Today, I have the pleasure of having Amanda Yoa as our special guest. Hailing from Philly, Amanda is a devoted mom of two wonderful children, a loving wife, and an unapologetic taco lover. But that's not all – she's also a renowned podcaster, captivating speaker, bestselling author, and let's not forget, a karaoke enthusiast in her free time!

Amanda has a true gift for guiding women to find their inner strength and step into their true powerhouse selves. Today, we're diving into the concept of embracing imperfections and tackling our fears head-on. Amanda's journey as a mother plays a profound role in shaping her perspective. She knows the importance of not just being a role model for herself but for her little ones who are constantly watching and learning from her.

I know how it feels to be proud of yourself and set a positive example for your children. It's about stepping into that next-level version of yourself and showing your little humans that they can achieve greatness too. Amanda's insights and experiences will motivate and encourage you to fearlessly pursue your ambitions and aspirations. It's time to set some goals, take charge of your life, and lead by example. Tune in for more!

Be sure to listen to the second half of this episode on Amanda's podcast: Stayin' Inspired

What you'll hear in this episode:

[3:00] Navigating postpartum depression and anxiety.

[9:10] Focus on the things that are around you, practice gratitude.

[14:15] Cultivating a sense of gratitude.

[21:50] The value of multi-author books and learning from others.

[26:20] Finding joy with children.

[29:55] How to turn triggers into inspiration for yourself?

[35:25] The importance of being you unapologetically.

CONNECT WITH AMANDA

Follow Amanda: @amandayoa.official

To learn more about Amanda's amazing services, check out her website: https://www.amandayoa.com/

CONNECT WITH KELSEY

Follow Kelsey: @thisiskelseysmith

Follow Momma Has Goals: @mommahasgoals

Download the app for Apple or Android

Learn more at https://thisiskelseysmith.com/

Join our text list. Text "Goals" to (707) 347-0319

Speaker 1 0:00

But the more you did it, and the more you were consistent with pushing forward, the easier it got. And then you started shifting the tide and going the other way. That's how it is everything that you do in life, right? Like it's going to be hard at first, there's going to be resistance, there's going to be things that come up because you're discovering deeper parts of yourself that you've ignored. And for me having the anxiety and depression those were like the red flags that my body and my mind was giving me like, hey, there's things here that are holding you back from becoming and stepping into your greatness. Let's look at it and address it. Gratitude enables you to do that.

Kelsey Smith 0:38

Speaker 1 2:50

Okay, well, you know, sometimes I wonder how I got here myself, then wonder how I get through things day to day, you know, like being a mom is there's just so many layers to what I do. And being a mom is like a really big title that I have and hold. And just navigating that as a mom and doing what it is that I do. It requires a lot of patience. It requires a lot of communication. But just to rewind a bit. By one point, I was Amanda and I was just my name. And I like to believe there's power in a name. But at that point in my life, I really didn't have direction or I didn't really have a sense of self. And it really wasn't until I became a mom, that things in my life started really like the red flags start going up. And I know like for a lot of moms becoming a mom is a monumentous occasion. It's it's that moment where a lot of us feel complete. And for me it was like the opposite. I felt like really incomplete on one hand, coming from a rap sheet of never following through with things I was like, alright, we did it. Here's the baby like followed through, pushed her out. She's here to go me. On the other hand, I was like, wow, like this little human is here. And I remember things from when I was a kid. It wasn't so much to things that that were told to me as we remember things that were told to us as kids like don't do this be this do that. Those aren't really the things that hit home. It was the things that I observed how other people acted who other people were in my life. So I thought to myself, Okay, and she's going to remember and be watching what I'm doing. So I'm doing her a huge disservice by not living my life to my full potential by not living in my passion and my purpose. That was like a big red flag for me, but I really didn't have the nerve to really start forward in that journey until a few years later when My father in law passed away. And to me that was like, okay, you know what, like life is really not promise. Like, here's a man who did not want to leave this earth had much more of his life that he could have lived. He was 59 years old. So you know, for me, it was like, okay, manda like, this is your time, it's your time to get up and start making movement towards the life that you want to live. So I did that I set forth and a huge healing journey. Stepping in I was this shell of a person, I was an avid people pleaser, I kind of did and lived my life trying to please other people, and just came into this person that was like, extremely confused, had no direction, I was like depressed anxiety, and then to pack on like, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, which I think was just in a way, looking back. I'm grateful that I went through that because sometimes when you're in the thick of it, you don't realize how depressed or how much anxiety you have. And being in that state of having postpartum it, heightened everything that I was already experiencing, to a point where I just couldn't keep it in anymore. I couldn't function and every day was like a day of survival. So I had to do what I needed to do in order to thrive and live in my passion and purpose. And fast forward, here I am. And it really is just like sharing my experiences, sharing the things that I that I went through. And really navigating what tools that I attained along my way so that I could become this woman of confidence, this woman that knows her passion and her purpose and lives it out every day, unapologetically who speaks her truth. And these were all things that I could never do. But here I am, I'm doing it. And now I'm sharing and making an impact by helping other women do the same for themselves. So they can live as a mom, as a wife, whatever it is, but also living in their passion and purpose doing what it is that they love, so that they feel at the end of their day, that they lived life for themselves. So I think that's the most important thing. And so

Kelsey Smith 7:13

those very first days when you were in that darkness, and like you said, you almost looking back had to go through that to be able to pull yourself out because it could have progressed for a longer period of time. It's nothing that just like completely goes away forever. In the same way anyways. But what did those very first things look like when you very first like had this kind of awakening journey? That you're like, Okay, we need to do some things differently. And I need to take some steps and I need to do this. How did you actually take the action? Because when you're not feeling that, like you can do almost anything, let alone get out of bed or take care of yourself? How do you go from this powerhouse? What were some of the very, very first steps?

Speaker 1 8:02

For me one of the big things, and I don't ever remember where I found I know I found on Pinterest. I'm big Pinterest, I love Pinterest, right? So I was like scrolling on Pinterest one day, like just looking at random stuff. And I found this gratitude through the senses. And I was reading around that time to like about just having a gratitude attitude and how much gratitude can shift your life. I was observing all these things, right. And I think that's like your first starting point, when you're on your healing journey, or whatever it is that you're doing, you observe. And you take in all these things, whether it's Pinterest, Instagram, whatever, like you see the quotes, you read the books, but it's hard to sometimes get started and make that shift from observing to implementing. And for me, it was like, that was my outlet, gratitude through the senses. And it was waking up every morning, and giving gratitude to the first thing that you could hear see, taste, touch and smell. And I thought, all right, well, that's like, easy enough, I can do that. So every morning, that's what I did. And it snowballed from there. And it was like a, it was a gate that was open for me, in order to start looking at the things that were always there for me. And this is for anyone listening. There's always there's so many things around us that are for us. And we get so fixated on the things that we don't have, and that lack mindset, what we're not what we can't do. And the more it's crazy, but it's true. The more you focus on those things that you attract more of that into your life. And I mean, I've lived it, I always focused on how much I thought I was a failure and how much I hated my body and who I was as a person and how I didn't have direction and I was so lost and depressed and been in it. And I just I stayed stuck in that and gratitude helped me rewrite my story, I started looking at the things that were all around me that were happening for me. And then from there, I was able to really take that gratitude mindset and start rewriting my story in a way where I could look back at the story that I would constantly tell myself that kept me stuck, and say, Okay, why don't we like, rewrite our story in a way that sets us forward, that gives us the tools that we need, because I feel like there's something back there that we could probably use, that we're not looking at. So let's go take a look, see, and see what we pull out. I found so much strength and resilience and compassion and love for myself. And it's a snowball effect. And I just cultivated this powerhouse being that gave me the strength, the courage, the determination, to do what it was that I wanted to do in life. But I would say my first step was that gratitude attitude.

And tell me about like, the very first time you did it, I'm going to guess that the very first time you did it, you didn't sit there and go, life's changed. Like everything, I have a totally new perspective. I know so many people do some of these things. They'll hear it, and they're like, Sure, I can point out the five things that around me that I'm grateful for, but like, I don't feel that different. And then they maybe do it another two times or so and it falls off. And I think it's so important to like acknowledge, like, this is a practice like this is a practice that you probably didn't start having those realizations of what was around you. And where you could step into for I'm gonna guess maybe weeks.

Yeah, so my grandfather used to always say Rome wasn't built in a day. And this is like for women who may be listening who are like, you're a go getter. And it's extremely hard to see that goal and to like, really visualize yourself in that person. And you're not get there yet. It's so fast, it can be so frustrating at times. And I think when we're in that season of change that season of up level man, we see this version of ourselves that we're like ready to be, and we get so frustrated, because we can't get from point A to point B, overnight. So it is a practice. It's something that you have to do on the daily and you continue to do it. Like there's things that I'm aspiring to be things I'm aspiring to do that I haven't done yet I see them, I visualize them, I reverse engineer them. And there are times where I'm like, can we just get there like, What the hell, but it's like, it's a practice and gratitude really helps me get back into the present. But it was hard in the beginning, right? So like, I would wake up and be like, All right, well, this, this comforters nice, this feels good. And like the grass, someone's outside cutting their grass. Smells good, I guess. And yeah, so like, The more consistent you are, like I said, it's I look at it as you're shifting the tide, right. So I don't know if everyone remembers, but it'd been in the city, a lot of us had like those round above ground pools. And we would do like the Whirlpool thing where we would start walking, and you would form like a whirlpool, and then all of a sudden, you would turn right. And it was like extremely hard to start going in the opposite direction. But the more you did it, and the more you were consistent with pushing forward, the easier it got. And then you started shifting the tide and going the other way. That's how it is everything that you do in life, right? Like it's going to be hard at first, there's going to be resistance, there's going to be things that come up because you're discovering deeper parts of yourself that you've ignored. And for me having the anxiety and depression those were like the red flags that my body and my mind was giving me like, hey, there's things here that are holding you back from becoming and stepping into your greatness, let's look at it and address it. Gratitude enables you to do that. Along with other practices. Gratitude is not the only thing but the more consistent you are with anything that you do, the easier it gets, the more that you discover. And the deeper you gain a relationship with

yourself. I love that so much gratitude is something that on the surface feels so simple. Of course, I'm grateful for parts of my life by really unpacking all those little things, the things that we take for granted, the things that when you wake up, just be able to give yourself that framework. I absolutely love that actually haven't heard it just that way before. And I will say for me when I first started when I called myself becoming January, I had this moment where I did need to figure out okay, what are you grateful for? What are you proud of yourself for I needed to really find those things. As I did that and I asked myself those questions. I started to feel really guilty for wanting more and not being more grateful for what I already had. Did you experience that at all? And I experienced that also in terms of just motherhood, like be grateful for just like having healthy, great kids? Like, why do you need more? And of course, we all know here that there's more to that story. But did you experience any guilt for wanting more or feeling misunderstood by yourself or by anyone else in your circle?

I think for me, my life was such a mess. Like, I call that season my hot mess Express season. So I didn't have like, besides having kids, and being a mom, and like having a really great life, I think there were things that I didn't look at that once I did, I was like, wow, I really need to give a deeper appreciation to these things. Because, like I said, we get so stuck in the things that we're not and the things that we want, and the things that we lack, that we just create, like, that's our environment. And coming out of that there's so much beauty, right? And it almost like, smacks you in the face. It's overwhelming. So for me, you know, I guess a part of me was guilty. But I was just so awestruck, I would like to say and just super grateful that I had so much beauty and positivity around me. And you'll see to the more that you start cultivating that sense of self and what you are and who you want to become, you started attracting people into your life as well. And these are people that are for this next level version of yourself that you're trying to become. And that was something for me to like, it was hard for me to connect to the greatness within me. But what enabled me to do that was the people that I was connecting with, though I aspired to be them, I aspire to get to where they were. But I realized that you attract what you are. Someone had said that to me. And I was like, wow, like, look at this community of people that I attracted into my life. I feel like I'm less than I feel like I'm not. I like to call it that when in their mindset, like when I get to where they're at, then I'll feel great or proud of myself. When in reality, like I am these people, I have to see that greatness within me these people see the greatness within me, because they see it within themselves. When you are able to see the greatness within yourself, it's easy to see the greatness within other people. But me I kind of did it like blindly. And then one day I realized, wow, these people are really great. Like I aspire to get where they're out. But in reality I am those people. Right? So it's a really overwhelming in a good way experience when you start coming out. So while some things Yeah, maybe I was feeling a little guilty, like oh god, like maybe I should have gave a little more gratitude towards those things. I was just all in with surrounding myself and diving into the greatness that was always around me that I was disregarding.

And your book title is becoming you. And I really feel like this encompasses, like all of that to say like, Okay, this is the process of becoming new. But also you are you, you've always been you. Now we're just unpacking the other layers of you tell me a little bit more about your book, and also the process of saying, Okay, I'm going to

be an author. Yeah. You know, it was a multi author book, which I loved. Because for me, I love community. I love surrounding myself, like I was saying with amazing people. Because I feel like that's the best way to learn more about yourself to grow. Yeah, and to do amazing things, right. So me and this group of women, we created this book. And we all shared a part of our lives our story, like that pivotal moment that took us from where we were, which is a place we didn't want to be to where we are now doing great things making an impact and such. I don't want to give too much away because I would love for you guys to get the book. But it talks about the gratitude and other steps that I took and gratitude was the opening door. And then while I found gratitude, I found so many other things. So many energies that I feel like we disregard that enable us to become who we really are who's really deep inside of us. I call it that quiet whisper that becomes a loud roar over time. Because we get so stuck up in our head. And we create this narrative from our experiences. And I think a lot of times we get stuck in that victim mindset of things that happen to us and things do happen to you, right? We can't disregard that and be in your fields about that. But there comes a time where you have to take the reins of your life and realize even the hardest things have happened for us people have gone through very horrible tragic situations. And those people are on stages now sharing their stories making an impact, because they've realized that this has happened for them in a way that they've discovered over time. That gave them the strength, the will the courage, determination, the grit, whatever it is, to share their story and make an impact and live in their passion and their purpose. I talk a lot about that in my book, and what I went through and the steps that I took that got me from where I was, which was living a life surviving every day, to this powerhouse, being who's confidence, who's confident, who knows her work, who shares her experience, unapologetically. In order to make an impact and feel like I'm living life, at the end of the day for me, right. So that in itself is amazing. But you know, the book experience in Excel for anyone who's interested in writing a book, I think, you know, the multi author book, experience is a great, dip your toe in the water tested out, because you're only responsible for like a chapter, right? It's a lot, reading a chapter was a lot, it took a lot out of me, right? It takes a lot of you emotionally because You're reliving everything. And it's in a good way. Like I discovered things at a deeper level. And I was like, Wow, this was so amazing. But it can be really, it can take an emotional toll on you. But it was really fun. And, you know, I set out with the intention on becoming a best selling author. And we did that. And it was a great feeling to be able to say, I'm Amanda go, I'm a best selling author. By sharing my story, you know, my story at one time that kept me stuck. It's just so amazing how that's evolved into creating this amazing life.

And we'll definitely link that below, I noticed that it's like a super affordable price, like under $2, on Kindle, so definitely go and grab it, like no excuse to not grab that. And then also the paperback is 20 bucks. So definitely, we'll link that below, everyone should grab that. I think that there is something special about learning from so many people's stories. So I also really like multi author books just from being on the receiving end and the reader that you get to see so many different layers of the same topic that you're looking to see yourself in, where if you have one author in one book, that's amazing to go deep. But when you're in that season of life where you're trying to figure out, okay, what would this look like for me, and I need a couple different examples of how other people have done this. I think multi author books are really impactful in that way, because you get to see how so many different people took that action with the same common theme of becoming you in this example. And I absolutely love that. For those that are new to kind of how you would even get into that. Was this through a mastermind? Or how did you get the opportunity to be a part of that group?

Yeah, so it was through one of my mentors. Her name's Wendy Blum Weiss, and she and a publisher Patricia Wooster. They were the leaders of the book. And she had asked me, Do you want to take part in this? And I was like, hell yeah, I do. Let's go. I'm really big on clubhouse, which is an app, a social app, where you can have rooms and it's really a great place for like connection, collaboration. So that kind of opened the door for that experience.

AI and putting yourself out there first, right? Like your dream doesn't have to be an author or a podcast or on clubhouse, but whatever your dream is, you have to put yourself out there first because before someone came knocking on your door and said, Hey, do you want to be a co author on this? You were already sharing your expertise, your heart your knowledge? Because otherwise how would someone know that they want to ask you for that, right? Being a mom and and having so many other priorities and also now having women that you support so you're like, also have these other little people that you're taking care of? And then you have yourself and then you have all these opportunities flowing in? What are some ways that you balance it all? And or just care for yourself and check in each

day? Yeah, that can get really overwhelming. I feel as if when you have that goal getter mindset, you can easily get yourself caught up, like in the future, real quick. And I feel like when you get too caught up in the future, your future self and wanting things a lot of us have that like Amazon Prime mindset. We want the next day delivery and that's just not the way it works. And I'll find myself getting frustrated, burnout, tired and so it's just really being intentional and being mindful of how I'm feeling in the moment. And if I'm feeling off, I have to give myself a break. If I'm feeling like I'm spending too much time with work and not my kids, I need to rebalance that. It's really being mindful of time. And what I'm spending time doing, and being intentional with my time, so that I can get what I need to get done. Especially now with the summer. It's really hard with the kids home, to do the things that I would normally do when they're in school. So I was like, Okay, we got to refigure this out, I got to revamp my schedule, but you make it work. And I think having my husband is we work together as a team, my husband owns a business. So that in itself, helping him with business stuff on top of my business, it can be a lot, but we always make sure we take time for one another spending time with family and just really being present. Because I think that's where you find, I don't feel like I would have much to speak about, or I would have knowledge or wisdom to give, if I wasn't present. And doing life, if I was just so caught up in my business and doing doing doing, you have nothing to talk about. Unless you're being right, that's where the juice comes from. So, you know, it's just you have to be intentional with your time and what you're doing. And when you feel yourself getting in those fields, you got to take a step back, and pull it back in and do something that brings you joy,

I love that you bring that up just like living because it's not just business, right? If you're only working, you're gonna eventually just stop executing, because you have to have the other parts of your brain utilizing themselves. And if you're just momming. And just like executing the logistics of being a mom, like not actually living the fun part of it, then eventually you're not going to be a great mom, because all you're doing is doing that tactical action of okay, get dressed, do laundry, do dishes, where you forget that there is play, there is a fun in family life. But I think that when you're in maybe those darker spots, or you're just in that true executing manner, and becomes really difficult to figure out what that fun or joy can even be. And so I would love if you have like one or two examples of how you as a family connect, or how you keep, like fun and play in your life with your kids. That way for the people listening, they're like, Okay, sure sounds great. But like, if I were to do that in the next seven days, like what would that even look like? What are some things that work really well for you?

Well, you know, from a mom perspective, and this is something that really sparked my, hey, I need to get my life together was watching my children experience joy, watching my children do things for the first time. You light up as a parent, you're like, because it's your kid, right? You get filled with that joy. But it didn't for me, it didn't fill my cup. It left me feeling fizzled out, because I realized I didn't have that for myself. And I was watching her experience joy and realizing that you don't have no joy for yourself, what do you do for fun? In a way my kids inspire me on a daily to do things for myself, I come back into my child's self when I'm out, having a catch with my daughter. And just doing things that I used to do as a kid, getting back to our joy and our roots, which I think childhood is some of the greatest moments of our lives. You know, being a kid having no worries, yeah, playing all day. Like those are some of the greatest times, right? So doing that, for me, really helps me get back to my center, where I can be creative, and express myself. It all comes from being in a place of joy. If it's a struggle for you to find that for yourself, spend time with your kids. And they'll inspire you in a way to where you can find something for yourself. And it can be the simplest thing. Maybe it is like buying a book, or watching a show for yourself. And it is really hard. Like I don't want to make it seem like it's easy, because it's not like I was talking about the time managing your time. Like I know there's probably like, well, it's easy for you to say like it's really not easy, right? Because it's something different. It's something outside of what you were doing. But you have to start somewhere. And like I said, after a while, The more consistent you are with doing something, the easier it becomes and then it becomes your routine. And then it becomes your way of being and then you've expanded as a person. For me my kids inspire me on a daily to get back to my joy to my center. Coming from a place of love and happiness. Yesterday we played What do you mean for kids? So it was like yeah, Disney characters and just seeing their little creative minds work and it was just really it was a lot of fun. I

love that you bring that up because a couple years ago I bought some random more kid like board games before I knew my kids weren't old enough to play them. And they're still not really old enough to play most of them. But the other day, my two year old found the where I have all these games and he pulls out sorry. And so many of us have played the game sorry, if you haven't, this is your sign to go in, buy it and play it. And my four year old was like, Hey, let's play that. So I'm like, Okay, this isn't really a game for two and four year olds, but we'll sit down and we'll play and like if all they get out of it is counting the squares great. I will tell you like they played pretty good. My four year old has now beat us all twice, playing completely by himself. And it is just bringing back that joy. And also, I noticed sometimes that we think, Oh, the kids aren't old enough to do that yet, or oh, that wouldn't work. Or this would be that. And we don't even give ourselves the shot to be able to do that. And so whether it's going and getting out a board game like the What do you mean, or the sorry, or any of the things that you remember having fun, or just like painting, so many women in our community have taken up art again, that's something that they enjoyed as a kid. So many of us used to have like gel pens, and like, whatever it is that you're doing with that? I think we overcomplicate it so much, and it is important to keep staying inspired. And that's really my next question for you. That's the name of your podcast. And that's like a huge part of your brand. And so you have these little things you've talked about that help you stay inspired. You have the gratitude, you have having fun and finding joy with your family. But is there more to that name to you, you obviously picked it for a reason for your podcast? What does it mean to stay inspired? And how do you implement that as a parent for your kids? How do you help them stay inspired.

So for me, personally, staying inspired came from a place of one of my darkest periods, and I would see people doing things for themselves and becoming this, you know, stepping into their greatness. And it triggered me in a way where I felt resentful, jealous, you know, all the things that just kept me stuck. And I realized that that wasn't doing anything for me. So I made the decision, and learned later down the line that you can turn a trigger into inspiration for yourself. And I continue to do that on the deal. I think we always should, because we're always aspiring to grow. We're always growing. We never reach a point. And we're like, Alright, I'm done. I feel like we're not done until we're done here on Earth. So we're always growing, we're always learning, we're always up leveling and evolving. So there's always going to be periods of time, especially in my business where I aspire to be somewhere. And there comes along somebody who's already doing the thing, and who's 357 steps ahead of the game than I am. And they may trigger me in a way where I make the decision to choose to turn that trigger into inspiration for myself. And in that it's knowing and listening to things that you have to implement in your life that aren't easy. You have to look at parts of yourself that aren't easy. No growing is not easy. It's not a cakewalk, changing time management, gratitude, all those things that you have to implement, it's easier said than done. It really is. But once you start doing it and you're consistent, it becomes your way of being and it becomes a little easier. And you expand and you grow. Right. So I'm always about collaborating and connecting with people and surrounding myself with people who are already, like I said, 357 steps ahead of the game, because I know that's where I'm going to learn. And that's where I'm going to grow. If I can provide that to my community of women who want to become this greater version of themselves, then that's what they're going to have to be willing to do look at the hard parts, but know at the end of the day, that they can make the choice to turn to trigger inspiration and say inspired that is so good. And then when it comes to my kids, it's hard sometimes like I see my daughter. And this makes me so proud that she'll be 10 going on like 42 Girls are just so much fun. I'm so proud of her because it really goes back to what I was saying in the beginning about being a kid and remembering what I took on and it wasn't so much the things that I said or the things that other people said it was who they were. And I see her doing things and writing things on her wall in her room. She has all these little sticky notes about like being grateful and being present and being loving and accepting and confident and just all those things and I really don't you know, I do my mom duties, right but it's just so gratifying to see that she he's observing me. And that point in my life where I thought to myself, Man that you got to do something with your life because this little girl is going to be watching you, and what are you doing. And now I'm at that point where I'm like you did it, girl, look at this little human that you're creating with the things she's putting on the wall, you didn't put that stuff on the wall, 10 years old. So, to me, that's the most gratifying moment of being a parent, for sure.

Oh, my gosh. And I just want to celebrate you for that, because it's not easy. And I can imagine what raising a little girl would be like all the way up to preteens and beyond. And you're laying the foundation. So many of us wish that we laid for ourselves or someone helped us lay, and it did come for from you from her watching you. And I'm just so proud of you. I feel like this conversation has just given me full body chills to see how you have evolved. And the part that I just want to really bring home is not only did you evolve, but you literally change the world, for your own family, for yourself, for your daughter, and then all these other people that you've impacted. And it's great, if, at the end of the day, you know, you did the best for yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you can share your journey and your story and your gifts with others, that is really magical. And those gifts are different for everyone, but to be able to see how you've been able to take what feels like your hot mess season, as you said, and go from a time of something you saw on Pinterest with gratitude, to now changing the narrative for your own family for yourself and all these other women in the world. Like you literally are changing the world all because you just made a decision to one. So thank you, thank you for doing that. And for all of us, for all us women and mamas and keeping us all inspired. And also allowing us to see that we have options, because sometimes like you said it might not feel that way. So I mean, is there anything else that you would love to leave with our audience? Also let us know where everyone can connect with you. You are so amazing, such a powerhouse. I'm so grateful that a Facebook group brought us together because I know that this is just the beginning of our relationship and connection. And that's just if you listen this podcast, you hear me say it 100 times, like join the Facebook group, send the person the DM, make the online connection, say hi parent pickup whatever it is to be able to say, to meet that person because you have to say hi and go first. So I mean, if there's any other last takeaway, what would it be? Well, I

would have to say, I'm really big on being you unapologetically because I came from a place where I didn't know who I was. And when you find those little pieces of yourself and you start molding yourself into who you want to be, and you're at this place where you think maybe I want to do something greater with my life. Or maybe there's something more for me. Don't forget to bring yourself to that piece, bring yourself to the table and know that there is room for you at that table, to share your truth to share your story, to make an impact to live in your passion and your purpose. Even if it is just becoming a different version of you. Like you said, you don't have to have the podcasts. You don't have to be the coach or the book or whatever it is just being you being the person the version of you that you've always wanted to be. make that connection, do the work. It's not going to be easy. But do the work. And surround yourself with people who see you for who you are. Because that's where you'll see your most growth.

Oh my gosh, so good. I have one last question for you. Before that, please. Where are the best places for everyone to connect with you? Of course your podcast scene inspired Yes. Staying

inspired. I'm on all the platforms. I'm also on the limelight network which is through e 360. TV. So if you have Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, you can find me on there through e 360. TV and then I'm on the channel the limelight network, then you can find me on the gram. And now threads. All threads is a big thing. Right? It's trending. Oh no, but um, you could find me on there at Amanda without official.

Amazing, alright. I mean, if I asked you this last question, I want to know what your last thread was. I want you to pull it up on the shirt with us. But I want to know what is a goal or something that you're currently working on excited about, like we talked about with the book and everything else. I love being inspired by others. And so I want to know what is is currently inspiring you, what are you working towards? What is lighting you up?

Okay, so I do have something spicy waiting in the wings. It's a group program. And it's just it's next level, I've been working with a great team on this, my mentor, my business, like just my team in general, it's next level. And I'm super excited. I don't want to give too much away. But I mean, if you know what I'm about, you kind of know what it's about. So follow me on the gram for more info about that. And then I also have some upcoming events, in person networking events. And I'm trying to collaborate with some other amazing women, probably in the Philadelphia, New Jersey area, because that's where I'm from. So if you're in that area, and want to meet me in person, keep a lookout again, follow me on the gram. But that's the juicy things that are to come in probably, end of 2023, maybe beginning of 2024.

We'll follow along. Alright, thread it to me, what are what what was our most recent thread?

Let me say, because you know what I've been on here, type in, like an hour. Okay, here's a good one. I said, I've decided to treat this instance slash thread game like a well, Team mullet business in the front party in the back.

I love that. And you know, when this airs will probably have been in threads for a couple of weeks. But to be honest, I think it'll still be really new. And I think it's fun. And I think actually, if you are, you know, you have your history of your family and all these people following you on Facebook, then you maybe moved to Instagram and you like pared it down a little bit. You didn't have quite as many people there, but it was a lot about pictures and aesthetics. And I think my favorite thing about threads. And I will say I was never a big Twitter user. So if you were you may feel differently, but I never really use Twitter. So to me, what I like about threads is it's not about what you're showing, it's not the picture. It's not the long game thought article that's being posted on Facebook, or how all of those people grew up with you. It's really expanding your network, but with quick, simple conversation that, like you said, is really not about business or anything else. It's just like that fun, raw, unfiltered, but kind and inspiring, as long as you're following the right people conversation. Right. And so I think it's been really fun so far. Yep. And I love

it too. Yeah, it really it for me, I'm using it in a way that allows people to get to know my personality. And who I am. For me, I keep the business on the gram and like I weep party over on the threads. So go follow me. It's fun.

I love that. I mean it. Thank you so so much. And we're actually doing a part two in just a second over on Amanda's podcast. So you will definitely want to go check that out. And we'll make sure to link that in the show notes as well. So we'll continue this conversation over there. Hey, Mom, I hope you loved this episode. I know I absolutely loved this conversation with Amanda. I want to make sure you know that there is the second half of our conversation over on Amanda's podcast scene inspired. So we've linked that below in the show notes. Go over there and listen to the second half of this conversation because it only gets better you your story and what you have to offer this world builds me up. I want to meet you join me on Instagram at this is Kelsey Smith. And let's create a ripple effect for mamas with goals together is better