The Importance of Setting Boundaries with Kristen Diaz

Welcome back to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast. Welcome to all the listeners who have been loyal and been with me for all of this, like 2 and a half years. We are episode 54. Slow and steady is how I like to do things. If you are new here, welcome. Um, I love to hear from you. I love for, um, you to reach out, so definitely leave a review or reach out to me in an email at info@craftedtothrive.com. Thrive. On this episode, you guys, I recorded this episode like, um, beginning of March, April timeframe with Kristen at Vow and Vast. That was right at the height of COVID-19, obviously all this social and racial unrest and all of those things. So we were actually talking about how to be able to set boundaries for our business, how to build a team that appreciates your value, um, and how if you don't have those boundaries, how they can affect your health. And Kristen really is really open in this particular episode about how that has affected her and how that has made her embrace the world of having a business as a virtual assistant and a productivity coach. Um, we talk about a lot of cool things in this episode, so definitely stay tuned and bear with the audio because that was also around the time where the internet was acting kind of cray cray, and I had to record this using my phone with headphones. So definitely stay tuned. It's— I've edited it to my best ability, but I'm super excited just to have her on. So I can't wait for you guys to tune in. So stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get in our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear and negative thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives.

I am so excited to have Ms. Kristin on the show. She is awesome sauce. Um, not only has she helped me in my own personal business, um, she is in the same group that I'm currently in, which is called Babe Crafted, which is a group of women who are building and growing businesses. And, um, she is an amazing virtual assistant, project manager, and all of the awesome things that you expect that to sound like. She's super organized, she's super fun. Um, And I'm just so excited to have you on. So welcome.

Thank you, Nikita. I appreciate you having me since I've been listening to this podcast for a while now and doing some work with you. It's nice to finally be on.

I love it. I love it too when people are like on the show that have like listened or have worked with me and they're like, oh, this is so fun. I love it. I love it. So tell us about who you are and what you do.

Sure. Well, Kristen Diaz, CEO and founder of Vow and Bast. I use virtual assistants and productivity coaching to create a better balance, work-life balance for creative small business owners so they don't avoid burnout. They stay passionate about what they do and they have peace of mind.

Hey, that's like what every business owner wants, right? Like We want some of that.

Yes, definitely. I know I need some of that myself, especially now.

Like everybody feels a little bit overwhelmed trying to pivot, trying to do all these different things, trying to make sure that they are in alignment and feeling integrity and all that jazz. So what made you decide to like go into doing this? Like, have you always been doing this? Were you working for the man? Like what's your origin story?

Sure. Yeah. I have always essentially worked for the man. Um, went to college in New Orleans, came back to Tampa and I worked for a couple of startups, small businesses, that whole fun thing. And then I worked for a couple agencies, but I've always been in the marketing realm and I've always had kind of a marketing operations coordinator admin role. I've always been the catch-all because everyone had instantly realized that I'm really good at managing projects. I'm really good at organization and I'm good at getting people to do things on time. So naturally I have been the catch-all with all these companies. And then I realized that I am also a huge perfectionist. So not, not that great for my mental health. So, uh, after a couple of panic attacks and a couple of trips to urgent care, trying to figure out what's what's going on with me. I thought my asthma was back. I used to have asthma. It was a whole flurry of medical craziness for just a slight minute. And the doctors told me I have too much anxiety, I stress out too much, and I need to chill out. So after realizing that a 9 to 5 was not exactly great for me, I decided to leave the last marketing agency that I was at and pursue what I'm passionate about. And it just so happened that marketing, admin, virtual assistants, and productivity fell back into my lap. And that's how Bound Fast started. Wow.

That is— wow. Like, wow. So I don't know why this— I do know why. Because, you know, I don't always get to know people's origin story until I get them on the podcast. And then I'm like, Oh snap, like, I— that makes sense. Like, it totally makes sense why you're so good at what you do and why you're so passionate about what you do. It's because you are coming from this place, like this place of like, look, I do not want to be burnt out again. I do not want to be in the hospital again. I don't want to be dealing with that overwhelming sense of stress and why that's so important. I mean, even when we've worked together and we've been working together, it's like I totally get that feel like whatever is not stressful, whatever, whatever is not stressful, Nikita, like whatever is simple, like whatever we can do to make this less stressful. And first of all, that is like huge, like big deal for like me. And I think for a lot of women who are like running businesses, especially if you have a chronic illness or you just have life hurdles that are just feeling like a lot, It's so important to have someone in your team or in your corner that feels how important it is for you to have less stress in your business and in your life. So that makes sense. And thanks for sharing that. So why, why do you feel like that's kind of been a place that, that was really difficult for you? Like why, besides being a perfectionist, like is, has it, have you always felt like that? Like, Was that like when you were a kid thing or is it just life?

Oh, it's definitely been since I've been a kid. I am very Type A. I am just very OCD, hard worker, tries to overachieve, trying to be the best I can possibly be. But like, no one asked me to do that. I just think it's part of what I need to be doing in order to be successful. So I think that was was very much embedded in me, you know, throughout school. My parents would be like, please get good grades, do all the extracurriculars, do it, do all the things, get into a good college, all of those things, because they both attended college later in life. So they really wanted both daughters, you know, to do very well in school and, you know, have that life that they really, you know, have always dreamed of us having. So it was definitely that perfectionist streak in me. I was just like, okay, I'll try to be as perfect as I can. And then that came crashing down. So please, anyone who's listening, don't try to be perfect all the time. You will literally land in urgent care and a doctor telling you to chill out.

So yeah, I think, you know, what you say, what you're saying, and what I've heard other people say as well is that it's a It's two sides. I do believe that it's a great thing because even when you're like in what you were saying in your work, you know, people saw that you're really good at being organized and just having things done on time. And some of us really do need those people in our lives because we are like, you know, bouncy balls. They're all over the place. We don't expect us to be anywhere, to show up anywhere on time. Like, you know, there's a lot of us out there. Especially creative entrepreneurs, we kind of bounce all over the place, right? Um, so it's interesting how this can be a positive and a negative, um, trait in a person. Um, it could be a powerhouse tool for your business, but it can also be the thing that holds you down. So how have you found the balance between those two worlds?

I realized that The thing that keeps me in balance is creating boundaries. And in that sense, that means I can't say yes to everything because of course that's where the perfectionist comes in. It's like, yeah, I can do everything. That is fine. We can do it all. I gotta help you with balance until you have a perfect one, which doesn't, doesn't exist. So I tend to say yes because I want to please people and I, once I figured out that that's probably the reason that I would get burned out and overwork myself was because I wanted to please clients. I wanted to please my managers. I wanted to please everyone. And it's just not good for my mental health. So once I realized, you know, creating boundaries has been super helpful. And once I created boundaries, it helped inspire my clients to create boundaries for themselves too, because when they saw me doing it, they're like, you know what? I'm not mad. I respect that and I'm going to do that as well. Like it's been super helpful. So when I stop work for the day, I stop, like shut down. Like the only thing that will be on my computer is probably a ridiculous amount of BuzzFeed quizzes.

That's it.

I want my brain shut off. I just want a quiz to tell me what kind of cat I am.

And that's it for the whole day. It's a full self-care.

It's a form of self-care. That's what I tell myself. But yeah, creating boundaries has been very, very helpful to combat that and really instill, you know, that balance in my life. It's like, okay, I've been working so hard this week. Maybe I should take a half day on Friday or maybe take Monday off because I'm noticing that my brain is starting to fry. I'm getting a little agitated. My tone isn't great. I'm just like, oof. We just need to stop for a second. So creating boundaries has really helped me realize when I need more self-care, when I need a break. It's really helped me tune into my body as well as my mind, which my mind was the whole thing that got me into this in the first place. So I gotta pay special attention there.

Yeah, I love everything that you said. One, that you taking control of the boundaries of like what you're going to do, what you're not going to do, what you're going to say yes to, what you're not going to say yes to, also reflected in your clients saying, hey, I can do that too. Like that's not a bad thing. And I think part of the perfection and also I think part of it is fear that we're thinking, well, if I say no to someone, then I'm going to lose the money or I'm not going to succeed as fast or I'm not going to get another client because I said no. Like, like I feel like part of the boundary setting is like we're afraid to because of consequences. But I love how you just said all these awesome, amazing, positive things that happen from setting boundaries. And that's more or less what always happens. I feel like, like that happens a lot more than the opposite of being like, oh no, everybody hates me and they don't want to work with me ever again. You know, these things we say to ourselves. So, um, Thinking about that, are there some fears when you were setting those boundaries or are there fears in your business or just like in growing your business that you've had to kind of acknowledge and work through?

Oh, 100%. When I first started setting those boundaries, it was a real inner struggle, not only for like myself, but business-wise. I think every small business owner goes through this. Once you start realizing what your niche is, what your true offerings are going to be and how you're going to help people, and then you need to protect your time and your mind, that's when that inner battle comes into play. It's like, well, if you don't say yes and you set too many boundaries, then how many clients are you actually going to get? Kind of like you were saying, like, people are going to say no to me. And then that was, that was a constant struggle within the first year. And then I started really doing some inner, inner work and just thinking Well, if I'm saying yes to everyone, then I'm not finding my true client either, and I'm just dealing with clients that don't mesh with me personality-wise. And that's really important for me. That's always been something like, I want to work with people that I can be friends with and I can enjoy a glass of wine with and talk random things with. Because if I can't do that, then the communication and the whole working relationship isn't going to be as great. And I want it to be as great as possible because I want to be someone's sidekick. So, right, once I noticed that, I was just like, you know what, I, I have to stick to my guns because I want to help a lot of people. But I know who my clients are, so I need to stick to my boundaries. And I need to, I need to turn away as well. I need to say no myself. So even though it probably didn't get me all the clients, I didn't grow as astronomically fast as some other small businesses. I stayed true to what I wanted to do, and growing slowly for me has been the best thing possible because there's not one client that I've regretted over the past 2 years. First year, yes, but these past 2 years have been solid. I don't regret anyone.

That's awesome. Um, there's, there's like ooey gooey yummy ummy like magic but not magic that happens when you get on the phone with a client that you are a potential client that is in your wheelhouse and you don't really have to worry about them not being your fit. Like I feel like as a business owner, I think that's like the hardest thing to finally find your people that feels so organically like just you, like maybe a year ago or 2 years ago or even 6 months ago or 6 weeks ago or 6 days ago where you're like, this is the client that I want to work with because one, I've been there, two, they kind of get my brain, three, um, I can be a true assistance to them. But it doesn't happen if you're trying to, like, if you're throwing the spaghetti at the wall at anything and everything, like as much as people believe that you can do that, you'll get somewhere faster. I truly believe just like you just stated, going slow means you build this momentum that ends up being really fast in the end. So you attract more people that like you, that you want to work with. Like, I'm sure if I send people your way that were with me, like that I know, you're probably going to like them because they're probably more like me. You know, it's like, that's just kind of how that works. And so the fear is based out of like these things we say in our head, like you were just saying, but then the reality is you create a business that you actually love and that is sustainable. And you have a sustainable business because you like it. You like it and you love it. And that's really important.

Definitely.

I agree.

Yeah. If you don't, if you don't end up loving your business still 3 years from now from when you started it, then what are you doing? There's something going on.

Yeah.

It could be because you haven't figured out your clients. You haven't figured out that finding that magic with people. Yeah, it could be a combination of a lot of things, but I do, I'm 100% on board with that.

So tell me a little bit about like some things that you absolutely love about your business. Like, like what are some things that you've really enjoyed over the last 2 years? Just growing it and building it. What are some things that you truly enjoy?

Oh gosh, honestly, just helping people all the time. Honestly, just like getting testimonials or referrals and hearing what people have to say and how, you know, their lives have improved for the better or their work lives have improved for the better because they've been able to delegate to me and they've been really receptive over, you know, my like coaching, which tends to happen with every client, even if they don't ask for it. I'm like, well, maybe if we did this, you know, I just genuinely love helping people create a better balance and a peace of mind in their lives, work, life related.

I—

hearing that feedback is always the thing that I love the most. And also just growing internally. I have an absolutely amazing intern who is She's so creative, so smart, and she's— she just has a really bright future ahead of her. And it's been amazing to be able to not only talk the talk to clients and telling them to delegate, but it's also been great for me to do the same thing and have someone that I trust. It's— I'm experiencing the same thing that I'm giving to my clients. So it's, it's come full circle. And that's what That's what I really love. So it's nice to have the ability to finally talk the talk and walk the walk. So that's been honestly awesome. Like any of the testimonials that have come through, I've just been like almost to tears because it's just been— it's always so nice to hear how much of an impact you make on someone's life. I'm sure, sure you get, you get those too and you get a little teary-eyed and choked up.

Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I am so emotional. Exactly. I'm so emotional these days. It doesn't take much to make me cry. So yes, I agree with you getting testimonials and hearing just really good feedback about, you know, what you do is a beautiful thing. So speaking on that, are you, do you have any tips on helping like, um, small businesses get testimonials for their business?

Oh, it's part of my sort of deboarding process or like 6-month process. There's always a point. I have 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year contracts, right? You would know because you've been one. So after, if it's a shorter contract, then afterwards I'll ask like, hey, if you've You know, really liked what, how I've helped you and what I've put together for you. You know, please, please leave a testimonial. I thought you were a fabulous client, so I would love to feature you. Um, it's just a genuine like request from the heart and it's not templated. I always just have a reminder like, please ask for this testimonial, and then I'll just type a little something, ask for it on audio. It just depends on who the client is and how I feel. They'll receive the request the best, I suppose.

You guys, I wish— okay, so again, there's some people— okay, so I don't ever like release these videos for the podcast, but sometimes I wish I did just because of these moments that I'm like, oh my gosh, I wish people saw this right now. She was just doing like this, like this boho dance here explaining this. It was so cute.

I talk with my hands often, so just imagine arms and limbs flailing everywhere.

Yeah, this is why we probably connected. People say the same thing about me. My husband jokes all the time. He's like, Nikita, from across the room, I can almost tell what you're saying, and it's not because of your lips. It's always because of your hands. I can totally tell what's going on. And I'm like, okay.

I'm very expressive. People say the same thing. They're like, I can just see your face and know something's like either something great's happening, something not so great's happening, or you're trying to like bite your tongue on something. I'm just like, mm-hmm, very expressive. And it's funny because when we first connected, it was just audio. Like we didn't see each other yet, but we connected so well. And I could imagine you talking with your hands the entire time. As I'm sure that you probably thought I was too, because you can probably hear the movement sometimes.

The wind.

Sometimes I really do hear people move. I'm like, what were you just doing? They're like, I just did something really annoying with my hands.

Sorry. Well, how are— like, what are some women that you've kind of connected with in your business or mentors or things like that that has really empowered you and helped you? Like, what are some, some things that they've told you that have really stuck with you? What are some of those things?

Whoa. Well, Gina from Babe Crafted happens to be a client of mine. So I have the absolute pleasure of always being on the back end of things and seeing all the amazing inspirational quotes and stories from all Babe Crafted members. And of course, half of my clientele is BabeCrafted members. So on the daily, someone's teaching me something, and it's always incredible. Like, the entire group of BabeCrafted ladies is just so incredible, empowering, amazing people who are not afraid to tell it like it is and have real passion behind what they do. So yeah, every, every single day I feel like I'm learning something new, but it's definitely been a pleasure to see and put together, you know, like newsletters and things like that and pulling all the information and being inspired each week just by doing something as small of a task as copying, pasting an intro and, you know, finding the quotes and figuring out what blog to feature, things like that, because you're always tapping into a person and what they do and showcasing it in such a big way, but also you're being inspired at the same time. So Constantly. And there's not one person. Every time I think I'm just like, yeah, I'm really into what— like, used to be Meghan Markle and Rihanna, which they still are. Those are the two women like I absolutely love, but it constantly changes. It really does. Because I feel like every woman, especially small business owners that I encounter, there's just something so relatable, so genuine, and something that you can always take away because we're all small business owners. So yeah, yeah, it's almost kind of like a sisterhood in that way. Like, just constantly inspired all the time. Hopefully that was a good answer.

No, I love it. No, it's a great answer because I think that, um, we can learn from like so many different people. And even within what you do, you're learning from other people, you're growing from, you know, other people. Um, Taking what you learn and making it your own in a sense. I feel like sometimes as entrepreneurs, especially as women, we tend to— we take in a lot of information. We're learners. I feel like women are really good learners. That's just me. We take time to dissect it and listen to it. I feel like there's a lot of men that sort of do that, but they also do it they'll like watch something and be like, I'm an expert. And you're like, okay, you know, that's kind of like a, like a man thing. And a woman's like, I need to really gnaw and practice that. Not that that's any better. You know, not, not that I'm saying that's how we should be. I'm just saying we tend to like bite down on things and really dissect it and try to figure it out in a way.

Yeah.

And you guys, I don't know why I started off on that tangent. But basically that women in general, we like to learn. And so I think we sometimes lose our own selves because we're trying to emulate like other people and what they're doing. But the beauty of just learning is taking what you know about whatever it is you're learning and making it your own, like making it be a reflection of who you are versus a reflection of someone else. And I think for for women that are listening. And that's the beauty. I've worked with different virtual assistants. I have. Kristen knows this. When I talked to her, I was like, girl, I've been burnt so many times. I am like, and not just burnt. Like I just didn't really have a good like experience. And I just like, no, I don't, I don't know. I'm like, I don't, I don't know. Like I just don't know. That's where I ended up with. And so Having someone come into your business is very personal, even though business people feel like business is business. But anytime you have someone come into your business to help you outsource or do different things, it's actually really personal because you've built this baby by yourself and you've, you know, you're growing it and you're trying to figure out when can you afford to do this, when can you not afford to do this. So it's a very personal/business thing. Like business in general is not just business, it's personal. But that's been so— I've been saying that so much lately that this is not just business, it's so personal. But how have you found your business to be like a really big part of who you are? Like how have you expressed it and kept like who you are as a person in your business without like becoming like trying to become all the other people and just staying authentically yourself?

Oh, that's a good question. I think I've just never apologized for being, for being myself. I never want to change in any way. I want, like I said, I take on clients who I think I'm gonna be friends with. So does that mean I'm gonna change my tone? Am I gonna cut back on the random slang things that I use all the time? No. No, like you're getting me in business, but this is exactly how I'm going to be outside of business too.

That's it.

Even when it comes to like dressing, like you probably will never catch me in a blazer unless if I'm forced to be on a panel or something. And I feel like, you know, like I, it's very much what you see is what you get. There's no line of, oh, she's different personally, professionally. And You know, like there's just, I think that comes down to having that strong support from the Tampa Bay area and Babe Crafted. We're just going to keep plugging Babe Crafted.

Yeah.

We're just going to keep doing that. Um, but the support where it's always been community over competition. I never felt that any other virtual assistant is like me. I've never felt that I'm like another virtual assistant. I've never felt that way when it comes to productivity coaching.. And I don't feel that anyone is similar to one another, even if it comes down to photography, because everyone's so niched and they serve different people. So it's, it's all different. It's all community love and just inspiring people to be themselves in their business too. So I've been really blessed with that too, because I'm virtual. So I don't have to— there's, there's a level where I guess I could be that reporter where I wear a button-down one time, but I'm wearing bike shorts on the bottom. Like, it's fine.

Yeah.

So in that sense, it's almost forced me to be more personal and be myself at the same time, because if I'm being professional and all headshot-like all the time, it's not, it's not me. And you can, you can feel that through Zoom calls. You can feel that through a phone call. And with a virtual assistant, my whole thing is that I want to be your sidekick. So if I just talk professionally at you all the time, you're probably gonna be like, this person doesn't understand me, doesn't understand my business. But the more you infuse your personality and you get along with your clients based off of personality, then you can't really go wrong.

Yeah. Oh yeah, because people hire you for you. Like, you know, like I just said earlier, like my, my experiences before, I hired them maybe because I was and I thought about this. I'm like, what was so different? I think I hired Christa, like I wanted to work with you because I liked you and I also liked how you were with me, like how you communicated. I liked your vibe. I liked how you like approach things and it was more about the connection than about like how much does it cost, like you know what I'm saying? Like it just felt different and I think I think that does, I mean, trust me, and I think you and I both are, we've both been there and we still have moments when we're there, but as an entrepreneur, you're going to have times where you're like, "Mm, I really would like to work with so-and-so, but I can't afford to work with so-and-so." So don't let those experiences burn you from reaching out to working with the right people later when you can afford to work with them because there are people that can do what you need and also give you that authentic experience and that support in your business that you need. So I say that as a reminder to all the listeners that I have that are kind of like just newbies and just starting. That it's okay if you go to Fiverr. I get it. Totally get it. But don't let that burn you for when you are looking to hire someone later when you've built that momentum and that income where you're like, man, I just really wish someone gets it. Trust me, there are those people that are out there just like, you know, like amazingly Kristin, you know what I'm saying? So, um, I was going to ask you another question that came up while you were talking and now that I was talking too much. This is part of my problem. So sometimes I find myself like, where was I going with this? Okay. Um, Kristin, tell us some things that you should look for when hiring a virtual assistant. I've I've mentioned this before in a previous episode with another amazing virtual assistant, um, but I always like to get everybody else's opinions because I think it's really important. And from a protective coach standpoint, I think that's even more important. Like, what should you be looking for when you're going to hire, um, for your team or for your business?

Yeah, no, definitely. I think from asking everyone, especially the virtual assistants, it gives you a good idea. So 100%. My number one is always personality. You know, like you can check someone's expertise, you can ask them all day about a certain task and you know, in the tone of their voice and how they carry themselves, if they can actually do it or not. So personality, always a thing. Cause if you don't really like talking to them, then why in the world would you want to work with them? End of story. Yeah. Um, and then secondly, always have your tasks on hand. Like have some semblance of an idea what you are looking for. Cause that really helps with that first point that I was talking it's like you can tell if that person has experience or not. And you know, just also ask them if they've checked out your website and they've checked out who you were beforehand, because if people are just, you know, casting out a huge net, then they're gonna get a lot of fish.

But amen, amen, girl! I'm sorry, I can't stay quiet. Yes, yes! Yes.

I was about to go down a really strange metaphor hole. So I'm sorry if anyone actually heard that. So I'm glad you said that. But it's like, yeah, you have, you have to really think about that. You know, like if, are they invested in you as much as you want to be invested in them? It's a two-way street. It's not just one.

Yeah. So, so, so true. That's not just in virtual assistants. That's in almost pretty much every aspect of your business. So I love that you said that because yeah, they need to be invested as well. They should do the research on you, get to know you a little bit better. I mean, especially a virtual assistant. Kristen, for me, because you guys know who are listening, I hate to write. I hate it. Kristen has been, you know, has written for me. So like, so like, like I really need to have someone who is like can at least get my inflections and kind of understand how I think and how I talk and all that kind of stuff and be willing to write that out for me. Um, you want someone who's going to invest some time into you outside of just sending you an email or calling you out of the blue. Like, please give yourself value in that sense. Okay, so I know you have a couple of tools, a couple of freebie tools that people can use to kind of figure out would they need a VA, is it time for a VA, who should they, you know, all that kind of stuff. So tell us how they can find that.

So they can find that on my basics page. It's, I have my services tiered by where a person is at in their business and what kind of help they need. So I'm actually working on a whole new opt-ins page for resources. So right now, um, the two sheets that I use the most are part of a workshop that I offer, which is What to Outsource to a VA. So it's, it's delegating and figuring out what tasks you need to get off of your plate and figuring out processes for them and just you know, prepping them entirely so you can give it to a VA and they can just run with it. So that comprises the Taskify sheet, which I use a lot, which helps people list out, you know, daily— or not daily, weekly and monthly items for both personal and business, just like listing them out completely, brain dumping. And that helps them create a better schedule for themselves, figures out what they can batch work together. And then that leads into my more formal task sheet, which lists the priority, how frequent, and the whole entire process for people. So with that workshop, you're, you're getting both of those worksheets. You have access to it at all times and you can just, it's an all-in-one deal. So once you fill those out and we chat, either I can give you a proposal or you can shop around because everything that you have is right there, ready to go.

Yeah, it's really amazing, guys. Really amazing. It's a really amazing tool in general. I think everybody should do it. Even if it's a, even if you aren't ready to work with a VA, it's a really good way for you to organize yourself, like your own business. Like you can figure out where you need to spend more or less time and all that jazz. So definitely check out her website to figure all that jazz out. Lastly, before we close this up, fun question. What is your favorite— I think you even mentioned this earlier. Who is your favorite celebrity and why?

Oh yeah, well, Meghan Markle, because duh, she's an amazing human being. She's literally an angel on this planet. I love her so much. And I've loved her back from like the Suits days, like for a very long time. But she's just, you know, an advocate for everyone. And she really does use her position for spreading knowledge, you know, spreading the truth and really helping out everyone. So I love her for that. And for that reason, not just because she's married to Prince Harry, because everyone wants to marry Prince Harry.

She's beautiful. She's beautiful.

It's insane. Like, how can you be so freaking perfect? I don't get it. So my other person is Rihanna. She's just always been a boss. Like, she does what she wants to do. She has impeccable style, and she is a business owner. She has 3 different businesses, 3 different companies, and she's probably working on more. And she can command a crowd. Her fans are like just constantly asking for another album. She's just insane. Insanely talented and she just, she's just always surprising too. So I always—

and what's funny to me about her is she's kind of quiet but in like a powerful way. Like you don't see a lot about her online, like you don't hear a lot about her, but when she does come out it's like bam, like you've been smacked in the face.

She's always working on something but she is not bothered ever. She's like, I'm just gonna go drink some wine and pool. I'm working on my album. You guys chill out. I'll let you know when I'm done. I'm like, yeah, that's the kind— that's like not only the kind of power, but that's like the kind of person you want to be. It's like no one really pokes you, bothers you, makes you have to come out and be on social media all the time. Like, you're behind closed doors, you're to yourself, you're still like good with people, but when you release something, when you decide to be present It just causes— yes, it's bam and everyone sees and everyone notices. Yeah, I just love her. She's great.

So I said one more question, but this is really one more question. Um, what is some exciting things happening or about to happen in your business? Oh boy.

Well, I, about to roll out my official summer deals. So it includes some discounts, some freebies, all sorts of things, because I think that, well, if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic and social crisis, um, it— everyone would want to be prepping for the fall. So summer is actually the perfect time when you're relaxing to gradually go through everything in your business and figure out how you want to organize it, if you do want to bring someone on, um, that— this is the time. So right now I'm about to roll out those summer deals. Um, I think that they're great. It's exciting. There's something for every tier, so no matter where you're at in your business, you're getting something awesome in one of these summer deals to help you prep for fall. No, whatever fall looks like, because right now, no. Yes, yes. So that's, that's mainly The thing, there's some things I'm cooking up, like I mentioned, an opt-in resource page, but I'm also possibly thinking of creating a membership. So we will see. We're in that early brainstorming phase, but, um, could be something really awesome. So we're thinking about it.

Awesome. That sounds cool. Yeah.

Thank you.

Well, how can we find you on social media? Where should they go if they want to check you out, check out what you're doing?

Yeah, so everything, all the socials, and by all I mean Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, everyone can find me at @valandbast. So usually my logo is a, it's a val plus sign bast, but obviously no one likes special characters in their URL, so valandbast is how you can find me on everything.

And of course www.boundbass.com.

If you want to email me, slide in my DMs, whichever, I'm always down for a chat.

Well, thank you so much for being on. Like, seriously, thank you.

Thank you for having me, Nikita. This was fun.

All right, ladies, that's a wrap for this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share with your friends and be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. In the meantime, check us out at sheescrafted.com to check out the show notes for all the goodies these and things that we talked about, and there'll be links there for you guys. So in the meantime, just remember, you are crafted to thrive.