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EP 13: SOLO - Slow Girl Summer · Crafted Connections

• 0:04
  Katelyn: Hello, welcome to Crafted Connections.
• 0:07
  Katelyn: I'm Katelyn Calhoun, and this is a podcast all about storytelling and building genuine community.
• 0:12
  Katelyn: Here we'll dive into the art of storytelling, unpack strategies for making meaningful connections, and hear from incredible humans who are using their story to create impact.
• 0:22
  Katelyn: So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let's craft some connections.
• 0:27
  Katelyn: Hello and welcome back to Crafted Connections.
• 0:33
  Katelyn: I'm so grateful you're here.
• 0:35
  Katelyn: I I feel like I've been saying that a lot recently, but it's because it's true.
• 0:39
  Katelyn: The fact that you are even tuning into this episode means a lot.
• 0:43
  Katelyn: The fact that you clicked the button or, you know, tapped your phone or wherever you are downloading this episode from.
• 0:50
  Katelyn: I am so greatly appreciative of it.
• 0:53
  Katelyn: I'm really enjoying this process.
• 0:55
  Katelyn: I'm really enjoying getting on the mic with different friends of mine and uh colleagues who are just so wonderful and interesting.
• 1:02
  Katelyn: And then also sharing my own little stories and things like that.
• 1:06
  Katelyn: Which brings me to today's episode.
• 1:07
  Katelyn: Today's episode is going to be a little bit of a intention setting sharing moment.
• 1:15
  Katelyn: A few weeks ago, I saw a LinkedIn connection of mine post something about slow girl summer.
• 1:20
  Katelyn: She shared lots of like really beautiful photos and like kind of almost a visual gratitude journal, if you will, of what she was intending her summer to be and did the whole hashtag slow girl summer.
• 1:33
  Katelyn: And I know there's been a lot of people saying it's this girl summer or that girl summer.
• 1:37
  Katelyn: And that slow girl summer really resonated with me.
• 1:41
  Katelyn: And I'm really excited as we're approaching summer solstice to lean into that.
• 1:47
  Katelyn: And I wanted to publicly share and invite folks to do the same.
• 1:52
  Katelyn: I have an interesting relationship with summer.
• 1:55
  Katelyn: My birthday is in the summer.
• 1:57
  Katelyn: I love the sun.
• 1:59
  Katelyn: There's so many things about the summer that's warm and inviting and beautiful.
• 2:04
  Katelyn: I think I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't passionate about, you know, days being longer and beautiful summer nights and things of that nature.
• 2:12
  Katelyn: And I had a lot of fun as a kid playing outside and playing sports and really just connecting with the outdoor spaces and planet Earth and all that jazz.
• 2:21
  Katelyn: So it's gotten complicated as I've gotten older.
• 2:23
  Katelyn: I have worked for myself for almost nine years now.
• 2:27
  Katelyn: Before that, I was working really hard to build my career.
• 2:30
  Katelyn: Before that, I was at school and would kind of work really hard during the semesters and then crash in the summertime, almost in a like a catatonic state, if you will.
• 2:39
  Katelyn: So I've never really had like a beautifully balanced summer.
• 2:43
  Katelyn: It's either been working really hard or being an unconscious, like zombie of a human.
• 2:49
  Katelyn: And I'm trying to avoid that.
• 2:51
  Katelyn: I'm trying to, you know, turn over a new leaf.
• 2:54
  Katelyn: And I think I did a great job last year, but I didn't have the intention for it.
• 2:57
  Katelyn: Uh, and there were a lot of other mucky things going on in my life.
• 3:01
  Katelyn: So as I'm approaching the summer, I'm thinking a lot about how do I create a slow girl summer for myself?
• 3:10
  Katelyn: How do I make sure that I am soaking it up without overdoing it?
• 3:16
  Katelyn: You know, living my best life and also making sure that I'm like moving my goals forward and things of that nature.
• 3:22
  Katelyn: And I think when I hear the phrase and when I first came across the phrase slow girl summer, I realized it it's not about doing nothing.
• 3:32
  Katelyn: It's not about being a, you know, a vegetable burrito wrapped up, you know, on a holiday weekend.
• 3:38
  Katelyn: It's not about working 12 plus hour days on set, which I've spent summers doing, or editing until the late night, and then, you know, getting up even earlier to keep at the cut the next morning.
• 3:49
  Katelyn: For me, it is about approaching things with loving intention.
• 3:55
  Katelyn: For example, I have a few projects this summer that I'm really excited about.
• 3:59
  Katelyn: I've gotten to a place finally where these projects compensate me well enough.
• 4:04
  Katelyn: It's not about proving my worth or my skills anymore, but rather just leaning into my voice and leaning into creating as the creator that I am and using my fun, playful mind to make something cool.
• 4:17
  Katelyn: And I worked so hard to get here.
• 4:19
  Katelyn: And now that I'm here, I'm not gonna lie, it's a little bit intimidating.
• 4:23
  Katelyn: It's, you know, like people want to collaborate with me.
• 4:26
  Katelyn: They want to know, you know, my take on the thing.
• 4:29
  Katelyn: They want me to approach, you know, the the edit or or direct the piece with my creative spin, with my creative voice.
• 4:36
  Katelyn: And while I am so excited, there's a real fear that, you know, working so hard to the point that like you get there and then you're like, wait, but is it good enough?
• 4:46
  Katelyn: Is it good enough?
• 4:47
  Katelyn: Did I work hard to get here for nothing?
• 4:49
  Katelyn: And in that, I want to take these opportunities I have ahead of me in the next few months to really create beautiful things, and not from a place of overworking, but you guessed it, right back to that slow girl summer.
• 5:02
  Katelyn: It's almost like a savory summer.
• 5:04
  Katelyn: I love the metaphor of when you're making a soup, you're creating the aromatics, which is like the garlic, the onion, you know, maybe the celery and carrots.
• 5:13
  Katelyn: You you like sauté those first before you put in the broth and the meat or the you know, the tofu or whatever, whatever your dietary needs are.
• 5:23
  Katelyn: So the aromatics, they need time to one, fill your kitchen up with delicious smells, but two, like to soften and to to get themselves to the point where they're their top quality flavor.
• 5:35
  Katelyn: And that's slow girl summer.
• 5:37
  Katelyn: It's juicy, it's flavorful, it's intentional, and I am so dang excited.
• 5:42
  Katelyn: I am so dang excited.
• 5:44
  Katelyn: Hey y'all.
• 5:47
  Katelyn: You know I love telling stories, gathering stories, and finding a way to help people connect their story with the people that will get it.
• 5:55
  Katelyn: And that's what my story strategy sessions are all about.
• 5:58
  Katelyn: So over at Calhoun Creative Consulting, my strategic storytelling firm, we do one-on-one and or facilitated workshops in relation to really honing in the strategy around your story.
• 6:10
  Katelyn: It's a bit of messaging meets content creation, meets storytelling, and then how do we put that out in the world?
• 6:16
  Katelyn: How do we show up regularly?
• 6:17
  Katelyn: There's a bit of mindset work around it, right?
• 6:19
  Katelyn: To actually tell your story.
• 6:20
  Katelyn: Whether you're launching something new or trying to rework your brand or just feeling a little foggy on how to communicate with your people, this is how to get clear.
• 6:27
  Katelyn: We'll dig into things like your narrative, how to uncover what matters most, maybe map out a few content pillars while we're at it.
• 6:33
  Katelyn: You'll also get a recording of our session so you can revisit the conversation anytime you like.
• 6:38
  Katelyn: Let's shape a story that actually feels like you.
• 6:40
  Katelyn: So book yours today.
• 6:41
  Katelyn: There is a link in the show notes.
• 6:43
  Katelyn: And hey, while you're at it, use the code podcast, all caps, P-O-D-C-A-S-T for 25% off your session.
• 6:51
  Katelyn: I would be honored to spend time with you and suss out your story.
• 6:55
  Katelyn: Let's dive back into the episode, shall we?
• 6:57
  Katelyn: And so what does that entail?
• 7:00
  Katelyn: Like, how do I how do I do that in practice, right?
• 7:02
  Katelyn: We've got the metaphor, we've got the projects on the docket.
• 7:05
  Katelyn: Things are covered, right?
• 7:07
  Katelyn: Things are covered.
• 7:08
  Katelyn: So how do we make sure that like that muscle of like, I gotta work 12 hours today, or I'm gonna crash because I've done 6 to 10 days in a row of like 12 plus hour days or 14 plus hour days or whatever hustle brag we wanna lean into, or that I have the habit of leaning into where it's like, well, I worked this much, well, I worked this much, but it's not no no no.
• 7:30
  Katelyn: So all to say, how do we actually do this in practice?
• 7:34
  Katelyn: In the case of my projects, I am trying to remind myself on a regular basis that being stressed about the project 24/7 does not mean that I get a better product.
• 7:46
  Katelyn: I think I've fallen into the trap of if I obsess over this project, if I say mean things to myself, if I push, push, push, push, push, then a better result will come from that.
• 7:59
  Katelyn: The more intense I am about something, the better the product.
• 8:02
  Katelyn: While I never was like aware that this was a story, it was absolutely a story for me.
• 8:07
  Katelyn: For example, back in high school, I could never see past my Latin tests.
• 8:12
  Katelyn: People would be like, hey, do you want to go get ice cream tonight?
• 8:14
  Katelyn: I'd be like, sorry, I have to study for my Latin test next week.
• 8:16
  Katelyn: Hey, how's this going in your life?
• 8:18
  Katelyn: Sorry, no, I can't even think about that.
• 8:19
  Katelyn: My Latin test is next week.
• 8:20
  Katelyn: And I've carried that into my adulthood.
• 8:22
  Katelyn: Hey, do you want to go to a festival this weekend?
• 8:24
  Katelyn: Sorry, no, I've got a project due in a month.
• 8:26
  Katelyn: So this 15 plus year pattern of putting off what I maybe wanted to do because of what I thought I had to do in order to yield a better result continued and I kept reinforcing it.
• 8:40
  Katelyn: So this summer I'm really excited to kind of break that.
• 8:42
  Katelyn: And in the practice of just because I have a project on my plate doesn't mean I can't go, you know, take a walk in the afternoon or step away or make a new friend, go out with my partner for a date night, things like that.
• 8:56
  Katelyn: Taking time away from my passions, read obsessions.
• 9:01
  Katelyn: And that brings me to another thing I really want to be clear about this summer is spending time taking care of my whole being.
• 9:08
  Katelyn: That is going on walks, that is finding hobbies.
• 9:12
  Katelyn: I historically have not been great at hobbies because I don't like trying things that I'm not good at.
• 9:17
  Katelyn: Who does?
• 9:18
  Katelyn: Beginner's mind is a concept that is easily talked about, but not so easily embodied.
• 9:24
  Katelyn: So trying new things, learning new things.
• 9:27
  Katelyn: We've lived on our boat for a whole summer, we're back on it this summer.
• 9:30
  Katelyn: We've still got a lot to learn.
• 9:31
  Katelyn: We're newbies.
• 9:32
  Katelyn: Some might say dumbasses for trying this whole new thing, whole new lifestyle change.
• 9:37
  Katelyn: But here we are.
• 9:38
  Katelyn: We're in it, we're over a year into it, and we've still got a lot to learn.
• 9:42
  Katelyn: And so giving some love to that to really pour into every element of my life.
• 9:47
  Katelyn: It's not just about checking things off in order to say that I did the thing or to feel some sort of like checklist validation, but rather like, what's just a fun thing?
• 9:59
  Katelyn: I got a little bit into coloring this winter.
• 10:01
  Katelyn: Not a lot, but a little bit.
• 10:02
  Katelyn: Every once in a while I'd bring out a coloring book and I would color.
• 10:05
  Katelyn: And something about it was just really nourishing, just filling in some blanks.
• 10:09
  Katelyn: And it wasn't about trying to fill it in as fast as possible.
• 10:12
  Katelyn: I think I spent three to four weeks on one color sheet.
• 10:14
  Katelyn: And then when I was done, it it looked cute and that was exciting.
• 10:17
  Katelyn: And I plan on sending it to a friend and spreading that joy.
• 10:20
  Katelyn: But the intention wasn't to get it done so I can send it to a friend so I can do another one and send it to another friend and do another one and send it to another friend, which has been a pattern for me.
• 10:29
  Katelyn: So if you can feel it, that's how we go back to slow girl summer.
• 10:34
  Katelyn: It's not a do this to do this to do that to get this.
• 10:37
  Katelyn: It's not a conditional, if I do this, then this happens.
• 10:40
  Katelyn: It's a what do I want to do right now?
• 10:43
  Katelyn: What do I want to nourish myself with?
• 10:45
  Katelyn: What do I want to pour myself into?
• 10:47
  Katelyn: And where do we go from there?
• 10:50
  Katelyn: So I invite you from here.
• 10:53
  Katelyn: What does slow girl summer mean to you?
• 10:54
  Katelyn: How do you want to define it?
• 10:56
  Katelyn: This is an evolving thing.
• 10:57
  Katelyn: I'm just sharing an intention.
• 10:59
  Katelyn: There's definitely a world when you know fall comes around where I revisit this episode and I kind of do a slow girl summer recap for you all.
• 11:09
  Katelyn: Because slow girl summer is not a like flip a switch and now I'm in slow girl summer.
• 11:14
  Katelyn: It is a work in progress moment.
• 11:16
  Katelyn: It is a, like I said many a times, intention.
• 11:20
  Katelyn: I wrote something in my journal the other day about this because I've been thinking a lot about this episode.
• 11:25
  Katelyn: This is very much a riffing episode.
• 11:28
  Katelyn: And uh let me flip to the page and find it real quick.
• 11:31
  Katelyn: I wrote this.
• 11:37
  Katelyn: Intentional because I'm doing things with purpose, passion, and reasoning behind them.
• 11:48
  Katelyn: Aspirational because I'm in process of getting caught up and sometimes worked up by busyness.
• 11:54
  Katelyn: And that's okay.
• 11:56
  Katelyn: That is okay.
• 11:58
  Katelyn: So, with that all being said, I hope you find your version of this, or I hope you find and set the intention for the summer that you want to have.
• 12:07
  Katelyn: It's upon us, and it will be gone before you know it.
• 12:12
  Katelyn: Before you know it, you'll be listening to the Slow Girl Summer recap.
• 12:16
  Katelyn: And I cannot wait to share it with you because I know it's gonna be a juicy, nourishing summer.
• 12:21
  Katelyn: Appreciate you.
• 12:22
  Katelyn: Thanks for listening.
• 12:23
  Katelyn: I hope you enjoyed this shorty.
• 12:25
  Katelyn: There's more where that came from.
• 12:26
  Katelyn: Have a great week, my friend.
• 12:27
  Katelyn: Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm dedicated to helping people and brands tell their stories in a way that resonates.
• 12:40
  Katelyn: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and connect with us on Instagram at Crafted Connections Pod.
• 12:47
  Katelyn: Keep creating, keep connecting, until we meet again.