Stories, Success & Stuff
Watch episodes at https://www.siarza.com/siarza-podcast
A Siarza Production
Hosted by Kristelle Siarza & Jace Downey
Executive Producer: Kristelle Siarza
Producer: Jace Downey
Videographer/Editor: Justin Otsuka
Stories, Success & Stuff
Episode 34: Re's of Life
Join Kristelle Siarza Moon and Jace Downey on this refreshing episode of Stories, Success & Stuff as they delve into the rejuvenating energy of springtime. Rewinding through memories and reflecting on the essence of "re-words," they explore the profound impact of resets and reboots in both personal and professional realms.
Discover the power of revisiting your goals, reevaluating your strategies, and reigniting your passion. From navigating the unpredictable nature of business to finding solace in the midst of uncertainty, this episode offers invaluable insights for leaders and entrepreneurs alike.
What's your Spring refresh?
A Siarza Production
Hosted by Kristelle Siarza Moon & Jace Downey
Executive Producer: Kristelle Siarza Moon
Producer: Jace Downey
Video/Editing: Justin Otsuka
Watch episodes at siarza.com/siarza-podcast
Follow us on FB, IG, TT, YT and TW @siarzatheagency
Follow Kristelle @kristellesiarza
www.misskristelle.com
Follow Jace @jacedowneyofficial
www.jacedowney.com
And I think back at what is the re of springtime. It was just, it was the reset button. Yeah, you say rewind, I say reset, that's right, revaluate, recharge.
Jace:I'll dig it.
Kristelle:Yeah, let's restart Yep and take two.
Jace:Rewind.
Kristelle:Oh, that's a really good way to start the episode rewind, rewinding.
Jace:oh cause, we got them. Re's happening. What does that even mean?
Kristelle:The re's of life, I ask myself every single time we film and we shoot and we record this podcast Like why did I partner?
Jace:with this crazy woman.
Kristelle:How many times do people think how nuts are they in real life? Oh, quite Quite, I love it.
Jace:End of answer. Yeah, end of answer.
Kristelle:Well, okay, so it is episode 30.
Jace:I hope that Justin can insert just a and I want it to be like third day's have-end, like just like very robotic. Yeah, something I want something like 35.
Kristelle:We haven't hit the topic of the RE dash words.
Jace:Yeah, that's not like a comment, that's not like a podcast topic that we've just not gotten around to, but it's, it's time.
Kristelle:It's not search engine optimized either. Sorry, Amy.
Jace:I was talking to Amy this morning, because so I own literally like three items of white clothing, including this brand new white card. Oh, I didn't even put it on yet and I literally got coffee on it, somehow. And I immediately heard Amy's voice going this is why we can't have nice things. So yeah, I literally.
Kristelle:I got coffee. For those that have listened to the show, we've never actually talked about Amy in depth. Girl dish yeah, that's right, amy's incredible. Amy's so Amy started as my executive assistant during the pandemic and comes to to CRZ Like super green, actually not knowing anybody in Albuquerque.
Jace:Yeah.
Kristelle:She moved in during the pandemic A shy town and so we started really working very closely together. She helped me open up the physical office of CRZ. She also then said you know I'm actually dabbling in UX and UI, and I was like ooh a dabbler.
Jace:We need to talk about this.
Kristelle:And so, to wrap up a really long story that I wish I could have more time to talk about how amazing Amy is. Amy's our web lead at CRZ and we love Amy so much. But my so this week is employee appreciation week and one of the things I wrote about Amy that I wish I didn't get to write about Amy. What I wrote about her was her incredible project management and attention to details what I love about Amy, what I appreciate the most about her. But what I really wanted to also write on top of that was her dry humor and her character is fucking hilarious so good, so deadpan, and it's like you're brilliant.
Jace:And there's so many times when I know she's not saying a thing that I wish that she were saying. I'm like do it. I know you have some commentary, I know, I know. Yeah, if something is handed to Amy, I know it's getting done. Oh, 100%.
Kristelle:And when you said you know, this is why we can't have nice things. So this is one of the many things in her repertoire.
Jace:It is, and I just heard it immediately and I was like dammit, this is why we can't have nice things.
Kristelle:So what is today's episode?
Jace:Well, I was trying to address in theme. It's springtime. Spring is upon us. We're talking rebirth, rejuvenation, revitalization, those re's that come around this time of year. Rewinds, yes, because something I was thinking about as we were prepping for today's episode is back in the day, on episode one, season two, we talked about resolutions, resolving resolutions, and one of the big ahas I had right before that is that I've been doing it wrong this whole time by trying to start things in winter just bunkers, because we got that dormant energy and really spring is the time to, for me at least, where I'm noticing a boost in my energy.
Jace:I'm noticing a natural motivation coming as I see everything around me start to come to life. Something in me is also like ah yes, let us join the world in new ways. So yeah, rewinding, I think, is a great reword to add into the mix, where maybe some folks did add in their resolutions this year. Set goals, dreams, desires at the beginning of the year. Rewind, check them out. Do they still align? Is it still what you want? Now you've had a few months to give it a go. Maybe you gave up on them back in February. That's our high two. Check back in, rewind.
Kristelle:So, rewinding back to March of 2020, I think about this time, especially like March, march 15th. I think about this time when the world had paused right and the world started to learn really about the impacts of COVID in a community.
Jace:And how desperate people are for toilet paper.
Kristelle:And desperate for toilet paper, desperate for milk, desperate for groceries like it was very eerie, right, and I think back about that because it was. It's weird. I promise there's a positive story, it's a positive opportunity out of this I always think about or mentally in my head since 2020, march is actually the reset button for me Every year since then, and I say that because March then was okay, we're gonna start in 2020, we're like, okay, we started the year, but we're just gonna reset ourselves for a little bit, just restart the year as zero right For us as a company. We had to reset and renegotiate as much as possible because we had clients that said we're canceling everything, canceling everything we need to know how we're doing things.
Kristelle:I don't think I ever talked about what happened during COVID. Yeah, in different parts, right, but it was a reset for all the clients. It was pivoting. That was the word of 2020. But it was re-jumping the year where we had to even redo our budget, redo our finances, negotiate everything completely differently and just be very forgiving to a lot of folks, especially during that timeframe of 2020. So I think back about that and I think back at what is the re of springtime. It was just the reset button. You say rewind, I say reset.
Jace:That's right, revaluate recharge, I'll dig it. So what do you do this time of year, personally or as a business owner?
Kristelle:As a business owner, it's always high season. I was looking for a re-word out of this, but I'm like re-stupiding myself.
Jace:I guess you gotta re-stupid every now and again. You gotta re-up your stupid minimum at least every quarter. It gets really stupid around this time, really stupid, nailed it.
Kristelle:Break me off a piece of that Fancy feast. Nailed it, nailed it. It is really stupid around this time and I say this in a most positive stupid way possible the clients that have sunsetted because the budgets have reset or they never got renegotiated from their end or the funding has fallen out. Yeah, january through March for us is just always a very tumultuous time, and tumultuous is and it seems like oh well, that sounds really awful.
Jace:Yeah, I'm like Justin. Do you have a plan B? Yeah, backup plan.
Kristelle:What is also really optimistic is that February and March which we really see the impacts of it in March is when we get new clients. Or we get clients coming in in a way where they say we're gonna re-up our budget awesome. Or they say I am new and I need your help tomorrow and we have one that's starting with us today, and so that's a perfect example of it's tumultuous in bad ways, but it's tumultuous in good ways that all of a sudden we just go from zero to 100, or it's really scary and really cautiously optimistic than other days. So that's what typically March is, and that's always been since day one at CRSA is that while you try to be predictable, we always predict a swing.
Jace:Yeah, I was like things are cyclical. We do follow nature a lot more than we might think If we pay attention to the rhythms.
Kristelle:Yeah, the rhythms of Africa is my favorite card in cards against humanity.
Jace:Yep Sure.
Kristelle:Rhythms yeah, Okay, sounds great.
Jace:Yeah, so Are we doing like word association?
Kristelle:Yeah, might as well so if there was a word or a phrase or cards against humanity card. Oh my God.
Jace:I only can think of one, and I can't say it on air, okay, I can't say it on air.
Kristelle:Okay, so if there was a phrase that it describes this time of year for you as well, what would that be.
Jace:I think I have a rejuvenated hope, like there's a, it's not. I don't go into deep depression anymore. I haven't in many years, which is really cool. I was at the doctor a couple of weeks ago and they were like, oh, do you experience any depression? And I was like no, like really like creepily excited because I was like, oh shit, like depression has always been part of my life for a long time, like even as a kid. It's like why are you so melancholy? There was just like always a little something there. And then when I got older I've gone to like really dark depression and in my growth and healing and whatnot and my like fixing of the chemical kerfuffle that is the internals of a.
Kristelle:What are my favorite words? Yeah, kerfuffle, such a good word.
Jace:And so I'm like, oh, I don't go into that anymore, which is really cool. And so I like announced it at the doctor's office and the nurse was like, okay, that's too much, but she's like might be manic depression actually, anyway. So I don't do that so much in winter, but I definitely have lower energy and I've come to just honor that, to let that be a meditative, more contemplative time, and I'm noticing, like just this week where things are blossoming we got trees in bloom and I find like I just have a new found hope within myself as well, and it gives me a bolder space to dream from where. When I'm in winter, when I'm kind of thinking, okay, what do I want the new year to be and whatnot, I kind of play it a little safer. It's a little more practical because I'm thinking I don't have a lot of energy, so what do I really want to spend this on?
Kristelle:Probably nothing.
Jace:And then, as spring comes, I'm like man, I got so much more energy and I get to be outside more in nice weather and whatnot, and so I'm like I've come back to life in a new way which allows me to dream bigger too.
Kristelle:My usual Monday night golf league at Topgolf, having last night with Colt, our favorite friend Colt and it was great because we all felt the same way like hey, it's time to start golfing again. Oh, it's gonna get a little cold this weekend. We're like fuck it, it's time to go back outside. And Justin and I, while we're working on a sponsorship for Golf, looking for a golf sponsorship for this podcast, even though this podcast has nothing to do about golf. That's a perfect example of how excited we all are about the fact that we get to go back outside again too. It's doing something that we love right.
Kristelle:Which is, you know, frolicking outside with clubs in golf balls.
Jace:Yes, love a good frolic. Yeah, good, I had someone tell me that once and it was one of the weirdest but favorite compliments I've gotten. They're like I could truly see us frolicking in a field together and it was someone who would not commonly say that and I was like, yes, yes, sign me up, I will frolic. I don't know, it came out of nowhere and I was just like. She also told me one time she was like you, just remind me oh, thank God, it was a she.
Kristelle:It was a she, yeah.
Jace:Dude, you want a frolic too. Get your frolic on. We'll go frolic game. It's almost frolic season. She also told me when she was like you just remind me of a grandpa, think you have grandpa energy. And I was like whoa, I accept, I'm like I don't know what that means. She's like you just remind me of my grandpa.
Kristelle:She's manic depressive. No, that's sweet.
Jace:That's an interesting character.
Kristelle:But I was like all right you want a?
Jace:frolic in a field with grandpa energy. Let's do it. I'll get my long cardigan out. You have amazing friends.
Kristelle:You have very colorful friends.
Jace:I do attract some pretty amazing people. I will say that's incredible.
Kristelle:So what does the awards, what are? E-prefixed award, in your opinion, directly contributes to the success of an entrepreneur with a lot of programmatic success or a lot of financial success.
Jace:Or a lot of life success. Yes, also, I'd like to suggest now to start this episode over and make it a drinking game, that every time we say a reword, you take a drink of water. Obviously, keep it safe, keep it hydrated. But I'm like man, we're really using these words a lot. You know, a lot of people listen to us in the car.
Kristelle:Don't growl All right, so what's? The Keep it in a regular water bottle. No, I'm just kidding, don't drink in the car.
Jace:What's the e-prefix award For success for business owners, for entrepreneurs? I'm gonna go with relax, relax. We push so hard. So many of us have this notion that we have to do it all ourselves, that we can do it all ourselves. One of the great things for spring in my mind is seeing that, with no effort on our part, nature thrives, no matter what, no matter what we do to it, which is a fucking lot. We're like real intent on just killing everything, but it doesn't. And even when things do die, they just like I go. I'm out in the bullskate every week and shit's just dead everywhere and other stuff's just on it, just growing and eating it and whatnot. Nature doesn't need all of this like get up and crush the day type of energy that we try to put into things I do.
Kristelle:I need that energy.
Jace:Maybe, or do we put so much energy into having a perception of control so that we feel like we're doing something, when in actuality, if we set things up Well and right, if we have some form of system, if we're honest with ourselves, in our own cycles, our own energy, I think we actually can relax a lot more. That doesn't mean doing nothing. Nature's doing stuff all the time. But it's not this frantic energy, it's not the rat race. That's an old mentality that we're seeing people shift away from and find great success. So my word would be relax, set yourself up for success, get all your ducks in a row. All are, as my friends and grandmothers used to say, you're poop in a group and then just let shit thrive.
Kristelle:You're nailing it on these crazy statements.
Jace:I got weird people in my life is what I'm learning.
Kristelle:No, it makes us go OK. What did she just say? Poop in a group. I wish there is an analytics or the rewind button on Spotify or your favorite podcast channel. That would be really great to see. But great word. I would say for sure. I would say that an entrepreneur or business owner's word, reprefixed word would be reboot.
Jace:I like the word reboot because there are times when I'm going to say because you're a Marvel fan, because I am very much a Marvel fan.
Kristelle:You know the entertainment industry we'll talk about the reboots here in a bit right and some are very unsuccessful. Sometimes you just got to let the originals go. But there's a common thread that I see, especially now that we're in year 10, where there are times where the team is still setting themselves up in a pathway of complacency. And I remember seeing this at an old agency, right at an agency I used to work with, where we would be working on a campaign and the campaign would be very stale and the client's like, OK, we're ready for something new and something different, and we would say OK, and then they would be very upset that they would lose the client. Well, I've seen this happen in an agency, I've seen this happen in nonprofits that there's even events. Right In events.
Kristelle:There was always a time where the average length of an event is about seven years and that's what studies have shown and people would start to see the financial drop-off around year seven, year eight. And so sometimes people forget that a reboot on a plan, on a strategy, on an approach is actually a really good idea Because it's not a complete pivot right. It's like, for example, if you take a luncheon right, the program for our fundraising luncheon is very simple. You start off with a good MC, you have good food, you break, you have a speech, you have entertainment and then you have a call to action and then you end the event. That's the playbook. But what people don't realize is you can change up the layout of the room. You can change up the speaker that you have, you can change up the way that you ask for your call to action or your major donation or your major push, the objective.
Kristelle:You can rethink the strategy of the event. It doesn't always have to be a luncheon, it could be a festival, it can be a mini expo, it could be something different. So you're not changing the mission and the vision. I always frown upon that. But what I do unless the organization, like you know, the mission and vision is just not relevant to society anymore or it's offensive to society you might want to think about changing it. I want to refresh that. Yeah, I want to refresh that for a little bit. So that's part one. And then part two is just because you're refreshing something or rebooting something doesn't mean you're completely changing it. You don't always have to change it. You just always have to have the right mission and vision and the right call to action in mind and then everything else around it can fold over. Can I say that? Because when people start to feel that complacency, it's like, oh, we're doing this over and, over and over and over again.
Kristelle:Yeah Right, and I've seen a couple events in town. I've seen a couple of strategies and agencies in town. Like 20 years later they're still doing the same shit. Classics.
Jace:All right, yeah, somebody said so a perfect example.
Kristelle:So the conference that we keep talking about on the show it is doing phenomenally well. I can't share all the details, but they rebooted and refreshed a couple of the things People back then said you know this is? It feels like this is the classic hits and yes, that might be true, that it might be like the classic hits of the conference. Yeah, that doesn't mean that there's a new blood and new entertainment and new people that are coming in.
Jace:Yeah, speaking of reboot and the classics, I got a text message from my sister today with a video that was advertising the return of Jinkos. No, they back, baby, they are back. And I was just like, yep, it was only a matter of time. Mind you, we're talking about this while I'm wearing bell bottoms. So I remember being a kid in the 90s and in high school and whatnot, and wearing bell bottoms and fringe leather vests and stuff that my mom would be like what is happening? Because I was dressed like she dressed in the 70s, except I'm way taller. But and now I'm seeing that flip back around with these folks in the fanny packs and all of the 90s stuff. So I was like, let's do it, do cargo. Pants are back. I do love pockets, I have to say. It's so convenient and when I worked in production they don't make women's clothes or they didn't it's probably shifting with pockets, and so I always would have to buy men's pants so that I would have pockets, because you've got to put all your stuff.
Kristelle:I have so much stuff for production.
Jace:But I look sloppy all the time. No, you don't. No, I didn't. I've grown a lot. Now I'm depending on you.
Kristelle:When I worked in production, I would look sloppy because I would be in men's clothing, yeah, and so I do have pockets and I do love me a fanny pack, for sure, you know.
Jace:I love a festival. Like tool belt, like a utility belt. I'll wear them to festivals. Tim the Toolman, taylor.
Kristelle:No, jace, like if that's what we have to put on the merchandise list, we will.
Jace:Could be cool. No, they have like tons of pockets, but you just wear them around, You're in, then you can like dance all day. I have a great roll up water bottle that can go in there. You've got your chapstick, you've got your sunscreen and then you just like hit the dance floor all day, all night and it's hands free. But it's not a fanny pack and it actually looks cool If those could join society somehow.
Kristelle:I would appreciate that. I know I need to actually now you think about it. Now I know what I need for the trip when we go to Las Vegas for our client. Just a nice trip, I'm like.
Jace:A refinance on your house so that you can take the line no, a fanny pack. Just kidding, please don't do that.
Kristelle:So if there was another word that you would describe spring, yes, In a way where, in a way where, if a business is going through its new phase, that awkward teenage phase we're not quite new, but we're not quite seasoned what does the season of spring have to do with that? Like, what word would you best describe that portion in a customer's life, what we found, especially on stories, success and stuff. We have some phenomenal listeners and the phenomenal listeners are majority business owners and the business owners are always looking to us, to somebody that can relate to them, somebody that they can laugh with, somebody they can and we've heard this somebody they can cry with. But there are a significant amount of listeners that we have that are in that awkward teenage phase that they say I don't know where my business needs to go. What type of reword would you use? Or what is the commonality behind the season of spring?
Jace:For that question in particular, I'd say remind, remind yourself on why you're doing what you're doing. Why did you get into this business in the first place? A lot of entrepreneurs don't realize when they really love something, they're really passionate like I'm going to turn this into my business and I'm going to turn this is going to be my thing that really the vast majority of their time is not going to be spent on the thing that they love. It's like maybe 20% you actually get to do the thing you love and the other 80% is doing admin. Especially if you're a solopreneur, it's doing everything to run the business and then sometimes you get to do the thing you love and that's so tiring and even as staff comes on, that's just. You know the crown is heavy, right. Then there's more things you have to do. So I would say, when there's a retooling or any kind of reboot or refresh or reevaluation, remind yourself why you love this.
Kristelle:I would echo that word. I'm having kind of a mental brain fart on what reword is no. Rewind is very good, rejuvenate and more from the personal side. I think that time period that awkward teenage business time period where you've figured most things out but you also say that, ok, I'm getting a little bit more confidence it's typically burnout time, right, you start to really ask yourself like, am I really wanting to be here anymore, or is it time for me to look at it in a way where I'm committed. There is no option B for my business. I'm stuck with it. So this is what I'm going to do and I'm going to do it well, I think rejuvenating yourself in that critical time is a good time.
Kristelle:So I think about my mom, right? So they've now been in two years of the business. They're really starting to do a phenomenal job at the restaurant in the Philippines and I was really proud of her that she took an impromptu trip back to the United States. She had to go back early just because of a really huge, important opportunity that I was very, very excited for her for, in fact, I was like I should. I want to go, but I was very proud of her because of the fact she actually took time to rejuvenate herself. She's still in the hustle in the grind and I'm really proud of her for doing that. At the same time, I was really proud about the fact that she actually got to have some peace and quiet. Rejuvenating yourself in that critical time, in that three years, is a good thing, because it makes you take a step back and realize what am I doing this for, why am I doing this and what do I need to do to be better?
Jace:Yeah, and what am I doing to celebrate along the way? Also, how am I recognizing those successes and having fun with it?
Kristelle:Let's go back in kind of our last phase of today's show. So let's go back to the spring concept, right? So, things are growing back. The world's starting to receive a little bit more sunshine, less bitching and complaining about the cold. Yes, what can business owners take or accomplish? Leaders, let's do the leaders, not quite the owners, right. But what can leaders learn from nature that we haven't talked about today, what you haven't mentioned? What can leaders learn about nature that will help them forecast for the rest of the year?
Jace:I would say with regard to who they lead. Everyone, I think, comes with certain things built in. Yes, we can hone our craft, we can gain new skills Absolutely true but there's pieces of us that just kind of are what we are, and I think if leaders can take the time to learn about that within those that they lead, or even learn ways to do that, there's so many different modalities on how to understand people better. I really love human design. It's very comprehensive in understanding why the humans do what they do, but whatever modalities that then they can take what is naturally within people. You do this especially well and shine the light on that so that it can grow and benefit not just the person but the team and the company as well. Nature. You don't got to tell an acorn to become an oak, it's already got that in there.
Kristelle:That's incredible, that's an incredible phrase, write that down. So I said write that down, let me be your scribe. I would say that, especially as spring has sprung, don't forget that the weather is still very unpredictable.
Kristelle:And I think that leaders the good leaders are used to falling off their high horse. The good leaders are used to knowing that things are incredibly unpredictable and that what they're normally used to is that they just always get out of their comfort zone. Like you know, for example, we're starting to see record-breaking weather right Like. We're starting to see the hottest of the April, the hottest of the Mays, the coldest of the April, the coldest of the Mays. We're starting to see massive windstorms in Las Vegas, which is insane. We're starting to see tornadoes in places that are not typical. While spring has sprung, while we have our patterns. You know, spring is always around this time. April showers bring my flowers and then, all of a sudden, you just see like torrential heat in the desert. There's going to be times where it's like. You know, I've actually seen snow in May.
Jace:Oh yeah, right, we get a good Easter snow Once in a while On a regular Right yeah.
Kristelle:So it you know, we and things don't go to plan. All of a sudden, our garden gets thrown out the fucking window because of the fact there was a massive freeze or something like that you should put your garden in the window, so it's warm inside. Yeah, yeah. So as much as a leader, we try to protect our folks from the elements.
Kristelle:Yeah, there are just, we just have to have room for pivoting or room for failure, our room for things are not going to plan and I've seen a lot of folks just defeated and myself myself included right, people don't want to hear what I've seen. People want to hear about some of the bullshit that I've heard and some of the bullshit that you've experienced too, right, and and I'll, people don't get to see enough of the fact that, like I get knocked off of my high horse a lot, I have to eat a humble pie a lot and I have to just sit back and just say you know what? I'm disappointed in myself for what I did and the decisions that I made. Or, crystal, you've been in business for 10 years. Why the fuck did you make that same decision again? You're just going to be nice to yourself and just admit that you know nothing's perfect, nothing's perfect, nothing's predictable, nothing's perfect.
Jace:So I disagree with half of that statement. I mean, if, if things are always as they're meant to be, which I think, they are, all things in perfect timing, then everything is perfect. It's just not flawless. But nothing is flawless. So why we have any kind of idea that we're supposed to be is beyond me. Like our mess is what makes each of us wonderfully unique in a lot of ways, and when we can keep that as just like a tidy little mess, we bring wonderful things to the world.
Kristelle:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think that's a really great way to wrap up today's episode of stories, success and stuff, and I'm so grateful for you to be here today. And you too, and you too. And she's like don't forget about me, don't forget about me, just as you're breathing so hard.
Kristelle:Thank you so much for a really phenomenal opportunity to talk about the things that we love things, the stories that we have and, most importantly, don't forget to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast channel on YouTube. Watch us on YouTube or tune in and read the transcripts on CRSAcom. This is Jace, I'm Crystal, and thanks again for another great episode of stories, success and stuff.