439: Lead a badass business and life from the heart with Makenzie Marzluff

Hi, everyone. I'm so happy you've tuned into the show. Whether you have listened before or you're brand new, I'm so grateful for you. You have no idea. And this episode is brought to you by my Become Aligned course. And podcasts are amazing. And I know that you know that because you guys all listen to them, and I do, too. And sometimes they are not necessarily enough because while we're listening, sometimes we're passively listening and we're not actively listening. So the reason that Chris and I. Chris is my husband. The reason we've created this course is because we get asked so many questions outside of the podcast on how we started living the life that we live now. A life of happiness, of abundance, of really understanding that life is always full of problems every single day, but there's always a solution. And how do we shift back into a mindset that's going to keep us happy, keep us together, keep us successful, and keep us in thriving relationships? And that is what our, our Become Aligned course is about. You guys, we cover everything from mindset to the rituals that we do every single day. We talk about different energy sources that's really gonna provide you with lasting energy. We talk about your purpose and what that actually means, what it is and how it's ever changing. We're gonna tap into your beliefs, we're gonna show you how to build a tribe to support where you're going. And we're definitely going to talk about wealth, abundance, money, all of the good things, and how to sustain all of this. Because while, like I said, POD are absolutely awesome, you don't necessarily sit down and actually write out a plan for yourself. Because as much as I can sit here and tell you on the podcast, what we do and how much, how many different people that I can interview, it's important that you actually learn how to apply these things in your own life. So if you've been listening for a while and you are ready to go deeper and you really want to get some direct training and be able to dive into your life and yourself and your mindset, this is the course for you. I don't know about you, but I absolutely have points in my life where I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what I'm doing. Sometimes I hit walls where I don't necessarily feel happy anymore, and I haven't sat with myself long enough. I haven't really let myself think. I haven't written out how I actually feel. And so many people who took this course said that it was completely life changing and they revealed a lot of things about themselves, about them, about their. About their relationships that they weren't really looking at or they were avoiding. And it's about having those tough conversations, not only with other people, but really with yourself and knowing that you have the tools and the access to the tools. And we're going to teach you all of the tools that you need not only to move through things, but to actually thrive on the other side. So, you guys, I would love for you to join the aligned community. It's such a special group of human beings and you get lifetime time access. This is nine different modules where you're going to be working through each area of your life at your own pace. So you might need something on abundance, you might need more on, you know, money, you might need more on your purpose on your tribe. This is where you can really go deep on exactly what you need and make sure that you're not missing any of your blind spots. If you are feeling stuck or if you are wondering how everyone is doing it and how they're managing it all. This is a truly honest course about how to have a thriving life and manage and deal with all of the different problems that do come up in your life and understand that not everyone is going to support you and not everyone is for you and you are not for everyone. And that's okay. It's finding your people. It's forgiving yourself. It's creating a life of abundance and choosing your own purpose and your happiness. So, you guys, you can go to becomealigned.com that's becomealigned.com and you guys know that because you're listeners, I'm going to give you an awesome deal and an awesome discount and I cannot wait to see you in that community. And also let me know if you join because it is such an awesome, awesome community. And also I'm really proud of this course. Chris and I poured our heart and our soul into this. Everything that we've done, everything that we've learned, we've invested so much into ourself that this is everything that we have applied in our lives. And if you want to know how we've done it, we put it all on the table. We've put it all in this course. So if you want to know, go check it out@becealigned.com so let's get into the show.

If you're wanting to start a business, it has to be something that you are ready to give your all to. That that's going to be like you're going to be so moved to wake up and put your life force into.

Welcome to the Earn your Happy podcast. I'm Lori Harder, founder of The Bliss Project, 3 Time Fitness World champion, fitness expert and cover model turned self love junkie, lifestyle entrepreneur and author. Each week I'll bring you a guest or a thought that will help you bust through your fears, connect to your soul and get better, focused and clear so you can elevate your life, business and relationships. We don't wait until we're ready for someone to tell us we're good enough. We take what we want and we anoint ourselves, get ready to earn, own and unapologetically rock your happiness every single day. Are you with me? Here we go. Hey everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm really excited for today's conversation. I am fresh off of this awesome conversation and it really is hitting right where I am right now and that is at a new beginning, at a fresh start of wanting to create something new. A new business, a new idea, a new concept. So if that is you, you're going to love this. If that is not you. There is so much wisdom in this, so many lessons. Just she gets very vulnerable and shares quite a bit about her life. A lot on forgiveness, a lot on shame over past decisions, a lot on following your intuition and how important that is and to really make conscious decisions and what that feels like. So you guys, my beautiful guest today is Mackenzie Marsh and she's a conscious entrepreneur who is passionate about heart centered leadership and creativity. Mackenzie is the founder founder of Delighted by a High Vibe Better for you Dessert company and is most well known for inventing dessert hummus. Hello. Yum. You're going to want to get some right after this podcast. She invented that. In 2015 she went from living in a van and starting the company on her credit cards to now running a multi million dollar women led organization. Her company was featured on ABC's Shark Tank as well as hundreds of outlets across the globe including Cosmo, Live with Kelly, Good Morning America, Oprah Magazine and Women's Health. She is out to infuse love and light into the supply chain of the food industry by leading in ways that are definitely not talked about in business school. She's launching her book how to Lead a Badass Business from the Heart later this year and she's out to inspire entrepreneurs to follow their fear or to follow their fear, surrender to their bigger vision and leave a legacy of love by spreading their unique glitter in the world. Mackenzie speaks Often about money raising, conscious capital, capital, leading businesses, 100% from intuition, and how to lead a team in many other juicy business topics. And that's everything that we covered today and then some. So we absolutely touched on so many different topics. And I really share a lot within her background, living and coming from the Midwest and just so many of those ideas and patterns that come from that type of being raised. And you guys, before I keep babbling, let's just jump right in this conversation because I absolutely loved it and I know that you will, too. Let's go. MacKenzie, I'm so excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for taking the time to come on.

Thank you so much for having me. It's such an honor to be here.

So you are in one of my favorite places in the entire world that I just came back from not too long ago. And we were just chatting about how. Which is Maui, Hawaii. And I. We were just chatting about how it's. It's almost impossible for me to have anxiety when I am in Maui specifically because there's just something there that the second my feet hit the ground and like, just the air feels different. Everything feels different. It's like time slows down there.

Yes, it absolutely does. And actually, I have struggled with anxiety for a long time, and that's why I moved to Maui. So I resonate with what you're saying, and it's really, really helped in all areas of my life, that's for sure.

Ah, it's so true. So what do you. What do you experience when you're there? Like what. What do you think that it is? Because I've heard different ideas and different things, but what do you think it is for you that just kind of helps you slow down and like you were saying, it's just so good for your nervous system.

Well, I think the big thing for me is, number one, the lack of noise. There's a lot less buzzing here. And I think because I'm so sensitive that extra noises and all of the bustle of a city actually pulls my energy in many different directions. And then I get overwhelmed. Whereas here I. It's so quiet. And.

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Number two, just being surrounded by nature and being able to put my feet on the ground and go into the ocean multiple times a week is super calming for my nervous system. So that's it.

Okay, so you just said something that you are so sensitive and sometimes I think that because I often I feel the exact same way about myself. Like, wow, I'm so sensitive to certain things. And while that is I think sensitivity is such a superpower, especially for what you do and what you talk about and leading with intuition and so many beautiful things like that which we're going to get into. But how I know that you moved to Maui, but how did you, before you were in Maui, make sure that you protected that as something that is super powerful for you and didn't let the other things in if we can't specifically move to Maui?

Yes, good question. Because I will say I think that most creatives are very sensitive and we can be very high performing if we're able to have the safe container to do so. So I did live in Los Angeles before Maui and my noise canceling headphones were key for me. The Bose noise canceling headphones and just really setting sacred space, you know, making sure that I've done little things like, you know, put my drink, my cacao or meditate every morning, make sure I set some quiet time for myself and then just staying really narrow focus rather than, you know, multitasking, like multitasking inside of a busy city does not do me well. So just trying to do one thing at a time has helped me and then just taking really good care of myself, you know, knowing how much travel is too much travel and that's, that's really it. But being connected to nature, no matter where I am, like even when I lived in la, I would have to go on a walk outside every single day. And that would, if I didn't do that, then I was not gonna do well.

That's so funny. That's literally if I'm not walking every. I live in Los Angeles, so if I am not walking every day, I feel like a crazy person. So my husband and I have, we probably started our daily walks like 12 years ago, but literally especially here if it comes evening time. And I haven't really walked yet by like six o', clock, I'm like, get me out. I have to go. Like I have got to go clear everything. And I think that's so important for anyone who has to work on any sort of device or just switching up your energy, you know. So I am so excited to hear just about your story and your influences when you were younger. I know you're from the Midwest, right?

I am originally from Ohio, yes.

Okay. So I'm originally from. I Lived in Upper Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota. So I've like done the whole Midwest tour. So I would love to know, number one, what you're doing now because you have such an awesome company that I can't wait to dive into what you're doing now. But what were, what do you think some of the influences were that got you into this space?

Well, growing up, I was in a very traditional household. You know, being the Midwest, you know how it is, you know, it's the expectation to go to school, get a stable job and settle down. And that's really the American dream. So I didn't necessarily have any entrepreneurial influence. I definitely had an inclination to be entrepreneurial and I would bring up the ideas that I had and say, oh, I want to have a restaurant one day. Or I would love to. When I was little, I would say I would love to have a hair salon. I would say little things like that. But it wasn't necessarily encouraged because it was always the story of if you have your own business, you're going to be working all the time, you're never going to be able to leave. And it's risky. But I will say I watched the Food Network all the time. Like instead of watching cartoons, I watched the Food Network. And I was naturally gravitating to the kitchen and to having my hands on food. It just wasn't clicking in for my parents to suggest that as a career necessarily.

Not in the Midwest, no.

Yes.

Okay, so you lived in the Midwest, you were gravitating towards cooking shows and food and your parents didn't really, you know, encourage that quite yet. So what did you do? Were you feeling that complete pull towards that or did you go and, you know, start looking into a totally different career?

I decided I was going to be a doctor and I went to school. Yeah. Because naturally that's what everyone wanted me to say. And I definitely had this people pleasing tendency. And I could feel and see that when I said I wanted to be a doctor that everyone, including all my grandparents, loved that. So I went off to University of Arizona starting in a pre med degree. And throughout that, those college years is where I really discovered that I actually have no idea what I want to do. I definitely don't want to be a doctor. And it wasn't clicking until I would say my fourth year. Was I definitely gravitating to more nutrition and food, but more so thinking maybe I'm meant to be an entrepreneur. It just had never been presented to me as an option. So I actually needed to figure it out through changing my major six times and knowing that I really wanted to work for myself. And I eventually moved to Australia and lived there for two and a half years. And when I was on that plane going to Australia, I said to myself, I'm going to work for myself from this day forward for the rest of my life. So that's what I was committed to when I landed, and that's what I've been doing.

So what made you even want to move to Australia? Was it the lifestyle? Was it a friend? What was.

Was a man.

Okay, got it.

Yes. I had met an Aussie while traveling in between my junior and senior year, But I also had a very big curiosity in traveling. I had met a lot of Australians while I was traveling and just thought it sounded so fun. So I actually went just to explore for six months and I ended up staying longer because of that relationship I was in at the time.

So I always love to learn, like, what was. What was the main takeaway from that whole experience in Australia for you? If there's like a common, like, yeah, I was going to say, I'm sure there's, you know, hundreds of takeaways, maybe thousands, but is there one, like, through line that you look at, at your. That you're like, wow, because of that, this is who I am.

Yeah. I think from the outside perspective, everyone thought I had this amazing life because I was living in Australia, had this relationship, and had started my own successful Pilates studio. So it all looked from the outside like it was really great, and I was very fulfilled by those things. But inside, I was still unhappy and was very much in a lack mindset regarding money. I hadn't done my spiritual work yet. I hadn't healed anything with my parents. So I think what Australia represents to me is that things can look a certain way on the outside, but what's going on internally? And so when I actually moved back to the States, I knew I had big work to do so that I could match both worlds, inner and outer. Does that make sense?

Yes. God, there's so much there that I could go down. Like, what path do I want to take right now? So when you were having those moments of, wow, there's a lot of stuff that I need to work on. There's a lot of things that I need to heal. What was the main thing that was coming up for you? Like what. What was it holding you back from? I know you said you had a. A lack mindset. You probably weren't feeling like yourself. Like, did you always know that you Had a bigger calling and a bigger. A bigger vision for your life. But these were things that were really holding you back or what started to call you to. To do that work. And what was it that really needed healing?

Well, I definitely did feel that when I was in Australia. Like, I can't say I was awake to the fact that internally I needed to heal a lot. It wasn't until the end of my time in Australia was I starting to recognize that inside of my business, when I was inside those doors, I felt really happy and connected to the people that were there and super grateful, very passionate, and also definitely connected to a big vision. I always had this, like, I've always been a big dreamer. But I noticed that when I walked outside those doors, I felt unfulfilled in my relationship, unfulfilled in my social life, and unfulfilled just. Just personally. So when I came back to Arizona, I got into another relationship eventually that really had me confront all my wounding. And it wasn't something I was doing intentionally. It was that in this relationship, which was very, I want to say karmic. It was very hostile. It was having me hit the ground in every single fight and feel this yearning for my mother and my father and feel that there was something still that there was. Even though I was a very positive person and a big dreamer and really wanted to serve and was interested in positive things. It was interesting because in these darker moments with my partner at that time, I would notice, wow, I. I feel like I can't even cry, but I'm so sad. And I miss my mom and dad. There's something here. It's like I started noticing this. So. So that relationship was the catalyst for my growth because at the end of it all, I had fallen pregnant. And that really sent me into a whirlwind because I thought I was, oh, no, now I'm going to have this baby and I'm going to have to give up all of my dreams. And that's how I was looking at it at the time, because I was young and 11 weeks into the pregnancy, this is really sensitive, so I hope it's okay that I'm sharing with your listeners. But just to be completely real and vulnerable at the end of those 11 weeks, the relationship was so bad. And there was. There was so. There was addiction, there was hostility. It just was so unhealthy that I knew I had to choose to have an abortion. It was something that I did in that time that I didn't even think I'd ever be able to bring myself to. But it was. Something was guiding me to choose myself in that moment. That all sent me into so much grief and shame and PTSD in a way. So then I went down to like total rock bottom. And I remember feeling like, how am I going to get myself back here? So in these dark days, by the end of it all, I was kind of like my knees were on the ground. I had totally turned against my spirituality because spirituality meant religion from my upbringing. So when I. It was. It was this dark night of the soul that really brought me back into my own sense of connection to something bigger than me or it. To my internal guidance system, I should say. It was like this moment of surrender. So I hit my knees to the ground and I surrendered. I said, if there is something bigger, if there's something out there, please give me a sign. And oh man, those signs started showing up like crazy. And I started getting into, you know, just, just all the books, you know, Marianne Williamson, Gabriel Bernstein, just all of this personal and spiritual development and the rest is history.

There are so many challenges to business that I don't want starting to be.

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It was that huge moment of just asking for guidance, asking for a sign. And you know, I think that's, that's a place where you can't get there unless you are in so much pain that it's like you are fully aware that you are completely unable to help yourself. And what has brought you. I know that you said, you know, finding all the books and getting all the signs, but are there particular things in your life that you do now to keep, you know, I'm sure there are things that brought you a lot of peace during that time. What do you do now to make sure that your, you know, your mind stays peaceful and you stay connected?

I'll say. The first thing that I was introduced to during that time was mirror therapy. There was a book by Louise Hay called you'd Can Heal youl Life. And my roommate that I had attracted in through Craigslist, random but not random, she introduced me to mirror therapy. I had told her what I was going through and had confided in her very quickly that I feel really lost and down. And she said, oh baby girl, you just need some mama love. And I'm like, what does she mean by that? I hadn't even told her that I wasn't in touch with my mom at the time. And so she said, and you know what you're gonna do? She said, you're gonna go give it to yourself. And she guided me to go to the bathroom and to look down at my body and say, I'm gonna heal you. I'm gonna take care of you. I'm gonna protect you. I'm gonna get you through this. So I started looking in the mirror every day with the intention of one day I wanted to be able to look myself in the eyes and say, I love you. So it was this journey of self love. But when I was looking myself in the eyes, this little girl, five year old girl showed up in the mirror telling me all the things she'd always wanted to hear from her parents but never did. So mirror therapy and working with my inner child was and still is something that I, you know, it's from a different place now, but back then it was a very key part of my healing to start to, to work her through. Like number one, asking how are you feeling? And number two, comforting her through that. And now I would say inner child work is still, is still big. It's just not as prevalent because I've done the work. To follow up on your question, though there are still certain practices that I do that I learned back then. But number one, you know, meditating. But it's in my own way, I'm very much a moving meditator, as I'm sure you are as well. And, you know, journaling. I work with plant medicines. One of those being ceremonial grade cacao and other plant medicines that really help, have helped illuminate so much for me in my life. I mean, there's so many modalities that I tap into, but I don't know which direction you want to go.

Oh, my God. So there's so much there because I first, I just want to share. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that and also thank you for sharing what has really helped you. Because the more people I talk to, so many people go back to doing that work, like giving yourself the love that you need, doing the mirror work, doing the, you know, talking to your inner child. And I can tell you that that has been one of the most healing things that I've ever done. So I think just hearing it from other people too, it's. It's so confirming how powerful it is and how, how important it is. And it's so funny. You were, you were talking and I'm like, oh, my God, I need to go do that around something in my life right now. So thank you for, thank you for that reminder because it, it is powerful. There's. It, it always comes back to that. It's like, what does that inner child need right now? What does she need? So for everybody listening, if that resonates with you, definitely go and check out the book that she recommended. What was the book again? You Can Heal.

Heal your Life by Louise Hay. And it's all about, you know, positive affirmations and doing that mirror work. But then you can also just start journaling to your inner child. You can. It's a, it's very, it's very different when you start speaking to your inner child. Their feelings are so different than your adult self. They're just looking in the mirror. That's all you have to start doing. And you'll start experiencing how they're, how you're really feeling down in your belly.

So I know that you're, you know, you had mentioned in the beginning of this podcast that you are, you're super sensitive and you also just talked about, like, really getting in tune with your feelings and being, being able to heal yourself. And I know what you do now, but I would love to expand on, you know, you have this incredible business where you basically do dessert hummus. And also you're writing a book, right when does your book come out?

I'm not sure. That's definitely work in progress though.

Isn't that the best?

We shall see. Yeah.

The book journey is like so much fun. It's the wildest like self development journey I think I'd ever been on.

It's.

I remember reading about that.

It's really beautiful and really awesome and challenging and I know it's going to be amazing. But you talk a lot about leading from 100 intuition in the business that you're doing now. What did that even look like? And first of all, can you tell everybody what it is is the business that you've started and how that got started?

Absolutely delighted by is like Lori said, home of the original dessert hummus. We are now shifting everything up and going through rebrand. So we're just calling it a dessert dip. But it really is a sweet dip made with chickpeas. So it's a vegan, gluten free, healthy snack or alternative to processed desserts. And you can eat it with just a spoon, pretzels, graham crackers, cinnamon, pita chips or fruit. So it's really fun. When I was sharing about my journey out of my depression during the time I was doing all this mere therapy, starting to read different books about personal development and spiritual development, I came across Gabrielle Bernstein's book Spirit Junkie. And in it she kept referencing this line that would say spirit guide me. And that was uncomfortable at first for me because again, I was still trying to shift my mindset around does religion or God mean fear or shame or something to be scared of? And what she was referencing was something that was very, a very loving energy, an energy that can support you, guide you, be with you, and always has your back. So I started using this phrase, spirit guide me in everything I was doing. And it was really profound. What started happening. I just felt so in tune and like in touch. Like if I said spirit guide me, then whatever I did or said meant it was guided, which was like a nice thing to know. But when I at the very end of that whole healing journey, I was in Sedona and I really had this intention. I wanted to know what is my purpose in life. And I heard a message and it said, mackenzie, your purpose is to spread your glitter. It doesn't matter what you do, it matters how you do it. And that was really for me, a message from my soul saying, your purpose is to just be the light that you are, bring your energy to the room and to the people that you're around in that you'll Fulfill your purpose. So this was very much a relief for me, considering I had grown up, up and felt like I always need to do, do, do, do, do to be of value to the world. The day after I heard that message, I was making my dessert hummus in the kitchen, something I'd been doing for a year and a half just for fun and had randomly thought of because I was craving cookie dough and wanted to make it healthy as you do.

Yep.

So I'm. I'm making my dessert hummus, and I heard another message, and it says, mackenzie, this is one way you're going to spread your glitter. I was like, whoa, who said that? So I woke up the next day, and this was all around the time again that I used the phrase spirit guide me. I woke up the next day and completely. I started delighted by so fast. Like, within a week and a half, we were in farmer's markets, and I showed up to my first farmer's market. Well, backtrack. Even when I was buying the products to put on, like buying a little display for the farmer's market, I would ask, guide me for what to purchase. Guide me for how this brand wants to come to life. I just was so surrendered to something else working through me. Whereas before, in all my other businesses, it was more of like, I have to quote, unquote, get shit done, or I have to. I have to grind. I have to do this. So I was still looking like I was very much in action, but it was from a completely relaxed nervous system and a trust in magic and miracles, like, moving through me. When I showed up to my first farmer's market, my intention was to spread my glitter that day and to ask people what they're delighted by in life. And I asked for guidance every step of the way. So that's where that really got birthed for me in my business. This is what I still do. I wake up and say, what would you have me do? What would you have me say? Where would you have me go? And at first it feels weird because you're like, am I hearing right? Am I? You just have to practice it. And now what's beautiful is delighted by is truly like a separate entity from me. So I can have this conversation with what I call her, D.B. so I'm always like, D.B. what are you trying to show me right now? D.B. where do you want to go? And it's. It allows me to surrender to a vision that's so much bigger than me, but also allows me to surrender to all the universal forces that are going to support me in bringing that vision to life rather than thinking my way through it or thinking I need to do it all. Does that make sense?

Yes. So something that I want to ask just for, to go a little bit deeper for people listening and for myself is so when you're asking, because there's the beginning, and I know that you talked about practice, there's the beginning, especially in business where we can hear things and we're not sure, right? I'm sure in the beginning you were like, oh, hearing these answers. But there's that point of, do I fully trust this? And were some of the answers wrong? But in the long run they were right? You know, does that make sense? How do you, how do you explain that? How do you help people understand that sometimes you're going to make mistakes, but sometimes those mistakes are also. Well, you know, they're, they're for you. So how did you start kind of leaning in following it and what did it feel like when you heard those intuitive hits?

Well, I do want to acknowledge what you're saying. Sometimes you can think you're hearing your guidance and then act from there, and then something happens that's uncomfortable, doesn't feel ideal, or is super messy. That doesn't mean it wasn't meant to go that way. It was meant to work on you regarding something that you know you needed to grow into. Or maybe it was meant to introduce you to a certain person along the way. There is an absolute trust you have to embody when you start surrendering to your higher inner guidance. And it's very uncomfortable at times because you can get into self doubt of like doubting yourself or oh, no, even labeling it as a mistake can not do well for me. Sometimes it's more of like, no, no, no, continuously coming back to, I can trust myself, I can trust my higher guidance. And that doesn't mean it's not going to be messy along the way. And of course we can learn from those situations. Be like, next time I would absolutely show up differently, or I would do it differently, I would share it differently. But so just, I think overall with your question, it really comes down to sitting, getting still enough, getting silent enough to actually hear the answers. But step one is asking the right questions. So ask specific questions, pause, let that answer come to you. And then even if you're not sure, just trust it and start playing with it. And then from there, like start developing your trust. I mean, our physical bodies don't actually trust very much. So that's an initiation that happens over years of Tapping into your guidance system. Right.

So when you were. So there's different parts of your business, obviously, and I'm sure different parts are much easier to trust because certain things have less of a risk. And I know that you went through different rounds of raising money, correct?

Yes.

Okay. So I'm really excited to hear about this because I'm starting to think of a similar business model. Not food, but definitely starting a company. And this is the thing that when I think about it, I know that there's that part of me that's like, yes, trust. And then because of old triggers and past things around, you know, money or other people's money, and I'm sure so many people can get really triggered around money. Were there different, you know, with. With investors, with people investing in you, with money that's not yours? Maybe when it was like different amounts of money, were there parts of you that were less trusting? And how did you get into trust around that?

I would say that 90% of this business has felt very uncomfortable from inception. Like, you know, it always feels like, quote, unquote, risky, because I'm always trying to keep myself uncomfortable. I'm always trying to play bigger. And if you're trusting your intuition, sometimes you're going to be going against what society tells you to do or what the old paradigm of business expects you to do. And that's been my journey. I've been consistently trusting my intuition, which sometimes looks and feels crazy to others, like, oh, my God, how could you be that bold? And I'm just like, it's just because it's my guidance and I have to follow it. And my body still feels uncomfortable. So it's not like I can ever convince myself to trust enough. Which then has me take the inspired action. It's more, I have to take the inspired action. Let the universe show me. See, you could you can trust and you have to, like, act first and then let the universe show you. It's. It's so funny, like, taking that leap. So I do like to speak about that to entrepreneurs a lot. Regarding following your fear and letting yourself be uncomfortable and playing big enough to be uncomfortable with raising money. I was, oh, my God, so uncomfortable the whole time. And I started. I started the company on my credit card cards. So it was like real grassroots. And I actually was guided to go in full time from day one, which is why I used my credit cards at that time. Again, I can't say that's something I recommend. For me, it was perfect because I knew it was going to work like There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be the first dessert hummus to national shelves. I was so committed to that belief, so that I wasn't actually worried about my credit card. So it was like, it doesn't matter. This is so temporary. I just need to get started because this is moving through me with so much passion. And when I got to the time, the very first capital raise, I was in a position where I was still doing everything for the business, from making the hummus to bringing it to the farmer's market, to selling it market, and then trying to also grow it and learn how can I scale this product? Product. What, what do you do in the food industry? What is a margin like? Trying to learn all of that in the background. So I, I just started again, like trusting myself. I was guided to put together a video to apply to Shark Tank. From that video, I didn't actually get into Shark Tank the first round, but I had an angel investor come through and give me $20,000 to help me keep going. And it was a very non traditional way of raising capital because I still hadn't put together a business plan. I actually was just so business itself that I wasn't really planning other than I knew where I was now and that I was going to be national for the future. So then the next thing that happened was I was able to get a $10,000 Kiva loan, which is a loan from your community. It's like crowdfunding. Zero percent interest. That was really, really helpful. And then the next thing. So then I start running out of money again and. And I went to Sedona, which is where I was sitting with a shaman in my plant medicine ceremonies. And I heard this message and it said, number one, do you. It was like, mackenzie, like, I'm using you for a big purpose. Do you think that I wouldn't provide? And so for me, that was a really big key from my money story and understanding that our visions and our purpose 100% is deserving of being provided for. So that really clicked something in for me. But number two, what I was guided to do was start telling more people about it. Like, get out there. Don't be so shy. Don't be so quiet. Tell people what you're up to. Ask for help. Tell everyone you're raising money. Like, start using your voice. The next day, after hearing that guidance, I showed up to the airport and I actually missed my flight. But in the line to check in, I met Jocelyn Aaron Freeman in. They had made money from their network Marketing business. They were looking for someone to invest in, but I didn't find that out until they had started a conversation with me and I heard, oh, this is my test. So start sharing, start sharing what I'm up to. So I just told them, yeah, I'm on the way to my Shark Tank casting call in San Francisco, I'm raising capital for my hummus business. And they said, oh my gosh, we're looking for like conscious entrepreneurs to invest in in. And within weeks they were invested and delighted by, wow, they kept happening like that. So I now have seven shareholders. I mean, my grandmother and my aunt ended up emptying out some stocks at one point because we were in such a bad position with our co packer because of a whole thing that had happened with our product on shelves. So things kind of got scary. But. But people always came through and supported. And then we did end up making it to Shark Tank. And I presented and actually had mark Cuban offer $600,000 to invest in our business within those weeks after the show, him and I really got to know each other in Laguna and talk about his vision, my vision. And for me, my guidance kept telling me, this is not your partner. This is not meant to be your business partner. So I ended up walking away from that deal, having my current investors invest the $600,000 in that same exact day because they were so aligned with what I was feeling. And so I've raised capital, I've raised over a million dollars now, all completely unconventionally. I've still never written a business plan, I've never presented. I've definitely heard a lot of no's because I was bold enough to ask. But my biggest thing around raising money is, is number one, there's so much money out there. Number two, there are so many people that want to support your vision. And number three, because there's so much money out there and because there are so many people that want to support, make sure you're being really selective in what kind of frequency you want your shareholders and the money that's in your business to have. And that's why I feel really, really grateful that every single one of my shareholders years, it's not an investment just to make money. They're actually around the family dinner table with me always caring, number one, about my health and wellness first. But number two, they're holding the vision. They're holding my vision. My vision is to literally, literally redo. How do I even say it? My vision is regarding the food industry and upgrading the frequency of the supply chains. Of the food industry by doing that with a heart centered business. My vision is bigger than just selling our company for $80 million. My vision is more so big picture. It's about the whole, it's about the future generations. So my shareholders have me in that and they're 100% committed to the same thing.

Wow, that's beautiful and so timely. And I just, I'm. Thank you for sharing that. And also when, okay, so to go a little bit deeper into that when you were asking. So when you, when you have your, you know, when you're going and you're asking for money or when you're asking for people to get in on the vision. Well, specifically raising capital. Did you lead with the vision or did you, how would you lead? Would you lead with the product? What would you lead with when you were kind of talking about it? Would you pitch or would you. Were these more natural conversations or what did that look like? Because I know you probably just talked and talked and talked and talked to get people to listen, but can you share a little bit about how you actually connected and painted that vision for the people who are now a part of it?

Sure. I would say I always covered both. I covered the product. Why it's different, you know, what my vision is within the industry in terms of the product itself, like being the first dessert hummus to national shelves, for instance. And why I would definitely express my vision around conscious enterprise and why I. That's important to me and how we're doing this really differently. And it's all about love, essentially. And I would share myself personally and what drives me. I noticed that the investors that were meant to be on my side were more interested in the latter things. So I was grateful because Aaron and Jocelyn really set the tone for me. My very first investor, we had a conversation at her kitchen, in her kitchen. And I was sharing about the product, I was sharing about my vision and all of that. And she was just in, and she's a businesswoman. So I was grateful that we didn't have to get into tons of conversations. But by the time I got to Jocelyn, Aaron, I wanted to present both. I wanted to present the numbers that I do have. I wanted to present what I do know, which I had been doing a lot of research on the industry and I gave them everything. But the very last question Aaron asked me was, what is driving you? And I said, well, it's kind of spiritual, if you're okay with that. And he said, well, of course, that's the only thing we're Driven by. And so that gave me this permission when I gave him my answer about spreading my glitter and that's my purpose and delighted by how I do that. He was in right away. And so he set that tone for me of like, wow, this is how you attract, attracts in conscious shareholders is by being honest about what actually matters to you on a soul level. I think you can hit both, though. You can hit the numbers, you can hit the product, you can hit your passion, you can hit the, like, the goals financially, but you can also share. And this is what's really under, like, what's, what's underlying all of that.

So it's so awesome because when I hear about, you know, my husband and I, we've invested in like four different companies now, and I can tell you that the thing that we are always looking for is who that person is, and it's always about investing. The vision is awesome or the product is awesome, but it's like, who is that person to us and what do they represent and what is the vision? What are their dreams? What are they driven by? So I think that's so incredibly. It's just really cool to hear because I think that for anyone who's starting a company or thinking of starting a company, I. I feel like if you have that really internal clarity and that drive and that excitement, you know, no matter what the thing is, it can be successful or it can be the stepping stone to something successful. Do you feel that way? Do you feel like even if it was a different product, you would be able to move it forward?

I absolutely do. I think it comes down to your passion. Like you said, sharing your passion and really believing in it, like believing in your vision and believing in yourself and. And doing a good job at expressing that. You might still have doubts. Of course, we all do as humans and you can be authentic about those. But just sharing yourself from passion. And the thing is, if you're wanting to start a business, it has to be something that you are ready to give your all to. That's going to be like, you're going to be so moved to wake up and put your life force into. If you do that, you know, your shareholders or your potential shareholders are going to feel that from you. They're going to feel that you're passionate. They're going to feel that nothing's going to stop you. So I do agree.

I love that because I think we can get so stuck on. You know, I've heard a lot of people get so stuck in the thing that they want to do or invent or create. And it's like, you know, are they the first ones? Has it all been done before? Is this, that? And I'm like, I never, I don't think of that stuff as much anymore because I'm like, what is the driving force behind it? Because it's really what will. It's what gives it the heart and the soul and the mission. And there's so much there. And I just think that this conversation with you is probably so empowering for so many people to free them of thinking they have to be the best or the first or it's gotta be something that, that's brand new and people have not thought of or a brand new invention or something like that.

It's so true. I love that you're saying this because I actually had an entrepreneur email me this morning with an idea and he's like, what do you think? I'm like, well, because in what he was sharing was, there's a lot of other similar things. But I said, what I want to know is this like your. Do you have a fire in your belly for this? Like, you can't sleep at night, you're ready to wake up and put your all into it. If that's where you're at, then freaking go for it. If this is just an idea that you're like, maybe I want to do this, then that's obviously not your soul's calling.

So what if you are feeling like, you know, because I'm sure there are a lot of people listening to this who are, who don't. They're not clear. Like they think they want to be an entrepreneur. They know in their heart they're an entrepreneur. They're going to start a business. Business. And. And it sounds like on your journey, you know, this was something that just kind of came naturally. You were in the kitchen. It came from a need. It came from something that you enjoyed, that you wanted to do. But what if, like, you're waiting, like you're in the waiting game? What would you say to those people who are just in the waiting? Would you, you know, do they release? Do they just go and try to find something they enjoy? Because I was definitely feeling like I was in a waiting period for a certain amount of time. Yeah. Can you share on that?

That I love this question. I was in a waiting period because through the year and a half where I was in that tough place, I was still trying to figure out, what am I going to do? I had sold my business in Australia. Come back, I had been Working on another venture that didn't work out. And so I'm like, I want to do something. What's my next thing? And I kept asking that question. I think my soul just knew I wasn't ready and that there was some personal, like, I call it clearing the channel. So if you're wanting to be a business owner or an entrepreneur, you. You. Your body is a channel for that vision or for that entity that wants to come through you and express itself. I don't think my channel, I know my channel was not ready or clear enough or healed enough to hold the bigness of delighted by. And so if you're in a waiting period, just really trust that, but also honor it. Like, honor that there is 100% something, some beautiful entity that's going to present themselves to you in the perfect timing and then just kind of make this commitment to them. Like, I'm going to. I'm going to follow my guidance. I'm going to sit in this and I'm going to be so persistent about what it is that the entity is wanting me to do the groundwork on for my channel. That's what I think it is. I think it's the groundwork. And then that's why, too, a lot of entrepreneurs want their business to come to life within a day, and they want their vision to come to life. I'm always like, oh, my God, I feel you. That's what I always wanted, too. But then as it got bigger and bigger and bigger, I'm like, oh, my God, thank God that delighted by took it the pace that she did, because I needed to have this level of leadership or I needed to have this skill or I needed to have this awareness. It's all framework and groundwork. And so I would say for those that are waiting, just trust that.

Wow, I'm this, you know, I am just in complete, like, awe of just life and how it delivers things at such amazing timing. Like, it's always just the crate. This podcast is always the craziest thing for me. And it was kind of like how your company is. It was just like this. This complete trusting of something that just randomly came about, but I wasn't ready for before. And that's also how I'm getting delivered. Such beautiful messages. So thank you because I will share in depth later on, like, what a gift this is for me. I'm just like, sitting here with glassy eyes because I'm just in awe of the universe. So with that said, I could talk to you all day long, but I would Love to ask you with these last few minutes, just what's something that's exciting to you or on your heart or maybe there's a message that you're loving talking about right now, like, what is really lighting you up and coming through for you right now at this point in your life?

Oh, man. Well, it is a little challenging to pick something because I'm a very passionate person. I mean, I could talk to you about my cat, but no, really, I am so lit up right now by restoring the heart into big and small business. So I feel that delighted by did not present herself until I was ready because she needed to start doing this work on my heart that stemmed from my upbringing with my mom and my dad. Dad. And delighted by continues to have me come back into my heart space to make every decision. So when we talk about intuition or inner guidance, it's really, for me, the heart. And I love the conversation right now because we're getting a lot bigger. You know, I told you I started the company on my credit cards, and then in three years, we've sold almost $10 million with a comment, wow. When you start getting bigger and have bigger decisions and have a bunch of employees and all of these things, this is where it's really important to make the decisions from your heart space and to really like, especially when it comes to the spreadsheets. So I love speaking to entrepreneurs that are at this stage or want to one day be at this stage, that are going to be sitting with their chief financial officer and bookkeeper making decisions about how they reinvest resources, and they look at it and they don't choose from fear, but instead they choose from love. And I think that's a really hard thing to do. But if we can do that, this is why I'm so passionate about entrepreneurs starting new things right now. The ones that are committed to doing their inner work, the ones that are committed to doing their healing, because that way they're not bringing their primal survival fears into the spreadsheets, but they're bringing their heart and their thought of the whole, their thought of future generations and the thought of our planet. So this is. This is what I love. I mean, it really comes down to financial decisions, but it's also decisions on our employees. You know, when you start hiring employees and you're working with them for, you know, years, really learning how to help them grow as well, acknowledging and honoring the sole contract that they have with the entity, and that it's really all for us to just grow and to connect and to Come back to love over and over and over and over again. So that's. That's what I'm passionate about. I don't know if that was specific enough.

Oh, yeah, that was perfect and specific and beautiful. And you know, I know that you're busy, but you really need to finish that book so that I can have it tangibly in my hands. And I'm sure a lot of other people would love it to be able to have a spot where they can kind of focus in on that and learn all about it. You have a podcast and I think you have some other things too. Can you share where we can learn more about what we talked about today? Because honestly, this needs like a 10 hour podcast, so.

Well, thank you so much. Coming from you, that really does mean a lot. And I really admire you and everything that you're up to and just your authenticity really is. Is the biggest thing that always sticks out to me.

Thank you.

Yes. Yeah, of course. So when the book does come to life one day, it'll be called how to lead a badass business from your heart. And so it's where I'll get to dive into all of these fun, juicy topics about business. But right now, yes, delighted by has a podcast. We interview other food entrepreneurs and we get to hear their stories and their passions. And my desire there is to just support other brands that have heart and passion behind them and so that we can start circulating resources to those brands because the bigger companies are like, not that I'm against bigger companies at all. I'm all for it. Just I want to make sure that the heart and the passion is still there and that we're voting with our dollar in that way. We have that. And I also have my not for profit called cacao Ceremonial drinking chocolate K A K A O. And that's just a beautiful tool. In the morning, instead of coffee, you can drink cacao and you can, you know, intentionally open your heart, set your intentions, and it's very calming to my nervous system. And, and that's really it. That's. That's what I'm up to right now. I mean, I have tons of things going on with my partner and we're starting an app for our community. But really I'm also preparing to be a mom. I feel like we're going to get pregnant really soon. So exciting, fun things going on. Yeah.

So exciting. Well, I will tell you that this has, like, completely recharged my soul and my batteries and just confir. You know, I've been asking for signs so I've been getting multiple signs, and this was just a big, giant sign, like smack dab in the middle of my house. So this has been completely awesome for myself. And I know whenever it's awesome for me, it's awesome for everybody who's tuned in and listening in in the same exact spot that I am. So, you know, whether you are starting a business or not, whoever is listening right now, I know that there are so many, many beautiful takeaways. Just so much wisdom there. So thank you for being so vulnerable and just sharing so much of yourself. I know that you do that in all modalities that you are on, and I'm just like beyond honored and blessed to have had this conversation with you. So I always end on one last question, but just before that question, you know, you have the podcast and everything like that, but on your. I don't think we got your Instagram handle or the website.

Yes, Delighted by Desserts is our Instagram handle. And then you can go to delightedbydeserts.com or delightedbyhumus.com and then if you go to the store locator, you can find the closest store near you that has all of our amazing flavors. We have brownie batter, vanilla bean, snickerdoodle, mint, chocolate fudge, key lime pie, pumpkin pie, red velvet. We have all these fun things.

So check it out. Oh my gosh. I will be doing that. Okay, so I always add on one last question, and that question is, if you are just in passing with a total stranger, whether it's on a sidewalk or you're in an elevator, but it's like 30 seconds with a random person that you've never met before, and they look at you and they ask you, how can I make myself happy? What do you say?

I would say, do only what you are delighted by.

So beautiful. You guys, if you loved this episode as much as I did, make sure you share it with your friends. And until next time, earn your happy. Bye, everyone. Thank you guys so much for spending this time with me on the earn your happy podcast. I am so glad that you stopped by. If you could take one second to share this episode with someone you think would love it, that would be absolutely amazing and we would be forever grateful. Also, please leave us a review. If you feel so moved by going to itunes and leaving us an honest thought, an honest comment, tell us what you think, tell us what you want to hear more of. It would really help us out on our journey to helping thousands and thousands of people. Until then, don't forget to earn your happy. Thanks again, guys. Bye.

Bye.