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Meet the hosts: Angelica Yarde and Charisma O’Keefe

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Episode Transcription

00:00.65
Angelica
Hello, friends. Happy New Year, and welcome to the Heart + Hustle podcast. I’m Angelica Yarde.

00:05.64
Charisma
And I’m Charisma O’Keefe. We’re here every week talking about entrepreneurship, business, creativity, and so much more. It’s been a while since we’ve had a check-in, so today’s episode is all about catching up. We’ll share what we’re currently up to. If you’ve been listening, this will give you some new insights. If you’re new, this is a great place to start.

00:29.69
Angelica
Let’s start with some background and backstory. This podcast is like a child in the late stages of elementary school, getting ready to head into middle school. We’ve been doing this for a long time. When we started this podcast, it was 2015 when we first talked about it, and the first episode came out in 2016. So, we’re approaching the decade mark.

For those who might not know, back then, millennials were leading the podcasting boom. Podcasts were mostly audio-only, and people, especially from marginalized groups, used them to create and find community. In the entrepreneurial space, there wasn’t much representation for people of color.

01:20.98
Angelica
There were some podcasts hosted by Black women, but they mostly focused on navigating nine-to-five jobs. While they were inspiring, they didn’t quite resonate with me because I wasn’t working a nine-to-five.

01:32.86
Charisma
Exactly.

01:34.82
Angelica
I thought, “This is something we could probably do.” At the time, the three of us—me, you, and our friend Melissa, who’s also a woman of color—were already meeting regularly. We spent hours talking about business, so it felt natural to turn those conversations into a podcast.

01:50.79
Charisma
It was incredibly helpful. We were all young entrepreneurs, and there weren’t many people who looked like us in our respective fields. I used to bring a notebook to our meetings to jot down ideas or questions. These meetings felt organized, almost like work meetings, because we used them to learn from one another and share advice.

I thought, “If we just recorded these conversations, it would be so helpful for others.” We didn’t just record and upload; we structured it to make it more valuable. At that time, we were all blogging, which was a great way to connect with others in creative and entrepreneurial fields.

02:17.52
Charisma
Blogging helped us showcase our skills and allowed clients to get to know us better. It was like a precursor to social media. You could spend a week crafting a blog post that remained relevant for a long time. These days, so much effort goes into short-form content like a 15-second video, which only stays visible for a moment.

03:06.97
Charisma
Back then, it was easier to create meaningful content. I know I sound old saying this, but blogging felt like the golden age.

03:42.33
Charisma
Podcasting felt like a natural evolution of blogging—it allowed us to be more personal. Through audio, listeners could hear our voices, pick up on nuances, and connect on a deeper level. Today, podcasting has evolved further with video formats. While we won’t always record video, we plan to do so occasionally for special guest interviews.

04:29.53
Charisma
It’s exciting to see blogs, podcasts, and videos coexisting as longer-form mediums. These formats leave a lasting impression, much more so than short, fleeting content.

04:57.49
Charisma
Meaningful conversations tend to stay with you for a long time.

04:59.93
Angelica
Absolutely. That’s where our podcast started.

05:07.83
Angelica
We initially tried to get Melissa to join as a co-host because we thought it would work better as a trio.

05:12.53
Charisma
I genuinely never imagined she’d say no. When I first asked her, I thought, “This is happening!” But she taught me an important lesson about boundaries.

05:19.47
Charisma
She knew herself well and was clear that this wasn’t for her. That level of self-awareness and setting boundaries at such a young age was impressive.

05:40.25
Angelica
She was firm, but we did get her to guest on the podcast. She was one of our first guests and has been on multiple times.

05:49.67
Charisma
Yes, she’s been amazing every time.

05:54.46
Angelica
We’ll link her episodes in the show notes so you can go back and listen to her insights and see the vibe she brought as a guest.

06:01.83
Charisma
The dynamic is still fantastic. I’m sure, especially in those earlier years, that must have been when we were at our most organic—talking to people we knew really well. Now, I feel like we could interview anyone and feel comfortable. But back then, it really helped to have those early interviews with people we were more familiar with.

06:12.43
Angelica
Mm-hmm.

06:24.16
Angelica
From a business perspective, back in 2016, I was co-running an agency.

06:36.01
Charisma
Why don’t you start from the very beginning to make it less confusing?

06:37.88
Angelica
The very beginning of my business?

06:41.75
Charisma
Yes, just run through it all.

06:43.95
Angelica
Alright, the whole thing. We’re going to map out the journey from then to now.

06:48.70
Angelica
I started designing in high school. Around 9th grade, I began learning graphic design. In 10th grade, I took a computer class where we learned coding. Back then, computer classes were a thing, and we had to share computers in a dedicated room. We worked on small projects, and I learned early HTML coding, which I’m so grateful for.

07:25.49
Angelica
That was in 2004 going into 2005. I became obsessed with building websites. It was so exciting! Then MySpace came along, which was a social media platform where users could customize their profiles using HTML. My skills grew as I customized layouts for myself and others.

07:52.10
Angelica
When I met my husband, he was working with someone selling MySpace layouts. It was surprisingly lucrative, especially for businesses with heavy traffic. The internet was different then—there weren’t millions of content farming sites. There were just a few top MySpace layout sites that everyone visited.

08:12.77
Charisma
Exactly.

08:13.28
Angelica
You’d even keep your favorite layout sites a secret so others wouldn’t use the same design as you! My husband sold layouts through PayPal, and it was a whole thing back then.

08:34.99
Charisma
And at that time, PayPal felt so new.

08:37.22
Angelica
Completely unregulated.

08:39.44
Charisma
Yeah, it was wild.

08:42.71
Angelica
If you want a history lesson, there was an article in Seventeen Magazine about the girl who owned Whateverlife.com, the biggest female-driven MySpace layout site. She created graphics, fandom layouts, and more for artists like Britney, Christina, and Beyoncé. She became a millionaire early on, buying houses for herself and her parents—all because PayPal was unregulated at the time.

09:40.00
Angelica
Eventually, the IRS got involved, and the rules changed. But fast forward past the MySpace layout days: My husband and I got married and decided to start an agency. We worked well together and thought, “Why not start a branding agency?” We created websites, designed logos, and learned how other industries operated.

10:29.41
Angelica
There’s still little regulation in what we do. We learned from structured industries and applied that to our work. David worked for one of the largest marketing agencies in Orlando, which gave him insight into how things worked—and how we didn’t want to operate.

10:41.58
Angelica
I eventually stopped working outside the home, and we had a baby. Around that time, I met Melissa and Charisma. We started talking, and I was still focused on websites, branding, logos, and color palettes. We also did a little consulting, but not much. What kept us busy was speaking engagements.

11:18.86
Charisma
Yeah, so much.

11:32.75
Angelica
And they were like, “We’re taking him on his first trip.” I thought that was so funny. We took her to Columbus for a conference when she was barely four months old—she couldn’t even sit up.

11:43.85
Charisma
Yes, you guys were doing so much.

11:46.05
Angelica
She was still just a little baby. But we traveled everywhere—New York, Little Rock—everywhere. We were heavily involved in the WordPress community.

11:56.94
Angelica
If you Google WordPress now… actually, don’t. Compared to back then, it was an actual community. Funny enough, it might not even exist by the end of the year. So, we were just networking a lot, and through that networking, we found our stride. Today, most of our work comes from referrals.

12:24.72
Charisma
Which is amazing.

12:24.70
Angelica
I don’t advertise or market. Honestly, I run a bad business. Don’t do what I do! I don’t post on social media or maintain much of an online presence. I think we might have a Facebook page—maybe.

12:40.44
Charisma
Yeah, you have pages, but they’re incredibly inactive.

12:42.88
Angelica
Exactly. We might have a Sevenality page, but I don’t even know.

12:47.77
Charisma
You do. There’s a 7Lity Instagram unless you deleted it. But you haven’t posted in years—maybe since 2018?

12:50.40
Angelica
Probably. And if we do, it’s because David set it up. I probably don’t even have access to it.

13:05.81
Charisma
You probably don’t, so you’re like, “I don’t know how to get in there.”

13:11.74
Charisma
Your last post was March 2018.

13:11.91
Angelica
That sounds like David, not me.

13:18.05
Charisma
And before that, the previous post was October 11, 2017. Even then, it wasn’t consistent.

13:27.77
Angelica
Exactly. And I’m sure nobody was following it. Maybe five people—and they’re all my friends. It never generated leads for us, so it just didn’t make sense to invest in it.

13:40.56
Charisma
Right.

13:40.59
Angelica
Most of our leads come from referrals—clients we’ve worked with for a long time who recommend us to others.

13:52.45
Charisma
Honestly, that’s the best way to do it.

13:54.54
Angelica
I can’t do the social media game. I just can’t. It’s not for me. I’d rather focus on doing good work. Playing that game feels rigged, and I honestly feel bad for all the baby entrepreneurs trying to navigate it.

14:07.66
Angelica
That’s why we’re here—to figure out how to make things better. These days, we mostly do consulting. About 75% of our work is consulting, and 25% is deliverables.

14:21.88
Angelica
Just before this call, I was editing a website and couldn’t even find what I needed. That’s how little backend work I do now. We’re more focused on planning and consulting—helping businesses with marketing plans, increasing rates, improving ROI, reducing bounce rates, and so on.

15:02.38
Angelica
I don’t have a niche, though. A lot of people say, “My niche is writers,” or “My niche is women aged 25 to 35.” My niche is whoever can pay my bills. As long as they’re not a bad person or running an illegal business, I’m in.

15:13.26
Angelica
I’ve got college to pay for in eight years. That’s just where I am. So, if this podcast makes me sound like I’m not for you, that’s fine. Go listen to our older episodes.

15:28.43
Charisma
Even though you say you don’t have a niche, I feel like you kind of do—it’s larger businesses.

15:35.03
Angelica
Not really. We work with smaller businesses too.

15:37.93
Charisma
Yeah, I know, but I’m just saying you work with a lot of larger businesses with a lot of moving parts.

15:41.97
Angelica
Not as much anymore. It’s really more small businesses now, and sometimes governments. It’s a mix.

15:48.72
Charisma
Yeah, but you guys do schools and hospitals. You know what I mean? A lot of that kind of work. Government is big, Angelica. Hospitals are big.

15:59.04
Angelica
But it’s mostly smaller city governments, not like the state of Florida, which I would… hmm, no comment.

16:07.33
Charisma
You’re giving a solid “no thanks” to that.

16:07.63
Angelica
In the words of Glorilla, no. It’s more… corporate work.

16:19.19
Angelica
It’s not cutesy. I think people assume “female graphic designer” and think of restaurants, wellness brands, or hair brands.

16:22.06
Charisma
Yes, that’s what I was trying to say.

16:27.52
Angelica
We don’t do a lot of work that fits a small, feminine niche. Not because I don’t want to, but it’s just not common for us. Some projects I’ve done in that space have been super fun because I don’t often work with pink, nudes, or scripts.

16:38.18
Angelica
For example, we just designed our Galentine’s invitation, and it was fun because it’s different from what we usually do.

16:52.05
Charisma
Definitely.

16:54.17
Angelica
I don’t work with “girly” themes or spa-type projects. I’m envious of people who do because that work seems fun, but it also sounds frustrating.

17:09.51
Charisma
Yeah.

17:25.01
Angelica
That’s kind of where we are. I’m not closed off to anything, but we focus on doing what needs to be done. I love going into people’s offices, seeing how they run things, and giving advice on being more efficient.

17:37.28
Angelica
Sometimes I talk to their marketing team about struggles or help those without designers. Years ago, I used to criticize people for using Canva. Spoiler alert: now I’m the one installing Canva in everyone’s office because they can’t afford a designer.

17:49.59
Charisma
Right. I remember when I first started using Canva, I was hesitant to tell you because I thought you’d judge me for it.

18:02.51
Angelica
Even with the Galentine’s thing, I thought, “I could just do this in Canva.” It takes two and a half seconds, but it’s not the same. It doesn’t give me the feels.

18:09.91
Charisma
It’s not the same, to be fair.

18:11.61
Angelica
Exactly.

18:12.14
Charisma
But back in the day, we had fewer deliverables, so we could dedicate more time to each. Now, it’s like you need fresh content every day.

18:21.22
Angelica
Yeah, companies have to produce four pieces of content daily. There’s no way to sustain that with one person unless they use tools like Canva or Fresco. Nobody has time to create 75 graphics a day in Illustrator.

18:27.78
Charisma
Yeah, it’s different now.

18:37.89
Angelica
Right, so that’s where I am now. I still feel like a creative at heart, but I don’t do as much hands-on work as I used to. I’m not cutting out magazines anymore. Instead, I’m analyzing why businesses aren’t meeting their numbers and helping them figure it out.

19:09.98
Angelica
For example, I’ll walk into a business and immediately see why something isn’t working. Often, it’s operational inefficiencies or a lack of alignment with their brand.

19:34.69
Angelica
We also do a lot of fractional CMO work for businesses that don’t want to hire a full-time CMO. They’ll call us to assess their operations and give them direction.

19:51.73
Charisma
Man, we’ve been doing this for so long. When you lay it all out, it’s like, whoa.

19:55.29
Angelica
We’re elders now.

19:57.94
Charisma
Yes, 100%.

19:59.29
Charisma
For me, it’s a similar story. I have a creative background, but with different focuses. I was a musical theater and choir kid. After high school, I went to college for psychology and business. I eventually dropped out during the recession, but I’ll get to that in a second.

20:25.66
Charisma
I was working through college because my mom wasn’t paying for it. Growing up in the Orlando area, there’s so much creativity here with the theme parks and such. My mom worked in catering, so I learned a lot about that industry. Orlando, and Florida in general, is one of the wedding capitals of America—and even the world—with numerous weddings taking place, especially in the surrounding beaches and nearby areas.

20:51.58
Charisma
When I was in college, we were in the middle of a recession, which was… not fun.

20:57.74
Angelica
Spoiler alert: It was not fun.

21:01.98
Charisma
I had friends who came from more affluent backgrounds, with families paying for their college. Some graduated with dual degrees, but even they couldn’t find jobs in their fields. Many ended up working jobs they didn’t want, unrelated to their careers.

It made me think: I was spending all my money on college while working three jobs—what was my future going to look like? I had always wanted to be a business owner, though I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d do. At the time, I was serving on the board of a local hospital, organizing events for them, which was something I’d randomly fallen into at a young age.

21:55.06
Charisma
These were large-scale events—hospital events often are. I realized, “I think I could do event planning. This is something I can pull off. Let’s give it a shot.” I started by planning parties in a high-end area of town called Isleworth.

22:15.64
Charisma
If you’re familiar, Isleworth is where people like Shaquille O’Neal and players for the Orlando Magic have homes. It’s where many of Florida’s wealthiest people live.

22:28.07
Charisma
My first event there was a birthday party, but it was essentially a wedding in scale. It had valet parking and all the works.

22:37.09
Angelica
What year did you start?

22:45.66
Charisma
This would’ve been the mid to late 2000s. I was still in college at the time, doing event planning and studying simultaneously.

23:12.09
Charisma
I worked with another planner on a few weddings but decided to strike out on my own after just three events. I thought, “I’ve got this.”

23:16.70
Charisma
I got my first few events in Isleworth, and from there, word-of-mouth bookings started coming in. Around this time, I realized I had a big love for photography.

23:27.99
Charisma
Photography had been part of my life since childhood. I was always holding a camera, a musical instrument, or a paintbrush—constantly doing something creative.

23:46.61
Charisma
At weddings, I would sometimes notice shots the photographer could take and suggest them. It made me think, “Maybe I could do this too.”

24:17.42
Charisma
Friends began asking me to take engagement and family photos. This helped me realize that wedding photography could be my path. A close friend, who was a wedding photographer, encouraged me to make the transition. For a while, I did both wedding planning and photography, but eventually, I focused entirely on photography, which I pursued full-time for over a decade.

25:07.15
Charisma
During that time, I photographed countless weddings—they paid the bills—but I also did other exciting projects. I shot album covers for local artists, got published on MTV and Huffington Post, and checked off nearly everything on my photographer bucket list.

25:17.46
Charisma
Building my photography business was different back then. Social media was more organic. I’d post photos on Facebook, people would tag themselves, and others would hire me. It was simple and so rewarding.

25:30.91
Angelica
You didn’t have to pay to be seen; you just needed good content.

25:33.03
Charisma
Exactly. You didn’t have to pay for visibility—you just had to keep creating. I also spent a lot of time in New York, traveling there five or six times a year for sessions.

25:52.85
Charisma
In New York, I worked with creative people in music and theater. I also did photography for families and even some videography, though that wasn’t my specialty. It was a blast.

Eventually, people started asking me for help with social media. Thanks to you, David, and Nikki (the photographer friend I worked with), I began consulting in social media strategy. Nikki referred a client to me, and I thought, “I’m not ready for this,” but it turned out I was.

26:56.12
Charisma
When you and David encouraged me, you pointed out something important: I was already consulting for people without realizing it. I was essentially giving away my expertise for free, just exchanging it for coffee or lunch.

27:05.47
Angelica
Yes, you were already doing it!

27:08.70
Charisma
Exactly! And most of the time, the coffee wasn’t even good. I don’t drink coffee—I’m a tea person. So, I was just getting a teabag in exchange for all this valuable information.

27:16.47
Angelica
And we didn’t even have good coffee shops back then.

27:17.93
Charisma
No, we didn’t. So, one day, my first official client came through a referral. I wasn’t ready to take on the project, so I threw out what I thought was an absurdly high rate to scare them off.

27:34.06
Charisma
To my surprise, they immediately said, “Yes, sign me up for six hours!” That was my turning point.

27:40.88
Charisma
Once I started consulting, I realized how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t as emotionally taxing as photography. Photography is my art, and I’m deeply attached to it, but consulting felt like a different kind of creativity. It was still fun, but it didn’t carry the same personal weight.

28:12.06
Charisma
I began with social media consulting, which quickly evolved into small business consulting. Over time, my services included branding, social media management, and web design. I worked with a variety of businesses—bakeries, gyms, calligraphers, and many people in the wedding industry, including other wedding photographers and planners.

28:33.22
Charisma
Most of my clients were local, from the Orlando and Miami areas, but I also worked with several businesses in Charlotte, thanks to a cousin who opened a gym there. Local businesses became a favorite of mine because I loved seeing their physical spaces come to life. One of my most rewarding projects was designing a bakery’s storefront. Watching the concept turn into reality was incredible.

29:24.27
Charisma
I also got involved in Disney weddings, which were magical in their own way. Helping businesses pivot or start something new was always exciting. I loved being brought in during a pivotal moment for a client.

29:40.88
Charisma
Everything was going well—smoothly, even. But then the pandemic hit.

30:09.62
Charisma
When COVID-19 shut everything down, photography came to a halt. Disney weddings stopped. Most of my consulting clients were in the wedding or service industries, which were hit hard. Many couldn’t operate, so I let them out of their contracts because holding them accountable during a pandemic didn’t feel right.

30:26.62
Charisma
I paused and reflected on what I wanted to do next. I had always admired your product-based business—how you sell beautiful stationery and other items. I’d long wanted to try a product-based business myself.

30:34.63
Angelica
I was like, I do.

30:35.45
Charisma
Yes, you didn’t even mention that part! For years, I’d been making candles as a creative hobby, so I decided to take the leap and turn it into a business.

30:50.86
Charisma
It went well and was a lot of fun, but it was also physically demanding. Running a candle business full-time would mean working in a candle studio all day, and I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted for the long term.

31:13.99
Charisma
I still make candles seasonally, which is fun. When I have the time, I create small batches, and once they sell out, that’s it—I don’t make more. That approach keeps it manageable and enjoyable for me.

As the pandemic continued, I returned to consulting. However, I began working with brands that had more resources and could commit to longer-term projects. Instead of being project-based, my work is now time-based, where I partner with clients for six-month periods. We lock in and see how many projects we can accomplish in that timeframe.

31:51.15
Charisma
Typically, I’ll have one six-month project alongside smaller tasks with deliverables during that time. For instance, right now, I’m working on a six-month project while simultaneously building two websites and developing a brand for another client.

32:10.93
Charisma
I also work closely with my husband, who transitioned into real estate after the pandemic. He wanted a career change from teaching and decided to try something new. Early on, he loved it, but as someone who wasn’t initially an entrepreneur, he needed help balancing everything.

32:46.52
Charisma
I handle the aspects of real estate that align with my expertise, like consulting and helping him manage the business side of things. While I’m not heavily involved in the real estate transactions themselves, I helped him transition into being a realtor and, later, the head of a team.

33:02.88
Charisma
During the pandemic, I also started a nonprofit. I have undiagnosed ADHD and can’t sit still, so it felt natural to dive into something new. I learned a lot from my uncle, who ran a successful nonprofit. He passed away last year, but his work was inspiring and a big reason I wanted to start my own.

33:41.93
Charisma
Now, my life consists of consulting for fewer clients but at a higher rate, allowing me to focus on projects I love. I also support my husband with his real estate business, which specializes in luxury and vacation rentals but also serves first-time homebuyers and other markets.

I’m in the process of launching my second nonprofit, which I hope will be fully operational by spring.

34:05.94
Charisma
Of course, there’s the podcast. While we’re not always consistent due to everything else we’re juggling, we always return to it because it’s such a meaningful platform.

34:51.69
Charisma
Through the podcast, I’ve learned so much that helps me serve my clients better. While it’s designed to help creatives and entrepreneurs, it’s also been invaluable for my personal growth as a business owner.

35:05.27
Angelica
It’s been great for building connections. I feel like I’ve become friends with people you’ve had on the podcast. If I’m ever in their city, we meet up, support each other’s businesses, and stay in touch.

35:17.25
Angelica
We’ve also built a supportive community of listeners. While they may be quiet on social media, they show up in the ratings, comments, and reviews—whether on Apple Podcasts back in the iTunes days or now on Spotify.

35:30.02
Charisma
Yes, they also supported me when I first launched my business.

35:34.67
Angelica
Studio 404 had such amazing support! People were buying cards and prints, and some weren’t even local.

35:39.07
Charisma
Exactly. I’d think, “Who are these people, and how did they find me?” Then I realized they were podcast listeners, many from places I’d never reach otherwise.

35:45.90
Angelica
Yes, countries I never expected, like the Netherlands. It was exciting to see that kind of organic reach.

35:50.10
Angelica
We’re really looking forward to coming back to podcasting more consistently. I love it as a medium and enjoy the connections it fosters.

36:02.65
Angelica
I listen to podcasts. I did take a short break in 2020. We were still making podcasts, but I wasn’t listening as much because there was a lot going on. I think we, as a society, weren’t at our best.

36:13.31
Angelica
We weren’t doing great as a whole.

36:17.47
Angelica
Honestly, it was a rough time, and we’d probably prefer to scrub the records.

36:21.64
Charisma
It really was.

36:23.35
Angelica
Society was weird. People were doing strange things. I took a little break from listening, but I’m back now. There’s some great content and podcasts out there. We still have people asking to be on our podcast.

36:34.19
Angelica
We see you. We hear you. We’re going through those emails.

36:37.09
Charisma
We absolutely want you to be on the podcast.

36:37.35
Angelica
We’re reaching out to people for sure.

36:38.80
Charisma
Yes.

36:40.34
Angelica
This year, we’re going to try our best to get back into podcasting on a more regular basis. We’ve rebranded—the orange and yellow are gone. We’re also preparing to launch a new website, which is very exciting.

36:57.60
Angelica
We’re exploring options for updating everything. Like I said, WordPress might not exist by the end of the year—at least according to Matt Mullenweg. If you don’t want to be stressed, don’t Google it. If you’re curious and okay with stress, feel free to look it up.

37:10.93
Angelica
We’ve updated the branding. If you logged in and wondered, “Is this the same podcast?” Yes, it is. Are we still friends? Absolutely. We talk all the time; we just haven’t been talking to you all as much.

37:18.11
Charisma
Our friendship has been solid through all of this. Even in the last year, when we barely posted, our bond remained strong.

37:18.90
Angelica
Sorry for the silence.

37:29.83
Charisma
But our friendship has never been an issue.

37:30.27
Angelica
Your birthday gift—my phone is sitting on one of her birthday gifts. It’s been on my desk forever.

37:35.43
Charisma
Let me explain how much Angelica means to me. It’s like the Oprah and Gayle meme. First, that’s the baseline. Second, because of my undiagnosed ADHD, I sometimes forget people exist—not in a bad way!

37:49.90
Charisma
I love my friends, but I have a lot of them, and my brain doesn’t always keep up.

37:51.77
Angelica
Yeah.

37:52.09
Charisma
On my phone, I’ve pinned my most important conversations at the top. On iPhones, you can pin people so their messages are always visible.

37:58.71
Angelica
Yes, you can star people.

38:00.75
Charisma
I’ve pinned John, Margot, Angelica, Krista, and Ben. This way, I’m reminded to check in with them. If you email me, I’m on it immediately.

38:21.15
Charisma
However, I’m not as great with texts. Because I prioritize email communication with so many people, I zero out my inbox multiple times a week. But that means I may not keep up with casual text messages as well.

38:47.78
Angelica
I can just picture our long-time listeners hearing this and thinking, “You’ve said you have undiagnosed ADHD before, girl. We know!”

38:55.28
Charisma
Exactly. They’re probably saying, “We are well aware.”

38:57.72
Angelica
Right. “We’ve noticed. You didn’t need to tell us.”

39:01.55
Charisma
The funny thing is, I only started to realize it because so many friends kept telling me. I remember you sitting me down to explain how your brain works.

39:09.26
Angelica
I was like, “Friend, let me tell you something.”

39:12.11
Charisma
And I thought, “No way your brain works like that. That’s wild.”

39:15.07
Angelica
You were like, “Wait, you just get up and do things?” And I said, “Yes.” My husband is very neurodivergent—he has both ADHD and ODD.

39:20.74
Charisma
Yeah.

39:23.85
Charisma
And I remember telling you, “But all our friends do this, Angelica.” And you replied, “Yes, because genuinely, all of you are neurodivergent.”

39:29.36
Angelica
Exactly.

39:33.58
Charisma
I was the only person who wasn’t, which is why I could see it so clearly. Now that I look back, it all makes sense.

39:44.94
Angelica
In the last two years, it feels like everyone’s diagnoses have been rolling in.

39:49.01
Charisma
Yes, and looking back, I can see it now.

39:54.32
Angelica
To those listening and thinking, “Oh, she’s caught up with us!”— yes, I have.

39:59.86
Charisma
Finally.

40:00.22
Angelica
I just thought, how funny would it be to be a listener who had probably thought that about you for a long time? Then you say it, and they’re like, “Yeah, girl. We knew.”

40:06.90
Charisma
They’re like, “She’s finally figured it out.”

40:11.51
Angelica
Yeah, I only mentioned that because Nicole Byer has her podcast with Sasheer Zamata, and they’re on a break. People keep commenting that they aren’t friends anymore.

40:20.49
Angelica
I swear, parasocial relationships are kicking our butts. We need to leave it behind.

40:21.30
Charisma
Aw, it’s so gross now. Why are people like this?

40:28.39
Angelica
It’s 2025. Let’s leave it behind. You are not friends with people on the internet you do not know. If you don’t know them, you don’t know them. It’s nice to feel good about following them and being part of a community, but genuinely, social media is for lying.

40:43.24
Angelica
I hate to break it to you, as someone who gets paid to help companies with this.

40:44.52
Charisma
Yeah, yeah.

40:49.29
Angelica
Social media is for lying. It’s not for being honest, authentic, or raw. It’s nice when people are, but sometimes it’s to their detriment. Social media is designed for curated presentations of life, not reality.

41:04.70
Angelica
Now that TikTok might be gone, I just want us to accept that reality.

41:12.13
Charisma
Yeah, and I’d say I’m not good at lying—probably because of the neurodivergence. That’s literally why, when I’m having a bad time, you’ll notice I’m not on the internet.

41:21.76
Angelica
Exactly.

41:23.60
Charisma
I’d just come online every day and be like, “Everything sucks. I hate everyone. I’m spiraling.”

41:29.52
Angelica
If you had been online last year when things were rough, it would’ve been too real.

41:30.55
Charisma
Yeah, people wouldn’t have liked that.

41:35.20
Angelica
They’d have unfollowed.

41:37.00
Charisma
It’s because I can’t fake it. When people ask, “How are you doing?” I’ll just say, “Very bad.” I love sharing on social media, but for me, it’s about being okay. If I’m not posting, it’s because I’m not okay.

41:54.91
Charisma
And that’s fine because I have friends and people in real life taking care of me. Sometimes, I need to focus on that.

42:00.79
Angelica
Right.

42:02.79
Charisma
People take breaks for all sorts of reasons. Most podcasters have other jobs. Nicole and Sasheer, for example, are both actors. For us, we have our businesses. People need time to breathe and let things grow into what they’re meant to be.

42:27.28
Charisma
If we had more time in our day, we’d never take a break from the podcast. But we have to prioritize what earns us income, and the podcast isn’t that for us right now.

42:40.80
Angelica
We live in a capitalist society.

42:43.49
Charisma
Yeah.

42:43.64
Angelica
I’d love to live off the grid, homesteading with my animals, a tinfoil hat, and a commune of friends.

42:46.67
Charisma
Right.

42:59.07
Angelica
All my friends would love to do that—move to Montana, live on land, and escape capitalism.

43:06.39
Charisma
I’d be the one with a YouTube channel, but just for fun.

43:10.28
Angelica
We’d all laugh when you pulled out the camera, but we’d support you.

43:25.62
Angelica
Life is so much more expensive now. Being a parent, having a middle schooler next year—it all adds up. Plus, we like traveling and nice things.

43:54.97
Angelica
Last year, we both experienced profound grief, family struggles, and other challenges. Sometimes life demands you step back from social media.

44:10.90
Angelica
This year, I’m committed to being more consistent here, as long as it works for us.

44:38.74
Angelica
We’ve been brainstorming topics and planning Patreon content. For those who joined our Patreon briefly, it’s coming back with premium content soon. Stay subscribed and keep an eye on the space.

44:48.18
Charisma
I’ll be on Instagram for now.

44:49.48
Angelica
Yeah.

44:51.12
Charisma
We’re just days away from the TikTok ban, it seems. I’ve enjoyed TikTok, and if it’s still around, you can find me there.

45:01.43
Charisma
If and when they ban TikTok, I’ll mostly be on Instagram.

45:04.89
Angelica
Yeah. Rest in peace. We liked you. If it doesn’t go away, well, that’s fine too. Actually, I wouldn’t say I liked it personally—I don’t have TikTok—but I like it for my friends.

45:13.90
Charisma
That’s a great line.

45:14.71
Angelica
My friends have TikTok, and they love it.

45:15.10
Charisma
And we send you TikToks.

45:18.37
Angelica
And I watch them. I open TikTok in my browser and erase parts of the URL to make it work because I’m a dedicated friend.

45:23.98
Charisma
Yeah.

45:26.07
Angelica
But I’m not installing the app on my phone.

45:27.76
Charisma
Very fair. Anyway, we have so much coming up.

45:30.31
Angelica
Rest in peace, TikTok.

45:33.52
Charisma
We have a lot of people scheduled and openings for more. If there’s someone in particular you’d love to hear from, let us know.

45:39.49
Angelica
And possibly live events later this year.

45:40.08
Charisma
Yes, live events! We’re also planning episodes on topics ranging from business acquisitions to rebuilding your business, social media tools, and wellness.

45:53.85
Charisma
For example, we’ll have someone talk about regulating your nervous system while working. If you have a topic you want us to cover or someone specific you’d like us to interview, let us know!

46:04.82
Angelica
Yes, please do.

46:06.05
Charisma
Even if you’re not sure who, but you have an idea, just tell us what you’re looking for.

46:10.65
Angelica
Exactly.

46:11.34
Charisma
Let us know what you want, and we’ll make it happen.

46:13.94
Angelica
For sure. Earlier, I went on a rant about education, and I think it’s a conversation we need to have—especially about how it impacts entrepreneurs and businesses.

46:21.59
Charisma
Yes, absolutely.

46:35.62
Angelica
There seems to be a learning gap with younger employees. I’ve experienced it firsthand, and friends of mine who are managers, C-suite executives, or VPs in both the private and public sectors are noticing it too. We need to figure out what’s happening in schools—middle school, high school, and college—and how to address this as business owners and parents.

47:15.26
Angelica
I listen to parenting podcasts, but entrepreneurs aren’t discussing how this impacts businesses. It’s a real concern. Whether you’ve been to a restaurant, Disney, or even an airport, you can tell there’s a gap.

47:30.81
Angelica
I want to figure out what’s missing, what’s failing, and what needs to be done.

47:48.97
Charisma
If you’re starting a business this year or making big changes, let us know! We love supporting and sharing the businesses our listeners own.

48:11.98
Charisma
Whether you’re adding services or launching new products, please reach out. You can email us, DM us—whatever’s easiest. We love hearing about your projects!

48:20.87
Angelica
For sure. And as always, please rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts.

48:40.35
Angelica
We really appreciate those who continue to support us, even though last year was chaotic. To those who listened to our three episodes in 2024—thank you!

48:50.78
Angelica
Hundreds, even thousands of you tuned in, and that’s wild. We appreciate you sticking with us.

49:02.85
Angelica
We promise there’s more to come.

49:06.30
Charisma
And if you’re nosy, feel free to ask me questions—I’m an open book.

49:11.56
Angelica
DM us! We’ll respond.

49:20.39
Charisma
I even pitched having an episode with my therapist, but Angelica shut that down.

49:23.36
Angelica
Nope. That’s too much.

49:27.22
Charisma
Boundaries are good.

49:31.68
Angelica
Yes, boundaries are important.

49:43.55
Charisma
All right, friends. Episodes now come out on Mondays instead of Thursdays.

49:55.40
Angelica
So check for us on Mondays going forward. Thank you for listening and for your continued support.

50:16.53
Charisma
Have a great week!

50:16.88
Angelica
Toodles.