Apoday production. We begin today by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather today and pay our respects to their elders past and present. We extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's here today. Welcome to the Grow and Glow Podcast. I'm Ashy, I'm Kiara. This is a podcast where we learn, laugh, and level up together. Let's go deep, let the emotions flow, combine
the lessons to grow and Glow. Nothing is off the table with Grow and Glow, and we're here to be your expander.
Hello everybody, welcome back to Grow and Glow. We're back in your ears. Hello, but today it's a little bit different and it's some very bittersweet, but we've got a big announcement to announce.
This is going to be my last time in your Ears.
Straight into it, just straight in. Yeah.
I mean, I don't feel like there's anyway to really, you know, like in what this episode is about. And I feel like I've had so much that I wanted to say, and I didn't really know where to even start. So I actually wrote something out so I thought it would be nice to just read exactly what I've written from my heart and kind of relate to everyone why I've made this choice. And yeah, closing.
The chapter of Grow and Glow, I know, crazy doesn't feel real, I know. Yeah, take it away.
Okay, Wow, what an episode. Goodbye Grow and Glow. Firstly, I want to say this decision was something I wholeheartedly made. I chose to leave Grow and Glow, and here's a little rundown of why. When I first started my business seven years ago, my favorite thing about it was that I got to work around my family. I woke up every morning at four am when Curdie left for plumbing, worked until the kids woke up at seven am, worked in their naps and when they went to bed, and
throughout the day. I really got the opportunity to soak up every answer to them and always be there throughout the days if they needed me. I didn't have to operate this way and didn't all the time like the days when I had help from Curti's mum. But this is what felt so beautiful and aligned with my values. Grow and Glow has been such an epic adventure. As she and I were so excited to start this chapter
and sit down and chat together. We had such a beautiful friendship and I was so excited to Grow and Glow alongside her. When we first started Grow and Glow, it was just a fun little project that we literally paid out of our own pockets to do together. It was so fun exciting connecting, and also as she and I got to spend so much more time together, which was so nice. Plus I still had a lot of
flexibility and could still balance everything else really well. Over the years, it has grown rapidly, which is so exciting but also does make it need a bit more of me, especially the next year with doing live events on top
of already releasing two new episodes a week. I just didn't see how I could comfortably fit that inside my schedule while running another business, having three little kids, and showing up as a mum in a way that I'm proud of, especially with how much they've been needing me lately. In saying this, I made it loud and clear I
did not want to hold Grow and Glow back. It has had so much potential and I didn't feel like it was fair for me to hold no Ashy back, but our producers as well, So this was completely my
choice to part ways. I also did say on my stories a couple of months ago that the more I was taking in from self development, I was feeling like I was becoming less and less in touch with who Kia is and less and less authentic because I was always trying to be better or change something rather than just being okay with where I was at and just being me. I'm excited to get back in touch with Kiara at her core, getting more internal and taking less self development for a little while to just be and
connect with myself. I want this to be a reminder that you are okay just as you are right in this moment. It's okay to grow when you feel like you need to, but also okay to just accept yourself as you are right now, especially while navigating different seasons of life. I wanted to end on a little story about how I came to this decision and why it's so important to always listen to your gut and the
science of universe is giving you. Around four months ago, maybe even longer, I did a master class that was so incredible. I feel like it was the start of me really getting back in tune with myself again. In this master class, It was all surrounding, entering a new timeline and letting go of anything that didn't feel aligned anymore. I had a huge breakthrough during this class and was a sobbing mess on the ground. At the end of the session, she said to pick something you'd never notice
or see to be a sign. I sat there for a while thinking about what it could be, and living near the beach, we rarely ever see red rocks anywhere, and that was what I chose as my symbol. Fast forward a few months later, I completely forgot about this red rock and kept living my life as usual. I was having a little menty bee in the shower on a casual Sunday morning, as you do, really questioning whether Grow and Glow was something I wanted to continue to
do next year or not. I was bawling and looked up to the roof and said, please just give me a sign and let me know if this is the right choice. I took rega girl out for a walk that morning. Just as we went out the gate, she ran up to me with her little fist clothes and said, Mommy, I have a present for you. She opened a the little hand and said, it's a red rock. And you in that moment that I needed to make this choice. I wanted to thank Ashy for going on this journey
with me. There's been so much any incredible memories and beautiful moments of creating such a beautiful bond over the years. I also wanted to thank our producers for just being such epic, amazing humans. I wish everyone all the best with the future of Grow and Glow. I also thank you to every beautiful human out there that has supported me on this journey. I love you guys so much, and you're such a beautiful community of people. Thank you guys so much. I love you.