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- [00:00]
A
So many creators are so quick to be like, I want to have millions of followers. But I'm like, guys, the magic is in the beginning. You're excited about small things and you're really savoring those moments. At some point, it becomes a business. Gary proposed two months after we met.
- [00:16]
B
How the hell did he know that you were the one after two months?
- [00:19]
A
He was 38. He knew men reach a certain age where they're like, know exactly what they look for and what they need.
- [00:25]
B
What is success to you?
- [00:26]
A
Success is the ability to tell my story, to tell it well. Communication, building a connection with people that take the time to watch me.
- [00:34]
B
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Tall Blonde. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Tall Blonde. Today I have a very fun guest. I have Valeria. Oh, wait, let me.
- [00:56]
A
No, you were doing it. You were doing Lipovetsky. Yeah.
- [00:59]
B
Okay, good. I have like a ski. My last name too, but everyone's gets thrown off with the long last names.
- [01:05]
A
Yeah, well, especially with my first name is also so long, so it's always so butchered. But it's all good as long as you don't call me Valerie, which was the name everyone gave me when I moved to Canada. Yeah.
- [01:16]
B
So it's like a.
- [01:17]
A
That's not my name.
- [01:18]
B
Okay. And we're gonna get into that. The moving to. From Russia to Canada to now Miami, Russia, Israel, Canada.
- [01:26]
A
Miami.
- [01:26]
B
Oh, wow. There's more.
- [01:27]
A
Okay.
- [01:27]
B
You've been everywhere I've been around and you're bilingual, so you have trilingual. Trilingual. Okay. You just impress, impress, impress.
- [01:35]
A
Well, I don't know. Once you're gonna start hearing my English, you'll be like, yeah, she speaks more languages for sure.
- [01:40]
B
We'll figure it out. So if you were to. I'm sure a lot of people watching this or maybe everybody will know who you are or have seen you before because you're on every platform and doing so well for yourself. Can you give a brief bio of who you are, what you do, and also maybe just three words to describe yourself for someone that hasn't met you before?
- [01:59]
A
Yes. So I am a full time content creator and I started in 2017 on YouTube. So YouTube was like my primary platform at a time. And yeah, I do lifestyle. It started with nutrition and then it developed into lifestyle and beauty and kind of self development. And now I also have a podcast, Not Alone, which I love, diving all into all the things that just modern women deal with and experience today. Also a mother to three boys, very energetic boys. And. And yeah, and we Have Valeria Inc. Which is a media company. We got a lot of different businesses going on based on the content creation career that I built. So it's been really fulfilling and cool. Three words that will describe me to.
- [02:54]
B
Someone that doesn't even know you yet.
- [02:56]
A
Oh, okay. I am sorry to put you on the spot. No, I'm a Virgo. Like, I feel like it will say it all.
- [03:06]
B
You're like, more. Tell me.
- [03:08]
A
Just this is it. I. I'm just, I'm very committed, dedicated and very, I don't know, just kind of always strive to see, do and like learn more.
- [03:23]
B
And I think that's so telling for who you are because I mean, long form content, short form content, having a podcast, like that's a lot in its own. And then having two brands as well as having your own. Valeria Inc. Is a lot to juggle. Can you take me through? I know you did modeling before and then you moved into, you said YouTube first. What was it like? You know, going into your own brand, doing your own thing on social media and stuff. Like, how was all that, how did it even happen?
- [03:55]
A
I mean, back then it wasn't very thought through. When I started on YouTube, it was just a result of me wanting to bring in information and the knowledge that I got from my diploma in nutrition. So I was a registered holistic nutritionist.
- [04:11]
B
Okay.
- [04:11]
A
I might still be in Canada. I don't know if it ever expires, but yeah. So when I finished school, I was looking for a way to start working in that wellness industry. And I was thinking maybe I'll open an office and see some clients. I saw two, three people hated every second of it. And I'm like, okay, what is another way for me to put this information out there that will be beneficial and kind of more bigger scale? So it started with a blog. I was the modern fox dot com.
- [04:41]
B
Yeah.
- [04:42]
A
And it was really just kind of me launching myself into, I don't know, other people, like strangers, you know, understanding what I do and putting myself out there. And it was a big kind of self development project, I would say, because I, as a child, I was just always so scared to be seen that at the age of 24, 25, when I realized like, okay, I have to tackle this issue, I have to find my voice, it just kind of naturally came this opportunity to be. Maybe YouTube would be. That would be putting myself out there, sharing my knowledge, but also kind of dealing with my own, you know, imposter syndrome or like my own issues that, that I wanted to kind of Pass through. So, yeah, so it started there, and. And it developed into, okay, what other interests and what other things I can share online that I feel can be beneficial for people.
- [05:40]
B
Yeah.
- [05:41]
A
Which got into fashion because of my modeling background, beauty because of my modeling background, and kind of went into lifestyle naturally because, you know, I have a family, I have kids, so started sharing kind of all the things around that. And. And here we are.
- [05:56]
B
It's crazy to hear you say that. When you were younger, you were scared to be in the limelight or you, you know, didn't. That you didn't see that for yourself. It's like, what changed? Did you just push yourself? Or were you like, this is an avenue that I could do well in? Or how did you make that transition and even find comfort in it?
- [06:14]
A
Well, the fact that I was in the modeling business was even ludicrous to me because I think do. And I give all the credit to my mom because she saw from such a young age that I was always, like, in this gray mouse mode. Like, don't notice me. I'm not there. That she pushed me into this industry. I didn't want to be a model. I didn't think I have what it takes to be a model. And she pushed. Pushed me to go there because it's very much sink or swim. And back then, there wasn't this gentle parenting. It was like, you go and you'll figure it out, and you're going to build the strength to go through it. So I think modeling very much put me in most uncomfortable situations where I had to represent myself and stand up for myself. And a lot of the times I couldn't do it, but it. It was kind of a muscle that I trained throughout the 10 years that I was modeling. So when I recognized at the age of 24, 25, I already had two little kids, I was like, okay, this is something.
- [07:16]
B
24, 25, you had your two little kids?
- [07:18]
A
Yeah, I had my first 22 and the second at 23.
- [07:21]
B
Okay. Yeah.
- [07:22]
A
Yeah. So I realized that, okay, this is something that I have to solve, and the only way I know how to solve it is the way it was solved before, which was sink or swim.
- [07:32]
B
Yeah.
- [07:32]
A
So let's go. And like, the scariest thing.
- [07:35]
B
Wow.
- [07:35]
A
That I had access to, which was social media, and do it.
- [07:39]
B
Yeah. So you kind of like the adrenaline, you like the push, you like the stepping into uncomfortable situations and just doing it, Would you say?
- [07:46]
A
Yeah. And again, it didn't come naturally. It came from years of, like, this is the only way I Know how to do it. Not gently. Just something that really, like, pushes me into it and I figure my way once I'm there. And, you know, my. I've always had this, like, feeling when it's these feeling of nervousness in your stomach, but there's a hint of butterflies.
- [08:10]
B
Yeah.
- [08:11]
A
Yes. Green flag.
- [08:12]
B
Yes. My best friend told me. She's like, whatever, you're nervous, just say, I'm excited. I'm not nervous. I'm excited. And then you kind of train your own self to be excited where you might be, have those nerves and not want to do something. You just push yourself to do it and have that changed mindset.
- [08:26]
A
Absolutely. And I think our body tells us so much more. We just need to learn how to listen to it. But it. Absolutely. That's what it is. So every time I get that feeling, even when I started my podcast, you would think that I've been doing content creation, been in front of the camera speaking for so many years, and podcasts will be just like, yeah, no problem. And if I'm being honest, I thought so, too. I'll be like, what? It's just another camera, you know? But let me tell you, it humbled the crap out of me. And in what way? I just. I was like, whoa, this is a new voice that I need to find. This is a new way that I need to learn how to communicate. So when I sat down and started doing it, I hated every second of it.
- [09:05]
B
Wow.
- [09:06]
A
But then it reminded me. My first days on YouTube, and I'm like, yes, this is a good sign.
- [09:12]
B
You're like, I know this feeling before.
- [09:14]
A
Yeah. The feeling of expansion.
- [09:16]
B
And it's like growing. Even if, you know the podcast, it's a new way of speaking, it's a new way of listening, it's a new way of doing. And it's growth, personal and obviously professional. So it's a great thing, whatever you're starting, regardless of short term or short form and long.
- [09:34]
A
Are you still feeling it? Are you feeling that?
- [09:36]
B
Like, yes, But I just want so much more for myself. Like, I want to create a name for myself. And growing up, I think there was, like, influencers and content creators, but there was never people that would say it as it was in a sense of, like, embarrassing stories or talking about acne and things that were uncomfortable or weight gain or insecurities. Whatever it was, I'm like, let me talk about it. Let me have that voice so that girls younger than me, older than me, can maybe relate in some sort of way. And I can be that voice. But then I was like, oh, it's easy on short form content because you can edit, you can put a filter on whatever. Then long form content and podcasts, it is a whole new world. Like, I'm hearing everything you're saying and I'm relating to it. It's. It's a full conversation. You're letting someone into your life, how you speak, how your manners are. You can't really edit it. It has to be, you know, it's better if it's a natural conversation.
- [10:33]
A
But also what I'm so curious about, because how old are you?
- [10:36]
B
You're 24.
- [10:37]
A
24. I. So I'm 10 years older than you.
- [10:41]
B
Okay.
- [10:41]
A
Which is wild because I'm literally 19, so I don't know what the hell's going on, but I'm 10 years older and I feel like my mindset as a content creator when I speak is so different. Like, I have so many more walls that I have to break in order to be truly, like, open. And I'm not there yet. Because I think that the younger generation, you guys, like, you really don't have a filter. I think about. My kids are like, my eldest is in sixth grade. His friends follow me.
- [11:13]
B
No way.
- [11:14]
A
Right. So people have everything that.
- [11:17]
B
I didn't think of that. Yeah, no.
- [11:18]
A
You don't even know. You take. You enjoy this time where you don't have to think about these things. But everything that I say, I'm like, how is this going to affect my kids, my business, my family life, my. You know, so it's a very different place to come from. And I've been really battling with it lately because I'm like, where is that? Where are. What are the boundaries? You know, when. When is this too much and when is it me speaking my mind and how to navigate that? So I look at you guys, the 22, 24, who go online, drink, talk about all the things. I love it. But I'm like, not for me. There's just. I just know. I just know too much now. I just know too much of what can be like, the repercussions of taken from it. Yeah.
- [12:07]
B
So let's dig into that a little bit more. You have three kids. You have your husband being such a big figure. Figure, and so many people knowing your name and knowing you and looking at you and following you. What is it like? Like, what has changed? What do you have to look out for? Do people come up to your husband or do they, like, talk about certain scenarios? Do they make up lies? Like, is there things that, you know, come from it. That you're like, ugh. Or that you've dealt with.
- [12:34]
A
I mean, there was. There used to be a lot of. I mean, used to. Because I used to look at it. But there used to be a lot of kind of anonym. Different chats. You know, we have some like, juicy things like our age gap and things like that. But, you know, people have their opinions. When I used to share a lot of the kids online their opinions on that. So obviously people have opinions. But I pride myself by the fact that I've built a community of women that are championing like the same kind of values.
- [13:06]
B
Yeah.
- [13:07]
A
So I don't go online to trigger people. The ones that are triggered are maybe out there talking, but I don't really hear them. I don't see it. I don't look for it either. So I don't know. Social media has been truly, for me, kind of more a journey of mirrors everywhere. So it's, I think, less about what other people say and more on like, what am I learning, feeling and developing, like, what is next for me?
- [13:36]
B
And that's amazing because it's very hard to do. Like, do you not read your comments or what do you mean by you don't look at it?
- [13:44]
A
I read my comments, but I'm very like. I don't entertain any, like, bad communication or things that come from hate. I don't entertain it. We usually like block, delete. I don't, I don't care for that. So I have very clear boundaries on social media and then any anonymous thing, I just don't go like, who has the time? Yeah, so many things going on.
- [14:12]
B
No, literally. And I mean, I've been a victim of writing back to some like, hate comments and having. But you got.
- [14:20]
A
Oh, don't we. I mean, listen, I've been there and I sometimes go into it like the other day, which was insane to me, but the other day I recognize the growth that I've had with how I speak to people that follow me. Was this one woman that I know been following me for years, by the way, and she messaged me about the whole TikTok ban.
- [14:41]
B
Oh, yes.
- [14:41]
A
And she's like, what do you think about it? And I said, I'm kind of happy. And I didn't expand on why and like, you know my position on it. And she just wrote me this insane long message of like, you're not thinking about the millions of people that are going to lose their jobs and the single mother. And I'm like, honestly, no, I didn't. I was more thinking, like, in a most simplistic way of it's one less platform to think about. Like, it's really that simple. If we're going into this whole, like, yeah, it sucks, but hopefully we'll bring some opportunity. But she was just so set on making me the bad guy, trying to find something. Yeah. And she's like, I'm going to screenshot and send it to everyone that follows you. And I'm like, okay, my love, I wish you such a beautiful day. Like, you need to be happy. But, you know, you recognize that this is not something that you're not part of. I wasn't part of that conversation. She was having a whole thing by herself. I was just the channel for it. So I'm like, okay, she's trying to.
- [15:46]
B
Find something to take from you to start something. But also, she clearly has to be dealing with something, a bad day, something in her life.
- [15:54]
A
Which we all do. Exactly. We all do. So, you know, back in the day, I would really take the time to make a point, you know, to explain myself and. But, you know, you start to recognize, like, this. I'm not part of this. So, like, why?
- [16:08]
B
Yeah, And I know you kind of mentioned balancing all the platforms and because you have your brand, your podcast, everything. How do you make sure and kind of delegate time to each thing? Like, I'm even struggling with just podcasts, TikTok and Instagram. How are you juggling all these things? How do you even make time? Like, do you have a certain schedule? What's that like for you?
- [16:33]
A
I mean, it's always kind of balls in the air, if I'm being honest. But I also have a team that we've built for years now that we really been playing around with the scheduling and. And really understanding the flow of every day. Every day and during the week is extremely scheduled. Like, I don't. I even have lunch scheduled in my calendar. So there's really not a lot of time to just hang around. When I do need it, I'd be like, okay, give me time to hang around. Because you also need that for inspiration and creativity. But it's extremely scheduled, and I try to be pretty, you know, rigid with it. Yeah, strict. Some days are better than others, but it's. It's that simple.
- [17:20]
B
And is it, like, every day, you just make sure to post on each platform?
- [17:24]
A
I don't post myself.
- [17:26]
B
Oh, you got the actual.
- [17:27]
A
I create the content.
- [17:28]
B
Yes, but then you know what's going out each day.
- [17:30]
A
Yes. Yeah, I know what's going out each day. I have a meeting once a week with my social media manager, and we're like, plan out. I give them heads up when I upload certain content. I'm like, this is for this, and this is supposed to be this. And this is an example how I want this to be edited. So I communicate a lot with my team, but at this point, everyone kind of knows their roles whenever there's a new concept. Because, you know, as a creative, you're like, you know what? I want to do this now.
- [17:58]
B
I'm rebranding personally.
- [18:00]
A
Yesterday, I called our producer, and I was like, I want to go back to vlogging. She's like, valeria, we. You literally six months ago was like, we don't want to do vlogging anymore. Because you said you don't want to vlog. So. Well, now I want.
- [18:14]
B
Now. It's my vision. And this is exactly now.
- [18:16]
A
I need a new source of inspiration and vlogs. Is it?
- [18:20]
B
Yeah.
- [18:20]
A
And she's like, okay, let me get everyone informed. I was like, okay, cool.
- [18:25]
B
And I mean, it is a lot to juggle, and I can't even imagine being in your shoes.
- [18:30]
A
No, it's like a monkey brain.
- [18:31]
B
Yeah. Like, and it's. There's new algorithms every day. There's new things that are trending. There's new things you have to keep up with. Like, it's insane. And brand deals on different platforms that you have to stick to and everything. And even talking about brand deals, you work with so many huge luxury brands like Chanel and Prada and everything. Like, is it like, do you feel the pressure? Or is it now? Or even when you were starting, like, what was your first big brand deal that you can even remember that you were like, holy crap, how did I get this?
- [19:03]
A
My first big brand deal was a probiotic company that paid me 200, and my mind was blown. I was like, somebody's paying me.
- [19:11]
B
You're like, wait.
- [19:12]
A
And it was a probiotic that I use. Like, they send me the product for free, and I didn't need to buy it, like, those first days. And I. I just want to put it out there. So many creators, especially now, you know, we have the creator ACAD Creator, Method Academy. So many creators are so quick to be like, I want to be there, and I want to have millions of followers. But I'm like, guys, the magic is in the beginning when you have these. Like, you're excited about small things, and you are. You're really savoring those moments. And I mean, hopefully Savoring this moment because at some point it becomes a business and you go on, in a way on an autopilot and it's just you move differently. So I remember those deals, the $200 deals. I remember my first speaking engagement. I remember my first like real vulnerable vlog. Like, I remember my first. The way I keep connected today is I don't feel the pressure from the brands. To me, the pressure comes and it's a pressure I put on myself is I am so eager to make sure that everything I put out there has some kind of value to whoever is watching me. Because to me, as I get older especially, time is the biggest currency. So I take it very seriously that someone is sitting there and watching 10, 15, one minute videos of mine. So what am I doing to give that person like they can leave with my message, right? Yeah. So the pressure comes from there more than anything.
- [20:46]
B
And do you find it hard, like creative blocks and stuff too to.
- [20:49]
A
Of course. Because think about it, what we do, creating content, creating media, entertaining people, educating people. These are things that people like in other professions. If you create a movie or you're in a series, like you shoot it, then you take a break for like six months to a year, you kind of get filled up and then you come back for another project. When are we off?
- [21:13]
B
No, I had Christmas break. This is. I've only done content creation full time for three months now. And I'm realizing there's no time off or I feel guilty. Like if I'm like, okay, Sunday's my day, I'm just not even going to open. No, I'll feel guilty. So I'll do it. I'll create content for every single platform because I want to do better and I want to, you know, keep up and keep that consistent. But you truly don't have any time off.
- [21:39]
A
No. And that's what's the hardest to navigate. So burnouts, all these things have been something that I've been dealing with for a long time. I mean, I've been doing this now for almost eight years.
- [21:51]
B
Okay, wow.
- [21:52]
A
And it's something that just like a reoccurring thing that happens. But with the years, I really learned when to identify. Okay, I'm getting, I'm getting to that 70, 80%.
- [22:03]
B
I can feel it.
- [22:04]
A
It's time to change up certain things. And that's what we also support our community on, on creator method because so many people. And let me tell you, the amount of creators I've seen throughout the years that like blew up and then disappear because they don't know how to handle the pressure, the schedule, the judgment of yourself. Right. Because as you said, you don't show up. You're like, I'm behind. I'm not doing, I'm not working enough. I'm not doing well enough. I'm not creating content. It's. It becomes this like, voice in your head and there's no one to speak to that can really tell you from a place of experience. Like, hey, here's what you need to do.
- [22:48]
B
Take a breath.
- [22:49]
A
Right.
- [22:49]
B
So what are your kind of methods and tricks that you do when you can sense that coming on or like, you need a bit of a break?
- [22:55]
A
Well, first of all, I try not to push myself or judge myself, especially when I do decide to take the break. Because a lot of the times, even when we're taking a break mentally, we're just continuing to like being really hard on ourselves. So you're not actually taking a mental break planning.
- [23:15]
B
And you might not be taking the actual video content, but you're planning it.
- [23:18]
A
In your head, right?
- [23:19]
B
Yeah.
- [23:19]
A
So that happened to me right now. We went on vacation to Costa Rica with the family for the holidays. And I was like, I'm off. But I wasn't off. I was just sitting and thinking about what's next and what's this and what's that. So I came back and I'm just, I'm like, why am I not inspired and like fresh, you know, why is my brain feels so like overload everything.
- [23:39]
B
Thought it would, right? Yeah.
- [23:41]
A
Because I didn't actually take a break. So for me, when I feel like I'm at that 70, 80%, I really try to then focus on like real life activities that can give me some space. I need to be alone a lot, which is a little hard to do with kids and family and adulting. But I do try to find time for me to be on my own. For me, it's also reading, it's doing things that are just like, of interest. Like, it's very important to have hobbies that have nothing to do with what I do for a living.
- [24:14]
B
Or like a total opposite.
- [24:16]
A
Total opposite. So I unfortunately, I don't like watch tv. I can't consume any of that. But I don't know, I was like, last week I'm like, I'm going to start learning Kabbalah. Cool, sign up for Kabbalah. And then it's like, okay, I'm going to, I want to do the dancing heels thing. I don't even know. I haven't done Yet. But I'm like, sign up to. I have so many things on my schedule.
- [24:36]
B
Let's do it.
- [24:37]
A
Yes. I have so many things planned out, and now I'm like, I need to call my team, be like, guys, sorry, I have to attend to my hobbies.
- [24:44]
B
Yes. But it's hard. Like, even your hobbies, like, when I'm thinking of fitness is, like, something that I would do and working out and stuff. Because that's when I just shut off. I have a trainer. I'm like, you're telling me what to do. I'm not even. I might not even speak to you.
- [24:56]
A
Right.
- [24:57]
B
So that's what I'll do. But then I'm like, okay, maybe I can make content out of this. Maybe I should make this into a series. Do you ever have that?
- [25:03]
A
Yes. Because everything is a content opportunity.
- [25:06]
B
Everything's content.
- [25:07]
A
Yeah. So you have to be very strict with yourself. Like, when I was at the Cabal class, I took a picture of the screen and I'm like, this is it. This is the most amount of content. I will be posting from here.
- [25:17]
B
Take my phone away.
- [25:17]
A
Right. And. And. But I do have a notebook, and if I have a thought, I'll write it down. And I'm like, maybe it will be a series once I'm done the course.
- [25:26]
B
Yeah.
- [25:27]
A
Not while I'm in it. Because then my perspective on things coming from a place of, like, is it content? Rather than, I'm here and I'm absorbing it for what I need.
- [25:38]
B
Yeah. And you're present in the moment with that.
- [25:40]
A
Correct.
- [25:40]
B
I also feel that a lot of people have a tough time being present at any given moment.
- [25:45]
A
And, like, that's literally everybody. Which is why, though.
- [25:48]
B
Like, why can't we just enjoy, like you were talking about earlier, how, you know, being in content and enjoying those first brand deals or just getting things gifted, Maybe you're not even being paid, but you're getting those things and it's the start of maybe a career. How come we just don't enjoy that? Like, is this just society now? Was this always like this?
- [26:07]
A
I mean, I think now it's more prominent than ever because we have this culture of comparison. So you might be really happy with what you have, but then you go online and you're like, like, but I don't have that, and I didn't achieve that. And I'm not in. How do I get into Forbes 30 under 30 and all these things that are now robbing away the joys that you have. So it is very much kind of a Culture of it now and we can't escape it unless you go off grid and you just don't know anything. Yeah, maybe that's the move.
- [26:38]
B
Yeah. I was like thinking about in the.
- [26:40]
A
Back of my head, not yet, not yet.
- [26:42]
B
I'm like, I'm not there yet, but. But maybe in the near future. So with like brand deals and things that are coming your way or even being in the room with such like a list celebrities and getting these huge brand deals, is it like intimidating? Is it. Are you now used to it? What's the feeling when you have these moments or when it was the first time you're meeting any of celebrity or just sat at the same table or any of that? How was that?
- [27:11]
A
It's cool, but it's very fleeting. I mean, it's not really a measure of anything. I know that a lot of people when they. And it happened to me as well throughout my career, like when I was in a room or sat beside, you know, a Hollywood actress and I like an ambassador just like her for this brand. And I thought that it would be much more meaningful for me, but it really wasn't because you just like, you kind of start looking around, being like, this is, it's not why I started this. Right. So that doesn't really measure up to me. What makes me excited and what makes me feel like I am doing a great job is when I see my audience reacts to something or when people want to, you know, have certain open up conversations that I started, like, to.
- [28:03]
B
Me that is like relatable and yeah.
- [28:05]
A
That'S more of a success. You know, when I, when I started talking about, about the fact that I was, I'm scared to have a girl. Right. A lot of people reached out to me like, oh my God. I was never, I could never like voice it, but I have the same thing. Like, to me that is what fuels me rather than these like fancy events and all that stuff. But you know, everyone has their own kind of fuel. I thought that would be my fuel. It's just, it's not.
- [28:32]
B
I was gonna ask you like, what is success to you? Because I mean, everyone's successful life looks a little bit different. But you kind of mentioned that, you know, success is being able to relate to people and making sure that your content lands or benefits the people around you. Is that what you would say?
- [28:49]
A
Yeah. And just, you know, the ability to speak my truth and, and just the integrity, keeping the integrity of it all throughout the years, that's really important to me. That to me is successful. What's beautiful about the business of creators is that all these brands and these companies come to you because of you. So that's why, you know, you don't look at. You're not trying to mold yourself to be something for these companies to choose you. You have to really find your voice in order for them to notice you, which is beautiful. So you're not playing a part. And that's why I am so passionate about this industry. And I understand why it keeps growing in the rate that it's growing, because that is. That. That is it. We're in the business of people. Right. So to me, that is success. Success is the ability to tell my story, to tell it well. Communication, you know, really building a connection with people that take the time to community. Yeah. To watch me and, and. And that's it. To me, that's kind of a life mission.
- [29:57]
B
And even in your, like, content and stuff too, as you grow as a person and as a mother and as a wife, you include your kids and family in to your content. Like I saw on one of your episodes of your podcast, you had your son on, which was awesome.
- [30:12]
A
Yeah.
- [30:13]
B
And you also have your husband and all your content. Is it nice being able to incorporate them into it, or are you kind of scared to incorporate that part of your life more and more?
- [30:22]
A
Well, I've been going back and forth, and it's ever changing. Something that is also very interesting. As a content creator, you constantly have to check in with yourself and your boundaries and what you share. If you started with sharing, you know, dating stories, and in six months you're in a happy relationship and you're like, I don't want to share my relationship. That's okay. You don't owe anything to anyone. But a lot, not a lot of creators are faced with challenges there because, like, this is why and how I build my community. And now I'm not giving them what they came here for. So at first, when I started, especially on YouTube, I was sharing a lot of vlogs, family moments. My kids were very much part of it. And then as they started getting older, I started moving away from showing them because I wanted to make them feel comfortable and doing their thing and not feeling like there's a camera in their face. And it's been a few years now of them kind of being here and there, but not really part of it. And now especially the older ones are Jake and Ben. They're like, okay, we want to be part of the content again. And we want to be, you know, because they under. They See that this is. This is a family business, and they understand the ins and outs of what we do. They see you every day, and we talk about it all the time. Gary and I, like, we. We have a very entrepreneurial household, and we don't go and have a meeting away from the kids. Like, the kids here, they know the lingo. They understand how brand deals work. They understand how you can spin off certain things. Like, they know. And now they want to be part of it. And, you know, I was very hesitant bringing them back in because I'm like, they're still at this vulnerable age. They're 11 and 10, and I don't want to put anything out there that will ever embarrass them.
- [32:03]
B
Yeah, they will come back to haunt them.
- [32:05]
A
Exactly. So I'm very careful. But, you know, I had the discussion with Gary, and Gary's, like, why are you taking away from them something that might teach them their own voice, their own confidence, their own. You know, it's.
- [32:19]
B
Yeah, it's.
- [32:20]
A
It's something that will be an asset for them in the future. So, yeah, we are the parents, and we're putting the boundaries around it, but why say no?
- [32:29]
B
Yeah. And what are those boundaries?
- [32:31]
A
Right. So for me, I'm, like, kind of sitting down right now, thinking, okay, so I brought them on a podcast.
- [32:37]
B
Yeah.
- [32:38]
A
We were able to dive into different topics and conversations, which my audience loved. They loved. They felt very much part of it. So that was really beautiful. And now I'm just like, okay, what are angles that I. I feel comfortable with as a parent?
- [32:53]
B
What's, like, a next step?
- [32:54]
A
Yeah. And I see them coming in more. I'm just, like, working around it, because especially now, you see so many things in the news of these, like, vlog families that are abusing their children. And there's horror stories. Oh, my God.
- [33:10]
B
That you. You would have no idea, because the content and stuff that's coming out looks like it's a beautiful, loving, fun family. And then.
- [33:19]
A
That's so insane. That's so insane to me.
- [33:22]
B
So.
- [33:22]
A
Yeah, it is. There's a lot of things to consider, but overall, I definitely see a lot of positives and opportunities for growth for the kids in this industry with, obviously, our guidance.
- [33:36]
B
Yeah. Do you have, like, are they allowed to have platforms themselves?
- [33:40]
A
No, no, no, no.
- [33:41]
B
Do you have a rule on, like, an age that they will be allowed to have it or what?
- [33:45]
A
My kids are the last kids in their class that, like, they don't have 10, 11. No. All the kids in their school have a phone, a Phone. Yeah, not. My kids don't have a phone.
- [33:55]
B
Not like in with the cellular service and everything.
- [33:58]
A
Not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they don't have access to anything. They have iPads. They.
- [34:05]
B
Do they bring those to school or is it just.
- [34:07]
A
No, no, no. Our school is like, device free, which is lovely. Yes. I hope that's going to be the norm now, moving forward. But. Well, now they came out with a lot of how they're going to enforce it. But you can have. Have a social media account until the age of. In Florida. Until the age of 14 or 16. One of those. Yeah, that. It's against the law.
- [34:28]
B
Wow.
- [34:28]
A
Yeah. So that's amazing.
- [34:30]
B
How are they even gonna manage that, though?
- [34:32]
A
I don't know.
- [34:33]
B
They have a way.
- [34:34]
A
I don't know. But I'm like, okay, make it a law.
- [34:37]
B
You're like, perfect. Let's.
- [34:39]
A
Let's start.
- [34:40]
B
Yes.
- [34:40]
A
Because there's really no. There's no benefit of kids being online and seeing the content that's being served to them.
- [34:48]
B
And especially the fact that so many people are not being true to who they are or not. Like, I mean, I'm a victim of editing myself and my face and everything. Like, definitely, it's a perfect world on social media, for the most part of it. And the comparisons that young kids could have to, you know, I should look like this, mom, I should look like this, or whatever is terrifying.
- [35:13]
A
It's terrifying. It's also moving the way. I mean, it's dictating the way kids consume and what they consume, like the Sephora girls. That's. That's a result of social media.
- [35:25]
B
Yeah.
- [35:25]
A
Right. So these companies are. They're finding new ways to touch younger audiences. But we are the ones. And listen, it's a lot on parents, let me tell you. It's. We are the ones who split putting their. These devices in their hands. So it's. It's for sure a battle. But my kids don't have social media accounts and they do not have access to devices. We were just in Costa Rica and they had their iPads, and we're like, we're going on a detox. So we went back to. Now during the week, there's no iPads, no nothing. No TV focus on school. And on the weekends, they have two and a half hours on an iPad.
- [36:04]
B
And do they ever get mad at you because they're like, well, why does Jimmy get to use his phone in school?
- [36:09]
A
No, because they don't know because Jimmy doesn't have a phone.
- [36:12]
B
Okay.
- [36:14]
A
Jimmy doesn't go to our School.
- [36:16]
B
Jimmy's at the wrong school. Well, that makes total sense and I stand for that. If, you know, if I ever do have kids, hopefully in the not near future, but sometimes, yeah, not too near.
- [36:28]
A
But it's a, it's a community effort and it's a community effort and society effort. Right. So I think that hopefully things will change by the time you'll have kids.
- [36:38]
B
Yeah, we'll see. Let's hope so. Let's talk marriage life, like being married and everything and doing content. You were. You said how old when you got engaged?
- [36:48]
A
We got it. Engaged when I was 20. Yeah, very married at 21.
- [36:53]
B
Because you got engaged a year after you met, Correct. Well, you're in a bed.
- [36:59]
A
Gary proposed two months after we met.
- [37:01]
B
Two months?
- [37:02]
A
Yeah. He's crazy.
- [37:04]
B
How the hell did he know that you were the one?
- [37:06]
A
I mean, he was 38. He knew. He's like, okay, I know at the certain times, like men reach a certain age where they're like, know exactly what they look for and what they need and then.
- [37:17]
B
So I have to wait till I'm 38. No, I wait till somebody else is 38.
- [37:22]
A
No, maybe some, some guys get there earlier, but he, he had his fun, he had his thing, he. He did what he needed to do. And then at 38, he met me and he's like, and were you.
- [37:32]
B
After two months, it was. It would like love at first sight. Obviously, if you guys, two months in, you're like, let's do this.
- [37:38]
A
It wasn't. So I want to differentiate because I think that people, the way we speak about love and marriage is very interesting because love doesn't sustain a long, happy partnership. Love is an aspect of marriage.
- [37:52]
B
Okay.
- [37:52]
A
So when I met Gary, I felt a lot of different things, but the most important thing that I felt was empowerment. And I felt. Wow, that's a big word.
- [38:05]
B
Yeah, Those are two big words for a relationship.
- [38:07]
A
That to me was more important than whatever people use, like the love thing. I don't know what that means. I think when people say love, they think about lust or infatuation, things like that, which is part of it, but they don't. They kind of come and go and come and go, especially in a really long term relationship. So what I felt with Gary was something that was way more substantial. And that's why I did not have second thoughts, even though I was very young. I left home at 16, so I had time.
- [38:40]
B
You did a lot very young.
- [38:42]
A
I did a lot. Very young. I had time to travel, I worked, I was financially independent. All the things I didn't think, I'm gonna get married young. That was definitely not in my bingo cards or whatever. Yeah, 20 is insane. But when I met him, I was like, hell yeah, let's go.
- [39:00]
B
Wow.
- [39:00]
A
Yeah.
- [39:01]
B
So it's just a feeling. You just knew.
- [39:02]
A
Yeah, I just knew.
- [39:04]
B
And is there like things in the relationship that you're like, these are non negotiables. We need to have within it that you could. Like you said before the relationship, like, no, we need to have A, B and C. We need to both be able to trust each other, do this or that. Like, is there three that kind of come to mind of non negotiables in your relationship?
- [39:23]
A
I think when you marry young or get in a relationship really young, I didn't have the language. It's also at the age of 20 and back then at 21, we didn't sit and talk about. We need to sit down and talk about the boundaries and red flags and green. No, what I wanted, I modeled. I modeled. You know what I mean? So trust. I made sure that he can trust me from the get go. And he speaks to it to these days. Like, the one thing that blew my mind was when you were. When we were together, when you got a call, it wasn't a random dude. It was like your mom or you're this or if I asked you a question, you weren't weird about it. And there was just. There was no gain.
- [40:08]
B
Yeah. There is nothing to be thinking too much into.
- [40:11]
A
Right. So I behaved the way I expected him to behave. So from the get go, that set the tone and. And that's it. Like, yeah, I thought that I was mature for my age, but in reality I was still 20, 21. And in a way, we kind of molded this relationship as we went along. He was older, he had more experience. It's very important to find a kind man that can bring. Like, he brought a lot of lessons to me, you know, like, he sat me down. He was like, listen, there's going to be a lot of Wednesdays. And I was like, what does that mean? He said, there's going to be a lot of really mundane days throughout the relationship. And I don't want you to think that those days are that like something is wrong in a relationship. They're just. That's life.
- [41:00]
B
Yeah.
- [41:00]
A
At 21, I don't know about Wednesdays. I was chasing a Friday every day. You know what I mean? So. So those are just really important conversations that we had that really set the tone to this relationship. And I'M so grateful that he was at this place, that he had all these like, this wisdom and lessons to share with me and I was receptive. And the things that I learned throughout our relationship, as I got older, I come to him and we like the implement. It always changes.
- [41:29]
B
And it seems like you were open to hearing his perspectives, how he sees relationships and everything, and adapting to both sides of it.
- [41:37]
A
And I think that's the biggest thing to have, you know that. But again, you need to trust and respect the person that you with in order to be open and receptive. So that's kind of the first sign I would say that needs to be acknowledged. Like, can I, is this me against him or is it we work together or is it you and I together?
- [42:02]
B
Yeah. Wow. It is a beautiful story because you don't hear that all the time where it, you know, is an easy route. You hear so many stories of, oh, this happened, someone cheated, someone was messaging, but it wasn't cheating, and then this and that. So it's beautiful to hear a safe, lovely love story.
- [42:18]
A
Yeah. But listen, for the longest time I was like, I married Gary because of my daddy issues and all these things. And then as I continue talking about it and you know, I have a lot of friends that are obviously I was the first one to get married from my age group. And all the things I realized like, damn, I was so smart making those.
- [42:37]
B
Decisions, you're like, nailed it.
- [42:39]
A
If it was daddy issues or not, I don't know what it was.
- [42:42]
B
Very well. And then what is the age difference between you and Gary then? If you're 20 and okay, yeah, so.
- [42:49]
A
I was 20, he was 38. And then when we were married, he was 39, I was 21.
- [42:54]
B
Okay. Because I mean, I've only done a 10 year age gap with a relationship. And I mean, I didn't see anything different between the ages. But I had questions from other people being like, why is he 34 and still single? Then like, if he's going for a 24 year old, why, like, whatever. So was there questions that you got?
- [43:13]
A
What would you, what were your answers?
- [43:16]
B
I said, I mean, that's for me to find out. I don't think nothing came up yet, but I guess where we're gonna lead.
- [43:23]
A
You know what, for me, I'll tell you, I. When I met gary, he was 38. He came from absolutely nothing, built something for himself against all odds, built a company, sold a company to me. He was busy. Yeah. It took 38 years and I admired that very much. That for Me was always a representation of.
- [43:52]
B
Of.
- [43:55]
A
Success. Not the selling, but the ability to be that driven, to be driven against all odds. Not being in an environment that nurtures that and still get out of that. That's something that I admire very much because that's like, my background.
- [44:15]
B
And you guys seem very similar in that way. Do you. I think you said this in another podcast. You guys work together now on some of your. Can you explain that a little bit?
- [44:25]
A
Yeah. So when I started with social media, I started with YouTube and I started kind of getting brand deals and I was doing everything myself. And at some point, and he was still working. Yeah, he had his business and at some point he was like, what are you doing? Because I got a big sum of money that came into our account. And he's like, what is this money? I'm like, this is from my brand deals. Like, brand deals. What do you do? There wasn't only fans back then, but I'm sure that would have been like, are you selling your pictures or something? I'm like, what are you selling? Exactly. So I showed him what I was doing and he's like, this is the future of media. And I didn't have enough confidence in myself or an understanding, like, the vision to understand what it could be. So, again, receptive. I'm like, really? You think so? Yeah. It's like, let's go, let's do this. Can I be part of it? I'm like, yes. So from that day, we incorporated Valeria Inc. And we just started operating it as a media company, which was very unheard of back in the day. I mean, now there's a bit more of a. You know, people move in a different way now because it's a. More industry more though.
- [45:36]
B
It's still not.
- [45:37]
A
It's still not there. But we were in Toronto, Canada. I was going to say, like, even hiring people for the. For positions. People are like, would you do what? What is going to be my work?
- [45:47]
B
Yeah.
- [45:48]
A
And so it was a lot of, like, training. But Gary had the background in scaling a business, in understanding media because he came from media marketing and Internet marketing. And. And yeah, and I was just. I was finding my way as a talent and my message and building a community, so creativity, everything. Exactly. So we, yeah, we joined forces and we started building it out. And we. One employee at a time, you know, making sure we never put any money in it. It was all things that, like, we invested back in that we made from the business. Yeah. And. And yeah, and it was. It was amazing. At some point we got four, five years ago, we got a CEO in. So we have a full on, like, operations happening. And you know, from there, like we consult brands, we consult individuals, we do whitelisting. Like, we have a lot of services that we do based on the Valeria Inc. Media company.
- [46:45]
B
And you have. Even from the start, from being in two different fields, but understanding how it all works, like having more of, you know what, you said he was into tech and things like that with his business.
- [46:57]
A
More of a business mind. Yeah, I didn't.
- [46:59]
B
And then you had. But you were excelling already in this social media world of advertising and working with brands and stuff. You understood that. So even partnering with the both of you, it's like a power couple. Okay, you're gonna give me some tips on this. You're gonna give me some tips on this. Put it together and you could start something so big.
- [47:17]
A
Yeah, yeah. So that was kind of the plan. There was a lot of bumps in the road to figure out how to work together because it is not a simple task. When you live and work together, egos come up. I mean, specifically for me, ego came up, you know, being like, you don't know what you're talking about, but that's all the things that you learn how to do throughout a relationship. And I feel like with the business and working together, it accelerated our learning and communication.
- [47:45]
B
Oh, I'm sure.
- [47:45]
A
So that was really cool.
- [47:47]
B
Yeah. Working with a partner I'm sure isn't the easiest thing in the world.
- [47:50]
A
It's. Yeah, yeah. It's challenging because you need to learn how to also come home and shut off the business side.
- [47:58]
B
That must be hard.
- [47:59]
A
But then you're also in a business where your life is your business.
- [48:02]
B
Yeah.
- [48:03]
A
So it's just a very tricky.
- [48:05]
B
Yeah. And you guys could be working 24, 7 every single day.
- [48:08]
A
Yeah.
- [48:09]
B
What do you do to shut it off? Like, did you say when we come home at a certain time, it's alone time? Okay.
- [48:15]
A
We just, we just made peace with the fact that, that we're very driven. This is our business. We want to build something and building something extremely meaningful. And this is our life's project. And it's not a nine to five. And it is what it is. When I get to a point where I'm like, hey, listen, I don't want to talk. I just, I voice it. I'm like, let's. Let's talk about it tomorrow or let's pick it up on Monday.
- [48:38]
B
Yeah.
- [48:38]
A
Yeah.
- [48:39]
B
And I mean, me just being 24 and thinking how you guys Got married so young or you got married so young and you kind of. You said 24. You had your first kid.
- [48:50]
A
22.
- [48:51]
B
22.
- [48:52]
A
I literally got pregnant on the first day of our honeymoon, which was two days after our wedding.
- [48:57]
B
Oh, my gosh. So did. Do you kind of have any regret of not being able to, you know, live out those crazy twenties of partying.
- [49:06]
A
In the United States? I don't know. I was. I'm kind of happy that I didn't, because I feel like I would have been a very. I know I would have been a messy 20 something.
- [49:18]
B
You're talking to a messy.
- [49:20]
A
Because at 16, I was like, I was just free. Right. I. My parents didn't travel with me. I lived in Japan, I was in Spain. I was. I traveled the world. I had access to everything I partied, I saw. I was in rooms with celebrities and different people. So I already experimented with that. And I was like, if I continue there, I wouldn't be the wrong path.
- [49:46]
B
Yeah.
- [49:46]
A
On the right path. You know what I mean? And I've seen a lot of friends of mine that did continue on the path, and they got lost in it. I would have gotten lost in it. So I think in one way, maybe that was also the reason why I was so open and excited for this new chapter to start so early on. Because I'm like, I know the potential that I have in me, and I just need the right partner beside me that will be able to shine a light. And I don't want to do it on my own. I wouldn't be able to do it on my own. So everything just had its own divine timing.
- [50:19]
B
Yeah. And I think potential is such a big word because so many people know that they have potential, but they just don't know how to use it. Or they think that they have to stick to a certain, you know, path or career or whatever. But it's very nice to hear, especially because I'm trying to do this whole social media thing and podcast thing. I feel the potential and I feel it in me. And seeing how hard you've worked to get to where you are, and I'm sure it wasn't all easy. I'm sure you had days that you just wanted to drop everything, but you stuck to it. And there is so many things that you're proud of and that you've created. It's inspiring, which would be the best word that I could say.
- [50:55]
A
So thank you.
- [50:56]
B
I look up to you.
- [50:56]
A
Potential is hunting me. That word hunts me.
- [50:59]
B
Why?
- [51:00]
A
And I just had a release. I Literally did a TikTok about it. But yesterday I was like, I never connected the dots, but throughout my school career.
- [51:10]
B
Okay, school as in school as, like.
- [51:12]
A
Going to school, like, first, second, third, all the way to the end. My. The word that haunted me was potential. Every time my mother would come to school to speak with the teacher, every teacher would be like, she has so much potential. But. And that word was just like. And maybe that's one of the reasons where I was like, I got my potential.
- [51:32]
B
I need more. I need more. I want more.
- [51:33]
A
Exactly.
- [51:34]
B
Give me more.
- [51:34]
A
Yeah. So it was very interesting. I was like, aha. It was that damn Russian met teacher back in Israel that kept talking about potential.
- [51:42]
B
You're like, I need to send this TikTok to her right now.
- [51:44]
A
Exactly. But. But yeah, it's. It's definitely, you know, having that. Having your own drive that is within you, but then have a partner beside you. And it doesn't have to be a romantic partner. It can be also, like, a friend or family member, whoever it is that see that and doesn't. Doesn't, like, kind of reminds you, like, there's more. You got to keep going because there's more from, like, a really, like, belief in you.
- [52:08]
B
Like, I know you're gonna do well.
- [52:10]
A
Exactly.
- [52:11]
B
Just chase that.
- [52:13]
A
Extremely important.
- [52:14]
B
And do you see that when, like, your kids and everything, too? Like, I want to make sure that they know that they have potential to you even. Are you the person to say that, what your teachers kind of said to you?
- [52:26]
A
Well, I mean, I grew up in a Russian household, so it was always, like, I would come home with a 90. Why is it not a hundred? Like, why is it a B and not an A? Why is it an A but not an A plus? So I'm trying to kind of figure out, you know, a medium to that where you are enough, but also you can be more.
- [52:49]
B
Yeah, that's a good way to put it. You're enough.
- [52:52]
A
Yeah.
- [52:52]
B
But you could be more. Yeah. If you want to. You don't have to.
- [52:55]
A
Because with our kids, it's different. Like, having kids. Kids these days, you know, we. They're already so privileged compared to how Gary and I grew up. So we're trying to figure out how do we instill this hunger and determination in them, but, you know, still enjoy the fruits of our labor? Because I want to have someone at home that cleans. I don't want to do it myself. I don't want to. You know, there's. We have a lot of help now because that's where we invest our money.
- [53:22]
B
Absolutely.
- [53:22]
A
To buy time back. So how do we teach them that with kind of all the things that they have going for them right now? It's hard.
- [53:31]
B
Yeah. And there's one thing that my parents always said when I was growing up that I love. It's like we are so proud of you because you're doing something that makes you happy. And they're always like, chase your dreams. Whether it's being the best cleaner in the world, whether it's being the best chef in the world, whatever that may be, you can always do really good and excited, excel in something if you try really hard at it. But regardless of what you do, we are proud of you. And just hearing the proud is like such a warm. It's like a hug.
- [54:00]
A
Just. It is a hug. But we also need to get them to like learn to survive in the world.
- [54:06]
B
Yeah. You're like, listen, you got to make some money. You got to do this, you got to do that.
- [54:11]
A
You just. Yeah, it's not going to be easy. And you got to learn how to navigate and resilience and there's gonna be a lot of shit coming your way. And that's just what it is.
- [54:21]
B
And I do want to be mindful of time, but at the end of all my podcasts, I do a little rapid fire question.
- [54:26]
A
Let's do it.
- [54:27]
B
So I mean, I'm not great at making it very cut because I tend to go off in little tangents. But nor. Well, we should kind of cut it down to like a 15 second answer. But if not, who cares? Okay, so the first question is how much did you make on social media in 2024 work?
- [54:45]
A
I don't know. I have a finance team for that.
- [54:47]
B
Okay. Could you give a ballpark talent make the content.
- [54:52]
A
Thank you.
- [54:53]
B
All right, next question. What's your favorite platform to create content for?
- [55:01]
A
It changes. Honestly, during co it was Tik Tok, Then it went back to Instagram. Now I'm back like into YouTube. So depends.
- [55:10]
B
And where does your podcast fall in that? Are you like excited about it? Is it one of your favorite things to do or is it still.
- [55:16]
A
It's the number one favorite thing to do because I still struggle with it in terms of like my own voice, but. So that is a priority. But kind of like the easy is more of those like TikTok, Instagram or.
- [55:30]
B
YouTube and probably helping you grow too in a different way.
- [55:34]
A
Exactly. That's my self development project.
- [55:36]
B
Yeah, the podcast, it's helping you.
- [55:40]
A
Exactly.
- [55:41]
B
Next question. Is one luxury item you Regret buying.
- [55:45]
A
Oh, my God. So many. But one that I regret buying.
- [55:50]
B
So many. You regret?
- [55:51]
A
Yes.
- [55:52]
B
Really? Why?
- [55:53]
A
Because I. Because you buy things that are, like, trendy.
- [55:59]
B
Yeah.
- [56:00]
A
And then you're like, what? What am I doing?
- [56:02]
B
This doesn't fit. Five years later.
- [56:04]
A
No, not at all.
- [56:05]
B
It'll come back around, though. At some point.
- [56:09]
A
Maybe. Let's hope. I would say the Bottega pouches.
- [56:13]
B
Oh, really?
- [56:14]
A
It's like a. Yeah.
- [56:15]
B
Okay.
- [56:15]
A
Yeah, I bought two and I'm. I maybe wore it once.
- [56:18]
B
Oh, so cost per wear was not.
- [56:21]
A
No, doesn't make sense at all.
- [56:23]
B
That's. Okay. Well, I was gonna say, if you had a daughter, she would love to take all of that. All of those things.
- [56:28]
A
I don't.
- [56:29]
B
Okay. I can be your daughter if you're looking for one. It's fine.
- [56:32]
A
What shoe size are you?
- [56:34]
B
Well, I could f. What do you.
- [56:35]
A
Need me to be?
- [56:36]
B
Yeah, I'm like, what are we talking in here? Next question is, what's your dream brand collaboration? That hasn't happened yet, but I know you've done a lot. So if you want to answer something that you've done that you just love and you love working with, you can say that too.
- [56:54]
A
You know what? I don't have? I don't have one. And I'll tell you why. Because part of what I love about my work is the ability to operate as a marketing agency. So when a brand comes to us. Us, the creative process of, like, how to tell the story or to bring a product to the market for that certain brand, for that brand and for the audience is trying to capture, like, that process to me is so exciting. So I get as much satisfaction to do it for Dior as much as I do it for, I don't know, a wine cooler, you know, because it is the storytelling that excites me.
- [57:26]
B
I did. I worked in pr. So I understand exactly what you're saying. With like, brands and being able to. To see their vision and help them, like, bring it to life, it's so satisfying.
- [57:34]
A
Yeah.
- [57:35]
B
Next question. Is your go to wellness ritual so something you do for your wellness?
- [57:44]
A
I don't stick to rituals for a long time because at some point they kind of become. I become non responsive to them. So. But the one thing that I consistently do is a cold shower in the morning. I feel like cold water is just. Just such an amazing way to re. Energize. But also to do a hard thing first thing in the morning sets you off for, like, success for the rest of the day. So that one I I'm very consistent with. Except when I'm on my period. Don't do it before you get your period.
- [58:12]
B
Why? It's just too tough.
- [58:14]
A
You want to stay warm. It's a time to like.
- [58:16]
B
Okay, but other than that, Always a cool shower.
- [58:19]
A
Other than that, cold shower. Okay.
- [58:21]
B
I might have to implement that into mine.
- [58:22]
A
I'm telling you. And start with like 30 seconds and then build it up to one. Like, before the whole cold plunge craze back in Canada.
- [58:29]
B
Were you doing it before this?
- [58:30]
A
I was doing it before. I would finish every shower with a cold shower. And first of all, it's amazing for the hair as well.
- [58:36]
B
I heard that. Yeah, like, makes it so good.
- [58:38]
A
Hair body, like everything and lymphatic system. But I would finish my shower and I started with standing 10 seconds under cold water, then 30, then 1 minute, then a minute and a half, and you kind of build up. So when the cold. What is it called? Cold plunge came in, I was like, I've been doing this for years.
- [58:54]
B
You're like, I actually created this. We'll do a few more.
- [58:59]
A
Okay.
- [59:00]
B
What's your most challenging aspect of running a media company?
- [59:07]
A
Containing and organizing all the ideas in my head because there's so much going on.
- [59:15]
B
Do you write them down in, like.
- [59:16]
A
I write them down, but sometimes, you know, they come to me when I'm in the middle of something else. So this is why I said the monkey brain is just. Just sometimes you're like, that's why Selena is always with me. And I'm like, write this, write this down.
- [59:29]
B
You have to start a voice note.
- [59:30]
A
Yeah, yeah. And you kind of, like, you kind of become a little crazy.
- [59:34]
B
I'm already crazy to start with. So I'm like, how?
- [59:36]
A
Oh, great.
- [59:37]
B
Yeah, great.
- [59:37]
A
It's a little extra spice.
- [59:39]
B
Yeah, it's a little spice where people are like, what are you doing? What are you thinking? But it's fine. Last question. If you could start over, would you choose the same career path or what would you do differently?
- [59:49]
A
Oh, my God. Absolutely. I would definitely choose the same career path.
- [59:52]
B
Okay, I thought you meant you were gonna.
- [59:54]
A
No, absolutely, we'll choose the same career path. And what I would do differently? Nothing.
- [60:02]
B
Really?
- [60:03]
A
Yeah, nothing.
- [60:04]
B
And if you were. This is not even on the questions, but if you were to give advice to people starting off their career in social media and wanting to do that as a full time job, what would you say to them?
- [60:17]
A
I would say that they need to kind of take out this whole virality and, you know, the need to be famous. Tomorrow thing from their heads. Because I think, again, it's very. It's very exaggerated on social media. So we think that people just pop off, you know, online right away, but it takes a long time. So just like I told you, like, you can't compare your chapter one to their chapter 300.
- [60:43]
B
Yes.
- [60:44]
A
And that's something that I've even learned with podcasts, where I told you earlier, where, you know, I was sitting, listening to my podcast the first season of it, and I'm like, this is not at all what I wanted, and these are all the things that I'm not good at. And I'm listening and comparing it to someone who's been doing it for 10 years. And I kind of caught myself in a moment where I was listening to their episode, and I'm like, it's episode 798.
- [61:08]
B
Yeah.
- [61:09]
A
And then I'm looking at, like, mine is episode three. 05. It's like the audacity that I have to want these things. Like, I gotta do the work, you know, so really like, that frame of mind. Right. The mindset of, like, I'm a student and I have to really practice on my craft and perfect it. And it's going to take time and.
- [61:29]
B
A lot of effort and be patient, but be hardworking.
- [61:32]
A
Yeah.
- [61:32]
B
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for coming on my podcast. This was so fun. And you're even more amazing in person than you are online, which was. I didn't even know what to expect. So I'm so happy that you were so welcoming.
- [61:44]
A
You. It was my pleasure.
- [61:45]
B
So thank you so much for coming on and I will see you guys next Thursday.