Luz Perez Brown of Willow + Jax and Taking Five Podcast joins us for a conversation about creating systems that support your business so you can have more space in your life, the real value in cultivating connections beyond screens, and why the messy middle just might be a steady state we can learn to live in. We’re also talking moving 8 times in 13 years, the superpower of flexibility, and her secret tips for making friends as an adult.

Listen to Episode 234 of Celebrate Cultivate on Apple / Spotify / Below

Where you can find Luz:

+ listen to her podcast: Taking Five

+ connect on Instagram: @willow.and.jax

+ visit her website: willowandjax.com

Listen to Episode 234 of Celebrate Cultivate

Hello. You are listening to Celebrate Cultivate. I am your host, coach, and voice in your earbuds, Kaileen Elise Sues. I am very excited to share that today we have a guest joining us. Luz Perez-Brown is a strategic operations partner and systems designer for creative women who are done holding everything together with duct tape and pixie dust.

You might know her by her business name, Willow and Jax, her podcast, which is called Taking Five, or the very cool in-person event series she launched called At the Table. I've had the pleasure and privilege of getting to know Luz through voice memos, DMs, and a great conversation on her podcast earlier this year.

I have a feeling you're going to love her confidence, organized business sense, and down-to-earth nature just as much as I do. As you can probably tell, I am super happy to finally be here sitting down with my friend Luz. Welcome to the show

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me. That's such a sweet intro.

I'm so, so excited. We have been kind of talking about this for maybe, like, six months now, and it's just tough to get two moms together on a podcast, I think. What do you think? Is it hard to schedule things sometimes?

Yeah, I think it's hard to schedule, but I think that there's also so much beauty in the fact that we also are very flexible j- Totally

just to, and generally everyone really is on the same page. I've had the pleasure of working primarily with women for probably the past eight years now, and it's just, it's part of the process, you know? And I think that the flexibility is the gift that we've given ourselves. So yeah, it is hard, but you know, you, you learn to work around it.

And how sweet of a, you know, experience to go through this and be able to prioritize our littles when needed.

Exactly. That's, like, such a good way of putting it, and I agree. It's one of those things that I often tell my clients when they have to reschedule or I have to reschedule, like, look, it always works out for the better.

I totally trust that, like, when we land on a date, it's gonna work out perfectly, and I think this is true for us. So I wanna give you a chance to introduce yourself properly and your work, but before we dive into all of that, can you share a little bit about what's going on in your life right now?

Oh, yes, of course.

Well, I am a military spouse, and my husband relocates really often for work, and we tag along with, so we are coming up on our eighth move- Mm ... in 13 years. And so we are, literally our house gets listed today, and we spent the weekend, you know, driving, like, six hours to grandparents to drop off kids because if you've ever sold a house with kids, you realize that, like, you clean one room, and then you go to the other room, and then the room you just cleaned is completely destroyed.

So it was like well, we've got to do something so that we can move more quickly here. So yeah, so I'm, I'm transitioning from one city to the next, which is pretty common for us. I am in South Carolina right now, and we're headed to DC. I am so, so sad to leave South Carolina. This has been the place that has felt like home to me, which is really weird because, you know, I don't have any family here, you know?

But it, I just really found myself here, and it was really beautiful, so I'm sad to leave. But of course we're always excited for a new opportunity, so we'll see what DC has to offer.

Yeah. Yeah. What do you feel... I just, like, I can't imagine doing that, but I know a lot of humans do exactly what you're doing on a very regular basis.

But w- now that you've said that you found yourself in South Carolina, what are the bits that you're making sure to gather and carry with you in this next move?

Oh my gosh, relationships is a big one. I think that because we moved so frequently, and because my business is online, very often I would land in a place and just kind of hole up in my little office, and I'd be like, "Well, you know, I'm doing this for, you know, however long, a year or whatever," and I wouldn't really expand beyond that, and it became really hard.

Like, the last move that we had, it was a difficult time for me. I think I was just over it. And so when I moved here, I think that I really wanted to try something completely different, and I just was way more proactive about finding community and, you know, making relationships and trying really hard to, to fit into the community around me.

You know, it, it... And it's difficult. It's especially difficult- Yeah ... when you're an adult, and, you know, you haven't grown up with people, or you don't know anybody, uh, you know, b- just you don't know anybody. So it's, it's- Yeah ... been an interesting thing. But here I was able to make really wonderful, lovely relationships, and I know that I'm carrying those relationships with me into the future, but then also the skill set to make those kinds of friendships and how to go about it and, you know, how to stay consistent.

And then of course, the confidence that comes from that, knowing that, you know, it is hard to move, but we have full autonomy and power to create the experience that we desire.

Oh, yes, so good. What are your secret tips to making friends?

I think my secret tips to making friends, that's so funny. It's like it's such...

So I'm in high school. Uh-huh. And my my secret tips to making friends is really- Continuing to reach out. I mean, I think it really is- Mm-hmm ... persistence in, in this stage of life. People are busy. People have their own, you know, routines, and it's very common to meet somebody and really hit it off, and then just, like, not hear back- Yeah

from them, you know? And you, you have to just kind of continuously say, "I just thought about that person. Let me just drop a text, you know, real quick." Even if the text says nothing at all, but just continuing to, to stay on top of it on your end because everybody has a lot going on. And I think that it's also very forgiving.

It's kinda like the motherhood thing. Mm. I think that, you know, there's nothing wrong with disappearing for six months and still being like, "Hey- Mm-hmm ... just thought about you." That's okay. Like, you know, I think that past me, I'm very introverted, very shy, socially awkward, all of those things. The past me would've been like, "Oh, it's been too long," and now it's just, you know, too much time has passed, and now it's just like, what do I say?

And, and now I don't really think about it as much. I just think, better to do it than not do it, you know? Future me will thank me.

Yes, such good advice. And honestly, all of us listening, I know that I had, like immediately when you said that, a person pop to mind. So if you're- Oh, yeah ... listening to this right now and, like-

somebody's coming to mind, s- pause the episode, go text them, and then come back because I totally agree with you. And I think that something else you said about that confidence, like, that confidence is built through practice, and the only way we get practice is by doing the thing. And even though it might feel, like, awkward or cringe to follow up a text message that went unanswered, like, honestly, the other person on the other end thought they responded, thought they hit send, then the macaroni started boiling over-

and you know, the rest is history. So we've all been there, but that's such, such good advice. So I wanna get back to, like, your work and what you do. When you meet somebody at, like, parent pickup or an acquaintance at the coffee shop, and they're like, "Tell me more about what you do," how is it that you explain your work?

It's so funny because my work is so broad. It has become so broad that I have to find the most concise way to say it possible. So I usually say that I help creative service providers run the back end of their business so that they can spend more time doing the work they love.

Mm. I love that. And that's

it.

Yeah. I gotta keep it short. Now, what that means, of course, it's just ... It could be, like, strategy, client experience design, project management, just setting up all of the tools, including automations, that really help our businesses scale and grow. I have mostly worked with people who are in the messy middle.

It's what I call it. So it's when you've grown past being a solopreneur, but you don't quite have support yet. So a lot of the people that I work with are coming to me to create all of the systems that they need so that they can hire effectively, and- Mm-hmm ... you know, bring somebody on without it being

You know, especially if they're already in the weeds, sometimes hiring people can be even more complicated, right? You have to train another person. You have to teach them how to do everything that you do, and then there's the confidence thing. You know, nobody can do it quite like me. That's something that is a mindset shift that we have to work through as well.

So just kind of transitioning from that solopreneur to somebody who has support, whether that be an employee in-house or even just a contractor or a VA or anything like that. But everybody has to have some sort of support. I mean, even us. You know, we both have podcasts. Yeah. And we have editors for the podcast.

You just cannot do it all in business. And so, you know, I help people transition from that spot so that they can have more time.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I felt personally victimized when I was looking at your website. And instead, like, the pixie dust and... I'm like, literally, I would be embarrassed to hand over, like, pull back the curtain and be like, "Hey, look at these really bad spreadsheets that are running the back end of my business."

So how do you help people who are just kind of scared to reveal the, the inner workings of their business?

Everyone is scared to. I am scared- Mm ... to reveal the inner workings of my business. You know? That is just... I mean, we, we do the best that we can, but what I really do is start with the strategy first.

I always sit down and talk with somebody about what the sticky areas are. Because whilst I would love to wave a magic wand and make your business, like, 110% great in three months, like, that's just not realistic. So we really start with thinking about what are the things that are really, really challenging right now.

Like, maybe you've had an influx of leads, and they keep coming, and your inquiry process is a little bit messy, and people are not hearing back from you as quickly as you'd like to. Like, if that's a sticky area right now, that's what we wanna focus on, more so than, you know, "Okay, I wanna hire in six months."

Like, okay, but let's fix what's actually, I don't wanna say broken, but what's challenging first. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So usually we start with that. We make a really customized 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day plan. Everything is just like, what could we do to optimize this particular area of your business? And then we go in and we implement.

So we make sure that those things are getting done, the accountability factor, the support factor, the consultation factor, where, you know, a lot of times I would love to just set up, you know, an Asana board for somebody and say, "This is how you're gonna do your inquiries from now on." But the truth of the matter is there's so many questions that have to get answered, and there's a lot of, you know, back and forth dialogue of, "Well, you can do it like this, or you could do it like this, and this is the pro to that way, and this is the con."

And Mm-hmm ... so there's a lot of decisions that get made in the process as well, but it is so, so freeing, so rewarding. I say this, you know, obviously I experience this in my business as well. It is so wonderful to be able to have a plan that you can stick to over and over again for a client, and have that consistency- Mm-hmm

and know that things are running super smoothly and as they're supposed to be, and that every client gets the exact same five-star experience that you mean to. You know? And the way that we do that is often through systems.

Yeah. Ugh, totally. Oh, man. I- if anybody else is feeling guilty while you're listening to this, it's okay.

We are all works in progress. And I, I do think there is like a l- there's almost always a big gap between what you want for your community experience, for your experience as a business owner, and then like what's actually happening. And I think that part of owning a business, or even in your own career, right, like even if you're working in corporate, is, is learning how to, to navigate and endure the gap, and realize like that gap will always exist.

Always. Is that, is that something that you have experienced also?

100%. You have nailed it. Like, it is a constant evolution. And- Mm-hmm ... there isn't really like, "Oh, I've got it all figured out, and now everything will run smoothly." Well, when you get there, guess what? It's time to scale. Mm-hmm. And you're onto the next level.

So it, it is just kind of a, a constant. I really love the practice of doing quarterly CEO days with yourself. Mm. And working not just in the business, but also on the business. And having that, even if you just take on one to two small projects every quarter that move you closer to where you wanna be, that evolution really shows in time.

And, you know, I've had clients where I've worked with them- For like 18 months. And we start one place, and we end someplace completely different, you know? Mm-hmm. I started with somebody who, you know, was at the time, all of her team members had left. And working together, creating systems, you know, hiring, figuring out who was the best person that would sit next to her.

We ended up with her speaking on panels and, you know, having a team of five, and it's just, like, amazing. Wow. Like, who would've thunk when we started that that's the path that it would take? But it's that constant reiteration, that constant evolution, and also most importantly, having a really strong vision, which is something that you and I have talked about, you know, so often.

And it's just, if you don't know where you're headed, it's really hard to make some of those decisions stick. That's what I would say. Like, I feel like when we have, as creatives, like the squirrel brain, you know? And we're like, oh- Mm-hmm ... maybe I'll try this, and maybe I'll try that. It's just because we're really not clear of where it is that we are supposed to end up.

Mm-hmm.

But when you know where you're going, like, all of it just actually makes sense of what is for you and what's not for you. And you can say, "That's not actually gonna lead me where I want, so I can go ahead and shelf that. Great idea. Somebody else can try it. That's not for me."

Yes. Ugh, you, I mean literally, you don't see my notes in front of me, but you took what I was gonna say and just like covered it already, which is so amazing.

You do, you and I both really do have this, the common passion for visioning or what you call that vision work. And I'm curious what, where do you think the, like, setting up those guardrails, like, when do you think that comes into play? Because sometimes with visioning, it is just this, like, open field of dreams and excitement and like, ooh, we could go in a million different directions.

So how do you take that first piece of visioning and then distill it down to something that is, like, very clear and has an end point or a direction so that you can say no to things even if they feel really shiny and sparkly?

I'm obsessed with this question. That is such a good question. I think that, like, when we look at a project with a, you know, client, we're really looking at things very holistically.

So yes, the vision work is a big component of it, but then we also have to layer in that, like, what is working now and what is not working now aspect. So when you look at those two pieces combined, things start to get clearer. The third component that I always like to add in is data, you know? Mm-hmm.

Sometimes our feelings really guide us places, but the data shows something completely different, and sometimes we have to listen to that, too. So it's, it's yes, understanding the vision, but then clarifying right now in the today, like, what can I do today to get closer to that? And that is the guardrail.

Like, I can make- Mm-hmm ... a list of 5,000 things that I wanna do with my personal business, but I can only do one to two at a time, and I know that. Mm-hmm. Right? Mm-hmm. Like, I know that from experience. So focusing on those priorities and revisiting it so that the next time you do your quarterly, you know, CEO day, you're like, "Okay.

Well, I knocked out those two things. What are the next two things I had on my list?" And guess what? Maybe at that stage, those two things are not relevant anymore. Yeah. And that's okay. That's how we inch our way closer to that, like, long-term goal.

Yes. Yes, totally. A theme that's come up recently in a lot of conversations, and I don't know if it's just me or what, is that everything just seems to be taking so long.

And this goes to, like, you know, people and their personal health journeys, or, like, creating a graphic for Instagram, or the changes that we hope to see in our relationships with family members. Like, i- in business, in every life area, it feels like things are taking longer than our brains want them to. I'm curious if you have experience with that, or any insight to share, or if this is something that you've seen, like, in your life lately, because it feels like you have a good grasp on reality when it comes to, like, how long something will take.

Well, I think I need to, like, approach this from, uh, something that I do not have enough experience on, but I'm gonna throw it out there, 'cause this is- Go for it ... actually really interesting. I heard recently, and it was kinda like, you know, the, a glimpse of an article. Like, I didn't dive that deeply into it, but I am curious about it and I will actually go and find more information about this.

But the, the way that we are continuously in these 2D spaces, like on our computers and on our tablets and on our phones, it is, like, somehow collapsing our ability to make memories, because it's 2D and not 3D.

Mm-hmm.

So when you said that, the first thing I think of is like, "Oh my gosh, well, maybe it's just because we can't, like, compute time the same way that- Mm

we had been able to- Mm-hmm ... back when we had our hands in dirt and- Mm-hmm ... you know, were walking everywhere and things like that. So that's-

Yeah ...

one factor that could potentially be-

Yeah ...

a reality.

Well, honestly, yeah. If you even just think about how long it takes... When I sat down to, like, think about this episode, I started with pen and paper.

And very quickly, even just, like, writing your name out, I was like, "I could copy and paste this from her website." You know what I mean? Oh my gosh. So there's, like- She has ... there is some, there is something real about this of, like, we are still animals living in a 3D world, very beholden to the hours of the day and everything else, and yet there is so much of our life that is driven by an illusion of efficiency.

And, like, the question I keep wanting to ask is, like, what are we gonna do with the time that we get from doing things faster? And not to take us on some random tangent, but when you were talking about the vision work and the guardrails and just knowing, like, what is for you and what you're focusing on, and inching your way forward in a quarter, that sounds so dissatisfying in a way of like, ugh- Ooh

inching my way forward. Like, I wanna make quantum leaps. I wanna, you know, have these big, massive changes. But I just know from experience that- Those occur after a lot of time and effort and energy. Like, sometimes you do wake up in a wholly new place, like your client that you were talking about that's, like, speaking on panels.

But that comes from, like, so much work. It looks instant, but it's not.

Correct. And I will say this. When I say inching your way towards that, what I want to also illustrate is that if you're inching, you are not overwhelming yourself. Ah. And if you are not overwhelming yourself, you have some time. And if you have some time, you can spend it however you want.

Mm-hmm. Do you wanna go to a coffee shop on Fridays? Fantastic. That is the balance that we all crave. In order to have this work-life balance, I hate that word, it's so outdated, but, like, in order to have something that is really fulfilling to us as humans, you must inch, you know? Mm-hmm. You cannot do it all, because then you're...

Exactly. Like, think about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is very customary for you to grab your beautiful buffet plate, fill it up, go eat, and then what do you do? You get up and you get seconds, right?

Mm-hmm.

You, you know you're gonna get seconds, you know? But you don't fill up the plate so high that you can't get through it, you know?

Mm-hmm.

So

I mean, that was a perfect analogy. Yeah. And I really am gonna use that moving forward. But, but yes, inching our way and, like, doing things really methodically and calculated and strategically really allows us to live life and live it fully and have space and create fulfillment outside of productivity.

You and I talked about this, I think, on my podcast about, or maybe it was just, like, before we started. I started my podcast because I wanted to have conversations with people, and I was like, "Oh, well, I'll share those conversations." And it ended up being something that has no place in my business. I'm not gonna lie to you.

Mm-hmm. It doesn't fit in with anything. However, it is the most rewarding part of my business. It is what makes the business feel like it's mine.

Hmm.

It's what creates balance for me. It's what makes me feel like I am still connected to people. It makes me feel creative to do the promotion. Like, it is, it's just for me, you know?

Mm-hmm.

And sometimes you have to realize that it can't always be 100% efficiency and productivity and strategy. You have to put- Yeah ... in a little bit of space for life.

Totally. Yeah. Or all of the space for life if you can. Right, right. You know? Like, make, making your business be a part of your life instead of, like, this, this big thing that you have to get done then to get to your life.

I'm curious why you say that your podcast doesn't have a place in your business.

Because there's no, like- There's no CTA to it that leads back to an offer. I mean- Uh-huh ... it really, there isn't and I haven't tried to squeeze that in there, and it just, it feels fine. Like, I just love chatting with people, and that- Mm-hmm

is good for now, and maybe it'll morph into something else. But yeah, that's, that's kinda why I, I say that. It's really more like a little experiment outside of my business, but it just happens to be under my umbrella.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, what is your vision for the podcast moving forward? Do you have one?

I think the podcast, well, we're coming back for a season three.

Mm. So that's really exciting, and I really, I feel like you would resonate with this so much. I really take it season by season.

Mm-hmm.

And I'm like, "Okay, that was fun. I'm gonna do it again." And maybe at the end of season three, I may not say that. I don't know. Mm-hmm. So I know that there's a season three coming.

I know exactly who I am excited to reach out to and invite onto the pod. And it has been really, really fun because I have been healing myself in the process. I've been learning so much from my guests. I've been taking little nuggets and applying them to my life. And, you know, it's just been really, really fun.

And of course, we have, you know, some listeners that just chime in and, and reach out to me on Instagram and say, "I love that episode," or, "I love this perspective." And, and that's been just so fulfilling.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. Okay, we hadn't said exactly what the podcast is. So can you share a little bit about that so that people can hop over there and listen after we're done?

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. So Taking Five is a podcast where I sit down with other creative women in business, and we talk about the messy middle, like what that has looked like for them, whether that be pivoting or finding new ways to work with, you know, you know, the, the, within the, the boundaries of motherhood or, you know, moving, relocating.

Just all of the things that we go through behind the scenes that don't ever make it into an Instagram post. You know, and just kind of like chit-chatting about what that's like and how to get through it and, you know, some of the pros, some of the cons, and just what real life is behind the curtain and when you're in the messy middle.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, you've... Yeah, it's such a good show, and I do like that you're taking it season by season. That is a dream approach, something that I have always thought that I would do and just never have. So I think it's, it's a smart way to do it. And I love that you're just gonna, like, see how you feel.

I, I think for anybody who would ever consider starting a podcast, that would be my advice is, you know, to have a plan and to have sort of, like, check-ins to see, like, is this something that you wanna keep doing versus, like, just getting to a day that you're supposed to record and be like, "Well, I guess I'm gonna record today, and I don't know when this is gonna end."

So I think that's very smart. And a common theme that we've had through this whole conversation is community, and you're, you've told me before that you have, like, pretty strong feelings about the difference between community and audience, and I'm just curious what the distinction is in your eyes.

Yeah, definitely.

I mean, I really think it's... There's a difference, and we, we talk- we touched on this already talking about, you know, creating new relationships, making new friendships. Like, there is a difference between connecting with people and having true real life engagement with somebody. And, and you are so wonderful about this.

Like, we obviously met, you know, through the Instagram world, and you have always, like, checked in, left a, a voice note, you know, commented on posts. And i- it's one thing to just follow somebody because you find them interesting, but it's a completely different thing to really get to know somebody, to be, you know, supportive and interested in their life and in their journey.

And I think that we're in this world right now where s- we do that so much internally, like behind the scenes- Mm ... and we never express any of that, you know? You're just kind of, like, lurking in the shadows, and I don't mean you personally, of course. Yeah. But, like, we lurk in the shadows and we say, "Oh, that's so cool," but we don't tell that person, "Hey, that's so cool," you know?

Mm-hmm. We could just be like, "Oh my gosh, I love..." Like, for example, I have a friend who posts these adorable videos every year of her son, I think it's like the night before his birthday, and I've followed her for about six years, so I've seen a lot of these videos, and they warm my heart every single time.

And this was the first year that I finally said, like, "I love these videos so much." Aw. Yeah. And like, "Thank you so much for sharing that part of your life." But she's putting it out there, and if she doesn't get any feedback from anybody, then, you know, that's just... It's just a weird place to live. Like, I don't- Yeah

think that, that the, you know, olden days, like, something like that would have been ever equivalent, you know? Yeah. It's like you just stare at somebody blankly with, with no reaction whatsoever, and then you go hide in the, you know, in the corner and tell your friends that you thought that was cool. You know what I mean?

Like-

Yeah ...

so I think that community is something that you develop by really, really just expressing yourself way more. Just say what you think, say what you feel, and that's something that I've had to really, really challenge myself to do, and it's still, it's still a work in progress. I mean, I'm not gonna lie.

I'm not perfect, but I am- Yeah ... trying because I know that, you know, it's, it's- It's what helps the world g- go around, you know, to have these connections, to have these relationships, whether they be small or big or, you know, sometimes you're just having a bad day and you just wanna hear from somebody, anybody.

Yeah. You know? You're like, "I just wanna chit-chat with somebody about something random. Can we talk about Love Island?" You know? Like-

Yes ...

so yeah, so I think that, you know, building a community is really more just about, like, having actual, an actual relationship with somebody, whether it be, uh, online or, even better, offline.

Yeah. You know? And taking it offline and, you know, you live in Austin and we talked recently, I have three great friends in Austin that I've met online, and I'm like, "I should take a trip there."

Yeah.

Like, we should meet in real life, you know? Yeah. And it's not, it's, it's not weird because that's just- No

the world that we live in now, you know? Yes.

Like- Yes.

Yeah. Yeah.

1,000%.

We're a very digitally forward life, and how do we take these, you know, online relationships and, and try to convert them to something that we can do offline as well?

Yeah, and I think there's, the, it, again, with the things taking time, like, we've planted the seed.

Like, we've identified that, like, we have common connections in the places that we live. Oh, yeah. And so when an opportunity, like, presents itself, I think we'll be so much more excited and willing to, to take that leap and, like, make a visit happen because we've built that over time. And I, again, to your point about, like, sending the text message, following up, it's like just continuing to, to keep that pathway open.

You never know where things are gonna lead and where connections will take you and where, like, true friendships and meaningful relationships can unfold.

Absolutely. And I mean, honestly, this is like a path that is both personal and there's like the business aspect of it as well. Mm-hmm. And when I say that, I mean if you want to, you know, work with somebody, collaborate with somebody in the future, same applies.

Now- Yeah ... what might be different is when you think about somebody in your personal life, it's usually somebody who you genuinely wanna have, like, a friendship with, you know? But when you're thinking about people in your business life, like, they might come to mind once, twice, and then you might just completely forget about it, 'cause you've got a million other things going on.

And in that case, I say like, "Okay, well, you need to have a little bit more structure around it." Mm-hmm. And, you know, maybe create a task list of like, hey, follow up with, you know, X, Y, Z every three months. You know, there are different ways to create more... What's the word? Like, accountability around it- Yeah

as well. And I mean, if you wanna go crazy, I suppose you could do that with your friendships too. However, it's usually, like, very different. Like, the business sense of it is just like, yes, the same rule applies of, like, keeping persistence and trying to stay top of mind, but when it comes to relationships in real life and friendships, it's really just like, "Hey, I thought about you."

And you know that you're thinking about people, you know what I mean? Right. Like, you think about people all the time. They pop into your mind, a memory comes to mind, and, you know, sometimes it's just as simple as that.

Totally. Yeah, always back with the systems too. And you know, it's funny because when you do it in everyday life with friendships or if you're somebody who, like, sends cards for people's birthdays or texts- Right, right

or whatever, you know, it's like that makes it so much more authentic and easeful to also bring it to your business. And I think one of those things that, again, makes a business owner feel guilty is when you have those practices and those desires, but you don't have the systems set up to support that.

And so I think, you know, that's a, a huge, like, reason to explore working with somebody with, like you, with those skillsets so that you can do the things that you want to be doing w- with a way that's not, like, you keeping track of it all in a, like, handwritten to-do list in your notebook, which is maybe what- Yeah

I've been doing. Okay. So anyways, I have four quick questions for you as we start- Sure ... to wrap up this conversation. What are you currently celebrating?

Oh my gosh, I love this question so much. This is a weird celebration, but this is the very first time that my kids have been away at their grandparents'.

Obviously, we travel all the time, and we're usually moving in the summertime, so we just haven't had, like, a lot of opportunities for this. And so I am celebrating a wonderfully clean home. And knowing that my kids are cared for, they're at the pool, they're having fun, they're hanging out with some friends, and it's just so wonderful for somebody who's not around family, like to- Mm-hmm

be able to experience that. So that is what I am celebrating today, and it just feels kind of a little bit like a new chapter. I have a three-year-old, and so I just feel like this is something that could continue- Mm ... you know, moving forward. So that's really exciting.

That's a huge celebration. Yeah, that's like one of those milestones you don't know is a milestone until you're there, and you're like, "Wait-

like, a whole new world is opening up. I love this." So exciting. What is something that you're cultivating?

Yes. So I actually, in my transition and from my experience, you know, moving here and starting an event series, it's something that I wanna carry forward into the new city. Mm. So we did an event series here.

It was three events where I just really honestly reached out to everybody I found interesting and invited them to come out to a, you know, fun, creative event. We did it three times, and they had different themes, so it was really fun and just, like, a really great way to get to know people. Yeah. And I am absolutely bringing that with me to DC, so I have started to...

And this sounds kind of, like, sick to non-systems people, but I have started a spreadsheet of, like, people who I want to be reaching out to and connecting with. And so just taking that skill set and, like, bringing it with me so that I... I mean, ultimately, I know that I want to have a community in DC, and I want to be able to, to foster these relationships with people, not just for myself but for the creative community as a whole.

Mm. So that's something that I'm working on as well.

Mm, love. Okay, what's one thing that you are releasing?

Yes, my time in Columbia- Mm ... and all of my feelings around that. Like, I- Mm ... uh, when my husband told me that we were moving, I did sleep in a separate room for about a week. I was not- Aw ... super thrilled.

Oh. But I am releasing that control. Like, I think- Mm-hmm ... that it was really just like a, "I'm happy here," and like, "Don't move me." I'm releasing that control. I'm realizing it's a big, beautiful, open world, and, you know, there's so much out there. And really, I'm the person in charge of creating the life that I want, no matter where I live.

Yeah. Aw, I feel that for you. Okay, what's one thing that you are ready to receive?

I love that the first answer that came to mind, I was like, "Don't say that." I am so ready to receive consistency.

Oh.

Yes. And this is funny. Like, yesterday we went to... We were obviously driving back from dropping off the kids, and we went into a Mexican restaurant, and we had, you know, like our fajitas and, you know, kept hitting the road.

And I just got in the car, and I told my husband, I was like, "I really wish that I could go into a place like that, and the person greeting me would be like, 'Oh, hey, how's your daughter?'" Mm. And I'd be like, "Oh, she's great. She just started soccer." And she'd be like, "Oh, is soccer with, with, you know, Mr. Jones?"

And I'd be like, "Yeah, Mr. Jones." That is something that has just never existed for me. Mm-hmm. And, you know, my kids are eight and three now, and I would love that. Mm-hmm. I would love to bump into people at the grocery store who I know, you know? Mm. Mm-hmm. Just like... So yeah, a little bit more consistency would be amazing.

Yeah. Yeah. That's a, that's a fun thing. It, it's always nice when that happens and you're like, "Oh my gosh, the, the world is smaller than I thought." I mean, you just said, like, the world is really big. It is. It's small and it's big at the same time. Yeah, absolutely. And it's really- Yeah ... yeah, it's really cool to, to kind of have that.

But I, I do think that that takes, again, it takes time, and it takes effort, and, you know, having those connections, and I, I truly believe that you will, you will get there. You'll get there once again. Okay, I have one last thing before we say goodbye. So I've just started a new series on Instagram Stories.

They are on Fridays. It's called Friday F's, where I share- Yeah ... a find and a feature and another miscellaneous F that I have to give. Is that something that you would want to be the guest curator for for this Friday?

Oh my gosh, yes, absolutely. Thank you so much for asking me. I have been loving that, by the way.

That is really, really fun.

Oh, thanks. Yes. Well, it could also be something fun, that's another F that we have to give. But yeah, I just, I've loved this conversation. I feel like the connections that we have online can be really genuine and really meaningful. I think podcasting is just an incredible way to take those conversations and give that, like, focused time that we all crave.

So I just appreciate you coming onto the show and sharing all of your insights and your wisdom.

Thank you so much for having me. I love this show. I listen to it all the time while I'm walking my doggies. You have such a gift, and it's wonderful listening to you. So thank you so much for having me. I'm truly honored.

Thank you. Well, I'm obviously gonna link everything in the show notes for people to find you, but is there one place that you would like to direct them to?

Yeah. You can come say hi on Instagram, obviously. Mm-hmm. We'll chat, and there'll be voice notes in the DMs. But you can find me @willow.and.jax, and that's and, A-N-D, the regular way, and Jax with an X.

Okay. Amazing. Well, that is it for this episode. Thank you all for listening. Come say hi to me on Instagram. You could start a group chat with the three of us. I'm @kaileenelise. You can let us know- Heck yeah ... one thing. Yeah. Come tell us, like, something that you're taking away, or, like, for the accountability of it all, tell us that you texted that person that popped to your mind and that you're gonna go to coffee with them.

We would love to hear it.

Thanks so much.

Thank you. Bye.