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Life By Design with Amy Owens · Real Money with Lisa Chastain

0:05
Welcome to real money with Lisa, Chastain over the next hour.
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You will hear from leading industry experts, how to
0:12
establish Financial confidence and freedom.
0:15
Her guests will motivate and inspire you to make those
0:18
financial decisions that you have been thinking about for
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weeks and maybe even years. Now here's your host Lisa
0:25
Chastain. Yeah, happy Monday.
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Day. I don't need good morning.
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Yeah, I don't know how you're listening where you're listening
0:34
is always. Thank you for being here.
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Some of you may not be Monday morning listening to this, but
0:38
we do always have a number of live listener.
0:40
So thank you for being here today on real money.
0:42
I'm your host, Lisa, Chastain, and I have my guest with me in
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the studio. Amy Owens hi.
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Hello, I'm so glad you're here me too.
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Yeah cited. Yeah, we're just going to lean
0:55
in. We did some grounding before the
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show. I am on a mission.
1:00
And speaking to those of you on the show live and then also to
1:03
my YouTube Community, I'm on a mission to tell the stories of
1:08
money really women and money and help help those.
1:13
This is my belief, a me that there's someone one person.
1:16
And if it is only one person in this show who needed to hear
1:19
from you than the show was a success.
1:21
Because there's something about your story that's different from
1:24
every other guest that I've ever had on the show.
1:26
Something about your life that is different than anybody else
1:29
on this planet. It's Poonam.
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Yeah, yeah, Poonam was on the show Poonam mother who's someone
1:34
that I really look up to do a couple weeks ago.
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And she said, there's eight billion people on the planet and
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we need you So, thank you for being here today.
1:43
Yeah, I'm grateful. Yeah.
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Okay, so let's dig in Amy. Amy Owens.
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You are an amazing designer. Thank you.
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We're what do you hear? If you're listening and you want
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to go check her out right now. What's your website Hidden Gem
1:58
Design group.com? Yeah and friggin awesome.
2:02
The amount of time and attention and care that you put into
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putting together the most beautiful Frameworks for people.
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These My words not yours. I'm sure you would call it
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something else, but designs and then to see it come to fruition.
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If you're looking for someone to help you design your life, Amy
2:18
is the gap. Thank you.
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So, Shameless plug, if the front end of the show, I know it is a
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labor of love, but you didn't like come out of the womb
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thinking you were going to be an interior designer.
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No, no. Well, I had thoughts of it may
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be a little later than that but not on that path until quite a
2:36
bit later in life. Yeah, it's out.
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So yeah, it's so cool. You're talking about that.
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For the show. So will you?
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We already gave your Shameless plug?
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I already gave the Shameless plug but will you introduce
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yourself in your own way? Yeah.
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Well how about this for my own way?
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I am Amy House of Owens, first of her kind, the designer of
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Dreams, the Builder of beauty, the maker of men, the shark of
3:02
charcuterie hostess with the mostest, the crazy keeper of
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crazy as curls and Empress of a The and winning our Warrior of
3:12
winning. I think is how it goes.
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So that is my or rekey At Your Service.
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I love it. It's kind of ridiculous.
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But I got the idea or I came to it through a book that I read.
3:24
Yeah the year and it's from Bobby Jones, it's the
3:28
professional Troublemaker, it's a great book, you should read it
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but basically it's your bad ass way to introduce yourself.
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Like you're on the Game of Thrones.
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I love that to put it another way though.
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Though. So my name is Amy Owens.
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I am the proud mom of two teenage boys and to fur babies
3:48
up to boy, puppies, bruising, Willis, and then wife to the
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love of my life and my business partner.
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Michael, and you already mentioned, the, she e0 of my own
4:03
design company in gemstone group.
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Yeah, that's a lot going on there.
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Yeah, I'm also a mama. Age.
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Boys fun, right? It is Adventure every day.
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It really is. Yeah.
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And what a privilege. We have of raising boys, and
4:20
raising women too. But being a boy, mom, is
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definitely something special and hairy and stinky and all the
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things. Yeah, I love the way that I love
4:31
that. Love you Jones.
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Professional Troublemaker or rekey is what it's called.
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This is going to be my call to action for everyone on the show
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today. Do it whirring.
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It is because it is perfectly encapsulates who you are and
4:46
knowing you so well and to see you light up, sharing it all.
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So, that's pretty cool. So follow, Levi, Jones and let's
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share our or riecke's out into the world.
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I'm going to do mine too. You should.
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I'm going to. Okay good.
5:00
Good experience. Kind of helps.
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You think about things from a different perspective?
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I want to be known for. That's right.
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What do I want to be known for put that on your grave right?
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Right. That is cool.
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So, any you're here by no accident, I have a list of women
5:17
on my Hit List, Ashley, Ashley. And I call it of women, great
5:21
women who are on their own Journeys, who are living unique,
5:25
amazing lives. And you have a really, really
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powerful story to tell. And so, I want to start the show
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out by starting with how you got to Vegas, like what was life
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like you live in Las Vegas. What was Life, like, before you
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got here and you've had a lot of Peaks and valleys.
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And so I'd love to just give a little framework about that
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before we jump into all the amazing goodness that you're
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into and learning through. We should say is a Shiro owner
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of your own company. So you grew up in the midwest
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all the details I'd like for you to share though what was life
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like so I grew up in rural Wyoming so you know, all three
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of us, no one out there. I grew up on a farm in the
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middle of We're so very humble beginnings.
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This to kind of give you a perspective.
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I went to kindergarten through 12th grade in the same building,
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honey. It's my graduating class was 28
6:23
people. 13 of which I went to class with from kindergarten
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through 12th grade in that same building, so wow.
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Yeah. Tiny very, very small which was
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fantastic. My childhood was amazing.
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I had tons of opportunity because in that kind of
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environment, Fireman it, if you don't do it, it doesn't happen.
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So, you know, if you don't play volleyball, there's not a
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volleyball team, if you don't, you know, fill in the blank.
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So, I had a very rich childhood. My parents, my dad was a farmer.
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My mom was a stay-at-home mom for the first half of my
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childhood. How many brothers and sisters do
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you have to have a younger sister younger brother?
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Okay, yeah. Just three of us and then he had
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a mom stayed at home for a while, then she got her
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cosmetology license, much. School.
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But very very humble. I would say it kind of
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salt-of-the-earth people from the money perspective.
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We definitely were very frugal. It's a lifestyle where you make
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everything work, every, you know, you're not throwing away a
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lot of things, you're reusing your Being resourceful and all
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the ways to make life happen and moving also, I am literally,
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right? It's a tough life style for
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sure. What was tough about it?
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Um, well, probably harder on my dad than anyone but the like
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physical output that you have to have to actually have a Workman
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farm. That is successful, and is
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profitable and all those things? It's a lot of early mornings.
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We were definitely. Italy.
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You know, waking up before school hours, in advance and
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ensures doing all of that stuff before getting on the bus riding
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the bus for an hour and go to school.
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And anyway, that's a kid. It seems intense, but as I look
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back now, like it was so fun and lots of experiences that other
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people will likely never get to have.
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So, was it a cattle farm? What kind of farm yet?
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So, we grow a lot of crops that we, so we grew.
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Hey, barley orn. He even did some Pinto beans and
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some flowers that catch, you kind of have to rotate cops
8:38
based on the soil. Yep.
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But we also had all the animals so we had cattle and horses and
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sheep and pigs. And lots of bum lambs, which I
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finally remember feeding five times a day all kinds of hours
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because they didn't have moms. So somebody I don't eat them so
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it was the night shift and morning shift all the things but
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yeah we had them all. That's really cool jewelry out
9:02
there so that's Really cool are your parents do on the farm?
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They are not, they actually, I think my dad kind of had a
9:10
midlife crisis. When I look back at it, now he
9:14
decided to get out of farming. I think physically new, like,
9:18
just as exhausting work and wanted to change.
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And so he retired in his early 50s and they sold everything and
9:27
then bought apartment complexes and then but duplexes and then
9:31
bought some real estate and that is what they do damage.
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Just like yeah, that work for them and they're doing just
9:38
fine. That's cool.
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And then two days later I was going to say, did they leave
9:40
Wyoming? Yeah, my sister still there, but
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my parents are in Texas and there's so many, so it's my
9:46
brother, he's in Texas to. Yeah, as a little girl, we had
9:50
another, I have actually have had a handful of clients with
9:54
that have lived in smaller towns and one Ali as she grew up in
9:58
Alaska, like a really small world and she said she had this
10:01
experience of like looking out onto the ocean.
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Ocean being like, what is more for my life?
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Did you accept life as it was and you or did you have dreams
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as a little girl of life being different?
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Like Kelly? I think of Kelly Clarkson's
10:13
songs, right? Like there's gotta be something
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more. Yeah.
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Yes and no. So I yes in that a thankfully
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had the opportunity to do some traveling, they got us involved
10:28
in a lot of stuff. So I knew that there was more
10:30
out there but I was definitely a product of my environment in
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that. You only know what, you know,
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you can only really kind of see so far out and imagine, you
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know, certain things and the career I'm in now was outside Of
10:50
that imagination. It was, I knew even at Bosch, I
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remember so I mentioned my mom going to cosmetology school.
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She had a project where they had to create their Salon because
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and demand boards and all of that.
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I'm sorry Mom. I'm calling you out but she did
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not do it. I totally did that for her and
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that was probably, I don't know. Seventh grade 6, grade,
11:14
something like that. And I mean I knew even through
11:17
high school every test I took everything just Kept saying you
11:20
should be an interior designer really.
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Oh yeah. Like aptitude tests and all of
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those things like top three every time but I'm enroll
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Wyoming luxury. It's a luxury service.
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It that is so far from the reality not that I really
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anticipated living there forever.
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But I could not imagine even living in a world where people
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were paying for that service. Mmm.
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That it would be a logical. Next step for me and I am very
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practical and that's Just and a part of my you are.
11:52
So I did not pursue that. Gotcha, the gate.
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Okay. So you learn to be resourceful
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living on the farm Farmers, the history of farmers in America
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and it would make sense with your parents over the last three
12:06
decades that they just keep small farmers.
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Just keep getting squeezed and squeezed and squeezed and
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really, it is really hard to make a living as a farmer.
12:15
Not a part of a big farming, conglomerate anymore.
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Or so I'm not surprised to hear that.
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Your father did that at what age did you realize that you were
12:23
going to leave Wyoming did kids graduate and leave the state to
12:28
go to college? Or what was your journey?
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That was my journey, although a little slower and it was not a
12:38
certain way or mean, for the first two years of college
12:40
because I had a full ride scholarship, okay?
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It just made sense and I didn't know what I wanted to do.
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So I was paid to play my trombone.
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Yeah, and so that's what I did but okay, I really didn't know
12:55
what I wanted to do. Still, I had always known that I
12:58
wanted to go to college or that it wasn't an option.
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Like that's just the path. My sister.
13:05
My brother, we all did we all? I don't remember ever having the
13:09
conversation of like it's optional.
13:10
It was just like they expected. Where did you go to college?
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Originally in Wyoming? And then, once I figured out
13:17
that was not the answer and did not Hold the key to the future.
13:21
I transferred to you and I'll be oh, okay, that's okay Vegas.
13:26
Yeah, you never leave Las Vegas, exactly. 20, plus years later, I
13:33
moved her 1998, youth the I think you told me this but you
13:37
did you come out here for a hotel?
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Which is like every kid from out of state comes to and I'll be
13:41
for hotel or percent. I worked at a hotel over the
13:43
summer in college and I was like oh yeah Hospitality.
13:46
But seems like a really good choice for me.
13:49
Now, okay, so you came out to UNLV and what was college life
13:57
like? So in 98, I was at UNLV and idea
14:00
we were there the same time. Hmm.
14:02
Yeah. I partied a lot in college.
14:04
Yeah, I do too. Yeah, so I did that.
14:08
You did that. And then what was life like,
14:10
through college, you're on your own, right?
14:12
So your parents are still, your family still in Wyoming at that
14:14
time, you came out by yourself. How did you navigate that?
14:19
Another wise, right? Um, I have always had a job.
14:23
I think I started working when I was 14 and so I got a job within
14:27
a few weeks of being here and then I wanted to be in
14:31
Hospitality. So I kept searching for
14:33
hospitality jobs and so I actually got one in at Caesars
14:37
Entertainment on August 16 1998, not surprised that, you know,
14:42
that reminds me that I was there for 16 years, which is insane.
14:49
But And yeah. So College I supported myself.
14:53
I did not have scholarships at this point for school, so I was
14:58
paying for school for myself. I definitely come from the world
15:04
of, if I don't do it, it doesn't get done or so it's always had a
15:08
pretty good work. Ethic has figured it out nacho.
15:10
It's tough work for me. Gotcha.
15:13
And so you're working at Caesars for 16 years.
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So, through your 20s into your 30s, you're at Caesars.
15:19
And And you got married somewhere along the way.
15:22
I met my now ex-husband in college, we were in accounting
15:27
class together, they aren't. And so we got married the year
15:32
after we graduated to graduating to sales and I hate that.
15:35
I'm putting all these Kate's out here 3000 and I graduate 2000.
15:39
Got married in 2001. Okay, so cool.
15:42
Yeah, and what was I like as a newlywed?
15:45
Um, you know, it was a bit of a challenge for us.
15:49
Yes, it was there's a lot of you mentioned Peaks and valleys we
15:54
definitely had that. My ex-husband wanted was a great
15:57
guy but troubled by addiction and alcohol and some so that
16:02
definitely liked our marriage. A lot and it's really a
16:07
challenge through the first decade plus of our marriage.
16:13
We ultimately were very freaking years.
16:17
So, struggle now none we ended. You know, we kind of had a lot
16:23
of We had financial difficulty as do.
16:31
I mean II ex-husband? Also, like, it was hard to hold
16:34
on the money. That's a common experience with
16:36
people who are in addiction and in Vegas.
16:39
It's a common experience in general.
16:40
I would say yeah. Okay.
16:44
It was, you know, I thought it was the lifestyle.
16:47
We are college kids, when we met and so I thought, oh, it's just
16:50
college, and we just haven't gotten out of that demographic.
16:52
And we're still having fun, good time.
16:54
And we didn't have kids yet, but it just never were really
16:59
changed. Yeah, so it was a lot of
17:05
Fighting and you know just struggling to that process of he
17:09
was able to keep a job someone for a long time but eventually
17:15
that no longer was an option either or didn't.
17:20
So, next one. Yeah, I chose not to to work so.
17:24
So you're working at Caesars. Yeah, he's not working.
17:27
Yes, you have two boys school. So at this point by then we had
17:34
Both boys. They're probably what.
17:36
I don't know. And let's and whether my kids
17:39
are only 18 months apart. So their clothes and you know,
17:44
is what kind of run out and he ended up losing his job and just
17:48
made a choice, really, not to go back or that's how it feels on
17:54
my end. Yeah, he did not actually, I
17:58
guess they were not 10 and 12. They were more like 56 lot
18:01
younger. Yeah, they were younger.
18:05
And so that put all that weight on my shoulders of now the whole
18:09
household we had actually so try to think it chronologically we
18:16
had decided to keep our first house when we got our second
18:19
house and we were the intention was to rent it out and yeah I
18:24
have that brings passive income from his which did not end up
18:28
working out for us in 2008 with all that disaster.
18:33
We Ended up losing the house. And so I had been trying to pay
18:38
that pay our studs like there's just a lot of things and only my
18:42
salary and the young mom and was Intense intense is a good word.
18:50
I'll leave it at that. Yeah.
18:52
Intense. And so I don't know, you know,
18:55
we don't have to like dive in like to the to the deepest part
18:57
of this. But at what point did, you know
18:59
the marriage was over? So in the reason I ask this is
19:01
that when I'm nosy, but to our listeners, right?
19:05
There's someone, I went through that.
19:08
I got married at 25 met my husband.
19:12
When I was 22 and realized at some point that it It wasn't
19:17
going to change. And it took me years.
19:21
I really, I really, really held onto the thought that it was
19:24
going to get better. Divorce is not a thing in my
19:27
family. It wasn't a conversation.
19:30
I'd go to my parents, really upset, my mom would tell me
19:32
you'll get through it. Is that what happened?
19:36
Yep, my parents have been married for 47 years.
19:38
So, yeah, and my grandparents 80.
19:41
So, you know, like it's just been kind of a expected thing.
19:45
Although, I will say they did Around to being very supportive
19:49
and more after I shared what was really happening.
19:52
They were oblivious to it. So once they were aware, it
19:55
wasn't like, they're like, oh, you need to stay married for the
19:57
sake of marriage. I'm really okay.
19:59
We get it. Mmm.
20:01
But kind of the Tipping Point for me, I mean, that living with
20:09
an alcoholic there, so many fights and so many Extreme
20:14
circumstances because it's all elevated by alcohol.
20:17
And you know that I can't Really pinpoint it to a specific one.
20:22
But at some point I realized that I was living for him and
20:27
for us and he was not and he was never going to do was always
20:31
going to live for himself and he was getting all he wanted in the
20:35
world and was happy and it seemed like the right choice.
20:37
And I realized that if I wanted to have a life that I wanted
20:43
that I had to start living for myself.
20:45
Yeah. I as much as I wanted him to get
20:48
better, I could not will him or bake him or plead or just I
20:56
couldn't I tried I tried every way I could have possibly
20:58
imagined to get him to come along on the right and he he
21:01
wasn't going to know. It's a tough pill to swallow but
21:06
I will say once I did and realized But that feature still
21:12
could happen for me and I just had to choose it was pretty
21:17
invigorating and exciting. I'm thrilled that I made the
21:20
decision to did. Yeah.
21:22
And how long ago was that 2016 is when I decided to make that
21:28
choice? Is that in 2016, separated,
21:35
2017, early 2017. And I'm going to Boris.
21:39
Oh my God, it took forever. I felt like that actually went
21:42
through and 2018. Same Amy really likes.
21:48
Hey, yeah, that's yeah. I don't know, I wasn't focused
21:56
and let's do a little reflection on that because I know that
22:00
there's someone sooner this who's in the middle of the storm
22:03
and I know what it was like for me and I don't want to make any
22:06
assumptions of what it was like for you, but I know for me, it
22:09
was probably one of the darkest times of my life. 100% is just
22:15
Self Doubt. And I mean I have young kids at
22:20
this point they're 10 and 11 and they need their dad.
22:22
And you know am I doing the right thing and just
22:27
soul-searching constantly and like God what?
22:31
You know I'm tearing up this little happy family of four to
22:34
everybody who has ever seen us. They you know no one knows the
22:38
real stories. I'm changing their Life that,
22:43
you know, my dream of this, you know, Mom Dad to was situation
22:49
and what I expected my their life to be like my life to be.
22:53
Like, I'm just, I'm choosing to table.
22:58
Yeah. And Oh the I mean, amount of
23:02
tears and the nerves and the just it was physically demanding
23:09
like I lost a ton of hair, I had lost weight but that was I was
23:17
an addict. We going to the gym at that
23:18
point. I think it was kind of a coping
23:20
mechanism annoying has like it was time that could be away from
23:23
the house with the dedicated reason that energetically got a
23:27
lot of this like anxious energy out.
23:30
Also. It's just sort of something for
23:33
me, which I needed and, but just so many, it was dark.
23:40
It was, it was hard, mentally, emotionally, physically, all of
23:46
it. All of it really hard.
23:48
Yeah. And here's the thing.
23:50
Here you are today. Yeah, that was a big change and
23:54
a big opportunity and all the things we can reframe it into
23:59
million of million Lawson's. What did you learn about
24:01
yourself? In reflecting on your your
24:04
divorce and there's a lot more. I mean, we have a whole nother
24:07
half of a show. We're going to talk about all
24:08
the amazing stuff you're up to. And this is just one Turning
24:10
Point. Not the only turning what you
24:12
had but what did you learn about yourself?
24:17
That I can do hard things and that I figured it out and that
24:24
if it's meant to be that I won't make it happen and it was a
24:28
whole lot of neig in this situation that had not been ever
24:34
in my life before I think I have primarily been a people pleaser
24:39
my whole life. I still am I want people to like
24:41
me? Yeah, I am that person but I
24:45
realized At this point that a can't do it for everybody else
24:51
for me. So I'm kind of became selfish
24:55
say that out loud but it's not help ish.
24:58
It's not selfish. Well no, not in the traditional
25:02
way maybe but you're right. Feels for me it was a very
25:08
Awkward. It's not the right word, it was
25:10
just a complete 360 of a choice for me.
25:12
Like I had always just been like oh this is what I'm supposed to
25:14
do. This is the one moment I should
25:17
do that, a Services expectation, that societal Norm that whatever
25:20
fill the blank that's what I did.
25:22
I was definitely should upon right into space and I kind of
25:27
decided maybe that was enough so good for you.
25:30
Yeah that was a wake-up call was yeah, moving into the break.
25:34
We've got a few minutes, four minutes till break.
25:38
You were making, I don't want to say great money.
25:41
But what kind of do you mind sharing salary range?
25:43
At that time? You're making it Caesars the
25:46
answers. I was probably up in about, I
25:49
don't know. 65, okay for so, yeah, that was.
25:53
Yeah, that's about where I topped out at Caesars, which
25:56
looking back, thanks Caesars. I had been there for 16 years
26:02
I've had I don't know ten positions.
26:04
I was corporate HR manager or the like, Executive recruiter at
26:10
one point and basically because your in-house they know how much
26:13
would make and is they promote you, they're like she'll take
26:16
another thousand dollars doing this way.
26:18
Harder job. Yeah, thanks a lot, guys,
26:21
Corporate America. Yeah, but yeah.
26:24
Okay, making enough though to be a single mom.
26:28
Yeah, I did this. I was did you stay at Caesars
26:32
know? Yeah.
26:33
So what happened? So from Caesars I got an
26:37
opportunity to go. Oh, to the Brooklyn Bowl.
26:39
Hmm, and just finally strip, but I was there director of HR and
26:42
then Zappos came knocking. So I had an opportunity to join
26:48
their team. I don't know how much you know
26:51
about Zappos and they're crazy culture at the time, but they
26:54
didn't really have roles like where it was.
26:56
The holacracy lockers me out. Exactly.
26:58
So my general role is firing people initially, which not
27:04
really in alignment with who I am, but that's what I did.
27:08
And then I moved into leave Administration, which was.
27:12
Yeah, hard really difficult and challenging and energetically
27:18
took a lot out of me. Yeah.
27:20
But I did that for five years, I switch that goes before.
27:24
I ended up at the know five years and you are not old,
27:31
you're in your Prime. But yeah, I was there for five
27:35
years. Wow, after broken Bowl.
27:38
What were the Whispers? So you're no longer in Corporate
27:41
America and we're going to, we're going to pick up with this
27:44
at the break. Is that or after the break, you
27:48
left is a pose during the pandemic not by choice Zappos
27:54
did what a lot of companies did during the depend on McCann,
27:57
downsized. And you said I'm a start a
28:02
company. I did.
28:03
Yeah, what were the Whispers? So Uber calls these Whispers And
28:07
we all have them Whispers along the way in our lives.
28:10
So you made a big leap. You took a leap of faith on
28:13
yourself. You'd got a divorce and then you
28:16
move to Brooklyn Bowl. And then he moved his apples at
28:18
any point along the way where you thinking this is not my,
28:22
this is not where I'm supposed to be.
28:24
I continually had moments of like this is bringing me.
28:28
No joy. I had the sundae skerries right
28:32
where you dread going to work on Sundays.
28:36
I the actual people that I Or what that I was dealing with and
28:39
working with I loved and those were great and but it was the
28:43
true the work that I did brought me absolutely nothing.
28:46
Yeah. And I mean I enjoyed the helping
28:49
people that was rewarding but it just It did not get me out of
28:55
bed in the morning and when I would think about the idea of
28:58
doing this for another 20 years like made me want to throw up of
29:03
just. Yeah, yeah, I'll do that.
29:07
Did you know you wanted to be an interior designer?
29:09
I did, I did. I so actually to facilitate the
29:13
divorce and help me financially, get out of the house, I had
29:17
gotten my real estate license because I felt like that could
29:21
be a way to make some quick money.
29:22
Yeah. Myself set up.
29:24
And so, I did it because I know I love houses.
29:27
I've always loved houses in my real estate.
29:29
I love all the things. And so it seemed like a good,
29:31
like Low boundary? Yeah, infantry it's about to get
29:38
into the whole world and also have some additional income, but
29:43
it didn't quite scratch the itch that I thought it would.
29:46
So I still have my license spelling.
29:49
Yeah realtor but was not really what I dreamt of, which is
29:54
interior design. Gotcha, gotcha.
29:56
This is a really good place to start there.
29:58
We're going to talk about scratching the itch has after
30:00
the break, perfect. And here's where, like it's
30:04
really good. Is that Amy?
30:06
You, you took a stand for yourself and you said this, this
30:10
is not, this doesn't have to be the case.
30:12
And there's so many women on the planet today who are in toxic
30:16
marriages relationships, not just heterosexual relationships,
30:21
right? But just toxic home life, all
30:23
the things and instead of just doing what good girls do you?
30:28
And I talked about this in my new book is that instead of just
30:31
doing what good girls do which Stay the course, stay married.
30:35
Suck it up. You took a stand for yourself
30:38
and I want I want to acknowledge you for that, and I know it's
30:41
possible for any other woman on the planet.
30:44
Today, I do, I believe it's possible.
30:46
I know it's not easy. So we're going to talk a little
30:48
bit about your support system, getting through that, but then
30:50
you had a couple of other things happen, one Zappos.
30:52
Let you go. Yeah.
30:54
But there were these Whispers right there was this it that you
30:57
had that you had not yet scratched kind of sort of and
31:01
we're going to talk about that when we pick up from The break
31:03
if you're listening to this and you have an itch and you know,
31:06
that there's something more for you in life and you know that
31:09
you have other dreams or aspirations in your life.
31:12
Today I'm going to ask you to lean in to write your, what's it
31:16
called? A Rican are rekey in the most
31:18
powerful way possible and think about what life could be like
31:21
for you on these two minutes, we'll be back after the break
31:23
where Amy is going to show her share with you.
31:25
How she went from unemployed to business owner, to interior
31:29
designer, and how she's doing really living a life that she
31:32
loves Join us back in just a couple of minutes.
31:47
Follow voice America and facebook.com forward slash voice
31:50
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31:55
podcasts. Not enough women are talking
31:58
about money and I am on a mission to change that.
32:01
The truth is so many women feel shame, and guilt about the
32:05
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32:07
And if this is you, I want you to hear today that you are not
32:10
alone. We are so capable of feeling
32:13
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32:15
See, the problem is that for so many women.
32:17
Money isn't relatable industry. Experts are talking over your
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32:23
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32:29
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32:32
We are here to help you hear and understand that you are not
32:35
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32:39
So that you can build your confidence to learn how to make
32:42
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32:44
going to learn from Other women, how they tackle their biggest
32:48
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32:54
You've always wanted join me Lisa Chastain each week, as we
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34:02
You can also send an email to Lisa at Lisa Chastain.com.
34:07
Now, let's get back to the show. Here is Lisa Chastain.
34:11
It's me. I would really love for you to
34:13
email me, give me some feedback. I mean, any kind of feedback
34:16
really like you suck. Just kidding.
34:18
Like, don't tell me that. But you could, if you wanted to,
34:20
I just if you're listening to this and I'm bringing you value
34:23
in these conversations are important to you, please let me
34:25
know, so we can make sure that we're, I'm bringing on the right
34:27
gasps telling the right stories, helping you learn the things
34:31
that you want to learn. I will say this, then we'll go
34:33
back to the show with you. Amy.
34:36
I started this show and my brand because I felt like there was
34:41
something missing in the money industry and I have spent a lot
34:44
of time over the last month or two listening to other Financial
34:48
podcasts listening to other Financial experts consuming
34:51
information from other experts. And what I will say is that
34:55
there's a lot of information out there and I value that.
34:59
And for me what was what was missing for me was, was this
35:03
stuff, the real stuff Behind the scenes behind the information.
35:08
Our people really navigating life because externally we can
35:11
appear so successful. Okay, and we are right.
35:16
And there's a story on how we get there.
35:18
We don't just wake up that way, I believe.
35:20
Yeah, so thank you for coming on to the show today.
35:23
My pleasure is the real deal. Doesn't real shit, right?
35:26
You have a beautiful new website that you just launched, do you
35:30
have? You are so talented.
35:32
And I know you're making a difference for families in Las
35:35
Vegas. And, and you're finally, at a
35:38
point where you're living your passion, you had these like the
35:42
universe is like interior designer interior, designer
35:44
interior designer, like not yet. Not yet.
35:47
Not yet. And then boom, the pandemic
35:53
happens. And you did with what's so many
35:55
women in the pandemic did and you started your own company.
35:59
I did Olli friendship literally, like, holy shit.
36:07
And not being the most like, I'm a huge risk taker.
36:10
You're not. So you had to make a decision
36:14
there and through the divorce you were 50/50 time with your
36:20
kids. I was.
36:21
Yeah. So at the on the other side of
36:22
the divorce, you have Financial Obligations.
36:26
I know you met mr. Mike.
36:27
Hi, Mike. And some point and talk about
36:29
that but you are you're jobless, you have two boys and you're
36:35
paying child support. Support.
36:36
Yeah, a lot of Child Support as it turns out.
36:39
So I had a lot of financial obligations and concerns going
36:47
from at this point. Thankfully Zappos paid me a bit
36:50
more than Caesars did and you know, it's 20 plus years in a
36:56
career that you'd built up. So my salary was pretty decent.
37:00
And so when we went through the divorce, not meant, you know, I
37:05
mentioned he Was unwilling to work.
37:09
And unfortunately, the court does not really see it.
37:13
That way. They don't see it as a choice,
37:15
it's just that he's not and, therefore, in order for him to
37:18
be able to live the same lifestyle, I should support him.
37:25
I don't know, I just want to go down that rabbit hole but yeah
37:29
so I was paying him a most twelve hundred dollars a month
37:34
in child support which on top of now supporting myself and my own
37:38
house and my and to be jobless was definitely a no shit kind of
37:43
moment. Um but so Zappos head did a mass
37:50
layoffs. Basically there was several
37:52
hundred of us at the same time. Okay, like a lot of companies
37:56
did there and I had heard that like a lot of companies.
37:58
Just put everybody on a resume call and let him go.
38:02
No, not exactly. Okay.
38:04
They, we had individual conversations that it was over
38:06
the span of like a day. Yeah days which is just
38:11
gut-wrenching and terrible to experience.
38:14
So okay because you're just kind of waiting for your time.
38:19
I had a bit of a head start because I wasn't HR so I knew
38:24
Things were coming. I don't know what that look like
38:26
for me, but because I did have a bit of the Head Start and then
38:31
they actually asked me to stay after so they gave us the option
38:35
to choose by a certain day. What, you know, for what we
38:38
wanted to do. And then they offered to have me
38:41
stay for a little bit longer. So I used that time to really
38:46
Try to put away everything I possibly could knowing that this
38:50
was going to be the end of my HR career.
38:54
Were you living at the mountain town house at the time?
38:57
No, not yet. Okay.
38:58
Now, so this is a rental house that I had gotten when I moved
39:03
out from the divorce. I was still in that house.
39:06
Okay. Yeah.
39:07
Okay, so you're in a rental house.
39:09
Single still. Hmm.
39:10
Okay. Now it's got shared.
39:12
Custody with the boys. Who did you get a severance?
39:14
I did. Okay.
39:16
And then what? Was this like March or April
39:19
like when in 2020 was this? Nope, it was late.
39:21
It was November because when my last day with this November 15th
39:25
2020 that's my birthday. It was a day of behind me.
39:32
Yeah. It's a good day.
39:33
Okay. So you left.
39:35
Yep. So I left.
39:36
Did, you know then you were going to start your own company?
39:38
I did you started to put it? I started putting all the pieces
39:41
together probably September as when they gave us the heads-up.
39:46
And then they asked me to Stay longer.
39:48
And so during that time frame, I had started assembling kind of
39:51
what I was envisioning and you know buying software and trying
39:54
to figure out like okay, how do I even get in front of people
39:58
and what do I need and all those things?
40:01
I open the LOL. First 2020 and the rest is
40:08
history and you were selling real estate at the time, I was.
40:11
Yep, I've had my license since 2016, but it had always been a
40:16
side hustle and so was not really super active.
40:20
And in fact, in 2020, you know, the market went crazy.
40:26
I topsy-turvy nuts. Nobody knew what to expect and
40:30
so there had definitely quieted and was not Not something that I
40:36
could really count on ya financially, it was hopeful but
40:40
not consistent for nycha, gotcha.
40:43
So let me ask you a me, which is, you know, kind of a loaded
40:46
question. But what did you know about
40:48
business at the time? Not enough, you know honestly so
40:53
I have a business degree that's a hospitality is administration
40:57
business. Whatever I've been in corporate
41:00
HR at this point for 20 years and I felt like I had a general
41:06
understanding of business and, you know, like to think that I'm
41:11
smart enough and can you figure it out?
41:13
Oh yeah. All of those things but really
41:16
no. I mean, like it, you're starting
41:18
from scratch all Over again and you know I definitely have some
41:22
basic knowledge and things that I could take into it.
41:24
But I felt like every single day was learning moments time and
41:32
time and time and time again. Yeah.
41:34
Yeah. So let's talk about the first
41:35
year in business, okay? During the pandemic, what was
41:38
life like you had your squirrel so you'd like to save, so I'm
41:43
the in the, in the money personalities, Amy's, a cheap
41:46
chip. So, to all of you who are
41:48
teaches Least has hello bruegel. Yeah.
41:53
And also having money is a safe deal, you feel safe when you
41:57
have money, not having money, does not feel safe for you.
42:02
And in the world of new business ownership there.
42:05
There, there's money coming in but not consistently.
42:08
What was that first year? Like, for you when that was
42:11
like, 20, 21, yes, 20 21. So, It was an interesting time
42:18
so to back up just a tiny bit. Yeah, I bought a house in 2020
42:23
July of 2020 and then found out my position was eliminated in
42:27
September 20, 20, and yeah. So I now have a mortgage and you
42:34
know, all the things margin mortgage to kids child support
42:40
right now one supporting you It's a lot was, and I forget
42:46
where your question was going. I do navigate the first year,
42:49
but I think you were, you know, that's a lot of financial
42:51
obligation. Yes, exactly.
42:53
I was having all of that on top of my head, but knowing that I
42:58
wanted to make this work, this is probably a good time to
43:04
introduce my. Now, husband's Michael, we
43:07
actually ended up getting married in October of 2020.
43:13
Who has been the support and the way that we really did get
43:16
through all of 2021. But from a business perspective,
43:22
I struggled incredibly hard in charging the right amount as it
43:30
turns out. I thought that the way to
43:33
approach it would be to charge really low so that people would
43:36
want to take the opportunity and then I would slowly, you know,
43:39
build my business and increase my prices which To some degree
43:43
is what I did, but that is not how you should do it.
43:46
It was a extremely painful, first year, just to provide
43:53
perspective for anyone who might be, considering making this kind
43:57
of leap and have some real expectations.
44:00
And when I say that I have good work ethic, I mean, I work from
44:04
morning till night and I'm not condoning that or encouraging
44:07
it, but, like, working hard is not a problem but it's not hard
44:11
for me. I do.
44:12
Do it without meaning to and I still made fifteen thousand,
44:19
eight hundred and something in my first year and that's with
44:22
real estate and interior design. So yeah, you're not alone, I
44:29
didn't make any money. My first three years in
44:31
business. I was - because I was pumping so
44:33
much into my business. I was - right goodness.
44:37
This is a low overhead business. Yeah, I would have Drowned him
44:41
and had to probably throw in the towel but there was a glimmer.
44:46
Yeah. Well in and Mike, Mike was, is
44:49
has been working this whole time.
44:51
Also, so you to meet ya, you to get married.
44:55
He is a doll. My if you're listening, I love
44:58
you. You're amazing.
44:59
I do too. So you're learning some new
45:03
things in relationship at that time to.
45:07
Yeah, it's like hauling things. All the things I You know, talk
45:12
about a 360, not only in my work life of not being someone's
45:16
employee. I'm now calling all the shots,
45:17
but in my home life to be in a relationship that is based in
45:24
love and support and just I can't even really wrap my head
45:32
around, how the difference. Like it was just an incredible
45:37
turn for me and it's probably the only Only reason that I felt
45:42
comfortable, making that leap is, you know, the people that
45:46
are around you which we're about to get to point where we met
45:49
here in a little bit that just helpful also.
45:52
But the people that are around you, the support systems that
45:54
you have. Especially in times of change,
45:58
like, that could not be more important or more crucial.
46:02
Who are who was your support system, Mike?
46:04
Who else, who else? Stood by you.
46:05
During those transitional times my parents, that was the really
46:09
yeah, coming in. On for me, they were helpful.
46:14
Actually, from a financial standpoint as it turns out, but
46:17
also just I think they realized, you know, through the divorce
46:24
and whatnot that they needed extra love and attention and
46:28
support, and they were more than happy to give it.
46:32
Even my kids actually, you know, they're boys and this is their
46:37
language. Uh-huh.
46:38
Yeah. Right exactly sure. yeah, but
46:42
barely look up from Tick-Tock and Nod but in ways that they
46:46
maybe weren't even intending, I realized that I was on the right
46:51
path and doing the right things and Helping them to see.
46:59
The direction you should go in life and yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm
47:02
sorry, I'm proud of you, good feeling, you know, like I am
47:05
doing the right thing. Even if it means that Mom has to
47:09
doordash tonight like that was a real thing.
47:11
We gosh about the time, we bought the house smells like
47:16
that whole 2021 was just rough. And and one point we were like
47:21
well if things that we're going to pay the bills this month.
47:25
So both Mike and I are door dashing in the evenings and
47:28
yeah. Whatever we need to do to make
47:30
it happen once way one of many have his million amazing traits
47:35
but yeah, made it work, he does he do to ya.
47:39
So coming around the turn in 2021 just want to acknowledge
47:43
you. Seriously, acknowledge you for
47:46
staying the course or not giving up.
47:50
For also being in a responsible conversation about the
47:54
responsibilities that you have a me, you're looking to hire
47:58
designer. Let's plug Amy will goes, will
48:01
do the right thing. Yeah that's a part of who you
48:04
are. You do the right thing and it
48:06
wasn't easy and you had to learn some some different ways of
48:10
being, right? But then in 2021 you're starting
48:13
your company. Why did you decide to call it
48:16
Hidden Gem? Um, because that's really what
48:21
lights me up like the idea of finding, a something that is not
48:27
perfect on the outside. Doesn't have all the things that
48:30
you want and then making it into exactly what you need and what
48:35
you want and what you would love some you do that masterfully.
48:39
Thank you. Yeah you kind of did that with
48:41
your life, right? I mean in some ways I had
48:44
thought of it that way. But yeah yeah, yeah.
48:47
And so we met. I don't I think it was through a
48:50
friend wouldn't have introduced us?
48:53
Yes, if Andrea. Hi hi Andrea.
48:55
I love you. Hello.
48:58
So we had met Met and you were still like you still, have you
49:02
have been and were committed to being successful in your
49:07
business. Of course, all business owners,
49:09
every business owner, I know. And, no matter how long you're
49:13
in business, it's like I should just really go get a job.
49:15
Yeah. I think that often and then I
49:20
laugh and I'm like, okay fine, let me go back to work but
49:23
you've been very committed to this.
49:26
And what were some of the things that you had to shift or things
49:29
that you've like really important things for our
49:31
listener to buy can have S you're going in now your second
49:34
year of business, what are the things that you did to shift as
49:37
you didn't makes it 15 thousand dollars again last year?
49:39
Did not thankfully. Yes, I one of the big things I
49:43
had to do was realized that I needed help.
49:47
Like I really thought that from my whole previous experience in
49:51
life that I if it was meant to be it was going to be me, all
49:54
right? I'm gonna Make it happen.
49:57
I can see that theme. Mmm, that you're going to take
49:59
care of it. You're gonna do it and I'm just
50:01
self sufficient enough to make things work for myself.
50:05
Yeah. And that was my upbringing and
50:08
all the things but not only get you so far and I think it had I
50:15
not reached out for help but from you and even Mike and you
50:20
know, I would not anywhere be anywhere near where I'm at
50:24
today. Yeah.
50:25
So asking For help. Mmm, had to ask for help.
50:28
I had to be comfortable with sharing my story, and actually
50:35
putting it out there because all this time, you know, being one
50:39
day was expected to be in from the outside looking in.
50:42
I think I put on a show, that was a lot different than, what
50:46
part of financial situation was in reality.
50:52
So I had to be a little more vulnerable and that was part of
50:55
asking for help. They just like letting people in
50:59
even Mike. Just letting him do things in
51:05
the business. I'm kind of a control, free
51:08
surprises. No one who's near me at all, but
51:12
realized that also is not always the answer.
51:14
Yeah. So, letting go of control.
51:18
Hmm? Doesn't mean not being
51:20
responsible. Very true, right?
51:22
You work hard. I know that in that in that
51:25
second year of just knowing you. So we met and I want to say
51:27
October of 2021 but you are all in, you are all in your like,
51:32
just tell me what to do and in business, we need people who are
51:36
at at that, you know, that next level or above us to say, hey I
51:41
know some things, I've done some things, do this and you've
51:44
always done that, go do this. You're like I really don't want
51:47
to do this, you know, why don't want to, but you have, and as a
51:54
result, you've created so much in this last year.
51:58
Yeah. So much, what are some of the
52:01
things that you're looking back on that?
52:02
You're really proud of, um, well, one of the things that I'm
52:13
Well charge, what? I'm worth.
52:16
Yes, it was huge, that was probably one of the biggest
52:18
breakthroughs for me of not. Not only charging what I'm worth
52:25
but also not putting my money filter on everyone else of like
52:30
I'm a cheap chip. I want to pay the least possible
52:32
and all things but not everyone else operates that way.
52:36
Nor do I know their money story. I like to project like oh well,
52:39
but that, she's a single mom. Yeah, but she makes a million
52:42
dollars a year. So maybe this is not your
52:45
problem kind of thing, right? Yeah.
52:46
So those were big changes for me.
52:53
Something else that I'm proud of.
52:59
Investing in the business that was hard.
53:03
People are probably like, oh, you've gotta be kidding.
53:05
But no, it was partying with the money and she said, I'm a
53:09
squirrel. Like, I like to save partying
53:12
with money to reinvest in the business will make sense.
53:16
When I say it out loud. Right now, it's in reality was
53:19
very hard for me to actually let it go.
53:22
Yeah, you're not in your head, you remember this?
53:24
Yeah, I remember Mike was working off a old HP.
53:29
Top that like took seven months to upload anything.
53:32
It was terrible. And like he and ultimately just
53:35
went and bought me a computer because like I'm yeah, I'm just
53:38
not going to do it and you're just fine art.
53:41
You need to like designing software.
53:42
I did. Yeah, it was ridiculous.
53:44
I was like, you know, piecing everything together and yeah,
53:47
asking so much time and instantly it was like, oh, look
53:51
how much faster I can do thing. I could have done twice as much
53:54
work and half the time, so that's just one of many
53:57
Investments that I've made along the The way that I am proud that
54:01
I'm at the point where I can do it and that actually brings us
54:05
to the rebranding that we just did, you know with the new
54:08
website and all of that I feel sort of like a like the launch
54:13
party that we never had to have right as thankfully.
54:16
We're been in business long enough and are doing well enough
54:19
that we can afford to do it and need to do it and it's really
54:24
pretty exciting. It's beautiful.
54:25
Yeah, beautifully done. Okay we have a minute left.
54:28
No way. I know if we buy.
54:30
Okay? So to recap in a you have been
54:33
on this journey, the business ownership Journey for the last
54:36
couple of years and not only have you invested in the
54:38
business but you've continued to invest in yourself.
54:41
Yeah. So much so that your hubby was
54:44
also inspired to start his own company and, which is called at
54:48
your disposal. And that the two of you are now
54:51
really embracing this entrepreneurial journey
54:53
together. That is friggin awesome.
54:56
It is, I've seen you both take so many risks.
54:59
And stretch. And as a result, you're living
55:02
your life by Design. You guys are doing it.
55:05
We are you're doing it and just with like 30 seconds left,
55:10
what's the one thing you have on your heart to share with our
55:13
listeners today? If you think that
55:17
entrepreneurship and creating your own company is a possible
55:22
path for you and you've been thinking about it don't just dip
55:25
your toe in do it because I stayed on the sidelines for a
55:28
long. I'm of kind of half-assing
55:30
things and it really wasn't until I invested and really
55:34
jumped in Full Steam that things started happening for me and the
55:40
climb is 100% worth it. When you get to the top, so let
55:44
me know. I'm still climb and yeah, we're
55:46
still going. But I'm just saying it's gonna
55:48
be worth it and I wouldn't change it for anything.
55:52
Yeah, I'm great amazing. Thank you for sharing that and I
55:54
what's your website, one more time Hidden Gem Design
55:57
group.com. There's a great quiz on.
55:59
There you can find out your own design aesthetic.
56:01
They're taking it. I'm sure my husband's is not the
56:03
same as mine. Marriage counseling is part of
56:05
not, right? Yeah, they're just getting.
56:07
Thank you everyone for listening today.
56:09
Amy, thank you for your heartfelt message today.
56:12
Thank you for listening to all money.
56:13
You can catch us next week, with a brand new guest right here.
56:15
Same time, Monday mornings 10 a.m. and keep it real.
56:19
Let's keep it real and keep talking.
56:21
I'll see you then. Thank you for listening to real
56:28
money. Lisa Chastain on The Voice
56:30
America. Business Channel, missed the
56:33
opportunity to call in, but have a question for Lisa regarding
56:36
one of today's topics, you can send an email to Lisa at Lisa
56:40
Chastain.com, we will see you next time.