036: Creating a Wellness Business With Your Bestie: Interview with Rock Your Bliss Movement Founders

Namaste, it's Sahara Rose. And welcome back to the Highest Self podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. This is episode number two of the week, and I'm so excited to share it with you. I was calculating through how many interviews that I've done in the past few months since Highest Self Podcast has begun, and I calculated that if I continue going at the rate of releasing one a week, I have enough to last me for the next six months, not to mention all of the ones I'm going to be doing in the next six months. So I'm like, okay, I'm gonna have to get to and start releasing all of these really juicy ones that I've been holding from you guys. So I'm so excited to share this week's with you and a little bit about what I'm doing right now. A lot of you guys have seen on Instagram. I am writing my next book, Eat, Feel Fresh. It is a modernized, modernized version of Ayurveda, and it's going to be chock full of really delicious recipes using similar Ayurvedic ingredients like turmeric and mung beans and things like that in a way that you've never seen them before. So I'm really excited about it. It's been much harder cultivating these recipes than I originally thought. I thought, oh, that's easy. Just throw together 100 recipes, and that'll take me two seconds. And it's been so hard because I've been thinking about different people's dietary restrictions and realizing how many people have autoimmune disease and can't eat grains and legumes. And, you know, there's so many paleo people, but then there's vegan people. And it's been really hard trying to figure out recipes that work for everyone. I mean, it's the same thing that when you, like, bring food for, like, your family or group of friends, it's, like, impossible to find that one dish that everyone likes.

So it's been a process, but I've.

Been learning a lot about just the way that different people eat and how these food trends are shifting so much. I mean, even if I wrote this book four years ago, when I first had the idea for it, it would have looked so much differently than it would now with the new information that we have, which is more about how fats are so good for us, how eating grains and wheat is not as good for us, how we. We actually don't need a lot of beans. And legumes, and that can lead to sibo and other issues. So I've been learning a lot. And if you follow me on Instagram Stories, I've been sharing tons of stuff along the way, so be sure to check that out now. If only I had a partner to share this with. So this week's interview is an amazing duo. They are known as the rock your bliss movement. And there are two beautiful women who are part of it, Mary Beth LaRue and Jackie Carr. So rock your bliss movement is a yoga and coaching program all about making shift happen, which I absolutely love. And it's a program that they created together as best friends, all about cultivating community, authenticity, self realization and play. So I love this interview because it shows you that if you have an amazing idea, doesn't mean you have to just do it by yourself. These two woman weren't lifelong best friends. They actually became friends way later on in life when they first met each other. As they share, they actually didn't really care for each other that much. And then later on they cultivated this incredible relationship and now business and we share all about like dealing with that dynamic of having your best friend be your business partner, living in two different states. So this is going to be a really inspirational one. If you have a friend that you guys have an idea, something you want to create together and aren't really sure how to do that, you're going to find a lot of amazing information information in this interview. So I'm so excited to share it with you. Sit back and relax and rock your bliss.

So thank you guys so much for making the time to come on the highest self podcast. It means so much to me. As soon as I saw your podcast on the yoga journal list, I started listening and absolutely just loved all of the heartfelt wisdom that you guys shared. So thank you so much for being here.

Thanks for having us.

Thank you. It means a lot.

Of course. So I have so many questions to start with, but the first one that I always ask people is what makes you your highest self? And I want to hear both of your answers.

Oh, Marybeth, you want me to go first?

Sure.

This is Jackie Carr speaking. My highest self, my highest good. I definitely find that knowing what matters to me, knowing my values, has really provided guidance to how to restore the days are real, I'm a mother, Instagram is alive, comparison happens. And being able to restore myself with what actually makes sense to me is how I connect to my highest self. So that is nature, walking outside, hiking, running. I love connecting with people, be it in a coaching conversation or over a glass of wine. And I also have a big, big place in my heart for my family, be it calling my sweet, opinionated grandmother or connecting with my husband with no phones. These are restoration systems that I have in place to maintain and connect to my highest self all the time, and especially when I get distracted.

I love that.

I love restoration systems. It really shows it's how important it is because we often overlook these. It's like, no, this is like how I recharge my battery.

Yeah. Yes. Yes.

Love that.

I definitely recharge by being alone. So I. I need a. I don't need as much time as I used to. I found I just gotten quieter as a person and more grounded, and I've gotten much better at saying no to what I need to say no to and a hell yes to what I need to say yes to. So that's actually made it so that the time I need alone to recharge is shorter and sweeter and more profound. And the way that I spend that time is either in my yoga room, Sometimes it's meditating. Sometimes I just sit on my mat and write or just, like, play on my mat, whatever it is. And definitely what Jackie said about just connecting without technology has been really helpful as well. Just having pockets of time throughout my day where my phone isn't in sight or is it usable, and that's. That's really helped me recharge and get into touch with that quieter voice that's often speaking. The stuff I so need to hear.

Definitely. I love both of your answers, and you guys have written a lot about comparison and social media, and I love how for both of you, putting your phone away is like the. The first thing that you go to to become your highest self. And I think that's something that all of us can really learn from.

We're learning practice.

It's a practice for sure.

We're not great at it all the.

Time, but we definitely focus on it.

Definitely. Same here. So you both work as a duo and you write a lot about collaboration. So, first of all, how did you find each other, and how has collaboration helped your careers?

Well, I actually was living in Washington, D.C. and working for Lululemon and had really been wanting to move to the west coast and ended up getting a job filling a maternity leave at the Lululemon Santa Monica store as an assistant manager. So when I got there, Jackie was actually working for Lululemon Santa Monica, and she had done amazing things in the community, like, everywhere you went. People were asking about Jackie and people were not super stoked that Jackie was going away and I was coming in to fill this community role. And it had nothing to do with Jackie. Her. She was supposed to fill another role at a store, open a store, and it didn't happen. And so they moved her out of the Santa Monica store and moved her to Beverly Hills where she had to take the bus every day to get there from Venice. So I roll in from, you know, dc, have no idea what I'm stepping into. And here, like the Prize child of 11 is now on the public bus system.

Oh, my God. And.

And it was. It was really like I had a lot of respect for Jackie. I knew she was amazing at what she did. She had a lot of energy, a very powerful presence and personality. But as Jackie would echo, I'm sure, and she will like that it was not. We were not meant to be friends then. Like, it was just a challenging time in both of our lives and we. We didn't get the chance to let our guard down and really show one another who we were. So that's how we originally met. And then she moved to Chicago and when she came back, the stars aligned and we. I mean, why don't you explain this part, Jackie, from another perspective?

Well, one note to add is that Mary Beth rolls into Santa Monica, right? And people have been talking her up for a while and you've got this like lawn bohemian MB rolling in and you're being kicked out, quote, unquote. And like Mary Beth said, it's just stars in the line. We both were so powerful in our own ways. And I will speak candidly that I had a lot of ego blocking any potential of a friendship. And so when I left Chicago, I actually left, stayed with Lululemon and fell in love and then brought that sweet man from the Midwest back to LA with me because I could only do one winter in Chicago. And we came back and actually our significant other. So Mary Beth's amazing bearded man Matt and my amazing bearded man Chris became friends and it almost forced a friendship. And I say that with the utmost respect for our dudes, really seeing something possible that perhaps the past had created blocks. And we continued to cross paths, continued to break down barriers and then build them up and then break them down. This is at the tail end of our 20s. And I find me and MB were both in a really cool unraveling of an old parts of ourselves into a new parts of ourselves. And as you all know, and as you know, Sarah, that can be Very uncomfortable. And so there were quite a few pivotal moments where MB and I started to see a really cool friendship evolving. I went to Mary Beth's yoga classes all the time and really sought her teaching out for my own highest self, to be. Be honest, as well as our connection on a bicycle by the beach. So there were. And I know that that sounded so picturesque. We didn't ride bikes very much, and it was a very tumultuous ride if we did.

However.

We broke down a lot of barriers and there were honest conversations that had to be had. And I think for me, that was a really big. You ask about how collaborations affected you. A really big place in my life was wanting and really reading about being vulnerable and connecting on a deeper soul level. And that was really scary for me. A lot of people will share that. And I've heard this about myself, that while I'm open to a point, I can have walls up because I perhaps was right, not perhaps. I was very scared of women for a long time. And so as Aunt Marybeth and I had uncomfortable conversations and then started to build a business together through these uncomfortable conversations and deep friendship, the collaboration, actually, I think was part of my growing up or coming of age into this place where I could lean on another woman. I could have a deeper friendship and learn about myself through it without thinking we were being in competition or that she was going to up and leave me, which we've done a couple times, but that's normal. We've always come back to one another. And it's just been a really profound relationship that I think is such a cornerstone of our bliss business.

I love that. And I think for most people who probably see your business, they'd assume, oh, you guys met and it was like instant best friends forever, and you instantly received the download that you're going to create this business together. And I love how it was like, it took months or maybe even years. I don't remember the time. Yeah, years that you knew each other, you knew about each other. You weren't even sure if you liked each other that much. And then slowly, through breaking down your own barriers, you realize that you were mirrors for each other.

Yes.

And if someone would have told either of us that we would have a business that. And. And a friendship like this, can you imagine, Jackie? We would have thought that person was crazy. And it's become both. Both rock. Your bliss and our friendship are two of the biggest gifts of my entire life.

I love that. So in that friendship, what gave you guys the idea to come up with this business. And how did it go from an idea to an actual thing out into the world?

Well, we actually. It was right before I got married, so almost five years ago. Is that true? Yeah, yeah, almost five years ago. Wow, that's crazy. We were on a beach in Oahu for Wanderlust Festival. Another thing I never knew I would be a part of. And Jackie got to invite some teachers and influencers in the community to come to Wanderlust for free through Lululemon, which. Oh my God, like, in retrospect, how fun was that? And we were. We are very new in our friendship, but we're starting to have those really big conversations. And we were sitting on a beach in Oahu and probably having some pina coladas and started talking about vulnerability and, you know, her bringing her coaching work to my. To my yoga class and then me using a lot of the coaching principles I was learning and using them in the practice. So we just talked about combining efforts and for one retreat, one retreat. And we named it Rock your Bliss. And like, that was that. And we. I remember, I remember making the like the little, the little image it was probably in word swag, if that even existed. I don't think it existed then. No, we made like a flyer totally. And we brought 25 people to Mexico with us and had an amazing life changing experience. And on the way home we were like, okay, this is not just one retreat. Like, this is our business and it's taken on a life of its own. Like Rock youk Bliss is so different. We are so different from when we started it almost five years ago. And it's evolved and so now it's really a female based brand. It's all about vulnerability, authenticity and connection. It's not just on retreats, but we have online programs. We've changed. You know, I no longer drink pina coladas. But we still have those really deep conversations and Jackie's become a mother. The conversations have become more imperative and like, it's like a lifeline now. Whereas I think when we were, you know, 27 or 28, however old we were, that or how old were we? 28. 29?

Yeah, 28.

It was something we were playing with, right? It was like we were having these aha moments. And now it's like I. These tools are for survival. They're tools that help me show up in the world and be able to access that highest self, you know, to calm my nerves before I get onto stage and speak, to access choice when I'm having a, you know, a More heated conversation with my husband. It's. It's been really, really cool to witness something that you create take on a life of its own and evolve and shift you in the process.

Absolutely. And I love how you really show the journey, because a lot of people think, oh, I need to have my calling, my thing, and it's just gonna, like, drop down from the universe. And for you, it started with one retreat, and then it's like, maybe we can do more retreats. And then as you shifted, the brand shifted and everything. And in five years from now, if we have a conversation, it'll probably be somewhere totally different.

Yeah, totally.

And we hope it is. It's supposed to. We're supposed to be different. You know, what we do is supposed to differ. I think I've been playing a lot lately. Like, I often try to figure out all the elements that need to fall into place for me to achieve what I want. And what I've been playing with lately is this idea of just focusing on how it is that I want to feel and, you know, what is. What is the end game without getting so caught up in the minutia of, like, you know, we need to fill this many online programs and do this and have this many retreats, but instead focusing and dreaming to together again about what will feel really good and. And why we created this in the first place.

Yes, absolutely. And when I read your guys your copy, it sounds like you are just, like, in this, like, dreamland. Just, like, what can we create like that we really want to bring into this world? And it's so, like, romantically written, but also, like, authentic and heartfelt, and I just love it.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Of course. So a lot of people, they seek to have a collaboration, but what's difficult is finding someone that you can trust. So for those who may have been hurt by trusting others in the past or have a hard time collaborating, what's your advice for both of you?

Oh, man, let me clear my throat. So we just wrote an article, actually, about being adult best friends as well as being in business together. And some of our learning did circle around getting honest so much faster. When you feel something, say something. And this has been a huge aha for me and Mary Beth in our friendship as well as our business, because if something starts to feel uncomfortable, if something starts to feel awkward, and a lot of it might be stories in our own minds, in our own heads, or a lot of it can be real. Like, real disconnect between communication. And so as soon as you feel something you have to say something or else that energy will show up in your business. That energy will show up in all of your relationships. Right. We think we can compartmentalize and yet we cannot. And so that's been a big aha for us is speaking it up faster so it doesn't fester, it doesn't grow and it doesn't create distance between us. What would you add? Envy.

I think too, it's really important to add that you're not meant to collaborate with everyone, just like you're not meant to be in relationship with everyone. You're not meant to marry everyone, you're not meant to have everyone as a yoga student or a client. I had had a couple of collaborations prior that didn't work out and I had to have tough conversations stating, you know, this is, this isn't working for me, you know, like a breakup. And with Jackie and I, we've had those conversations, but they've always come back around to bringing us closer together. Like, I don't. We have never come to the point of like our business being completely over and certainly not our friendship. But our friendship is so important to us that if it was meant, you know, that we needed to take a step back from rock your bliss in order to salvage our friendship, I think we would have done that. And we didn't need to because we grew from those conversations. So when you're in relationship with someone you're meant to be, especially with a business, you should be able to say what you need to say and you should be able to feel safe in that. And one of our favorite conversations was not too long ago, I think it was in February or March, and Jackie and I had. I don't even remember how it came about, but we both admitted that we had felt a little jealous of the other. Yeah, that stuff had come up where it was like, well, I was a little jealous that you had that opportunity and I was a little jealous of your, you know, growing family. And once we both see said it, we were both experiencing it. And it was such a cool moment that we ended up completely in stitches, like laughing. And it was such a joy filled moment of like, wow, I support you so much and we're both human. And it's like, wow, you couldn't pick a better business partner than someone you can tell the truth to and that you're proud of and maybe have some envy toward because they're kicking ass in the world. Like, that's a pretty cool thing. And so it was really neat that we were able to have that conversation over the phone. You know, we're a long distance. Jackie's in Colorado and I'm in California. And so it's really necessary that we have those conversations in order to feel close.

Yep, totally.

And your friends, you know that jealousy is like inspiration and it motivates you as well to be your highest self. And it makes you feel amazing that your friends are doing so well.

Yeah, totally.

If you're able to shift the perspective.

Yes.

Yeah. And we have a two month rule where we don't go longer than two months without seeing each other face to face. Because with social media and texting and email, it's just. It's so not the same. And you don't get the same vibe or what we. You know what? Spark originally drew us together. So we have a two month rule.

That's amazing. Yeah, it's like the same things that you do in relationships, you're doing with friendships, but you kind of have to, in order to, like, make sure it's. We don't put the same work in friendships as we do in relationships.

Yep, Yep, exactly.

We're in a marriage.

Yeah. Yeah. We got a banking account.

We do.

Wait, one thing I want to share, because you asked about not bringing your past into the present, and that was something I definitely did a lot to protect my heart, to protect my mind. If I'd been burned, if I'd had mistrust with a friendship before, and something that I've experienced, and I touched on this a bit earlier with Mary Beth, is being able to lean into the uncertainty or be open to what this friendship and this connection and this collaboration, what this moment can provide. As soon as I start writing the future from how it went down with my friend when I was 14, it will happen. You create what you're looking for. So as soon as I'm looking for Mary Beth to burn me, I'll figure out a way to sabotage. But if I'm coming into a conversation like that one we had in February, honest and open and totally like, I have no idea where this conversation is going to go. This could be the most embarrassing moment of my life. This could wreck our business all the time, stories we make up. And yet I forge that path anyways. There is like a gentle boldness in having a friendship that you go in completely open to it being a completely new friendship without it having the baggage of old ones. And it's a challenge and it's so rewarding. And I would say lean into that openness, even if it's uncomfortable. Let that past. Stay exactly in the past and learn from it, appreciate it, and then learn something different from someone else.

Totally. Yeah. You're rewriting the story of what a friendship really is without any expectations, any hesitations that have come from being burned or whatever else. And it's really worked out. So I think everyone should give that a try.

Me too.

Yes. So I want to shift the conversation about a post, Mary Beth, that you put on your Instagram, I think yesterday that I loved and I saved. I'm going to read the post out loud. So it was a repost by the angry therapist and it says the commercialization of wellness and the power of social media is turning wellness into Taco Bell. Same ingredients packaged differently. If you're a life coach, fitness coach, nutritionist, yoga instructor, meditation coach, writer, speaker, whatever, don't be processed. Do your own thing. Speak what you believe. Don't worry about your brand or what others are doing. A clever logo means nothing if there's no story behind it. Do a handstand on your truth instead of on a pretty rock. It will go further. Like so many nuggets of wisdom in there, I don't even know where to start. So let's talk about Mary Beth as a yoga teacher and Jackie as a coach. How do you set yourselves apart and what do you recommend for people as this now has become such an oversaturated industry?

I think one of the things that really drew me to that post especially, I mean, Jackie and I talk about this all the time, but we're living in this world that's so highly curated, so highly curated. Every moment is beautiful. Every moment is filtered. You know, it's a written out post with those little dots in between, so it's perfectly separated. I'm guilty of it as well. So that's one thing is that I do it as well. But it's something that I think we're in danger of losing authenticity and being different because the message that's happening, in order to make money or have students or have clients, you need a ton of Instagram followers. And the way to do that is to have this beautiful, beautiful feed that someone goes and looks at and is inspired all the time rather than just showing up as yourself. And I noticed that, like, I was like, what would be pretty here? What looks good on Instagram? Yada, yada, yada. I was getting caught up in this tailspin and it was really boring. Like, I was so bored by myself. Like, it didn't feel good, it didn't feel interesting, didn't feel like, myself. I even tried. I mean, Jackie, I'm sure you noticed I tried to do, like, the whole insta story thing and do it really, you know, like, this is how I make my matcha latte or whatever. And I was like, God, this took a lot of time. Yeah, right? Like, this took a lot of time. I. I don't want to do this every day. So I. Last week, I actually went on my website, I took down my coaching services, I took down my mentoring services, and I started writing again because I'd stopped doing things that I love to do because I was so caught up on what I needed to do to succeed or to monitor what I needed to monetize or if I need a like or I need a comment. And I haven't even, like, told anyone that I'm blogging. I just started doing it again, and it felt really good. It was a necessary shift for me to make, to reclaim why I got into this in the first place, why I want to have conversations about authenticity and vulnerability and starting to pay more attention to the stuff that does make me unique and listen to that, spend time with it, let those things marinate so I can grow and evolve rather than stump my growth trying to hashtag my way to success. So that. That post, to me, I read it. I read it, and I literally posted it immediately with, like, a few people wrote like, whoa. Or fired or whatever. And I was like, wow. Yeah. People probably don't know as much that I am extremely feisty and that I do have a lot of opinions about that because I haven't been sharing them. I've been sharing them mostly at Rock youk Bliss. So that's kind of like what made me want to post that. Jackie, what do you think? I don't even know if you saw that yesterday, did you?

Oh, I saw it and I loved it. I believe the way that I coach is through personal experience. I definitely listen, and I definitely like the way that I speak is through the way I've lived. And so if I'm not living my own interesting life, I have nothing to share. And so I'm a storyteller by nature. That's where I get sucked into Instagram, because I'm like, oh, what story can I tell? And what I found is that if I'm not out living my life and doing the things I love, I lose that grounded feeling. I lose that connection, as we talked about earlier, to my highest self. I lose that point of reference from where I share and speak. And so I find that being able to, as Mary Beth said, is blogging. And I'm looking at Instagram is like, cool. How do I share pictures that I want to remember? How do I share things that I know are worth telling? And very rarely am I sharing things instantly. I'm very much a later Graham girl. And remember, there used to be later Graham with a hashtag. I'm a later Graham junkie. Everything I share is later. And that way I'm in the moment and I'm living a life. And if there's something I learned or a coaching opportunity or a vulnerable moment of motherhood with puke all over me, that's where I want to share from. And so I live my life and take pictures and share them later to tell a story that I want to read. And if you come along, great. And if not, great too.

Yeah, yeah, totally. I totally agree. And I think what's hard for people is, like, as you said, to get those clients, you need to have that beautiful Instagram feed. So as much as some people want to be vulnerable, they're like, well, the accounts I follow are all really beautiful curated stuff. So it's hard to be in the business, but also be yourself. And you guys have a different account for Rock your Bliss than you have as your personal account. So do you recommend doing that for people who are trying to create their own yoga or coaching business?

I think in collaboration, it's really helpful because Jackie and I are two totally different people and we also have two other businesses, our personal businesses. So while Rock your Bliss is where our main focus is, it's still nice to have a place. Like, I do like beautiful images. I bought a beautiful, a great dslr. I love to taking photos. Like, that's. I do love aesthetic. It's part of. It's part of my values. I love. I love things that are beautiful, making things beautiful. But that being said, like what Jackie said, making sure they're authentic, making sure they're true to you and having. I've had clients before where they love to post photos of them out at a bachelorette party or doing this or that, and then the next one one is like a yoga photo with like a roomy quote. And so there needs to be some continuity. I think, Jackie, you do a really good job of. It is like showing real life and then you can show something, you know, from coaching or whatever. But for Rock your Bliss, us coming together and having a joint account has been really important. Our message is different. You know, our language is rock your Bliss is different together than we speak separately yeah, totally.

One learning with branding like Mary Beth speaking to is, yes, you want stability and continuity. You want to know what people are walking away with. And yes, there is this ideal of an ideal Instagram feed that's beautiful and has a billion followers. However, there's this really great book I've read called the Brand Gap.

I just got that book. I haven't read it yet.

Oh, good. You're going to love it. And the biggest takeaway it's in the first few pages is, does your brand create an emotional connection? And that is something that Mary Beth and I both really understand because that's what we strive for in any experience people have with Rock youk Bliss, specifically in the brand we created, as well as our own personal brands understanding. Are you creating a connection? It's both of our values. It's one of our values in Rock youk Bliss. And if not, you will not be remembered. And of course, you're going to create an emotional connection with the people you need to be connecting with. And that is the question you get to answer is how is it creating a space for people to feel?

Absolutely. And I think, like, what you guys have done, you had the manifesto, which is for people who haven't seen their website. It's like, what do they believe in? And it's just things that don't even have to do with business. It's like, we believe in balancing, like, water with, like, cocktails and this and that. And it's like, this is the emotion that we're trying to give you. And it makes it so clear because now, whenever someone's reading your blog post or whatever else, it's like, yes, this is like the aura of being part of this community.

Yeah, we speak to Middle Way a lot. You know, there's the middle path. What. What balance means to you. Balance being this very elusive, slippery, slippery slope that we're always trying to figure out and knowing that that balance changes day to day and year to year. So when we wrote that manifesto, that was a different time period, and we love it. And I'm sure a new manifesto will come out in a couple of years and it'll be a different manifesto, but, you know, once again giving yourself the space and space to evolve and do it in your brand and do it online and have conversations about it. I think it's good to say, I don't know, or like, I taught a whole class on Sunday that was like, I don't know. Like, I've been searching for the answers. I've been trying to say the perfect thing. Thing to you all about what's going on in our country. And I don't know, like, I need to be quiet. And so that being an option, you know, we're touting our, you know, we don't tout ourselves as experts. Instead, I think in. We're in it in this discovery of how to live. How to live in a way that feels good. And we're in that work with people, and I think they can feel that.

Definitely. And, yeah, I was reading that there are two types of leaders, and one type is the. Is the expert, and I know the answers, and, you know, and they receive a lot of respect. And then the other type is, I'm a seeker. I'm in this like you. And they're someone who's more relatable. And one's not different better than the other. They're just different styles of leadership. And I was thinking, like, for me, like, Gabby Bernstein would be like, the expert and Danielle laporte support is like, the relatable one. And you love them both. It's just different forms of leadership.

Totally love that.

I like that.

Yeah.

So along with comparison, you guys talk about setting boundaries. So how do you balance setting boundaries with collaboration, not just with you, but with everyone that you're collaborating with?

Oh, it's a very good question.

It is.

Well, go ahead. No, you can go.

No, you go. Big, big practice. So it gives me more time to think.

Okay. First of all, with one another, it's about those conversations that are really, really honest. Like, I reached out to Jackie probably three months ago, and I said, apps, I need a break. Or actually, no, I posted something. And Jackie goes, you really need a break from Instagram, don't you? I'm sure it was terrible, whatever I posted. No, but, you know, you can tell when someone's inspired and when someone's going through the motions. And we had a conversation where I was just like, look, like, I need to create some boundaries around this. I need to take some space. And Jackie highly, highly encouraged me to do so. There's been times with family and whatnot. Jackie said, I need time with Evie. I feel like you respond to every email in 20 seconds, which I do. I'm getting better about it, but I'm just quick on Gmail. And I said, I'm so sorry. It never occurred to me that you thought you needed to get back to me right away. So having those conversations, like, I try not to send her a bunch of emails. Knowing what works for the other person, knowing what the expectations Are. Are huge. And also, I would say with other people, then we. We've really defined what's sacred to us and our family, which includes, you know, some of our best friends. And knowing that I need time alone and I also need time with those people. And sometimes that prevents me from going out to coffee with an acquaintance because there's one of my closest friends who really needs me. Or I even said to someone, sorry, that was. That's my creative time on Friday, right? Like, that's time where I just don't plan anything so that I actually have something to write about. So there's been a big lesson for me in not always having to explain myself to a great deal, instead just letting no be enough. Or to have periods of time where I'm just not taking meetings or, you know, stretches of time in life where I'm just spending a lot more time with close family and friends and getting a little quieter.

Yeah, totally.

The biggest learning we've had in boundaries conversation is really understanding that boundaries are not a bad thing. Boundaries do not equal. You're not allowed in here. I don't like you. That's not what boundaries are for. Boundaries are actually set to support your own inner frequency, your own balance, so that you can show up when you can. And so it's setting that open communication and it's creating boundaries that actually let you be your highest self. Say yes when it's a full yes, not a half yes, because there's really no such thing and going all in. And for me, one of the works that Mary Beth and I lead in our Level 2 programming is really having a mantra that serves you around your boundaries. So Mary Beth and I both have a mantra we come back to that actually reminds us that boundaries equal freedom, boundaries are supportive. And when you set your boundaries with people, it almost, for me, it grants respect and permission for them to do the same. Instead of being a people pleaser, instead of being a yes person to everything, my calendar is open. Take it over. And then you hit that burnout in three weeks because you're living other people's lives instead of your own. And so recognizing a. The potency and the beauty that boundaries can serve for your life and then having I'm a big tools person, as you already heard about my systems having space or tools that remind you that your boundaries allow you to be your best self and actually learning that when you implement them, how does it feel? It's a lot of trial and error. Like I said, it's a practice. And yet when we have the discipline, when we have the clarity in our why to set boundaries, it does make it a choice that serves all of us. All of us. It's not selfish. It's like a why is selfish.

And when you're in relationship with people who know your values, that person can also encourage you to create a boundary. Like I just said to Jackie not too long ago, like, see if you cannot drive into Denver. She just moved to this amazing mountain home. I was like, see if you cannot drive into Denver, like, a couple days out of the week and just spend that time at the house. Or I can hear in her voice when she hasn't been in the mountains or hasn't been hiking and encourage her to go outside. Just, like, she can tell when I'm packing my schedule and I'm, you know, in complete denial that I need alone time. And encourage me to do that so that. That can be really helpful too. Have, like, almost a boundary accountability partner.

That's beautiful and amazing that you guys know each other so well that you can tell that in each other. And I think for a lot of people, marriage, yes. And I think for a lot of people, what's hard is, like, we live in this, like, FOMO world where everything's on social media. So sometimes you carve that, like, creative time on a Friday, but you get invited to an event, so you're like, well, if I miss out on the event, you don't. Maybe I could have met someone that could have helped my career. Maybe it could have been a friend. So it's like, since we know what everyone else is doing, it's way harder to stick to those boundaries that we set.

Yeah, totally. We learned from one of our retreat attendees. Her name's Rachel Nelson. She taught me Jomo, the joy of missing out. And then when I'm on Instagram or I see Mary Beth doing something with our friends, I send joy. And of course, this goes back to, like, how are you living? Are you committing to your creative time? Are you doing something fun? Are you scrolling on Instagram and just feeling sad for yourself?

Totally. Yes. Because, you know, sometimes you can see an event and you're like, wow, that would have been amazing. But what I did at home, that bath I took, was even more amazing.

Amen.

Yes.

So I want to finish this off with what rituals you practice that keep you at your highest level itself.

Jackie.

Rituals. I love a butter coffee every morning, and I enjoy, like, I have an espresso machine. I pull it, I blend it, I add my blends. I don't Even love coffee outside of my house because it's such a ritual that I enjoy. So butter coffee in the morning. Hiking can feel ritualistic because when I'm in it, I'm so present and I'm connected to flow. And I love to go at least twice a week now that I'm in the mountains. My goal is to go more, but that's where I'm at right now. So hiking. And then I, like you just said I'm a bath person. And most likely after meeting Mary Beth and she talked about these decadent baths she used to take, I. I love asking my husband for alone time whether he's watching our child or whether it's after she's gone to bed. And I mean, I've gone overboard, y'.

All.

I've got the salts, I've got the bath shelves, I've got the candle, I've got the lush bath bomb. I've gone way overboard in the most beautiful, indulgent way that allows me to have like a sacredness. Right. The word ritual to me has like a vibration of sacred. And yes, my butter coffee is sacred. So you get to define what sacred means to you. Bath, hike, coffee. Those will be the ones I have right now.

I love that. And that's something that's like free and accessible for all people.

Totally.

Go to the mountains, get coffee for super cheap. And it doesn't have to be a luxurious day at the spa. It's something that you do for yourself at home and that actually makes it more meaningful.

Yeah, yeah. What's yours?

My ritual, I mean, this specific ritual I've been playing with for a couple weeks now, but is to put my phone on airplane mode by 8 or 9pm and then wake up to my alarm clock. Or if my phone's on airplane, it's been allowed in the bedroom a little more because I can't use it. And once I get downstairs in the morning, like 6:30 or so, I'll make myself. I drink mushroom coffee. It's by four Sigmatic. It's like a little bit of caffeine and then it's chaga and cordyceps. I just don't do very well with coffee and. Or I make a matcha and then I meditate. And once I'm done meditating, I can take my phone off airplane. It has been really helpful because I don't. I think it's when I'm like caught up in the tailspin of the phone, it's harder to put it away, but I forget about it. Like even Today I was like, oh, I meditated. I can take my phone off airplane. Like, I. It wasn't something I was rushing to do. And I also. If I meditate, it can be for five minutes or 20 minutes. I. The days that I'm rushing, I really try to take five minutes just to stay in the practice of it. Even if it's not the most glorious meditation, I think the commitment to myself feels almost more important. So it's like, to know that I'm doing this and keeping it going feels really nice. And then I would also, a couple times a week, I try to go to Echo Park Lake. I live in Silver Lake, and I'm really close by Echo park, and I take a little blanket and I bring Rosie and my journals and a tea and just sit and enjoy being outside. And that's. Those are definitely some rituals that have been mainstays as of late.

That's so nice. And I think so many people talk about, you know, you have to meditate every day. You have to meditate every day. And something. Sometimes it seems like this. Like, you have to sit for 20 minutes, and it has to be this whole, like, process that people shy away from it. But even if it's just sitting on your floor, and you might not even really get into it, but having that kind of commitment to yourself, that's where the ritualistic part comes from.

Yeah.

Tara. Tara Brock, who's an amazing Buddhist meditation teacher, said that no matter what, she meditates for at least five minutes every day. And once she said that, I was able to give myself permission, which is silly, but I was like, oh, a meditation teacher sometimes only meditates for five minutes. Like, I found 12 is a really good number for me. I like that, and I hope it increases as I get older, but we'll see. But I loved hearing that about her. Found that really helpful.

Yes. And I was reading an article somewhere that says sometimes when you get really into meditation, you actually need less and less because you just go into that state way faster.

Amazing. Sign me up.

Yes.

That is not happening yet.

Well, I'm sure it will. And, you know, it seems like both of you are living your whole lives in meditation, so present and passionate about what you do, and that's really the whole point of all of this. So amazing. And I really acknowledge both of you for creating these careers that you're so proud of and really walking your talk and inspiring other people to do the same.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Yay. And where can listeners find you? And do you have any events or.

Programs coming up, you can find us at rock your bliss movement.com and you can find us on Instagram at Rock your Bliss. And as far as events coming up, we will be launching our Ojai Retreat in September, so it'll be open for registration for end of January. And then we won't be offering our seven Weeks to Bliss program again until mid March. We will have just started when the podcast comes out in September. So please just keep in touch with us and shoot us a note and we'll be happy to share any upcoming events with you.

Yay. Perfect. And what are your Instagrams so people can give you guys a follow and see the authenticity?

Mine's Mary Beth LaRue, L A R.

U E and I'm Jackie Carr. J A C K I C A R R and our joined obviously is @rockyourbliss.

Perfect. And I will post all of those links in the show notes. So thank you again so much for being here. We really appreciate it.

Thank you so much for having us.

Bye.

K.