Episode 13: Glitter That's Good for the Planet | Sandy Zhao Ran Ji | Founder of EarthShine Glitter

Mindset & MotivationEnvironmentalistConscious Entrepreneurship

May 15

Sandy is energetic and exciting, just like the plant-based biodegradable glitter brand she’s created, EarthShine Glitter. She’s also your modern American success story. Born in China, she and her parents immigrated first to Canada, then to Palo Alto, California. Always creative and resourceful up-cycling the hand-me-downs she was given growing up, at an early age she became interested in the fashion industry. After working at LA fashion labels such as BCBG and Forever 21, she continues to mix product merchandising and e-commerce to bring brands into the modern era. When her passions for environmentalism and fashion came in conflict, she knew she had to find a way for them both to exist.

“There is no right or wrong way of being a woman. Whatever makes you feel good, whatever makes you feel powerful and happy just keep going at it. The more you find joy and the more you push yourself to do those things the more you’ll find your frequency vibrating stronger and the more those types of people will come into your life.”

— Sandy Zhao

Los Angeles
Plant Base d
Biodegrad able
Glit ter
Nor thern China
C anada
Ottawa
Ontario
Toronto
Palo Alto
Fashion Scho ol
BCB G
Forever 21
Nasty Gal
Kobie
Fashion Industr y
Upcycle
Po shmark
New Z ealand
Mag pie
Claire McC ardell
50’s Ho usewife
Pocket s
Leggings w ith Pockets
Fake Pockets
Moncler x Afr ica jack ets
Ho mogeniz ation
9 0 ’s
Influ encer
Bl ogg er
D esig ner
Customer
M ass Market
Ni ke
Nike Sk ateboardin g
Skateboar ding
Mi nim alist
T rue Cost of Produc ts
Zara
H&M
Ear thshi ne
Festivals
Kindergarte n
Art Sup ply Store s
Mi cropl ast ic
Lig htning in a Bott le
Aus tralia
UK
Takeback Program
Euc alyptus
Bamb oo
Inva sion Species
Warpaint
Eyel a sh Glue
Full Circle Economy
Makeup Arti st
Drag Commu nity
Hologsex uals
Hologram
Jem & the Holograms
F DA Co mplia nt
Paul G Sandwiches
Ps ychi atry
L egaliz ation o f Drugs
Reh ab
Schoguns - drug researc h
Yoga
W ee d
Fit bit
Ne wport Bea ch
Fie ld Tri ps
S etting Inten tions
The Burn
Fo rm in Ari zona
Euro pe
Honeym oon
Berlin
Cop enhagen
P rague
Lak e Lucerne
P erky Parts
Geriatric
Spin Fire
LA’s Homeless Situation
Murakami
Gintel Gee
Follow along using the Transcript
There is no right or wrong way of being a woman. Whatever makes you feel powerful and happy, just keep going at it. The more you find joy and the more you push yourself to do those things, the more you'll find that your frequency will vibrate stronger, and it inevitably will bring more of those types of people into your life.
That's Sandy Zhao and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast.
Hey guys, I'm your host, Kara Duffy, and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast where I invite my favorite humans, the awesome, the up to something, and the extraordinary to come and share their story. These are people that inspire me and remind me that everything is possible. I hope that you will be left, entertained, inspired, and moved to take action towards living your most powerful life.
Sandy is energetic and exciting, just like the plant-based biodegradable glitter. She's created Earth Shine glitter. She's also your modern American success story. Born in China, she and her parents immigrated first to Canada, then to Palo Alto, California. Always creative and resourceful upcycling. The Hamme downs she was given.
Growing up at an early age, she became interested in the fashion industry. After working at LA Fashion labels such as BCBG and Forever 21, she continues to mix product merchandising and e-commerce to bring brands into the modern era. When her passions for environmentalism and fashion came into conflict, she knew she had to find a way for them both to exist.
This is her story. All of that's coming up. But first, are you looking for a way that you can be part of the Powerful Ladies Ambassador Program? Well, you are in luck. We're currently looking for women who wanna host our One Day of Giving events as part of our charity campaign that supports Women for Women dot.
It's really simple to figure out how to host. We send you a full host kit with all the details that you need and all the resources, and of course, we support you along the way. Powerful ladies, one day of giving events are an opportunity for you to have fun, connect with your community, and make a difference in the lives of women around the world.
These events do not need to be big. They should be like small, simple, easy things that you enjoy doing from your, the yoga class that you teach, to the dinner party that you love to have to even going to your local like paint and wine, uh, location and ask if they wanna co-host with you. You invite your friends, they provide the space.
All the money goes to the powerful ladies one day giving charity. For more questions, you can email us hello@thepowerfulladies.com, or you can go to the powerful ladies.com/giving. We can't wait for you to join us. There are tons of awesome benefits of being a powerful ladies ambassador, which we'll tell you more about once you sign up.
Well, awesome, Sandy. Thank you for coming to the Power Police Podcast. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Yay. Um, so let's start by, you can introduce yourself. Who are you,
what are you up to? Okay, so my name is Sandy. I live in la Um, currently I work for a company called CRE Tribe, but more importantly, I have my own plant-based biodegradable glitter company.
And, um, I guess, how did I end up in la? I grew up, I was actually born in China. And then what part of China? In northern China, Tanz. So about an hour outside of the capital. And then I came to California. I actually spent the first five years after leaving China in Canada and then came to California when I started high school.
Spent all of high school in Palo Alto, was born out of my mind and got out of there as quickly as I could and came to LA and went to school for fashion. And that's kind of, um, how I ended up here. I went to school here and then started working and it's been kind of a whirlwind and now super exciting that I finally am at a place where I feel like I have the experiences and I've lived enough life, not so much, but enough that I am, um, starting to feel like I'm building things for myself and with my own purpose and intentions.
Yeah. Very cool. Thank you. When. Where in Canada did you guys go first? We first went to Ottawa in Ontario, which is actually the capital of Canada. Um, and a big part of that was growing up in China. My dad came out to the states for grad school and when my mom and I were trying to migrate, we just had a lot of problems trying to get our visa out here.
So our whole family just moved to Canada and my dad was working out there. That was when I started learning English. And um, yeah, and then after about five, four or five years. We actually spent the first few years in Ottawa and then went to Toronto. I moved around a lot growing up. Me too. And then, um, eventually my dad was transferred out here to Oracle in Silicon Valley, and then I started high school in Palo Alto and spent most of, yeah, my teenage high school years in Silicon Valley.
Just saw the whole place kind of completely change 180 from what it was growing up to what it is today. It's pretty incredible to see all of that change.
When it was time for you guys to migrate from China, were you excited? Were you nervous? Do you remember? I do. I,
you know. I don't think I really, I was so young just before I turned 10, I don't think I fully grasped what type of move was going to happen.
I was really just excited 'cause I was gonna get to see my dad and that was about four years since the last I saw him. So that, that's wild. That it was that long. Yeah. Because
it probably must have been challenging for him even to go back and forth with He couldn't visas. Yeah.
Yeah. He couldn't go back and forth and, um, 'cause he was a student at the time.
I, one of my most distinct memories was he, he was so poor going to school out here, he couldn't afford the long distance calls to my mom. So I remember he used to make these like one-way calls where only me and my mom can speak to him and catch up with him about what's happening with our lives. But he wasn't able to speak back.
It was, yeah, it was. The craziest thing. I have so much a admiration for my parents for going through that and like yeah. Coming all the way out here and then having my brother after they came out here because of the one child policy in China. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's pretty incredible the life that we have now in comparison.
So what was it like for you and your mom when it was to the two of you? Or did you have a bigger family that you were with in China?
Um, it was a pretty small family, but it was me, my mom, and my grandparents. And my mom worked a lot. So I remember basically being raised by my grandparents when I was really young.
Yeah. Yeah. And I, I actually, I, I remember having a really fun childhood in China. 'cause I think, you know, you're just carefree. I think a lot. My mom had to bear a lot more of like the gr of what we were going through. So, yeah,
I, I think when you're a, a kid, especially. Under 10 kid, no matter where you are in the world, it's actually quite similar.
And the only variations are things as a kid you don't necessarily care about. Like it's more what toys you have or what like, oh, like Monique was just in here and she's like, I didn't realize it was weird to eat hot dogs, like three meals a day. Like I didn't think twice about it. And so there, to your point of that carefreeness mm-hmm.
Like kids are kids, which is why when you step back and look at the whole world, you realize how similar we all actually are. Yep. And I really wish more people kept their kid brains as
adults. Yeah, for sure. I think that that's actually one of my, like biggest adult goals is to make sure that I'm maintaining the inner child.
Yes. Hence the
glitter, you know, it's perfect. And the blue hair and, yeah. Yeah. No, I, I think it's, I think it's really important. I, I always think. The best decisions that I make in life I know are good choices if I'm making 8-year-old me proud. Mm-hmm. Like what would the babysitter's club Nancy Drew Gem, the hologram Shera obsessed me want and I'm like, yep, that's smart.
Move. Okay. 8-year-old approves, we're doing it right. Making, making 8-year-old me proud. Yeah. Yeah. 'cause I love that it's such a good marker to be like a girl. Boring, fun. Okay.
It's true.
It's easy to
be so serious. Yeah. Yeah. Serious comes that comes really naturally these days. Yes.
Um, what were, when you first landed in Canada, what were your experiences?
Oh man.
It was very cold. And um, it was actually, you know, I think I, I was quite lucky 'cause where we lived in Canada had a lot of Chinese people, there were a lot of Chinese immigrants. So when I spoke to a lot of the friends that I know now who immigrated to, uh, you know, Northern California or different parts of California, they had a much more difficult experience.
Whereas for me, I feel like I wasn't, I wasn't really bullied for being a minority. And, um, one of the most important things to me is food and eating. And I was, I was never separated from like really nice quality Chinese food. So in that sense, I actually feel like it made the transition a lot easier. And um, um, I think by nature I found that I adapt.
Pretty easily to new environments. I'm able to pick up new languages and cultures. So especially at that age, I feel like I just kind of melted in really, really well. But now looking back, it's funny 'cause now I'm, as an adult, I'm trying to integrate all of these different parts of me. Like the part of me that is so Chinese and the part of me that feels very Canadian and the part of me that's very Californian.
You know, as like a 30 some year old woman. I'm like, how do I bring all those pieces together? 'cause they don't always make sense together. Yeah. What are the biggest conflicts between those three versions of you? Hmm. Um, I, I definitely think that something I struggle with a lot is the sense of. The individuality that comes with being an American, you know, like being independent with your own thoughts and fighting your own fights, but then also the idea of community and you know, building a foundation with the people around you, sharing and making compromises for those you love and for a common cause.
Yep. So I think really maintaining that individual drive, but still making sure that you're generous and giving to your community and those around you. I think that's the balance that I'm constantly like tempering with and finding.
So it's interesting to me because as an American, I even feel that difference between the east coast and California.
Hmm. Like to me, you know, we grew up a lot in, um, you know, Philadelphia, New York area, and a lot in Boston. Like I consider Boston home and to me there. You have lifelong friends and you have a community that knows everybody and there's a lot of, like Boston's a very unique place because it still has a lot of these Puritan values, but it's also very progressive and there's this really interesting balance.
So even when I moved here, it was the hardest place I've ever moved despite like moving abroad to a country that I didn't speak the language because there is something about. The community culture of, to me, especially Southern California, that there's like this gap. Mm-hmm. And once you find it, it starts to come together, but it's not like an instant thing.
Yeah. Like in Boston, you meet one person, you go out with them one time socializing with their group of friends and you're part of the family, like after that night. And he, it's not like that in California
usually. That's so interesting. 'cause I've never lived anywhere else for California, so I don't, I Yeah.
Was not even aware that that existed, like on the, that's fascinating. How different it can be just going from a city to a city or a state to state.
Yeah. Not to take away from Canada because they have the, um, lockdown, like whenever I was there, I was in Montreal last January and it was during the Olympics and we were watching, um, you know, watching the Olympics on TV at night in the hotel room working.
And I was so impressed at how many commercials they had, talking about what makes Canada great. Mm-hmm. And building this cultural comradery of like, yes, Canadians are nice and they're hardworking and we take care of each other and we're nice to immigrants. And like, there are so many moments that I'm like, why can't we just, why do we think it's a bad thing to be more like Canada?
Like, it's not, I haven't figured out what they're doing wrong yet, but that people say that they are. I'm like, no, they're kind of winning at a lot of things. I haven't met a Canadian that I haven't wanted to hang out with forever. Even if it's been on vacation or somewhere else. And some of my favorite people are, um, Canadians.
Yeah.
It's, you know, it's funny that you say that 'cause the idea of being American and like, what. That universal American identity is mm-hmm. Is actually an idea that I've been pondering with a lot. Because, you know, when you, when you think about, uh, like Canada as a whole, or Canadians or China as a whole, and Chinese people or any, like you, it may be generalizations mixed in, but you still get this very whole idea of like what that nation or that culture stands for.
Whereas I feel like it's very piecemeal here. You know, it very much depends on the person's perspective when you're talking to them and where they were raised, how mm-hmm. Yeah. How they grew up.
Yeah. And then I think that. Li uh, living in, um, traveling abroad as much as we both have, you realize how similar people are, but you also realize that so many of the stereotypes that can become, you know, awful things depending on how far they are applied, you know, as a fact to everybody.
There's something behind them. Mm-hmm. From a cultural perspective of like where that stereotype came from. Absolutely. Yeah. And like when, you know, working for like Puma, a very multinational corporation. You, you see the trends? Like if someone's like, oh yeah, there's a, and I'm gonna pick on the Swedish people 'cause I, you know, they're great if there's a Swede coming.
Like, at the time there was like a very specific look, like every Swedish person was dressing the same and they'd walk into a room and you're like, yep, they're Swedish. That's the Swedish uniform. And it's, it's to, to me, charming because if you're able to. Both, you know, and you can imagine all the things they were saying about Americans as well.
Like if you can accept the charming this that can come behind mm-hmm. You representing a culture and be being clearly like, there's no way I cannot be American. Right? Yeah. It just happens. Like, and then also appreciate that that person is a hundred percent individual and you know, has a whole other set of diversity just within themselves.
Absolutely. I think it
becomes like you can have fun with it a little bit and appreciate those nuances.
Yeah.
It's when they become just this stereotype that you get into the whole world of discrimination and Totally. And that, so it's a fine line.
It is. 'cause I, I think it's so many of, of these types of topics that are very controversial right now, even, you know, all the conversation around cultural appropriation and.
I just, I feel like if we, if we can't take inspiration from each other's cultures, then how do we diversify the world we live in and how do we, you know, make traditions progress into Yeah. The modern world. And I think it's, it's really. Fully seeing and accepting each other's differences rather than pretending like we're all supposed to be the same.
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, and, and you know, I'm watching right now that Will Smith, um, Netflix show the, um, one Strange Rock, I think it's called. Yep. I just started that recently too. It's so good. Yeah. And I love the fact that the way that they've produced, shot and edited the series, that it really makes you proud to be an Earthling.
Mm-hmm. And like so excited about how diverse and colorful and weird mm-hmm. Like earth and all the species are. Like, I was watching it last night with Jesse and I'm like, it like Avatar the movie. Like there's no other place like that that we found so far in the universe. Like it's here. Like that weird place is here.
Yeah. And like, why do we wanna get rid of that? I don't know. Like I'm still mad when I go to travel another country that they're so westernized now. I'm like, boo. That's, uh,
sadly, that's how I feel when I go back to China sometimes. I was just, I'm like, what happened? And it, it makes me a little bit sad because, and um, I talk to Paul about this a lot.
He's Korean and, and your husband. Mm-hmm. And, um, you know, we're both, we're, we both take a lot of pride in our Chinese and Korean histories and our cultures. But when we go back, because of this like mass, very fast industrialization going to towards Western capitalism, it's the country and the people are forgetting to, uh, like remember and sustain their own traditions and um, um.
It's, yeah, it's, it's really funny to see because we talk to a lot of Korean kids that are here in Korea who care so much more about preserving the culture than if you had spent your whole life in Korea, because that's all you know, so, mm-hmm. Of course you're looking for something different, right?
You're looking for something that feels more modern. Um, um. Yeah. And it's, I'm really, I think that's something I'm very passionate about. It's just how do we get to a place where we can appreciate where we come from while striving for more. Yes.
Like I even miss, I'm really proud that where I spent most of my elementary years outside of Philadelphia, that in school we took the effort to celebrate every holiday from every religion and every culture.
That's amazing. And like it was encouraged, like we spent a lot of time like learning about the history of it and what was going on and Oh, does is anyone from that culture that wants to share about it? And you were like, Ooh, you get to do that, that's cool. Like as a kid, it's all cool. Yeah. And I think that we've swung a little too far in trying to neutralize everything that it makes anything not neutral.
Negative. Yeah. And it's like, no, like where, who made that call? I would like to have a conversation with you because that, like
what interest is there in life anymore? Like what fun does anyone get to have if like, everyone's restricted to that little tiny comfort zone that isn't even dictated by themselves.
Yes, yes. And, and as, and especially to set that up in a education system where you're young enough to have the curiosity and the wonder, and most likely not have any experience with those cultures mm-hmm. Depending on where you live in, in the US in particular. And to learn to embrace it. Yeah. Like
I, yeah.
Well,
something
that, um, recently happened in LA that I was just, I, I was completely in shock by was, um, they're trying to build the metro line right now to go into Santa Monica and there's been a lot of petitioning against it, but recently. They had the kids in school pulled out of school to protest the tramp building because they're trying, they're saying they don't wanna bring in people outside of Santa Monica so easily into the city.
And it, it was, it was, I was fine with the petitioning saying, you know, people have their opinions. Yeah, it's your home. But the fact that parents were bringing their children into this type of a dialogue and teaching them that it's wrong to allow other people into, you know, it's, I, it was so hard for me to wrap my head around and yeah, it was so hard for me to see happen in LA out of all places, you know, where I'm so used to us being more progressive and more open and accepting, so.
Yeah, it's, it was a very like blunt reminder of like how much in the world still needs to change.
Well, and I think that so many people don't realize that changes like that are actually going to help like you in that neighborhood. Like mm-hmm. If you live in Santa Monica right now, if you could jump on a public transportation to get around la.
Versus having to be on the 10, like your life is going to be like dramatically improved. Yeah. And I think especially in the LA culture, we forget how reliant people are on, on cars, um, because it becomes so obvious to us. But when you have a car based culture, you leave out people who are too young to drive or too old to drive to really being able to fully be part of the community.
Mm-hmm. And we don't talk about that enough. And I'm, I'm a nerd about that stuff 'cause of like my minor was in the cultural anthropology and mapping things out. The impact like how your city impacts your culture and you know, to your point of like how integrated you were in Toronto versus, um, or the different culture in Toronto versus here.
Just how Toronto's laid out as a city and everyone gets mixed together. Mm-hmm. And it's walkable. There's a lot of public trans Yep. One of my favorite cities in the whole world. Um, but there's something about that too. And it's the same thing with. I lived in Germany and like Canada. There's a lot of just things you have.
Mm-hmm. Because you're human. And you're a citizen. And to hear people in the US talk about how it's going to hurt the average American, and I'm like, hold on. Like the average German has a pension, they have healthcare, they have free education, they have more vacation days than CEOs do in this country.
They have all this maternity and paternity leave. Like, I'm like, I'm sorry. I think the average American wants that stuff.
And you know, they're obviously a mess over there. 'cause they completely, life just sucks if you live over there. Right. It's, it's not taking, and I think that's, that's the idea is like we feel like if other people have more, it somehow takes away from you.
Where we can all have more, you can all have more. Exactly. Like, it's not like if you hoard more. Yeah. It's, it's something that I. It's such a simple idea, I feel like, to get over. But we happen to live in a world right now where I feel like people, whether it's a lack of self-love or like poor communication, but there's just pe, everyone feels like they're lacking.
So they're all very taking focused, which just digs us even further into this hole.
And there's a different. It's the Maslow hierarchy of needs, right? If you know that you can leave your corporate job because you know that you have healthcare and you know that you have, um, you know, access to education or other things, like it'll actually.
Fosters more entrepreneurism. Mm-hmm. It fosters more small business. It fosters more people being able to live a life that would make them happy than be miserable and mad that they can't have the life they want because somebody else does. Yep.
And it's like, ha, like I, I keep hearing, I keep hearing, like back in the 1950s, we, we knew that in 20 years it would be a 15 hour work week.
And now, you know, people are working 60 hour work weeks and two income families can't afford to have a kid. And you know, it's just where, where did we go wrong? Like, when did our priorities get so outta whack that nowadays it doesn't matter how hard you work or how much you invest in what you do. Like, people can't seem to find happiness or inner peace.
It's, yeah.
Yes. And, and shout out to Sweden again. Like, they just did that study where they realized that the most, um, productive, uh, people after this massive study was a, I think a 30 hour work week. And they even moved some of the hours where I think it's, if you start at seven and end at two, that's when people are most productive, cognitive, everything else.
Mm-hmm. And if you really look at how your own day goes, there's a reason there's an afternoon slump. Yep. Like you are go, go, go, go, go. And then you're like, whew, I gotta make it to whatever time you get to leave. I actually, um,
I listened to a podcast. I don't know if it was Hidden Brain or so podcast episode where they talk about actually that the way our brain cycle, we actually have two cycles per day.
So it, we aren't naturally meant to only sleep once at night. That it actually is much healthier for our, like, cognitive functioning to sleep at night spend, like get up early in the morning, like you said, from like seven to two, be very productive half that afternoon siesta. Exactly. And then go on with the rest of your day.
But yeah, again, it's, we live in all of these parameters that are set up where it's a formulaic way to live life. And you've, you're just told that that's the way to do it. Mm-hmm. And I think a lot of generations that came before us, there were bigger problems for them to deal with, you know, and I really think about.
My life and these struggles that I have as, as a result of the fact that I'm privileged enough to even struggle with these things. Yes. You know, like I don't have to worry about a roof over my head or feeding myself. And so I can think about like the purpose of what I'm doing and if I'm fulfilling the, in like the intentions that I have for myself and the world.
So yeah, it's, it's funny 'cause we have come so far and life has gotten so much better that we can kind of look back and reevaluate our priorities
and it makes me so happy that there are so many people now moving into the tiny house movement. Mm-hmm. Figuring out ways to hustle and make it work. Like the notions of the like picket fence, American dream life.
Some people have that and they love it and awesome. Like, go for it. Go and do it. But I think everyone has some of those ideals. It's just a matter of what that looks like for them in reality. Mm-hmm. If America is the place where people get to have their freedom and their liberties and be self-expressed, you would think that we would encourage people to choose their own path.
Mm-hmm. Like, it'd be like, it'd be, um, those schools where you can choose your own major. Like, that's not, that to me is what sounds like the, the declaration of Independences. Yeah. Versus, Nope, you do this, do this, do this, and you die, and you're like, oh, nah, I'm, I'm good. Thank you.
Yes. Yeah. It's true. But I, I think it's, it's almost like the easy way out sometimes, right?
Yes. Like to follow that formula and. If, if it was 50 years ago, that formula worked for a majority of people, you do get the white picket fence. Yeah. And you get the family with two and a half kids. But it's not so simple anymore. So like it's almost a blessing in disguise that a lot of us are forced to rethink what we're doing with our lives and how we want to have that hustle and,
and, and that's honestly, I think the silver lining to what the whole world is debating right now mm-hmm.
Is that. There's a different level of awareness and consciousness about what are we doing and why. Mm-hmm. And I think that's good. I just wish it wasn't under such dramatic circumstances. Yeah, yeah. That that's what we have to deal with. But it's okay. We're a dramatic race though. We are. We
are.
So let's go back to you and your story.
So, um, you went from Toronto to Palo Alto and then you came down to la. Mm-hmm. Was it to go to Fit or somewhere else?
No, I, um, actually went to Cal State LA Nice. And then I studied a fashion design and merchandising. Um, um, yeah, kind of started my hustle and I was working two jobs. Had like two internships while I was in school.
It was great. Um, and then, let's see, I've been all over LA from, I started at BCBG. Yeah. It's one of my first jobs outta college and since then I've been at Forever 21, a nasty gal, um, at Toby Def fashion companies, big and small in la and I love, I I love the creative behind it. And I'm a girl, you know, like I, I love.
Beautiful clothes, beautiful shoes, um, glitter, glitter, shiny things. Yeah. But it just, it actually honestly just got to a point, I think, working so deeply in that industry, I just started feeling really irresponsible about the cost of a pretty piece of clothing. Yeah. I have the same struggle. Yeah. And as much as I, I love making things and creating things, I started asking myself, why am I making those things?
And what purpose are those things serving in the world? Do, do we really need another t-shirt in this world? Or is there another way for us to rethink about what we're making, how we're making it? So that we're still creating beautiful things, but hopefully have leaving a better impact.
It, it's hard. It's hard to be in an industry where you got into it because you love making things and the art of it.
Mm-hmm. And then when you start thinking about the fact of like how many skews, like how many different things you're making. Yeah. Every year, every quarter, every month. And you look at how many units of those SKUs are going around the world and you're like, shit's like me alone in the category that I'm managing may have just caused as much destruction as a small island nation.
Yeah. You're like, what's like, I can't, how do you sleep like that? And so I'm really thankful that there are so many brands today that are mm-hmm. Doing, um, sustainable, doing, um, eco-friendly, going back to, you know, recycled reusing. Yep. I had a great phone call with one of my best friends yesterday who lives in New Zealand, and we, she's also like, we call, called her a magpie.
Right. Like, if something's shiny, she's like, Ooh, like, we want that. And she's like, I've never bought secondhand so much, but because of how New Zealand is so committed to sustainability, it's the, it's like where you go. Mm-hmm. Like so few people buy something as the first owner there. Yeah. And that's amazing.
It's celebrated that way and that's what I'm even glad that things like Poshmark are existing now because mm-hmm. Why, like there's so the a clo it's so rare that you have a piece of clothing that disintegrates. Yeah. There's like a few pieces. We all have, like we talked about my jeans earlier, that need to be desperately repaired, but like if you love something, that's what happens.
But most of what we're wearing is in and out. Yep. It. So it's
definitely a hard
choice. It
becomes so disposable. I actually started doing some this, this is something that I've always done growing up. Um, I think like always loving fashion and growing up as an immigrant, like not having a lot of money, I've just, I just learned to be really resourceful with my hand-me-downs.
And I would cut them up and patch them, fringe them. My parents used to get so mad at me and refuse to buy me new clothes when I was little, but like, it's taught me a lot about like, bringing new life to my clothes. And I still do that. Like I don't have a single pair of jeans that don't go through like five different ways of cutting before they're disposed of.
So recently I've started, um, just like inviting friends over and just everyone brings stuff that you haven't worn in like two years. Yeah. And then, yeah. We just, we have craft night where you, uh, bedazzle jackets and distress your jeans and add bleach marks to your old band t-shirts and mm-hmm. All of a sudden everybody's going home with a new wardrobe, you know, so, or you trade.
Exactly. So I think it's just like, a lot of times I think people that don't come from the industry, they don't have the luxury of knowing what to do with things. It's not that people necessarily want to be wasteful, but, you know, I just, I love creating a space where you can educate people on how to make their old clothes exciting again, and how to like, have fun with the things that they already have.
I think
that would
be a really fun, powerful ladies event for us to do together in la Oh, that
sounds amazing. I would love
to, we'll circle back on that because I'm already like, whew. Like, 'cause people keep asking for powerful lady events and there's so many things we can do and I'm partial to getting crafty and having the opportunity to talk and meet women.
Mm-hmm. And hear how we can support each other. So for me that's like a great way to. I am the type of person that if my hands are doing something or I'm in motion, like on a walk or a run, I feel like my brain changes its focus. Yep. And you can be present and actually have these great conversations versus just staring at each other and holding a drink.
You're like, Lisa, I'm holding a drink, but what do I do with the rest of my hands? Exactly.
Yeah, that's, it's my favorite environment to kind of connect and bond. I feel like that's when the conversation flows the most organically. I'm. I'm actually quite socially awkward when I get put in the, to those situations.
So it's nice when I know I can actively be participating in something while, yeah.
One of my favorite fashion designers, um, is Claire McCardle from the fifties, and she actually was one of the first people, she started off doing a lot of very 1950s housewife stuff and then also did some very progressive things in regards to pants for women and all this other stuff, but, and she was a very progressive, powerful lady, so there'll definitely be a bio about her on the website.
I'll probably just copy paste my, uh, presentation from design school, but that'd be amazing if I just uploaded it. Right. Um, but she, one of her quotes is that she always put pockets in her skirts, and if I don't have pockets in a dress or a skirt mm-hmm. I get so frustrated because we have stuff. Yeah. And you don't always want.
A bag or something and I need my phone a key and a lip gloss. Like that's the minimum requirement for me to leave the house usually. Mm-hmm. And she said that be, she didn't do it from a practical purpose, but her quote is that women always need a place to put their hands. And it's, it wasn't coming from a, you know, there's like that quote out there that's super, um, machismo about like idle hands for women.
Something. It wasn't coming from that perspective. Yeah. It was just that like, so often it we're like, have to be in action. Mm-hmm. Like, we're not good at just sitting. 'cause there's always something to do. There's always a do list. There's always, oh, let me help you, let me fix that. So if you have pockets, you can at least like, okay, they, they're in a space, they're safe.
And I think the new version of that are the leggings with the pockets. Which I'm really glad that somebody did that too. Such a
game
changer. Thank you. Well,
it's, it's, men always have great pockets, you know? Yeah. A man's jacket not only has your outside pockets, they have zippered pockets on the inside, and I, at what point, who decided that women's fashion doesn't have room for pockets?
I'm a huge pockets fan. Yes. If it doesn't, yeah. And like those, what is up with the jeans? Fake pocket where you have pockets have the baby pocket. Like it doesn't, won't even fit a lip gloss. Or like the ones Yeah. Where it doesn't, you can't even, oh, it's, it's
just crazy to me. Why do we spend the money and it design time to put fake pockets on something, right?
Like, it's not, is it really changing the way that my body looks? No. Yeah. So now I don't understand. I keep trying to put my phone in my pocket and I, it falls on the ground because there's not actually a pocket there. Ah, so I'm gonna charge that company probably to repair my phone. That's what I should do.
Yep. Did you always know that you wanted to be working in, in fashion in some capacity?
I think I always knew I wanted to do something that was creative, but still analytical. Like I knew I took a lot of art classes. I love drawing and painting in my free time, but I just knew I wasn't a designer. Like I knew I didn't have the brains to like much too a, DD for that.
Yeah. So I, I was looking for something where I can really get into the numbers and the data, but still have my creative outlet and fashion just seemed to make sense, you know, where it is a business, but you're creatively making things. Um, I think that was kind of my justification going into it. And then, uh.
As I started working, I, I definitely have a love hate affair with fashion. Yep. Um, um, so it's, it's something that has been so challenging and I've definitely been in environments where it wasn't the healthiest, but it's really made me who I am today. I think it's, it's really built a lot of the strength and the clarity of self that I have now that I never wouldn't, would've had if I didn't come into this industry.
Yeah.
Um,
and, and I go through phases as well where I get so disappointed about what's out in the fashion space. Mm-hmm. Like being someone who loves shopping, not even for like going and making the purchases, but just looking at everything. When you go and there's nothing fun to look at. Like if I can walk into a store and be like, eh.
Like you're like, what? Yeah. And then I was like, am I just getting too old? Like what's happening? And then I just saw recently the new Montclair CoLab Ooh. With where they did the African inspiration on the jackets. Yes. Whole. Like I saw that and I was like, thank you universe. Like there are designers that are doing things again.
Like, it made me so happy 'cause it looks so amazing. And the co the co-op came together so well that I was like, okay, I have hope again. Yeah. And there's always been things happening that are awesome. They're just not getting enough attention. Mm-hmm. Like similar to how the culture in general has gone to, um, homogeny is, is the good thing.
Yeah. I feel like fashion has as well. And I miss the. When I grew up in the nineties approach of like, if you looked like your friend, that was not cool. Yeah. And I'm hoping that that's, I get a feeling, really a feeling that's starting to come back. And I'm really happy about that because I
feel that there, the influencer blogger, um, um, culture that is so big right now, I feel like has created this commercialism between all layers of fashion that you can't expect artistry anymore, even from the highest designers.
'cause they're all, they're all just filling this mold That's been determined, but not even I, because I know that. They think that they're catering to the customer base, right? Yes. And it's, it's hitting a certain level of sales or whatever it may be, but that look or that identity isn't dictated by the consumer, it's dictated by this very small group of people who Yeah.
For whatever reason mm-hmm. Has decided that this is what everyone should look like now.
Well, and I also feel like there was a phase when a lot of large retail brands have been choosing to overcater to either the, the accounts that were buying it or the end customer. Mm-hmm. And I remember getting into so many fights at different brands about like, we just need to say no.
Mm-hmm. Like, if somebody else is making it, why are we, you know, going back to the, we don't need it. Yep. And I feel like due to the desperation of what happened with the, like online shopping coming on board and the mass market of everything. That a lot of the impact that it had financially on a lot of brands put so much pressure to just make enough money to survive.
Mm-hmm. That there's a little bit of surrendering what made you unique.
Yeah.
And it's, it's often really easy if you own a niche for that, for what you're creating to get, you know, eaten up by a bigger guy that, you know. And, and a great example is what happened, like when Nike skateboarding took over, like Nike is an amazing company.
They have done amazing things for athletes, they've done amazing things for, um, athletes and getting sports spread around, right? Mm-hmm. So I am not anti Nike, um, because of the innovations that they make. It allows a lot of other companies to, you know, follow suit and because there's such good marketeers, like if they see a niche that's working, they can.
Go after it and get the right people who know it and suddenly like they can scale it in a way that nobody else can. And so just the impact of Nike skateboarding on every other skateboarding brand and shop was, was huge. Mm-hmm. So they did an amazing job. So Weld to Nike on that, but I, it, it made it become like a different, the game changed.
Yeah. Where there wasn't every brand, everyone having their own identity, it became a generic identity. Yeah. So any brands that are out there listening, like, please, like, just be okay to take the risk and stand up for, do something different,
make, make people like us excited to shop here again. Please. I like you hit the nail on the head.
I don't remember the last time I bought anything in the States, actually. Mm-hmm. Because I, I've been doing all of my shopping internationally. Yes. But the great thing is I've. Started doing a lot more vintage shopping again, because that is where I am finding the most incredible treasures and getting the most excitement out of my purchases.
Yep. Um, um, but yeah, I would, I would love to see a stuff of our game Yeah. With fashion and, um, and you know, it's, it's funny 'cause I do, I, I feel for these large brands, when I see companies like Zara and Forever, you know, as soon as you have a runway show, a week later, they, they have it in their stores.
And I just. I just, you know, want the artists and the designers to know that, like there will always be people out there doing that. And there's always gonna be people who can't afford to buy your brand and your designs that might aspire to. Yep. Feel a little bit of that lifestyle that you're building, but that shouldn't take away from your innovation.
And hopefully that just becomes more of a drive and a motivation to Yes. Reinvent and to, you know, create more and like pursue your own unique ideas even more so.
Yeah. And, and I think be, I think it's good that there's democratization of style. Mm-hmm. And I really hope that more people becoming aware of the true cost of what you're buying.
Mm-hmm. And, you know, not being wasteful and all the good parts of minimalism. Like you can be a minimalist and, and still have a full closet. Yeah. Because it just, it's a matter of like, how are you, where are you buying it from? What are you doing with when you're done? Mm-hmm. Like, there's this balance of just being aware of that part.
Yeah. Because, you know, so many people get to feel confident because there are places like Zara and h and m Yeah. And, but just, I want everyone to think a little bit more about what they're buying. Absolutely. There's like horrifying, like there's so many. Things that happen financially, economically, like all the way through that we don't talk about a lot in fashion and it's just to be aware of it like anything else.
Just like where your food
comes from. Yeah. Like I think there's so much noise politically, socially, economically right now. And really I think the most effective way for all of us just put our money where our mouth is. Yeah. You know, like if you're gonna make those arguments then like if, if you care about the environmental footprint and you care about like supporting small business, stop shopping at Forever 21, it's very tempting to go, like, you go in there and it's tempting to, you know, walk out empty handed.
But like, yeah, it's, it's, I think really just putting our money where our mouth is and even when I started Earthshine, like I knew it was gonna be a product that was going to be higher price. You know, glitter is something that you can. Find for nothing.
Yeah.
But I want to educate people on the impact of that.
And, um, like, it's, it's a really fun thing for me. And because I go to so many festivals and it's something that's very much a part of my life, but ultimately, like my dream is to have earth shine in kindergartens and like, yeah. At art supply stores. Like I wanted it to, I don't want it to just be like a novelty thing that people are using.
I want it to completely change how glitter is perceived in the world. You know, it starts, it could start that small.
Well, let's take a moment to tell people like what. Is the impact of standard glitter.
So standard glitter is basically made of plastic. It's just pulverized shiny plastic. And when it goes into the drains or into your trash, it doesn't, um, it doesn't get processed, it doesn't degrade.
So it eventually becomes bi, uh, microplastic and goes into our water. And recently it's been found in like ocean life and seafood and beers, and I actually think last year they found it for the first time in human stool. So it's made the full cycle into our ocean life and back into our bodies. Um, and microplastic, anything that's made of plastic eventually will become microplastic, whether it's your contacts or anything else.
For me, I, I love glitter. I use it for everything. I use it on my paints. I face paint with it. I use it in my makeup. And when I learned more about the environmental impact, I just. I couldn't use glitter anymore. Like it was, it's funny. Uh, my husband Paul, we were on our way to lightning in a bottle, actually, I think.
And he asked me, he was like, what would you say, like, for somebody who's so passionate about the environment, like how would you answer them if they asked you how you felt about the glitter you were wearing? And like, for the first time in my life, I, I was like, I don't, I don't have an answer. Mm-hmm. So I stopped wearing glitter and became really sad.
Um, and funny enough, like a few months later, I was talking to a friend of mine who hates glitter with a passion, and we were discussing this topic. Started doing some research and I found that there was, um, like a one, a brand out in Australia and I think one in UK that talks about plant-based, uh, plant-based glitter.
So we started doing a lot of research, found a manufacturer out here, and yeah, that's kind of how Earthshine came about. We were just like, we both feel so passionately about it for very different reasons, so let's do something about it. Um, yeah. And Earthshine is, it's actually funny. Earthshine means the reflection, the light from earth when Moonlight shines on it.
Ooh, very
romantic. Yeah.
And um, so you can see the, we've got samples here in the studio. So the bottles are made of recycled glass. Mm-hmm. And it has a bamboo top. We try to make it just like really cute. It is really cute. Yeah. So that people can, um, hopefully reuse it for other things. And we're working on a, like, take back program.
Yeah. So that you can send back the bottles and then we'll totally give you free glitter in return. Um, yeah. And then, so this is our first site. We have like eight colors right now on the website of loose glitter. And these are actually great. I love the story 'cause they're made of eucalyptus. The glitter is, yeah.
The glitter is made of eucalyptus. And eucalyptus is actually an invasive species of trees. So it's good to harvest them. It is good to harvest them. So I, I kind of love that on so many different levels. We are, you know, making hopefully a more positive, more helpful impact on the environment. And the best part about these as a woman, um, may I open this one?
Yeah, of course. It's, uh, the glitter is way softer than regular glitter. Hmm. So if you feel it on your skin, it doesn't harm your skin at all. Like when you're washing it off, it's not gonna. Here, I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna try that one.
It's, it's like, it's like powdered sugar. Yeah. Isn't
that
great? Yeah.
How I feel it.
Oh yeah. That's so, oh, wow. That's so soft. Yeah. So that's like, that's what I really love. It's just, it's not harmful to your skin. You're not gonna get like, weird cuts. And like, as I'm putting on my glitter war paint,
I'm like, I'm ready for the rest of the podcast.
I love it. But, um, I'm, I'm super excited because loose glitter is a little, it takes a little bit of practice.
I love using, um, depending on how detailed I'm trying to do, I love just using like, Vaseline Yeah. Or Chapstick if I'm just trying to do a shi little shimmer, bit of shimmer everywhere. Otherwise I'll do eyelash glue. Oh. If I wanna use like, do a thinner line,
I'm using my camera as my, my mirror right now.
Um, but super exciting though. I'm doing some r and d with shimmer gel. Yeah. And lash eyeliner. So I'll keep you or uh, glitter eyeliner. Yes, please. So I'll keep you posted working on that. I'm super excited about that.
I'm excited about this one. I really appreciate anything that's looking at the full circle economy of what's happening and I'm so, and the fact that we can have fun and do that.
Mm-hmm. I mean, that's powerful lady started because I was like, how can we hang out, have fun and do good? And this checks all those boxes because that looks amazing actually. The purple looks great. Yes. Purple's my favorite. Yeah. So, um, I'm really happy that you're doing this. Thank you. And I'm excited to support you.
So I look forward to, you know, getting this onto the Powerful Leaders website. Thank you. And we'll, we can figure out all that behind the scenes of how we, you know, get the Powerful Leaders community to Yeah. Get involved and
like, actually it's, um, it's been really amazing. 'cause without realizing just from doing this, I've gotten connected with such an amazing group of, um, makeup artists and, um, we're very popular in like the Dragon Gay world.
It's, it's just, it's, it's so amazing to get all this feedback from all of these different people who have their own reasons to appreciate your product. That's completely different from why you did it. Yes. It's awesome. Yeah. The,
the consumer groups for glitter is much broader and bigger than. You would first guess?
Yeah.
So I mean, like, I, I think it would be great if you ever, um, if we ever do an event Yes. Can invite some of the makeup artists and do, uh, different types of face paints and Yes. Yeah.
Are you gonna add in like, this is very fine
glitter. Mm-hmm. Are you gonna add in bigger pieces? Yes. As well? Yes. Okay.
I'm working on a few different, I think I'm gonna bring on probably two or three new, like chunkier glitter. Yes. Yeah. So I'm looking at some, um, like octagon mm-hmm. And stars. So Yeah. It's all coming. Yes.
I have a very important question. Are you going to make holographic glitter. Yes. Perfect. Um, we will talk after, because I can hook you up with someone.
Amazing. But no, the holographic, there's a big YouTuber and they, she calls herself, she does all like hollow nail polish tutorials. Ooh. She calls her and her fans are called hollow sexuals. So if they found out that there's this awesome earth friendly hollow that you can put on your face. Oh, I love that.
Yeah. New best
friends. I need to check that out.
Yeah. I may be a holo sexual without
realizing it. Actually, we need to add that to the options. Yeah. Because yes, I mean, um, I give credit to Jim and the holograms as my powerful lateness and my style identity. I love it. No, for real. I mean, I really think that this sweater is in, I'm wearing his a zebra sweater, um, like a zebra cardigan.
I really think that this is in. One of the episodes, and I didn't realize it until, uh, my sister had given me the DVD set like a couple years ago for Christmas, and I was watching it again and I'm like, oh, this is actually still good as an adult. And then I saw the sweater. I'm like, no way.
Like it's timeless.
It's never gone away. Yeah. Like there's a reason why I have ridiculous leggings as well. So it's, it's a good thing for, um, moving into the youth market and kids. Um, what about if somebody eats this
glitter? Totally fine. It's completely FDA compliant. You can eat it. It like, yeah, there's, it's eucalypt, this
So could you use this like as a topping, like to decorate cakes?
Mm-hmm. And I mean, what else do you want glitter to do? You can do anything with this. I actually have
never thought about that, but yeah. It would be a beautiful, like top like cupcake topper. Yes. So cute.
Yeah. Oh, I love that. So we
just added like things glitter. Yeah. That's amazing. I'm super excited. Yeah.
And
uh, and for people who want, they can go to the website, it's earth shine do com, earth shine glitter.com. Amazing. Okay. And we'll have all the links to it, everything else in the show notes and on the Powerful Ladies website as well. So, um, everyone listening can go and see everything there and we'll have all the click throughs and all that
in your bio.
Yeah. And any feedback that you guys have, any color requests, feel free to leave us a note. Yeah, that's amazing.
No, it's so good. I mean, the story, I, I mentioned it in the, about section of Powerful Ladies 'cause um, it, yeah, it made such an impact on me and the fact that she had an orphanage and she was in a band and she's a badass lady.
Just badass. Yeah. And she was like 16. And you're like, what? You can do that when you're 16. Imagine what I can do as a grownup. It's so crazy. One of my favorite, uh, stories that you've shared are, um, that your husband is known as the sandwich guy, Paul G Sandwiches. Yeah.
They're world famous. What are the Paul G sandwiches?
Well, it's act, it's, it's just one, just it's, well act it's funny, it started off in college and it was before we actually even really met and one of my really good friends from high school, they were college roommates and I used to hear about these Paul G sandwiches that he would make for his roommates.
So when we started dating, I, I just kind of forgot about it over the years. And it wasn't until years after we were dating, after we got married, actually I was really hung over one morning and I got a ham cheese on white bread Paul g sandwich. It was amazing. But I will say since then, that sandwich has evolved a lot now.
Now it comes with a fried egg. The cheese is melted, the bread's toasted, you even get leaves in it. It's, yeah, it's come a long way now. People are gonna be asking where they can
get their own pal sandwich. So it's the pal sandwich deluxe.
When we do our event, we should have him having the sandwiches. Absolutely. Yeah. Um, so as you've been going through the, you know, whole fashion world, what have been moments that have made you feel powerful and what have been moments that haven't and how have you dealt with those?
You know, it's so funny 'cause.
I think the moments where I felt the least powerful in the moment are actually the moments that have made me feel the most powerful now. Um, um, great way to put that. No, I think it's true. Yeah, because I think some of my darkest moments and some of the moments that actually made me take breaks from the industry and really walk away and had to spend some time with myself, um, um, were the times where I think I let my identity get lost in the industry, and I was letting people around me and the stress and the pressures around me dictate my decisions and my behavior, and I think I just stopped caring about people.
I, I forgot to care about people. And that was, those were the moments where I just felt like it was really difficult to move forward in the industry. But I think. Looking back now, like really getting past those moments and realizing that it's, it's all about the people and it's all about the culture and the, like, the strength and the union that you find in your shared passion and cause like, those are the things that really makes this worthwhile.
Yeah.
So like I, and so those were not like my proudest moments, but I wouldn't give those up. And I actually, some of my closest friends are people that I shared those times with, you know, and we've walked away much, um, more sure of ourselves and much more sure of what we want to pursue versus I think even though I pursued pa fashion as a passion of mine, I think.
A lot of what I was going after, whether it was the titles, the promotion, the raise. Yeah. It was still not for the right reasons. So yeah, I think falling on your face sometimes is necessary. So you can get up, shake it all off and look around and decide what direction is right.
Yeah. When, as you've been going through life, who have been role models for you and people that you've looked up to?
My mom, definitely. It's number one. Um, she used to make my clothes for me. She's incredibly creative, but I think being in, being a woman in China at that point in time. Pursuing anything creative as a career wasn't really a viable option. I wasn't, I don't even think it was something that she considered,
yeah,
in that time and age.
Um, but she was always incredibly creative. She used to make me all of my clothes. Um, I remember like getting, playing, dress up with her and she would teach me how to sew. So she's always been just such a source of inspiration in that sense. Um, and then I'm actually a lot like my dad, personality wise, character temp, like temper everything.
I'm like my dad and the more the older I get. I appreciate all the drive and passion that my dad has instilled in me, but I've also realized. How strong and amazing of a woman it takes to be married to my dad all these years and to mother, someone like me all these years. So yeah, my mom is just an incredible woman, and whenever I feel myself losing touch a little bit or feeling like I need to get grounded, I think about how she would handle that situation or I give her a call.
Um, um, but outside of my family, I, I have a, I have huge admiration for the Grace and the Shulgin, so I love Allison Gray. I love everything that she stands for, everything that she has fought for in her industry and how. Her how, um, she's a psychiatrist. So how psychiatry speaks with the rest of the world and, um, with legalization and a lot of the other topics surrounding that.
Um, and then with I'm, I'm very interested and passionate about the conversation around drugs mm-hmm. And around legalization, um, um, and the psychiatry and the rehab that goes around that. And so much of that potential that we haven't been able to delve into. So especially for some of the
people in our society who need it the most.
Yes. WW whether it is, um, the LSD tests or the MDMA. Mm-hmm. And I'm pretty sure every drug that is banned at this point has an opportunity to help. Yes.
Yeah. Like I think, I think with all of the drugs that are the pharmaceuticals that are legal. There is pros and cons to every single drug and substance that you choose to put into your body.
And I think that if we are willing to put the resources and the studies into what these lab made drugs, then the same amount of attention should be placed on everything else that's available. Um, so I, I'm fascinated by, um, the Shulgin's as well with all of the work that they do. Um, and it's, I think it's just people who are so ahead of their time who saw things in a way that is so outside of how the world works.
I find such inspiration in their story and it really, yeah, it really pushes me to constantly question the status quo in my life. Um, and like I can only hope that. By pushing my own weirdness and living my own weirdness to the fullest that like other people can feel empowered to do the same, regardless of, you know, how the world might react to them.
I think every person I've had on this podcast has described themselves as weird, but I think it speaks to, like, everyone's weird is different mm-hmm. And everyone nerds out about different things. But I think it goes back to embracing the things that you naturally get excited about and curious about.
And like if, if more people leaned into geeking out and going down the rabbit hole of things that they find fascinating, like what, what else would be no today? Yeah.
Because we're all, we're all working so hard to be quote unquote, like at the top of our fields. Yeah. But if we just all geeked out about ourselves, we would be experts in those things.
Like. I am an expert on glitter. I never would've thought that one day I could, you know, talk for hours about glitter and how it's made. But it's, it just came so naturally with investing in the things that you care about and the things that are important to you. And that's not a selfish thing. No. You know, like it's, bettering yourself is the beginning of bettering the world.
And I think if people weren't so caught up on changing the world and just became more focused on making themselves better and focusing on themselves, then everything else will naturally come.
It, it starts at home. Mm-hmm. And home within yourself. Right. Absolutely. It's, yeah. I'm, I also could talk to you about glitter for hours that, I dunno if every listener wants to go down that path.
Um, but I do think that there, to your point of questioning your weirdness and questioning what your status quo is there. One of the things that I have really gotten out of my relationship with Jesse, my boyfriend, is any preconceptions I had about what life was supposed to be or could be, or what the rules were.
Mm-hmm. It's been great to see those all get thrown away and like how we both like challenge each other in that way where like things that he's like, of course I'm like, what? And vice versa. Yeah. And there's something about asking why about everything that I think is so valuable. Mm-hmm. And you might ask why and be like, just get back to where you were like, okay, cool.
Your why is your why and it's no big deal. Like it doesn't really matter the why. Yeah. But just keep asking it because it's so easy for habits and mindsets and single reactions to become a fixed Yeah. Thing that actually limit yourself more than limit everything else around you. For sure. And I think when we look at, um, what's happening in.
Uh, illegal drug studies today, most of which are natural and plant-based. Mm-hmm. Versus the synthetic, uh, drugs that are approved for people to consume. It's the, it's the same thing as the food industry. Yeah. Like it's, you know, the fact that we have soda and processed chicken nuggets in school, but we don't have fruit.
You're like, wait, what? It's so, why are we making it hard on ourselves and more expensive?
It's so crazy. And it, like, we don't, I, I am actually really grateful that I, I feel like I see this shift in trend where people are starting to question things and they want, they want to know what is being put in front of them or what they're consuming.
So I hope that that continues to grow. But yeah, we, I mean, we are the stories we tell ourselves, you know, and if we don't remember to stop and think about that storyline. Then all of a sudden you wake up one day and you don't know how you got there and it's a lot harder to backtrack from that point. Yes.
Yeah. What would you tell, you know, the 18-year-old version of yourself that you know today and wish you knew back then?
Don't be so attached to what you think. You know, I was, I think I was so sure of who I wanted to be and I was very, very driven and motivated to become that person. And when I look back I, you know, I can honestly say that I'm, today I am living 18-year-old me's dream.
But does that dream look anything like what I thought it would be? No. Like not even close. Mm-hmm. So I think. It's, yeah, I would just, I would tell her to keep doing what you're doing and if the results don't come in the shape that you expect, it's okay. Doesn't take away from it.
Not at all.
Mm-hmm.
What are the areas of your life that you have like struggled and overcome or that have really been, um, like mountains that you're proud of overcoming?
I am such a control freak and, um, it's something that I think I've definitely gotten a huge hurdle past, but at the same time, it's still something I struggle with on a day-to-day basis. I think it's actually. On a macro level when it comes to the big decisions in life, I've gotten so much better with going with the flow.
But when it's like the little, like how the dishes are done, I will go off on Paul forever because it is not done the way that I do it. So like, when it comes to the little things, it's really easy to forget the things that I've worked on. And I think that's something that I definitely still like, have to constantly remind myself of is just that my way isn't the right way, it's just my way, you know?
And I think I, I have high expectations. I have, I hold high standards for myself and the things that I, I do. And I find that I, I can get really hard on myself sometimes. So I'm working on, you know, being nicer to myself and being more patient with myself, and things have just naturally. Worked out so much better.
I learn, I've learned easier this way. So it's just, it's crazy how much you become your own obstacle when you don't realize.
Yeah, it's so easy too. Mm-hmm. And I think whatever, are those things that we're all individually dealing with? One, there are other people dealing with it too. Mm-hmm. You may just not have found them yet.
And two, it's. It never, those triggers and thoughts never, I think, go totally away. Mm-hmm. It's just a matter of how loud they are and how, how, um,
authoritative. Yeah. Something that I've, um, I've really learned about myself is like those reactions, like, you know, naturally being a control freak or naturally being really hard on myself when something goes wrong or doesn't work out the way that I expect, I'm, I'm going to have those reactions and it's okay to have those reactions.
It's only when I dwell on it and I won't let it go, or I try to make it go away. That's when those reactions kind of become permanent within me. But when I, you know, when I just, they're just feelings and I let them, you know, flee by, it's, it's fine. Yeah. You know, life goes on and we're all human. We're gonna react to things.
It doesn't have to mean anything.
It doesn't have to mean anything. Yeah. We make things so significant. Um, that don't usually matter. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Versus worrying about the things that do. Totally. Um, what are habits or routines that you have taken on that allow you to be living your best life and feel the most powerful?
Yoga, yoga and weed are the two things that keep me very balanced and, um, um, grounded. So those are two things that I, that is very much in my personal routine. Yep. And I think in a lifestyle basis, I, I'm such a workaholic. I love working. So now that I've gotten older, I've actually been telling myself to be more disciplined about setting aside time for travel, setting aside time to do nothing.
Yep.
To, uh, yeah, to just. Have fun, be silly. Be irresponsible. And I think that has actually made work better. It's made me more productive at all. The other things I do is making sure that I'm maintaining this balance and I am allowing adult sandy and you know, inner child, Sandy, to both live and both have a voice inside me.
I think, you know, scheduling is a very responsible thing to do, but I think whether you need to schedule more productivity into your life or more fun, the same answer is scheduling. Yeah. And for people who are free spirits, they hear that and they're like, Ugh. Like, everything's gonna be predicted and we're gonna, and it's like, hold on.
No one said I had to go in the box. It just said maybe fill the box in so that it doesn't, if you want to take on a change in your life. So whether you schedule the yoga so you remember to go or schedule out the block that says do nothing or stop working, like. From even right now with Powerful Ladies and how like this past week has been really intense leading up to the launch, and I've been working like 7:00 AM to midnight, and like I have to start scheduling the stop working alarm.
Mm-hmm. Because I won't even notice that the time is going by. Yeah. I mean, it's great because I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I care about it and I'm just going, going, going, going, going. And then I look up and I'm like, wait, how is it dark and how late is it really? Yeah. So, I mean, luckily I have a dog that interrupts things once in a while, but you know, it's, you know, Jesse keeps calling me and he's like, what are you doing?
I'm like working, he's. Have you gotten out of your chair? Have you stood up? Have you gone for a walk? And I'm like, oh, uh, no. I've been ignoring my Fitbit telling me to like, move for like 10 hours now. I can't, like, it's not good for me.
Yeah. They comes home and he's like, oh, you're in the fact fame spot that I left you this morning.
Yeah. But I mean, I, I, I guess we're fortunate that we love what we do, but yeah. I think setting aside time for fun, very important.
Yes. It's, it's something that I've taken on because I, I think we're similar in the drive and the mm-hmm. Liking it and, you know, knowing that we can create it so we want to, and it's like, hold on.
The, the balance
is important. Yeah. And it's, it's actually really amazing the amount of times where like, I go out to a show. Uh, with the intention of just like, not thinking about work and fully having fun. And, but just removing myself out of that work environment is when I start getting all of these ideas Yes.
And all of these inspiration starts coming to me. And it really is just removing yourself out of that box and breathing some fresh air and allowing, allowing your brain to take in some other perspectives and see people.
Yeah. I, I went to a, um, a ladies group that had its first meeting in, uh, Newport this past week, and I wasn't gonna go.
I had too much to do and I'm like, no, go. You need to be outside. You need to get outta this chair. And I went and it opened up this whole other world of possibilities in an hour and a half. Like I still set an alarm of when I had to leave to get back to finishing stuff up, but, um, it was just great to do it.
Mm-hmm. And it like that, it was a reminder to me that I love doing this because I love connecting with the people and. I can't let it all be about the computer work and typing Yeah. And emails because yes, that's important. And yes, people are depending on me to do things and I'm in charge. So guess what?
We're gonna go be social right now. Yeah. And we're not gonna make poor Jordan work seven days a week for the rest of her life. That was a whole conversation we had earlier. Yes. As you look at the world and what's happening with the women's movement, what is your perspective and opinion on what's happening and where things are going?
I, I, there's two sides of the coin for Beam. I feel like it's really encouraging to see that there's so much more honest and open conversation, and I really, I see a lot of women coming together in a truly authentic way to talk about things that are difficult to talk about, that are taboo. But then on the other side, I also see just.
A lot of noise and static in the media that really, for me, are just distractions from the matter at hand. Yep. And I feel like there is this like, feminist push that feels like it's still very much defined by the ca patriarchal world. Like what being feminist means and the things that you can do as a feminist or, um, um, or what being a strong woman means is still defined by what strength is for a man.
And I, I just really feel like for us to be strong, it's not, it's not even about woman man, gay, straight, it's just us as individuals really being able to discover who we are and embrace. All of that is no matter the color, the gender, the identification. Um, but I, that's, that's really the world that I hope that like we're all working and living towards.
But I just feel like it's, it's still a very separated world, you know? And even as minorities are fighting for their voice and fighting their battles, they're, they're still fighting a separated battle that still is segregating us as a whole. So, um, um, yeah, some, this is, this is a little embarrassing actually, something that, um, I say a lot when I get a couple drinks in me and I, uh, try to talk politics.
I always tell Paul that we should all human right before we human rights. So it's like, how do we all be better individuals and just be better people? Before we worry about all these huge movements and huge, you know, like, yeah. It's, that's, yeah, that's, that's kind of how I feel is just embracing the individual, embracing our differences, and allowing each other and empowering each other to do that for themselves.
We need everybody to be powerful. Yeah.
I mean, it took me four years from Powerful ladies starting to now to start doing this because I struggled with the name and people who've heard the other episodes have heard me talk a little bit about it. And I, because I didn't feel comfortable calling it Powerful Ladies for so long, and then one day I was like, fuck it.
Like I don't care who's on the show. Right. Like, we're gonna, I do care, but we're gonna invite whoever I want. Yeah. And if they identify as a lady or they don't, it's like, it's okay, we're gonna have great conversations. Mm-hmm. And. I couldn't let that limit my creating a platform for people to be empowered.
Yep.
And I agree with you on all the points you made. There are women and men and however else you identify that just need to focus on what you need to, to be, to realize how capable and powerful you are and that you already have everything that you need. Mm-hmm. And that's a crazy concept to wrap your head around sometimes of like, if I already have it all, like where is it?
Why don't I feel like, right. Yeah. And so I, what I think is the best value out of what's happening with the women's movement is that women who didn't think something else was possible are getting exposed to other women who either feel the same way mm-hmm. Or are willing to reach out and help. Yeah. And.
Everyone has such a different experience and I, and I know that mine is different than everybody else's and like, it's hard to understand how some people are wherever they are stuck in this place or going crazy over here or, and it doesn't really matter, right? Mm-hmm. I just want anyone that's doesn't feel like they can do anything and be happy and have their dream life.
Like that's not how you, like, go to the power plays website. Like go ask your question. There's like 80 buttons of actions you can take, but like, just really, 'cause there's somebody either in the same position as you, or like someone has the answer Yeah. That you've been looking for. Yeah.
Sometimes it's the, it's the hardest when.
You alone are just dwelling on your problems and they become these huge monsters that are impossible to deal with. And the minute that you open that line of dialogue and you talk to people, you realize that you're not alone. There is not a problem out there that only one person is experiencing. You know, there's always other people who have been there who understand, who can, you know, if nothing else, be a listening ear.
And you know, for me that's something that I actually, I struggle with is like asking for help and asking for things from other people. But I'm realizing that that's, that's what makes us human and that's what brings us together is being willing to let your vulnerabilities show and like communicate about the things that make you feel insecure and unsure sometimes.
Yeah. There's a, an element of humanity mm-hmm. That allows people to be more approachable sometimes when they actually share what. They've gone through and what they deal with,
because we're all, everyone deals with something. Yeah. So one of the things that I find to be most inspiring in life is struggles, is people's struggles.
You know, the things that they've really had to work through to get themselves to who they are, because the, the rainbows and butterflies in life don't make us who we are. Right. It's the things that we struggle with, the mistakes that we've made and the false that we've had to deal with. Like, that's really what makes us who we are today.
So I find those things in life so much more interesting and, and to own them. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. It's your battle scars. That's what makes you a badass, powerful lady.
Yeah. Like, um, you know, a warrior never knows how, how capable they are until they've been in battle. Mm-hmm. And that's, that's really the same thing.
And when you get to test and push your limits and see how far you've come or how much more you do have to go. That's really cool. Like there's an exercise that we talk where we, um, there will be a downloadable, uh, document you can get on the website about how having conversations with people and asking them questions about you, like kind of doing an interview about yourself gives you so much power because you see how you show up for other people.
Mm-hmm. And it's really scary to do it at first because you don't really wanna ask the people that maybe you don't think like you or you don't like, or you're afraid of what they're gonna say. Yeah. But the truth is that hearing how other people view you is. It. It's cool because you realize how much of their opinion is like their thing, not yours.
Yeah. Or they give you this insight that you didn't see by yourself, and you're like, oh, really? Like, I don't want people to feel that way. Or I can take the honor, I can change it. And then more than not, you're gonna walk away with like 80 million compliments. Because it's true. When you really ask someone how you show up or how can I be a better person, they're gonna start there and there'll be like five things out of the hundred that they'll be like, maybe look at these, this and this.
Yeah. And you're like, okay. Awesome. And it's, it's so cool for me to discover what the world looks like for the other person. Mm-hmm. Like that's my favorite part. Like I almost stop listening about what, how it applies to me and just look at like, what do you see? Yeah. Like what I like It would be so cool to be able to actually get into somebody else's world in that sense.
To see their perspective
and, right. Yeah. Like even like, you know, your husband or my wife, like we, we know them so well. But like, I still don't know what
he sees. Like it's true. It's, and you know, it's, we, Paul and I talk about this 'cause we perceive the world so differently. I, I'm such a visual person and like if I see one face, I can pick it out from a crowd.
And he like, and he is very, he's very musical. He, if he, he's never had any traditional training, but if he hears a song, he's able to play it on the piano. And I'm completely tone deaf. So the fact that like, I'm like just to, so when we meet someone new, the way he remembers them is purely vocal, whereas I only remember their faces.
Visual. Yeah. So I'm just like, just to experience the world in the way that you do is would be so fascinating. 'cause that's an entire like, sensory that I don't quite utilize the same way ever. Yeah. It's very cool. And I like, that's also just even with, um, um. Things like psychedelics or, um, any type of drug.
I love hearing about just people's brain chemistries and their body chemistries and how differently people react to the exact same thing. And then it fascinates me, like, how easy a prescription just gets written out to everybody, to everybody in a very generalized way when we all know that it's such a nuanced thing, how our bodies react.
And, and that's gonna be my warning statement for everyone listening, that like, because our brain chemistries and our individual universes are so different, you have to be really careful if you're experimenting in that space. Absolutely. Because how it reacts to you and how much and what happens, like everyone is so unique that you know, it, it just takes one thing to change it.
Yeah. So there's so
many variables. Yeah. So it's, it's about. Being with people, you're tru you trust knowing that you're in a safe space, educating yourself. Mm-hmm. It's, you know, it's with anything. Right. Like being safe is always the most important thing. Taking care of yourself, loving yourself, and setting yourself up to succeed and to optimize in your life experiences.
Yes. And I think that's also why it's so important to allow people to do research on it. Mm-hmm. Because if wouldn't, like I just think for the human race, whatever's out there in the world that we could interact with, I'd rather know a whole lot about it than have some weird things out there that we do not know what's gonna happen.
Exactly. So it's, it's, it's like stumbling across a poisonous plant. You would never know. You would never know. So what's like education is so important at all those different
levels. Yeah. And I like, and it shouldn't be at this filtered, dictated way of education. It's knowledge is powerful and it's. It shouldn't be wielded by certain people only.
Yeah. I remember, um, like not knowing how I felt about people, like the homeschooling experience when I was, you know, going through school myself. Mm-hmm. And obviously from my perspective, thinking about like, you know, missing that social interaction and missing the camaraderie and like the whole, just the whole being in community mm-hmm.
At school experience. And there's been so many examples of kids who have, just like anything else, some thrive in that environment and some don't. But the ones who have thrived, I love seeing the freedom that they've been given to accelerate at their own pace and stay on things longer that they don't get naturally.
And just the, the emphasis on being. Like curious, like, I, I miss, um, I personally am a fan of field trips and, um, I just think it's so cool to like, just learn about everything. Yeah. Like there's really not a topic where I'd be like, no, I don't wanna learn about that. Yeah. Like, none. So, um, and you know, it's been a reoccurring theme I think in this whole conversation of go out there, learn things, do things.
Mm-hmm. See things. And like you, you learn just by
experiencing life.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. It's, it's very cool. It is. Learning's fun.
So what do you have planned for 2019? What are your big new things? What are you taking on? 2019.
You know, it's funny, I get make fun, made fun of a lot when I say this. 'cause every year I, um, I always like to set some intentions for myself.
And 2019 I was like, you know what? This year I'm going with the flow and I am not setting any intentions. And then all of my friends are like, you know that, that's an intention, right?
So, damn it, darn so free spirited. But, um, I even organized as a free spirit. Yeah. Um, but actually I just, I think I just wanna seek out a lot of new experiences. I've had a lot of fun the last few years, you know, going to a lot of festivals, um, traveling with friends and, um. I think this year I am, like with Earthshine is very new.
I'm just, I want to open myself up to whatever life might throw my way. Um, um, so actually one of the things is I'm not, I'm not, besides the burn, I'm not going to any of the festivals I've been to before. I'm only going to seek out new experiences in that sense. So I'm actually gonna go check out form in Arizona in May that I'm super excited about.
Um, and then I'm going to Europe. I'm going back to Europe. I haven't been since my honeymoon. Um, so I'm actually gonna go check out Berlin.
You're gonna love it. Oh,
it's my first time. Like that whole, uh, so we're gonna go to Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Prague. And I'm just, I'm so excited. Four amazing
cities.
Yeah.
Um, Copenhagen I would move to, in a heartbeat.
That's what, that's what I'm,
I'm a little
worried that I just, I might not come back, but hey, I'm sure they love glitter there too, so.
Well, every time Jesse and I go, we've gone for long stints, like two weeks, four weeks, something. And we always, like, we, this past fall, we were sitting at the, at Lake Lucerne in Switzerland and we're like, Hmm, I mean we could live here.
It'd be a very different life than we have now, but it's so beautiful and perfect. Like, can we convince all of our friends to come here? And like what frequency would they come? And then we just go home. We're like, we're like, yeah,
that's what Paul we're like, well, you know, if we move any somewhere cool enough, we don't have to come, like they'll want to come visit us.
I was like, who wouldn't wanna come here? So, yeah. So I'm very excited. Are you going, I know that you had to make an adult decision and not go to the burn last year. You planning on going this year?
Jesse really wants to go. So based on where we're at right now of each of us starting a business this year or transforming them, for us, it's more of a adult financial thing of mm-hmm.
Okay. Like where are we gonna be at? Like, is it a smart move? Um, we have such a great group of friends that go, we're part of the Perky Parts camp and it's such like, I really recommend that everyone go at least once. Mm-hmm. Because it's the only thing I've experienced as much as I've traveled and been to crazy places, it's like going to another planet.
Yeah. And it doesn't make sense unless you. Been in it. Yeah. And it didn't
make sense for me until like Wednesday. Yeah. Yeah. But it's, yeah, it's incredible. And it, one of the first things that, it was one of the greeters said to me the first time I went to the burn and got right to the gate, they said, welcome to Burning Man.
You're about to meet yourself. And it's, it to this day is so profound. That is exactly what that experience is. If you're not ready to know who you are, don't go. But if you're curious.
Well, and I think there's so many people have a stereotype and all these misconceptions mm-hmm. About what goes on there.
Like there's a booklet. Different activities. Yeah. Literally what, whoever you wanna meet or whatever you wanna find, you can find, like there is a geriatrics camp. There are areas where people have their families and kids. Yep. There's all the wild stuff you hear about. There's people who are making grilled cheese sandwiches every day.
It's
an entire city that gets built and anything that you can find in any city and more you can find there. I remember at Sunrise we were listening to Lee Burch, one of my favorite DJs, and somebody just wheeled an entire grill into the middle of the dance floor and started grilling hot dogs for everybody at five in the morning.
Yeah. As the sun was coming up. It was incredible. Like Yeah. The, the best, the weirdest experience and mm-hmm. Yeah. Young. I, yeah, I've built some of the most profound connections just by sharing that experience and had some of the weirdest things happen to me. But yeah, it's, it's, it's incredible. I'm looking forward to going back there as very much a different person, I think mm-hmm.
Than when I was last there, so,
well, I, I've only been once and a lot of our group has gone every year for a long time, and part of me that the reason I want to go again is because every time you experience it differently and certainly from the first time to another mm-hmm. Because the first time you go, there's a level of this overwhelming factor.
Yeah. You have no clue what you got yourself into. Yeah. It's
like when, when I moved to Germany, and I bet you experience this every time that you've moved country that. The first six months you have a headache because you're translating and figuring things out. And then one day you, you didn't, you don't know you have it until one day you're like, huh, my head doesn't hurt.
I didn't know it. It's been hurting this whole time. And that's how the first couple of days of Burning Man kind of are, where there's the heat and the dust and trying to figure everything out and find shelter, and there's a lot of chaos. Mm-hmm. And then after you like accept that, that's where you're at, like then you, it's like it
changes.
Yeah.
It,
yeah, because you're, you're pushed to your limits mm-hmm. By the elements, by the people around you, the lack of privacy and Yeah. It's, it really pushes you to the edge and then, and then your true colors show.
Well, I think for no other reason than to see it at night. It's. Epcot on ster or not Epcot the um, electroluminescent parade like on steroids.
Yeah. You, it's, you literally feel, at least I did, that you are inside of a fish tank because everything is blackness except for
all the lights and colors all
Yes. That people made and brought with them. Yeah. And there's a part of the, again, the 8-year-old self that's like, wait, we can make
all this stuff.
It's incredible. I, so I spin fire for fun and I can never spin in LA like once a week. There's a park in Culver City that a lot of the spinners can get together and it's literally just this tiny little basketball court that we all have to share and try to spin fire. So, and not burn each other and not burn each other.
But other than that, there's really nowhere you can really go. And it's something that, you know, movement, meditation, and mm-hmm. I get a lot out of it. And when I went to the burn and I showed up and I was like, you can just spin fire wherever. It was the most incredible feeling. It's like being a child in a world where there's playgrounds everywhere and you're just told you're not allowed to play it, and all of a sudden you show up and there's like, there's no rules.
You can play wherever you want. Well,
and, and what's, in spite of the lack of rules, there's actually people are responsible. Yes.
Incredibly responsible. It's, yeah. I, I remember, um, when I used to see people litter, I would get very, very mad and start screaming at them in the middle of the store on the street.
I was very self-righteous about it. And after going to the burn and just really living in that type of an environment, I realize. That making a world better or the impact you make, you can be so much more responsible. Mm-hmm. How you make an impact and what type of energy you put out there. And now I realize if I see someone littering, it's so much more impactful for me to just go and pick up what they threw away and put it in the trash than me making all of this noise, like, you know, causing all of this ruckus wherever I may be.
So yeah, it's, it's very eye-opening and
one of the most profound things anyone has said to me, and it's very insignificant, but it, it stayed with me. So, for this whole time, if you really wanna change the world, what, how do you leave a bathroom when you walk out of it? Because you, like I, I'm a very responsible person.
Right. I go in, I don't make a mess. Like everything's fine. But if you walk in and it's a mess. If you really are taking on the world being awesome, you can't leave it that way.
That's true.
Yeah. And I'll walk into a messy bathroom. I'm like, like I'm mad that I have to clean up after somebody, but then I just do it anyway.
Mm-hmm. And that way, at least, like I left knowing like, nope, that that little cubicle of the world is worth the way it's supposed to be. I can go, granted there's exceptions, right? I'm talking about a relatively clean bathroom. Yeah. And like paper being on the floor. Um, not a scary truck stop bathroom.
Like I'm not bringing my own gloves and, and Clorox like a bucket in the trunk of a car. That'd be amazing. That would be like leveling up, right? Really living into that. Um, but there's something different when to your, well, how we started this conversation about communities being responsible for each other.
Mm-hmm. Like, yes, you want to be responsible for yourself, but there's an element of if you're part of a community, you are responsible for everybody in it. Yep. And you know, whether that's the homeless situation we have in LA or it's, um, how your neighbor feels and if they're, you know, someone says hello to them every day or not.
Mm-hmm. Like, it's not, it's really not hard to take on responsibilities for other people.
Yeah.
And it, it's just a matter of taking five seconds for sure.
Yes. It's, try to think about with every interaction that I have with people, like when I walk away from that interaction or if I walk away from that place.
Mm-hmm. Is it possible to leave it a little better? A little spark clear.
It is now, check both boxes. So one of the things we're asking all of our guests is how do you feel on the Powerful Lady scale? If zero is average human and 10 is Wonder Woman, powerful lady, where do you feel most days and where do you feel today?
You know, I had a rough morning today, so I think today I'm probably at a seven actually. But Mo usually, usually I think I'm at an eight or nine. I think I'm, I'm, but I, I'm one of those people. I'm, I'm quite extreme, so I think on a day-to-day basis, I feel pretty good. And I'm mad an eight or nine. Mm-hmm.
But when I get knocked down, I'll go straight to a two. Yeah. You know, so like, I didn't know negative one was possible. Yeah. There's, there's no middle for me. But, um, but yeah, I, I, it's taken quite a bit of struggles and I think coming into this year. As a woman, I feel really, really happy about the trajectory that I'm on and I've, I really accept the struggles that I'm going to have to continue to struggle with the things that I want to continue to work on in myself, but because I accept that I don't feel bad about it, you know, it's a part of life and it's a part of what keeps my life really exciting and interesting.
So, yeah. Well, we'll bring that seven up to a nine later today, I think. Yeah. We'll get there. Perfect. We'll get there.
Where, what are sources that you recommend for women to, um, discover their path, feel their best? It could be books, blogs, shows, whatever. Like where, what do you recommend?
I read a lot. Um, I find, I, I read a lot of.
Educational, like self-development books. Um, and I find that those insights really help bring new perspectives to my life, and it helps vocalize a lot of the things that I think about and struggle with in a more eloquent and clear way. But then I also read a lot of, um, recently I've been on a Murakami kick.
Yes. He's one of my favorite artists. And I've just been, when I get stressed, I just get lost in one of his worlds. And it's, it's been great. Um, uh, yeah, so reading has been just such a wonderful escape for me and, um, you know. Interestingly enough, I think something as easy as just calling up one of your girlfriends for coffee mm-hmm.
Makes all the difference in the world. I, um, um, I actually recently reconnected with Sarah and Jenelle. Oh yeah. And I hadn't, I hadn't seen them. This, these are girls that Karen and I used to work with, and Jenelle was, um, a few episodes ago. Amazing. Yeah. So I, um, caught up with them after a few months of not seeing them and it just, you know, something, just a few hours of chatting with them, talking about what we're up to, what they're working on, just recharged me like no other.
Yeah. So I think sometimes we look for these like big grander solutions to our problems, when really it's just picking up the call. Mm-hmm. Picking up the phone, like having a conversation with someone you love. And I find that when I get really down on myself doing something for somebody else, or reminding, making a list of things that I'm grateful for.
Mm-hmm. Are really easy ways to get me out. Is that slump?
Yeah. Yeah. Excellent. Um, what are some final words you have for other powerful ladies out there? Oh,
I think there is no right or wrong way of being a woman. And whatever makes you feel good, whatever makes you feel powerful and happy, just keep going at it.
And the more you find like joy and the more you push yourself to do those things, the more you'll find that your frequency will vibrate stronger and it inve inevitably will bring more of those types of people into your life.
Amazing. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for having me.
Thank you for being a powerful lady. Thank you for making the world a more glittery, sparkly place. It's
my pleasure
and I can't wait to have you on again. Thank you so much. It's been so much fun to be on here. Yay.
Isn't Sandy a ray of sunshine? I'm left feeling better about humanity after this episode. Is it just me? It could be. Since we've spent so much time talking about glitter and fashion and making a difference in the world, which are for sure in my top 10 of discussion topics, I love that she's equally optimistic as she is determined and focused equally free spirited.
As she's curious and deliberate, I encourage all of you listening to take on a little bit of being like Sandy in your life. What's your glitter? What brings you joy yet is in conflict with your values That my friends, is the golden ticket to a new possibility for you. It could be a project, a product, or a business.
At a minimum, it will allow you to be curious, to learn to discover something new and light up all the good parts of your mind and soul. Let us know what you find by asking those questions. Email us at hello@thepowerfulladies.com. If you love what Sandy is up to and want to contact and support her, you can follow her on Instagram at Thundering Flow.
Email her at SZHA o06@gmail.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Sandy Zow, and visit earthshine glitter.com. All of the Earthshine glitter colors are available at the Powerful Ladies Shop the powerful ladies.com. Use code Sandy, S-A-N-D-Y to get 10% off your order free shipping within the us. If you'd like to support the work that we're doing here at Powerful Ladies, there's a couple of ways you can do that.
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Leave a review on any of these platforms. Share the show with all the powerful ladies and gentlemen in your life. Join our Patreon account. Check out the website, the powerful ladies.com to hear more inspiring stories.
Get practical tools to be your most powerful. Get 15% off your first order in the Powerful Ladies Shop, or donate to the Powerful Ladies one Day of Giving campaign. And of course, follow us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies for show notes and to get the links to the books, podcasts, and people we talk about.
Go to the powerful ladies.com. I'd like to thank our producer, composer, and audio engineer Jordan Duffy. She's one of the first female audio engineers in the podcasting world, if not the first. And she also happens to be the best. We're very lucky to have her. She's a powerful lady in her own right, in addition to taking over the podcasting world.
She's a singer songwriter working on our next album, and she's one of my sisters. So it's amazing to be creating this with her, and I'm so thankful that she finds time in her crazy busy schedule to make this happen. It's a testament to her belief in what we're creating through powerful ladies. And I'm honored that she shares my vision.
Thank you all so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. I can't wait for you to hear it. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
Hey guys, who doesn't love glitter? All right, mark Al. I'm calling you out. I know you don't, and we've bombed your office as a result. Fully glitter for your birthday. You are welcome. 'cause everybody needs glitter in their life. And guess what? You could now have glitter everywhere in your life that you want it and not feel bad.
Regular glitter is made with plastic and then it becomes microplastics and it ends up in our food and our bodies and basically ruins the environment, which is awful. But now there is a solution. Earth Shine Glitter is plant-based, biodegradable made from eucalyptus, and is FDA compliant? That means you can put it anywhere, eat it anywhere, do whatever you want with it.
So whether you want your glitter to wear it to a festival, you want it to decorate products, you want to put it on your cupcakes or you wanna throw it in somebody's face, guess what? Now you can and know that it is soft and safe for the environment. And you There are eight colors. Amethyst citrine, which is a beautiful green diamond, dust, emerald, rose, quartz, ruby sapphire, and turquoise.
They all come in a reusable glass bottle with the bamboo top. So even when your glitter's gone, you still have a cool bottle to use. All of Earthshine glitters colors are available at the Powerful Ladies. Shop the powerful ladies.com if you use Code Sandy, S-A-N-D-Y. You can get 10% off your order of glitter.
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They're healthy, they're delicious. They are the foundations. Things like avocado, mayo, avocado oil, salad dressings, all the things that are going to make your healthy lifestyle taste delicious. It's all in the details. Go to primal kitchen.com. Use code powerful ladies, and get 10% off every order. You are welcome.

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Follower her on Instagram @sandy.flows

Email her at szhao06@gmail.com

Connect on LinkedIn /sandyzhao

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Buy Earth Shine Glitter at the Powerful Ladies Shop. Use code SANDY to get 10% EarthShine Glitter. Free shipping in the US.

Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud

InspirationCareer DevelopmentConscious Entrepreneurship

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