December 8, 2025 • 23 mins
In this candid, cozy, and surprisingly laugh-filled episode, Kelly Bush and Kelly Metras settle into their favorite library nook to get real about the past year of entrepreneurship- the wins, the worries, the wild turns, and the lessons that hit harder than expected.
From money mindset breakthroughs to navigating the political chaos that impacts small businesses, the Kellys peel back the curtain on what it truly means to build and run a business with intention, courage, and community.
What We Talk About
Getting Comfortable with Money (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)
The Kellys open up about their journey toward financial literacy: what felt scary, what finally clicked, and why transparency around money is one of the greatest tools entrepreneurs can give each other. If talking finances makes you sweat, this convo is for you.
Politics, Policy & the Business Roller Coaster
No, this isn’t a political rant, but it is a real conversation about how shifts in the political landscape impact small businesses. The hosts break down why staying informed matters, and how industry groups help owners stay ahead of industry changes.
Goals That Don’t Make You Want to Hide Under Your Desk
Forget giant, intimidating resolutions. The Kellys make a strong case for tiny, joyful, achievable goals- the kind that build confidence and momentum. Think: celebrating your wins like a kid who just learned to ride a bike. A puppy making it outside.
The Magic of Community & Gratitude
As they look toward the new year, we reflect on the power of showing up, investing in relationships, and remembering that no business grows in isolation. Gratitude, connection, and mutual support? That’s the real strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Maintaining a positive mindset in tough seasons is a superpower.
- Set goals that feel human, doable, and worth celebrating.
- Talking openly about finances builds confidence and clarity.
- Understanding political shifts helps small businesses stay resilient.
- Community engagement fuels both business growth and personal fulfillment.
- Self-care isn’t optional—it’s strategic.
Companies & Organizations Mentioned
bossyroc.com
Mentioned in this episode:
Lunchador Podcast Network
Check out all of the shows on the Lunchador Network at lunchador.org!
Joe Bean Roasters
Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(01:11):
Foreign.
Hello.
Welcome back to anotherepisode of Getting Real with Bossy,
the podcast that shows youwhat it's really like to be a business
owner.
We are your hosts, Kelly Bushand Kelly Metras.
And here we are at the library.
(01:33):
Our new favorite spot.
It is so nice to.
It's so nice to be at the library.
We do some co working hereevery once in a while, but it's nice
to get together and be in person.
Because we never record in person.
This is like our second timesince we went virtual.
That's wonderful.
Yeah.
Hi.
Hi.
Love you.
(01:54):
So we're ending December.
Well, I mean, we'll have onemore episode go out, but we're ending
the year with us.
This is our last 2025 Kellyand Kelly episode.
It's been a year.
It's always been a year.
It's always been a year.
Yeah, a lot's happened this year.
Yeah, a lot of great things.
(02:14):
A lot of great things.
I think we accomplished a lotthis year.
We talked a lot.
I think we taught a lot.
I think we shared a lot.
We talked about money.
I hope you guys learned a lotfrom us this year.
I think we discovered a lot ofthings that we can do better and
(02:36):
learn how to run ourbusinesses better and be a lot more
open about things that wedon't know and not be so scared about
talking about money and ourfeelings about money and how we were
raised to learn about money.
Yeah, I think I feel a lotmore comfortable with my relationship
about money and investigatingnew things and how to run my business
(02:59):
when it comes to the financials.
Yeah, money's terrifying.
Yeah, that's all I got.
Money's terrifying.
Money's terrifying.
It's still terrifying, evenafter all the talk we did.
But it's important and youneed to know your.
You need to know your.
So absolutely, it can still beterrifying and you can still know
your and just keep moving forward.
(03:20):
I'm apologize ahead of time.
I'm in, like four hours ofsleep because I thought I was going
to have to work today insteadof going to the wake I was supposed
to be going to.
So more beautiful things aboutsmall business ownership that people
don't talk about is when youknow, your life happens and you're
trying to figure it out.
But last minute, I gotsomebody this morning to cover, even
(03:43):
though I already coveredmyself, and then I had to cover other
people and, you know, thenavigating of all the things.
But that's how it goes.
I don't think people alwaysunderstand that when they say just
Shut it off.
You're leaving.
Oh, you get to leave.
Oh, you're going home early tonight.
Yep.
Yep.
I am absolutely walking out ofthe doors of my business right now
(04:08):
at this time and never workingon it again.
8:30 at night.
Yep.
I'm not going to think about it.
I'm not going to work on it.
Right.
I don't, I don't think peoplealways understand that that's not
the end of our workday ever.
Ever.
It continues and it's alwayson our mind and it's always present
and we always have to be therefor it on some level and it never
(04:32):
shuts down.
So you know what I want topivot to?
It's because I've, I've apologized.
So if I ramble or it don'tmake sense, I've already apologized.
So I want to pivot to some ofthe things I learned during 2025.
We haven't pre planned this.
Not at all, not one bit.
I have always been an advocatefor paying attention to politics
(04:53):
because it always led to meunderstanding my business better,
understanding trends better,being aware of things that were coming
down the pipeline.
So when they hit my business,I wasn't surprised.
Yeah, I've been a hugeadvocate as of.
Have you.
And this year specifically.
(05:13):
Was full.
Of political possible changesthat either went into effect or didn't
go into effect or went intoeffect and then came out of effect.
And it was such a whirlwindspiral of exhaustion just trying
to figure out what I needed topay attention to.
(05:34):
There was a lot of political pivoting.
Yeah.
And even things like the warin Ukraine.
Like, I learned a lot aboutthe supplies that Ukraine does for
like the, the minerals andthe, the raw materials that Ukraine,
you know, supplies for therest of the world and how that affects
it and the shipping, cargo andthey learned a lot.
But in that same thing, I was exhausted.
(05:56):
I still, I still am.
I'm like, I don't know, didthe tariffs happen?
The tariffs are definitely happening.
I, I don't know.
Like, I know prices are up oneverything, but it could be just
random, like, who knows?
Like, I can't keep up.
It's, it's very hard.
And I think there's so manydifferent, different news outlets
(06:16):
and it's, it's hard to know,especially with social media, who
to follow, what to follow,what is accurate.
And there's such a divide politically.
How, how are you guys gettingyour news?
How are you finding out whatis accurate, what is true?
Because it, it is very difficult.
(06:36):
I Don't.
I don't know.
It's very hard.
It used to be that whenorganizations that I'm a part of
would send emails aboutthings, I knew about it already and
I'm like, oh, yeah, I knewabout that.
And now I'm to the point whereI'm like, oh, cool.
So that's real.
Like, oh, okay, that, thatone's real.
Like, because it's just.
It used to be that if youheard something was coming down the
pipeline, like it actuallydid, where now it's like, you never
(06:59):
know.
Things get backtracked, thingsget switched, things get altered.
The government's pivoting inways I didn't know it was possible
to do, and it's.
Yeah, it's just exhausting.
And I just wanted to ramble onthat for a minute because I think
that's part of my exhaustionthis year is just trying to keep
up on what I need to know torun my business in the future.
Because we're, we don't workfor today, we work for next year.
(07:22):
Well, I think that's a good, agood plug for things like NYSRA and
if your industry has a trade organization.
Because nysra, the New YorkState Restaurant association, has
always been really good aboutputting out, out information.
And that's one thing that Ican trust because they are working
for our industry and I cantrust that at least that information
(07:42):
is accurate.
So if you do, if you're in anindustry that has a trade organization
join that, that is money well spent.
Yes.
And you're going to be gettingthat, that good information, that
good, accurate politicalinformation that is affecting your
business, local, there's,statewide, there's.
So find the one that you trustand definitely use their services
(08:03):
to keep up on what is going on.
Yeah.
Because I don't think it'sgoing to be a whole lot different
next.
No, I mean, we're, we're in acertain political climate that's
going to last.
For at least a couple of years.
So you have to figure out howto navigate it.
And this year I figured I haveto turn everything off and just wait
for the information to come tome, which is not how I like to be.
(08:25):
Right.
But I can't, I can't keep up.
You can't worry about thingsthat don't end up happening.
Right.
And I think a lot of that hasaffected consumer spending.
I think.
Government shutdown andpeople's faith in the economy and
their own spending.
And I know that you and I talkabout it a lot, how we're spending
(08:45):
our money is incrediblydifferent than in years past.
Has definitely affected ourindustries and other.
Other industry retailers.
Um, so I think going into nextyear, like, what are we going to
do?
And we've talked about it,like, we need like a full on, like
good old witchy.
(09:06):
Woo.
Woo.
Oh, yeah.
Purging.
We are going to go into it in January.
Maybe we'll bring the podcast along.
Yeah, I think.
I think.
Listen to the burning.
I think we're going to do alive podcast in January at our January
bossy event.
Because I feel like.
And I said it when Kellywalked in this room.
It's legit.
A lot has gone on emotionally,physically, for me, business wise,
(09:32):
in our industry, in this area,in Rochester.
Politically, I feel like I'mliving in a pity party.
And I think it's a legit pityparty because I got a lot going on,
but I don't want to live in itanymore and I got to release it.
So for me, 2026 is going to.
And I want to make grandstatements because, man, I made one
(09:54):
about 2025 in 2020.
Yeah.
And I think I burned.
I burned my bridge.
So I don't want to make grand statements.
I was so mad at that in 2020.
I was like, I cannot wait that long.
We didn't even know what wasgoing on.
I know I said, this is goingto be a five year thing.
And I.
It was a five year thing.
But we had no idea how muchwas going to change that when we
(10:15):
came out of the five years,the world would be a complete, completely
different place.
Right.
But I mean, you.
You were right.
You just didn't realize.
Yeah.
It's like, you know when youmake your wish to the genie.
Yeah.
And the genie always finds away to trick you.
Yeah.
The world tricked you.
Wishes come true, not free.
Wishes come true.
You're true, not free.
Tough.
(10:36):
I want it.
Stephen Sondheim.
Okay, I didn't make that.
Did you just quote Broadway?
I did quote Broadway.
Very, very impressed that Iknew that he was Broadway because.
Cause I'm still, like, learning.
You did good.
Your children would be very.
Kaylin, if you're listening.
I know.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna send her a text soon.
This is done.
But I think next year is goingto be the year we just have to let
(10:58):
some of this go.
And.
Like you said, there is the.
There's going to be more ofthat political pivoting where there's
going to be grand gestures andbig statements that get pulled back
real quickly.
And, and other ones that don't.
So forward.
Focus on, on your businesses,focus on yourselves, focus on your
(11:21):
families, what you can control.
And I think this is going tobe the year to get back to that.
Yeah.
And do what you got to do andput your, put your head down and,
and go forward and focus onyour community.
Yes.
Supporting.
I feel like it's like, like,like that 2022, like when we were
(11:42):
like, all coming out of it alittle bit and we were just really
all community focused.
And that's, that's where Iwant to get to.
We do need to be community focused.
And I think, I think I startedthat, but I didn't have words to
put it in place.
I think that's where myexhaustion led to, was like, I can't
keep up.
So I just have to focus on xyz.
(12:03):
Like, yeah, just put my head down.
People ask me what I'm doingand I'm like, moving forward.
Yep.
That's all I could do is move forward.
Right.
Like, I have to get throughthis week, get through next week,
and then see what happens nextyear if I just keep moving forward.
Yeah.
And we always say, like, youknow, in our business, we have to
be looking towards tomorrowand next year.
And I feel like maybe we justhave to tunnel that down a little
(12:25):
bit and just, let's just,let's, let's just work on next week
and stop putting so muchpressure on us, on ourselves, and
just focus on little, littlegoals and, you know, always have
those big goals in the.
Those big goals for the future.
But I think next year is goingto be tricky.
Don't think it's going to getany easier.
So let's make some small goalsand just be really, really, really
(12:48):
filled with gratitude when wemake those.
I think that's going to makebig difference.
Yes.
I think we should, we shouldleave this episode and pick, look
at your business and a giantpicture and pick three things that
you want to set a goal for inthe next quarter.
And maybe you do one thingeach month.
You know, I want to increasemy catering.
(13:09):
It's always.
I probably talked about it athousand times on here.
Obviously, I want to increasemy catering.
How am I going to do that?
Right.
Am I tracking it?
And I think that's something also.
We are so focused on the bigpicture that we're not paying attention
to the little things we'redoing and the little successes that
we're having.
So we don't notice when acampaign is getting results and we
(13:29):
don't notice that people arecoming in because of something we
said or did or an activity,you know?
So I think that gratitude andthat streamlining and that focus
on a smaller level.
Yeah.
Will be good for our mental state.
I think so.
I don't know about y' all outthere, but I think I need it.
Yeah.
Give us your thoughts.
We're happy to hear them.
Oh, that's a good one.
(13:50):
Yeah.
That's where I'm at.
That's what I got.
That's all you got.
How many minutes are we in?
We're done.
12 minutes.
It's the shortest episodewe've ever done.
Well, that's what we've got.
Finished.
I don't know.
I don't know what else we got.
I think.
I think that's good.
We are legit.
(14:12):
Going into 2026.
Yeah.
Oh, let's talk more about whatwe're going to do in January so people
have ideas in case they can'tjoin us.
We are going to write thingsdown and burn them.
Yeah, I'm still.
Or break them.
Break them.
We're not sure.
It depends on what locationthat we're in.
Okay.
We have a couple different.
Couple different.
A couple different options.
(14:33):
We're going to break or burn.
One of the options.
So I was going to say I'mstill jealous that I missed Erica's
sound bath.
So Erica, our biggest cheerleader.
Yes.
Bought her building a buildingthis year.
She's been trying forever tofind the perfect place.
It is the perfect place.
Gorgeous.
I'm sorry.
So excited.
I can't even.
Because of all the places shelooked at.
(14:54):
I was talking to a mutualfriend of ours, and I said, it's
like when your friend is dating.
I'm like, oh, I met this new guy.
I want you to meet him.
And you're like, oh, he's nice.
You're like, I think you coulddo better.
Like, oh, he's nice.
Like, I really hope this worksout for you, but in the back of your
head, you're like, is this theright guy?
So I felt about the buildings.
I was like, oh, I really wantthis to work for her because she's
so excited.
(15:14):
Right.
But is that the best place?
That seems like a lot.
Or.
Oh, I don't.
And she found this place.
I was like, oh, my God, it's perfect.
It is everything she wanted.
So put that out there.
You can.
You can manifest.
She manifested the.
Out of it.
Out of that.
Holy crap.
And found the most idealperfect location and had a sound
bath.
When she first got in tocircle back to why I brought it up
(15:36):
and I couldn't make it.
You got to go.
It was wonderful.
I was so jealous.
So maybe we need toincorporate a sound bath into our
January transition.
I think so too.
Definitely need a sound bath.
Yeah.
We're gonna make some intentions.
We'll put some intentions out there.
We're gonna manifest.
And like I said, making thosesmall goals make them attainable.
I think we are.
(15:57):
We've put a lot of pressure onourselves this year in an incredibly
difficult, traumatic andtricky, tricky year.
Yeah.
And I think that was reallyunkind of us to do to ourselves.
Yes, we need to be nicer.
Yeah, we need to be nicer.
That's what I love about manifesting.
And like you, you know, somepeople are like, oh, it's all woohoo.
(16:20):
Vision boards.
Manifesting, makingintentions, burning things, breaking
things, building things.
It brings your, your focus tothe forefront.
It's energy and it reminds youof the things that you truly want.
When you're living in thisspiral of life that's just makes
everything go by so fast.
Right.
So it is, it is not woohoo.
(16:41):
It is actual focusing yourselfon what you truly want.
There is science behind it.
You're putting that energyforward and if you're reminding yourself
of that every day, that's whatyou're putting forward.
And living with thatintention, you're going.
To make that up on yourmirror, on the dashboard of your
car.
Oh, we're gonna do crafts thisyear, aren't we?
(17:03):
We are gonna be crafty.
Let's be crafty.
So crafty.
I have some craft kits on the website.
I powerful on my bathroommirror for my girls and I don't think
any of them pay any attentionto it.
Or they're just so.
It's just part of their daily life.
It's just ingrained in them.
They, they don't have to payattention, it's just part of them.
(17:24):
I wanted to remind them everyday of how powerful they were.
So I literally put it on thebathroom mirror.
I love that it's slightly crooked.
There's probably too faced on it.
So the OCD part of me wants toredo it.
But.
Toothpaste yet?
Sure.
If anybody follows my personalsocial media, my kids are really
good at putting toothpaste inrandom spots.
(17:46):
No toothpaste there.
Maybe they are actuallyembracing the power I'm putting out
there.
They're manifesting.
And we also need to remindourselves of eight year old us.
We were talking before westarted recording about how my youngest
is doing the Nutcracker.
So I've had her alone, drivingback and forth and sitting and waiting,
(18:07):
and I was reminded of howamazing it is to be eight.
And she's constantly lookingat the world with these hopeful,
beautifully kind eyes, andeverything's going to be okay.
Do you know what failure is?
Failure is a chance to learnand grow.
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
(18:27):
She drops this shit and you'relike, what?
You look stressed, mama.
Do you need a hug or do youneed some space?
Oh, my God.
What?
Who?
Where did you.
Once.
Yes, please.
Both.
Can I have both?
Yeah.
All right.
She's incredible.
So maybe I should startwriting down the eight year old quotes
(18:48):
and sharing them with theworld so we're all reminded of how
beautiful and hopeful anduplifting the world can be when we're
not dragged down by thestressors of the outside life.
Yep.
So we all need to remindourselves during our day, we need
to run our business like aneight year old.
Yes.
Yeah.
(19:09):
With the mindset of an eightyear old, not the business acumen.
I mean, maybe.
Good point.
Who knows?
Have we tried it?
We haven't hit a goal.
I'm gonna give her my book.
Sending her my PIANL right now.
She'd be like, well, I learnedmultiplication this year, so.
(19:31):
All you have to do is add the.
Probably do better than me atthis point.
The way my brain's workingright now.
Right.
You'll probably find many mistakes.
Oh, my God, yes.
So I'm gonna encapsulate alittle Imani this year and share
it with the world so y' allget to reap some of the benefits
that I get.
It's one of the beautifulparts of having kids late in life.
(19:55):
I wish I had had them younger,but damn, I'm happy I have them around
now because if I didn't, I'dhave a bunch of teenagers and 20
somethings and I'd be allalone in this mess.
It's true.
But now I got her.
I know she's gonna be okay.
It's wonderful.
My little therapist.
That's perfect.
Yeah.
All right.
(20:15):
Run your business like an 8year old.
Manifest.
Manifest.
Manifest small attainablegoals and celebrate with the most
gratitude.
Like a puppy party.
You know when you get a puppyand you're like, when they go potty
outside, you.
You throw that puppy party.
You know?
Throw yourself a puppy partyevery time you make that goal, every
time you.
Go to the bathroom outside.
(20:35):
Mm.
I love you.
Yes.
Puppy parties on the puppy parties.
All right, so we're gonna gointo 2026.
We're gonna share with you inJanuary how our either, you know,
share it live, if we canfigure out how, or share with you
what we did and how it went.
(20:56):
Yeah.
To.
To.
And it may not in 2025 couldhave been perfect for you.
It could have been amazing.
And that's great.
But you still have to startsomewhere in 2026, so.
Right.
You know, your.
Your burning and breaking canbe personal.
It can be habits.
You know, maybe you're doingamazing, but you've got yourself
in some.
Some nasty habits of nothaving boundaries, working too much,
(21:20):
having your phone on all the time.
Well.
And sometimes when things gogreat, you get into a level of complacency.
Yep.
I need to break that.
Yep.
Things could be better.
But you're.
You're happy, you're doingwell, so.
Yeah.
So I think regardless of whereyou are in your 2025, our plan for
January is beneficial.
Yeah.
And as we learned this summer,sometimes when things are going great,
that's the time to look at selling.
(21:41):
Yeah.
Or looking what your exit planmight be.
Yeah.
She was amazing.
And also.
And if you're like us and yourJanuary is going to be slow and you
miss any episodes, you shouldrewind back.
It's great.
And listen, because they were amazing.
We had some amazing guests onthis year.
We have some amazing guestslined up for next year.
Yep.
I'm not going to give anyspoilers, but I'm already excited.
(22:03):
Yeah.
So 2026 is going to be peaceful.
Yes.
It's going to be calm, it'sgoing to be focused, all of those
things.
And it is going to be a puppy party.
Puppy parties all the time.
All the time.
I love it.
Great.
All right, well, be bold, bebrave, and be the boss.
Share this episode withsomeone you think needs to hear it.
(22:27):
Probably should have said.
Foreign.
Hello.
Welcome back to anotherepisode of Getting Real with Bossy,
the podcast that shows youwhat it's really like to be a business
owner.
We are your hosts, Kelly Bushand Kelly Metras.
And here we are at the library.
(01:33):
Our new favorite spot.
It is so nice to.
It's so nice to be at the library.
We do some co working hereevery once in a while, but it's nice
to get together and be in person.
Because we never record in person.
This is like our second timesince we went virtual.
That's wonderful.
Yeah.
Hi.
Hi.
Love you.
(01:54):
So we're ending December.
Well, I mean, we'll have onemore episode go out, but we're ending
the year with us.
This is our last 2025 Kellyand Kelly episode.
It's been a year.
It's always been a year.
It's always been a year.
Yeah, a lot's happened this year.
Yeah, a lot of great things.
(02:14):
A lot of great things.
I think we accomplished a lotthis year.
We talked a lot.
I think we taught a lot.
I think we shared a lot.
We talked about money.
I hope you guys learned a lotfrom us this year.
I think we discovered a lot ofthings that we can do better and
(02:36):
learn how to run ourbusinesses better and be a lot more
open about things that wedon't know and not be so scared about
talking about money and ourfeelings about money and how we were
raised to learn about money.
Yeah, I think I feel a lotmore comfortable with my relationship
about money and investigatingnew things and how to run my business
(02:59):
when it comes to the financials.
Yeah, money's terrifying.
Yeah, that's all I got.
Money's terrifying.
Money's terrifying.
It's still terrifying, evenafter all the talk we did.
But it's important and youneed to know your.
You need to know your.
So absolutely, it can still beterrifying and you can still know
your and just keep moving forward.
(03:20):
I'm apologize ahead of time.
I'm in, like four hours ofsleep because I thought I was going
to have to work today insteadof going to the wake I was supposed
to be going to.
So more beautiful things aboutsmall business ownership that people
don't talk about is when youknow, your life happens and you're
trying to figure it out.
But last minute, I gotsomebody this morning to cover, even
(03:43):
though I already coveredmyself, and then I had to cover other
people and, you know, thenavigating of all the things.
But that's how it goes.
I don't think people alwaysunderstand that when they say just
Shut it off.
You're leaving.
Oh, you get to leave.
Oh, you're going home early tonight.
Yep.
Yep.
I am absolutely walking out ofthe doors of my business right now
(04:08):
at this time and never workingon it again.
8:30 at night.
Yep.
I'm not going to think about it.
I'm not going to work on it.
Right.
I don't, I don't think peoplealways understand that that's not
the end of our workday ever.
Ever.
It continues and it's alwayson our mind and it's always present
and we always have to be therefor it on some level and it never
(04:32):
shuts down.
So you know what I want topivot to?
It's because I've, I've apologized.
So if I ramble or it don'tmake sense, I've already apologized.
So I want to pivot to some ofthe things I learned during 2025.
We haven't pre planned this.
Not at all, not one bit.
I have always been an advocatefor paying attention to politics
(04:53):
because it always led to meunderstanding my business better,
understanding trends better,being aware of things that were coming
down the pipeline.
So when they hit my business,I wasn't surprised.
Yeah, I've been a hugeadvocate as of.
Have you.
And this year specifically.
(05:13):
Was full.
Of political possible changesthat either went into effect or didn't
go into effect or went intoeffect and then came out of effect.
And it was such a whirlwindspiral of exhaustion just trying
to figure out what I needed topay attention to.
(05:34):
There was a lot of political pivoting.
Yeah.
And even things like the warin Ukraine.
Like, I learned a lot aboutthe supplies that Ukraine does for
like the, the minerals andthe, the raw materials that Ukraine,
you know, supplies for therest of the world and how that affects
it and the shipping, cargo andthey learned a lot.
But in that same thing, I was exhausted.
(05:56):
I still, I still am.
I'm like, I don't know, didthe tariffs happen?
The tariffs are definitely happening.
I, I don't know.
Like, I know prices are up oneverything, but it could be just
random, like, who knows?
Like, I can't keep up.
It's, it's very hard.
And I think there's so manydifferent, different news outlets
(06:16):
and it's, it's hard to know,especially with social media, who
to follow, what to follow,what is accurate.
And there's such a divide politically.
How, how are you guys gettingyour news?
How are you finding out whatis accurate, what is true?
Because it, it is very difficult.
(06:36):
I Don't.
I don't know.
It's very hard.
It used to be that whenorganizations that I'm a part of
would send emails aboutthings, I knew about it already and
I'm like, oh, yeah, I knewabout that.
And now I'm to the point whereI'm like, oh, cool.
So that's real.
Like, oh, okay, that, thatone's real.
Like, because it's just.
It used to be that if youheard something was coming down the
pipeline, like it actuallydid, where now it's like, you never
(06:59):
know.
Things get backtracked, thingsget switched, things get altered.
The government's pivoting inways I didn't know it was possible
to do, and it's.
Yeah, it's just exhausting.
And I just wanted to ramble onthat for a minute because I think
that's part of my exhaustionthis year is just trying to keep
up on what I need to know torun my business in the future.
Because we're, we don't workfor today, we work for next year.
(07:22):
Well, I think that's a good, agood plug for things like NYSRA and
if your industry has a trade organization.
Because nysra, the New YorkState Restaurant association, has
always been really good aboutputting out, out information.
And that's one thing that Ican trust because they are working
for our industry and I cantrust that at least that information
(07:42):
is accurate.
So if you do, if you're in anindustry that has a trade organization
join that, that is money well spent.
Yes.
And you're going to be gettingthat, that good information, that
good, accurate politicalinformation that is affecting your
business, local, there's,statewide, there's.
So find the one that you trustand definitely use their services
(08:03):
to keep up on what is going on.
Yeah.
Because I don't think it'sgoing to be a whole lot different
next.
No, I mean, we're, we're in acertain political climate that's
going to last.
For at least a couple of years.
So you have to figure out howto navigate it.
And this year I figured I haveto turn everything off and just wait
for the information to come tome, which is not how I like to be.
(08:25):
Right.
But I can't, I can't keep up.
You can't worry about thingsthat don't end up happening.
Right.
And I think a lot of that hasaffected consumer spending.
I think.
Government shutdown andpeople's faith in the economy and
their own spending.
And I know that you and I talkabout it a lot, how we're spending
(08:45):
our money is incrediblydifferent than in years past.
Has definitely affected ourindustries and other.
Other industry retailers.
Um, so I think going into nextyear, like, what are we going to
do?
And we've talked about it,like, we need like a full on, like
good old witchy.
(09:06):
Woo.
Woo.
Oh, yeah.
Purging.
We are going to go into it in January.
Maybe we'll bring the podcast along.
Yeah, I think.
I think.
Listen to the burning.
I think we're going to do alive podcast in January at our January
bossy event.
Because I feel like.
And I said it when Kellywalked in this room.
It's legit.
A lot has gone on emotionally,physically, for me, business wise,
(09:32):
in our industry, in this area,in Rochester.
Politically, I feel like I'mliving in a pity party.
And I think it's a legit pityparty because I got a lot going on,
but I don't want to live in itanymore and I got to release it.
So for me, 2026 is going to.
And I want to make grandstatements because, man, I made one
(09:54):
about 2025 in 2020.
Yeah.
And I think I burned.
I burned my bridge.
So I don't want to make grand statements.
I was so mad at that in 2020.
I was like, I cannot wait that long.
We didn't even know what wasgoing on.
I know I said, this is goingto be a five year thing.
And I.
It was a five year thing.
But we had no idea how muchwas going to change that when we
(10:15):
came out of the five years,the world would be a complete, completely
different place.
Right.
But I mean, you.
You were right.
You just didn't realize.
Yeah.
It's like, you know when youmake your wish to the genie.
Yeah.
And the genie always finds away to trick you.
Yeah.
The world tricked you.
Wishes come true, not free.
Wishes come true.
You're true, not free.
Tough.
(10:36):
I want it.
Stephen Sondheim.
Okay, I didn't make that.
Did you just quote Broadway?
I did quote Broadway.
Very, very impressed that Iknew that he was Broadway because.
Cause I'm still, like, learning.
You did good.
Your children would be very.
Kaylin, if you're listening.
I know.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna send her a text soon.
This is done.
But I think next year is goingto be the year we just have to let
(10:58):
some of this go.
And.
Like you said, there is the.
There's going to be more ofthat political pivoting where there's
going to be grand gestures andbig statements that get pulled back
real quickly.
And, and other ones that don't.
So forward.
Focus on, on your businesses,focus on yourselves, focus on your
(11:21):
families, what you can control.
And I think this is going tobe the year to get back to that.
Yeah.
And do what you got to do andput your, put your head down and,
and go forward and focus onyour community.
Yes.
Supporting.
I feel like it's like, like,like that 2022, like when we were
(11:42):
like, all coming out of it alittle bit and we were just really
all community focused.
And that's, that's where Iwant to get to.
We do need to be community focused.
And I think, I think I startedthat, but I didn't have words to
put it in place.
I think that's where myexhaustion led to, was like, I can't
keep up.
So I just have to focus on xyz.
(12:03):
Like, yeah, just put my head down.
People ask me what I'm doingand I'm like, moving forward.
Yep.
That's all I could do is move forward.
Right.
Like, I have to get throughthis week, get through next week,
and then see what happens nextyear if I just keep moving forward.
Yeah.
And we always say, like, youknow, in our business, we have to
be looking towards tomorrowand next year.
And I feel like maybe we justhave to tunnel that down a little
(12:25):
bit and just, let's just,let's, let's just work on next week
and stop putting so muchpressure on us, on ourselves, and
just focus on little, littlegoals and, you know, always have
those big goals in the.
Those big goals for the future.
But I think next year is goingto be tricky.
Don't think it's going to getany easier.
So let's make some small goalsand just be really, really, really
(12:48):
filled with gratitude when wemake those.
I think that's going to makebig difference.
Yes.
I think we should, we shouldleave this episode and pick, look
at your business and a giantpicture and pick three things that
you want to set a goal for inthe next quarter.
And maybe you do one thingeach month.
You know, I want to increasemy catering.
(13:09):
It's always.
I probably talked about it athousand times on here.
Obviously, I want to increasemy catering.
How am I going to do that?
Right.
Am I tracking it?
And I think that's something also.
We are so focused on the bigpicture that we're not paying attention
to the little things we'redoing and the little successes that
we're having.
So we don't notice when acampaign is getting results and we
(13:29):
don't notice that people arecoming in because of something we
said or did or an activity,you know?
So I think that gratitude andthat streamlining and that focus
on a smaller level.
Yeah.
Will be good for our mental state.
I think so.
I don't know about y' all outthere, but I think I need it.
Yeah.
Give us your thoughts.
We're happy to hear them.
Oh, that's a good one.
(13:50):
Yeah.
That's where I'm at.
That's what I got.
That's all you got.
How many minutes are we in?
We're done.
12 minutes.
It's the shortest episodewe've ever done.
Well, that's what we've got.
Finished.
I don't know.
I don't know what else we got.
I think.
I think that's good.
We are legit.
(14:12):
Going into 2026.
Yeah.
Oh, let's talk more about whatwe're going to do in January so people
have ideas in case they can'tjoin us.
We are going to write thingsdown and burn them.
Yeah, I'm still.
Or break them.
Break them.
We're not sure.
It depends on what locationthat we're in.
Okay.
We have a couple different.
Couple different.
A couple different options.
(14:33):
We're going to break or burn.
One of the options.
So I was going to say I'mstill jealous that I missed Erica's
sound bath.
So Erica, our biggest cheerleader.
Yes.
Bought her building a buildingthis year.
She's been trying forever tofind the perfect place.
It is the perfect place.
Gorgeous.
I'm sorry.
So excited.
I can't even.
Because of all the places shelooked at.
(14:54):
I was talking to a mutualfriend of ours, and I said, it's
like when your friend is dating.
I'm like, oh, I met this new guy.
I want you to meet him.
And you're like, oh, he's nice.
You're like, I think you coulddo better.
Like, oh, he's nice.
Like, I really hope this worksout for you, but in the back of your
head, you're like, is this theright guy?
So I felt about the buildings.
I was like, oh, I really wantthis to work for her because she's
so excited.
(15:14):
Right.
But is that the best place?
That seems like a lot.
Or.
Oh, I don't.
And she found this place.
I was like, oh, my God, it's perfect.
It is everything she wanted.
So put that out there.
You can.
You can manifest.
She manifested the.
Out of it.
Out of that.
Holy crap.
And found the most idealperfect location and had a sound
bath.
When she first got in tocircle back to why I brought it up
(15:36):
and I couldn't make it.
You got to go.
It was wonderful.
I was so jealous.
So maybe we need toincorporate a sound bath into our
January transition.
I think so too.
Definitely need a sound bath.
Yeah.
We're gonna make some intentions.
We'll put some intentions out there.
We're gonna manifest.
And like I said, making thosesmall goals make them attainable.
I think we are.
(15:57):
We've put a lot of pressure onourselves this year in an incredibly
difficult, traumatic andtricky, tricky year.
Yeah.
And I think that was reallyunkind of us to do to ourselves.
Yes, we need to be nicer.
Yeah, we need to be nicer.
That's what I love about manifesting.
And like you, you know, somepeople are like, oh, it's all woohoo.
(16:20):
Vision boards.
Manifesting, makingintentions, burning things, breaking
things, building things.
It brings your, your focus tothe forefront.
It's energy and it reminds youof the things that you truly want.
When you're living in thisspiral of life that's just makes
everything go by so fast.
Right.
So it is, it is not woohoo.
(16:41):
It is actual focusing yourselfon what you truly want.
There is science behind it.
You're putting that energyforward and if you're reminding yourself
of that every day, that's whatyou're putting forward.
And living with thatintention, you're going.
To make that up on yourmirror, on the dashboard of your
car.
Oh, we're gonna do crafts thisyear, aren't we?
(17:03):
We are gonna be crafty.
Let's be crafty.
So crafty.
I have some craft kits on the website.
I powerful on my bathroommirror for my girls and I don't think
any of them pay any attentionto it.
Or they're just so.
It's just part of their daily life.
It's just ingrained in them.
They, they don't have to payattention, it's just part of them.
(17:24):
I wanted to remind them everyday of how powerful they were.
So I literally put it on thebathroom mirror.
I love that it's slightly crooked.
There's probably too faced on it.
So the OCD part of me wants toredo it.
But.
Toothpaste yet?
Sure.
If anybody follows my personalsocial media, my kids are really
good at putting toothpaste inrandom spots.
(17:46):
No toothpaste there.
Maybe they are actuallyembracing the power I'm putting out
there.
They're manifesting.
And we also need to remindourselves of eight year old us.
We were talking before westarted recording about how my youngest
is doing the Nutcracker.
So I've had her alone, drivingback and forth and sitting and waiting,
(18:07):
and I was reminded of howamazing it is to be eight.
And she's constantly lookingat the world with these hopeful,
beautifully kind eyes, andeverything's going to be okay.
Do you know what failure is?
Failure is a chance to learnand grow.
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
(18:27):
She drops this shit and you'relike, what?
You look stressed, mama.
Do you need a hug or do youneed some space?
Oh, my God.
What?
Who?
Where did you.
Once.
Yes, please.
Both.
Can I have both?
Yeah.
All right.
She's incredible.
So maybe I should startwriting down the eight year old quotes
(18:48):
and sharing them with theworld so we're all reminded of how
beautiful and hopeful anduplifting the world can be when we're
not dragged down by thestressors of the outside life.
Yep.
So we all need to remindourselves during our day, we need
to run our business like aneight year old.
Yes.
Yeah.
(19:09):
With the mindset of an eightyear old, not the business acumen.
I mean, maybe.
Good point.
Who knows?
Have we tried it?
We haven't hit a goal.
I'm gonna give her my book.
Sending her my PIANL right now.
She'd be like, well, I learnedmultiplication this year, so.
(19:31):
All you have to do is add the.
Probably do better than me atthis point.
The way my brain's workingright now.
Right.
You'll probably find many mistakes.
Oh, my God, yes.
So I'm gonna encapsulate alittle Imani this year and share
it with the world so y' allget to reap some of the benefits
that I get.
It's one of the beautifulparts of having kids late in life.
(19:55):
I wish I had had them younger,but damn, I'm happy I have them around
now because if I didn't, I'dhave a bunch of teenagers and 20
somethings and I'd be allalone in this mess.
It's true.
But now I got her.
I know she's gonna be okay.
It's wonderful.
My little therapist.
That's perfect.
Yeah.
All right.
(20:15):
Run your business like an 8year old.
Manifest.
Manifest.
Manifest small attainablegoals and celebrate with the most
gratitude.
Like a puppy party.
You know when you get a puppyand you're like, when they go potty
outside, you.
You throw that puppy party.
You know?
Throw yourself a puppy partyevery time you make that goal, every
time you.
Go to the bathroom outside.
(20:35):
Mm.
I love you.
Yes.
Puppy parties on the puppy parties.
All right, so we're gonna gointo 2026.
We're gonna share with you inJanuary how our either, you know,
share it live, if we canfigure out how, or share with you
what we did and how it went.
(20:56):
Yeah.
To.
To.
And it may not in 2025 couldhave been perfect for you.
It could have been amazing.
And that's great.
But you still have to startsomewhere in 2026, so.
Right.
You know, your.
Your burning and breaking canbe personal.
It can be habits.
You know, maybe you're doingamazing, but you've got yourself
in some.
Some nasty habits of nothaving boundaries, working too much,
(21:20):
having your phone on all the time.
Well.
And sometimes when things gogreat, you get into a level of complacency.
Yep.
I need to break that.
Yep.
Things could be better.
But you're.
You're happy, you're doingwell, so.
Yeah.
So I think regardless of whereyou are in your 2025, our plan for
January is beneficial.
Yeah.
And as we learned this summer,sometimes when things are going great,
that's the time to look at selling.
(21:41):
Yeah.
Or looking what your exit planmight be.
Yeah.
She was amazing.
And also.
And if you're like us and yourJanuary is going to be slow and you
miss any episodes, you shouldrewind back.
It's great.
And listen, because they were amazing.
We had some amazing guests onthis year.
We have some amazing guestslined up for next year.
Yep.
I'm not going to give anyspoilers, but I'm already excited.
(22:03):
Yeah.
So 2026 is going to be peaceful.
Yes.
It's going to be calm, it'sgoing to be focused, all of those
things.
And it is going to be a puppy party.
Puppy parties all the time.
All the time.
I love it.
Great.
All right, well, be bold, bebrave, and be the boss.
Share this episode withsomeone you think needs to hear it.
(22:27):
Probably should have said.
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