kait masters - podcast · 10/2/2018 · kait masters - podcast (completed 09/29/18) transcript by...

Kait Masters - Podcast (Completed 09/29/18) Transcript by Rev.com

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JenniferS.: Hi.WelcometotheFeminineForesightpodcast.I'myourhost,JenniferSpoelma.I'manauthorandspeaker,andmyfavoritethingintheworldishelpingpeopleunlocktheirpotential.Inthispodcast,I'llbesharinginterviewsandeducationalinsightsallaboutconfidence,communication,andleadership.Sometimeswemightnerdoutabit,butwe'realwaysgoingtohavefun.Ihopetoinspireyoutobuildacareeryouloveandequipyoutospeakwithpurposeandleadboldly.Iknowthatyou'refullofpowerandfinesse,andIwanthelpyouuseyourforesighttobecomewhoyouaremeanttobe.Solet'sdigin.

JenniferS.: WelcomebacktoanotherepisodeofFeminineForesight.TodayIhaveatrulyphenomenalwomanasmyinterviewguest.HernameisKaitMasters.KaitisaCommunitySupportManagerattheRisingTideSociety,whichisaworldwideorganizationthatsupportscreativeentrepreneursthrougheducationalresourcesandin-personcommunitymeetupsincitiesallover.ShealsoisapainterunderherbrandLarkspur+Laurelandanadvocateforpeoplewithchronicillness.EveryexperienceIhaveinteractingwithKaitjustleavesmeinawe.Sheinspiresmesomuchwithhowmuchofacompassionateandpatientpersonsheis,andshealwaysmakesmewanttobeabetterpersonmyself.Thispodcastisnodifferent.Asyou'relistening,ifyoulovewhatyouhear,ifyou'reencouragedandinspiredtobecomeabetterleaderandabetterperson,pleasetakeascreenshotoftheshowandshareitonsocialmediawithyourfriends,thenhitthatsubscribebuttonsoyounevermissaFeminineForesightpodcast.Thankyousomuchforlistening.Let'sdiveintomyconversationwithKait.

JenniferS.: Hi,Kait.Howareyoudoing?

KaitM.: I'mgood.Howareyou?

JenniferS.: I'mgood.ThankyousomuchforjoiningtheFeminineForesightpodcasttoday.

KaitM.: Thankyouforhavingme.Itwassuchanicesurprisetogetyouremail.I'mexcitedtobeherewithyou.

JenniferS.: Yeah,Iamtoo,andit'sbeenawhilesincewe'veactuallygottentotalkandcatchup,soI'mreallylookingforwardtothechancetodothattoday.

KaitM.: Wedo.

JenniferS.: Solet'sgivesomebackground.Well,maybewecanintroduceyoufirst.Whydon'tyoutelleveryonealittlebitaboutyourself?Whatdoyoudoprofessionally?

KaitM.: So,Iwearafewhats.Iworkfull-timeforRisingTideandHoneyBookheadingupcommunitysupport.I'malsoapart-timesidehustlepainter,whichIwasdoingfull-timebeforeandkindofdidtheoppositeflip-flopandwentbacktoworkingfull-time,andmademypassionmysidehustleagain.ThenIalsovolunteerwith


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rarediseaseandchronicillnessadvocacy.Notreallyajob,butitdoestakeupalotofmysparetime.

JenniferS.: Yes,itdoes.Icantellyouputalotofworkinthattoo,whichisawesome.

KaitM.: Thankyou.

JenniferS.: Yeah,andthoseareallthingsthatwe'regoingtobetalkingaboutmoreinthisinterview,becauseI'mreallyexcitedaboutallofthem.Soyeah,theRisingTideSociety,doingthecommunitysupport.That'showweoriginallygottoknoweachother.IusedtoleadtheTucsonTuesdaysTogethergroup,andbeforetherewasreallyalotoftheinfrastructurethattherecurrentlyisnowsupportingleaders,IrememberwhenyoucameonboardandIwasworkingontransitioningoutandmoving.IwasjustsoamazedbyyouandIwaslike,"ThisisthemostwonderfulpersonI'veevertalkedto.Sheisjusthelpingmemanagethiswholethingandtakingalloftheworkoffmyplate."Socool.Thankyouforeverythingthatyoudo.

KaitM.: [crosstalk00:04:06].

JenniferS.: Inmyhead,Iwasstressingoutalotabout,"Howisthistransitiongoingtogosmooth?Howdoyouhandoffleadershiptosomebodyelse?"Havingyoubetherejustbeinglike,"That'smyjob.Iwillonboardthenextperson.Iwilllookthroughapplicationsandfindtherightperson"wasthecoolestthing.

KaitM.: WellI'mgladithelped.Iwasreallybummedwhenyousaidthatyouweresteppingdownbecauseyouweregettingreadytomovepossiblyandallthat,andIwaslike,"Dangit,IreallylikeJenny,"butwesomehowmanagedtostayconnected-

JenniferS.: Yes.

KaitM.: Sothat'skindofthebeautyofit,right?

JenniferS.: Itisthebeauty.Itisbeautyforsure.Yeah,ItotallymissleadingthatgroupbutI'mexcitedtogetinvolvedintheonehereinAlbuquerquenow,so...

KaitM.: Yes.

JenniferS.: Andtheleadershereareawesome.Cool.Let'stalkalittlebitaboutyourpaintingsidehustle.

JenniferS.: SoLarkspur+Laurel.

KaitM.: Yes.

JenniferS.: It'sbeautiful.


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KaitM.: It'sactuallyundergoingarebrand,soI'llputthatoutthere-

JenniferS.: Really?

KaitM.: Yeah,soIhaven'tactuallyannouncedityetbutI'llletyouinonthatlittlesecret.I'vebeenworkingwithsomeoneIactuallyknowthroughRisingTidetobringitundermynameforthefirsttime.I'llactuallybebrandingmyworkasmyself,asKaitMasters.It'salittlescary.Larkspur+Laurelwillstillliveoutthereinsomecapacitymaybe,but...

JenniferS.: Wow.

KaitM.: Iknow,yeah.

JenniferS.: HasitbeenLarkspur+Laurelupuntilthispoint?Isthatwhatit'salwaysbeen?

KaitM.: It'salwaysbeenthat,yeah.WhenIstartedin2015likeofficially,that'swhenIdecidedtogofull-timeintomakingitmyjob,Ididn'tfeelcomfortableusingmyname,whichIthinkisjustlikeacommonissuewhenyou'reyoungandstartingout.Itjustfeelsawkwardtobelike,"Sowhatdoyoudo?"Yousay,"Oh,Iownmyownbusiness.""Oh,what'sthename?"You'relike,"Oh,KaitMasters."

JenniferS.: Right.

KaitM.: Ididn'thavethatconfidenceyet,soItriedtochooseanamethathadalotofsentimentalmeaningtomeandwasseparatefromwhoIwas,butI'vedevelopedabrandidentityoverthelastseveralyearsthatreallyisverypersonal.Itseemslikeit'sthetimetobringitundermynamenow,soitjust-

JenniferS.: That'sexciting.Ican'twaittoseeit.Doesthatmeanthatyourpaintingsthemselvesaregoingtobetakinganyturns,oryou'regoingtokeepwithalotofthenaturefocus,nature-inspiredpaintingsyou'vebeendoing?

KaitM.: It'lldefinitelystillbenature-focused,nature-inspired,andIthinkthenamechangecomesoutoffindingthatspecificdesiretokeepdoingthat.WhenIfirststartedout,Ikindofdidalittlebitofeverything.Iwaspaintingreallyabstractly.Iwasalsoverysickatthetime,soIactuallystartedmybusinessbecauseIwasfiredforrequestingaccommodationsatthejobIwasworkingat-

JenniferS.: Wow.

KaitM.: Whenmydiseasestartedgettingworse,whichfunfact:it'sdefinitelyillegal,butatthetime,Ijustdidn'thavetheenergytotryandfightit,totryandmakeitright,andit'smuchmorecommonthanyouthink,evenwithADAlaw.Mostplacesareat-willemployment,moststatesareat-willstates,sotheycangiveanyreasontheywantbutyoukindofknowgiventhecircumstanceswhatreallyhappened.Atthetime,Iwasreallynotdoingwellandalotofmyworkwas


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moreabstract,andIthinkthatwascomingfromaplaceofnotbeingabletoreallyenjoytheworldaroundme.Itwasinspiredbynature,butIreallywasn'tabletoexploreittothefullextentthatIamnowthatI'mdoingalotbetter.OnceIstartedreceivingtreatmentsandstartedreallydevelopingmyvoiceasanartistmore,myworkstartedtoshiftmoretothenature-based,stillalittleontheabstractsidesometimes,butnotasabstractaswhenIfirststarted.

JenniferS.: Wow,that'ssointeresting.Doyoutendtopaintbasedoffofscenesyou'veactuallyseenorpicturesyou'vetaken,ordoyoupullfromothersources?

KaitM.: Usuallyit'sfromme.Mostofthereferencephotosarejustfrommycellphone,fromhikesaroundthearea.MostofmyworkhasbeenPacificNorthwest-basedsincewemovedhereaboutayearago.Idohaveanamazingbrother-in-lawwhodoesphotographyaskindoflikeahobbyoutsideofhismarketingjob,andsomysisterandherhusband,they'llsendmephotosoftheiradventuresthatI'mnotstrongenoughtogoon.SometimesIworkfromthoseaswell,butusuallyit'sscenesthatI'veactuallyexperienced,yeah.

JenniferS.: That'sawesome,becauseyeah,youhadmore,SouthCarolinaiswhereyouwerebeforeorNorth?

KaitM.: Yeah.

JenniferS.: Okay.Yeah,soSouthCarolina,theylookedalittlebitdifferentwhenyouwerethere,whichmakessensebecauseitwasthingsthatyouwereactuallylookingatandseeingonadailybasis.

KaitM.: Yes,soit'sdefinitelygrownandchangedoverthelastfewyears,butI'mreallyhappywithwhereI'matnow.I'mexcitedforwhat'stocome.It'sdefinitelykindofahardbalancesometimestotryandkeeprunningabusinessonthesidewhileworkingfull-time,butbothreallyfulfillmesoI'mgoingtokeepdoingitaslongasIcan.

JenniferS.: Yeah.Ohman,Itotallygetthat.

KaitM.: Yes.

JenniferS.: Iamasisterinthatone.

KaitM.: Yes,Iknowyou[crosstalk00:09:48].It'slike,"Ohman."Wecouldgodownthatrabbitholeforalongtime.

JenniferS.: Exactly,totally.Ohyeah,soasfarasthebusinesspartofyourpaintinggoes,doyoutakecommissionworkorisitsellingyourexistingartwork?Howdopeoplegoaboutusuallyfindingandpurchasingyourartwork?


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KaitM.: Greatquestion.SoIdostilldocommissions.NotasoftenasIusedtojustbecausemytimeisalittlebitmorelimited.MyoriginalshavebeendoingalotbetterthanIcould'veanticipated,whichwasnice-

JenniferS.: That'swonderful.

KaitM.: It'salwaysalittlescaryasanartisttostartmakingaseriesororiginalartworkandyou'relike,"Isanyoneactuallygoingtobuythis?AmIgoingtogetanyreturnonthisinvestment?"Idostilldocommissions.MostofmycommissionsandsalescomefromwordofmouthandthroughrelationshipsthatI'vebuilt.Ithinkthat'sreallyimportant,andIknowyouhadaquestionthattalkedaboutpeopleoverprofit,andIthinkitkindofgoesbacktothat.I'vebeenabletosustainthisbusinessbecauseI'vebuiltrelationshipsoverthelastfewyearswhereIdon'thaveasmuchtimetoinvestinmarketingandinalltheseotherendeavorsthatI'dlovetodo,butIstillhavethoserelationshipsbuilt,soI'mstillabletokeepthislittleartbusinessafloat,whichisreallynice.

JenniferS.: Thatisreallynice.That'samazingtoobecauseIthinkit'ssomuchmorefulfillingwhenyoufeellikeyou'regivingsomethingtoarealpersonorsomebodythatyoucareaboutandyouknow.I'mnotsayingit'snotfulfillingandnotgratifyingtojusthaverandompeopleandstrangerspurchasingandyoudon'tknowtheirfaces,butyeah,thatrelationalaspect,I'msureespeciallyasanartist,justfillsupyourheartalot-


JenniferS.: Yes,yes.

KaitM.: Nomatterwhobuys,Ialwaysdoalittlebitofahappydancethatsomebodyistakingapieceofworkhome,andthathopefullyitwillbringthemjoytotheirhome,orifthey'regiftingitthatit'sgoingtobringtheotherpersonalotofjoy.It'salwayssurprisingwhenIfindsomeonewhoIdon'tknowwhobuyssomething.Itweirdsmeout.I'mlike,"Dotheyknowme?Dotheyfollowme?Howdidtheyfindme?"

JenniferS.: Right.

KaitM.: Mostofmyclientsactuallyknowme.

JenniferS.: Thenit'slike,"Whatdoesmyartworkmeantothem?Likeenoughthattheywantedtobuyit."That'sreallycool.Maybeitweirdsyouout,butIwouldalsobesopumped.

KaitM.: No,it'sdefinitelyexciting.Alittleweird,butdefinitelyexciting.

JenniferS.: Sookay,Ilovealwayshearingaboutpeople'screativeprocessesandwonderinghowtheygoaboutcreatingthethingthat'ssouniquelythem.Youtalkedalittle


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bitaboutyourinspirationandwhereyourpicturesandideascomefrom,butwhatdoesthecreativeprocesslooklikeafterthat?

KaitM.: Itlooksuglyuntilit'snot.

JenniferS.: Amen.

KaitM.: I'mbeinghonest,right?Wecouldgetreallygranularifyouwant.Itcouldgetboring,butIdon'tactuallysketchbeforemostofmypaintings,ifthey'reoriginals.Ifthey'recommissions,Idosketchbecausetheclienthastoapprovethedesignandeverythingthat'sgoingintoit.I'llgivethemdifferentvariationsofwhattheirpiececouldlike,butwhenI'mcreatinglikeformyownseries,Idon'tsketchitoutbeforehand.Ijuststartlayeringandblockinginlightlayersofcolor.Itlooksreallyelementaryatfirst,andverymuchlikewhatyouwouldprobablygiveuponifyouwereinthirdgradeandyouwerelike,"OhlookatthispaintingIdid.It'sgreat.I'mdone.Hangitup."It'sreallyjustalotoftrustingthateachlayerisgoingtoaddanewelementofvaluetoactuallydescribewhatIwanttodescribe.LikeIsaid,alotoftimesit'sprettyuglyuntilallofasuddenIputonemarkdownandyou'relike,"Ohwow,yeah.That'sthat.That'swhatthatis."It'sprettyfluidandfreeformandintuitive.

KaitM.: IknowobviouslyEmilyJeffords,likeshehas#doitfortheprocess,andthere'sbeenalotmoreinrecentyearsofjusthowprocessisreallyimportant,andthat'ssomethingthatiscarriedoverfromartschoolforme,evennowthattheprocessofmakingthepieceofartisjustasimportantaswhattheendresultisoftentimes,andtrustingmyownintuitionwithin.Trustingthat,I'llgetthatinformationacrossthatIwantto,orthatemotion.Thehalf-granular,half-abstract-

JenniferS.: Yeah.

KaitM.: Itlookslike,andIdohaveanofficeandastudio,butalotoftimesIenduppaintingatmykitchentableoronmyparent'sporch.Notinmy-

JenniferS.: Designatedspot.

KaitM.: Yep.Soyouknow,Idon'tknowwhatthatsaysaboutme,but...

JenniferS.: It'sintuition,right?Ifyoufeellikeacertainplaceisgoingtoinspireyouormakeyoufeelmorecomfortable,thenthat'swhereyoushouldwork.

KaitM.: Exactly.That'swhatItrytotellmyself.

JenniferS.: Mm-hmm(affirmative),yeah.It'sjustnicetoknowthatyouhaveastudioandanoffice,thatyouhavethatquiet,sacredspacebutyoudon'tneedtouseit.


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KaitM.: It'sreallyjustastoragearea.Iwon'tshowyou.I'minrightnow.Iuseitforcallslikethis.Ineedtoorganizeit.I'mlookingaround-

JenniferS.: Okay.

KaitM.: It'svery,yeah.

JenniferS.: Wellmyviewrightnowistotallyclean,soyou'regood.

KaitM.: Awesome.Itesteditout,so...

JenniferS.: Good.Allright,soIwanttohearalittlebitmoreaboutyourroleatHoneyBookandRisingTideSociety.Two-in-one.Whatdoesanormalday-to-daylooklikeforyouinthatjob?

KaitM.: Ohmygoodness.Everydayisalittlebitdifferent,sothat'skindoffunandexciting.Foranyonewhoislisteninganddoesn'treallyunderstandtheHoneyBook/RisingTiderelationship,RisingTideispartofHoneyBook.We'relikeabrandwithinabrand.HoneyBookisaCRMforcreativesandRisingTideisacommunityoffreeandaccessibleeducationandcamaraderieforcreativeandsmallbusinessowners.IheadupsupportforRisingTide,butthatalsomeansthatIworkunderHoneyBookandIcanworkcollaborativelywithotherteams.

JenniferS.: I'mgladyoubrokethatdown.Thatwashelpful,thankyou.

KaitM.: HopefullyIexplainedthatwell.HoneyBookiswhatisabletoallowustocontinuetocreatefreeeducation,sowedon'tchargemembershipdues,wedon'tchargeforthemonthlyguide,thingslikethat.That'sagreatpartofbeingpartoftheHoneyBookfamily.MostofmydayisRisingTide-focused,soIusuallyampostingdailypromptsintheFacebookgroup,checkinginontheretomakesureeverything'srunningsmoothlyandtherearen'tanyissuesintheFacebookcommunityland.UsuallyIhaveacoupleleaderinterviews,soImanageapplicationsfor,likeyoumentioned,foranyonewhowantstostartanewgrouporanyonewho'stakingoveragroup.Imayhaveacoupleoffilmcallswithnewleaderswhoneedtogetacquaintedwiththeresourceswehaveandhoweverythingfunctions,andthenIusuallyhaveacoupleofmeetingsforjustanyinitiativewe'redoing.Likewejustdid20OnTheRise,sothelastfourmonthsI'vehadalotofmeetingsbetweenHoneyBookandRisingTideandthenourpartnersforthat.

JenniferS.: Soyoumanagedthatwholething?

KaitM.: Ihelped.

JenniferS.: Okay,youhelped.


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KaitM.: Ihelped.Itwasateameffort,butontheRisingTideside,Iwaslikethepointpersonforit.AnythingthatcouldpotentiallyinvolveRisingTide,ourleaders,orourmembers,I'musuallythepointpersonforitthatmanagesthenittygritty,andthenNataliemanagesmetomakesurethatIhitallthepointsthatI'msupposedtohit.Yeah,alotofmeetings,alotofphonecalls,andalotofjustbrainstorming,support,puttingprocessestogether.Itrytobeorganized.EventhoughIsaidmyofficeisreallymessy,Ireallylikehavingsystems-

JenniferS.: Right.

KaitM.: SoIguessI'mkindofsplitonthat,butjusttryingtomakesurethatpeopleareabletogettheinformationtheyneed,togetthesupporttheyneed,andthatwecanreallyhoneinonwhatthecommunityneedsandadvocateforthat.IknowthatsoundslikeareallybroadpaintbrushofwhatIdo,butessentiallythat'swhatitis.LikeImentionedearlier,Idowearalotofhats-

JenniferS.: Yesyoudo.

KaitM.: [crosstalk00:19:05]different,yeah.

JenniferS.: Thatmakesmesoexcited,anditmakesactuallyperfectsensetomebecauseIdon'tknowifI'veevertoldyouthisorifweeverconnectedoverthis,butIbasicallydoyourjobatmycompany.

KaitM.: Noway.

JenniferS.: Yeah,andtomakeitevenmoresimilar,somycompany'scalledSimpleView.WemakeCRMsystems,and-


JenniferS.: Yeah,andalsolikeCMSwebsitebuildingtoolsandsomeotherthingsfordestinationmarketers.I'mtryingtothinkofinthePacificNorthwestwhatsomeofthemare,butlikehereit'slikeVisitAlbuquerqueorNewMexicoTrue,likealltheorganizationsthatarepromotingtourism.

KaitM.: Yeah.

JenniferS.: IdoallofthesupportandtrainingforourCMSwebsite-buildingplatform.Yeah,I'mlike,"Itotallygetalloftheprocesses"-

KaitM.: Thisisblowingmymind.

JenniferS.: Iknow.It'ssofunnybecauseit'ssosimilar,butsomeofthesequestionsIwanttoaskyou,I'mlike.

PART1OF3ENDS[00:20:04]


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JenniferS.: SomeofthesequestionsIwanttoaskyou,Idon'tknowhowshedoesitbecauseIdothis.I'mtheonlypersonthatdoesthetrainingandsupportforourclientsallover.

KaitM.: Weneedtohavesomemorecoffeedatesandthings.

JenniferS.: Wedo,wedo.IfeelwehavesomuchincommonandI'llsaytoo,Iamveryorganizedatmyjob,likeyousaidyouare,butmyhouseandmyarea,notsomuch.Ithinkit'spartofbeingcreative.Idon'tknowwhattheothersideofitis,but,yeah,Irelysomuchonprocessesandorganizationinmyworklife,butitdoesn'tmeanitreflectsinmyspatialarea.

KaitM.: Exactly.Oh,mygosh,we'retotallycutfromthesamecloth.Mymindisblown.Ican'tbelievewehaven'ttalkedaboutthatbefore.

JenniferS.: Ican'teitherbecauseIfeelwehavealotofsimilarities,butIwantedtohearyousaywhatyoudoforyourjobfirstandhowyoudescribeitbeforeIactuallysaid,it'sreallysimilar,butitis.

KaitM.: Oh,mygosh,Iloveit.Okay,we'redefinitelygoingtohavetoconnectonthat.

JenniferS.: Yes.AndalsoIwearaheadsetlikeyou'rewearingrightnow,allday,everyday.

KaitM.: Doyoureally?

JenniferS.: Yeah.

KaitM.: DoyouhaveaJabra?Isthatwhatyouwear?

JenniferS.: Well,Iusedto,butnowmine'saLogitech.IliketheJabrabetter,isthatwhatyouhave?

KaitM.: Yes,IwasgoingtosayIstartedtowearmineoutsoIwantedtoknowifyoulikedthenewonebetter.IthinkI'llgetanotherJabrawhenthisonestartstogo.

JenniferS.: Yeah,Iusedtohaveonethatpluggedintomyphoneanditwasawesome.Theclaritywasgoodanditwasn'ttooheavy,butnowtheLogitechone,it'slikeaUSBwentintothecomputeranditjusthurtsmyearsafterawhile.Italsopicksupallofmybreathing.SowhenIlistentorecordingsofmyself,I'membarrassedbecauseI'm,oh,mygosh,soundslikeI'm[crosstalk00:22:01].

KaitM.: Storyofmylifethough.Okay,sohavinganeuromusculardiseasethataffectsbreathingnomatterwhatheadsetIwear,nomatterwhatmicIuse,I'mgoingtosoundalittlebitlikeDarthVadergoingonthere.Ican'thelpit.Sometimesit'sawkwardandIjustrollwithit,Ijustacceptthatit'spartofmylife.


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JenniferS.: Yeah,that'sgood.Ijuststartedblamingitonthealtitude.Albuquerqueiskindofhighelevationit'sjustmylungscan'thandleit.Youdon'tsoundlikeDarthVaderatall,Ican'thearyourbreathingsoyou'regreat.

KaitM.: Thatmakesmefeelbetter,thankyou.

JenniferS.: Allright.Iwouldlovetoknow,wetalkedalittlebitaboutyourjobthere,whatpartsofthejobdocomenaturallytoyou?Ofyourfavoriteparts?

KaitM.: Myfavoriteparts,oh,man.Iloveprovidingsupportforourleadersandourmembers.Idon'tknowifempathyistherightword,butIfeelthatsenseofconnectionandwantingsomeonetofeelknownandunderstoodandjusthavingsomeoneintheircornercomesreallynaturallytomebasedonmypersonalityandthevolunteeringworkexperiencesI'vehadinthepastofjustbeingfocusedoncommunity.Beingtrustedtobrainstormandcomeupwithreallygreatideastohelppeopleout.

KaitM.: Ontheflipside...you'llthinkthisisprobablycrazy,Iwasthetypeofpersongrowingupandevenasanadultwhowouldneveranswerthephone.Ihatedtalkingonthephone,Ididn'tlikeshowingupplaceswhereIdidn'tknowanyone.It'sreallyfunnytomethatIspendthemajorityofmydaytalkingtopeople.Iamnotanextrovertatall.

KaitM.: IamthemostINFJpersonyoucouldevermeet.Ithasneverchangedin10yearsoftakingMyers-Briggs.Iamsointroverted.Thatone-on-oneconnectionisgreat,butIdefinitelylikebeingonalargerscaleofhaving650plusleaderswheresometimesIhavetogoonFacebookliveanddothatkindofstuff,oh,mygosh.That'snotwhatI'mgoodat,butI'veslowlystartedtolearn.

JenniferS.: You'regoodatit,you'regoodatit,butitdoesn'tfeelcomfortablemaybe?

KaitM.: Yeah,notatall.Honestly,afterIhavetodoatalkoranythinglikethat,IusuallyhavetogoliedownafterwardsbecauseIhavetoampmyselfupsomuchtodoit.It'sjustkindoffunnysometimeshowrolesinjobscanreallyfityoureallywell,butit'salsostillacontinuing,growingedgethatIdon'tthinkpeoplewouldexpectbecauseofthetypeofroleI'min.Idon'tthinkpeopleexpectmetobeanintrovertedpersonwhohatespubliclyspeaking.

JenniferS.: Right.Yeah,becauseyou'rebasicallydoingiteverytimeyougetonthephoneforanintervieworwhatever.Ithinkthat'sreallyinspiring.

KaitM.: Thankyou.

JenniferS.: Yes.

KaitM.: Noweverybodyknowsmysecret.Ifyoueverfeelawkwardonthephonewithme,don'tworry,Idotoo.


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JenniferS.: Andwecanalljustbemoregracioustootherpeopleonthephonebecauseevenifthey'redoingthejob,theymightfeeluncomfortable.

JenniferS.: IknowIdothattime.Sometimesonmytrainingcalls,well,becauseI'mdoingtrainingalittledifferent.Somepeopleareamazingandniceandwegetagoodconnection,buteveryonceinawhileI'mtrainingclientsandtheyputmeonmuteandit'sthemostdeflatingthingever.

JenniferS.: Becauseifyoucantryandengagethemandgetthembackon,butthey'realladultsandiftheydon'twantthetraining,they'rejustgoingtoputyouonmuteyoucan'tgetthemtotakeyouoffofit.Thatmakesmefeelsonervousandsouncomfortablebecauseyoudon'tevencarewhatI'msayingrightnow.It'smyworstnightmare.

KaitM.: Thatsoundslikemyworstnightmaretoo.It'ssodeflatinganddiscouraging.

JenniferS.: Thankfully,mostofourclientsareamazingandawesome,wehavegoodrelationshipswiththem.But,yeah,wheneverthathappensI'mlikewhatamIdoingwithmylife?

KaitM.: Youcanalwayscomecommiseratewithme.

JenniferS.: Willdo.Allright.YoutalkedaboutyourchronicillnessforalittlebitandI'dlovetohearmoreaboutthat,howitaffectsyouaswellashowit'sspurredyouontobeanadvocateforotherpeople'schronicillness.I'mgoingtotryandsayitcorrectly,it'smyastheniagravis,right?

KaitM.: Yes,orMGforshort.ItoldJennyearlier,mydadstillcan'tsayitrightandit'sbeen17years,butdon'tevenworryaboutit.EverybodyjustcallsitMGforshortbecauseit'skindofamouthful.

JenniferS.: Okay,MG.Canyoushare,whatisMGandhowdoesitaffectyouonagivenday?

KaitM.: Itisarareautoimmuneneuromusculardisease.Basically,I'llgetonthescientificlevelforanybodyinterested.Thereareseveraltypesofantibodiesthatblock,attackanddestroytheneuromuscularjunctionatyourmuscle,whichmeansyourmusclecan'treceivethemessagefromyourbraintowork.

KaitM.: Thatcausesfatigueandsometimeseventemporaryparalysisoftheskeletalvoluntarymusclesofthebody.Itcanaffecteverymusclebasicallyfromhead-to-toe.

JenniferS.: Doesitusuallyaffecteverythingatonceorcertainareasrandomly?


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KaitM.: Itdependsontheperson.Iknowthatthistermisusednegativelyinthenewstoday,sodon'ttakeitthatway.It'scalledthesnowflakedisease,whichhasbeenalittlebitsadforthoseofuswhohaveit-

JenniferS.: Idon'tknowwhatthatmeansactually.

KaitM.: Man,it'sinthenews.Peopletalkaboutsnowflakesaspeoplewhoareveryeasilyoffendedbythings.

JenniferS.: Oh,okay.

KaitM.: That'skindofruffledsomefeathersintheMGcommunity.Becausethey're,hey,notthatwasusfirst.Nowwhenwedescribeourselvesassnowflakes,wesoundlikewe'retalkingaboutsomethingentirelydifferently.

KaitM.: Theycallitthatbecauseeachcaseissoindividualandsoitcanbereallytrickytodiagnosisevenifyouhavewhatwouldbetextbook.Positivebloodwork,positiveresponsetoallthetests,yoursymptomsandthewayyourdiseaseimpactsyourday-to-daylifecouldbesodifferentfromsomebodyelsewhoisalsotextbook.

KaitM.: Formepersonally,I'mmostlyimpactedinmyupperbodynow.Therewasatimewhereitwasliterallymywholebody.WhenIwasfirstdiagnosed,Icouldn'tbrushmyhair,IwouldfalleverytimeIwouldstarttowalk.Icouldn'tgoupanddownthestairsorchewandswallowfoodverywellsoIlostalotofweight.

KaitM.: I'mdoingalotbetterthanthatnow.Ilookfineandthat'skindofthecurseofittoo,isuntilyou'rereally,reallysickyoubasicallylooktotallynormal,butmostlywhatIdealwithismusclefatigueintheupperextremities,mydiaphragmandsomeofthe[inaudible00:29:54]muscles.Mymouth,chewingandswallowingcansometimesbetough,andthenjustgeneralfatigue,whichiscommonwithalotofchronicillnesses.Ijustneedalotmoresleepandit'sthekindoffatiguewheresleepdoesn'treallyhelpit.

JenniferS.: ThisistheonlythingIcandorightnow,butitdoesn'talwaysmakethesituationbetter?

KaitM.: Exactly.It'salongtermthing.Thereisnocure.Theydon'tknowwhyithappensformostpeople.ThereareseveraldifferenttypesofitwhichIdon'thavetogetinto.Theyestimatethere's60to80,000ofusintheUnitedStates.It'sreallylowprevalence,verylowchancesofmeetingsomebodyelseinpersonwhohasit,whichalsomeanstherearen'talotofdoctorswhoknowhowtotreatit.

JenniferS.: Doyouknowanybodyelsethathasitpersonally?

KaitM.: Ido.Thankyou,internet.


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JenniferS.: Okay.Sonotinday-to-daylife?

KaitM.: IknowtwopeopleinpersonthatImetpre-internetsupportgroupdays.Thechancesofthathappeningareoneinamillion.ButaroundthetimeIwasdiagnosedwhenIwasinmiddleschool,wehadafriendatchurchwhoseoldersisterhadbeendiagnosedwhenshewasincollege.Wegotconnectedwithherandshe'sbecomeoneofmymom'sbestfriends.Thatisprobablytheonlyreasonwhymymomkepthersanityduringthatwholeprocessofunderstandingandtryingtofigureoutwhatweneededtodo.

KaitM.: ThentheonlyotherpersonI'vemetinperson,whichthisisprobablyaHIPAAviolation,butintermsofhowwemet,butIhadkneesurgerywhenIwasinhighschoolandmysurgeonwas,"Hey,oneofmysurgicalnurse'sdaughterwasjustdiagnosedwiththis.I'mprettysureI'mnotallowedtoshareyourinformationwiththem,butcanyougivemepermissiontoshare?Becauseshe'sdesperatetofindsomebodyelsewhohasthis."Don'tcomeafterusHIPAApeople,butwewereabletoconnectwiththatmomanddaughterinperson.Butmostpeopledon'tmeetanybodyelse.

JenniferS.: Wow.Whatagiftthatyouwereableto.

KaitM.: Yeah.Itdefinitelywashelpfultoknowthosetwopeopleinperson,butstilllonelyevenwiththat.

JenniferS.: Yeah.Alotofthereasonwhyyou'redoingwellrightnowisbecauseoftheinfusionsthatyoureceive,correct?

KaitM.: Yes.

JenniferS.: Okay.Canyoutalklittlebitaboutthat?Whatdoesaninfusiondaylooklike,howoftendoyouneedinfusions?

KaitM.: Yes.Myinfusiondayareveryexciting.

JenniferS.: Okay,IrememberwhenIfirstgottoknowyou,youusedtodoinfusionsinthehospitalandyouwouldpaintinthere.Iwas,oh,mygosh,thisisthecoolestthing.SheisjustturninganyexpectationsIwouldhaveofwhatthismightlooklikeonitshead.Iknowyoudothemathomenow,but,yeah,tellusalittlebitaboutthat.

KaitM.: Iwasdoingthemataninfusioncenterthat'saffiliatedwiththehospital,andIwasn'tabletotakeworkcallswhileIwastherebecauseofhowitwassetup,anditcanbeaHIPAAviolationbecauseIdosomuchvideostuff.Itreallywasn'tcooltokeepworkinganddoingthisstuff.

KaitM.: Idecidedtousethosedaystopaint.SoI'dpackupmywatercolorsandgopaintthereforsevenhours.Igetthesedoneevery14daysandit'saboutaseven


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hourday.SowheninsurancewastellingmeIhadtodoitoutsideofthehome,Iwouldpaintduringitandsometimesdocomputerworkaslongasitwasn'taphonecall.

KaitM.: NowthatIdothemathome,nowthatI'minWashington,thankyouchangestoinsurance,Istillwork.Idon'ttakethatmanyphonecallsjustbecausepeoplegetalittleweirdedoutsometimesseeingaportaccessedandhavingthenurseandthepumpbeepingandstuff.

KaitM.: ButIbasicallygetupusuallybetween5:00and6:00a.m.Weusuallystartbetween6:00and7:00a.m.andthenIworkthewholeinfusionandthenspendtheweekendjustresting,sometimespainting,usuallyNetflixbingeing.Ifyouhaveanyrecommendations,letmeknow.

KaitM.: Buttherearealotofuswhoactuallyworkduringourinfusions.Myco-leaderfortheTuesdaysTogetherIlead,sheisonaverysimilartreatmentregimentthatI'mon,plussomeextrainfusions,shehaslupus.Shedoespetportraitsandshebringshercommissionswithhertotheinfusioncenterandsheworksonthemwhileshe'sthere.

JenniferS.: That'ssocool.

KaitM.: She'sincredible.KitGrayishername.KitGrayIllustrationsisherbusiness.She'samazing.I'veneveractuallymetherinperson,wemetthroughRisingTides,butleadthisgrouptogetherIliterallytalktohereveryday.Lovehertopieces.Sheiscrushingit,spendinghoursandhoursandhoursworkingataninfusioncenter.

JenniferS.: Thatisincredible.Okay,talkmoreaboutthatTuesdaysTogethergroup.It'scalledCreativeandChronicallyIll,isthatwhatitis?

KaitM.: Yeah.TuesdaysTogetherandCreativeandChronicallyIll,whichisamouthfull,butit'shardtoknowwhattonameagrouplikethat.We'vebeenaroundsinceFebruary2016,we'vegotabout450membersofcreativeswhoaretryingtomanagetheirsmallbusinessventureswhilealsodealingwithchronichealthissuesordisabilitieswherethesolutionsforanablebodiedpersonmightnotworkforthem.

KaitM.: Wehaveaspacetobeabletoshareresourcesandsupportwhereotherwiseitmightbekindofhardtofindthat.It'sallonline,wedoitalltextbasedsoit'saccessibleforanybody.Yeah,it'sareallyspecialgroupandwegooverthesamemonthlytopicseverybodyelsegoesoverinperson,wejustdoallofourdiscussionthroughtyping.

JenniferS.: Wow,that'ssocool.Sodoesthatmeanyouhaveasetmonthlytimewhereeveryone'sonline,atraditionalTuesdayscheduledmeetingorisitacontinuousconversationthroughoutorsomewherein-between?


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KaitM.: Somewherein-between.Wealwaysposttheguideandthediscussionquestionsintheunits.Idon'tknowifyou'veusedunittabsonFacebookgroupsnow,buttheyhaveanewsociallearningtoolonFacebook.Soeverymonthwesetupanewunitandwe'lluploadtheguideandthenthesecondTuesdayofthemonthwe'llpostthediscussionquestionsandtheconversationusuallycontinuesforafewdaystoaweek.Justaspeopleareabletohopon.

KaitM.: It'sreallynicetobeabletosharethatandsomepeopledoboth.Theyattendinperson,buttheyalsoareinourgroupandit'satotallydifferentexperienceforthem.Ourgrouptailorsittowhattheneedsareofsomeonewho'sbalancinghealthandlimitedtimeandresourceswiththeirbusiness.Yeah.

JenniferS.: That'sawesome.

KaitM.: Iloveit,I'mbiasedthough.

JenniferS.: Yeah,well,Ithinkanybodythathearsaboutthatisgoingtoloveit.It'ssoimportanttohavethingslikethat.

KaitM.: Iagree.

JenniferS.: Yes.Allright.Youdovolunteerworkrightnow.DoyoudovolunteerworkwithaspecificgrouporforadvocacyorisitpartofyourTuesdaysTogetheror...?

KaitM.: Rightnowit'skindofamix.IhavebeenvolunteeringwiththeMGFA,whichistheMyastheniaGravisFoundationofAmerica,off-and-onfor,gosh,probablysixyears.I'vebeenpartoftheirMGFriendsProgram,whichessentiallypairsanewpatientwithalongtermpatienttogetpeer-to-peerguidanceandadviceandbasicallyjustprovidesomeonewhocanlisten.

KaitM.: Wecan'tgivemedicaladvice,butwecanjusttryandsupportthemandmakesuretheyhaveaccesstoeducationandresources.IalsohostaannualartauctiontobenefitMGFAeveryyearduringourawarenessmonthinJune.IhavekindoftakenabitofastepbackdoingthatinanofficialcapacitybecauseI'm23weekspregnantandI'mjusttiredalotmore.

JenniferS.: Yeah,congratulations.

KaitM.: Thankyou.AlotofwhatI'mdoingisalittlebitmorefreeformnow.I'mjustbeingavailableinsupportgroupsonline.I'mtryingtohelpwithanyone-on-onepatientconnections,butnotinanofficialcapacity,justasI'mableto.ThenwithourTuesdaysTogethergroup.

KaitM.: I'vehadtoscalebackalittlebit,whichhasbeenhard.I'dliketosayyestoeverything,butIalsoknowintheseasonoflifeIneedtotakecareofmyselfaswell.I'vehadtolimitthatalittlebitmore.


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JenniferS.: YouuseyoursocialprofilesalotonFacebookandInstagramtoeducateotherpeopleandtoadvocatejustforpatientswithchronicillness.I'mcuriouswhatwouldyousaymotivatesyoutodothat?Thereareprobablyalotofpeople-


JenniferS.: Todothatbecausethereareprobablyalotofpeoplethathavesomeformofchronicillnessandtheymightjustkeepittothemselvesortheymightseekoutresources,butIamsocuriouswhatmotivatesyouofthisissomethingthatIwanttospeakupabout,Iwanttoeducate,andbeavoicefor?

KaitM.: Ohman.It'shard.Idon'tthinkthatit'sforeveryonebecauseanytimeyouopenupandarevulnerableinthatsenseobviouslyyouopenyourselfuptocriticismandIthinkyouhavetobeatapointwithyourdiseaseandwithyourselfemotionallytobeabletoknowthatsomepeoplearegoingtohavesomenotgreatthingstosayaboutyou.Andyoumightlosesomefriendsevenalongtheway.Somepeoplewhojustdon'tunderstandwhyit'simportanttotalkabout.ButIthinksocialmediagetsabadrapalotbecausewetalkaboutbeingaddictedtotechnologyandit'sruiningthewayweconnectwithpeople.Butsocialmediahasbeensuchavaluabletoolforchronicallyillpeoplewhocannotparticipateindaytodaylifeinthewaythatablebodied,normal,non-sickpeoplecan.

KaitM.: Andsotobeabletofosterthoseconnectionsandusethetoolsthatwehaveatourdisposaltomakeacommunitythat'ssoinvisiblevisibleislikereallyimportanttome.Iwasdiagnosedatatimewheretherewasn'tsupportgroupsreally.Therewasn'ttheonlinepresence.Informationdidn'tpassonlineasquicklyasitdoesnow.Therewasnosuchthingasviralityright.Thingsdidn'tgoviral.Soitwasjustreallylonelyandthere'salotofmisconceptionsandstigmaaroundhealthandchronicillness.IrememberaroundthetimeIbeingdiagnosed,sothiswas2001.SoIhadjustturned11.MymompulledmeoutofschoolbecauseIwassosickandIwasjustmissingsomuchschoolandwejustreallyneededtofocusontryingtofigureoutwhatwasgoingonandgetmetoapointwhereIcouldmanagemysymptomstobeabletogobacktoschool.

KaitM.: AndtheassumptionwasfromoneofmyneighborsthatImustbereallytroubledandtheyactuallyputapamphletinmyparents'mailboxforschoolfortroubledkids.Likethere'sjustnounderstandingofwhatchronicillnessreallyisandtheassumptionisusuallythatit'sbehavioralissuesorifyoujustdidx,y,orz.

JenniferS.: I'msureyougetalotofadviceunsolicited.

KaitM.: Yeah.SoIthinkit'sjustreallyimportanttotryandbreakdownthosebarriersthatcontinuetoperpetuatethosemisunderstandings.ButIalsoknowthatsomepeoplearen'treceptivetoit.I'vedefinitelyhadsomepeoplewho'veunfollowedme.WheneverIdospeakuponInstagramaboutaccessibilityorjust


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aboutwhatit'sliketoactuallytryandmanagesomethinglikethislongterm.Thefollowcountgoesdown,down,down,down.Andattractandrepelthat'stotallyfine.ButIfeellikesomeonehastodoitotherwisewe'regoingtojustkeephavingthesameissueoverandoveragainoflikeoutofsight,outofmind.It'snotanissuebecausepeopleneverseeorhearanythingaboutit.Sorrythatwasatangent.

JenniferS.: No.Nothatwaswonderful.Yeah,ifyouhadtosumupnowafter17yearsofhavingyourdiagnosisifyouhadtosaythebiggestmisconceptionthathasaffectedyouorthatyou'venoticed,whatwouldthatbe?

KaitM.: Ohgosh.

JenniferS.: There'sprobablyseveral.

KaitM.: There'sseveralsoI'mtryingtothinkofwhatlike.Ithinktherearetwo.I'llpicktwo.Ithinkoneofthemisthemisconceptionthatpeopledealingwithchronicillnessjustaren'ttryinghardenough.Justbecauseit'shardtoimaginewhatit'sliketoexperiencesomethingthatyouneverexperienced.AndhavinggonethroughitforaslongasIhave,Iknowjusthowmuchharderyouhavetoworktoperformatthesamelevelassomebodyelsetoproveyourworth.Andthatwhenyoutaketimetorestit'softenperceivedaslazywhenyou'retryingtogetaccommodationsanditlookslikespecialtreatment.Soitkindoflookslikeohthey'rejustnottrying.Iguessmaybethat'sthebigone.I'lljustpickthatone.

JenniferS.: Okay.Thatisbig.I'msurethatishardtoobecauseIcanimagineit'dbereallyeasytotryandcompensateforthateventhoughyouaren'tbeinglazyandeventhoughthoseaccommodationsarenecessaryandlogical.Ifeellikeitcouldbedifficultespeciallyasyou'regettingusedtosomethinglikethat.Toactuallyaskforwhatyouneedbecauseyoudon'twanttobeperceivedasgettingspecialtreatment.Soyeah,thatwouldbereallydifficult.

KaitM.: Andit'shardtoo.Ithinkalotofgeneralsenseofwhatchronicillnesslookslikeispeopleassumethatit'sreallyvisible.Thatanytypeofdisabilityorillnesswillbevisiblyapparentandthemajorityofchronicillnessesarenotdetectablevisibly.It'sIthinkthestatiscloseto75%.Sowhenyoudoaskpeoplelookatyoulikeyou'recrazybecauseyoulookfineandeverythingfromdisabilityplacardstohavingtouseamotorizedcartatagrocerystore.Peoplegettingshamedallthetimeforusingwhatistheirrightfullyentitledtousetobeabletogetaroundtheirdaytodaylifeandtrytobeindependent.Andpeoplecomeafterthemandthey'relike,"Youshouldn'tusethat.That'sforx,y,orz."Andyou'relike,"No,that'smetoo."

JenniferS.: Right.

KaitM.: It'shard.


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JenniferS.: It'snotsomethingthatyoualwayswanttobelikefightingfortoprove.

KaitM.: Mm-hmm(affirmative).Yeah.

JenniferS.: Allright.SothisisaquestionI'malwaysinterestedinaskingpeople.Andit'sgearedtowardsocialmedia.

KaitM.: Okay.

JenniferS.: Thebalancebetweenauthenticityandtransparencybecausetomethey'retwodifferentthings.Ithinkyoucanbeauthenticandyoucanbegenuinewithoutbeingtransparentandneedingtosayeverythingandtelleveryoneeverything.ButalotoftimesIfeellikewhenpeopletalkaboutauthenticityonlinetheytalkaboutthemlikethey'rethesamething.AndIthinkthere'sbenefits.Therecouldbebenefitstoboth.ButI'mcurioushowdoyoubalanceauthenticityandtransparencywhensharingpersonalthings?Soeverythingfromyourillnesstohowyou'vemanagedstresstothingsthatyousharewithyourfamilytopregnancy,allofthat.

KaitM.: It'stough.Ithinkthatyoubringupareallygoodpointthatthosetermsareusedinterchangeablyandit'soneofthosesituationswhereyoukindoflikeIdon'tthinkthatmeanswhatyouthinkitmeans.They'renotfullythesame.IusethewordopenalotwhenItalkaboutheyItrytobeasopenaspossibletobearesourceforespeciallyanyonewho'sfollowingmewhohasachronicillnessandislookingforsomeonetoconnectwith.ButItrytosharethingsthatareeitherallowingsomeonetofindaresourceandopenaconnection.OrhassometypeofvalueattachedtoitbecauseIthinkthere'sreallyeasilywhenyoustarttotalkabouthealthandanythingrelatedtothatwhichobviouslyItalkabout.It'seasyforittobeperceivedasjustcomplaining.Or,"Ohthey'rebeingdramatic.They'reoversharing.Idon'tneedtoknowthis."

KaitM.: AsmuchasIshareandweavethatintomynarrativeasabrandandasobviouslyapersonIkindofmeasureeverythingagainstisthisgoingtobevaluabletootherpeopleorvaluabletome.Whatistheendgoalthere?AndIthinkthatcanbereallyhelpfulintryingtofigureoutwhatareyouabletoshareandwhatshouldyouwaittoshareandwhatshouldyoujustnotshareatall.Respectingtheprivacyofothers.ObviouslytherearethingsIdon'tshareaboutwithmyfamilylifeorwithmyillness.BecauseifIsharedaboutit24-7allthetimewiththelevelthatIdealwithit,peoplewouldbelikewhoareyou,goaway.AndthenothertimesI'mjustnot...Ijusthaven'tgottentothepointwherethere'savaluetiedtoityetthatIfeellikeI'mgivingaresourceoravaluetosomebodyelse.WetalkedalittlebitaboutpregnancyandIhaven'tsharedverymuchonmysocialmediachannelsaboutitbecausebeingpregnantandbeingchronicallyillthere'ssomanynuanceswithitwithinthecommunity.

KaitM.: Withinyourownindividualcare.AndI'vehadtonavigatemyownemotionsaroundsomeofthethingsthathavebeenfrustratingandreallyhardthatthe


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typicalifthere'ssuchathingpersonmightnotdealwithorunderstand.AndI'vesharedaboutitmaybelikethreetimesoverthelast23weeksorhoweverlongit'sbeen.Butjustbecause

JenniferS.: That'sverydifferentfromwhatmostpeoplewoulddo.

KaitM.: Yeah.Soit'saworkinprogressbutIthinkyouhavetoknowwhatyourendgoalsareandwhereyoudrawthelineofprivacyandwhatyourfamilyisokaywith,likeyourlovedones.Andalsojustmeasuringitagainsttheresponseofyouraudienceaswell.TheresponsesIgetwhenIwaittosharesomethingthat'sreallypurposeorvaluedrivenreallyhelpeddevelopmorerelationshipsthanifIweretojustsharealltheselittleoneoffsthatcouldcomeacrossasreallycomplainy.Sothat'sdefinitelybeenalearning.Ihaven'talwaysbeenthebestatit.AndtherearedefinitelytimeswhenI'mtemptedjusttotaketosocialmediaandcomplain.

JenniferS.: Qualityoverquantity.

KaitM.: Yeah.Exactly.

JenniferS.: Yeah.Thankyou.Ithinkthat'sawesome.AndIlikethetermthatyousaidyouuselikeopen.I'mbeingopentoyouwhichisalsotomecommunicatesalotofit'sagifttoshareandthat'showItendtoperceiveittoo.Anytimesomebodysharessomethingpersonal,whetherit'sdifficultorhappyit'sliketomeitfeelslikeagift.Youjustsharedthatwithusandwecanlearnfromit.Transparencyorjustsharingeverythingfeelsalittlebitmoreofthe...itfeelsmoreselfishlymotivate.Ineedtogetthisout.OrIneedaresponse.WhereasIthinkyeahI'mjustramblingnow.

KaitM.: We'reonthesamewavelengththough.IthinkbeingabletosharetrulyisagiftandwhenyoulookatitinthatframeworkandthroughthelensofhowcanthisprovidevaluetotherelationshipsthatI'mbuildingthroughthisplatform,itreallychangesthewayyoupositionwhatyoushareeven.Youcanshareaboutthesamesituation,butthewayyoushareaboutitmightbealittlebitdifferent.Anditcouldreallyimpactsomeoneinareallypositivewayversusifyouweretonotthinkaboutitasagifttosomebodyelse.Itcouldbemoreofanegativeimpact.

JenniferS.: Exactly.

KaitM.: Yeah.

JenniferS.: Yes.Amen.Okay.SoIhaveonefinalquestiontoaskyou.SoI'mcurioushowhavingyourchronicillnesshasimpactedyourviewofworkandlife.AndI'lladdaspecificallylikeI'mcurioussinceyouhavethem,thebackwards...Idon'tknowifweshouldcallitthat,butthebackwardsentrepreneurialdreamofyouwork


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fulltimeandnowyouworkandit'sasidehustle.Howdoesthatchangeyourviewofworkasinworkingforsomeoneelse?

KaitM.: Ohman.It'ssointeresting.IthinkalotofpeoplewithchronicillnessthatI'vemetespeciallythroughourTuesdaystogetherhavekindofstumbledintoitbecausetheycouldn'tworkatraditionaljobanymore.EithertheywerefiredlikeIwasortheywerejusttoosicktodoit.Ishouldn'tlaugh,butallIcandoatthispointislaughsometimes.Thisisridiculous.Butthey'vebuiltsomethingthatisabletogivethepurposeandhopefullyhelpfinanciallysustainthemwhentheirlifekindofgotflippedonitshead.IfeellikeI'vebeenreallyfortunatebecausetherearen'talotofcompanieswhoarewillingtotakeagambleonsomeonewhohasspecialneedsIguesswe'llsay.SoIwork100%remotely.I'moneoftheonlyremoteemployeesatHoneyBookandRisingTide.ObviouslyIdon'ttakecallseveryotherFridaybecauseI'mhookeduptoaninfusionandIliketallieditoutlastyearanditwaslike,ohman,likesevenhourstimes52...or26yeah.Imeanit'salotofhourseveryyearthatIspendneedingflexibility.

KaitM.: AndIthinkwhatI'velearnedisthatitisreallypossibletoprovidethoseaccommodationsandIhopethatmorebusinessesseethevalueinflexibility.Sothatwaythere'salittlebitmoresecurityforpeoplewhomightwanttheirentrepreneurialdreamtobeasidehustlesotheycanhavethingslikehealthinsurance.SoobviouslyI'mlookingatitthroughascopethat'salittlebitdifferent.Lookingatlongtermsecurityandaregularpaycheckandhealthinsurance.Buthavingthatopportunityhasjustshownmethatyou'reabletoadapttosomanydifferentthingsthatyoudidn'tthinkyou'dbeabletoadaptto.IneverthoughtIwouldworkfulltimeagainwhenIlostthatjobforsomebodyelse.IthoughtIcouldonlyeverworkformyself.Sotobeabletoshowmyselfandtoshowothersthatitispossible.Therearen'tatonofpeoplewhoareouttherewhoarewillingtodoit.Butmaybewecanchangethat.

KaitM.: Butalsoseeingjusthowvaluableitistohavesomethingthatyoucanbuildandsustainyourself.Sothatwayyou'reneverfeelinglikeyou'reinapositionthatyoucan'ttakecareofyourself.Soit'sbeenreallyinteresting.Sorry,IfeellikeI'mgettingveryexistentialonthat.

JenniferS.: Holdononesecond.Thisisweird.I'mgettingacallonmycomputersoIfeellike.Okay.

KaitM.: Thathappenstomethough.DoyouuseGoogleVoice?

JenniferS.: NothatwasmyiPhoneconnectedtomycomputer.

KaitM.: Oh.That'ssoweird.

JenniferS.: FaceTime.Yeah,anyways.

KaitM.: You'reaverypopularlady.


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JenniferS.: It'satelemarketer.

KaitM.: Butyeah.

JenniferS.: Existentialtopic.

KaitM.: Myexistentialtopic.Ithinktosummarizeit,theTLDRsinceIwaskindoframblingthere.IthinkthemostimportantthingthatyoucanfindinlifeorthatIfoundisbeingabletohaveapurposeandsometimesitlooksdifferentthanwhatyouexpecteditto.Ineveranticipatedgoingbacktoworkfulltime.ButIfoundalotofcreativepurposeandalotofrelationshipsthataresoinvaluabletomethathavehelpedmegrowinsomanyways.SoI'mreallyhappytobeopentothewaythatlifekindofleadsuptherethroughworkevenifit'snotthewayweanticipated.Foralotofpeopleit'skindoftheoppositemaybeandstartingtheirownbusinessandthenfindingthatcomraderyandleavingthatfulltimejob.Butitcangobothways.Andit'sokaytostillworkfulltimeifyouneedthathealthinsuranceandyoureallylovewhatyoudo.

JenniferS.: Yeah.Awesome.Kait,thankyousomuch.Thatwasamazing.AllofyourinsightsandperspectivesaresoinspiringandhelpfulandIjustappreciateyousomuch.

KaitM.: Thankyouforhavingme.Thiswasreallyfun.

JenniferS.: Yeah,andIhaveonelastquestion.IthinkIsaidthatlasttime.Butwherecanpeoplefindyouonlineiftheywanttolearnmoreandfollowalongwithyourjourney?

KaitM.: [email protected]'slarkspurandlaurel.com.ButIalsoblogabouthealthandartandallthatgoodstuffatkaitmasters.comsoyoucanfindmeanyofthoseplaces.

JenniferS.: Perfect.AndI'lllinkallofthoseintheshownotessopeoplecanfindthem.

KaitM.: Thankyou.

JenniferS.: Allright.Thankyousomuch,Kait.

JenniferS.: IhopethatmyconversationwithKaitencouragedyouinsomeway.Whetherthat'sthevalueofworkwithfreshgratitudeortobetterperspectivetakepeoplewhohaveexperiencesdifferentthanyourown,ortogetinvolvedwithsomethingthat'snearanddeartoyourheart.IknowthatI'vegleanedalotfromKateandherwisdom.Ifyouwanttogetinvolvedintheconversation,askaquestionorsharesomethingthatyoulearnedpleasehopovertofemenineforesight.com.Lookintheshownotessectionofthepodcastsothatyoucanleaveacommentonthispost.There'sgoingtobelinkstoalloftheresourcesreferencedaswellasacompletetranscriptionoftoday'sshow.ThisissocoolbutKaitactuallyrequestedthatwetranscribethispodcastsothat


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peoplethatcan'thearandlistentothepodcastwouldbeabletoreadthepodcastandshecouldshareitwithherfriendsinthedeafcommunity.Iloveherheartsomuchandhowitexudesoutofeverythingshedoes.

JenniferS.: Sopleasejumpintothatconversationandagaindon'tforgettohitthatsubscribebuttonsothatyoucanlistentoournextinterview.Thankyou.Haveawonderfulday.


kait masters - podcast · 10/2/2018 · kait masters - podcast (completed 09/29/18) transcript by...

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