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- [00:01]
A
Valentine's Day is coming, and whether you're planning a romantic date night with your partner or you're single and fully committed to loving yourself, I need to tell you about something I'm genuinely obsessed with. I've been using the Chorus Pro from WE Vibe, and I am absolutely in love with it. What I love the most is that it's designed for couples so both partners can experience pleasure together at the same time. But let me be very clear. If you. If you're single, this is just as fun. You can enjoy it on your own, explore, and make Valentine's Day all about you. It has 10 vibration modes, 10 intensity levels, it's 100% waterproof, and it can be controlled through the We Vibe app from anywhere in the world. Yes, anywhere. And every We Vibe product comes with a two year warranty and free discreet shipping, which I love. If you want to turn Valentine's Day into something unforgettable, head to to we vibe.com that's we vibe.com and use my code, cat v d kat k a t v day for 20 off site wide. Because pleasure should feel confident, fun, and totally on your terms. Stephanie, welcome to Cat on the Loose. It's such an honor having you here.
- [01:26]
B
Thank you. The honor is mine. And I'm really excited to be here.
- [01:29]
A
Oh, my God. Listen, I want to share what you're doing with as many people in this world as possible. Because when I heard about the Meraki Project, I was like, this is so up my alley. I don't know if you know my backstory, but I was in a horribly, horribly abusive marriage for 15 years where I was barely barely allowed to work, be creative, do anything I wanted. So ever since then, that's how my show started. That's how I found my voice. And I'm on a mission to empower as many women as possible to do the same. So when I found out about the Meraki Project, I got to speak to her. I cannot wait to share with everyone what you're doing. Well, thank you.
- [02:09]
B
And we're like, on the same journey as are, as you probably know, are so many women in terms of really finding their voice and being able to find a place that honors their dignity. So. So.
- [02:22]
A
Okay, so let's explain for. I know a lot of you guys listening out there, you're like, what the hell this lady's talking about? So let's do one little baby step at a time. What is the Meraki Dignity? Which I. I love this word. The Meraki Dignity Project.
- [02:38]
B
Okay, so if you Want to take a little bit of a step back. I, you know, I had like many like you and many women who are probably listening had, know, a career, maybe a family, juggling a ton of things all at once and really kind of recognized at one moment that I really needed to take a step and look at what I was doing, where I was going and how I was getting there. And that I felt that pivot was really hard. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what the first next step I needed to take. And I can talk more about that specific specifically, but the Meraki Dignity project kind of came out of that desire to find a place where women can have a moment to get clarity so that they can actually gain confidence.
- [03:32]
A
Okay. And, and yeah, so let's do it step by step. First of all, I. It's a non profit, so I think that's really important. We're going to explain to you guys step by step. I love the word meraki. I learned what it means by looking at your website, but I rather you tell people what it means because I think it's so beautiful.
- [03:52]
B
Okay. So, you know, I grew up in first generation. My mom immigrated from Greece, as did my dad. And I was a first gen before it was a thing. And I also grew up in Brooklyn before Brooklyn was a thing. Wow. So I grew up sort of straddling these two worlds, moving between the world that my parents were from and the world that they wanted for me. And in that process of growing up in that environment, I always admired my mom, who had come here without knowing a single word of English and was able to find her place. She graduated from college, got a degree, went on to be a chemist, and then ultimately gave up her career to have kids. But in that process, I would come home from school and I would watch her and she would paint and she would just sit at her easel and paint. Oh my God.
- [04:51]
A
My mom too.
- [04:52]
B
No way. So it was like peace for her. And I don't know how you feel about this, but sometimes the arts or just art is a place where you can find meraki. So meraki is a Greek word that is that moment of feeling or that feeling of immersing yourself into something. It's more than flow, Cat. It's like this feeling of creativity, soul and love that you can pour your whole self into it and time just flies. And. And that's what we're seeking, we're really looking for. How do we get meraki?
- [05:24]
A
Yeah, in my case, like I said, you know, After I left my marriage, I mean, I don't even know if you guys can imagine being called a useless piece of shit for 15 years and being called names and being demeaned and degraded and whenever I wanted to. And by the way, I'm not a useless piece of shit because I'm a self made immigrant. I put myself through college, I speak five languages, I have two college degrees. So I'm not like some, you know, pardon my French, that he picked up from the streets and saved. Like he used to say to me, you know, I had my dignity before I met him. But of course I lost. This is why when I saw that you used this word, I was like, this is so important because we forget about that, the word dignity. And when you are in an abusive relationship, in an abusive situation, you lose that, you forget all about it. Right, Stephanie?
- [06:15]
B
I agree. Well, I'm gonna, I, I, I agree. I hear what you're saying and I would say that dignity is inherent. It's like we all have it. Think of it as like this, this jewel inside of us and no one can take it away. They can, they can violate it. Yeah. Like it sounds like you've experienced. They can honor it, but it unifies us. It's part of being human. And that's what I love about dignity. Because dignity is inviolable at the end of the day, it cannot be taken away.
- [06:52]
A
I love that you're saying that, but I know a lot of women, like in my case, when you're going through any kind of abusive situation or difficult relationship or toxic relationship, you forget that like you said, we have our dignity inside us, but we forget. And that was my case. I left so broken and so destroyed, of course I ended up getting tangled up with men who were doing the same to me. Being insanely abusive. I forgot who I was. It was only when I started doing my show and telling my stories out loud that slowly I was like, oh yeah, I regained my self confidence, my dignity, my voice. And now I'm on a mission to inspire women worldwide to do the same. And it sounds like you want to do something similar with the Meraki approach.
- [07:41]
B
Absolutely. And I think I really, I feel as though there's this, there's this place where you lose the thought that you can actually make a choice. Yes. And that I think happens to everyone. But I am so focused on how women are put in that place. Because in a lot of ways the system isn't designed for us. Right. We are operating in systems that are not necessarily created in a way that gives women those opportunities. So not only are we starting out by fighting, you know, fighting a battle uphill, but then when our dignity has been violated, we really feel like we can't. We don't have a choice. We're boxed in. And I think that's what we're trying to get women over that hump. How do we create a space where they have time to reflect and to have their dignity honored?
- [08:40]
A
That's. Oh, my God.
- [08:41]
B
Or what we're doing.
- [08:42]
A
I absolutely love that. And look, I always say something. I know it's controversial, and you can say if you agree with me or not, but I do believe just the fact that you're born a woman. We. We start life in a disadvantage because it's not an equal world. Then you want to be an. If you're an intelligent woman, they call you masculine. You have masculine energy. You're too intelligent, you're intrusive. If you want to be sexy, you're a whore. You show too much. So I think no matter what we try to do, we always get judged way more than men, especially women in the workplace, whatever it is that we try to do. And for you, I know you were born in the United States, but you do come from a family of immigrants. But I also think being an immigrant, being a minority, makes that disadvantage even worse. Because people look at you and they're like, you're a dumb blonde. You have an accent. You don't belong here. Just yesterday, somebody elder me on the street, go back to your country. Because they heard me talking on the phone. I mean, I've been here since I was 12 years old. I'm a U.S. citizen. I got my own citizenship. And the person never. They walk by me on the streets, and they were like, hey, go back to your country.
- [09:51]
B
Well, I mean, not only being a woman, but being a woman in an environment, like in a corporate environment. I spent a lot of my career on Wall street and in corporate. And you're absolutely right. Like, you were the only person at the table. In fact, I was the diversity candidate in my role. I was the only person on the leadership team that actually had hair.
- [10:13]
A
Wow. Congratulations, by the way.
- [10:17]
B
So I know exactly what you're saying and that those. That starting point, you're already starting behind. And that's why confidence is really important. But how do you get confidence? You get clear. Right. You get into a place where you can actually start to see things clearly and get the resources you need to be able to feel confident and make. Make those choices.
- [10:40]
A
Yeah. Okay, so let's start being practical because I know the women out there listening, they're like, oh, I know you ladies are saying that, la, la, la. Obviously you're super successful, you had a kickass career, which I cannot imagine how hard it must be working on Wall street, major male dominated industry. We could do like an entire episode about that. But obviously you have thick skin, you're insanely intelligent, and you said, yeah, I agree. Confidence, I think, is the root of, of a lot of things that we can develop. But somebody out there listening, like, what do you mean? How do I want to be confident like you? I want to be confident like Catherine. How do I do it? It's easier, it's easier said than done. Right, Stephanie?
- [11:20]
B
Absolutely. And I, you know, one of the things is that in these moments where you're making a transition, where you're having a pivot, that's when the shit hits the, you know, part, that's when things hit the fan.
- [11:31]
A
Hey, listen, you can, you can swear because I have a dirty mouth and.
- [11:36]
B
I, you know, have years of being on a trading desk. So. And that's when it's not just one thing. It's like, you know, you're, you're, you're, you're worried about your job. You don't really understand what's happening with your body. It's changing your, your, your, your health benefits are changing. Your, your parents are aging, your, you know, your husband may not be the, you know, it may not be the perfect relationship. Your kids, if you have kids, are, are struggling. So it all happens at once. And those moments are, I'm not suggesting that's the only moment, but those are the moments where we step back and say, I don't know what the first next step is. So that's where we're focused. We're focused on these moments of transition where women are looking for some place to get clarity. So what does that mean, practically speaking? Let's talk about Maya. Okay, Maya is on our platform. Maya is, she won't go to her cardiologist because she's afraid. She's afraid of what he's going to say. She doesn't know what questions to ask. She's worried that if she has to take time off from work, you know, her boss might do something or might lose her benefits. She doesn't even know if she has the benefits. She has a 20 year old daughter, she's 50 years old. She has a 20 year old daughter who's like, you know, in college, struggling, needs more time than she'll admit her parents are aging, they live out of state. What is she going to do? First place we do is we take her to this platform. She comes to our platform and we give her space, we honor her. She gets to really take a step back and process where she is. So we ask some questions and she starts to get some clarity around, wow, this is all happening in my life all at once. And we start to serve up resources. Not just resources, not just resources about, you know, health, but women's health. Not just resources about health, women's health, but women's health that really Maya is concerned about. So she starts to get very tailored, curated, research based resources. And that's where it starts then my.
- [13:48]
A
God, I love that she starts to.
- [13:50]
B
Get connected with others who are in the community, who are in the same place and starts to feel safe, seen right. And starts to feel like I'm not alone. And that's where, that's the journey that we sort of, that's where we start.
- [14:05]
A
So it's a community. It's not only support one on one, but you're also building a community where I, I think this is so massively important because in my journey and I know a lot of women are, are in the position that I was seven years ago when my husband died, my mom died, I lost all my assets in court. I. And when I, I saw myself jobless, penniless, no support system, no family, no friends because they all ran away like red. I had to rebuild from zero all alone. And I know it's a daunting task. It's like how most people can't. I know I'm the exception. Most people cave in because how I'm going to do this alone. So knowing that someone has a community that you can go and get support is just massive for women.
- [14:56]
B
And Kat, one of the things you said, I really want to, I want to double click on if I can use that word, you know, there's a lot of shame. But that's the other thing. Women, it's this, it's this unbelievable balance between. They're optimistic and hopeful. They believe, they believe that they can get over the hump. But there's also so much shame. I don't even want to talk to the my person. I don't even want to talk to anybody about my finances because maybe I don't have enough. Maybe I shouldn't save more. Maybe I should understand more. And there's this to your point, there's all kinds of inhibitors to actually being comfortable finding that community.
- [15:34]
A
Oh my God. And you know what? It's so. It's absolutely. It's interesting you said that, but also, yeah, there is shame. We feel like we are doing something wrong. Like, I. Like, in my case, I was literally abused for 15 years. And in the beginning, I was so embarrassed telling people, like, it was my fault. Like, nobody would believe me or tell me. If you've seen women in this situation, if you do open up and you tell people your struggles, unfortunately, they smell blood. Most people take advantage of you like you are prey instead of helping you, which happened to me, and I know it happens to a lot of people.
- [16:14]
B
Right. You know, I think the key to that is creating a trusted space and a safe space, because that's where, you know, and that is where the dignity comes in. If you feel that you are not safe or you don't have people that you can trust, then you're absolutely right. The ability to find that that community is really jeopardized. So one of the main things that is part of our platform is creating this space where you come in and it is trusted, assured, and that you feel that you're. You're there for the same reason that the other women are there. They're there to find clarity and confidence and agency.
- [16:52]
A
Oh, my God. I hope every woman in the world listens. I'm gonna try to spread the word as much as I possibly can. And if you guys are listening and you know a woman that could potentially need help, because as you were telling Maya. Right. Her name, Maya story, I was thinking in my head. It's really funny, right? Because when we are going through something really, really tough, of course we are focused on our problems and whatever we're going through, but there is always someone else out there maybe going through the same, maybe going through something so much worse. There is always someone out there in so much pain. And many times, like you said, they are not telling anyone because they're so afraid, so embarrassed. And again, being a woman, there's always so much shame right around everything we want to talk about.
- [17:40]
B
Exactly. Exactly. And I think that you're right, and you don't really feel seen. You feel like you're alone. And so that's part. That's the community part. So really what we're finding is that women want, you know, we're sort of trained to be, give me the resources, tell me what I can read, tell me how I can learn more. And that's one step. But that's not the only step. Like, the resources really help you get clear. But it's the community that keeps you there, the community that really helps you feel seen and supported.
- [18:12]
A
Quick pause. Because Valentine's Day doesn't have to look one specific way. I've been loving the chorus pro from We Vibe and honestly, it's such a game changer. It's beautifully designed, powerful and created for shared pleasure, which makes it amazing for couples. But what I really appreciate Create is that it doesn't exclude anyone. If you're single, you can absolutely enjoy it on your own. Take your time, explore what you like and have a lot of fun doing it. With 10 vibration modes and 10 intensity levels, you're fully in control of the experience. It's 100 waterproof and the We Vibe app lets you and your partner control it from anywhere in the world, which adds a playful, flirty twist, especially for long distance relationships. And of course, all We Vibe products include a two year warranty and free discrete shipping so you can shop comfortably and privately. So whether Valentine's Day is about connection, curiosity or self love, go to we vibe.comwevibe.com and use my code Kat V Day Cat K A T V Day for 20 off site wide. Because pleasure is power and confidence is always sexy. Yeah. So someone out there listening to us, they're like, oh my God. I'm like maya, I'm going through something really tough right now. I need help. How do they jump in? Is there like a, a select selection process? Can you guide us through that?
- [19:48]
B
Okay, so, and to be, to just to give you where we are, we're literally in beta. So yeah, we're at the point where we're forming this and one of the points of our, one of our, one of our central values is we want to co create. So we're learning as much as we are teaching, if that's fair. What we're finding is that women, this has been really interesting. Women, not only women, but people have found technology speeds them up. So everything is, I need to click, click, click and get an answer. So we designed our platform as a way to. The way you come onto our platform. What women have appreciated is that it actually slows them down. And what we've seen is by asking some questions about dignity, about respect, about the support that you're getting, in fact that women are finding the relief in just having the space and time to actually think about themselves and be honored. I'll tell you, when we started, we found that women were coming on and clicking off and we got in the first week we of course went into this panic like oh no, this is really.
- [21:12]
A
But how, okay, so how are they, how are they finding you? How long? It's been around. Just a little while, right? Just a little while.
- [21:17]
B
So we've been around for a year. We had alpha in the fall.
- [21:22]
A
Yeah.
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B
We've done a ton of focus groups and we're going to launch our beta in the spring. So that'll be a new version. So right now you actually can't get on. You can, you can't really get onto the Meraki platform until this. But the women that came on, they found us through, frankly through word of mouth, social media, through conversations like this and through organizations that sponsored us. But it was, it's still really early stage. But when they came on they were appreciating. Even the ones that went off, they came back because they felt, wow, this is, this. I need to go find a space to really engage with this.
- [22:05]
A
So once they. Okay, you said spring, so somebody else, some, someone out there listening, like I'm very interested. I want to reach out. How is the, the process going to be like because you can't accept everyone, right. Or can you? Or how does it work? How, how is it going to work?
- [22:22]
B
So how it's going to work is you sign up, you come to our, our website and you sign up on merakidignity.com or you can email us@infoiraki.com and we will take those names and then we'll do a pre screen so we'll ask you some questions and that'll, you know, that'll be just like any survey. It'll sort of put you in the pool of women that we think would be part of the platform. We don't want to be selective in the sense that exclusive. We want to be selective in the way that women who really need us can come. As you said, we're a non profit so it is important that we are there to support women who really need the support. And, and it is going to be, it is going to be interesting, Kat, because we're, we're really creating a community that is there to support each other. And so you know, we don't want to be regulating it, but we also want women to feel that they're getting something out of it.
- [23:19]
A
Oh my God. Yeah. No, it sounds amazing. So how about the support part of it?
- [23:25]
B
Okay, so we have, so we, that's a really great question. We have a panel, we have a panel of advisors. So these are medical experts, financial experts, people at the top of their field that are supporting us both in terms of Getting the content, that is really, really important. So think about yourself or. I know for me, when I go out and I want to find out about hormone replacement therapy, use that as an example, it's confusing. I don't even know where to go or if I want to find out about, you know, how to navigate my health. If I want to find out about how women's symptoms for heart attacks, it's really challenging because most, most resources are generic and they're not geared towards women and they're not geared towards, as we discussed, the fact that women or people are experiencing these things all at once. So we've got, you know, an expert set of panels that are curating the content, but also they're available through chat and through engagement to answer your questions. So you have access to experts and expert advice, and then you have access to the community and people within the community who've experienced similar things as you. So we have the technology to match them up and create those communities and they have the ability to create their own communities.
- [24:47]
A
Oh, my God, I love that. So basically, are you reaching out to these experts, Doctors? I guess it's not just in the medical field, right. You have financial experts.
- [24:58]
B
Financial. Because think about it. If you step. If you think about what we're doing, we're creating a whole health hub. Yeah, hub for your whole health. And that health is, you know, my emotional health.
- [25:12]
A
Yeah.
- [25:12]
B
My physical health, my mental health, my financial health, my caregiving, my family. Right. Think about your own situation that you described. All of those things were part of the solution. Right. If you just solve for your physical health, that's not necessarily going to allow you to make the choice that you want. It's holistic. And I think that is, you know, so we are bringing experts from all avenues of what I would, I would expand health and say it's like an operating system for women.
- [25:47]
A
It sounds incredible. I would think a lot of people are jumping on board, Right. Because of you, your background, your credentials. It's Harvard incubated, correct?
- [25:56]
B
Yes, yes. We spent a year and a half at Harvard incubating it. And the best part of that was we had the ability to have access to some of the most, you know, prominent educators, prominent, you know, health experts, prominent, you know, financial experts. Help us really think through what is it that is. What is it that is truly evidence based and really kind of real. And, you know, there's a ton of resources out there. There's no lack of, of stuff to read. It's just, how do you make sense of it? And there's not very much that's geared specifically to women.
- [26:35]
A
Well, it's like you said, it's overwhelming, it's daunting. I know from my experience and, and from doing the show and getting messages from women all over the world, when you get, when you're married for a long time or you lose a spouse or you go through divorce, if, especially if you are in a very dependent or abusive relationship, it is overwhelming. I, I'm, I'm. This is the seventh year since my husband died and everything happened to me and I'm still like trial and error, you know, learning as I go, because for 15 years he took care of everything. So I know it can be like you said, you read. But who do I trust? Where do I go to? I, A lot of people cannot afford the best mental health experts. A lot of people cannot afford the best financial advisor. So it's like, of course there's a lot of BS on social media, right? So it's crazy.
- [27:28]
B
And you know what's interesting, I mean, what's interesting about that is, and this is going to be sound a little contradictory, but the platform is leveraging AI okay, which scares people. But when you think about it, what AI allows us to do, what AI allows us to do is get, get really focused and specific and really cut through the noise. So in a way, it all, it makes what was inaccessible, to your point, something that only someone who could afford to go to the best doctor could access. We're creating a platform that allows any woman who's in this position to be able to access that same level of advice, that same level of content, that same level of knowledge. Right. That would have otherwise been out of reach. And really, that's only been, we've only been able to do that in the last year and a half or two years, given where technology has come. So I think it's the other side of technology. How do we democratize, how do we create much more access to those really, really important and valuable resources that were really reserved for only people who could, like you said, afford it or had connections that, that other women couldn't.
- [28:44]
A
Yes. And I think this is crucial when you're trying to rebuild your life and you're lost. And, you know, many times people just disqualifies themselves from the game. They're like, oh, you know, there's no way I'm going to rebuild. There's no way I'm going to make my dreams come true and all that stuff. So I think this is at least you're Pointing people in the right direction. It just sounds like an incredible idea. Now let's say I'm out there listening and like, yeah, I want to jump in. I want to reach out.
- [29:12]
B
Do you.
- [29:13]
A
Would you potentially think about doing, like, a waiting list or. If somebody sends you an email, do you respond? How does it work?
- [29:19]
B
We do. We respond to everyone, and we get tons of outreach. So I would just say send us an email that, look, this is about dignity, right? So we are going to. We are going to engage, and we'll. We'll honor as many people as we can for us. I'll take a step back. One of the exciting things about what we're doing, I feel, is this idea of power. Okay, so women, most of what we have out there is fragmented. That's all over the place. And there's. We've counted. There's over 650 organizations, nonprofit and for profit, that are trying to help and support women in various ways, but in very, very specific ways. And so all of this is really fragmented and hard to put together. One of our. One of our hopes is that if we can get as many women as we can onto our platform and talking about what their needs are, well, we can shout that from the rooftops, right? We can let healthcare providers know that, we can let financial services providers know that. We can let Nike know that, you know, these are. We're taking women who are all over the place and fragmented and harnessing their power. Women in. In between, 45 and older are the recipients of a $38 trillion wealth transfer. $38 trillion wealth transfer. They have power. So how do we harness that power to make change?
- [30:56]
A
I think it's incredible. I've. No, really, I have goosebumps because I believe after everything that I. I went through, just the fact that I survived, it's a miracle. I feel it's my mission in life to empower as many women as I can to rebuild, not give up, have a voice, become financially independent, have healthy relationships. Mental health, like you mentioned, is so, so important because I know it's such a huge issue, and if you're not, not well up here, everything is gone. So this is incredible to me that you came up with this idea, and it.
- [31:33]
B
And it is about being able to make a choice that you want, right? To really direct your own life. So how do I do that? I can start with the resources. I can feel like I'm with other people that are in the same place. I'm not alone. I start being seen. I start supported. And then all Of a sudden, I can start making intentional choices. And that's where Meraki comes in. Because as I mean, my guess is this podcast for you is Meraki.
- [32:02]
A
Yes. One million percent. Like one million percent.
- [32:06]
B
Time flies by.
- [32:10]
A
And what is more.
- [32:12]
B
What is more energizing and inspiring than seeing women who can do that?
- [32:18]
A
So, yeah, listen, when I've been. This is the sixth year, right? We just started season six. When I listened to the first episodes, I think we have like about 300 episodes. When I listened to the first episodes from six years ago, I feel so sorry for that Catherine, that woman, like, why are you putting up with abuse? Men yelling at you, screaming at you, stealing from you, calling you names. I don't know that person, but I am so proud of that woman because the podcast was my therapy and it helped me rebuild my life and it helped me be in a place of peace. And when I get a message from one woman out there saying, oh my God, you inspired me, you encourage me, I feel like, okay, this is my mission. I'm gonna talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. I do not do it for money. I'm not rich again yet. But I'm like, I am so proud of, of helping. And when I connect with, with a woman like you, I literally want to cry. I have goosebumps because I'm like, I know they're like minded women out there that want to help other women because in your case, by the way, obviously you're not doing this for money. It's a not for profit. You had an insanely successful career. Your resume is crazy, you're in insanely intelligent. So it's not like you have to do this. Obviously you're doing from a really good place.
- [33:38]
B
But you know what? You know what, Kat? I struggle too. Like, I was in a challenging marriage. I raised three kids by myself. Like, you may not, right? So you look at someone and you're like, oh, they've got it all together. And I think that's another challenge. Women are so good at, like holding it all together and looking like it's great. I would imagine women that were around you were like, Kat's got it all going on. She doesn't need any help. And so that's part of the challenge. And I mean, this definitely came out of the fact that, that, you know, I clearly wanted to make all of this accessible to as many women as possible. And I am, I am dedicated to dignity, particularly in the world that we live in today where, you know, where it is really a struggle to feel like your dignity is Being honored. But it's, it's also because, you know, I've been in your shoes. I've been, you know, having to feel guilty because I left my kids at home while I went to work and that I love my job. And then, and being in an organization where, you know, where I was the only woman and was always left out. And that's not to, to be a complaint. It's just a system that wasn't set up to honor me. So how do we create, like, a slice of dignity? Can we just create a place where women can come and have a slice of, of dignity?
- [35:03]
A
My God. I, I seriously, I'm not crying because I'm, like, holding, but I'm so emotional right now because you're sharing. Like you said, we all have pains. We, we post on social media, the result of our work. We post on social media, the beauty and everything. But this is why I'm so raw and I share more and more and more of my story. People tell me, oh, my God, you, you talk, you, you tell people everything that happened. Like, yes, because I feel when we open up, other women are going to feel less ashamed of getting help and also opening up because, like you said, we all go through something. Almost all of us, unfortunately, go through something very painful at one point or another.
- [35:43]
B
Right. And what is trauma? Trauma is really just disruption. I mean, not just, but trauma is disruption. And it could be, like, functioning trauma. You could be, you could be inside of impossible expectations. Right? You could be in a job where your boss has impossible expectations or that you're being asked to juggle your parents caregiving, your kids caregiving and your work and, you know, a deadbeat husband. I don't know, like, whatever the situation is. And that's impossible. And so while it may not be acute trauma, it is, it is paralyzing in a way that I think gets underestimated.
- [36:21]
A
Oh, my God. Yeah. And I am going to say, if you out there is listening and you are still going through something tough, like trying to get out of an. I, I took me 15 years to get out of my abusive marriage. I hope nobody takes this long. But if you're going through something really tough right now, like whether it's a difficult relationship, financial trouble, abuse, anything, I hope this gives you power to take the step. Reach out. Right, Stephanie, send the initial email, get help, talk to women that are going through the same. Because I like to say that nobody should stand alone, nobody should go through anything alone ever, ever, ever, ever.
- [37:03]
B
Exactly. And, and don't look at someone and just assume. I think that's the other piece. Don't assume. And I, I agree with you. And, and look, the platform is the platform and we would love every woman on this that's listening and every woman who needs it to be on it. And that's our goal. Our goal is obviously to have everyone who needs it to be able to access that ability to get clarity, the ability to build their confidence, the ability to make intentional choices for the future that they want. But to your point, you don't need a platform to start. Yeah, you don't need a platform to start. You can start by reaching out and engaging.
- [37:39]
A
Yeah. I think like any baby step, right. Any baby step will just push you forward. I think it's the snowball effect. If you do nothing, you're sitting there and your problem is there. But if you do one tiny baby step a day towards getting out of a difficult situation or rebuilding your life, before you know it, it's like the ball is rolling and then you have momentum and you want to keep going.
- [38:01]
B
Exactly. And the hope is if we can get, if we can start to create places where women can have resources that are dedicated to them that really honor women. Right now when we talk to a thousand women, wow. 50% of them said they get well, 70% said they don't have any resource today that gives them the confidence they need, that gives them the, the answers they need. And 50% said their first go to, to learn about something is Google a search engine.
- [38:31]
A
Wow.
- [38:31]
B
Which it's not disparaging Google, but that is not the answer.
- [38:35]
A
So yeah, like you said, even, even chatgpt. Yeah, we, I get, we all get a lot of answers from that. But it's not a human on the other side. Right. Guiding you and helping you and giving you that, that love and hug and support that you need.
- [38:50]
B
Right, Right. I've been there. Or I am there. And also it doesn't look at you as a whole human again like you described. It wasn't. Or my own situation, you know, when my, when my marriage was falling apart. It wasn't just my marriage, it was my kids, you know, their demands on me. It was how do I navigate my job, how do I, how do I make those trade offs, how do I get the time off? How do I even ask my boss for the time off? That. So it's not just, it's not like one part of your life falls apart at one time.
- [39:24]
A
Everything falls apart at the same time.
- [39:27]
B
Exactly.
- [39:28]
A
I will say when I was going through my Helen high water Unfortunately, I didn't have any support. I wish I could say I did, but I did not. The few relatives around me ran away in the middle of the night because they didn't want to help. I realized I was surrounded by psychophants that were interested in my wealth and my money and my parties. I was really alone. I was so alone that I made a promise to myself that I was never going to allow anybody I care about to go through pain alone. So a big part of my life is like, whether it's a neighbor, a friend, a listener to my podcast, if I can talk and help and respond and encourage you, I. I always want to be that person that is there for someone else. And I feel that your project, your platform, is doing the same. So I highly, highly encourage you guys. Listening. Reach out. Don't go through anything alone because you don't have to do it alone. Reach out.
- [40:30]
B
Reach out and give us an email. You know, send an email to infoirakidignity.com reach out to us and sign up for our beta and co create with us. Because that's the other thing. I think women are so intelligent, women are so optimistic. We are learning as we're going. I mean, just like this conversation, I view every opportunity to engage with other smart, thoughtful, talented, you know, badass women. An opportunity to learn and grow. Like we don't. We at Meraki Dignity don't have all the answers, but we as a collective group have the answers.
- [41:09]
A
Oh my God, I love that so much, Stephanie. I truly feel so honored that the universe connected us. Shout out to Mary. Thank you. Very connecting, but I am so happy and I have to say congratulations from the bottom of my heart. I always say, and I repeat that on my social media over and over and over again, whatever you're going through, take your power back. Take your power back. Take your power back. Today I'm gonna say take your dignity back. I love it because I forgot this word and I forgot how powerful and important is because like you said, it's inside us. Nobody can take it away. But if you're feeling it's dormant or, or you feel lost, take your dignity back.
- [41:52]
B
Put it out there and put it in the world and let it be, you know, let it really start to become something. I love it. Yes.
- [41:58]
A
Congratulations. You do amazing work, guys. The link, I'm putting the link to your website here, right? Because I think it's the best place for everyone to, to find you and find more information. So the link to the Meraki Dignity Project website is here. On the audio podcast and as well, if you guys are watching the video episode on YouTube. If you're not watching the video episode YouTube, make sure you go there so you see her beautiful face. Get inspired, get help. And I'm gonna read one more time the meaning of meraki, the way you put on your website, because I was reading last night. I read it like, 10 times because I think it's so powerful. So you guys so keen. And by the way, I love the Greek culture and the food.
- [42:39]
B
Huh? Oh.
- [42:40]
A
Oh, my God. Don't get me started. Miraki is a Greek word that means to pour yourself into something with creativity. So in love for us, that is the essence of dignity. Did I read that right?
- [42:57]
B
Meraki is what dignity feels like.
- [42:59]
A
Yeah, meraki is a dignity feels like, and it's very powerful. I mean, I think you have something incredible there. Thank you so much again for being on the show. It's a huge honor having a Stephanie.
- [43:12]
B
Thank you. Thank you. Kat. Great to meet you.
- [43:14]
A
Yes. Lovely meeting, guys. Go get help. Self love, self respect, dignity. Be safe out there, and I'll see you guys very soon.