The Power of Creative, Female Collaboration with Krista & Lindsey
Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in, that you’re somehow different from everyone else, or maybe even, that you don’t belong? This week I sit down with Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik, the co-founders of Almost 30, the top-rated LA-based lifestyle podcast. After meeting in SoulCycle, the two became best friends and realized they both shared a desire to explore the theme of belonging, both to yourself and others. Almost 30 was born out of these conversations, and while not their original intention, it’s now grown into a full-time business, brand, and community.
In our conversation, Krista and Lindsey discuss creating for the pure love of creating, and how money, validation, and recognition fall into line once you’re doing what you love. They share what they’ve discovered about themselves and their relationships as they turned their podcast into a business. Krista and Lindsey show us how to speak your truth with compassion and trust yourself as you pursue what you love.
Featured Moment
Krista: If you truly want to create something, then you would create it and not show anyone. You would do it for the sheer act of the love of it, but I feel like so many people have this desire to be seen and validated. They want to write the book, they want to do the podcast, they want to start the business, because they’re more interested in the desire for validation than actually doing the thing. For people who truly want to do the thing, they can do the thing without showing anyone, they can do the thing without monetizing it, they can create the podcast without anyone seeing it, they can create the business on their own without anyone seeing it. So often I hear women who have these desires and dreams, but they trip themselves up because they’re focused on how it’s going to be perceived by people, how people are going to react, how their family is going to react, how social media is going to react, they’ve getting caught up in the wrong thing rather than the actual act of enjoying what they want to do and the art they want to create.
Show Notes
A glimpse into Lindsey’s eccentric childhood days and Krista’s wild and rebellious and .
Krista’s departure from her Catholic roots and why she sees the church as oppressive.
Discovering spirituality and the love of the true source that she felt was “hidden” from her.
Why Catholic school was confusing for Lindsey and how she is revisiting the idea of God.
A word of wisdom about navigating your difference and individuality in the context of a group.
The distinction between fitting in and belonging and how this sentiment is expressed in Almost 30.
How the two women met and the mutual interests that ignited their podcasting journey.
Hear about their creative collaboration, the growth of the business, and the intricacy of the co-founder relationship.
The significant learning opportunities presented by our closest relationships with people.
Female friendships and the importance of responding to others from a place of awareness.
Asking yourself the hard question: do I truly want to create or am I looking for validation?
How social media can hamper your creativity and perpetuate inauthenticity.
From side hustle to booming business and learning that you can make money from doing what you love.
The lessons Almost 30 is teaching them about their relationship with money and boundaries.
How they are reclaiming their gut instinct and speaking their truth with love.
References
Special Shout Out
Please meet IGNITE graduate Heather Baker; a creative and coach helping women discover and live their creatively fulfilled lives. She’s now offering 1:1 coaching packages, beginning with a free 1 hour session (get on it!). You can find her at heatherashleybaker.com and on Instagram @helloheatherashley.
Featured Indigenous Female Voice
This week’s Indigenous female spotlight is Bethany Yellowtail. You may remember Bethany from our episode “Community & Heritage” where we talk about how your creativity connects to your roots.
Here’s what Bethany Yellowtail is up to now:
Partnering with Orenda Tribe (founded by my guest Amy Yeung, from our first episode this season!) to host a benefit concert raising money for Diné youth affected by the COVID crisis
Continuing to design and produce clothing and accessories for her fashion brand, B. Yellowtail
You can find more about Bethany’s work on byellowtail.com and on Instagram @byellowtail.
Book Updates
My book, Break the Good Girl Myth is now available! The first few weeks of a book’s publication really determines whether it gets picked up by the media and included on reading/bestseller lists, etc. Every single order counts. If I’ve supported you in any way ever through this newsletter or the podcast, it would truly mean so much and be incredibly helpful if you bought the book right now (vs. later).
Upcoming Book Club & Events!
Book club with Quilt – EVERY WEDNESDAY for rest of August/September – We will be following along with this discussion guide (it's juicy!!). This is one of the only book clubs where I will be attending (others are self-run). If you want to be a part of it, download the Quilt app (beta) and pop into the conversation on the app on Wednesdays at 5pm PT. Let’s break our good girl myths together!
Books Inc SF Talk (virtual) w/ Lindsey Jean Thomson from Women Catalysts and the #100DayProject – Monday, August 24th at 5pmPT – register at bit.ly/BTGGMevent << beyond excited for this one!! **I WILL BE OFFERING PERSONALIZED SIGNED COPIES OF THE BOOK only through Books Inc. !!!
If you are curious about past events/ IG Lives that you may have missed (including with Amber Rae, Elle Luna, and Krista Williams), you can find the recordings here (scroll down to “virtual tour”)