#31: Creating A Business That Combines Your Professional Skills With Creative Passion (With Karen Gross)
Episode Shownotes
Your passions are a unique value only you can offer to the world.
No matter how ‘different’ your career and personal life may seem, todays guest shows us just how powerful using your holistic skillset and passions are in standout from the crowd.
I had the privilege of speaking with Karen Gross in this episode. She’s the founder of She Rocked It, a media and mentorship platform for corageous women.
Karen shared her inspiring story of how she was able to combine her passions in music and writing to create a successful career in the community building space helping so many others achieve their dreams.
We discuss the importance of community and networking and how it played a crucial role in her journey. Karen also emphasised how investing herself by joining mastermind programs and hiring coaches who helped her propel her growth, in fact, a mastermind program is how we initially met back in 2020!
I am really excited to share Karen’s story, especially as inspiration for those who are ready to take the leap into creative careers, but are looking for a community of like-minded people who can support you on your journey. We’ve got you!
"You can create a passion-filled career that aligns with your creativity."
The community Karen has built is motivation to anyone wanting to pursue a career that’s out-of-the-ordinary. The job you want might not even exist yet—but she proves that isn’t a reason to stop pursuing your dreams.
Karen Gross is a woman who wears many hats. She is a writer, performer, copywriter, and founder of She Rocked It, a media and mentorship platform for creative and courageous women. In this episode of Free Wild Souls, Karen shares her inspiring story of how she combined her passions in music and writing to create a successful career.
I’ve included my two key takeaways from our podcast episode together below—
The Significance of Combining Your Passions
Karen's career journey is a testament to the significance of combining your passions to create a unique and valuable skillset. In the podcast, Karen shares how she was able to marry her writing and performing experience to set her apart in her industry. It's not always easy to bring in that extra side of you, but it can often bring so much more value to your business and clients.
Investing in Yourself
Another key takeaway from Karen's conversation with Emily is the significance of investing in yourself. Karen stressed the importance of joining mastermind programs and hiring coaches who can hold you accountable and help you grow. It's essential to have a community of like-minded people who can support you on your journey.
Karen’s business, She Rocked It—
She also talked about She Rocked It, a media and mentorship platform aimed at creative and courageous women. She shared about the mentorship program, the Rocket Launcher, which provides an actionable program to help women transform their creativity into their career. It serves as a reminder to women that they can create a passion-filled career that aligns with their creativity, and that the right support is out there, specifically for them.
Karen Gross is a shining example of how combining your passions can lead to success. Her journey is a reminder that investing in yourself and your passions can lead to a fulfilling career. She Rocked It provides a community for women to explore their creativity and transform their passions into a career.
Karen Gross
✨ Follow Karen on social media at https://www.instagram.com/communicationthatsings/
💜 Learn more about him at https://communicationthatsings.com/
🌞 Let’s continue the conversation https://www.instagram.com/emilypeilan/
✨ If your business needs more website traffic and dream clients to create the freedom you want - download our free Website & SEO checklists here: https://www.arohavisuals.com/resources
Episode Transcript
Emily Peilan: Hello, hello friend and welcome back to another episode. Today's guest is Karen. And Karen and I go back to 2020. We were in the same mastermind together and we touched a little bit on this in the episode. And she is just such an inspiring woman who. Really just I, what I love most about Karen is her way to express herself so authentically and so powerfully, and she just has this way of inspiring other women to do the same.
And so we're excited to dive deeper into her story. She comes from a performance and writing back. Transitioned into being a full-time entrepreneur. She is the founder of She Rocked It. And we talk about, the importance of community and growth. We talk about fears, upper limits challenges of growing pains, and also.
Balancing or just juggling different passions. And for her it was writing versus performance versus, she rocked it and just how to combine all of this together. And I think she's done a really wonderful job. Of doing that. We also touch on just the importance of investing in yourself in masterminds, for example, in coaches that hold you accountable and propel your growth.
So I'm excited to dive into this episode. Enjoy it and I will see you on the other side.
We met and a Mastermind 2020, and. And back then, I think you were mostly in your copywriting, but at the same time you were a performer and I remember you having this dilemma of like, how can you combine both and fast forward what, to almost three years now, you have shifted so much and grown so much and it's it's incredible and you've been able to pair up your passion.
As a performer, as well as your profession as a copywriter. And I'd love for you to just share a little bit about your experience in like combining the two. Yeah. What was that process like for you?
Karen Gross: Wow. Well, thank you so much again for having me and inviting me to dive into this rich conversation about creative living and living in a free and inspired way.
Emily, it's, I'm so inspired by your journey and you know that we've talked about that offline for a while. So for me, I've always done both. I've always been a writer and been a singer, a performer, like literally ever since I was little and. After I graduated from college in 2001, I was literally like working in a newspaper, actually two newspapers at first during the day.
And then at night I would be singing in clubs and going to shows and exploring the scene in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia area where I was living at that time, and where I'm back to living actually. And so I always had this kind of dual trajectory. Was doing, have been doing both professionally, since then.
Long time, 20 years now. And realized actually very relatively late in the game, I think that they didn't have to be in their own separate kind of buckets, like their own silos, that it was like a lightning bolt. It seems obvious now to me in a way, but it's all communication. Yeah. It's whether I'm connect, right?
Whether I'm connecting as a writer or helping another person. Like I, I'm a speech writer, a copywriter, as you mentioned. I've written. For some really wonderful, powerful leaders as well as doing my own writing as a journalist. But however I'm doing that, or whether I'm singing it onstage, doing cabaret or original music, like it's connecting with an audience Really.
. At heart, right? Yeah. And I think connecting vulnerably with an audience, connecting in a way that's really real. Yeah, really honest. Really candid. I say candid, compelling, and clear. Which again, seems like an obvious mandate, but I find so often that people are not, Daring to be as vulnerable as they could be.
. or as clear as they could be. They, there's a lot of excess around things because to strip down is scary. It is. You know.
Emily Peilan: It is. But then why why did you feel like they had to be separate?
Karen Gross: Well, it's almost like I was this lowest lane character where I'd have the glasses on during the day and be my ser serious, writerly self during the day, and then I would be glamorous and sexy at.
At night doing cabaret in this. But I think also part of the journey for me was realizing that all of it is me. I can actually bring my sexy ass self to my writing , and I'm still learning that 43 years old. .
Like you have to be taken seriously in certain environments. And there's also fair truth be told, been sexism that I've dealt with especially in music. You're supposed to be sexy, you're supposed to be attractive on stage and so forth, but don't, you know, but it's also, there's been a tension or a me too type of shit, that's come at me over the years.
So it, it's been really, it's been really hard. And that's the honest story is like part of the reason that I think veered a little more toward. Communications and writing in my career was, I felt like I was often taken more seriously from my mind for my right, for my allergens, for the things right, and not being judged by my looks, not being judged at, you know, for things that felt very superficial to me and very uncomfortable to me.
I mean, I've always been a really hard worker. I was. One of the top students of my college, you know, I just being real, like I'm a nerd, I'm a proud nerd, and you know, didn't like being objectified in that industry. And I think that, I hope, and I've heard, and actually this is really interesting, she rocked it, which we'll talk about, is hosting a conversation in a few weeks about women in the music industry.
And I'm so eager to hear from women who are really in the thick of the industry about their experiences too, because so that's a lot to. To sh, share right off the gate. But I would say that it's been a really interesting balance between the kind of communications career and the singing career.
But I have to do both. I know that I have to do both, and I also know that they inform each other. . , because whether I'm writing or singing I'm pulling from my experiences in both realms, professional experiences in both realms. And even when I'm working, let's say, with a leader, , I'm guiding them to communicate in ways that are informed by my own performing experience.
Telling them even just in their body language, even in the way that they are looking into the camera. . So, yeah. That's interesting. It's been great to blend all of the background that I have.
Emily Peilan: Definitely. And also the beautiful thing as well. It's like, Just as a copywriter alone, if you were to completely take out that performing side, you would just be a copywriter and bringing that in, it makes you so much more unique, so much more valuable.
The skillsets, it's different and you're able to contribute so much more to your clients as well. And so like a lot of people who are afraid to bring in that extra side of them it's like, what if you were to would actually would more people. Be would that be more valuable to your clients because of you bringing that in?
Right. Because a lot of us think, I think
Karen Gross: that's right.
Emily Peilan: Yeah. Yeah. Cuz a lot of us shy away. And for me for a long time I had a travel blog and a photography on the side and I was so shy to bring that into my web design because I thought people wouldn't take me seriously if they thought I was traveling all the time.
Like I was a digital nomad. And so I just, I wanted to keep it very. Separate and very professional. But the funny thing is the more I kind. Integrated my love for travel, my adventure the digital nomad side and the photography. I got more and more people, clients who wanted to work with me because they really loved that lifestyle and infusing this idea infusing their websites with travel and launching it in one place, oring this idea in one place, building in another country, and then launching it in another country.
And so it's been this wonderful yeah, just wonderful way of marrying both and realizing that when you do that, sometimes it can bring so much more value to your business as well.
Karen Gross: Yeah, it's, that's so interesting. And I don't know why we do that to ourselves. Like why we can't invite that passion that we have into our.
Holistic self as a businesswoman or as a, as an entrepreneur. Bringing that in, like you said, and that, that was la later in the game for me where I was like, yes, this is holy. Who I am is, I'm a cabaret, SHS , and I can write a badass speech for you. And that's why I came up with a tagline, communication that sings because it was my way of embracing all of it.
And like you said, all of a sudden clients were like, wait a. This person is, Karen is bringing something totally different to the table. And shockingly also, as you mentioned I was shocked to see how few speech writers in particular had performing experience, but really doing a speech, delivering a speech is a performance.
But a lot of folks are purely writers, let's say a pen to paper. But because I bring in both the writing experience and the performing experience, you're right, it does set me apart and I hope that I can. Bring also a sense of fun, like, I think your travel experiences represent your sense of fun and play and adventure and yeah.
That's part of working with you. I mean, you bring a breath of fresh air. I know that personally thank to, to the experience. Thank you. And
Emily Peilan: people, it just makes you more memorable as well, cuz you have these, like this random pairing people like, oh, that person who does this and this, you know, so, yes.
Yeah. So for people who are scared to marry their two passions together, try it out. See where it is.
Karen Gross: Yes, yes. I really think that's so much about what defines you, Emily, when I think of you, I think of the way you live your life just as much as your talent for. Design and web creation and branding. I, the fact that you're a digital nomad for me is like part of the holistic image in my mind of what makes you such a standout creative,
Emily Peilan: oh, so fun.
Thank you. So good. And so you've got communication that sings. So you've married the two, like coffee writing and performance, and then also recently, or not recently now, but you launched, she rocked it. So where did this idea come from? What's the story behind She rocked it For people who don't.
Karen Gross: Sure. And you saw it happen in real time. Amazingly we'll get to that, I'm sure. So yes, I, as we talked about mu music, singing, communication, so much of that is about using the voice, whether it's through being a singer, whether it's through speaking, whether it's through writing, it's about raising your voice.
And over the years in doing that, I've had the opportunity to work closely with some amazing women leaders. I worked very closely for a number of years with the first woman to run the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school. It's one of the top veterinary schools really in the world.
Work very closely with her, among other amazing women. And I would sit in these meetings with these strong, incredible women and hear their stories. So I could support them in some writing. And I was like, gosh, wouldn't it be amazing if other women could hear what I'm hearing right now and really hear the true stories of how this woman.
Operates and got to where she did and I wish, I wish that we could almost open these doors more broadly and that was part of the seed of why I wanted to launch. She Rocked it, which is a media and mentorship platform, which I say is for creative and courageous women. I think that's a wide net, and I hope a lot of women feel that they're creative and courageous, so, Because I have a background as a writer and in media as a journalist.
I tried to bring all that together by now with, she rocked it, interviewing women so everyone can hear, you know, not just women are listening by the way. It's inspiring lots of people. And hearing stories of how trailblazing women. Reached, where they are in their lives and the stumbling blocks along the way.
And we're talk, you know, mindset and really important things that I think others should be privy to as we all walk our own paths. So, she rocked It is so it, we do a podcast. We have a lot of stuff going on Instagram. Instagram lives. We are also now doing live events, which I'm so excited about because being together is just so electrifying.
So we've had some amazing live events. We actually just recorded the first podcast ever in an athletic store location. If you know athletic, it's an amazing, sportswear brand, fricking awesome company, B corporation, and So you can check out our podcast. We also have a really great mentorship program, which is, really where the rubber meets the road.
If women wanna make a bold leap to transform their creativity into their career, we have a program called the Rocket Launcher, r o c k, hyphen it. Ooh. To help them do that. It's an intensive. Thank you it's a way for me, number one, to help open the doors to some of these conversations that I think will benefit a lot of women on their own journeys.
And number two, to actually provide an actionable program to help women do the thing in their lives that they've been aching to do. And we've had two cohorts and it's been phenomenal to see these women make bold shifts in their.
Emily Peilan: Amazing. And so for the rocket launcher, like when you say for women, is this like women who have their own businesses, women who are thinking about starting a business?
Karen Gross: That's a great question. It's actually been both. Okay. We have some women who are actually there's, I would say three women in terms of where they are in their lives. One is a woman who may be working full-time currently, who's looking to make that leap to become an entrepreneur. They're ready to launch that business.
That's been in the back of their mind. Number two is a woman who's already started on her journey of creative entrepreneurship, but maybe feels a little stuck, maybe wants to take it to that next level. So we're here to. Provide that push and those steps. And most importantly, a community of women.
Cuz I know when I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was very isolated. I didn't have a community, right? I didn't have a roadmap. So all the things I had to learn myself, , I tried to put in this program. So we have the women who's waiting to make the leap, the woman who maybe has but needs a little more motivation and guidance and support.
And number three, I would say, is a woman who doesn't necessarily want to become an entrepreneur, but just wants to create. A more passion filled job in her life. We have women who've actually shifted into other full-time, you know, full-time employment, but it's just more aligned with their creativity. I'm so proud.
There's one woman who's in our last cohort who just got the best job and she was, I know it's just, Aching to find that opportunity, but she didn't necessarily wanna be an entrepreneur, and that's cool. So, but it's a much more aligned opportunity. Yeah. Yeah.
Emily Peilan: Oh, that's so beautiful. And I totally feel you on, when you start out, it feels so lonely and there's almost like this weird pressure we put on ourselves to have to do it alone.
Yes, make it alone. Then you really made it alone. You know, it's almost like this pride, this ego of. Being independent, but to a fault. Right? And so it's often not until maybe in your second year that you start reaching out and they're like, Ooh, community is actually really beautiful. And networking is everything, and building relationships and trust and really like collaborating with, creatives and entrepreneurs.
Yeah, like when did you figure that out on your journey? When you are like, okay, I'm done doing this alone. I need a community now.
Karen Gross: Well, it's funny you asked that because I met you in a mastermind program which was primarily women entrepreneurs in that program. There were some awesome men as well that Melissa Griffin hosted in the thick of lockdown.
It was 2020. It was covid. Everything was really hard and tough, crazy. And I felt especially isolated as an entrepreneur at that time. This is you. And musical stuff had totally shut down. So we were all at home and doing that. And when I joined that mastermind program, it was the first time I had done something like that.
It was me too a, a big investment. See? Right. Exactly.
Emily Peilan: Whoa. I, I, I couldn't believe that I'd actually done something like that. I was like, who am I to be in this container of successful entre.
Karen Gross: I hear you. I hear you. And it was like, and for, for both of us, I imagine it was worth it. And we, we met and it was like, wow.
I was so entrepreneurs from around the world. I mean, I'm here in, you know, the states East coast, you're, you were, I think, in Germany, maybe at first, and then the Vs going dry Europe. I know. It's amazing. And I just fell in love with you right away and you know, it was so inspiring and invigorating to be with.
I felt like I found this other family is how I felt. I was like, oh my gosh. There's other entrepreneurs that are so heart-centered and, and also ambitious and also, yeah, just, and just. Badass and badass, I felt very safe. Totally safe to like really have some bold dreams, goals and dreams. Right?
Emily Peilan: Definitely.
And for me it was like I, because again, you are surround people, you surround yourself with, and most of the people around me weren't entrepreneurs. . . And so for me, I, I didn't realize how small I was thinking Wow. Until I was a part of this group and people were making like 25 k months in like seven figure years.
And I was like, here I am. Like, oh, that's possible. . , like all that was, was possible to see other people having achieved that. And then, and then there was like, really all I needed was this belief that it was possible.
Karen Gross: Yeah. Yeah. Just to see it, it's like that representation of it that's totally. And, and there were like, you know, all these software programs.
I remember I was like, what is, you know, I dunno. Flow desk. I mean, I had never heard of these click up. I was like, what the hell? I had never heard of any of these things. I mean, like, I'm still figuring out click up and these other things. But still, I just had no idea that all of these even programs were out there to help entrepreneurs do things more effectively.
I would, I've been so old school in certain ways, I'm still proudly old school, but There's just ways that entrepreneurs are thinking about their businesses that can help them also not work around the clock, live a aligned lives. You know, like you said, all of that was just great to see.
Emily Peilan: Yeah. So good.
That was like such a beautiful, beautiful community and I love that you are fostering that within your. You know, she rocked it as well in creating that community because even, even if you can't say don't have the budget for a mastermind or a container like that, you can listen to podcasts. And for me, one of the earliest things I did was listen to podcast episodes from people who I admired, and their stories kind of started to, you know, rip ripple down into your beliefs in what's possible for you.
So stories are everything as.
Karen Gross: I love hearing that. I mean that, I'm so glad because that's exactly what we're trying to do with our podcast. Just by hearing from these women and having one place you can go, it's like, this is the channel that I didn't have to tune into growing up like I wish I had. She rocked it.
I could turn on that channel and be like, oh my gosh, this is where I can get inspired by other women who are just following their passion and doing it with their whole. and achieving really inspiring things. So I'm trying to create now this almost like media ecosystem that I wanna swim around in. Yeah.
That I wanna turn on. There's so much negativity, there's so much. Now that's like, you know, oppressive and, and challenging. So let's create an environment where women feel empowered, where they see the stuff that, you know, you may not get on the news, like you're gonna hear from these women. And you know that there's really inspiring stuff happening, that there's women all around us who are doing incredible things that we need to hear more of.
Emily Peilan: Definitely. And like in your, just in your kind of journey of growth, what were some of, like, what was one of the hardest challenges that you felt? You had to overcome? Like what was that thing for you?
Karen Gross: Well, I was definitely, I'm, I'll admit it. I'm a perfectionist. . I have a hard time letting go of things.
I was nervous about hiring people to support. She rocked it. I knew that I needed help with this. This was not something that I. I can and could do possibly on my own. And so putting out the call for help was definitely a big deal. And, and investing in help. I mean, this is all being funded through my business, you know.
We're working towards having more support and I'm very excited about that part of 2023 coming up. For the time being, it's been fully, you know, me and investing in help was incredibly like, oh my God, how am I gonna, how am I gonna do all this? How am I gonna let go of the control and invest? And what happened was through, you know, we talked about mindset through frankly just faith and through interviewings of people was I found like these dream collaborators, I found these collaborators that I was like, right.
Like, oh my gosh, this videographer totally gets it. He. Exactly. The person and our producer, Tori Marsh, is like invaluable partner in this journey, and it's just been really magical to find aligned collaborators who also feel like family, honestly. . . ,
Emily Peilan: yeah. Who are aligned with that vision. And you're just .
Yeah. Working towards that together. Definitely finding people who are aligned with that vision. It's incredibly hard and rare I think as well. And then also to give up, perhaps control over some of the things. . that you, you know, we are often so emotionally attached to our brands and .
recovering perfectionists myself. It's like being okay with work. Just being done doesn't have to be perfect, but it's done, it's shipped, it's. That's something I've had to learn as well.
Karen Gross: Me too. Can we help each other through that? Cause as a copy editor, I'm like, is every tea cro? Like, oh my god. So, so yes.
It's like, done is better than perfect, but I'm still learning that too, so we can, let's try to help each .
Emily Peilan: For me, it's like this image, like one pixel to the left , like this fun has to be. Perfectly align. It can't be one word in the next line.
Karen Gross: I . That's a whole conversation though, because it's almost like those details do really matter.
Like that's why you're such an amazing artist and cre because like it's like, ah, but at the same time, you know, we don't wanna, but then you have to think about it crazy.
Emily Peilan: Depending on what size screen people are looking at, it's always going to shift since Oh right. It can never be perfect. No matter. No matter what.
It's just like, you know, you can say anything you post online. Somebody can criticize it, somebody can find a fault with it. You have the most beautiful design on a different screen. There might be like one extra word on the next line, and you just, you just can't do anything about it.
Karen Gross: That's a lesson right there.
It's like, listen, the screens are gonna mess with us, so we might as well just let it go and out there and whatever. We'll be, we'll be .
Emily Peilan: Exactly. Exactly. Another thing I wanted to touch on as well is just like this, this transition from being a freelancer to now. Kind of like fully embodying this, this role of being an entrepreneur, being a c e O, like what was that process for you like?
Because I think in between the two, there's like this phase of imposter syndrome. It's kinda like, who am I to be this? And yeah. What, what were some of the mindset shifts that had to happen for you?
Karen Gross: . It's a great question. I, I don't like the word freelancer. I'll be honest with you. And I've, I've talked to some, Entrepreneurs about this.
Like I'm also, maybe because a fan, not a fan,
Emily Peilan: I'm not a fan, but right in the beginnings years, I always, I call myself a freelancer. And then at some point, even now, sometimes I tell people what I do. They're like, oh, so you freelance? And I'm like, not the word I would use, but . ish. And I'm like, why do I not like that word?
And
Karen Gross: I can. Maybe cuz the word free, isn't it? I mean, actually free has two. Good. Free is you're free. Like you're free Yes. To do what you're wanna do. But also like, I feel like freelancers are underpaid, like free. Like they expect, like it's almost like you are like
Emily Peilan: a Yeah. Backpacking freelancer or something.
Yeah. You know, like, yeah. Yeah. No, not taking as seriously as like a profession.
Karen Gross: Exactly. Exactly. I feel. Yeah. So there's a good thing of like, you're independent and you can make your own way. But I, I think that, to be honest with you, I think the only time I really called myself freelancer was earlier in my career, like in my twenties, like maybe when I was first writing some articles here and there for, for magazines and stuff, and I was a freelance writer, right?
And it felt kind of cool at that time, like I was freelancing for magazines, but when I really. left full-time work, which was 2013. That was the end of my last like full-time job. . and when I launched my business. I actually started my L L C right away, and I don't know if Lll c, they have that abroad, but that's like your, your business entity.
Entity basically, right. So it's like, it's not, there's an ink like i n c, that's one kind of entity. And then there's, in the US there's different kind kinds. Oh my god, I'm getting into, above my , but my head and somebody things. But LLC is kind of like incorporated. , it's like has a whole different set of Quick question.
Thanks.
Emily Peilan: Quick question. What if you were a sole trader or like, you know, a freelancer? Is that . , would you still be incorporated as an LLC or is there like,
Karen Gross: so there's something called a sole proprietor we have here and that's, I would say this is, see this is a great question. This is where you become a C E O and get an expert to help you
So what I did, right? So I hired a lawyer. Yeah. This is when you become from freelancer to CEO o you. Hi. I hired a lawyer who set up my L L c, an accountant, a bookkeeper, to set up my shit because there, there's a first. So I wasn't such a control freak that I couldn't let go and admit what I don't know. I think the first thing is admitting where you need help.
And very early on I did make sure I had experts help me properly set up my business and make sure all the business structure was in place. Even like, I don't know if you've heard of QuickBooks, but Yeah. I use right QuickBooks to like set. The, the, the income and the expenses of my business. So I can always keep track of that in a really responsible way.
So I think you become a c e O when you take your business seriously. I mean, I know people who've been independent for a long time that don't even have. A good way of tracking their income and their expenses. And I was like that like a long time ago, but I would put receipts in shoe boxes and things like this.
I think you become, you know, when you take ownership of that, and that's not to say it's like easy and fun all the time, but just getting your structure in place I think is really helpful. Having some. People to hold you accountable, like an accountant and a bookkeeper. If you don't like doing it, have someone that can help you.
I have a bookkeeper every month who like just reconciles my money stuff and makes sure everything's looking okay. So I think that as a creative person, There's a perception that we are like, kind of flighty and, yeah, da da da da. But like, I think you, you also have to take that stuff seriously and you have to take ownership.
That, that's part of what's gonna make you successful is really owning your business, owning the business structure, owning some of the financial stuff. And it takes a while, don't I, I wanna say to people listening, who are future creative entrepreneurs, give yourself grace. because all that takes time.
Takes time to find the right people to partner with. I found some amazing women actually to partner with on the money stuff. I have a woman lawyer who's amazing, like, so just keep looking, keep looking for those people. They're out there.
Emily Peilan: Yeah, definitely. I, and also this, I like when you have structure and those structures in place, you then actually have more freedom to do the things that you are naturally good at.
Karen Gross: And more mental freedom too, I think. Yeah. Mental because you're not like, oh my God, where's that? Well,
Emily Peilan: like, oh my goodness. Taxes are coming up and I haven't done anything or something, you know,
Karen Gross: and I didn't keep track of anything and people were paying me and I don't know where that is. Like, oh my God.
So, yeah. Crazy. Yeah.
Emily Peilan: So, Okay, so next year, 2023 we're rounding. Well, actually when this podcast goes live, it will be 2023 already, but when,
Karen Gross: wow. Happy New Year then. Yes. .
Emily Peilan: So exciting. What is something that you are letting go of as we come into the new year and what is something that you are looking to step more into?
Karen Gross: Well, I have to give a shout out to the website that we just built together. Everyone, this woman, Emily a Roja Visuals what, what just redesigned, excuse me, my website, which was karen gross.com for a long time, and we have actually by an act of fate, I would say renamed it as communication that sings.com, which.
You know, the tagline that I've just been loving for so many years that I think I'm now fully stepping into. And so this new website that we just redesigned together with Emily's beautiful branding, and she had an illustrator create these just evocative images of, of writing and singing and a whole vibe bringing Emily's wonderful worldly self into this this vision.
I'm letting go of like the kind of older. Branding and website stuff about me and really stepping into me as someone coming back on stage, whether it's coming back on stage as the host of She Rocked it, whether it's back on stage as a singer, as a speaker, doing podcasts. You know, I feel like for the past couple years, in part because of Covid, I was sort of behind the laptop a lot.
And I'm honored by the work I was able to do during that time. I'm, it was very meaningful, really meaningful work, but I'm very excited now that we're all kind of getting back out in the world to get back on stage and have that really powerful connection with audiences in that sort of forum.
Emily Peilan: Amazing.
And also, like you mentioned, you are looking at doing more in-person events and just like physically having people there, physically meeting people, that is just next level.
Karen Gross: Totally. I mean, we did the podcast forever on Zoom and it's great as you know, on Zoom. But hopefully I'll get to do this with you one day, wherever you are.
So, but because it's great and like the, yeah, we've been doing these live events, like I mentioned, we just did one in partnership with Athletic, where we have a live event and it's recorded and it becomes the podcast. So to have that and just for people to meet and to share their stories in person and the audience shares their stories.
Is so powerful. There's nothing like it.
Emily Peilan: That's beautiful. Yeah. I've actually had some, some of the people I know here, like in person and we record podcast episodes together and it's just so nice to sit across from each other to have a, you know, a cup of tea or something and to have the mic in the middle and just to have this, you know, physical conversation.
And I love Zoom as well. You know, I would always, I mean, if I could choose to have this over zoom or to be there with you in person, be there with you in person anytime.
Karen Gross: And hopefully I look forward to that. Me too, me too. Oh, so I definitely do, and I feel so grateful. I mean, I'm just so grateful we can be out again.
We have to still be thoughtful and careful, but like, it's just, I'll never take for granted. the power of live events and, and people performing and hugs, hugging people and hugs.
Emily Peilan: Love hugs. . . Yeah. Amen. Aw, this has been a beautiful, beautiful episode. And there, just thanks for asking. Aw, thank you for answering.
And I've just got one last question that I love to ask every single guest, and that is, what does living a free wild and soulful life look like or feel like for you?
Karen Gross: Oh. First of all, I love, as a writer, I love the words free, wild and soulful. I feel like that's gonna be my mantra for the, for 2023. Can I embrace that
Emily Peilan: Yes. Oh, please. I'll be on it. .
Karen Gross: I love that. Rewild and soulful. I mean, I think that number one, I, I would invite everyone to think that this can shift. Over the years for you, what that looks like in 2022 for you might look different than in 2023. And I think in 2023, what that looks like for me is really embracing all of my gifts unapologetically.
I'm not gonna apologize for showing up as my full woman. Sexy self on stage. Yes. With the sass, with the humor with candor. And not gonna hide any of that. And I think it's also about living your life so that your, your day-to-day feels good to you, feels nourishing to you. I know one thing I'm working on is incorporating more body care into my life, whether that's stretching or whether it's.
Taking a walk or taking better care of my body, I've already started to change my diet, to eat healthier, more nourishing foods. I mean, all those things for me are part of living a really in a really positive, nourishing way. It starts, I think a lot of it starts more in the body. The inside starts an inside, and I've been so much in my head, I think, as a writer, and what I've realized is that rooting in the body.
Funny enough, I'm speaking with someone later. Very much in this world about somatic therapy. But anyway, I think some of it has to do with also connecting with your, your physical body. Your physical self. So to be continued on that. But I would say embracing everything that you are and also taking really good care of yourself.
Emily Peilan: Aw, that's a beautiful, beautiful way to end this episode. Oh, thank you so much for coming on here and sharing your story with us, Karen.
Karen Gross: My pleasure, truly, my honor.
Emily Peilan: If you are interested in learning more about, she erupted, I have put the link down below. I loved this. Episode, and I love this conversation with Karen. I hope you did too. I would love to know what resonated with you the most, and if you enjoy this episode or you think someone would benefit from this conversation or just really appreciate it , I would love for you to take a screenshot and share it on your stories or to send this link to a friend, or to, or family member and just share the love, share the conversations, and we really, really appreciate any shares because we would love to get this message.
Just get this wisdom and knowledge and these beautiful stories. Inspiring conversations in front of more people. So thank you for your support. Love you all each and every one of you, and I will see you in the next episode…
