Episode 18: From Music Festivals to Major By-Lines | Morena Duwe | Writer & Journalist

EntrepreneurshipCareer DevelopmentWriter

Jun 19

Morena Duwe has built a career telling stories that transport you. From the front row of the world’s biggest music festivals to deeply reported features on culture, travel, and lifestyle. A writer and journalist whose work has appeared in Vice, LA Weekly, HuffPost, and more, she’s proof that persistence, curiosity, and a clear voice can open unexpected doors. She talks about navigating the changing media landscape, why she chased stories others overlooked, and the leap of faith it took to leave a “safe” job for freelance life. We get into what makes a great pitch, how she builds trust with sources, and the role of curiosity in finding your own voice as a creative.

“Finding your passion is such an intimidating demand. Passion is such a strong word. I like the idea of curiosity. Everyone has curiosities. It’s such a simple, natural feeling to be curious.”

— Morena Duwe

Salinas
Steinb eck
Germa ny
Phil ippines
UC I
Alm ost Famous
Miles N ajera – partner & photog rapher
LA Weekly D ownfall
Henry Rollins – contributor at LA Weekly
Huffington P ost
Upro x x
Vice
Nois ey
Thump
Hollywood Video
Coachella
Rave Scene
Ecstasy
Electronic Music
Weezer
What’s with these homies talking about Wee zer (Pod cast)
Mis fits
NOFX
Dea d Kenne dys
Lighting in a Bott le
Golden Voice festiv als
Burning Man Pri nciples
Insomniac Festivals
Special guests – Tuffy & Cynthia
Powerful Ladies Gratitude article
Add YouTube video of husband bac k from Burni ng Man
Dolly Parton
Muni ch Symphony Orchest ra Conductor (Dad)
Misty Copeland ballerina
San Fr ancisco Ballet Academy
Medi um (publication)
Krampus
Trol l Hunter
Nurnberg Documentation Center
Big Magic
Everfest -> Fest 300 (festival website)
Mi Mag (UK based magazine)
Follow along using the Transcript
Chapters:
00:00 Starting out in journalism
02:15 Early assignments and first by-lines
04:30 Covering music festivals worldwide
07:00 Building a freelance portfolio
09:15 Breaking into Vice and LA Weekly
11:45 Shifts in the journalism industry
14:10 The power of curiosity over passion
16:45 How to pitch stories editors want
19:30 Balancing lifestyle writing with investigative work
22:00 Lessons from working in travel media
24:30 Creative risks that paid off
27:15 Managing the business side of freelance work
29:45 Staying inspired in a changing media landscape
32:00 Advice for aspiring writers and journalists
Finding your passion is such an intimidating demand. Passion is just such a strong word and I like the idea of curios because everyone has curiosities and it's such a simple natural feeling.
That's Morena Duwe 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. I hope that you'll be left, entertained, inspired, and moved to take action towards living your most powerful life.
Morena is a writer and a journalist. She's written for publications such as LA Weekly, SF Weekly, OC Weekly, pretty much every weekly Mixed Mag, Huffington Post, and Up Rocks. Her partner Miles is a photographer, and for the past couple of years, they've had the privilege of traveling the world covering music festivals as a team.
On this episode, we talk about how journalism is changing, how to find your voice and what it looks like to make the hard choices and follow your own unique path, all of that coming up. But first,
I like Big Book and again, that laugh.
What do
you want them to do, Kara?
I want them to go and visit the powerful ladies.com.
Mm-hmm. Go to Tools, click read and see all the awesome books that I love. Our guests. Love You. Click on that picture. You can buy 'em. And guess what? Every time you buy a book there you help support powerful ladies. What? I know? What? Listen guys, if you love what we're doing, support us. Buy some books and powerful ladies, do it today.
Support yourself.
Support yourself and your brain. I buy some books I should know. I don't read, I should read.
And now Jordan is fired from the Powerful Ladies because this is a literacy promoting organization and we can't have her spreading that nonsense. I'm gonna read
welcome to The Powerful Ladies podcast. Thanks. Um, we start by asking our guests to introduce themselves and what they're up to.
Okay. Uh, my name's Morena Dewey and I am a freelance journalist, writer. I'm currently a. Copy editor and content producer. And I'm actually also working on my first book
and we are gonna start this podcast unlike we have any before.
'cause we're gonna make it into a party. So would you do the honors and open the champagne? Yeah.
Ah, good job.
Assuming everyone wants a cup. Yay.
Yes, please. So while you're, um, serving bubbly, um, you know, we always kinda start by asking our guests to talk about how they grew up and where. So kind of do the breakdown of like zero to 18, zero to 20. Okay. So, nice guys. All right. Cheers. Cheers ladies, welcome to Thes
Ladies.
Cheers. I can't reach on the cups, but this is what it sounds like. Yeah. You got the bubble small.
Okay. Um, so I grew up in Salinas, California, which is a little farm town kind of. By Monterey and Santa Cruz, Steinbeck country, if you will. Uh, my mom is from the Philippines and my dad is from Germany, so I'm a first generation American.
Uh, I spoke German first before English, actually, which, you know, we've fracked before ambition. Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. And, uh, I've lost a lot of it though, unfortunately. Yeah. Mm-hmm. If you don't use it, you lose it. And then, uh, my, both my parents were musicians, so I grew up playing the piano basically before I could talk.
Uh, playing guitar, a little bit of french horn, singing, ballet. Eventually, uh, I went to Salinas High School where I was a nerd and had my nose in the books pretty much the entire time. Uh, eventually graduated and moved as soon as I turned 18 out of Salinas 'cause. Salinas is kind of a tough place and not a lot of room for growth there.
So I moved to Southern California and went to uc, Irvine. Mm-hmm. And studied film and media. And actually, oddly, I originally went to uc, Irvine because they had the exact, uh, journalism major that I wanted. And then the first quarter in, I thought it was so boring and I was like, I don't wanna do this anymore.
I think I'm gonna swap. So I went to film instead. 'cause I like watching movies.
Mm-hmm.
But then graduated and became a journalist anyway, so I don't, not really sure. But
did you know you wanted to be a journalist? Like early on? Like when did you discover that? Um, I
wanted to be a writer actually. Like the first time I felt.
That I had something with writing, oddly, was in third grade. I had written this horror story, like this really creepy story. And my teacher actually loved it so much. She had me read it in front of the school and would always, a lot of my teachers would just always tell my parents like, she's actually really good at writing.
She's a natural, you should like foster that. Mm-hmm.
My
dad was a writer too. He, um, wrote children's books and then I saw Almost Famous. Yeah. And that totally blew my mind and made me wanna write for Rolling Stone and be a music journalist. And that kind of idealized concept of music writing eventually came true in its own right?
A little, yeah. More modern version. And I eventually started doing festival writing and covering for LA Weekly and SF Weekly, OC Weekly, Huffington Post and few others. Small ones, mixed Mag, DJ Mag, and then. My almost famous dreams essentially came true. I mean, I was going to festivals for free, I was being flown out to places like Israel and Jamaica to go to these festivals and cover.
It was still kind of a lot of investment on my end. Sure. It wasn't like a super free ride and journalism isn't the most lucrative of endeavors, but, um, I, the experiences I had for sure are priceless and I wouldn't trade any of that for money. And you have a really great partner
in that. Yes. Because, um, your boyfriend happens to be an amazing photographer, so you go together, get to have this great experience together and he takes amazing pictures.
You get to write about it. Yep. And then you get to, you know, share that together with the world.
Yeah. It's cool 'cause we're kind of co-creating something and it's also nice because we're kind of in the same field but in our own respective kind of branches of it. So there's not really any kind of competitiveness there.
You know, if we were both writers or both photographers, I feel like that might get Yeah. Hard because it's a super competitive field. Mm-hmm. And. Uh, it's very complimentary as it is right now. Yeah, exactly. Mm-hmm. And I mean, it would be hard because if we were both writers, what if one of us got pitched or pitched a story for a publication and the other one didn't?
And so it's easier because we kind of come as a package deal. Yeah. And that's kind of how we sell ourselves to when we're pitching out as a, like a duo. How, how did that idea first come up? So, it's funny because Miles's mom, my boyfriend's name is Miles. Uh, his mom is a professional photographer. She does like portrait and also kind of fine art photography.
Mm-hmm.
So he's been assisting her on shoots his whole life. And photography has been like part of his childhood, but he never really. Ever thought he was gonna pursue it. He ended up actually finding it totally on his own. And it actually started because we started going to festivals and I would get a plus one, and he was my plus one.
And so he kind of felt like he should contribute somehow. He is like, if I'm gonna be going to these things, I feel like I should do something. I don't know. Mm-hmm. Maybe I could take, I was like, photos would be cool, because a lot of the time I have to source them from other photographers or just like find them online.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and a lot of the time, I mean, we're together the whole time, so it perfectly matches my story.
Yep.
Because he's seeing everything that I'm writing about. Mm-hmm. So like there would be, for example, a set that I would write about and I wouldn't have photos for that particular set, but every time I can like, direct him, be like, oh, can you make sure that you get a photo of this particular set or that art installation or those freaking weirdos over there, or, yeah.
You know, uh, so it works out in that way. And it kind of just started off as just another way to get another media pass essentially without
mm-hmm.
Uh. Being a mooch, I guess. Yeah. I mean, I didn't care, but I think it was more for him to feel like he was contributing and not just being a plus one forever.
Well, and his pictures are amazing. Yeah. And so, and it's been amazing to see his growth and to see how much he's, his just eye has changed and evolved, and even his editing style and his gear, of course. Mm-hmm. So yeah,
there have been people that I now follow on social media because he captured this moment of them, uh, and posted it and I was like, who is that?
They look awesome. And suddenly I'm down this rabbit hole of, you know, the internet and making all these new friends just because of what he, a moment he captured. That's awesome. So, yeah, I I he's gonna love
hearing that.
No, it's true. And, and, you know, I am always been a fan of, uh, partners and couples who.
Kind of take on this entrepreneurial business together. So to see friends of mine that are doing that and doing such amazing work, it's like, yes. Like how, how can we, you know, let more people know how I think naturally, um, the two of you capture what you see and then do it together. Definitely. Yeah.
That's the goal. Yeah. We're just almost famous around, and honestly, I think that's what a lot of people's dreams would be like. You, you look at what you guys get to do and where you get to go and you're covering like really awesome parties. Yeah. And you're like, huh? Like, that can be a job. Yeah.
How do we get that job?
Definitely. Unfortunately though, the, I feel like dream has kind of faded a bit because the journalism industry has like substantially dipped and I feel, I mean, obviously there's gonna be music journalism has its own necessity, you know? Yeah. Everyone can't be writing negative shit. Oh, can I curse on here?
Yes. Okay. Not everyone can be writing negative shit, and there has to be some kind of positive lightness out there in the journalism world. And so I understand that it's still a necessity, but on the one hand, it's also not exactly, there's not as much of a need for a music journalist or an article about a music fest, some random music festival in Mexico or something.
Mm-hmm.
So it's a lot harder now. I used to, I mean, there was two years where I fully sustained myself on music journalism and I was freelancing and writing, and I was not rich, but I was making it and I could pay my bills and I could pay my rent just from writing.
Mm-hmm.
And then it all kinda actually started with LA Weekly.
I don't know if you heard about that whole debacle. Um, maybe tell the audience, so a few years ago. I mean, and this is a pattern that's happening all across the board at all kinds of different, from large to small to local to national, uh, publications, but
mm-hmm.
They were bought out by a company, and I remember my editor telling me that he wasn't sure if he was gonna have a job the next week or not.
Everyone was kind of walking on ice because they weren't sure if they were gonna be out or not. And unfortunately, they just totally just decimated the whole staff, including my editor, who was also kind of, became somewhat of a mentor.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and only I think a, like a handful of people made it through that, uh, cut.
But the morale was just so down because, I mean, these were award-winning journalists. These were hugely influential in Los Angeles. And to think that they just got laid off is so discouraging to people like me who are still just trying to make it. Mm-hmm. Um, they even actually reached out to all the freelancers and said, Hey, you know, just 'cause all your editors are gone doesn't mean we're not accepting pitches from you, so please send over your pitches.
But then it kind of became a solidarity thing. Right. And, uh, a lot of people just stopped writing. Like Henry Rollins was a regular contributor and he also sta like, stayed in solidarity with all the writers. They had a protest
mm-hmm.
Outside where they rented a casket and put a bunch of old LA weeklys inside and basically had a funeral for LA Weekly out in front of the LA Weekly building.
And oddly, there was someone from the new company live streaming it on the Facebook feed, which I, that's so weird. That was so bizarre. And I was, so, I was watching the whole thing live and, um, through LA Weekly, through the LA Weekly Facebook feed as they're being protested. It was so bizarre. It was really strange.
And they were doing speeches on a megaphone. It was proper protest style like you would expect. Mm-hmm. There were signs.
Yeah.
Um, but. The after that I felt like it was just this downhill from there. Like after that I lost three more publications and then I lost Huffington Post and then I lost, um, like these two publications that had, I had just started writing for went under.
And it was just kind of like this domino effect of just losing one after another. After another. I got laid off. I was working at up Rocks two and I got laid off from them. And now even the few publications that I still do write for, it's so much harder to get a story. I'll pitch to them. And it used to be, I'd have a pretty good success rate.
I'd say. Say it was like three Outta five. Mm-hmm. Yes. Is to every five pitches.
Mm-hmm.
And now it. I don't even, I haven't even really been pitching, I'm just so kind of disenchanted with the whole thing, unless there's like some really cool story that I really, really wanna write. Mm-hmm. Then I'll pitch it out maybe.
Or if it's like a friend, sometimes people hit me up and like, Hey, I have this album.
Mm-hmm.
Maybe you could pitch it out to a few people. So if it's like for a friend or someone that I support, um, I'll pitch it out. But even then, I don't even a lot of the time get these stories approved, you know, so I'm even pitching out to like, new, uh, publications that I have never written for.
And that's a nightmare in itself. Like, I don't even get a re so much as a response. A lot of these people. And it's funny because, uh, one of the most elusive publications that I've tried to write for is Vice.
Yeah.
And, um, like Noisy and Thump when they were Yep. A thing, well, I guess that was not a thing anymore, but, um.
And I've just never even gotten so much as a response. And I've even had people connect me from Vice that I've met out in there and they recommend me to the editors, like Connect Me and they're like, Hey, this is Mo, she's a writer. Like she'd love to write for Vice, you should check out some of her pitches.
And then I get one email saying, oh cool. Nice to meet you. And then I send pitches and just nothing.
Yeah.
And it's also funny, it's become this like inside joke with me and Miles where so many people are always like, you know what? You should write for Vice. Have you ever thought about that before? I think you'd be like really, really good for them.
I'm like, shut the fuck up. Okay. I know, I know. But they don't want me so I'm not gonna write for Vice. Yeah. Even though I want to, but, so it's just kind of this constant like battle of pitching and just not getting so much as a no. Mm-hmm. You know, I would even just appreciate someone saying, thanks for the pitch, but this, I'm gonna pass.
Yeah.
Just so I know that. Are they even getting it? Are they just deleting it in their inbox? Like, I don't know. And at least when that line of communication is open, when they reject me. I feel I have an opportunity to maybe be more inquisitive about what kind of pitches they want. Mm-hmm. Or what are they looking for?
Or when's a good time to pitch or, you know, these kind of questions that maybe could help my chances. But it's just so difficult. So I'm actually taking a break from the whole festival journalism thing. Um, last year and the year before, I think we did like 10 festivals. I'm just, I'm burnt. Yeah, that's, that's a lot.
It's the travel, the expense, and, and at the end I'm, I mean these articles are paying me anywhere from $30 an article to maybe $200 an article. Mm-hmm. So, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to get flight, but for the local festivals, I'm still the one, you know, we're driving, we're getting all the food and it's more of just like the free festival ticket.
Yeah. I think 'cause it's a trade.
Mm-hmm.
So we're just a little burnt on that. But we also have some personal projects that we kind of let fall to the wayside. Mm-hmm. Because everything was just revolving around festivals and partying and
Yeah. It wasn't
exactly the healthiest lifestyle either, you know, it's not like I was going there sober.
Yeah. I
was definitely partying and there was definitely a lot of, all-nighters and nefarious things happening, but, um. Right now we're focusing more on big picture stuff. Mm-hmm. I think. And, um, anything you wanna
share?
Yeah. There's a publication that Miles and I have been toying with the idea of for a long time now.
And at first it was kind of a pipe dream, but now it seems like kind of the perfect time because we basically wanna create a festival platform.
Mm-hmm.
Um, essentially it's gonna be like a publication, but I don't want it to really be labeled as a magazine or publication. 'cause I wanna do like video playlists.
Like Yeah. Kind of have it a little bit more diverse so that we don't have to be pigeonholed into the whole media mm-hmm. Package And, um, we have the name, but it's not, uh, safe
to say yet. When it's safe, we can update the show notes and, and we can promote it on powerful. It is cool. Yeah.
So, uh, I mean, it's perfect because Miles can be in charge of.
We're gonna kinda split the tasks and have him be, we want it to be autonomous too. Like we don't wanna butt heads on this thing. Mm-hmm. Our relationship's always gonna come first. Yeah. So I think as long as we have to, we just have to have trust in each other to like let our us do our respective sides.
So he's gonna be like in charge of more so video design mm-hmm. And photography. And then I'm just gonna do everything. Copy.
Yeah.
So, and then there'll probably be like an overlap in the Venn diagram of, uh, like video. Mm-hmm. Because I definitely wanna have a say in that. And also I studied, I wanna use my bachelor's degree for something.
So
yeah,
that would be the opportunity. And, um. Yeah, so we've actually started reaching out to writers. Uh, I did like kind of a first round of pitches and announcing and got a lot of interest from some really amazing writers that are down to kind of donate Yeah. An article, you know, just so that we have kind of a collection of Yeah.
Articles to pitch or to, to launch with mm-hmm. That aren't just like 20 articles written by me. You know, I don't, I don't want it to be like that. So, um, I've reached out to a few friends that are down. It's all very up in the air still right now. Our biggest hurdle has been getting us like, kind of solidifying the domain.
Mm-hmm.
That's been a huge process, and neither of us have any bid business acumen at all, so we're totally just playing it by ear and. Asking advice when we can from people who know better and
well, great news is that you're currently meeting with a business advisor for startups and small businesses, so we can, well, here we go.
We can help each
other out. That's perfect. How convenient.
It's a good way to spend a Sunday. Um, you know, you, you kind of, uh, got to your story point where you were studying at uc, Irvine, and kind of what happened between that and becoming, uh, a journalist. Um,
after uc, Irvine, I was in a really hard place.
Uh, I mean, my junior year of college was 2008 when the recession happened. Mm-hmm. So being a college student, a college, college grad was literally the worst. Place you could be. Yeah. And so, um, I was kind of also, I, I didn't really get into partying until later. I was kind of, when I first got to uc, Irvine, I was total just, I don't really understand how a lot of people make it through college and party and somehow graduate.
'cause I don't either. That shit was hard. It's so much work. You're studying, you're reading, you're maybe working maybe. Yeah, maybe. I was working at Hollywood Video when they existed. Yeah. When they existed. I'd, I'd have school from like 8:00 AM to three and then work at Hollywood Video from five to 1:00 AM every night.
And it was just that classic
mm-hmm.
College student story. And then I graduated and unlike what my high school counselor said, my guidance counselor, I was not just finding a job. Mm-hmm. Which, which is what I thought a bachelor's degree was, a ticket to a job. That's how it was sold to me in Yeah. Small town Salinas.
Um, and I'm, I'm, I don't regret going to college. It has kinda fucked up a lot of things like my credit and mm-hmm. Still constantly a slave to paying off my loans and that whole part, I'm a little, it's a little challenging and it's frustrating. It's very frustrating. I feel cheated. Mm-hmm. Almost, you know, like, or I got duped or something.
And you're not alone in that at all. Yeah, definitely not. And I'm like, oh, cool. I'm a film buff. Sweet. That's what I got out of my education. I paid how
much to do
this to be a film buff. Yeah. So, which I probably would've been if I would've kept working at Hollywood Video anyway, so, but um, yeah. So then I was actually gonna move, I remember after I graduated, my plan was to move, uh, up to San Francisco.
Yeah. And then. That was just not possible when rents, I mean, rent was high then. It was still an expensive place to live. Yeah. But I thought I was gonna find a job right away. And then I was even looking for jobs in San Francisco and then I met like this group of friends, you know, and everything just, I started to finally kind of settle in to find your people.
I found my people and, and then I started going to, I went to my first music festival in 2005 and it was Coachella and I didn't even know what a music festival was at that point. My concept of music festivals was Warp tour. Yeah. And that was kind of my only, uh, like been to one of those experience. Yep.
Mm-hmm. I've been to a few and those were great. That was my only experience with a festival. But you know, I didn't think about like camping or I didn't like even know that that was a thing. And I remember we went and. I maybe saw one other stage. I stayed at the main stage the whole time. And then there was one other stage I went to because I did, didn't even know there was more.
Yeah.
So like I remember hearing stories about all these bands. I was like, where was that? And they were like, this Sahara tent. I was like, I don't what, how many tents are there? And so that was a game changer. And after that I was fully hooked. And then I kind of started off in the rave scene. And it's funny because so many of our friends have been like raving since they were like 15.
And that just blows my mind. 'cause I didn't even know what ecstasy was or what a rave was per se. Yeah. In high school. So I definitely was like a late bloomer when it came to all that stuff. And then the rave scene was interesting because that was like the first introduction too, that I was really into electronic music.
'cause I was definitely like a emo. Punk rock. Yeah. Hardcore kinda gal and like hip hop.
Yeah. Then who are your favorites? What electronic? Uh, no, before, like and when you were into emo and punk rock. Uh, I was a huge Weezer fan. Yeah. I a Weezer tattoo,
but Miles always makes fun of 'cause I don't listen to them anymore unfortunately.
But, 'cause I'm just, they're not really, uh, haven't really liked anything since Pinkerton to be honest. Yeah. If I
can state real quick, my coworker here just started a podcast called, what's With these homies? Talking about Weezer. What? Yeah, he just, he, it just came out the other day. Oh my
God.
I
gotta check that out.
That's hilarious.
We are big Weezer fans. That your wolf Oh,
perfect. Cool.
Yeah. I like the classics. I, I haven't heard any other new albums though.
Yeah. It, it's not my thing. Yeah. I don't know. Maybe it's, I, maybe it's good. Yeah. And I'm just kind of grew out of it. Yeah. I'm not really sure anymore. You know, like the Blue album in Pinkerton mm-hmm.
Are just so like, nostalgic for me that it's me too hard for me to, I'm like, is it, it's good though. It's good music. Yes, it's good. Yes. But compared to the new stuff, I just, I can't connect with it. It's kind just not my thing.
Well, when you listen to the Blue album, you realize how similar it is to like, original Beatles songs and like the Totally.
The, um, I'm, I don't know anything about music, so I'm gonna completely botch this, but in regards to the beat and the energy of it and how simple they are too. Like they, they get stuck. Yeah. And so there's like, it's, it was always interesting to me to see. Because at that time everyone was like, are you hardcore or not hardcore?
And like Weezer was never hardcore. No. And like even if you listen to a Misfits album, you're like, wait, are you listening to the words? Yeah. Because this isn't actually that hardcore like timeout. Like they look scarier than what they're talking about. Yeah,
definitely. I was a Misfits fan too, actually.
That was good. And I love like no effects and all that. I
love no
effects. Yeah. Like punk rock stuff and mm-hmm. Um, dead Kennedy's and just your Yeah. Laundry list of punk rock music and yeah. So then the rave scene was just such a stark transition. Mm-hmm. It is like so opposite, you know? As opposed to just like getting punched and flying around a mosh pit.
You're just like eyes rolling in the back of your head, dancing with your arms up with a bunch of neon colors and candy bracelets on. It's just, it was so completely different than that world. And it's interesting because I feel like a lot of people. Made that jump.
Mm-hmm.
A lot of people that I know that were like in the rave scene, the electronics scene came from the punk rock scene, came from like the hip hop scene and eventually just all found their way to that scene because it's just so addictive.
It's so much fun. The vibes there, you're not really seeing a lot of people getting in fights. It's not like such a violent, dark experience. It's the opposite. There's literally neon lights and colors and glow in the dark things everywhere. And so that was kind of a game changer. And then I was, I went to Coachella for eight years in a row and I, that was just kind of my favorite festival.
And then I went to Lightning in a bottle, and that just flipped my world upside down. Mm-hmm. Because the first thing I noticed about Lightning was that there was no trash on the ground. Yeah. And I was like, how is this possible? There's no trash and there's thousands of people here. I had this experience at Coachella one time where I was in the parking lot and or in the campgrounds.
And there was a trash tornado, and it started spinning around above the campgrounds, and everyone was just watching it with dread. And then of course, when it stopped, it just started raining garbage. It was literally raining trash. And so that stuck in my mind as kind of a quintessential festival situation.
Mm-hmm. And it was one of those things where I, I didn't even know there was another option. I thought that's just how it is. It's kinda like, what do you expect when you have tens of thousands of people at an event where there's booze and partying involved?
Mm-hmm.
And then I went to Lightning and saw that it is possible, and that there wasn't even so much as a cigarette butt on the ground.
Mm-hmm. People are picking up every single piece of trash. Or not even picking it up, but just not even putting it down or Yeah. Throwing it down. So for people
who aren't familiar, do you wanna explain like where that philosophy comes from?
Yeah. So lightning in a bottle. What I discovered is a transformational festival, and that's kind of a contentious phrase.
I know a lot of people kind of don't really like that phrase. No, I think it's just they don't wanna be labeled, I guess. Yeah. But I just think for the sake of simplicity, it's a transformational festival. It just differentiates them from like the mainstream. Mm-hmm. Like Golden Voice corporate festivals.
It's basically an independent festival that kind of facilitates like growth and respect. And I think a lot of that was based on the Burning Man principles. Mm-hmm. Um, which are, I don't have them memorized or anything. It was what, 12 I, yeah. 10 or I think it. It's 20, I don't know. They keep growing.
Probably they're between 10 and 20, I think maybe 10. But the, they're pretty basic. I mean, yeah. So the 10 principles are just basic humanity, really. I mean, it's, it's funny that they even have to be listed, but it's essentially just, I'm glad
someone listed them.
Yeah. I think it just really, when you see them written down like that, you're like, oh yeah, I guess I should have some kind of moral code.
And we'll have a link to the list of the 10 Burning Man principles in the show notes. Oh, nice.
Yeah. So I know that one of them is like radical inclusion, radical self-expression. Mm-hmm. Uh, leave No Trace is one of the biggest tenets of the Burning Man, um, philosophy. And that's an, that's something that has carried through all transformational festivals.
So I feel like all transformational festivals have kind of become these extensions of Burning Man and of, um, those 10 principles. Mm-hmm. So when I experienced that, it was such a game changer because, and everyone was so nice to each other, you didn't see. Just like, just destroyed people, like fucked up, barfing all over the place.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Or creepy dudes like fondling you on the dance floor, you know? I know, I'm sure that, I'm sure that does go on. Mm-hmm. But for the most part, I mean, 'cause I don't wanna, you know, excuse that that's, or pretend like that's not happening everywhere. Mm-hmm. I'd say at least like percentage wise, it's a much smaller percentage than you would experience at like a Coachella or even an insomniac event.
Um, like EDC or these kind of bigger Yep. Mainstream type festivals. It's funny to even think of a rave being mainstream these days, but they are, and so lighting in a bottle was the first taste of this kind of newfangled festival world. Mm-hmm. And from then on, I totally got. Like a little chip on my shoulder and I was like, anti Coachella.
I was like, oh, I don't go to these Coachellas anymore. I don't go to insomniac events. You know, like I go to places where they don't throw trash on the ground and there's yoga classes, you know? Yeah.
We're making
art during the day. Yeah. And there's like, yeah, there's art installations and life painting, and I can take a laughing yoga breathing, gluten-free cooking workshop class.
And like it was just a totally different world. And so that's kind of the world that I really fell into. And that community is actually one of the things that has kept me going to these things. And that's mm-hmm. Kind what kept me going the last two years, going to 10 festivals because there's these people that I only, that basically only existed in this dimension, this yes.
Transformational dimension that I never see outside and only see at this festival. And when I do, it feels like we're like lifelong friends. Like yeah. That they're the best friends I've ever had, but I don't ever text 'em or call them. Probably a lot of 'em don't even have their phone number.
Mm-hmm.
You know?
So I think the community has become. The crux of my whole festival experience, that's become the most important part.
Mm-hmm. And, and I think it helps you that the, when you said you found your people after graduating, like a lot of our people go to these festivals as well, and I mean, I think it's like 160 people were at the last Burning Man of our group.
Of our group. And you're like, wait, how big is the group? Yeah. And like I'm, I'm a newbie to the group and I've known you guys for like five years now. Yeah. That's crazy. And it's like, there's decade before I showed up and there's been people showing up just like I have the whole time and it's like, holy smokes.
How many people Yeah. We're like a virus. Yeah, exactly. Um, but it's such a, what? Lightning in the Bottle was the first time I met a whole bunch of the group, and it was my first festival of that kind. And it was eye-opening in the sense of. And we have a dog in the studio. We have special guest today, Tuffy and Cynthia had her here observing.
It would've been great if I was like, and that's Morena dancing in the corner. Yeah. She came with Bells off as you should. Um, but no, like, it, it was, um, when you're in the mainstream world, the global world, like people who attend things like Burning Man are like, what, what are they doing? Like, are they leftover hippies or wanna be hippies?
Like, what's happening? And then you realize you're like, no. Like that's not what's going on. And how many, you know, you can go to a lightning in a bottle and find people who year round are practicing that lifestyle. And then you can find the accountant who needs to go to a lightning in a bottle to like get back to who he actually is or she Yeah.
Or was. Or was. Exactly. And so it's so nice to go to, uh, an event where there's so many people and. People make eye contact, they smile, they share. Um, like you said, like my experience has never been there or burning man of anything negative. Uh, in fact, like I think I always am a nervous, like, okay, I have to be a little bit responsible because what if something happens?
Like, um, but thank God for you. Someone's gotta do it. But there is, it's, it's just nice to be around people who are just there to like, contribute and be nice. Yeah. And like, and contribute. Not even things, but just who they are. Yeah. Just be a hundred percent themselves and present. Like you have to be present at those things.
There's no service. Yep. Um, like you get, you lose your friends all the time. Like you never know where you're gonna go. You think you make a left and you're like, wait, I made that left eight steps ago, and how did I end up back at the bathrooms? Like you, it's, you are forced to meet and rely and connect with people that you've never met before.
And it's one of those things that people joke about. If every politician, or maybe it's not a joke, but if every politician, you know, did, uh, mushrooms or DMT or some other type of psychedelic experience that this world would be very different place. And, you know, I don't, they don't even probably need to do that.
Like, just go to one of those events Yeah. And like, see what's possible. 'cause if you can get all those people to not leave the trash, and there's always people that do and get shunned by the community, but like, what else can we have happen? Yeah. So I think it, it, it gives me hope for humanity and getting back to whatever the source of why we're here.
Yep. This here. So that's kind of like one of the ethos or the underlying kind of ethos of the publication that Miles and I wanna start. Mm-hmm. Or the platform, I guess, um, is that kind of community, that global awareness that. Dare I say mindfulness? Yeah. If that's one of those words, you know, there's kinda those words that I feel like have been kind of.
Oh yeah. I wrote an article on powerful ladies called like Gratitude and Why it makes us roll our eyes and wanna vomit. Exactly. And we still need it. Exactly.
I need to read that. That's exactly what it's like. That's one of those words manifest. Yeah. I swear. Manifest intentions. Sacred. Everything's sacred.
All these
beautiful words that want us to punch someone in the face. Yeah. Now I'm just like, ah,
come on. Yeah. You know, but mindfulness for reals though, like It is, it is a real thing and I mean it's, it's interesting 'cause it's kind of Burning Man especially has really passed into another realm because of the fact that people, there's this whole Silicon Valley thing now where Yeah.
People from Google are required to go or someone, I don't know, maybe it's Google, maybe it's Tesla. I don't know. Someone, some company in Silicon Valley like is like highly recommends or requires mm-hmm. Their employees to go to Burning Man at least once because the whole concept is if you can survive Burning Man and have a good time, then you're the type of person that we wanna hire.
Which I'm not mad at that concept. Yeah, exactly. And it just means that they're open-minded. Um, especially where at this point, technology and innovation is happening so fast. And I think innovation's, what's gonna save us mm-hmm. Save the world mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Is new ideas. And Burning Man is just a big old Petri dish for new ideas.
And I mean, Elon Musk, I don't know if this is true, I just remember hearing someone say this once, so don't quote me on this, but I remember hearing that, like, supposedly he came up with the idea for the Tesla while he was at Burning Man. Like he was inspired by the idea of how there was this self-sustaining city in the middle of a desert, and how it wasn't easy, but how it was doable.
Mm-hmm. So if that's possible, if you can build the most epic city in the middle of nowhere, then why couldn't he make an electric car? Yeah. You know? So I feel like there's so much, it's just like. Ripe with mm-hmm. Inspiration and ideas. And some of the people you meet, like you said earlier, you know, like there are those people that are super heady 24 7, like yes.
You know, they're wearing like harem pants every day and the pine cone necklaces and just like, totally living that life, you know? Mm-hmm. But then there's those people that you meet that you would never, ever think would go to Burning Man, and then somehow it comes up in a conversation and you're like, you, you, you, that,
that happens to me every time I tell people I've gone,
really?
You're the
one, you're the one. That's, what were you doing there? You're the, you, were you a narc? Like, why were you there? Like, what?
You're like, what a dick. Yeah.
Yeah. That's funny. Mm-hmm. Um, no, it's, it's, uh, I tell everyone I meet that you should go at least once because traveling around the world has been such a big.
Passion and commitment of mine because I want to see what's happening elsewhere. Like there's so much on this planet to see, like we get so hyped on Avatar as a movie and you're like, okay, everyone listening, like we are that planet. Like we're the only weird planet that actually can sustain life and has all this variety of species, like go see it.
Like it's not like some made up nonsense. It's actually our backyard.
It's not virtual reality.
No. Like go to the Amazon, go wherever, like it's here and there's going to Burning Man is like going to another planet. I mean, it helps that it's in this desert landscape. Yeah. So you kind of feel like you're on Mars and most things do not work the way they would in modern civilization.
It's completely different. And the best thing about traveling is when you can show up and. Assume you don't know anything and just figure out how it works there. And that's what you have to, you are forced to experience that at Burning Man because the second, like just getting in the door is a test of, you know, if I, if I compared having to move to Germany and like the three months preparing and everything that you have to like, give up and get rid of mentally and physically to like move, you have to experience that in like the 11 hours Yeah.
That you're waiting to just get in the door.
Yeah. And then if you're a newbie, they make you roll around in the dirt.
Yes. And I was
so like, no, let me stay cleans. That's, that's why I was like, just, I was like, I'm gonna get dusty anyway. Why do I have to end it so soon? Yeah. And they're like, no, you have to do a, a dust angel.
And I was like, I haven't slept in 12 hours. Please don't make me do it. And they're like, you have to do it. And I was just doing it. And I had the biggest stink face. I was the same. I was like, I was so mad. I need to pee. Lemme get to the bathroom that're on the same page. 'cause some people were just flopping around like a fish outta water.
They were super down. And I was like, God,
I hate being told to do something.
I know. That's another thing that's one of my biggest pet peeves. I instantly even, what if it's something cool? I, I like, don't wanna do it. Yeah. Like, eat the cupcake. I'm like, no, no, don't tell me what to do. Yeah. I like pie anyway.
Yeah, exactly. So snarky. Yeah, it's, I mean, I appreciate that that's there. 'cause it means that I'm, you know, not just saying yes to everything, but there's a moment where you're like, okay, just quit being a jerk. Like,
yeah,
it's all right.
Just participate.
Yeah. It's okay to just do what someone ask once in a while.
Yeah. Something as silly as rolling around in the dirt.
Mm-hmm.
But what we do need, I do wanna specify is this isn't just any old regular dirt. Like this isn't just dirt that you can just fleck off your, your pants. Like this is like, you're in like a patina of dirt. Like it's a coating. Yeah. It's like, it's like being antiqued
before I went, like this is how the dirt is.
I was told by so many women who had gone before about the JJ Hygiene. While you're there and protecting it because the dirt literally gets everywhere. I got
a UTI at Burning Man. Right?
So many people are like, okay, whatever you do, like, make sure you're wearing a layers of underwear or something. Or like, like things that you see people walk, they post pictures of people wearing bikinis at Burning Man all the time, and you're like, that's gonna suck tomorrow.
Nah, I was one of those.
Nobody warned me. Yeah. I saw pictures of people in bikinis and I was like, sweet, I have bikinis. Yeah, I can ride a bike in a bikini. That was the worst idea.
Yeah. So that's the type of, that's the type of sand and dust that it's, yeah, it's
dust. It's really like the consistency of flour.
I like, uh, but like the finest flower you've ever experienced? Yeah. Really? We, I mean, our garage, we clean it over and over again and everything looks sparkly. And then you come back in the next day, you're like, where did the dust come from? Like, it just keeps seeping out. Yeah. Forever. You can't get rid
of it.
No. Yeah. I have camping gear like that has been even through rain. Yeah. And it still has ply a dust on it
forever. Yeah. I mean, even just after we got back and scrubbed Yeah. Like physically ourselves in the shower, I was still getting dust out of my nose and ears for weeks. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me.
Like, how is this still happening?
It's like it's breeding.
Yeah. And I, and they, everyone talks about, um, what's the correct term when you come outta Burning Man? Decompressing. Oh yeah. They talk about decompressing and I'm like, whatever. Like, I don't do all that stuff. I'll be fine. Decompressing no big deal.
And then even being the, among the most sober people at Burning Man, I still had a decompression. Yeah. You're like, shit, wait, I forgot. This is what real life is Like. Who, who signed up for this? Who agreed. The default
world.
Yeah. You're like, it get, you get hit so quickly with responsibilities and to-do lists and all this like bullshit pressure
that we've created and you're, and making up for all the time that you missed in the.
Quote, unquote, default world, right? And it just all comes rushing back at you and you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Yeah, I'm not ready for that yet. Okay guys, I just came back from Burning Man. Do you even understand? And they're like, yeah, I don't fucking care.
No, I mean, they tell people not to quit their jobs, but last time we went, Jesse quit his job like in two days.
I mean, it worked out great for me. We got to go to Europe for a month. So I was like, sweet, that's awesome. But it's still like, you, you wanna change so many things so you can get back to that place. And they're, they're like, they warned you. There's an amazing YouTube video I'll add in the show notes of a husband that comes back from Burning Man and his wife trying to deal with him.
And it is so funny. Oh, I gotta see that. Yeah, it's, it's very accurate. Nice. Mm-hmm. Um, so let's go back to you and how you're a powerful lady. Um, so. You were a dancer and a piano pianist. Pianist growing up. I mean, those were
hobbies.
Mm. Um, ballet how they impacted, like
they definitely were a huge part of my life.
Ballet was, especially piano was just kind of something that was always there. Mm-hmm. I think because it was just constant. Like my parents taught, both my parents taught music out of our house. We had like two music studios in our house. One of 'em was just our living room, and then the other one was a garage that we converted into a music studio because they had to be far enough apart from each other in the house that there wasn't noise.
Noise. Mm-hmm. But where my room was in my house, I could hear both all the time. So, oh, I'm talking like 9:00 AM Saturday oboe lessons. I'm talking. Trumpets at like nine o'clock at night. French horns on a Tuesday. Like it was crazy. There was just constant music all the time. And it's funny 'cause growing up, of course I was kind of annoyed by it.
Mm-hmm.
But like, looking back on it, like I, it's a pretty cool way to grow up, you know? And
yeah,
a lot of my parents students became like their closest friends and huge family friends. Like a lot of would come over on like, 'cause they would have like the kids during like the afterschool hours and then in the early mornings and then at late nights they'd have the parents.
So we taught, they taught like entire families, like all the kids. Both the parents. Wow. So I was like friends with a lot of the kids. And then the parents would come over and hang out and a lot of the time they would like stay for dinner. They'd have their piano lesson or their French horn lesson and mm-hmm.
And
then I'd hear my dad like drinking beer with them until two in the morning, you know? So it was, it was definitely like. A huge part of the social life also. Mm-hmm. So it was all kind of intertwined and because it was in our home, it was so much more intimate than like at a studio or something like that.
Yeah. To where we're not just inviting 'em in for a lesson, we're inviting 'em into our home and mm-hmm. I remember my mom would like, have coffee in the morning with a lot of her students that became her best friends. Like, and that became their tradition and
mm-hmm.
So, but because it was just so, it just became a ubiquitous thing to me.
So I also even got to a point where, you know, piano wasn't cool anymore and I wanted to play guitar. Of course. Yeah. And so I was like, I don't wanna play piano anymore. I'm playing guitar now. I'm a guitarist now. And they're like, okay, you don't have a guitar, so good luck with that. Save your money. And then, uh, for my 13th birthday, they, my parents always told me they were never gonna get me an electric guitar.
They're like, if you get an electric guitar, it's gonna be paid for by your money. And I was like, damn it. But then I found, uh, an acoustic guitar my sister had that was like, not the greatest. Mm-hmm. I started just teaching myself in my room and they would hear me and they're like, okay, she's actually serious about it.
So they, for my 13th birthday, bought me like an electric guitar. I mean, it was just a cheap one. It wasn't some fancy one. Yeah. And, um, which I still have today. And so I started, my dad was like, okay, well if you're gonna just be teaching yourself in your room, I'm not gonna have that. So he started teaching me, first he made me plays.
He like, I'm not gonna let you do until you lay, learn proper classical guitar. So he made me learn the classical guitar where it's like, you're holding it like up here like this. Yes. And um, so that was, I learned that. And I got really into that in high school. And then the ballet thing started really taking over.
I had like two of my best friends were really into it, and I had done it as a little kid and then stopped doing it. And then two of my best friends who I thought were just like, so cool. Yeah. Were doing ballet, like in middle school. So I got back into it and I just became obsessed and I excelled at it really fast, faster than I had expected to.
Mm-hmm. And. Then all of a sudden, all of my dreams had just shifted. Like I went from wanting to be a writer and the music thing was always just a hobby. There was never, there was honestly never a point in my life where I was like, I'm gonna be a rock star. You know? I was like, I wanna write about rock stars.
But yeah. Um, and I, I mean, there was times I thought about being a singer, but that was more of just like a pipe dream when I was a little kid. Uh, singing along to Disney songs and stuff. It's so glamorous, right? Yeah. I was like, I can
do it. I can do it. I was like,
Dolly Parton can do it. I can do it. For sure.
Isn't she
amazing? Oh my God. She's, she's on my dream list for the Powerful Ladies podcast. If anybody has a connection.
Yeah,
please. That would be amazing. Yeah, I love her. I just imagine singing with her, like, uh, celebrities, karaoke the whole time. Awesome. And Jordan has to like edit my voice out to like save the rest of you guys.
Or auto tune Auto Tube.
Yeah.
Wow. She sounds great. Yeah. She's daily. This though. Yeah. Oh, can I get a refill too? When you, um, Jordan is a singer songwriter, so I think she's having like a, I wish I lived at your house moment. Versus our house.
That's awesome.
No, you, you keep talking about this stuff and Yes, I have that.
Thank when I, uh, I don't, uh, I'm trying to work on talking about myself more. When I was 18, I was an opening actor, Dickie Bets.
Who's Dickie
Bes from the Alman Brothers band. Oh, what?
Yeah. Holy shit. Yeah, she's technically, um, has an operatic voice.
Whoa, that's badass. Yeah,
that's fun. That's, I was trying to convince her to go do opera in Europe for a long time, but she didn't take me up on it.
I have a friend, I almost went Who as a male opera singer out there. Whoa. Dang. That's epic. Yeah. And you guys got to talk, right?
Yeah, we talked. I sent him, uh, long story short, he, he gave me all this advice and. I was like, oh my God, this is a lot of work. I don't know if I wanna do this. And he is like, but I, I can't, I can't tell you like anything else until I hear you.
And so I sent him a video not expecting to hear back for like days and then within five minutes he's like, you need to come to Europe now. And I was like,
no, that's awesome. Damn. Yeah. But you know, if it's not sometimes too, I feel like when you follow those kind of passions that bring you so much just pure joy, that you literally just do it for the pure joy that it sometimes gets ruined.
Yeah. You know, when you start having to like bring into account like logistics and also just the pure vulnerability of it as well and really putting yourself out there.
Mm-hmm.
There's that kind of threshold that you're like, uh, do I just wanna keep this, like this pure secret little special thing that's just like this relationship I have with this?
Or do I really wanna. Put it out there mm-hmm. And have to deal with all that competition and it's just, it's scary. Yeah.
Yeah. And going the upper route, it's very intimidating. It's like 10 plus years of training and training with a professional and then like working your way up there and it's like you, there's so much more that people don't realize that there is to it.
Yeah. And um,
and there's like 10 spots in the entire world. Yeah. If you wanna be an opera singer. So it's like, I don't know what would be the equivalent anywhere else. Like, I wanna be an astronaut. Okay, cool. There's more astronauts and opera singers, so that's easier. Oh my god,
that's crazy.
Right. I mean, I'm, I may, I'm guessing, but Yeah.
Yeah. I'm willing to bet my research will back that up. Yeah. But yeah. Damn. So back to you and being awesome. So you got totally sucked into the ballet, ballet world Ballet.
Yeah. So, um, my dad, before he came to America, he was, um, the conductor for the Munich Symphony Orchestra. Mm-hmm. So in order to do that, you have to be trained in every instrument.
You have to be trained in opera. Like, he didn't sing, but he like, would take opera classes to better understand what was ha and ballet to understand what was happening on stage, because it's all one big organism, so,
mm-hmm.
Um, he took ballet classes, but he couldn't sing. So he would sit in on these opera classes and like spend time with all the opera singers and then, but he actually took ballet classes because he wanted to understand the beats and the rhythm and the kind of physical connection that happens, especially when he's there conducting.
Yeah. So he could have a deeper like intuition as far as when he's up there. So ballet was definitely when he, when I started getting into it, he was actually like really excited about it. 'cause he was like, you know, he's always been a big ballet. Like my parents were total like culture nerds, you know, like
mm-hmm.
You know, he, they weren't, we didn't watch like football or, I mean actually I guess they did sometimes, but I mean it was just a very like non-traditional American family, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, and so ballet, we'd go to the ballet all the time in the opera in San Francisco. And um, I just had fallen in love with ballet and he was my par.
Both my parents, they were just so supportive of everything. Thank God. You know, like I'm really grateful for that. 'cause there's not a lot of people that have that kind of a support, you know? Especially for the arts. The arts is such a tough. Mm-hmm. You know, any realistic parent, I wouldn't even slight them for being like, you're, this is unrealistic.
Yeah. And it's, it's a tough world, so if you're gonna do it like good luck kind of situation, you know?
Mm-hmm. But
they were always fully supportive and, you know, looking back like ballet was not cheap, you know, I had to buy tights and leotards and point shoes are so expensive and I would blow through point shoes like nothing.
You know, they were like 80 bucks a pop. Mm-hmm. And so they were like scrambling to make this dream, you know, we weren't rich. So it was like definitely, I mean, they were teachers for God's sake, so Yeah.
And music teachers on top of that. Yeah,
exactly. Such a niche type of teacher. And so, um, I'm really grateful for that.
But I got super into it and then I started auditioning and I was like, hell bent. I was like, I'm gonna be a ballerina. And. Um, and then I started going through the audition process and that totally changed everything. Like my ballet studio, we were very tight knit. We were all close, very supportive of each other.
There was no body shaming or mm-hmm. Nobody felt uncomfortable about who they were, what color their skin was, or how big their boobs were. Like, yeah. And, you know, I mean, for people who might not know, like the typical ballet body is like this super tall, super lanky skin and bones and muscle.
Mm-hmm. You
know, just like pure muscle, but that's changing a little bit.
Mm-hmm.
Thanks to people like Misty Copeland.
Yeah.
Um, but I remember I went to my first audition and I, my ballet community was like such a important part of my life. So I, I remember there was like this room, we all have our numbers pinned on our leotards and we're all stretching. It was like the stretching room before we go into the audition.
And I saw this girl and I was like, Hey, how's it going? Like, who are you auditioning for? 'cause at we would audition at San Francisco Ballet. Uh, their academy and they would go through like, basically companies from all over the world would come through there, like during a season. Mm-hmm. And you just back to back to back, just do all these different auditions for all these different companies all over the country and all over the world.
And so I was trying to talk to this girl and like just kind of ease the nerves a little bit. Mm-hmm. And maybe connect, make a new friend who knows. And she was not having it. She just like looked at me and turned around. Everyone was like that. It was like, because we were in competition, but I was like, that doesn't mean we can't make it less awkward, you know?
Yeah. And if you get it and I don't like, good for you, you earned it, you know? Mm-hmm. I'm not, I'm not gonna like, hate you because of it. Yeah. And so when I realized that it was just this really kind of acidic environment, I started kind of having cold feet and, but I kept doing it and I got into a few. So the way that it works is a lot of the time you have to get into a program.
So first you audition into the get this program, and then you do the dance program. It's either a summer program or like a semester. Mm-hmm. And you go through their academy and then they have like. Performances and stuff. And then from there, there's scouts and stuff in the audience. And maybe you'll get picked, maybe you won't, or you'll just keep going through the academy, but like your odds are a lot higher if you do it through the academy.
Mm-hmm. To actually get picked up and into a company. So I was trying to do this thing and it's not cheap either, you know, like that's another thing is my parents would've had to pay for this and it, it was also plus driving Plus, yeah. Or flight. Mm-hmm. Like, so the two places I got in was was in Chicago and New York.
So like, it would've been a total life changer. Mm-hmm. And so I remember I didn't know what to do because it was also gonna be the, another option was it was either gonna be ballet or college.
Yeah.
So, and you can do both. I mean, I'm not saying that that's not an option, but in my world, in my small little town, that's the only options I thought there were.
Like, I didn't even think about like that. I could just do it for fun, you know? I was just like, I was just doing it the way that all the other ballerinas told me to do it, and that my teacher told me was like the best way to do it. And so. Um, my dad actually gave me this advice that has stuck with me and he said, you know, I want you to make this decision.
'cause I asked him, I was like, I don't know what to do. Like, I, I, I, I'm getting cold feet. I don't know if I wanna do ballet anymore. Like, it brings me so much joy and I love it and I feel like incomplete without it. But at the same time, I kind of got a taste of the world just because of like the audition process and the tension and
mm-hmm.
Also like just the body imagery, images, like, I felt like I was not the right body type, you know? And mm-hmm. And that, and there was actually one I company, I'm not gonna say their name, but there was one company where I showed up and I, you have to like, kind of pre-sign up for the auditions 'cause there's only so many slots.
Yeah. I had showed up. And you have to bring, I mean, this was like kind of before emails. Mm-hmm. So like, you have to bring them, like your headshot and like, um, all these different kind of like ballet poses that you have to give to every audition. And I showed up there and handed 'em to 'em and I was like, oh, this is my, I have an audition at whatever time.
And they're like, you're not what we're looking for. And they just turned me away right at the table. They didn't even let me audition. So as like a 16-year-old girl Yeah. That's like crushing. Crushing. Mm-hmm. And because, um, they, I didn't even get a chance to show my skill. Like it was just based on the way I looked.
And then I looked up the, I told my ballet teacher about it. She's like, oh, they're infamous for that. She's like, that's like total classic thing. They, they want just all their little pretty clones. They don't want anything different. And it's, it's about skin color and body size. Mm-hmm. So I had both of those things working against me.
And so I was just like, wow. So those, that experience, it was just kind of the a a bunch of little experiences like that through the audition process that really. It fucked with my head. Yeah. And so when I asked my dad for advice, I didn't know what to do. I was like, and I, and also they were so proud of me, like they loved my ballet and they had put so much effort, so I felt like it wasn't just me anymore.
It was also like they, their invest, I was like, their investment, you know? Yeah. Like, it was like all writing on this. And so I started feeling guilty. Like I was like, fuck, they invested all this money and time and took me to all these rehearsals and these auditions and like, just like literally put their lives on hold for this.
And now I'm like gonna be like, nah, I'm over it. You know? So I felt really guilty. And so I didn't know what to do. So I asked my dad and he was like, you need to make that decision. But what I will tell you is if you wanna like, strengthen your body and become like a physical tool, not like an asshole tool, but Yeah.
Yeah. Like if you wanna use your body as like a tool and have that be your entire life revolved around being basically like a well-oiled machine. Then go to do ballet. Like if you feel like you wanna have a life that's based in more like physical activity and just kind of honing in on that kind of a skill, then for sure do ballet.
But if you wanna improve your mind and expand your brain and get an education, and then you definitely have to go to college. So he is like, basically you have to choose between your body and your mind. And I was like, what a crazy choice to make at 17. I was like, uh, and it's funny 'cause you know, when you're so young, you're so, you're not really cerebral.
You are all physical, right? Like, everything is so physical. You're getting into your, you're going through puberty, like mm-hmm. You're really starting to come into your own physical. And I was always an athlete too. I played basketball and track and mm-hmm. So like my ath like athleticism was all I really did have, you know, like, and I did well in school too, but it was, I, I mean, I just, that wasn't like what brought me joy really.
Yeah. You know, like I didn't like studying and doing homework, but I loved playing basketball and doing ballet. So that was like a really, really. Hard decision because I was like, so do I wanna do more school, more studying, of which I do not like and it's boring, or do I wanna like go dance and be a ballerina?
But, um, I eventually, obviously chose college. How did you make that choice? I, I think, I think I was already kind of made, honestly, because of that audition process. Mm-hmm. And just how I kind of like, my life flashed before my eyes and I just pictured myself eating like iceberg lettuce and ice cubes for the rest of my life.
And smoking
cigarettes and Yeah. Like
smoking cigarettes and, and like, just having no social life and having gross feet. Mm-hmm. That was another thing. I was like, I don't know if I wanna sacrifice having nice feet and pedic. Yeah. You know, and that's a shallow reason, but, you know, it's just things like that.
Like your f my feet would get destroyed. It took years for my feet to recover. Mm-hmm. From that to actually kind of look presentable and normal, but. Just little things like that, you know? And I have such a huge respect for ballerinas who actually do make that huge leap. 'cause it is crazy. It's a crazy lifestyle and it's such a commitment and, and it's so hard, especially as a woman.
Things are finally changing though. And like I, who I mentioned earlier, Misty Copeland is like, not only changing just the idea of like skin color mm-hmm. But also just body shape. Like, one of the reasons why she had such a hard time making it was because she had such an athletic build, she's ripped, you know?
Mm-hmm. And that's not the stereotypical ballet body they're supposed to be kind of Yeah. Wa very lean wa yeah. And they're still all muscle, but it just doesn't, the way that the ballet training works, it pulls your muscles instead of compresses them.
Mm-hmm.
So, yeah. And then I decided to go to college and it's, it's, it's funny because I actually got into a college as a dance major, one of the ucs, and I ended up deciding to do so.
I even had that option again. I had to face that choice once again. And still somehow chose my brain. I just, it just went with my gut instinct. Mm-hmm. I feel like my gut instinct has led me pretty far.
How has, um, your parents choosing to be immigrants and live in the US impacted you and how you think about the world?
Um, it's definitely expanded my mind a lot. You know, like growing up I was always kind of an outcast in that way. I had a few friends that I connected with whose parents were also immigrants. Um, but as far as like the way the world is right now in America with immigrants and stuff, it's, it's hard because I, I take, I'm not an immigrant personally, but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them.
So I definitely take a lot of those things personally. Yeah. And, um, it's, growing up with immigrant parents was interesting because they wanted to be American, obviously. Like they chose to be here. So we did, you know, like. Some American things, but also, you know, I was like eating like liver worst sandwiches for lunch and stuff like that.
Like, you know, it was also like a very peculiar family dynamic. And my parents, like, even just like pop culture, they just were so clueless about all that stuff. Mm-hmm. I have an older sister, she's 10 years older, so she was kind of my educator as far as anything American pop culture and music wise. And I feel, I don't know.
And it's interesting too, like the definition of like, or people's idea of what an immigrant is. Mm-hmm. These days. And, um, I mean it was kind of hard too because, um, I actually recently wrote like a medium piece and that was actually the first chap. It was a paired down chap first. It was a paired down version of the first chapter of the book that I'm writing, which is about my dad who served in the Hitler youth.
And, um, growing up in a small town, everybody knew each other. My dad had German accent. Yeah. And he would actually also go around and discuss. The, his experiences in World War II for like, history classes and to kind of educate them and give them a first mm-hmm. A firsthand look into the war, which is rare 'cause we're all in California reading it out of a textbook, so.
Right. Um, but then rumors started spreading that he was a Nazi, you know, because they didn't understand the difference between the Hitler youth and the Nazis and Right. So, you know, I was teased and I just always thought it was so bizarre. 'cause my name Morena means brown, like complected, dark complected girl.
Yeah. And I'm dark complected girl, and they were literally calling my dad a Nazi and my mom's Filipino. And I'm just, it was just like,
you don't know what that means, if you can even say that. Yeah. I was like, how can
you even say that you don't like, do you, do I look like a Nazi to you? No, I'm not Arian at all.
No, not whatsoever. And so. That was like a constant battle for me. I mean, it really did shape who I was. It toughened me up a lot. Mm-hmm. And thankfully I had, you know, like intelligent parents and I had good friends that weren't like that, you know? So yeah, there was tons of my friends that were super close to my parents, and that was, they were just like, ah, I don't mind.
And then they're just fucking idiots. So, um, so good advice for everyone. That's a jerk. Yeah, exactly. Just fucking idiots. Just dismiss them.
Mm-hmm.
But, um, so I don't know that, that was kind of a hard time, but it also, I was also just thankful because it, I was like, well, whatever. I don't, I, I could have taken it in a much more hurtful way, but I just.
Try to kind of roll with it and just roll my eyes and mm-hmm. And move on. And it almost kind of gave me an appreciation, oddly
Yeah.
For growing up different because I was like, it kind of bums me out that you're calling me a Nazi and you don't even understand what that means and like the implications of it and Right.
That I'm proud of my heritage, you know? Mm-hmm. I'm proud of the fact that my dad has these crazy stories about growing up in the Hitler youth, and I'm sorry that he had to go through that. It wasn't like a choice, you know? For sure, obviously, but it definitely made me more grateful to like, grow up in a environment that was unique.
You know, like at the time it was a little bit hard, but always in hindsight it's like, you know, I have a better story to tell and um, I've learned a lot from it and definitely has shaped me into who I am for sure.
I didn't realize how. Um, related, our family was to our culture of origins until I actually moved to Europe.
Like I just assumed how I grew up was like Super American and we're very much American mutts. But like my mother, her father was born in Norway and her mother is first generation Swedish, Norwegian. And so on her side we're very close to that. The Nordic, like people came over, I can tell when like it's not even one generation.
Whoa. And on my dad's side, it was a little bit, uh, longer on the Italian side, but way longer on his dad's side. And I just assumed we were super American. And then I went and lived in Europe and realized how Nordic my mother's family was. Like I didn't know how ingrained it was and how they behaved and how they approach people and hosting and food.
And same with my dad's side of the family. And I don't think that. I wish that we celebrated all of the cultures that are here more than trying to like white bread, everything. Like technically no one is actually white bread.
No. And if they are, they're not white bread from this place. 'cause all the people that were here were brown.
Right, right, right.
So there's something, I don't think we give ourselves enough credit about how much our, the cultures that came before us are actually part of how we grew up and how we still live our lives. I mean, even like what I expect Christmas to look like is very specific, based on how it was celebrated in our home, which was like a more Nordic Christmas.
How did you guys
celebrate it?
Like to me, like Chris, there's, it's not Christmas that you don't have like the little gnomes and elves and there's like the
bags.
Yeah. There's like good
yule.
Yeah. Good.
We have you have huge good Yule signs up. Yeah.
Which is Norwegian for
mer like Merry Christmas. Mm-hmm.
Oh really?
Yeah. And like how there's like specific designs that you, is that where Yule came from? Mm.
Mm-hmm.
Like the U Log.
We also had specific movies that were very Swedish. Like I, that one of the monsters coming down. Like the trolls? Yes. Yeah. The Krampus.
No, not Krampus. 'cause that's an amazing story. But, um, no, like, 'cause there's so many trolls that are related to Norway in particular that they have like Christmas stories that are about the, the trolls.
Have you seen that movie? A Troll Hunter? No, that's really good. Sidebar. You should watch it.
Amazing. One of the things I would love to come back to is, as a journalist and knowing how journalists are being treated today and Free Press is being treated today, how does it impact you personally and what are you, um, hopeful about and concerned about for the future of journalism?
Um, I mean, it's affected me personally because I can't find work doing it. Mm-hmm. And especially 'cause I'm in such a niche topic. You know, like I said earlier, there's not exactly a. Need for another article about a music festival or a new artist that's coming out, you know, um, a lot of those positions and people that are writing about that have been kind of grandfathered in too.
So there's just not a lot of work to go around. Um, one of my concerns is that people stop reading. I feel like people will keep writing, but what I'm more afraid of is that people will stop reading. Mm-hmm. Because I feel like there's always just gonna be another generation of journalists and writers being pumped through colleges.
And I mean, I also know plenty of people who were just natural writers and, um, didn't even study journalism. Like I'm one of those people. Um, I knew like three other journalists that studied totally different topics and ended up journalists anyway, so,
mm-hmm.
That's, I feel like there's gonna be constantly people wanting to write, because that is such, I mean, like, you know, it all started with cautionary tales like.
Writing is ingrained in our DNA, so I feel like that's gonna continue. But because of social media and just kind of the state of attention these days that mm-hmm. People will, less and less people are reading and I think that's kind of become the issue. Mm-hmm. You know, and also what I've noticed is a shift in what people want to read.
I feel that classical journalism, as much as I love and respect it, and it's definitely something that's a huge piece of me, isn't really what people want anymore. I noticed because, uh, so after I had become kind of disenchanted with writing. I basically just, I almost quit, like altogether. I was almost just like, I'm over this, I'm done.
I can't make money. It's just not worth it. Like the amount of pitching and work that goes into it. Like, I don't even know what the point is anymore. I don't even know if I'm good. The self-doubt sinks in. I'm like, I don't even know if I'm a good writer. I'm like, I might even just be a shitty writer. I don't even know anymore.
I can't, I can't even tell anymore. Yeah. I'm so like jaded. And so, and I read, I still read a ton of articles and I think that constant self-doubt plus like comparing yourself to others is such a huge mm-hmm. Debilitating issue that a lot of, and just creatives in general have to deal with at all times.
So I notice though that I was like, you know what? I, I need to, that's not cool. I, I need to keep writing. So I opened a medium account and wrote these two pieces that were just total personal firsthand. Not classical journalism, not edited. Mm-hmm. Super raw, really emotional. Probably had a few typos at least I hope not, but they might have been.
But, um, I got more of a response to those two articles than I've gotten on all of my other journalism articles, like combined.
Mm-hmm.
And I feel like because I was personal and vulnerable and showed the world a piece of myself that I hadn't before.
Yeah.
And I think that's what people want now, is to read these personal easy reads.
You know, like not everyone can sit through a 4,000 word expose.
Yeah.
You know, and, uh, most people that do are probably other journalists and writers, you know, or, you know, academics or, and I mean, I'm not trying to like pigeonhole this because I'm sure everybody read, lots of people read, but I. Just, I felt like I didn't even realize that writing, that those two medium articles were becoming a social experiment, but it kind of felt that way.
Yeah. After I saw the reaction that they had, and I was just blown away by it. And it wasn't even my best work that I thought, you know, like that's another thing is I, I wasn't even trying to, I wasn't trying anymore. I was just writing. Yeah. And it wasn't even my best work as far as some of the stuff that I've written in the past, especially for Ellie Weekly.
Like that was some of the best stuff that I thought I'd ever written, but a lot of the time it just didn't even get any love and I don't even care, like, you know? Mm-hmm. I think it's more indicative of what people care about and its personal stories, it's vulnerability. Um, and so we're finding that storytelling is, I mean, it's what connects us.
It's what heals us. It's what teaches us. It's what, you know, keeps us from like jumping off a cliff because you hear cautionary tales and oral tradition and
Yep.
Even hieroglyphics and cave drawings, you know, these are all forms of storytelling and. I feel like in journalism sometimes it gets lost 'cause it's more reporting.
Yeah. You'll get kind of caught up in the the reporting end of it. And I feel like this personalized storytelling and I think people just wanna see other people be vulnerable.
Mm-hmm.
Because that is when you really connect with someone and Well, it's also
the opposite of what you're seeing in social media right now of this perfection and everything's awesome.
And you're like, that's not real. Yeah,
exactly. It's very polished. Mm-hmm. They're putting just a polished version of their life. Yeah. Sometimes it's not even accurate to what's actually happening at all.
Yeah. I recently saw or read, um. Something that stuck with me about how humans are different than other animals.
And the biggest, um, obviously language is the big part, but the thing about language that makes it different is that we're able to tell the stories of what's happened before you and keep it going. We're like, you know, a dog is born and sure they have communication, but they can't tell each other about what happened in the past.
At least not that we can tell. Yeah. And the fact that humanity is able to, to forward experiences is something so unique that even if we find other species that can communicate and we can start to translate dolphin or whale, like we don't know if they have the oral history that has allowed humanity to make leaps and bounds 'cause we keep growing on each other's lessons versus having to start semi over again.
Yeah. Um, I, I know that I, one of the things I'm worried about with how. The political climate is, and cultural climate is that I really want people to remember that they can't just hear something. And that becomes fact. Like, I'm so happy that we were taught to like read more than one thing and figure out what the truth is for ourselves versus get it from somebody else.
And I remember when I read a Living in Germany, I wanted to read more about the history of Germany. And it was so weird to like be renting an apartment and this really old couple was renting it and the wife's like, oh yeah, my husband lived in the us. I'm like, oh, where? She's like Canada. I'm like, okay.
It's what we do to Europe all the time, right? Yeah, exactly. Like I was in Ireland, you're like, yeah, I live in England. Yeah, same thing. You're like, it's fine. It's the same. Yeah. Um, and I was like, oh, like what was he doing in Canada? She's like, POW camp. Oh, what? I'm like, oh, like in my mind like that Germany is so long ago.
Yeah. But no, it's like. My grandparents fought in World War ii, but I didn't think that there would still be grandparents. Yeah. Who had fought in World War II on the other side there. It just didn't dawn on me. I didn't think about it. Whoa. Until that moment happened. And so I got really curious about the history and what happened and how it got to that place.
And hearing people talk. Nuremberg has an amazing place called the Documentation Center, where they walk you through what happens to lead up during World War II and after. And so many people, they were so relieved to finally have food and jobs after what happened, um, in World War I and even before World War I, that they didn't ask all these questions because for the first time ever, they felt like there was progress happening.
And I, like, it just made me appreciate so much to like how America tends to challenge and be more difficult than sometimes you want people to be, but it allows, like proof that things are happening and I, I wish more people were. Doubting or taking things with a grain of salt or challenging it instead of just being like, oh yeah, well, whether it's CNN or Fox News, they said so, yeah, accepting is fact.
You're like, hold on. Like we can't trust either of them.
I know, I know. And that's, I mean, as a journalist too, that's kind of one of the first things you learn is citing. Mm-hmm. Know and citing sources is like such a huge thing. So it's like, and always kind of reading things through a Kenai and making sure that you know the source and where it's coming from, and it's always still being written by somebody.
So being told
by somebody, it's somebody
is saying it and writing it, you know? And that's somebody. Whether it's an assignment or they have their own agenda, it's coming out of one person's brain. Mm-hmm. Or a collective of people. It depends. But I know, I, I definitely, that's, it's hard when people just keep, and you see it just being reposted, reposted, reposted.
Yeah. And you're like, what is happening? It's, it's, it's scary.
Yeah. And even there's like the jokes out there about, like, there'll be a very catchy headline or controversial one in a picture, but if you open the article, it's like, Hey, dumbass, you just posted something you didn't read. Yeah, exactly. And I'm, yes.
Like, I'm glad someone was, I like when people do that wise enough to do it. But Yeah.
Or like, I remember there was like this meme that was going around and it was, it was a pretty good prank and it said, um, it had a picture of like minute made apple juice and a picture of Clorox bleach. And it said Dihydrogen monoxide is in both of these things like.
What is wrong with this picture? Like basically people like freaking out sharing it, you know, and then turns out it's fucking water, it's dihydrogen or like H2O. And so people are just like, fuck this shit minute made is putting whatever the same ingredient is in bleach and their stuff and it's 'cause it's water.
And like, I just thought, and I remember posting, I was like, do you know Dihydrogen monoxide is? And then they're like, no, but I don't wanna be drinking something that's in bleach in my, in my apple juice. And I'm like, okay, well, oh yeah, it's, it's water.
Yeah. And you're an idiot. Yeah. You're one of those idiots.
My mother told me not to ignore. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Um, so as you've been going through life. Like, what have been key moments where you have found your strength to, you know, become the powerful lady that you are today?
Um, my family and friends have been huge influences. Uh, when I was 20, my dad passed away, and that was a huge, I mean, obviously that was hard.
Yeah. Um, and it was pretty suddenly. And it was actually like a few days before my sister's wedding. It was really crazy. And so that brought me down to a really dark place and I ended up failing outta college and was just not a happy person and mm-hmm. Struggling as one would expect. Um, and then my mom convinced me to write like a letter of appeal, but I just felt really weird.
Like, I, I didn't want them to think, I was like exploiting my dad's death to like, because I fucked up. She's like, no. That is why like you would've been, it's real. Yeah. It's real. You couldn't focus. You were, it was, you were going through something, you know, and I was separate. I was by myself at college, not with my family.
And so it was even harder. I was going through it by myself. Mm-hmm. Um. And I didn't have, like, our group of friends now I, I had like one or two friends, so I was very, very much alone in the scenario. And, um, but she, and then she got me and she was like, he would want you to finish, you know? Mm-hmm. Like, he was one of the inspirations of why you went to college in the first place.
So just, just do it and all, if they say no, they say no, but I mean, he wouldn't want to be the reason why you didn't get to finish college. So I wrote the appeal, I got back in, and from then on I kind of started like living my life kind of for him. Mm-hmm. And he started giving me strength even though he was gone.
And I tried to take that, that missing piece and turn it into more of a positive thing, which is really hard to do, especially when I was super young. I was like 20, 20, 21, 22. Mm-hmm. Um, and I think that that was a huge turning point in my life 'cause it definitely made me grow up and wake up very quickly.
When you lose someone that's that important to you so soon. Yeah. And um, and then. After college, my friends became such a huge influence on my life because I had never had like a network of people that was so diverse and so loving and funny and, um, it was bizarre almost, you know, it felt surreal
mm-hmm.
To have this and it just keeps growing, like you said, like a virus. Like there's just more and more people coming in and they're all, and we're a very diverse group of people. Like Yes. Do, when you see us all together, it's surprising 'cause everyone's just from different backgrounds, like looks different, talks different.
I'm surprised we're not hit up by gap to do their next, like commercial. I know. Are united
colors a benefit? It's not even a thing anymore. Exactly. Yeah. Um, so I, I don't know, I think it was just like a series of, I think really people have been what made me who I am and have
mm-hmm.
Um, made me the powerful lady that you say I am.
Yeah. And, um, but really though, I mean, I, I, I'm. I'm whatever the opposite of a mis massage or not a misogynist, a misanthrope is, that's, I for sure am because people have been such a huge, had such a huge impact. Even people, I don't know, like yeah, inspirational people, musicians, you know, like activists. Who are a few of them that you can think of right now?
Um, as far as like journalists are concerned, um, Abby Martin, she's a journalist, I dunno if you've heard of her. She's like this crazy, gnarly journalist. Like she's done a lot of like war coverage and, um, she's kind of always been. Not always, but for the past, like few years at least, has been a big influence as far as a, she's a female journalist, and b, she's like done like war correspondence and mm-hmm.
Um, and she's funny and interesting. Um, also Elizabeth Gilbert. Yeah. Is, I mean, who, who's hero isn't she? You know, like she's, she's come
up in more podcasts than anybody else I know. And I, I, I
mean, just the book, big Magic. That's it. That's it. Mm-hmm. That's actually the only one I've ever read. Mm-hmm. I, I know I didn't even read Pray Love.
I just, um. Um, my friend Sarah, Sarah Lemus, like yeah. Was like, got that book at an airport and she was like, I started reading this and I feel like you should have it. And I was like, okay. So I started, I read it and I just blew through it and it was such a game changer, especially 'cause she, I mean, the whole thing is talking about creativity.
Yeah. But she happens to be a writer, so I felt like it very much spoke to me in that way, you know, and it can really, it really can be applied to just anything in life, how you live your life in general and how you kind of mold your creativity. But, um, I was like in a place too when I read that where I was disenchanted feeling like I was gonna quit writing.
Like I was over it. And she just kind of flipped that whole thing around.
I, I think anyone who has, who has had an idea that they think of, like so many people have this thing where like, I thought of that and like, someone's selling it now, but like, people are naturally creative and. We so often ignore it because it seems silly or nonsensical or it will make money or unrealistic.
Yeah. There's so many gross adult things we put on top of like what we could be spending our time doing. And so I think anyone who's an adult, you've been a kid, you've had moments where you, all you wanna do is make stuff, forts stories, you know, your dolls talking, whatever. Like just go read the book because it's gonna open up something that you probably haven't tapped into in a while.
Yeah. And um, I, one of the biggest things too was that she talks about curiosity versus passion. Yeah. And that was important to me and to a lot of people that I've heard, that I've talked to who talk about how the idea of finding your passion is such an intimidating. Demand. Yes. Because they're just toughy.
He got excited, he's got passion. He's got passion. He's got big magic. Um, but yeah, like the idea of following your passion, first of all, it doesn't even talk about like finding your passion. And what if you don't have a passion? And a passion is just such a strong word. You're like, when you think of passions, you think of kind of like careers, you know?
Mm-hmm. Writing or painting or, you know, but it's, it, so it kind of just, it's a very intimidating
how do you start. That's when the main things about powerful ladies is all the, we talk about all these big hoohaw words and you're like, sweet. How do I start? Yeah,
exactly. And I like the idea of curiosity because everyone has curiosities.
Yes. And it's such a simple, natural feeling to be curious about something as simple. Like in the book, she talks about gardening, you know? Mm-hmm. And it ended up. Ex snowballing and then turned into a book just because she was like, I like gardening. I'm gonna do some more of that. And then all of a sudden she wrote a book about it.
Yeah. So, and that wasn't even the intention from the beginning, you know? So like, I feel like that has really kind of helped focus my creative path. Mm-hmm. And my creative approach too. Like, even while I'm writing, you know, it's about kind of things that interest me, small things, and I'm like, maybe they'll interest somebody else too.
Who knows?
Yeah. I bet that's why your two medium articles also got the, the biggest feedback because you just stopped putting anything around
it and just wrote. Yeah, I stopped trying. Mm-hmm. I, I feel like up until then I was trying to write, trying to be a journalist, but I never really, I had so much self-doubt and so much, um, just insecurities that I, I just never.
I had like, yeah, there was just all these walls around it. Mm-hmm. And so I was just trying to like fit into this mold that I thought would be what made me a good writer.
Yeah.
And then it turns out I had it all along. Yes. You know, like from that third grade weird horror story that I wrote. Yeah. To like actually just letting it
flow, you know?
And that's the powerful lady's secret that I think I want everybody to get is what, like the light and power is already in you. So like, go find it. Stop. Stop thinking. It has to look like something or do something or equal something else. Um, you know, finding your passion's been a reoccurring topic in a lot of these conversations, because I've had a lot of women on who finally stopped trying so hard and you know, like a lot of us, like how I feel right now about powerful ladies even is that.
Am I passionate about? Powerful ladies? Like I had a struggle just with the name for four years, so I stopped like, doing anything. You know, like, 'cause I'm, I'm not anti-men, right? Yeah. Like there are men and people who don't know what they identify with that will end up being on this podcast. So, um, it, it just became something where I couldn't not tell the stories of women like you and who else we've had because other people needed to hear these conversations.
And it's almost like I'm not even in charge of where this goes. Like, I am just given this gift right now and being told, like, run as fast as you can run. Yeah. And then when you get there, we promise that you'll figure it out. But we didn't know what that looks like yet, but go. Yeah. And I'm like, okay, go.
You know, and that like, that. I don't know how else to describe it because it's not like I am. Back here. Like, ha ha ha, this is what we're gonna do. It's all gonna, yeah. Let's know what's going on. It's really just like, how, what would my ideal day look like? It would look like talking to amazing people.
'cause I'm curious about their story. It'd be making stuff and it would be helping people figure out what they like doing. Sweet. I'm gonna do that from now on. Like, it was that done deal. It was that silly. And, you know, eventually we'll start having to make some money. But, um, so it's just like there's a, there's another great book out there about like passion versus skill and how like you shouldn't worry about, um, don't, like, don't chase your passion.
Just lean into what you're good at.
Yeah. I like leaning in. I like that idea of leaning into what you're good at and or leaning into your strengths, I guess. Yeah. And they don't necessarily even have to be a skill. Like if you're a people person. That's not necessarily always considered a skill, but it's like leaning into something that either brings you joy or something that's just considered a strength of yours.
You know?
Yeah. Like if, if it's, if you don't have to think hard about something like writing an article or organizing something or doing math, like the things that we take for granted are not easy for somebody else. Yeah. And that's your first access for finding a way to generate income for yourself.
Mm-hmm. Like we put all this pressure on, like, I need a career. And it's like timeout. You really just need to figure out how to make some money. Mm-hmm. And eventually you'll figure out what your career is and it's gonna change like 80 million times. Like even my own, when I look at, if I list all the jobs I've done, you're like, who is this schizophrenic person?
I know. That's how I feel too.
Totally. Yeah. And I don't like that. I don't like that. That's considered. Like a bad trait when like you're in the kind of professional world, they're like, oh, you know, you don't wanna make it like too crazy and you don't wanna have show too many jobs and you don't wanna do this and you don't wanna do that because you wanna look like you have like a streamlined process and all this stuff.
I'm like, that's all bullshit. I know. And I'm like, but that's not my, my, my life is, I don't know what to tell you. That's just my resume. That's just how it is. Yeah. I don't know.
People, people gave me shit for in the beginning because the first two companies I worked at in footwear apparel, I was there for like a year, year and a half.
And they'd be like, why'd you jump around so quickly? I'm like, 'cause I was making fucking $30,000. Like I had to go somewhere else, otherwise I was going to either go into debt or starve. Yeah. So that's why I left. Yeah. And then someone asked me to move to Europe. I was like, uh, yeah,
obviously.
So it's like you moving around.
It's not a sign of of, I dunno, like dis it's not disloyal. It's. You can't play your, you can't live your life on somebody else's terms. No, exactly.
You know, if you find a better opportunity, you fucking take it. Yeah. I'm not just gonna be like, oh, I, on my resume, it only says that I've been here six months and I don't really wanna have other employers, even though I have this really awesome job lined up, think that I'm disloyal.
No, it doesn't work that way. It's, but that's how people see it, which is what's unfortunate.
You don't stay in a relationship so that you get points for how long you've been in it. Like
what's the difference for the next one? Yeah. So the next boyfriend doesn't think you're disloyal, right? Because you didn't put in enough time in the last one.
Yeah's, that be amazing
if that's what people who are doing. I'm so glad we're not, I hope
nobody is. I know. I hope nobody is, but you never know.
Well, we ask everybody on the podcast, where do you put yourself on the powerful lady Scale? Zero being average, human, 10 being super awesome, wonder Woman, powerful lady.
Where do you put yourself today? Where do you put yourself on average?
Uh, I think I'm a solid eight. Awesome. I feel like hopefully in the future I'll be a, at a, at a, at a 10. Yeah. But I'm, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm trying.
Perfect. Um, what advice would you have for women who are interested in, in journalism, in writing and finding their own creative path?
Definitely don't quit your day job. Um, I think that, I mean, this is another big magic thing too, was that I understand that you wanna sustain yourself by your passions and you wanna sustain your, if, especially if you wanna be a journalist, a dream job is like a staff writer somewhere or
mm-hmm.
You know, being editor in chief somewhere, or even an associate editor or something like that, and having like that solid job and that that's possible.
I'm not saying that that dream can't come true, but it's, it's very difficult and I mean, there's like. Pulitzer Prize winning writers that are getting laid off and fired and, and just because there's just not enough money to go around and not enough editorial space and not enough subscribers and readers.
Mm-hmm.
But I mean, the world always needs more journalists. I feel, uh, journalists are an essential part of communication, the way that we receive and share stories. And as long as there's people writing, then there's people learning. And, you know, I, I just think it's important to try not to put your entire life on the line of your journalism.
Mm-hmm. And that's something that I've been trying to change is that, um, I used to sustain myself on it and then I couldn't anymore.
Yep.
And when I couldn't anymore, I felt like that meant I had failed, you know? And I could, I was still riding just not as much and I couldn't sustain myself on it. And I felt like as that I had to get a second job and.
You know, I was like working at dispensaries and stuff like that and I felt like, fuck, I'm not a writer anymore. Now I'm just a budtender. Yeah. You know? But I was still a writer. I was still writing just because, just because I wasn't working that as my main job, like journalism wasn't, like my main squeeze doesn't necessarily mean I'm not still a writer or a journalist.
So I think it's important to just try not to put too much pressure mm-hmm. On your creativity and your writing and your journalism, because it will definitely disenchant you if you do it that way. 'cause that's what happened to me. Yeah. I put too much pressure on my writing. Too much pressure on my creativity.
I like basically was like abusive to my creativity and told my creativity that it had to provide for me. Mm-hmm. And that it had to pay my bills and that it had to take care of me. And that if it didn't, I wasn't gonna leave it behind and never talk to it again. You know? Yeah. And that's not fair. And that's not happy either.
No. Like no one wants to go through that. Especially with anything like art, you know, any kind of art or creative industry, it's. If you put too much pressure on it, you're gonna end up burnt out and disenchanted. Mm-hmm. And maybe even quit. Mm-hmm. You know, and I think there's a balance between being driven and pushing yourself further and taking the time out of your day to make and foster and nurture this skill or talent that you have without putting so much pressure on it to provide for you.
So,
yep.
I guess that's just the main advice is just don't put too much pressure on your journalism. You can still be a journalist and have a second job that doesn't, you know, demean who you are, or change the fact that you're a journalist or a writer, you know? Mm-hmm. I mean, what, how many people have had Uber drivers or like.
Oh, well. Like, what's up? What do you do? And I'm like, oh, I'm a writer. And they're like, oh, sick. Me too. And I'm like, oh, cool.
Yeah,
you can be an Uber driver and you can still call yourself a writer. You know, they're not gonna go around saying they're an Uber driver. No. When they ask what they do, right. Like, oh, I'm an Uber driver professional.
Yeah, I ride on the side. No big deal. That'd be amazing.
Okay, so as we're wrapping things up, um, what do you do? I have like two more questions. What do you do to stay at operating at your best and to feel balanced and like you're ready to take on the day?
I think I'm still trying to figure that out actually.
Yeah. I, I just feel like I've tried different things like meditation, I've tried, but, um. It's harder than it sounds. Some people are like, oh, it's so easy. What do you mean meditation's? Like the easiest thing? You just sit there and I'm like, no, no. It's not the easiest thing. My brain is going a mile a minute.
It's so hard to quiet it and I can, I mean, I'm getting better at it, but that's, that's not like my thing really. Mm-hmm. I wanna get better at it, but I think exercise, hiking, outdoors are kind of what reset me a lot.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I just don't have a whole lot of time to do those things. Yeah. Uh, there's like things that I want to be my, like things that help me stay at like my peak potential, but I just can't really pull them off with work.
Mm-hmm. You know, like I'm definitely living the most habitual life, you know, working the nine to five, come home, cook dinner. Watch Netflix, like pretty basic stuff, you know? Yeah. And it does kind of just help me chill, but I mean, there are things that I wish I was doing more of, you know? Mm-hmm. Like I go to the rock climbing gym and I wish I would go more, but it's just so hard to stay motivated and not be tired every day and yeah, get up and go rock climbing.
Like, it's not exactly like the easiest activity, but definitely exercise. Um, outdoor activities, I'm mm-hmm. Definitely I'm a big outdoor nut. Yeah. You know, like I got lots of gear, camping gear and, and that's such, that's a huge part of our group of friends too, is camping is one of our biggest, like binding factors.
Mm-hmm.
Um, but that again, that's something I don't do as much as I would like to. Yeah. But every time I do it definitely helps me reset and I always feel. So much better, so much more driven mm-hmm. And focused after I come back from like these camping trips. Yep. Um, but that's definitely something I'm still heavily trying to figure out.
Yeah. And work on like what the best process is. And my life is also finally stabilizing a little bit. Like I said, last year with all the festivals, it was so hard to find anything that would keep me at peak focus, you know? Mm-hmm. It was, and it, it comes and it also, as far as writing, like sometimes it's like.
Squeezing the words out, like a freaking bringing out a towel. Yeah. And I'm just getting drops of inspiration, but sometimes it just passes through me so fast I can barely keep up with it. Like my fingers can't type as fast as my brain is like Yep. Producing the sentences. So I, I, I would like to say that I have like some end all be all process that, you know, kinda keeps me at peak, peak form, but I'm still trying to figure that out.
But,
and I think it changes based on whatever season or phase of life you're in big time. Like, whatever worked for you last year is not gonna work now. Like, and, and I think that's one of the, the big takeaways I want everyone listening to get is it's not that you do all this work and then you get to stop and take a break and not keep figuring things out.
Like, sure, like you don't need to make it more stuff to do, but this game that we're playing of living, like if you're really playing the game to like live your most awesome life. You the curiosity can't stop. The learning can't stop. They've seen new things like all that should be fun for sure. And, and you are going to evolve.
Like, there's just no other way about it. Um, what you look, what, how, how you look, where you live, what you, what you want to eat, who you're hanging out with. Like it keeps changing even if slightly. So whatever worked before may not work now and that's okay. And it's awesome because it means you have an opportunity to find something else out.
Yeah. It keeps you on your toes too. Yeah. It keeps you aware and it probably probably helps in the evolution process also, so.
Mm-hmm.
You know, it's not, it's trying to kind of, I mean, complacency is something that. Well, people are feel like constantly battling. We are creatures of habit, you know, like it is easy to get into that, go to work, come home, cook dinner, watch Netflix.
It's so easy to fall into that. But at the same time, it's also kind of something that I'm like, if I'm, this is what I wanna do, this is what my body and my brain needs right now. Yeah. I mean I don't, wouldn't say it necessarily needs Netflix, but it's just the idea of just kind of like rest and just kind of zoning out.
Yeah. And not talking to anybody or socializing or kind of being hermity in a way. Mm-hmm. And I feel like we've actually had a winter Yes. For the first time in a long time. And I think that's, it's been a very like introspective time for me and. You know, like dealing with troubles at work and trying to kind of just mellow out mm-hmm.
A whole lot more and just focus on being Okay.
Yeah. E everyone that we've talked to, you know, Jordan made this great catchphrase that 2019 is, should be called 20 mind teen because Nice. You're really capturing like what you wanna do and how you wanna do it and what that looks like. Mm-hmm. Versus where I feel like 2018 was, so many people I talked to were just running as fast as they could and like giving, sacrificing whatever their, they would've previously said were a personal standard.
Not in like giving up your integrity, but giving up balance and giving up this and, you know, and not that it was a bad year for everybody either, like there was so much fun that happened. But when I look back at like, was it a balanced year? Did I feel like my personal goals got forwarded? Yes. 'cause things get forwarded always, but not in the, in the monumental way that I feel like more people are.
Getting a hold of this year. Yeah. Hopefully. Yeah. Any big quotes or messages that you wanna give out to the people listening? Hmm. Like, do you have a quote you live by, or a message that you tell yourself when you need a pep talk?
Yeah. I think one of the things I tell me, I tell myself a lot, um, when I feel down, is just, it's okay.
Yeah. And it sounds simple, but, you know, I can, my brain tends to take off on these anxiety spirals sometimes. And you know, you hear people say that all the time and you're like, it's not okay, but really it is okay. You know? Mm-hmm. Like, I have a roof over my head. I have food in my stomach. I'm not exactly where I wanna be, but it's okay for now.
And yeah, hopefully I'll move forward and become a tier 10 powerful lady in the next few years.
Yeah.
But I don't know. I, I, I try to, like, I actually recently, I'm not a religious person. But I actually recently started praying before bed. Mm-hmm. And I've never been a prayer. And one of my biggest things, um, one of, one of the hardest anxiety moments I have is right before bed.
Like when I'm laying in bed trying to go to sleep and my brain is just going off Yeah. Mm-hmm. About shit that doesn't even matter. Like my brain will just go off on these tangents and I freak out about something so stupid that the next day I was like, why was I freaking out about that? Mm-hmm. But you just like get completely caught up in the wave.
Yeah.
And so I was trying all these different breathing exercises and like literally counting sheep. I tried, I, I don't ever get that. That never really worked for me. I don't know. Me neither. So yeah, counting sheep think didn't work, but. I actually started praying and it was weird because I don't even know why that came into my head, but I was like, maybe I'll give it a try.
People are always talking about prayer and whatever. Mm-hmm. The power of prayer and I don't know, I just, and I started praying for my family members, like I would say every single one of their names. Like my cousins, my aunts, my uncle and my mom, my sister and my dad. And then like naming all of my friends.
Every single one of my friends, I was naming cultures and countries and celebrities and people that are going through hard times and hardships and
mm-hmm.
And like, I really, really helped actually, you know? Yeah. And it wasn't even that I was praying to any particular deity or something. Yeah. I was just praying for, you know, good health and happiness to these people in my life.
Mm-hmm. And just, I think just listing their names in my head. Like going through every single one of their names and picturing their faces, like was a very, had a very soothing, calming effect. 'cause these are all people I care about
and that love you.
Yeah. And that love me. Mm-hmm. And I felt like, kind of like they were there and Yeah.
So I, I guess I believe in the power of prayer now. I'm kind of crazy. Yeah.
Well, and I, you know, one of the things that has brought me closer to spirituality is separating the human layers of religion to what it actually initially stood for. And, you know, concepts like the Holy Spirit, like to me, like the universe.
I get that. And then when I realized that the Holy Spirit was just that same thing, people call the universe and like, what you feel at like a really great yoga class. Yeah. It's like, oh, okay. I get that. Yes. Holy Spirit. You're welcome. Welcome back. Yeah, welcome back. And so I, I think that. For whatever all religions out there.
You look at the religion based on the mistakes and the nonsense that humans have applied to it and used it as a tool to make others less than when I haven't found a religion when you go back to the core that was ever about separating. Yeah, definitely. And so I think whoever you're talking to when you are praying, even if it's your dad mm-hmm.
Like it's the right way to do it. Yeah, exactly. It's, it's going back to that source and that we're all connected and, you know, I really do believe that there are people listening who, you know, aren't here anymore that, that love us. Like there's no way that, there have been moments in my life when there's been a second of intuition or a, like I know that there have been thoughts in my head that weren't mine.
Yeah. And. Like, like how, why would we ignore that when every other, uh, culture that is closer to like, you know, native cultures as we refer to them, which might even be insulting at, you know, at this level. But I'm apologize if anyone got insulted for that. But there's something about being grounded in connection and knowing, um, being wiser about our spiritual, emotional, mental, physical relationships with each other, the past and present and the planet that we're on.
So, um, I don't know why that's become a bad thing in Western culture. Yeah, I don't either. It's unfortunate. It is. Any other last shares you wanna give to the, the people?
Uh, um, I guess I kinda wanna talk about my book a little bit. Yes, please. Um. So I've had this concept kind of together for the past seven years, but because my dad passed away, it's about my dad.
Mm-hmm. Um, it's been kind of more of a difficult thing and it's been kinda shelved 'cause I wasn't sure if I was ready for it. But, um, I wrote this, I'm writing this book. I have, um, the first like 20 pages of the manuscript that I've been sending out to literary agents, but it's essentially based on this interview that my dad did with one of my friends in high school about his experience in the Hitler youth.
Mm-hmm. And, um, when he passed away, my friend's parents brought me a copy of it on a CD and I had totally forgotten it even existed, like at his funeral. It was originally one of those tiny little recording tapes and they transferred it into like a CD file. So I was able to actually like, upload it onto my computer and now it's on SoundCloud.
So, um, the story is crazy. Like the things that he talks about, you know, like these are firsthand experiences about. The World War II and the Hitler youth. I mean, he talks about how his, my grandmother was friends with Ava Brown and how he would see Hitler across the street all the time because he was getting his photo taken at the photographer who lived across the street and
mm-hmm.
Stories about how he was recruited into the Hitler youth. So I'm basically using that as the foundation of the story, pulling actually direct quotes. So it's, it's interesting 'cause I've been wanting to write this book, but the interview gave me the actual concrete details that I needed to really make this thing sing, you know?
Yeah. And the fact that I can use direct quotes from his mouth and not just paraphrasing or my kind of like, piece together memories of the stories he told me, I have this actual factual account that I can put together and expand into a book. So right now, um, that's what I've been working on, but the process is really difficult.
I mean, I've never. Written a book before. It's, it's not actually the writing process, it's the trying to get published process. Yeah. You know, the writing is the easy part for me at least, because it's just all there. I have a whole outline. I'm just kinda letting it flow and it, it's been probably one of the best writing experiences I've had in a long time.
It feels very freeing and very like natural. Mm-hmm. Like I haven't felt writing has been so natural in so long and, um, I just feel connected to him again too, you know, talking to him like, or hearing his voice, talking on the, yeah. Recording. And I've been listening to it kind of a lot, which it used to be I couldn't even listen to it.
It was too hard to listen to, you know? Mm-hmm.
But
now I'm at a point where I have this goal and this, um, kind of drive to bring this story out for people to hear, and it makes me feel a hundred percent reconnected to 'em again. So how awesome. For now I'm trying to get through the process of publishing and, um, I've asked a few people who have written books and.
There's two ways of publishing. It's like the traditional way going through a literary agent and then maybe trying to get one through like the big five, um, pub publishers. Mm-hmm. And then there's a lot of people who are saying self-publishing, but I think I'm gonna try to go to the traditional route for my first one.
'cause the self-publishing just sounds, I, I just feel so lost. And you have to basically just be really motivated and you have to pay for everything. Mm-hmm. You know, and you could possibly get it out on, you know, the Kindle editions or audio books. Yeah. But I think the traditional is the way to go for me now, so I'm just kind at least try it.
Right. Yeah. I mean, I'm trying those first steps and I mean, that might be my only option, but I've also been hearing a lot of people just say, be patient. Mm-hmm. Just keep doing it. And, 'cause I mean, there's a lot of shitty books out there. So many, so many, you know, that get published by the Big five even sometimes.
So it's like,
I've returned books on Audible 'cause I couldn't even listen to it. Yeah. I couldn't
even get through it. I have done the same thing. They have that great listing guarantee or whatever. Yes. Yeah. So I mean, there's a lot of shitty books that get published all the time, and so hopefully mine won't be one of those shitty books.
But I'm just, it motivates me that I'm like, well, I mean, if those books can make it out there, someone will, someone will like the story. So that's, that's been my kind of main concern. That and the, um,
your new platform. Platform, yeah. No, I, you have such exciting stuff happening this year. Yeah. And like we were talking before, like, I'm so excited to see you move into a space where you're creating things that like really touch you in a place that you maybe haven't been accessing in a while.
Yeah. Especially with the story with your dad, but also, you know, when you create something on your own, it's like this scary vulnerability. Mm-hmm. Um, but I'm so excited that we can use the powerful latest platform to celebrate you and promote that. And I can't wait for your book to be available for people to read, like I wanna read it.
Um, and also to use the platform that you and Miles are creating, because. I don't think there's, there's a, there's not enough places to go to find things anymore. I feel like there's so much nonsense Yeah. That you see before you actually get to real things. So to have a platform where you can learn about artists and what's happening and why people care about it and, um, what matters, I think will be really amazing.
Yeah. And one of the things that happened recently that was kind of a catalyst for us to really jumpstart this thing was there's not really a whole lot of like, festival websites. And when I do pitch these festival stories to like bigger publications mm-hmm. A lot of, I hear kind of the same responses.
Like, 'cause I like, I've kind of fallen in love with the smaller boutique festivals, you know? Yeah. Like Desert Hearts in San Diego. Mm-hmm. Genius Loki in Mexico. Like these very small curated events where it's not such a schlep. Yeah. Like lightning in a bottle. You don't have to like walk a mile back to your campgrounds every time you wanna just go get a beer.
Mm-hmm.
Um. So I've really fallen in love with those and the community that comes with them. And I find that when I pitch stories about these people and they deserve to have media attention. Yes. You know, when I, when I pitch these stories to bigger publications, um, I just don't even hear back from them.
Or if I do, they say, oh, it doesn't have enough global appeal. Oh, it's too small. You know, like this. How many people go to this festival? I've never heard of it. Yeah. I don't wanna write about it. You know, we don't have space for that kind of a thing, so I want to create something because the festival community runs deep.
Yeah. And I wanna create something where they are celebrated these small festivals and the big ones, you know? Mm-hmm. All of 'em. And so I think when there was one website and that was called Ever Fest, I don't know if you remember. Mm-hmm. That was one of the aforementioned websites that I wrote for that went down.
But they were actually who paid me the best out of all, like, even like the bigger publications, they paid me a solid amount more so, and they were just this like small festival website. And it used to be Fest 300. I don't know if you remember them. But it was Fest 300 and then ever Fest. And then they all of a sudden just told, I just got this email saying for my editor, saying, oh, we all just like got laid off basically, because, um, they're not gonna be a con, they're not gonna create content anymore.
They're just gonna be like a ticket platform or something like that. She's like, all of your work will still be on there, so it's gonna still live on the space. So you have con like, for the content, they're just not gonna make anything new. So when that happened, miles and I were like, I think this is our chance.
Because yes, I mean there's tons of small platforms that, I'm not saying that that was the only festival platform, but that was kind of like the one that was on top that most people knew about. You know, there's mm-hmm. Mixed Mag talks about festivals, but like, again, they're based in, a lot of their stuff is based in the uk.
They have, they have like an American branch, but at the same time I've pitched stuff to them where they're like, ah, that doesn't, you know, really fit. It's too small. And it, it's not a festival magazine by any means. Yeah. It's an electronic music magazine that we'll sometimes talk about electronic music festivals.
So
I think just breaking through on the, the idea that something's too small to share.
Yeah.
Like, isn't that the great stuff you wanna share? Yeah,
absolutely. And that's, that's one of the things that's been bothering me about this, is like, I have all these amazing stories and these amazing people that are these grassroots movements, you know?
Mm-hmm. Literally building a festival out of pocket and that's, that's an a fucking amazing story, you know? Yeah. That's a way cooler story than like Golden voice putting together Coachella or Yeah. Insomniac building, you know, and they all started from that. That's another thing is like, they all started from those small grassroots movements.
Mm-hmm. Especially insomniac. I mean, that was just a party in the desert Yeah. For the longest time. And now look at it, you know? Mm-hmm. So I definitely wanna give, uh, credit to these, these people and a lot of 'em are my friends too, you know, so it's kind of a win-win. Like I wanna shout out to my friends.
Yeah. And also, you know, give their festival a little bit of media. So that's hopefully something that, and we just have such a huge community of photographers, writers, dancers, musicians, DJs, organizers. Yeah. DJs like festival producers. Mm-hmm. You know, that I feel like would totally be down. Yes. I feel like all of our years of work, of going to these festivals and making these connections have all kind of added up to this platform.
You know, it's Yep. Exactly where our powerful ladies is at right now. Yeah. It took this long to finally allow it to become the next phase. Yeah. Mm-hmm. That's awesome. I'm so happy you're doing it. No, and I'm happy that you're doing, it's like we're doing similar things, but for different niche Yep. Groups.
Exactly. So it's perfect. Um, I'm also so excited that you're gonna be a contributor on Powerful Ladies. Yes. And I can't wait for it to be an outlet for people to hear your voice and what you care about and what's going on in the world because, um, you know, whether it's a strict journalistic article or it's really your perspective.
Um, I can't imagine people hearing this episode and not wanting to hear what you think about it. Cool. Yeah, I'm excited too. Well, thank you so much. You, this has been an amazing episode and yeah, I'm just so happy you're here. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you. I wish we had more champagne though. Next time. Next time we're bringing more.
Yeah, definitely.
For all of you listening who want to be a writer, who want to find ways to overlap all of your passions and make an income, Morena is the woman to reach out to. Since the recording of our conversation, her persistence has paid off and she started freelancing for Vice. She's also working on her book with the manuscript scheduled to be released in 2020.
I'm inspired by her equally focused and free spirit, as well as her balance between being confident in who she is and still discovering all of her own layers to follow, support and connect with Morena. You can. Visit her website, Morena dui.com. Follow her on Instagram at shazi mo S-C-H-A-T-Z-I Mo. Follow her on LinkedIn Morena Duwe and email her Morena dui@gmail.com.
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 Podcast, 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.

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Visit her website www.morenaduwe.com

Follower her on Instagram @schatzi_mo

Follow her on LinkedIn /morena-duwe

Email her at morenaduwe@gmail.com

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

Career DevelopmentWriterJournalist

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