be an influencer.
You really need to have highnumbers, but if people really
watch your stories and theincredible stuff you do and the
incredible people you put onLike you have put me on to so
many people I wouldn't have met,and that's what an influencer
is.
And you don't have to put mepersonally.
But you're putting the contentout there.
(43:08):
I'm watching, I'm dissolving it, I'm resonating with it and
then I'm moving further and Imean we just connected on a, on
we're all following the same uhpoet oh, my god, I forgot her
name.
She does incredible poems.
And then you introduce me tosomebody else who now I'm in
love because that's what thatman's point.
(43:28):
Well, I know that's the type ofinfluence I want, not you
having numbers and just tryingto make me to go buy some shit
or anything.
A person who really just shares, because, holly, you go to
comedies, you go to poems, yougo to fashion shows, you go to
(43:49):
and you just share.
You support people, you supportyour friends, you share their
work and we can find it.
That's incredible, Becausepeople these days, even your
friends, will come to your stuffand they won't even post you or
whatever.
Like when I'm at Fortress.
Everybody knows I'm at Fortressbecause my entire content is
Fortress.
If I'm at somebody's event, I'mnot going to worry about taking
(44:11):
a picture of me or whatever.
I'll make sure I capturewhatever so people can know your
greatness who in tears, so thatthey can want to be here next
time.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
And that's what you do, thank you, thank you, and
I'll have you know I have toyedwith the idea.
I just haven't found the rightthing yet.
But when I was thinking about aseason six, I was kind of
thinking like what if it'ssomething that was truly where
culture shifts and where friendsstart and things that I see
(44:41):
happening?
Because I have like this weirdthing where I will create
something and like six monthslater I'll watch it blow up Like
it's a weird thing that happens.
It's happened throughout mycareers.
You know, like I like here's aweird thing that happens.
It's happened throughout mycareers.
You know, like here's a randomthing, so like people don't know
(45:04):
this, but I was a jewelrydesigner for about 15 years and
I was very fortunate.
I got to collaborate with somereally incredible designers and
my work was carried in somepretty cool places.
So I'll leave it at that.
I won't get into too muchdetail there Because sometimes
all the names often say boring,right.
So anyway, that's somethingthat I did and I did this series
(45:29):
of I called it All Things Wingsand I did scarab, beetles and
butterflies and hummingbirds andI made them from a process.
It was well.
I won't get into that detail,but it's made with a precious
metal clay.
So I hand sculpted them and Imade these scarab beetles.
(45:50):
And I'm not kidding you, sixmonths later I'm seeing them in
Soho, new York City, at me and,ro, I'm seeing them in
anthropology, you know, a yearafter that I'm seeing them on
Tory Burch and I'm like, yeah,been there, done that.
So it's that weird thing.
Like there was this reallyincredible comic that I saw here
(46:14):
in DC.
There might have been 50 to 100people in the room and I kept,
yeah, I posted about him.
I'm like this guy is gonna goto the top and I'm not kidding
you, in under a year he has soldout every stadium across the US
and across the world.
Since then.
Like I just I see something, Ican't put my finger on it.
(46:37):
I just I feel it.
And then I I see something Ican't put my finger on it.
I feel it and then I want toshare it.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Didn't he get a Netflix special?
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Yes, he did.
Yeah, Matt Rife yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
I kept on seeing him on your post and watching him on
your post and then the nextthing I I saw him from the
beginning when you used to sharehim, when it was just you
people in the room, and I'm likeI say you are my influence,
like when people tell me what,who's your top one influencer?
Speaker 1 (47:05):
that's you, holly, like oh you're so sweet I don't
know about the Kardashians ornobody.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I just know Holly Shannon.
I don't know.
I just know Holly Shannonspeaking of of Jerry.
You know, holly, I'm turning 35this year.
I feel like you should make,you should cast me a piece.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Oh, look at that, you're so cute.
Well, so here's the thing.
Happy early birthday.
When is your birthday?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
All the way in June.
You have time, you have enoughtime I have time, okay, so
here's the problem that I have.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
So I do miss making jewelry.
So the reason why I stoppeddoing my jewelry because a lot
of people are like, why don'tyou get back into it.
I had a house fire, like you,and I had to put everything away
and, as you know, it dependsyour life.
Nothing is the same after that.
You have your life like you are.
Um, nothing is the same afterthat.
(47:59):
You have your life before fireand after fire and I had to put
everything away.
And when I pulled everythingback out, the model for, uh,
that industry had shifted a lotand had moved from um for sales
to consignment for small peopleyou know I'm not talking like
the anthropologies of the world,but for, you know, smaller
(48:21):
entrepreneurs like myself.
You know that was alwaysputting the stop, the stamp,
shopping little little smallbusiness Saturday, that was me
Um, it turned to consignment andit was really, really hard to
build and in that kind of model,and so I lost my mojo on it.
(48:42):
And now I live in DC and I livein a smaller setting, and so I
don't have a bench and I don'thave my torch and I don't have
all of my tools.
I'm just not really set up forit here, so I will send you
something from a priorcollection for your 35th
birthday that I still have, butI haven't been able to set up
(49:07):
shop again.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
We need the gods to hear.
Please bring all the mojo forHolly.
We need to get her because shehasn't wrote another book.
By the way, she's also anAmazon bestseller.
She hasn't given us anotherbook.
There's no, any signs of seasonsix.
There's no jewels coming tolife.
(49:32):
There's been some mojo overhere.
All the gods, I need to go domy god gods rainy dance tonight
so that some sprinkles can falldown on you, okay, yeah, I have
to come up for my.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
I have to rise.
I have to be the phoenix rising.
I need help.
Come home and let me dosomething special with you.
I love to collaborate, sothat's what I need.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Oh, you'll be like if you ever watched oh my god.
Oh my god.
What was that show whereeverybody Game of Thrones, when
the dragon finally got out ofthere and flew and they blew out
the?
That's how you're going to rise.
Speaker 1 (50:18):
I'm going to have a GOT above my head right, like a
little symbol.
Come on, gots, where are you?
It's the biggest audienceThey'll find me.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
But if anybody wants to collaborate with Holly or
some ideas, whatever, we arealways creators.
We're always willing to listenand hear, because you never know
, by talking to somebody else Ijust have having a coffee meet
up and just talking somethingmight, because you might be
(50:50):
inspired from somebody who youdon't even.
You didn't even expect from aconversation that you weren't
even expecting to be inspired.
So y'all send some positivemojo to Holly, okay.
Speaker 3 (51:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Thank you so much for hanging out with me.
And people go get her book Zeroto Podcasts.
It's on Amazon and this is whyI tell you she's an influencer,
because it was top 10 bestseller in three categories.
Okay, and it was also Amazon'shot new release.
It was also 40 under 40.
She's like, oh, my God, let'sbring we need this human back in
(51:28):
this creative world.
So let's bring her back.
But before we end this, ali,since you are like in that stuck
moment, so I'm going to put youin the hot seat.
Maybe this might also becausesometimes you know, sometimes we
are very good to advisesomebody and then we are going
through the same shit, but theadvice we give we don't give
(51:51):
ourselves.
I'm asking you if I was thatfriend who was stuck right now,
who was in your position, whowas feeling what you're feeling,
what advice would you give me?
Speaker 1 (52:05):
You're good.
You are good, paula, yeah.
So I would probably say, reachout to people that you trust.
I would totally say, reach outto people that you trust, that
(52:27):
have seen all of your truecolors and still love you
without judgment, and maybe askthem what they have seen in you
at the height of your creativity.
You know what, what reallyshowed up, um, and where you
think, uh, their passion wasalong the way, cause you know,
(52:48):
passion ebbs and flows.
So I think talking to thepeople closest to you could help
reveal that, um.
And I would probably say, ifyou're more introverted and
you're not really comfortablehaving those deep dive
conversations I'm a deep divegirl, so I admire it, but, like
some people don't like it Iwould say trust in yourself and
grab a pad, like old school witha pen, not your phone Cause
(53:12):
then of course, yeah, if youhave your phone, you're going to
be like checking social media,instructed Yep.
So yeah, so like you need to golike sit quietly on your back
porch with a pad and a pen andjust writing down anything you
have enjoyed doing throughoutyour life.
I don't care if it's like rockclimbing, writing to your
(53:32):
grandmother, you know, makingfun drinks with friends.
Maybe it was a particular joband there was a role that you
played, like I don't knowediting podcasts, whatever.
Just like write down all of thethings that you've ever enjoyed
doing, and then just sit withit for a little bit and come
(53:53):
back to it, because we're alwaysour best editor later.
Come back and look at it laterand see if you see any through
lines in your creativity orsomething that you might want to
go back to that you've donebefore.
So that's what I'd probablyadvise now look at that.
Speaker 2 (54:07):
That is a perfect advice.
And since february is your newyear, we are beginning february,
so I'm gonna give you ahomework in this month.
Go do something like that.
Start with that, go, go, go.
The same advice you're givingus.
Do that, please, thank you.
Speaker 1 (54:27):
I will thank you before we go.
Speaker 2 (54:30):
I love you too, holly , and thank you for coming on um
.
Let the people know where theycan find you if they want to
connect with you or just vibewith you or have coffee with you
, yeah, so, um, I'm in dc so I'malways open for coffee, but, uh
, hollyshannoncom, that'speople's symbol.
Speaker 1 (54:50):
Um, if you want to launch something, collaborate
podcast, start podcast, need aspeaker for something, holly
shannoncom.
And um, I'm on instagram.
I have like two followers,paula's one of them and probably
my mom's the other.
So, like, I am not aninfluencer and I don't profess
(55:12):
to be, but I do have some fun oninstagram and I'd love if you
join me on there and feel freeto follow, if you want or not.
Whatever, I hope to see yousomewhere.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
You should, because you're going to enter a
different world.
The stuff she shares especiallyif you're into the world of us,
you will find a lot of thingsthat will end up calming you
into a whole different world.
So follow her, go ahead andfollow her and, with that said,
(55:42):
thank you all for those whojoined.
Thank you for joining.
If you're going to watch thislater, I do hope that this
inspires you, motivates you ormaybe ends up connecting you
with Holly for a collaboration,because we are looking forward
to that.
Thank you all for chilling withShit Happens, because shit
happens, shit happens, shithappens, shit happens, shit
(56:35):
happens, shit happens, ithappens, it happens.
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