THREE YEARS OF SEIZING THE YAY - podcast episode cover

THREE YEARS OF SEIZING THE YAY

Oct 25, 20211 hr 26 minSeason 1Ep. 177
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Episode description

The third anniversary episode is finally here, thank you so much to everyone who submitted questions (especially the four amazing yayborhood members who sent theirs in by voice memo). I had been hoping to celebrate this milestone with a real life event, but this was still a pretty special way to reflect on the past few years with our new co-host, Ang (who also happened to co-host the very first episode ever back in 2018 - such a full circle moment). I could never have imagined then that we'd still be here three years later learning from incredible humans and welcoming new friends to the yayborhood each week. I'll never be able to say enough times how grateful I am for all of your support - I know I sound like a broken record, but I still pinch myself to get to create this show for you.


As has been a recurring theme with #yaysofourlives lately, I got a major vulnerability hangover the minute we stopped recording and plunged into the depths of overthinking wanting to change all my answers straight away - it's so much easier being the one asking the questions!! Recording with Ang means you REALLY get the unfiltered, totally scattered, absolute goober versions of who we are (although I've always thought that was the beauty of podcasts - you hear how people are without an audience even though, of course, later there is an audience). Old me would have re-recorded to make my answers more articulate, considered and thorough but new me is practising what I preach and uploaded the whole thing without edits - done is better than perfect! As usual, we got carried away in the first half and I rushed a bit in the second half (hence wanting to redo my answers), but I REALLY enjoyed your diverse and interesting questions and hope there's some enjoyable listening somewhere in amongst our rambling.


And yes, we did a little glow up to celebrate the milestone - ABOUT TIME! Felt like a great opportunity for a little refresh, since I whipped up our original assets in about 7 minutes without really thinking too much but then kept them for three years!


+ Follow Ang here

+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah

+ Join our Facebook community here

+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

These are the yays of our lives. Busy and happy are not the same thing. We too rarely question what makes the heart seeing. We work, then we rest, but rarely we play and often don't realize there's more than one way. So this is the platform to hear and explore the stories of those who found lives They adore, the good, bad and ugly. The best and worst day

will bear all the facets of seizing your yea. I'm Sarah Davidson or a spoonful of Sarah, a lawyer turned funentrepreneur who swapped the suits and heels to co found Matcha Maiden and matcha Milk Bark Sez the Ya is a series of conversations on finding a life you love and exploring the self doubt, challenge, joy and fulfillment along the way. Hi Film, Welcome to our third anniversary efforts Face Fim.

Speaker 2

I'm so excited. Congratulations. I can't like I when you said.

Speaker 1

That year the other day, I was like, no, me too, no way, it's I know, I kind of feel like it's because twenty twenty just doesn't count in my Like, you know, I have the worst time already. I'm always like, oh, remember that time when I was in Hong Kong, and she's like, I was six, so I wasn't there, Like I just have no timescale. But adding to that, the pandemic and Lockdown twenty twenty just isn't in my brain. So I was like, oh, it's our two year anniversary.

And then I was like, hold on a minute.

Speaker 2

Not just I don't think it's just that it was twenty twenty. I just feel like it's still so fresh and exciting that it doesn't feel like it's been three years. You know, Normally, after like three years or something, you're like, oh, yeah, I'm kind of yeah, it's like drying out and getting bored of it, but this has been like you're killing its still and it's still been really exciting.

Speaker 1

Oh that's really kind. And I know you're only saying that because you just joined the show, so you're like thinking it's from cool because you're like, I'm a co host now.

Speaker 2

Now I'm saying that invoice later.

Speaker 1

Oh well, I mean, you guys know, I was actually listening to last year's anniversary episode and then the year before just to kind of reflect on how I was feeling, and I say the same thing every time that is one thing that isn't fresh is my same language, the same words to express just how grateful I am for

this neighborhood. It has brought me so much joy, and I can safely say honestly, through the pandemic in the last eighteen months to two years in particular, having this is like a purpose and a reason to focus on joy and storytelling and all of the messages that you guys have sent back about the way that you know it's helped even really tiny moments of your kind of you know, lockdown challenge has just it just makes my heart so happy and I can't believe I've been able

to do it. You've enabled me to keep doing it for three years. It's just so so special.

Speaker 2

Do you remember the first before you sat your podcast and I was like, been just started? Why do you keep waiting? I was like, I was like, dude, if I have to hear you like a'm and a about this one more time, I'm literally just going to start it for you. And then then you're like, I was like, just get you know, one of your friends do your first episode. Get it out there. Doesn't that be perfect? Anyway? I went to play basketle with Nick and I come back,

and so I was like, so you're ready. I was like what You're like, yeah, you see your friend and so I'm getting you. And I was like, wow, that backby quickly, and then we were like, stay in your match of office and just did the first episode, no preparation anything.

Speaker 1

That's right. That's actually, this is so nice that we're doing this one together because you were there for the very first episode and then have been on like I mean, obviously you've joined as a co host, but the fact that you were there for that very first one and like you've been here for the whole process of how nervous I was that day, and then watching like us do a live show and then hit.

Speaker 2

All these the live shows.

Speaker 1

I am so sad that we couldn't do this one as a live show. That's what I would have done.

Speaker 3

I think I so.

Speaker 2

Forgot there were live shows.

Speaker 1

Oh my god, live show. One live show.

Speaker 2

There was meant to be another one though. It was meant to be, like as in, you were planning for another one.

Speaker 1

Yeah, So we did the first one in December of twenty and nineteen, yeah, Olivia Rogers, Yeah, which was absolutely incredible, and that sold out like I was like, I still I mean again, I've said this a million times, but I still forget people listen and I still forget that it's not just you and Mum and Nick like chuney and every week, even though Nick doesn't actually listen. But for HA to have like three hundred and fifty people in a room who bought tickets to be there, it

just went so well. And so I was like, oh, well, obviously we're going to do this every month for every quarter, and then lockdown happens, so we haven't been able to do another one, but maybe for our fourth anniversary we can organize something in yeah, what right?

Speaker 2

And then obviously your book came out as well as on the back of this, well that's on the back of everything. I guess.

Speaker 1

Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, is that they I love you.

Speaker 2

She's so sweet. She just brought come alone.

Speaker 1

That was the best ever. That just made That was the best third anniversary present you could have ever.

Speaker 2

Oh my god. I was like, I love funny. She brought me Kanji because I've been onto the weather today Kanji.

Speaker 1

Oh my gosh. So there are actually so many things that being Asian but not growing up with Asian parents that I missed out on. I think Kanji is one of them.

Speaker 2

Yeah, Kanji is like the cures all sicknesses. Honestly, it's like on the world. And there was this Chinese couple and this older Chinese man was in and he had a pretty bad it was kind of a stroke or t I a that his wife kept coming in and bringing Kanji. All the nurses like, oh my god, she just keeps coming in and bringing this thing and keeps feeding him, and I was like, guys, it's Kanji. It's pretty much gonna cure him. And they're all like, what

are you talking about? And I was like, and then I realized how still it sounded in a hospital environment. But essentially, like in all a lot of Asian cultures, it is that the warming I think in Western culture would be the same as when everyone goes to like chicken soup as they're curing.

Speaker 1

Yeah, chicken soup.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 2

So it's like kanjiu. So she's made up some Kanji love but not.

Speaker 1

I also love how every single episode has like a cultural lessons.

Speaker 2

With I didn't even hear open the door. That's why when I saw her in the screen and I was like, oh my god.

Speaker 1

I saw her just coming and I was like, oh my god, this is the best ever. I just ad bollowed her so much. Also, it's really exciting that we're recording today because we have obviously come out of lockdown or a lockdown and started easing, which is so exciting and just a little gentle reminder to everyone else in Victoria.

And I think also people in Sydney and New South Wales have been through this quite recently as well that I really thought this weekend I would have rushed out to book dinners and get dressed up and go to bars. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, Like, if.

Speaker 2

That's decided, you're going to go to a bar, please, It's.

Speaker 1

Like when people ever come from overseas are like where should we go? And I'm like, I don't know things, so just google it. I don't go anywhere. But I did think that that would, you know, I'd really want to go out and about and I'm so excited Melbourne's opening back up and we have just so many incredible places. We have the most amazing culture and rooftops, bars and

you know everything. But I really just didn't feel ready and I had these weird mixed emotions of absolute elation about our freedom and so much excitement, but also like severe social anxiety about coming back out and just being so unpracticed at social interactions. So instead of that and and I just had we haven't had because we don't live within each other's bubbles, we haven't really had proper bimbi time, as we call it in ages. So we went to Urban Surf for a surf and then took ourselves out.

Speaker 2

Together.

Speaker 1

Sorry, anyone who came after us, there was nothing left.

Speaker 2

It was just like nose dive after nosedive after like head dive after I'm very hydrated.

Speaker 1

And tell you that though, I think that's why you have a cult. Because it was like two degrees and we decided.

Speaker 2

Let's see it's.

Speaker 1

That's fine chlorine. But it was just so nice to have one on one time, and I just thought it was, you know, something to remind the whole neighborhood of that. However, gradually or however quickly, you're going back out and either resuming normal or not resuming normal, or because normal may you know, you might not resume anything. You might choose all new things to put back into your life. How ever, you're adjusting to this massive new change that should feel

positive but maybe doesn't. That's okay. Whatever you're feeling is all right. And today on the dad that we're recording is also my second wedding anniversary and our second that we've been in different states for, so we haven't actually spent a wedding anniversary together, which also looks a little bit different to expect it. So I'm spending it with you.

Speaker 2

I just want to preface that the wedding anniversary is not Sarah and I, although some people may believe it's actually Sarah.

Speaker 1

Nick.

Speaker 2

Just had to make that really clear. Thank you, Marry.

Speaker 1

Yeah, well kind of.

Speaker 2

Relationship, you know.

Speaker 1

I said that at Urban Surf. She's like, so, you know, are you here? There someone else under the booking. I was like, yeah, my sister's coming. I was like, yes, too hard to describe otherwise. Anyway, we had a lovely little day pottering and like so random to go surfing on the second day urban surveys, even though it's not that random, but it kind of was because it was

pouring rain. But just wanted to remind everyone, whatever you're going through right now, milestones will look different all the things that you thought you'd rush back to maybe you're not, or other things you have rushed back to that you didn't expect. Whatever it is, be gentle in yourselves anyway. The structure of this episode is a Q and A, which took me ten minutes to get to. And I had this grand idea a couple of weeks ago that we would get you guys, because the whole part of

an anniversary is celebrating the neighborhood. I thought I would get you guys to submit your voices so that we could have you asking some questions with your voices to be featured on the show, which is was kind of my way of like mimicking a live event because we couldn't do that because if we had had a live event, then we would have recorded your questions anyway, in person, whatever, anyway. So it turns out maybe because we're all a little bit more socially anxious, or because it just wasn't a

good idea. I was like, yeay, everyone submit your voice messages, and then a grand fad and zero came in in the so I was like, so in the end, most people have submitted them as written, but we've got four really lovely sweet voice recordings to spread out in amongst all the other questions. So it'll be a bit of a mix today, which is really cute. So to those four people, thank you so much for getting on board, because hearing your voices tell your story it's just been yeah,

absolutely delightful. But the first one was so interesting.

Speaker 2

I was gonna say me, your mum, Paul, and your brother don't count as four people, just saying.

Speaker 1

Paul did try to submit a recording. I just didn't know. I couldn't, you know, without capturing you, Like, how am I going to tran like Osland? It was really hard. He has an email account, you know, it's just to just dexter it. It just wasn't great. Speaking of Also, I wore this because I wore this, you know, my favorite jumper, yeah, from our wedding, the pool jumper. I had so many people ask about this jumper the other days if they'd never seen it before. I was like, guys,

I wear this every day. Like it started as light gray, it's now dark gray because that's how often I wear it. But I thought I would wear it because so many people have asked about where it's from. It's from Sweater Club, which is an amazingness. A friend of ours or you love a sweater club, go and check them out. This is from Print your Pet. They've got like a Print your Pet. So mostly it's embroidery and custom logos and all kinds of amazing merch they do. All the shameless

charity merch. Colby is absolutely amazing, but they also print your pets onto a jumper and it's the greatest thing in the entire world. So just I would wear that anyway. Got our first recording, which was emailed through to us from Daniella Kim. It was so sweet. I'm just going to play it so that you can all hear it. And it really got me thinking, I love these episodes because you always ask really interesting questions that I never stop and take a moment to think about. So here is the.

Speaker 4

Question, hire Sarah, and and it's Dunning here from Sydney. And I thought i'd ask you guys to do an on the spot acrostic poem using your names about what you have learned through twenty twenty and twenty twenty one. Thought it would be a funny one to get you laughing, but also to simultaneously reflect and think about all the incredible personal growth that you guys may have had through this very difficult nearly two years of our lives.

Speaker 2

I love that one, although I don't feel like my vocabulary is good enough to be able to figure that many words with specific first letters, But I think you should go first. As a curteous best friend, I think.

Speaker 1

You should also. I was like, Angelina is a really long name. It is a really long acrostic poem.

Speaker 2

And there's also a lot of repeated letters. Then when I first when you first said that, all I could think of my with a was like a mess, but.

Speaker 3

I was.

Speaker 1

Mess, yeah, mess. Well, okay, so maybe we do a letter at ad like a letter each or do we do both our names like Sarah and Ange which doesn't have any everyone just making sure it but we both answer for each letter? Why do we do that?

Speaker 2

Sure?

Speaker 1

Okay? So clearly we haven't discussed this, guys. Yeah, Danielle, it was like on the spot, we literally mean on the spot. Okay, So letter S, this is my first letter of the acrostic put this is going to take us so long. It's going to be such a long

wet My S would be slow. I think I'm so glad S is the first letter, actually, because over the last two years, the biggest revelation, which I was kind of having anyway but just not executing very well, was just slowing down everything, work, rest, even play, Like I was even doing rest on high speed, Like I was just trying to cram so much in and the speed of everything, but for no reason, like the deadlines were artificial.

I was just putting all this pressure on myself. Like I literally the day I handed in my book manuscript before it even was published, I was like, when do I do book two? And then how do I plan Book three? Like I just was always so ahead of myself and really had gotten to the point where I

actively remember the last week out of lockdown. We had eleven days in a row of events day and night, which was such a privilege and so exciting, But nobody has enough emotional energy to enjoy every single one of those. And I just I think when you go too fast or you overload too much, you can't possibly enjoy what you're doing because there's just too much of it, Like and that whole idea of you can have too much

of a good thing. Slowing down has meant I just have you know, been reconnected with how beautiful gardening is and like plants, or how lovely walking is, like how even running, Like sometimes you can walk and not run and that's okay. It's not a waste of not sweating and having you know, like or if you go for a walk that's three k not eight k, like that's also fine.

Speaker 3

You know.

Speaker 1

I just everything was on steroids. So that slowness of reading again and not needing to take my phone to the toilet and always be stimulated and having a bath but without having to take a book and a movie and whatever. You know, it's just been beautiful.

Speaker 2

Your phone to the toilet is a very important activity.

Speaker 1

I mean, yeah, but just slowing it down, like okay, this way overshare but like I would even rush my poos, like I'd just be like, you know, now, I'm like, I have a good sit I'll find some memes. I'll do some rro GARMI with my toilet always always crane a bit of a crane yep, bit of a you know those games where you like fold them chatter box games. Yeah, I play the game with myself. But great at the

start of start the pandemic, I reckon. I was like just rushing my poos like I'd be like, I don't have time for this, Like seriously, I need to get going. I won't even take my phone because I'd be like, no, I need to be in and out. Now you're slowing down. It's really nice. I'm so queckett that you are.

Speaker 2

Like in did you weed? Did your food?

Speaker 1

I know.

Speaker 2

It just happened.

Speaker 1

Who could say it's a mystery? Did she?

Speaker 2

Did she even stand up? Not sure? Do I use? Do I go for S as well? Or do I now go for? Yeah?

Speaker 1

I think so okay, yeah, I think you go for I spent.

Speaker 2

That whole time half zoned in, half zone out because I was trying to think of it a letter so I name, I mean a word zone with S and I feel like this is a really high pressure environment.

Speaker 1

So all I could think of was it's really I just said, slow down. It's not high pressure, it's slow yeah, so no pressure.

Speaker 2

Yeah. So my words that I thought of was so long?

Speaker 1

Didn't you do English language? To be like, really sure? What's so long?

Speaker 3

Like?

Speaker 1

It was so long and it was so.

Speaker 2

Long it just felt like as it's weird. It went so quickly, but it lasted for so long. Like, on reflection, the fact that we were in there for two hundred and sixty odd days and that's in stage four lockdown is nuts. The fact that two years ago at this time I was what was I doing? I was like, we were just about organizing our trip overseas and that was going to be our last year for a very long time. But the fact that Judy's been here for a year, almost two years, and she was meant to

be here for three months is so long. It's been a long long time long so like, so I locked in my S letter as so long it.

Speaker 1

Be such a bad game. I'd like an S please for so long?

Speaker 2

Yeah, I think it's been long, but quick it's been. There's some good things about Lockdown, but the one thing is that there were always goals that were looking forward to at the end of it. Now, you know when you set goals and looking forward to things, it goes

by quicker. But no, it that's not really long. I think that's also why the adjustment back to normal life will be hard, because I don't think people have realized it's been almost two years of this distancing and separation from people you love and just I'm lucky because I get to go to work every day and talk to

people like I would normally. But people underestimate the strength of practicing social skills and just talking to people and hearing other people's stories and hugging and all of that stuff. Even think simple things like ordering something from a cafe. The social interaction is really important, I think for us as a society. And it has been really long, and that's all I can think of.

Speaker 1

It's just been a long long, so long, so long long it's been. We have so many a's to deal with, but I've actually got quite a few. For A I think my first A is one of those really annoying words that we should make a drinking game over. I do not pivot, but it's similar. It's similar. It's like agile or adaptable agility. Yeah, but it's such a buzzword now,

but it's so our epiphany. Absolutely. It just so summarizes how I've again like gone from planning everything and having really clear goals and really clear timelines for those goals. Even being less planned than I was as a corporate in business, I still kind of had some structure of like the future and what I know thought each month or each even each quarter would look like. And I think the quote that I've loved so much, and I've said it so many times is when nothing is certain,

anything is possible. So even though it's been really tough and a lot of loss in people having to let go of how they thought things would look like, I also think clearing the slate has meant that because there are no plans, you can do anything. And people have let go of like convention or tradition or whatever might have made them stick with one plan to the exclusion of anything else. This uncertainty has meant we can all just be anyone or do anything, and that's so exciting.

I think that that agility and just re evaluating the plan every five days or every four days, you know, is like incredibly stressful but also really full of possibility.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I wish I could say another, but actually really like adaptable, And I also realize there's many as for us to get through, So I'm going to see with adaptable values all of my whole entire lexicon on a words. But I think Adain was good. I think something we're using in the hospital all the time because we're constantly pivoting or adapting to a new service or a new protocol,

no kidding. Almost every week there's a new PPE protocol that somehow has to be communicated to the whole organization and then has to be reflective of DHS and all these things. And I think that's one thing that has shown to be really great about the whole society and everyone.

Everyone's been able to adapt to change really quickly and really well, although it's kind of like we've been forced to do it, but at the same time, we've all coked really well, like we've done two years of this, which is testament to our ability to be able to change and respond and be reactive as much as we can. I think this has been really hard to be proactive

about because there's so much uncertainty. Because normally I'm like, yeah, I love being proactive, like you know, organized things before the matter, you know, and get prepared and you know, but this one you literally can't prepare for because nobody knows what's going to happen the next day. No one knows what strength is going to come. So everyone's been

really great. I think it's been like seeing the cafes, for example, be really innovative on how to be sustainable as a business, to see how zoom and online things have become a huge part of life and work and efficiency. To see, Yeah, it's been really cool. I think adaptable is a good one, good decision.

Speaker 1

So your answer was basically what she said, Well, pretty much,

but you don't have okay for me is relationships. I think it's been one of those times of really feeling the people that you miss when you don't get to see them all the time, and also maybe noticing the people that you don't or the routines that you don't, but kind of getting a bit more clarity on which things you were doing out of habit or which relationships you were keeping out of habit, and which ones really contribute so much to your joy and well being that

when you don't have them, you miss them. That's been really clarifying for me. It's also been really interesting to see how as you get older. I know this sounds so like as you get out at every decade, oh my god, like I'm such an old lady. But really you don't need as many people as I thought I did when I was younger. I've had like a lot deeper friendships, but less of them, and I've really missed those, But those huge, big events, I really haven't missed those

as much. And finding new ways to foster those relationships without being able to see each other has been weird, hard, but also really fun like zoom trivia and us like doing like we used to. Literally you lived here for months and so much of our friendship is travel and spontaneity and we've had to like figure out ways to you know, do fun stuff. And yeah, relationships I think has been a big area of change, but growth.

Speaker 2

Okay, So my word is similar to your adaptable word in that it's so cliche, but it's just the right word for it. Are you ready? It's actually a good one this time. Resilient.

Speaker 1

Oh, I'm such a good one.

Speaker 2

I know, cut deep, resilience, massive, huge like for us, Like I said, you know, on the back of my slung. It's been a long ride, and I respect so much all of the small businesses that have pushed through for this time. I could not igin owning or running a physical store or cafe or restaurant, And every time we go into lockdown, my heart breaks for them, just because

I think, obviously we're all affected. But if you break it down, there's cafes and stuff had to figure out their food, like their food wastage, that stuff that's ordered weeks in advance, and you know if you get told the day of that the next day and you're in lockdown, what are you meant to do with all of that? Like obviously there's takeaway, but not nearly to the same value.

Is there enough enough orders to make it worthwhile? And things like that, So all our little back end things, and I think small business owners had been and shows such huge resilience to keep going and to keep the businesses that they love and they're passionate about alive, even though for five out of six lockdowns we were like is there any light to the end of the tunnel? Like is there is? This just going to be it for a very very long time. So I think resilience

in small businesses has been incredible. And then obviously resilience within my fallow healthcare workers just keep going has been really admirable, I think. So that's my word of choice.

Speaker 1

Oh that's such a good one. I really love it. Bim Okay, we've got another a Oh my god, there's so many.

Speaker 2

They came up. We're starting with a a bit daunting.

Speaker 1

My god, so slow, so long? Do you know Shlongman's penis? I'm just checking that you know that because you keep saying it really late.

Speaker 2

I did not know that.

Speaker 1

I couldn't tell you, to be honest. I couldn't. I couldn't say yeah. So my letter A is hmmm two. This is kind of a double answer. They kind of related. So acceptance and awareness. I've really learned all the words possible this way, I said I'd go first, So really accepting the things you can't change, because I spend a lot of energy and worry on things that really I actually have no control over. In which case it's like, if you know there are things you can change, so

worry about those. You've only got a certain amount of emotional energy, so don't try it. Like if once you're in lockdown, there's really nothing you can do about it, as shit as it is or as hard as it is, like the quickest thing you can do is just learn to accept it, but then be aware of how to adapt to it as quickly as you can. And then awareness comes into that because one of the things that comes with speed and going too fast is that you don't have time to actually listen to what your body's

saying or what your mind is saying. And I've been able to notice much more how and be more aware of like what does feel good and what doesn't, Like I've actually had time to listen and like this weekend, you know what feels good. Be aware enough to know that you don't want to rush back out you don't actually feel like doing that. So there's so many things I do out of habit or out of just because I think I should, and I don't even check like do I actually want to do that or do I

actually feel like that today. So being more aware and then accepting those like that state of affairs or state of emotions has been like a really big, really big learning. And also that when you're emotionally just feeling crap or you're really anxious or just you know, I would always push through before, and now I've realized that's just so not productive, really unkind to yourself. Accepting that you feel like that and making a bit of space around it is so important.

Speaker 2

Oh that's good one. Well, so you use adaptable a lot in that and just saying you just read excly English police or something. But anyway, my one is this is just a word that I think of when I think back about our lockdown time, like it's another hyphenated word, sorry,

anxiety field. I think, yeah, I think we were in this like a tumultuous ride of just up and downness of you know, one week being feeling really good about the prospect of things and then the next day being so anxious about what's going to come next and if we're ever going to survive, we'll get through. And I think, yeah, it's probably driven a lot of people's anxiety, Like it's made it a lot worse to people that already suffer

from pretty bad, debilitating anxiety. And then I think for others as well, I think it's brought upon maybe a lot more anxious feelings. Like even even I think out of lockdown, I knew a lot of people that were really anxious just to get out, you know, like the thought of it and the sound of it sounds really exciting, but the actual execution of going out with a bunch of friends which drinks, brings people a lot of anxiety to do. And like you and I as well, you know,

like every second week, every third week, you're in. Anxiety is kind of you know, up and then down in and up and then down with it, And it's been really hard to find triggers and to stabilize it, just because it's all the stuff that you would do to balance it out you can't do, like go see your friends, or go travel or go for a road trip and things like that that we've found that really feels our

soul we could do. So Yeah, I think it would be a miss for us to say that it was also be staying from a mental health standpoint, But I think anxiety is definitely something that I think about when I think about the last two years, a very anxiety field.

Speaker 1

Yeah, totally. And I even last night we meant to record this after our big day out and I just found it so so like it filled my cup so much to spend time together. But also because our threshold for energy is so much lower because we're not used to being Yeah, and I was really anxious last night, like just because I hadn't used that much energy in so long. Like even being at a cafe was kind of like, oh my god, there's so many people around, so I think, yeah, being really gentle, do.

Speaker 2

You know, weirdly, I just when I started the cafe, I was like, do you know, I don't feel like a sense of oh, we're at a cafe. I just kind of felt like it was normal. It was like it didn't feel like this big first time at a cafe thing. But I don't know what it will take for me to be like, Okay, this is something I haven't done for a long time.

Speaker 1

I think for me it will be at an airport, will be like what I'm.

Speaker 2

Dying to go to an airport, even if it just like just just just stand there for an hour. I just I love airports honestly.

Speaker 1

Just to look at the baggage claim going around around.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and then and then just look at the morning then leave. Like you know, what will be the like the moment where you like, you genuinely feel like it's like something's changes when you can just walk into your friend's house. Oh yeah, like is this lawful?

Speaker 3

Yeah?

Speaker 2

I just like I love being at people's houses and my friend's houses and having dinner and making dinner and hanging out and watching TV and leaving whatever.

Speaker 1

Yeah. Yeah, like home gatherings will be really lovely.

Speaker 2

Yeah okay, sorry, now what are we at h h.

Speaker 1

Yeah. Okay, so my first one is hairy and that needs no explanation, but I feel like that's the one that sums up a lot of our experiences. Yeah, But the other one is heroes, And particularly after our episode dedicated to the frontline workers and healthcare workers who have just been Oh my god, that little gift pack sending out like mail out thing we did was just filled my heart so much. The businesses have got on board, the yaborhood members who sent packages to other people who

had been nominated like it was just so beautiful. And I'm sure that was less than one percent or point oh one percent of the story out there of people who have been absolute heroes through this entire time, without complaining, without needing recognition, without any kind of profile to spread the word of how hard it's been, you know, the silent pandemic that's been faced by all the workers who

have been keeping the system going, including yourself. I think heroes is something that really sums up how people have shown up and exceeded all expectations over the past.

Speaker 2

A little while good one bam. Hero dislike the word diligence perfect okay h for me, H is also on the back of hero I think there's been a lot of like people that you wouldn't have automatically thought were heroes as heroes, you know what I mean, he would have kids. It's a very like not her role week job, but it's you kind of would fall into the category of,

you know, being like a hero. There's been so many other amazing people that have studied initiatives that are so awesome throughout this whole lockdown, and there's a new appreciation with all types of teachers, for example, always been awesome, but man, oh my goodness, seeking like students I presume for two years is nuts.

Speaker 1

Like I don't know how many of them.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I wouldn't be able to in the start to be like what would you do to like engage students, which is already an issue in a classroom, to keep people engaged, to have new kind of homework and new ways of teaching and digit doing online you know, marking papers and like not getting the physical submissions. I don't, I don't, but yes, the lot of Yeah, anyway, my word, first I was gonna say hemorrhoid, but I thought it was a bit inappropriate.

Speaker 1

So on the topic of health and it's giving health advice for hemorrhoids. It's your beauty channel. Do you have a cream to recommend them?

Speaker 2

I'll tell you later. It's a little bit excit.

Speaker 1

This should be behind your paywall.

Speaker 2

Oh god, Okay, So my first choice is hemorrhoid. My second choice is kind of sounds a little bit like a bit silly but happy. Actually, despite all of the sadness and and the impact on small businesses and people's mental health and hospital and healthcare and kind of everyone has been affected, I still find like my personal experience has been largely happy, mainly because I live with my family,

which has been an absolute saving grace. I realized that's a really lucky thing to have been able to do. I know that a lot of people's sadness came from not being with their family, so this is like a very personal thing that I've found that there's been a lot of happiness within our family. I've done a lot of games nights and a lot of karaoke and Jui, which has been so nice, and a lot of laughter.

So I yeah, honestly, I have been so so so lucky that coming home for me is a really happy environment. So that's my page.

Speaker 1

Oh, that's really lovely. That's so nice, bim. I can't believe you have another A. This is a bit of a disaster, so aver Ange. I think is animals because Paul has been like one of the aforementioned heroes of the pandemic. As you know, Nick's been away for so much of this time, And I guess the other A is alone, like spending so much time alone compared to

how much time I don't usually spend alone. And particularly in the first year of Lockdown, we were like in each other's faces twenty four seven, which was also amazing, like we don't sort of struggle with that kind of you know, being around each other all the time. But it's also really good to have alone time. But also in moments of really high anxiety, I found just being with Paul like so lovely. He's just they just bring

so much joy. They're so happy to see you. Their worlds are very simple, like if I'm about to have a panic attack, he'll come over before I know I'm going to have one. He's just been really He loves Instagram, he loves making reels. He's made a lot of people laugh, you know, he loves his costumes, like we have a cuddle every like all day, every day, we cuddle all night, Like he's just he's just the best. So animals, I think also realizing like, yeah, they're just truly a man's

best friend. Yeah, and animal videos have brought me so much joy.

Speaker 2

Also, Okay, my a word, My first A word is obviously everyone's thinking about this one. Antibodies, we were all thinking it.

Speaker 1

I saved it for you.

Speaker 2

I know, one of those cliche words, you know, how did you find it?

Speaker 1

Lockdown antibodies? I always always no.

Speaker 2

I think appreciative is probably one of the words. Appreciative.

Speaker 1

That's a good one.

Speaker 2

Yeah, of just all that you have. Like I said, I think I've realized my privilege in this time to have what I have, and to have a job that I have, and to continue to work and go running with my friends still and ley've really close to work and my five K was always really nice. So yeah, really appreciative of all of that and the support that I've personally received from my friends.

Speaker 1

And oh that's really lovely. I kind of need. I kind of don't have any ND words, but then I just sort of one. I really had to look it up. I was like Wow, I really have no vocabulary. I think my end is never. There are so many things I used to use the word never in relation to, and this past little while has really made me think, like, that's just not a word. You just don't need to limit your opportunities or potential or even things that you

might want to do. Like I've always just said, oh I would never do that or I'd never be interested. But I just don't really think you can say that, and I think it limits you so much when you

use that word. So the one of my big learnings coming out of it is like, you don't need to say never about anything, really, because particularly making decisions before the pandemic about like oh, I'd never want to go there, or oh, like you know, we'll never not be out of travel, so we might as well do it now. You know, Well, maybe you might not be out of travel,

so you should do it now, you know. I just think we bandy that word around a lot, and I think it shapes your world more than you think it would.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Nice, nice nice.

Speaker 2

My end is again something that I think everyone can agree with. My end is necrosis. When I think about lockdown, I think about necrosis all the time. But my actual n word is probably non negotiables have been very important.

Speaker 1

I know, no double there you go, Oh yeah, yeah done.

Speaker 2

Yes, I have been very important in this lockdown life is to do all the things that make you happy every day without so you know how you're like, I'm not going to bring my phone to my toilet or whatever.

Speaker 1

That's non negotiable for me, so therefore I'm just gonna do it.

Speaker 2

Yeah, so little things more often than not, what I used to do this routine where if I had the morning off, which has been a lot recently because I've been working shift work, I've walked to the local cafe and they've been really cute and they leave yesterday's paper for me to take, and then I do the crosswords and read yesterday's paper. So like I walk in, get my same drink, get my paper, go home, start the

day that way. And that became almost like on the days of the mornings I had off, a non negotiable just set up my day, but things like checking out my friend each week, or friends each week, going for the runs with my friends, regardless of whether all that stuff, because I realized made it really happy, making sure that I rode my bike still and then get lazy to drive my car because it's free parking. Yeah, all of the non negotiables have been.

Speaker 1

Really oh that's a really good one. Oh my god, we made it to our last letter. Actually for me generosity, I think there's been so much generosity between people, but also actually a really lovely reminder that's fine. It's got a silent batman symbol at the start. Also, yeah, I think it's also been a really nice reminder to be more generous and to send little messages through the day or really small and gesture small gestures also a j can be really they can make someone's day more than

you ever know, and you don't need to do. You know, we haven't really been able to see each other or turn up at each other's houses, but you can make really small generous gestures that like a compliment or something that makes people's day really happy without much effort. That's been a really nice realization.

Speaker 2

Nice. My g is gratitude or grateful, but THEE and appreciation Gratitude Journal, both starting with Jay's Gratitudeude Journal and then but secondary to GE's Grandmother's because they've just been.

Speaker 1

Oh you're grand your famous Grandmas. I, but yes, lots of lots of grammar action. Oh they're the best. I love them so much. See earlier in this episode for reference. Okay, we made it through. Imagine if we've done Angelina. I know, Lord Elephant to Elephants. Every day, I'm gonna play bimb I'm gonna play the other voice ones because otherwise we'll just forget what we're up to, So let me just

do those first. Also, because so sweet that they made the effort to send them, so I can believe that it took us forty three minutes.

Speaker 2

Wow.

Speaker 1

I Also, every time I do one of these, I'm like, I'm going to just make it short and snappy, and I just can't do that. That's just me my blood. Okay, here's another one.

Speaker 5

This is from Nicky's Hey Sarah, I've got two questions for the third Anniversary podcast episode and also third Anniversary that's super exciting. My first question is about your dance days. I love to know more about your experience when you were dancing, how'd you get into it and what made you enjoy it so much? And then also did you

do any other sports as you're growing up? And my second question, I know You've done a bit of traveling in your life, and hopefully traveling is coming back soon, so I'd love to know are there any travel stories that you have that you might not have shared before, and then also what are some tips you would have when traveling to really be able to connect with the culture. Thank you so much, looking forward to the episode.

Speaker 1

Oh, thank you so much, Nikki. Great questions. I love when people ask really random ones. Dancing was amazing, such

an amazing part of my life. I started when I was three, as like lots of little girls do, started just doing ballet, and then very quickly after that added tap and jazz and contemporary and everything, and then of course being a hardcore a type, at five or six, I was like, I want to go pro, so then started taking it really seriously, started training with the Australian Ballet the Junior school in primary school I think, yeah, in like maybe grade four or five, and then kept

going all the way through until year ten when you had to choose to go full time and give up school or keep going. So it was like actually the major part of my younger life and the first career that I ever thought I would have loved it. It taught me so much about discipline. I gave me so many friendships, time management, having to put that in between

school and just moving your body and creative expression. And I absolutely adored it so much so that I did everything, like every kind of dance, but it was mainly ballet, obviously with the Australian Ballet.

Speaker 2

Oh you didn't do shuffling.

Speaker 1

I didn't. You don't know. I didn't do shuffling. But yeah, it taught me so many valuable things. But I don't actually regret leaving it because Mum just said, please finish school. You've only got two years to go, because you'll always have a backup or as if you get injured, you never know what could end, like it's quite a tenuous career.

So I did that. It was very, very wonderful advice because by the time I did finish school, I'd realized, oh wait, there's boys and parties and other things outside of ballet, and also realized, you know, sometimes you do have to get really realistic about things to realize like it's a very very small world. They aren't that many big companies in the world. And I just wasn't good enough, Like I just was not I was good, but I wasn't going to be, you know, a prima ballerina, so

it really structured my younger years so beautifully. But it was a chapter, you know, as I always say. And I did all sorts of other sports as well. I've always like loved netball and basketball, footy, cricket, like taekwondo. I kind of tried everything. And that's my favorite thing about school is that you don't have to be a

pro at everything. You can just try everything. So I would say getting your kids involved in anything extracurricular really helps round them out as a person and gives them so many you know, and and you're the same you did every sport, except we're actually really good at them all. I think it's such a beautiful way to diversify your school experience. And then travel, I miss it so much. It is my favorite thing. I could talk about both

of those things for like whole episodes. But there's not really many travel stories I haven't told because I overshare everything. Maybe one that I've only mentioned maybe once that was so random is when we were in Jordan, and also has a random trip to Jordan where she just like booked a ticket and then went there by I know true.

Our weird one was we bought tickets to the World Cup match between Australia and I can't even remember who else was playing, but we ran into some random We heard some Australian accent when we were in a crowd, and it was this guy from like Ivanhoe I think, anyway, this random Melbourne suburb and his cousin was related to the King or something, and so we got VVIP tickets

to go into the King's box and watch. It got very, very very and the ticket literally says VVIP, and he pulled us over, like pushed us up in the crowd of people. We CrowdSurf like over the gate to get in. It was just like you know, when you're traveling, just the most randommest shit happens. Yeah, that's one of the random ones. That's so random, that's so awesome.

Speaker 2

I can't wait to do it, the randomness.

Speaker 3

I know.

Speaker 1

And then one of the other ones, we were in Tel Aviv in Israel and we're on the beach and there's this like paddle ball game that they play on the beach. You can't wry what it's called, but there was this random little old man who looked like a turtle who was so cute. And he saw us watching

and he's like, come to my house. So he walked like a block to his house and he had no bed, but the entire house, like every room had those paddles like all over the walls, and it was like the shrine to the sport with like newspaper articles from when it first started, and we've got all these photos. Nick and I like, how do we get out of here? Oh my god? But it was so sweet but so weird. Anyway, we stayed there and in bad has a cup of tea and we like it was like he'd made this

private museum to this game. Anyway, it was so cute. But just I love with traveling how you just meet so many random people and find out about so many random things. And I would say best way to immerse yourself culturally. There are so many different things you can do, but I would say learning how to say hello and goodbye or thank you, like just a couple of words

in the language will open up. I think people when you show that you're making an effort, they get really excited and then they're more likely to share, Oh, you should go to see this place or like, I feel like that's a real way to connect with people in the beginning. You don't have to learn a whole language, but just saying a couple of words has opened up so many conversations for me that have ended up in random experiences and local hotspots that you never would have

found out about. I think that's been yeah, a really lovely thing in traveling and just yeah, looking up things off the beaten track, not just the tourist.

Speaker 2

Traps being I used to do, which I used to try to speak the language I could. But I also realized that if you learn how are you response alusly because so many people that I was like how are you and they're like.

Speaker 1

Hello, that's all you can say in return hollow by exit entry airport.

Speaker 2

My ball just quit, just really in my ball away of immersing yourself in the you know, cap surf. So if you're a bit of the.

Speaker 1

Yes, I recommend okay also next one, oh yeah, sorry plas.

Speaker 2

Fus why not been on the back of that, there's actually a question that came in from Jackie in our that's so good.

Speaker 1

So many I think one that just is such a highlight is was that Jordan troop it's because I just finished UNI. I finished in the middle of the year, and I didn't start my job until the start of the year after, so I actually had a glory six month period of nothing like, no obligations, no responsibilities, no dates, no deadlines, nothing, And I saved my whole UNI for that trip, knowing I would have like a graduation trip.

We spent two nights in Dubai. Then we went and did two weeks in Israel, a week in Jordan, a week in Turkey, and then six weeks in Italy, finishing in Malta. And it was massive and amazing and just so eye opening. I kind of explained it was just so free also to be there without any studying or work to do it like, it was just such an unusual situation to be able to do that and squeeze it in. But it just was so wonderful. And I had planned all of the first part because particularly in

the Middle East, I would recommend tours. You and I spoke about this the other day. You get so much more out of the history and context if you have a guide, Whereas in Italy, Nick wouldn't let us book anything, and for me like not to book accommodation. I was like, we're going to be homeless on this tree without loud bags and everything, and it was amazing. We just like

pulled in wherever we got up to. We got a car from Rome and we drove all the way down through Naples, through the Mulfy Coast and ended up in Sicily and just stopped wherever and it was so liberating. It was the greatest. And also the Amalfi Coast is better than a postcard. It's like photos just don't do it justice. It was so amazing.

Speaker 2

Yeah, we love Jordan. We I have this strange Dan Israel, this strange affinity to them both. Anyways, So show the next oh.

Speaker 1

Yeah, next voice memo is for from Grab the Goals, which is a beautiful business that has been following for quite a while. Their market baskets and clutches and oh actually that's so funny. One of the last photos from one of my show me a photo of trips down Memory Lane was Grab the Gows's number one place on their bucket list being near Malfi Coast. How can ok Yeah, so amazing.

Speaker 3

Okay, hey Sarah, it's capping from Grab the Girls. Just while I was listening to your podcast with Marketing Pain, I thought of a question for your third anniversary episode, and it is, where is the most amazing place in Australia or in the world that you would love to do a Seize the A podcast? Thank you.

Speaker 1

That's very specific. Frankston Porastodia. Oh my gosh, somewhere to do an episode that's like quite a specific thing. Ooh, I think and this is so random. This is where we're meant to go for our honeymoon, and I still think that we're going to do it at some point,

even though we've already been married for two years. You were Egypt and I would love to do a podcast episode there because can you imagine interviewing like the head of one of the museums or something like that to talk us through the wayta of like the Pharaohs and how they built the pyramids and they're things that we now like mankind can't replicate Petra or the Pyramids or half the things in Jerusalem, Like there are so many parts of the world world where older ancient civilizations could

build things that we don't know how to build now without machines. Like that stuff blowed my mind. Can you imagine sitting at like the base of a temple or the base of a pyramid and doing like a live episode.

Speaker 2

Oh my god, yeah, that's sick. But imagine all the Egyptians that don't understand what a.

Speaker 1

You talking about? Not Egyptians everyone agether now.

Speaker 2

Cheek.

Speaker 1

Also all the not Egyptians because they wouldn't come to the events just being me in the middle of the desert. That's a good one, okay. And last voice memo before we move to the other questions, which we've left like no time to do. This is from Catherine MacLean.

Speaker 6

Hi, Sarah, congratulations on reaching this milestone. I just wanted to let you know that some of my strongest memories of listening to the podcast is two years ago when I was walking around the streets in Chang Mai, Thailand listening to your upcoming wedding prep Question and Answer podcast.

Speaker 2

I really loved it, and I.

Speaker 6

Can just hear your voice whenever I think back to that holiday. So I guess my question therefore, is where if you could travel anywhere in the world right now without COVID, without restrictions, where would you go first?

Speaker 1

And why? So many travel questions? Yes, yes, Prestonia. Thank you, Catherine. Nothing makes me happier than hearing where you've listened and what kind of parts of your life the podcast has accompanied you on like that just makes me so happy, So thank you so much for sharing. And I think I would still say Egypt. It's maybe not right now, like I think it will be quite hard to move around,

but the first place on my bucket list. Maybe not the first place I will go for practical reasons, but something I've just been aching in my soul to see is the Pyramids and just it's so steeped in history, and I imagine the same affinity that you and I have for Israel and Jordan for that reason, and how ingrained parts of our culture from now and parts of our scientific landscape come from those ancient times, and how they could read the sun to tell the time, and like,

those things just blow me away. I just find them so fascinating, and I can't imagine what it would feel like to just be standing in Gizer looking up at these.

Speaker 2

That's the thing I felt with Petro. It was not just the story but everything. It was just huge, like overwhelmingly huge. And that's why I think it's really awesome. But since I've learned you wanted to go to Egypt, so that.

Speaker 1

For like two hold days since you were born basically. And I also think that like, the thing I love about travel the most is that it stretches your brain. And the quote that I love is a mind stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions. So at the moment, the travel I'm thirsty for is travel that is so different to Australia and our culture, and that stretches your brains so much, and I feel like Egypt is just that.

Speaker 2

Yeah, Middlely That's why think that's why I think I love Middle East too. It was just such a different world. Yeah.

Speaker 1

And one more one more sorry? Can I add? Is also Korea because Nick has still not been and I want to take him to the orphanage where we were adopted from before we have kids, if we can, if we can get there, yeah we have, but to take him to see the babies.

Speaker 2

So I have an affinity, Like maybe it's not an infinity, maybe it's just like a deep love for you know, Israel and Jordan and stuff. But man, our family has like a proper like boom affinity, antigen and antibody specific substraight affinity to Korea, to South Korea. We have been there multiple times. We have Korean Night. Nicko loves k pop as you do you because Sarah has realized there's like down that she's actually it's.

Speaker 1

A real shame that there was no letter K or letter B in our names because that would have been a really big revelation.

Speaker 2

Okay, should we move on to the written questions?

Speaker 1

I love how it's fifty nine minutes in and we haven't done the original questions. I will try and be fast, I know, so I'm going to yeah and consolidate.

Speaker 2

I'm going to moderate.

Speaker 7

They never be too fast because some of them, some of them still deserve you know, you're a full response. But I think we'll start with a bit more law days questions. There's two that's kind of looked in the same similar theme, so Bailey Gene underscore h asked advice to your twenty one year old self and advice to a second year law student, which is kind of also mixed with ebks, which asks do you ever miss practicing law slash being at KWM?

Speaker 1

All great questions? Okay, I don't ever really miss it? In a regret kind of way. I don't miss the law as in I wish that I was back there now. I miss the real intellectual stimulation of some legal questions, like that really academic laboring over a small question of language, or something that will change the way that a whole statute is interpreted, or something. I love that really nerdy stuff.

I miss that because my kind of creative work now doesn't have that same really academic element, and I do love that so and I have no place for that, Like there's nothing in my life that allows me to do that right now. So I do miss that, But in terms of the career overall, I actually haven't missed it at all in the last kind of since I left, But that didn't mean that I didn't like it when

I was there. So I think my advice to my twenty year old self is every chapter of your life is going to look different in this day and age. The world moves so quickly that almost nothing is a forever choice. So just enjoy what you're in while you're in it, equip yourself as best you can for what comes next, knowing that you won't know what that is. You may end up going into law and loving it. You may end up never using your law degree the way that you thought you would, but nothing will ever

be a waste if you learn something from it. So even if you hate where you are, and even if your main objective graduating law is to not go into it, that doesn't mean that it's not going to teach you things you need for whatever that next chapter is. And you just have to get comfortable with not knowing. I had no idea for the whole time I was at KWM that this would be what came next, and when I was in Matcha Maide and I still didn't know

that CZA would be what came next. And I don't think anyone on CZA who's been a guest has known what the cup was coming in the chapter after the one they were in. But that's why it's so exciting. So I think let go of needing to know the next step, equip yourself as best you can for whatever that may be, and trust that everything will unravel the

way that it's supposed to. And some of those chapters won't be as comfortable as you might like them too, but then the next one will be where that all becomes clear.

Speaker 2

W look down on you if you.

Speaker 1

No, No, absolutely with young people.

Speaker 2

I think there's people my age or my friends have had that same kind of thought preceres as Ah, like what will people think of me if they don't become a lawyer?

Speaker 3

And it's like.

Speaker 2

Someonet, like a subconscious ego thing to feel like you have to complete it. But I don't think anyone really. People probably think you're more courageous for changing than they would to finish and not want to do it.

Speaker 1

And I have to be absolutely honest, I didn't really think about it at the time, but the more I overthink it, the more I realized that the prestige is something that's a very valid consideration. And that is probably why my bio in Spoonful of Sarah still says lawyer turned fun Dreveneur because I need the lawyer title to be in there somewhere. But that doesn't mean that it

forms part of my identity now. But it's definitely something I acknowledge is part of your identity in a way that you can find ways to keep that part of your story. You know, it can be in your bio, it can be in the way that you tell the story. It's not like you have to let go of that part of your identity for ever. It's okay if you still need to hold on to some of it, but

you don't need to stay. Like a quote that I've actually just put in the new flipbook number three that's coming out that I love is you don't have to stick with a mistake simply because of the time you took to make it. So if it took you twenty five years to realize that the pathway you're on is not the right one, that doesn't mean that you have to stick with it just to make the twenty five

years worth it. Like you can change your mind anytime, and that doesn't mean you know what I mean, Like, once you realize something's not for you, the quicker you can move the better.

Speaker 2

Yeah, my brain is just absorbing.

Speaker 1

It's so long, so long.

Speaker 2

So yes, it's great, awesome tips and you don't miss it because you love your life that you're living now, which is awesome. I've got three questions that are similar theme and they're about the podcast and your brand. So I start in chronological order, and the question is from Underscore, and I believe there's two Underscores, but it's you know,

I'm get me Wrongcore Studio. Why did you start the podcast and what made you take the leap and actually start I think we've made at the side of this, but I guess holy the whole picture thing.

Speaker 1

Why did you want to stay Yeah? I think I've yeah spoken about this a couple of times, but the main reason was because you know, I always say that you're yeah is a jigsaw puzzle, and every experience is adding new pieces and getting rid of old ones that don't suit you anymore. And I'd made that massive jump from corporate to business and really was patting myself on the back, but Yeah, I'd made a forever decision and forever moving. This is what I'm going to do forever.

But about three or four years into MATCHA, I started to feel like there were gaps in the jigsaw puzzle, and I thought, oh my god, I'm just an ungrateful millennial who's got a short attention span, like, just stick with it. But then I realized, no, I'm four years older, with four years more experience and four years more of

data to decide what suits me and what doesn't. And I had all male business partners, no room for the fluffy talk, and also no room for the stuff that wasn't as acceptable when I first started, but increasingly people wanted to hear about mental health, breakdowns, burnout, comparison, self doubt, and there was nowhere to put that. The business pages

weren't the right place. So I wanted to have conversations with people in similar positions about stuff that everyone had an appetite to hear about for longer than an Instagram attention span, like an hour long conversation. And I didn't know anything about podcasts. Literally, I was like, bing, you listen to podcasts? How long are they? Where do they live?

What are they like? I had no idea, but I just knew that's where conversations lived, and so I bought the equipment and then literally, as you heard at the start, I was like, so I've got a microphone, can we

record today? And it just started that way, and it's continued to evolve as a form of expression and as a form of sort of spreading my values about and philosophies on finding happiness and joy and sharing that it's not you know, life isn't linear, and giving everyone permission to find their own path, like all that kind of thing. It's the best format and for me have been too.

I've been able to help others kind of yeah, find their place in the world and share the stories that might inspire them to do that.

Speaker 2

And if you are if the questions on the back of you thinking about doing one, as I did with Sarah, I think you should just go out and do it. You need so I want to kick you up the button this to start it, because that's something that was you were just delaying just the first episode, like what should I do? How should I do it? Do I do an intro like five minute one thing that this is what the thing's gonna be about.

Speaker 3

Do I do this?

Speaker 2

I was like, I don't care, nobody cares. Just do something And what do I do with my brain?

Speaker 1

Like how do I wrap at the start?

Speaker 2

And then Eminem's unavailable?

Speaker 3

What I do now?

Speaker 1

And like I can't do it in Egypians? So what am I going to do about that?

Speaker 2

But Goo thinking about this is like if it didn't work out, it wouldn't work out, it doesn't matter. It's it's free to set up. You just give it a shot and then you learn a lot of things from it and then yeah, and look at you now three years.

Speaker 1

Later, totally and that's and that's like one of the things that is the main message of CZA, that like, what's the worst that could happen. I do one episode I don't like podcasting or no one listens or it's not enjoyable or whatever, and then I just don't do another one, Like you look stupid for two seconds, but no one really notices anyway. And the most exciting thing about podcasting is it's so democratic. No one else sees

your listens. And I also feel like if you get five listens of someone who listens for an hour, that's worth so many more than a like that takes half a second. Not even so if you change like one person's life, who cares If you have an audience of one or two, it really doesn't matter.

Speaker 2

The second question is from Tom Underscore Flex. Has there been a time where you were close to giving up on the podcast after it had started?

Speaker 1

I actually got a bit triggered by that question when I first saw it, because yes, earlier this year and I actually sat up in the middle of the night one night and was like, Nick, do you think, like should I just close the podcast? And he was like, what what are you even talking about? They just came out of nowhere. But actually, i'd know I've had that with Matcher. I never really had it with anything else.

I didn't have it with the book. But and I haven't had it the whole journey, the whole way along. It's never been too hard or too much, or too scary or whatever. Until this year, where I was having just a really hard time with anxiety. Nick had been away. The kind of up and down of you know, Lockdown, in and out of Lockdown had really been getting to me.

I had committed to adding a second episode and doing two episodes a week, but then I'd been having set different second guests as well, and the scheduling and the end I was still doing all the editing and trying to do all my other work and filming twice a week for House of Wellness, and I just, literally, like I said before, you can have too much of a good thing. I committed, over committed, and because I was

tired and anxious, I overthought everything. So when one week I didn't get as many listens as the last week, I was like, oh, it's failing, it's on the way out, or it's not as good as this one, or you know, I've been working on, which just came out today. I'd been working on the rebrand and like developing some new assets, and I wasn't doing that fast enough and I wasn't like settling on something I liked, and everything just felt like why am I even doing this? Like no one

even listens, no one even likes it. And I just got in my head about everything that I talk about on the show, self doubt, overdoing it, over committing, and then ruining the joy of something, giving myself false deadlines, like if you didn't get a Years of Our Lives episode and you only got a second bonus one every fortnight, I don't think anyone would have noticed. No one even

knew what time was during the lockdown. But I was so hard on myself about it that I just pushed myself too hard and then couldn't have any clarity or objectivity about it and was just like, am I failing? Like I don't even know why I thought that, but I got so in my head about it and nearly shut it down because I just was like, I can't do a good job at this. I just I don't know.

I didn't feel like I was interviewing very well because I was tired all the time, and it was weird because looking back, it was like one of the best run of guests that I've had in ages. And I look back at those episodes and I love them all and I'm so proud of them. It's just interesting how much you get in your own head if you let it.

Speaker 5

So.

Speaker 1

Yes, but I think those are also the moments that make you rEFInd your love for something, and having those down moments also gives you fresh perspective to have better ideas next time. I just hadn't given myself enough distance from it, which is what I talk about all the time. I just wasn't practicing what I preach at all.

Speaker 2

This is how crap I am. When Sarah was like, and you kind of yes of our lives with me, and I was like, of course, what's that?

Speaker 1

I was like, Ah, I started in very much.

Speaker 2

You absolutely probably not care if you did do one this week or next week. It's a bonus.

Speaker 1

But also that self doubt can hit you randomly, like for no real objective reason. I just got in my head that like, I don't know, I didn't like it. It was crap. No one liked it. I don't know. I just got in such a weird place about it, But I think those are the moments that remind you that you really care about something.

Speaker 2

Tom had a secondary question to that, which was on the back of your rebrand, where do you see the brand going in another three years time?

Speaker 1

Oh, well, I would come back to one of our letters. I think it was agility and the idea that when nothing is certain, anything is possible. I actually have no plans for the first time in years. I have not even a single plan about anything that's different. Like, obviously we've added a new episode, we've got a new tile and some new assets coming out, but I don't have a book too ready. I just have absolutely no idea

what next year's going to bring. Because I think that letting go of those expectations and plans has meant I haven't been too disappointed. Everything that's happened this year has been a bonus because I've really accepted that we can't plan anything, and I think that's been a good kind of emotional management strategy to just be open to anything. So I actually have no idea. I'd be so excited to listen to the in three years time when I know and be like, wow, I had no idea.

Speaker 2

Yeah, you should actually and see where you are. This is gonna be have the quick answer. Okay, yep, well Sharena on a school Marina. I love that. Favorite guest.

Speaker 1

Oh my god, that's really hard this year Hugh van Kylenberg, the Resilience Protest.

Speaker 2

Oh he's good.

Speaker 1

Loved him so much.

Speaker 2

Yes, okay. The next other questions kind of about your perspective on things somewhat mental healthy, but I'll grip them. It probably kind of probably stems off this. Your positivity and laughter is infectious. How do you do it? I mean, keep so cheerful And it's from Sarah Marcus.

Speaker 1

Oh that's really lovely, I think because I actually don't expect myself to be like that all the time, and I definitely am not an ant can attest to that. And the more patient you are with the periods where you're not like that, it allows me to really be positive and bubbly and excitable when I am like that.

I think it just is all about finding your right balance off what allows you to feel the most bubbly and excitable when you need to, Like when I do these recordings and when I get to do Quote of the Day and feeling really grateful to have those opportunities, and then in the moments where I'm not feeling so happy and positive, just honoring them and not trying to push past them or not trying to record on those days like I once would have, and waiting until, like,

you know, you get that sparkled back. I think that's been the most important thing. To not expect positive people to be positive all the time. That's not realistic or probably healthy either, but just to pick your timing as well. Like, obviously I wouldn't want to record something like this when I wasn't feeling super bubbly because it'd be so horrible for you guys to listen to.

Speaker 2

That. Yeah, I think letting yourself not be happy is how you stay happy.

Speaker 1

Yeah, absolutely, Okay this one?

Speaker 2

Okay. You know when sometimes an ol looks like a capital, I really hung it's either is or will Salou. I'm gonna say as an Ola, I'm really sorry if I screwed that up. Just listen to this weekend's episode. What's your topic for coping with anxiety?

Speaker 1

Oh my gosh, I mean, I'm still working that out, but I think my biggest tip has been not trying to push through it, and really treating it the same way I would as a physical injury. My biggest breakthrough ever has been treating like has been equating it with if I had broken my leg right now and I was having a flare up of a sore leg, I wouldn't go and like, try and run a marathon today. So if I'm having an anxiety day where it's flared up, why would I try and have the busiest work day

I've had in weeks? But before I treated it as seriously as I would some kind of physical ailment, I would just try and ignore it. I'd be like, oh, put yourself together. You know this is a working day, and I wouldn't give it the seriousness that it which would just make it worse because then the next day you haven't rested, you haven't given yourself the space to feel through it and to let it pass. In fact,

you've done everything to trigger it even further. So I think kind of aligning it in your head with what you would if you had a physical injury has helped me a lot to actually respond better rather than just ignore it or push through it and make space for it. Again, you would never ever let someone talk you into but you should still walk today, you know you should still go and go for a run. You'd just be like, no,

it needs to heal. Whereas if someone's like, oh, but you're just a little bit anxious, you should still go and you know, present to a group of one hundred people, why would you go? I probably should, you shouldn't. It's also like an injury. It's a condition that affects your productivity, your your everything. So treat it seriously, pay really careful attention to what helps and what doesn't, and try and act accordingly. And also accept that some days nothing will help.

There are honestly days where nothing makes it feel better or go away. It's just time. But if you know that, then you don't add extra stress trying to heal it quickly. It's a really unpredictable, fickle beast. But learning to kind of manage it and schedule around it has been enormous remueraful.

Speaker 2

I think you've spent years and years perfecting your strategies, probably very hapful, but I think you don't really know until you try and multiple times and then you refine it. So yeah, those tips have helped me personally as well, So hopefully for.

Speaker 1

You, my new friend Li salou or Issulu.

Speaker 2

Sorry soul home Aus. Do you ever suffer from imposter syndrome?

Speaker 1

Oh, my gosh, all the time, all the time. And I think I've mentioned before that if I didn't, I don't think you should let it, you know, dictate your decisions, or let it talk you out of things. You don't. Imposter syndrome is not true. You just need to see it as a reflex. I actually sometimes welcome it because it means I haven't got complacent. I think it reminds

me that I care about doing a good job. So if I get up at a speaking gig and I'm like, oh, you don't deserve to be here, you know you have all the self doubt, I'm going to be crap. No one thinks I'm interesting, blah blah blah. I don't think it's a bad thing to feel that, like, it's very normal, And don't beat yourself up about it. Just go Okay, this is a reflex because I'm out of my comfort zone. In fact, it's a good sign that I'm doing something

and I care about doing a good job. I don't just rock up here super comfortable like I'm going to nail it. You know, it makes me think I care about it, so I think it's again something you just figure out what works for you, what doesn't you practice you surround yourself with friends who will help you through those moments. Don't worry if it never goes away, because that actually just means you're leveling up all the time. But just learn to kind of acknowledge it and then push it away.

Speaker 2

Okay, next question, Bimbolina, this is okay. These are fine. One stat by the way, this is from Bagat.

Speaker 5

Yep.

Speaker 2

Did you do your own wedding and makeup? Was very pretty and she's planning her own waiting at the.

Speaker 1

Mist Oh, thank you so much. I had so much fun today watching the video again and going through all the photos I did not I usually do all my hair and makeup for events, but I felt like, on your wedding day you really want it. Was also more about the experience of just getting ready in the morning, and I had the most amazing hair and makeup artists around me. Organica for Hair did all of our hair. Sarah, the owner, is one of the most amazing business women

and friends and inspirations. She was such a joy to be around and her incredible team, and then Monica Gingold did my makeup. We did a few trials, but I've always loved her work. And her team from Tonic Agency did all our hair and makeup, including and I made her wear hair and makeup, which was so well.

Speaker 2

Loved it.

Speaker 1

But just that process of getting ready, I loved it. I could have done it by myself. But I think you feel much more special when you, you know, get already together.

Speaker 2

Remember your mom and your aunties did as well. We were you, you were getting your hair done. You were like, it's coming out. Take my phone, take photos of mom now.

Speaker 1

She never got a makeup done before.

Speaker 2

It was so so cute. Yeah, we had a lot of fun.

Speaker 1

It was the best day ever.

Speaker 2

Okay, Viv you'll love this question because it's so random. Loz m W. What do you think Paul would look like? If human? My dog would wear a monocle? O?

Speaker 1

My god, that's the best. Where is he Paul?

Speaker 2

Are you gonna ask him?

Speaker 1

I think he'd be like an old man. He'd be like a little old man. Yeah, are feel like a little Scottish Scottish boy?

Speaker 5

Really?

Speaker 3

Yeah?

Speaker 2

No, I just feel like he'd been like in a kilt.

Speaker 1

Oh my god, he would be in a killed because he's got his old Davidson Tartan bo t. He's kind of funny, like I actually don't know. He definitely wouldn't have a monocle. He'd be really needy. I think he'd be like a little boy clinging to his mum's leg. And obviously he'd be like Strawberry blonde, a bit scruffy, big guys, big eyelashes. I don't know. I can't imagine Paul as a human.

Speaker 2

Now that I've thought of Paul as a Scottish boy, I can't think it, so I'm gonna.

Speaker 1

Stick it or like a really cute no, you know what. I kind of also feel like he'd be like Eddie Jacu. Oh yeah, the guy who wrote the Happiest Man on Earth, like that really warm smile, like really huggable.

Speaker 2

Yeah, okay, another fun one, Tom again, Tom on the.

Speaker 1

Flex, Hey, Tom Legend.

Speaker 2

Would you ever get Paul a dog?

Speaker 1

Absolutely? I would get there's actually a meme about that. Like it's not that I want a second dog. I just want to get my dog a dog. I would love to get paula little puppy. But you guys know he has a bathing He has a really intense bathing schedule for all his other puppies. I feel like it just it it overwhelmed him. I mean he's got like twenty he has to give a full bath in a row every single night. It's like a full ordeal.

Speaker 2

Bit random one Jackie m Now favorite clothing and shoe brands.

Speaker 1

Oh, oh my god, that is so hard. Well, I mean I've only been really wearing active wear for the last two years. I Wosly Nike shoes. I love my amazing friend Lana Wilkinson by Alana Wilkinson. That pretty much the only heels I wear. They're so beautiful, so comfortable, they go with everything. You can wear them for a night out. It's be my favorite shoes and favorite clothing brands. Oh my gosh. I love Mossman is one of my favorites. Dish is a like really simple linen basics, really affordable.

I love like a really classic wardrobe where everything can kind of go with each other. I love Aussie brands. Padusha is a really cool Aussie brown that I wear a lot of clothes from. I kind of wear a lot of everything. I'm very random I love showed a joy, beautiful dresses. I wear a lot of showing and joy for Channel seven.

Speaker 2

What else, Well, that's what we got our dresses from.

Speaker 1

Yeah, our bridesmaids dresses. Dresses, Yeah, yeah, I love them. Yeah so many. I just like can't even think right now. Shopping is so far from my brain.

Speaker 2

If anyone wants mine, they're quite bouche, so no offense, you don't shop for them. But I actually enjoy and.

Speaker 1

Karmel weird know, Oh my god, so good. I know what Carme is. I shop at carlso twenty four hour Carme is like one of my most on the bucket list for post locked out.

Speaker 2

Okay, so two last und of questions from my best friend is.

Speaker 1

What is the spirit animal Panda?

Speaker 2

Yes, chocolate or vanilla?

Speaker 1

Vanilla summer or winter summer? Summer?

Speaker 2

Sarah cannot stand the cold?

Speaker 1

My gosh, I cannot stand. I can't even speak. My kidneys get cold. I can't even speak when I'm cold, Like I literally lose the ability to speak.

Speaker 2

And that marks the end of the Some of the questions.

Speaker 1

Oh my god, they were really fun. So sorry, guys, I really rushed through them because I like just got too excited in the first half and talk too much.

Speaker 2

Yeah, because our sucks it across the problems forever. But I love those.

Speaker 1

I love how when you get audience questions, they're always from such different topics and it's not just asked like chatting about what are your reflections from the past three years. It's really nice to like, you know, have a think about what things I would prefer or who's been my favorite guest or Yeah, it's just it's been such an amazing ride. And as always, guys, if you want anything new or different, it is all about the neighborhood. So

please always just keep the communication channels open. We've got the Facebook group. It's yeah, just I love kind of tweaking and improving every year to kind of, you know, see what you guys want.

Speaker 2

Awesome, congratulations, I'm very proud of you.

Speaker 1

Thanks bim a journey, I know, and I just want I always.

Speaker 2

Forget that you record, produce, edit all that on your own. I don't know how you do it. It takes a lot of time, but they don't realize it takes a lot of time because you don't listen to the whole thing back and then yeah, and then listen to it back so you know it knows to you. And I can't wait to see what the next three years or even the next three months look like for you, because I'm very excited.

Speaker 1

Thanks Bim. And also I always forget to ask this because it's so freaking awkward, But if anyone has been enjoying the show over the last three years and feels like it's been like brought some yea to their lives, if you wanted to give a third anniversary present, I would be so grateful if you guys would leave a little review for the show as well, because they just like if you are in those moments where I was just having a really hard time in the self doubt

and stuff like it's because I don't get to see the audience when I'm recording your messages of ways that it's helped you or things that you've enjoyed even or things that have made you laugh, like I cannot say in those hours of going through and editing, and like I also want to present our guests in the best lights of choosing the best snippets and making sure they're happy with it and picking beautiful assets. Like what gets me really through that is hearing that it lands well

with the neighborhood and does bring you yay. So if you do have a moment, it would be so appreciated if you would leave us a little review. We haven't hit a thousand yet, even though we've had millions of downloads, which is so weird, but wow, I think I would really really love if you would take a moment.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 2

And guys, sometimes when I'm down, I read service reviews and it makes me happy. I'm doing for the.

Speaker 1

Great good, for the great good. But that's the weirdest thing, Like I forget, I don't leave. I like always you think of leaving reviews when you've had a bad experience. When I've had a really good experience, See, I'm like, I'll spread it far and wide word of mouth, But I just forget. Yeah, And so every now and then I have a moment where I'm like, I'm going to go and leave reviews for everyone, you know, every experience I've had that I really love. But you just forget

so easily. So if anyone is listening and even enjoyed the show, please, they make me so happy.

Speaker 2

And then if you if you've written every on the back of this podcast, can you please snake in the word nuggets.

Speaker 1

I remember when you used to give me words? Would you give me words to like you had to like slip into TV interviews.

Speaker 2

I make you and Nick say discombobulated and they fools it on TV. It was amazing.

Speaker 1

He said it on sky News. He legitimately on sky News said we've been really discombobulated, and I was like, control your face because it was live. Oh my god, it was the best one. All right, Bimwell, I can't believe I just made you record for an ho hour and a half to my rambling, But thank you all for submitting your questions. And I loved having voice recordings.

I think that was so much fun. So if anyone wants to do that for any Yays of our Lives episodes, if you've got a neighborhood watch item you want to describe or something cute that you are in the neighborhood, always just email them to me. And I figured out if you DM voice memos, I figured out how to save them so I can add them to the episode. So anytime, just get your voices on. Say yay, guys.

Speaker 2

I'm gonna have to stop it out getting delarious I know.

Speaker 1

I'm gone. I'm gone, Okay. I love you everyone. Thank you so much, and thank you so much for hosting BIM. It's been so much fun.

Speaker 2

Actually, welcome him.

Speaker 1

Happy three years, Happy three years. Bye,

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