931: Small Changes, Big Shifts: My Evolution Happening Behind the Scenes

28:46But I think that you and I like iron sharpens iron, right? And having those different takes is such a blessing. And it's something I wish every entrepreneur could experience because there will absolutely be hard times and hard decisions and, you know, areas in your path where you have to let somebody go, or you have to part ways or like you couldn't imagine not working with this person. And now it's just no longer a fit. And we've had to navigate a few of those this year. And I will say that I think we did a really beautiful job. And I have maintained relationships with every person. And that's really important to me.

29:26That's really important to me. And I think too, for those who don't have a Marissa and are in a space where they're starting to build and they are by themselves, you invest in your business in certain ways, but also I think so imperative to invest in yourself and finding someone who can be a North Star for you, whether that is your partner, whether that is a peer, whether you are joining communities or masterminds and finding that human who you can bounce those ideas and questions and who's going to hold you accountable in that way. I think it is so powerful to have a human in your life like that when you are building a business, because we all know how lonely entrepreneurship can feel.

30:16But as you grow, I just think it's a non-negotiable that I would personally say is a must have. And with that too, Jenna, I mean, you've grown so much. Like we have worked together now, six years we were working on going to year seven. I want to commend that growth and leadership. I think too, a lot of entrepreneurs come in and I will say for me personally, when I had my business before and I was growing and I had a team. It was like, I know all right. Like I am good. I've got my path. Like we are going to forge ahead. And I think a lot of times it can be a pain point personally for leaders and founders to really open themselves to be aware of where I do maybe take some personal, you know, ish into business or where I could stretch myself when it comes to people or human.

31:09And so what would you recommend or say has been like, one of the most helpful, whether it be, you know, a resource or just something in which you've taken action to become more aware or to grow as a founder in that way? I mean, therapy. I mean, fair. I know. I mean, I feel like, yeah, I totally agree. And you know, what's interesting is I feel like now I feel like I often say to you, like, challenge me, veto me, like, like step like where I invite in the challenge. And if you listen to past episodes with Marissa, you'll know that like the first year was freaking rocky for us because I was coming at it more from this like all knowing dictatorship.

31:56I mean, like, I don't know how else to say it. Like it was my baby and I wasn't going to let anybody take care of that baby. Right. And so it's interesting because now I'm like, step in, challenge me, look at this, what am I missing? And I think that that comes from ego death, which I think a lot of entrepreneurs need in some form or another. And it also just comes into where you and I have built, I mean, a marriage, like you are my work wife, right? Absolutely. Yes. And it's so cool, because we bring very different gifts to the table. And I think that's why the challenge and we can laugh about it now because we're like, damn, that was hard.

32:40But if we wouldn't have gotten through that hard, we wouldn't be where we are. And it's really cool because you are like a human design guru, right? Like this is you. You breathe that in. You speak it into life. Like you really tap into people's gifts and you understand it on a way deeper level than even I do. And one of the coolest things I think about our relationship now is because of our awareness around things like human design, you know, my energy levels and like, I'll be like, Hey, I know I'm pulling something right now, but I'm real excited. Like, do you have the capacity for this idea right now?

33:21Or I found myself like I'll get an idea and I'm like, you know what, before we bring it to anybody, let's just sit with it. Right. And so So it's not even just an individual awareness. It's an awareness in how we both operate. And in the past, like I would just like freaking word vomit, like, like make you drink out of a fire hose with like ideas and strategies and blah, blah, blah, blah. And I have very much learned to like sit with the ideas and trust that if they're great ideas, they'll still be here a week from now or a month from now. And then I think you've also learned in terms of like not tamping down my excitement around something.

33:57And like, just like, you're like, if you want to run with this, you run with this. I'm not going to step in until you tell me you need me. And so we built this like really beautiful dichotomy where we know where to challenge one another. And we also know when to like, just like go for it. Like you go for it. Cause I can feel this in your body. Explain this on a more human design level. Cause this is just like my experience. Yes. So if I'm familiar, there are five types of human design. Jenna is a mani-gen or a manifesting generator where I am a projector. And so already author, our energies just operate in very different ways.

34:35Jenna has this like very multi-passionate, like almost engine of energy that continue to go, go, go. And with that, what fuels her energy is most times excitement. So it can be a creative pull for her or this visionary idea or a special project, right? Whereas a projector, as I am, my energy is more ebb and flow. It's going to go up, it goes down. And so already right there, you can see in just energy output, there can be a place of contention in us just not being able to move at the same speed at the same time. And so that is a place that we've had to learn to honor each other. The other piece, you know, we just did this last week where Jenna can literally go from idea, ideation to delivery and execution, lightning speed fast.

35:26And because of, again, my energy difference, I'm not always able to move in that way. And so within that, too, as a projector, my place is to guide. Like naturally, I am here to guide energy, which makes sense why I'm in operations because where Jenna can just get us from, I shouldn't say just, it's incredible. You can get us from A to B very quickly. I come in, see the vision, and then I kind of pedal back, pause, and allow us to break out and really sense like, okay, is this realistic from a team capacity and energy standpoint? Operationally, can we make this work? And so that will sometimes put a pin in things, or maybe it's like, hey, we can't actually do this right now because it doesn't make sense for X, Y, Z.

36:16And that can cause frustration for a manifesting generator, because for them, they're like, hey, I love it. Let's freaking go and do it. And then I'm here as a projector saying, wait, pause. Let's like let this settle and really figure out if we can make it work. And so that is another point of contention that we've had to really honor in each other and like work through. And now it's like we check in with each other, I think, in a beautiful way where I'll say like, hey, here's what we have on the docket, but let me know how you feel and what you are pulled to. And then she'll say, I'm really pulled to this creative piece right now that I want to do.

36:56And it's like, all right, I will not stand in your way. Like you execute the way you need to and like, I'll be here when you are ready. And it also allows me from an operational standpoint to like pad in time. So that like in any way, the way that we work, like nothing is ever urgent, but it allows me to just plan in a way that better supports that too, where I'm like, okay, she has time and space to do what she needs to do. And I have time and space to like get things in order to support that and get everything to the finish line. So two different ways in which we get to the destinations. The journey is different, but we're still working and walking the same path to get there.

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39:48So happy shopping. I am such a homebody at heart, but I love when travel reminds me just how beautiful it is to step outside of our routine. For the kids fall break, we booked a stay on a small farm near Nashville through Airbnb. And it was one of the most memorable trips we've taken this year. We met donkeys, goats, and pigs, and the kids got to pick peppers in their greenhouse. Watching them run around the farm, getting their hands dirty, and laughing the whole time was such a joy. It was peaceful. It was full of those little moments that literally just make you pause and feel connected. That trip reminded me why I love using Airbnb.

40:26It connects you to places and experiences that really stay with you. If you've ever thought about hosting your home on Airbnb, it doesn't take much. Whether it's your entire house or just a spare room, your space could offer that same feeling to someone else and even earn you some extra income. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com forward slash host. And I think too, like we used to like almost read between the lines too much. Like, did you see that in a weird tone or like, what do you mean by okie dokie? Like, what does that mean? Like, and now it's like, if I'm offended, you'll know it.

41:04And if you're like, where it's like, there's no, honestly, like the emotional bandwidth has expanded exponentially because there's no undercurrent in any of our communication and our ability to like express that of like, oh no, I'm feeling this way. Or like one day I was like, there's a kid in the bathtub who's going to puke. And like, I'm sorry, I'm just being quick, you know? And it's like interesting where like we can quickly communicate. So I, yeah, I really, really love that. And I think it's just really interesting because, you know, I think we've gotten into a place of like handing off the baton to each other, almost like a relay of like, you go, I go.

41:40And we can trust each other in those pieces. And it just makes the rhythm, which is something that we really looked at this year with kids and life and time and passion and projects and all these different things. I think it has been very successful in terms of a partnership. I couldn't agree more. And now that we've talked about human design, I mean, those listening know that we love a little woo with our work. So human design does fall under that category. But for anyone who is right now just craving that clarity or momentum and they're feeling stuck? Are there any other like, out there per se, resources or things that you would recommend as totally worth trying?

42:31Yeah, I mean, here's the thing. I don't know how woo this is. But I do feel like it's like so transformative. I feel like right now, the world feels like it's on fire. And I think it can get really, really, really overwhelming, especially to if you are trying to start something or do something or post something. It's like, there are so many tragedies in the world every single day. And it's like, how do we show up among those? How do we make a difference? What do we do? And so I actually was talking to my therapist about this last night because I was like, you know, like, what do we do? Like, how do we actually change the world?

43:08Like, what does that really look like? And I was telling her one thing that's been so beneficial to me is really limiting my consumption. So I want to be an aware person. I want to be aware, but I do not want to be drowning in information to the point where I am inactive, right? Because if we're taking ourselves out of the game, whatever the game is, whether it's the game of business or like the game of freaking changing the world and making it a place we want to raise our kids in. If we are so paralyzed by what we are seeing happening in the world, we're doing a disservice to us, to our families and to like the change that we can actually make.

43:50So I got an app on my phone, clear space. I talk about it on almost every team call. Cause I'm like, Oh my gosh. Yesterday, somebody asked me something about Instagram and I was like, actually I can't get into Instagram right now. Like I have to hack my own phone. And she was like, really you like, you have so many followers, you're so active on there. I was like, no, no, I have basically built a system that I cannot access it. And so it's a greatly, greatly, greatly reduced my consumption of social. I know members of our team use it. Essentially, if you go to click on any sort of app that you've limited, you have to take in a deep breath and you have to really, it'll say, are you sure you want to go in?

44:29And if you say yes, it'll say how many minutes do you want to devote to this app, which I think is brilliant, right? Because how often are we scrolling? We don't even realize how many minutes we're saying goodbye to in our life. So I think that has really changed my life in terms of just being aware and staying in awareness, having trusted sources where I get information from, but not letting it paralyze me. And then the second thing I think is like, and again, not really wooey, but I think it's like where the world is going is like, how are we in community? Like if we took away the news and the internet and we only looked around where we live, wherever you live in the world, and you noticed your neighbors and you noticed people out and about and you saw a need and you thought of ways you could fill it.

45:17And you saw opportunities to use your gifts and you saw places where you could lend a hand or give a hug, how would that change our lives? And I feel like it's just this thought that I have really connected with in the last year. Last Friday, I went and volunteered at the soup kitchen, which is something I've been doing over the last year. And my grandpa, who's going to be 90, comes and serves food. And I look at him and I'm like, he is still in service at the age of 90. That is success to me. That is a life well lived. And I think about how do we stay, not numb to what's happening, but how do we find ways to stay active in the places that we can?

46:01And I think that when we see such big problems, we think there's no way I can be a part of a solution. But I think that the opposite is true. And if we start in our own backyards, won't we be bettering the communities we're raising our kids in? So maybe not woo, but I feel like it's just a part of like my core belief is like, we need to get back into community. We You need to get connected again, like really connected, not just like I see you online connected. And I think that you will see so many opportunities to use things that you are brilliantly good at in ways that you maybe never had explored.

46:37And so, yeah, that's kind of, I don't know. That's what I think. I love that. I think that ties into like how you are leaving your print in business, but also in the community around you. I think sometimes we envision that touch point to be so big when it can be small and yet so impactful and beautiful and meaningful. And a term that I never really held weight in before I met you was the word legacy. It was never really something that I personally thought about until I really got to know you personally and then also what you were building towards. And so when I think of legacy, it's a big word.

47:23It holds that weight, but you are really living it. And so when you think about the impact you and the brand is making now, like, what are you most proud of? Yeah. Legacy. I think about it all the time. I don't know why. Sometimes I think I was raised in a very morbid family where we like, I don't know, death was around us a lot. And so I think I often thought about like, what did that person's life mean? Or what are they proud of? Or what are people grieving about them? Right. And seeing the beauty of it. I mean, my dad was a firefighter and worked at a paper mill and my mom was a nurse. And so like, if we had a bumper or bruise, they'd be like, girl, we saw way worse today.

48:06And I just think I understood context and the gravity of life and also loss. I think I've been creating out of a well of like, if this were my last piece of work, do I stand with it? Does it matter? And I think that that place of creation has been unwiring a lot of the strategy parts of me, which I love, but it's just a piece of me. I think for a long time, I led with strategy. I thought with strategy. It's a very like masculine energy of like force. And I feel like lately I've really been thinking like, what is worth saying? And what do I want to say? And God forbid, if this is my last episode or my last post online, would people look at that and know who I am and what I believed?

48:53And it gives me more legs to stand on. I'll tell you that in standing in the fire on things that I really believe in, where maybe in the past, I've been a little bit more quiet or more vanilla. But I also like sleep well at night knowing like I said what I believe in like my daughters could see this someday. And I think it's interesting too. I think as as my kids get older, and their awareness grows and their consciousness expands around just everything and the work we do. It's like so much more beyond like what we could belittle ourselves to like, I'm not just the Pinterest girl, right? Like there's so much more to that.

49:31And so it's like, I want to create out of a well of what I believe to be true, not just for me, but for others. And I want every post to feel meaningful and impactful. And it's interesting trying to find that balance of the strategy side of me with the heart and the soul and like those pieces. And I think I'm learning how to like weave it all together. And I'm learning where each one stands and where each one matters because they both matter, especially as a business owner. But yeah, it's really interesting. It is. And I think now, you know, when you see how precious life is, and you also like go and investigate, like what people said before maybe their last breath, it's kind of puts things in a different perspective of like, wow, what do I really want to say?

50:22And what is worth saying? It's an interesting place to create out of. It is. And that's been a core concept for you since the start when you started in photography, right? Because a part of that was to capture moments in time. Yeah. Right. Yeah, totally. That's beautiful. And I get to be on the forefront of also seeing that evolution too. And I will say to you, hey, I like when you get a little spicy. Yes. Like you have, and I'm here for it. It could be my Latina self. I don't know, but I am here for it. For the spice. Yes. And on that same beat, I was so excited to have this time with you because a lot of times I don't feel like people have seen in our past episodes together, kind of the banter between us and like that real life, like vibe and flow.

51:13And so we're going to just have a fun little hot take seat session. Okay. Okay. It's going to be good. It's going to be a little mix of combo. I'm going to ask you a few yes or no, maybe fill in the blank. It's going to be good. Are you ready? I'm ready. Okay. Yes or no for me, Jenna. Launching live is overrated. Oh, shoot. No, not overrated. Underrated. You get to put your best work out there. You get real live data and you get to connect with people live. So I actually really love launching.

51:49Have you thought about quitting Instagram at least once this year? Yes or no? Replace once with a million times? Yes. Every day of my life? Yes. fair we talked about this a little bit earlier and how impactful it can be so every entrepreneur should in fact go to therapy yes or no gosh yes if you want to learn more about yourself become an entrepreneur if you want to see all of the areas of your life where you need healing become an entrepreneur and if you are able to have access to a professional to help you work through that 1000%. Love it. Okay, one word, give me my team would describe me in one word as Oh, dang.

52:36Hmm. Wow. Can you answer that? You're my team loving? I don't know. What would you say? Oh my gosh, it's hard. One word is hard. But I would say like majestic. I feel like majestic because it's just you are very powerful and you're being in your energy and who you are at your heart and your core so majestic would be a word for me thank you you're welcome okay work snack that's your guilty pleasure oh I freaking love sour candy it's like the thing I can't quit like and it's funny because I'll like hide it like in places not because I'm ashamed of it. It's just like my kids will steal it if they find it.

53:19But then Coco was like, why do you have like sour there? There's these healthy version of sour Skittles and they're damn good. So yeah, I love sour, sour candy. That is such a true point because when we were in Arizona at the same time and I came over, you were like, you can have any snacks in the cabinet, go for it. And I opened it and there was Sour Patch Kids. And I was like, she is my girl because those are my favorite on top of sour skittles. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes. Okay. Favorite podcast besides yours. Ooh. Okay. Ooh, this is so good. I listened to such a diverse round of podcasts. One that I've always appreciated and I brought it up on our team call is how I built this with Guy Raz, because I feel like oftentimes we see these big brands and we think it's this overnight success.

54:11And it's like, there are so many stories of trial and triumph of building it. And one of the questions he always asks at the end is like, how much of this was skill and how much was luck? And I just, I think that's such a beautiful question to ask founders, because I think it's a mix of both of those things. So how I built this by Guy Raz. It is good. I agree with that. If I weren't running this business, I'd probably be fill in the blank. oh oh honestly I love working at the soup kitchen so much I've talked about it where I'm like I like feel so useful and connected and I feel like women can change the world like when me and my mom friends get in there we freaking chop up food it's like women well I'm dead set women are going to change this world it's us it's us oh 100 absolutely I would also say birth doula I could see you being a birth doula.

55:08I freaking love birth. You're right. I would have been there when you had your babies in a heartbeat. You're so right. I am the person where I'm like, please ask me everything. I am so passionate about it. You're right. Birth doula and photographer, thousand percent. Okay. Yeah. You would have coached me through that whole thing. Yeah. You're so welcome. Okay. What's one boundary you fiercely protect no matter what is on your calendar? Just time with my kids. I feel like I have not missed a damn thing. And I feel like that is so rare. I have such fierce boundaries around my kids and time with them.

55:47And yeah, that's it. Okay. Best business move you almost didn't make? Writing a book. Definitely. Like I just, I never thought I would. I swore I would never. And I do feel like when we think of legacy, like that book is a big piece of mine. Would you ever write another one? This is not a part of the question, but I'm just curious. I definitely would. I think I would do it differently and like less strategic and more heart again, kind of in alignment with the conversation, but definitely I love writing. All right. And because I feel like your version of success is so unique, fill in the blank for me.

56:28What is one thing I used to believe about success that I no longer do. That my job is the most interesting part of who I am. I want my job and the work I do to be the least interesting piece of me. I want to have hobbies and interests and passions so deeply outside of what I do that work is just like a bystander to the conversation. I'm here for it. Here for it. That concludes your hot seat session. survived sweating a little bit. Um, thank you for coming back on the show. It's always just such a dream to take our conversations outside of Slack. Thank you for running alongside of me. One thing that I think people wouldn't know maybe, and they should, is just like a deep level of respect and trust that lives between you and I, that is such a rare gift.

57:23It needs to be called out. But I'm excited to see where we go next. Who knows, but we're doing it and we're doing it well. That's right. Oh, that was fun. She had me sweating. I cannot express the level of gratitude I have to have a partner like Marissa in my business and in my life. Really? I feel like her and I were meant to do work together and it's been so beautiful just like growing as a person and being stretched as a leader and Marissa has been so steadfast and so supportive and amazing on the journey and also like she has grown and evolved and it's just been such a beautiful thing to pay witness to so I just hold so much love and excitement about the future of our lives, of the business, of what is to come.

58:16And just so much gratitude that I get to do it with people that I genuinely love. And this episode was fun. I hope you loved it. I hope you send it to somebody who could benefit on listening in. I hope you can find your own Marissa and build something just as beautiful, if not more. And I hope you felt connected to the brand, the mission and the person behind it, which is me. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Gold Digger podcast. Until next time, Gold Diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals. Thanks for listening to the Gold Digger podcast. I hope today left you inspired and equipped with something you can put into action as you build a business that truly supports your life.

58:57If this episode resonated with you, here's how you can help the show reach even more entrepreneurs. Hit follow, share it with a friend who's building something meaningful. and if you're feeling generous, leave us a review. Those reviews help other listeners discover these conversations when they need them the most. This show has become so much more than I ever imagined and it's because of listeners like you who show up and share. You are helping build something that will inspire entrepreneurs for years to come. For show notes, links and resources, head to golddiggerpodcast.com. Keep digging your biggest goals.

59:32The world needs what you're building.

59:36you