YouTube Channel: @dothethingformula

What's up, everybody? Welcome, welcome, welcome. We're so excited you're here. If you don't already know me, my name is Jackie Lacroix and I've been running successful online businesses and health, wealth, and relationships for over 10 years. But before I did that, I was actually in ministry. We all come from different walks of life, but I have this heart for people to feel safe and seen and loved and heard. And because of that, I am so excited to be here today with my dear friend Stacy, and who is building an incredible community and doing things very differently. And I love it because as you're about to find out, she is creating containers for people to figure out who they are, find their confidence, their voice, feel safe, and turn that into the dreams that they've always been wanting to chase, actually happening. And there's a lot of places on the Internet I think we all know where that doesn't happen. So, Stacy, thank you so much for being here. Tell me a little bit about. Introduce yourself for us. How did you get into this? How did you become passionate about this?

Yeah. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be doing this with you. And for those of you that don't know me, my name is Stacy Lauren. And it really started with a podcast. I started the do the Thing podcast, and that's when I was dissecting a formula for how to help people achieve success. And once I dissected the formula, I really wanted to test it.

And.

And that's when I started my first community where I ran challenges and realized that it wasn't as much about the success that people were having. It was more about the connection that being in a community with other people with a shared goal were having and the magic that that provided. And then, since then, I've created several other communities, and now I get the privilege of helping other people create their own communities with their own safe space.

I love that so much because how many times is that not what happens on the Internet? Right? I was thinking the other day, I was. I don't remember. I think I was on Instagram reel or something, and I was just reading through the comments, which is a terrible idea, as many people will say. They just, like, don't read the comments. Fortunately, it wasn't my own reel, it was someone else's. But people just eviscerate each other sometimes behind the false distance, the false sense of distance of the Internet, right? It's like, oh, these aren't real people. These comments won't really hurt. And yet they do. So Just the fact that you're doing this, I think, is such a gift. I hate to say it. What have you seen? But what do you see out there that makes you feel like this is a really big deal? Because there is. There's a magic when people come into community.

And yet, because it is sometimes done poorly, unfortunately, it's not done in your style. There are experiences that people have that make them literally run right, where they're like, I don't want to talk to the people, I don't want to engage the people. I don't want to be seen. I don't want to be heard. I'm just going to not participate. And that can be the death of so many dreams and so many beautiful connections. So what are you aware of out there, basically that made you decide we need to do the thing differently?

Yeah. And hearing you talk, it even just reminds me of even before I was doing all this. I would want to almost be invisible because I didn't want to stand out. I didn't want people to notice me or I didn't want to be the weird one. I didn't want to cause attention in ways that would make me feel less than right. And so now that I've been on this journey for a while, I've really tapped into who I am. I've been able to really own my own feelings and thoughts that I'm okay with what other people's judgments are. And so that's been amazing. But just even in the last week, I've had two experiences where I was in other people's communities and I was excited about this thing that I'm doing. And both times I got shut down in different ways where I felt the word obliterated keeps coming, but it is not as harsh as that. But that's what's in my mind, is it literally felt like I was obliterated. In one instance, I was completely ignored where they changed the topic after I shared what I was working on and what I needed support on. And in the other situation, I was actually literally obliterated, where I was talked down to in front of a group of people. And I was talking to my daughter about this the other day, and I was like, it's interesting. This is all happening at the same time that I'm helping people build their own communities. And I'm about to do a TEDx talk on literally why it's important to find a good group of people that have a shared goal. And so this message is about to go out a little bit more globally And I'm like, why is this happening? And then what we ended up realizing was it's really important for me to make sure as I'm helping people create their own safe space for their communities, that those communities are making people feel seen, those communities are making people feel heard, and they're getting to know each other in a really meaningful way. And so I think that's why this happened is I need to remember that and really help people facilitate it, because it's not easy to make people feel safe and to be able to open up and be vulnerable with each other. And so that's something I've been really skilled at doing, is helping do that in my own communities. And now I'm going to be able to help other people do it, too.

That's amazing. I just want to applaud you because that's so difficult. Right. Helping people feel vulnerable anywhere, feeling safe enough to be themselves and feeling like they're on solid ground where people aren't going to harm them, they're not going to ignore them, they're not going to be obliterated in any way, and they can actually bloom into who they really want to be is incredibly difficult to do. And I know from being around for the last 10, 15 years that pastors can fail at this. Therapists, counselors, healthcare professionals can fail at that. And so then to be able to even do it at all, let alone on the Internet with a bigger group of people, is extraordinary. So just thank you for what you're doing, but I would love to hear what kind of beauty you've seen come out of this, because you've been doing it for a while. And what happens when someone feels safe? Right. And I do think of a wounded animal who has been hurt and has been abused or abandoned, and suddenly they're feeling like, oh, my gosh, I can be petted and it's okay. I can come out with friends and it's okay. But what have you witnessed when people feel safe and they learn they can actually find and use their voice?

Yeah. It's these unbelievable, just transformations that you're able to witness because you're no longer feeling so alone in your thoughts and whatever you've had going through your mind. In the way that I'm able to create this space for people to be together in a fun, engaging way. Somebody told me once, my dares, I do dares for anyone new to all of this, where I give people a dare and then they're able to share what's deep in their heart. Basically, they have intimacy. So that's why it could take people that are complete strangers in the beginning. As long as we have a shared goal, a shared purpose, to really become friends at the end of it. And you're actually getting to get to know yourself more as you're getting to know other people. And so that's really what I've been able to see and witness, is just how we get to be human together and we get to really come back to relationships in a world where we're going in another direction. And for some ways I love it, some ways I don't like it, but for the most part it's like, let's get back to really learning who we are and what we even want.

Yeah, to being human. I think I've heard you say that before. I love that there's so much longing, I think, in people for intimacy and there's so many failed attempts to build it because it can feel so difficult and so unsafe. And there can be spaces that aren't curated for that safety to be non negotiable so that intimacy can be built. Right. And I think especially once Covid hit intimacy, I recall people talking a lot about it felt harder to be connected, to stay connected. And the impact that that took on mental health. And then you still have health issues, you still have kids, you still have relationship difficulties, you have job difficulties. And now we're isolated. So that ability to connect and have intimacy and feel safe doing it is just priceless. I feel like it's a life force.

So, yeah, and some of the communities that we're building right now are totally different from each other. But there's common threads, right? There's the common thread of there's some kind of shared goal and shared purpose of the group. And everyone that's joining, they're joining because they have this goal of wanting to be in a community and they're wanting to be with other people that are also wanting this goal. And whether it's the group that's for people that have horses, that want to do trail rides, or the person that has the community where they've just lost a significant loved one and they're seeing these hidden gifts in their life, or it's the dating experiment group, we're all different in terms of what these communities are. But the common threads are we're wanting to be with people around this thing that we care about. We're wanting to share resources, we're wanting to share tips, we're wanting to learn from each other, not just the person that's facilitating the space, but from everybody. I want this so much for the world is. I just want people to learn how much wisdom collectively that we all have, that we're all able to provide, but we have to feel safe enough to be able to share it. Right. To be able to have that open line of just safety. So that way you're able to use your voice in that space.

That's so interesting, because it really is almost. I mean, there's probably many parts, but I see two parts for sure right now. And one is that decision to transition off of the addiction, if you will, of watching things. Right. Just like watching videos, watching reels, just passively intaking information. And it's not that it's bad. Right. There's lots of beautiful content out there. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just there's so much more. When we decide to kind of step out from behind, we're not really stepping out behind the screen because you can still do this online, but you're turning on the camera, if you will, literally or figuratively, and you're letting yourself be part of the conversation. And so I think that must be a desire that people have to go from just taking in information to participating in the conversation. And from what you've seen, that's when transformation really starts to happen, correct?

Mm, yeah. Because, I mean, when you're putting people together that are there for a purpose and they all want the same thing. Right. They have the same desire, so that's why they're there. The magic is no longer you and just the person putting the group in. It's in the whole experience. And that's where you feel this group just love hug that is surrounding this thing that you want. And all of these things start to open up and expand as you're starting to learn about the people that are in there.

Yeah. So I feel like that's part one is you're stepping into the world of the. The goal or the dream or the whatever, the emotion that you're longing for. And then the place has to be safe. And that's why many people hide behind watching videos and reels. It's not wanting to be known or fearing if they do let themselves be known, they won't be loved. Right. Because I find that the core, core desire as human beings is to be fully known and fully loved. So how can we create a space where you can be fully known and you're not afraid of being fully known because you know you'll be unconditionally accepted and loved? In there no matter what. Right. That's the deepest human longing or one of them, in my opinion. So that's. I think the beauty of this is that they're coming out from behind. We call it a megaphone. Right. Where one content creator, a couple gurus are just pumping information. And that's cool. It can be inspiring. It can be life changing. And then we decide, I'm going it. I'm going to engage, I'm going to do the thing myself. I want to find my people. Let's make this happen. I'm inspired. Let's go. But we need to find a container where we can grow safely, where we can share safely, where we can truly find our voice and not basically lose our voice or be silenced because of how we experience sharing in that group. So that's how I see. This is gorgeous.

Yeah. And it's like, why would you want to even be in a space where there's no one talking to each other? What's the point? Right? There's so many groups that are like that online. Right. Where you just go in there and nothing's happening, or it's just the one person that's in there pitching their thing. That's annoying. Like, why would we want to spend our time doing that? Wouldn't we rather be in a place where it's really alive and everyone's talking to each other and the conversations are spurting and we're excited about this thing that we're surrounding ourselves with? And so that's what I'm so excited about, this thing and being able to help create the space for people to feel this aliveness when you're in with people that have that shared purpose and the shared mission and what they're wanting for their life or even wanting to do. Even when we talk about one of the people has a dog group, it's called Funny Bones. Isn't that cute? So they have. Yeah. So he's helping people and they're creating the space where all these conversations get to happen around dogs. Right. How fun is that? So it could be something really light and fun, or it could be the deep group where Vicki Poole has stand up and stand out, where she's helping people be more visible. And so there's just all different kinds of communities that are coming from this. And that's why we're here, because this is what is able to create the container for people to be able to have those conversations.

Totally. I love it. And there's so much momentum that happens. Right. And even if it is something that seems kind of lighter or more entertaining. There's so much value to that, to going into a space where it's like Funny Bones. Well done with the branding on that one. Whoever came up with that is a genius. But where it's like I can just go into a place and know that I'm good there, know that I'm home there, know that my people are there, know that I can hang out on the Internet fearlessly and be loved and have a great time and. Or in a different maybe vibe of group, I can have serious momentum toward a big goal, a big dream that maybe has been scary and I can do it. Being surrounded by people who are loving on me and have my back and see me and hear, it's one of the most beautiful things I think humans can experience. So again, thank you so much for facilitating and just allowing other people to facilitate this. Right. Spreading the way of doing this. So when people jump into this, what do they experience? How does this go when they're like, I'm doing it, it's time, I'm going to find my voice. What happens next?

Yeah. So it's fun because it's delivered through dares. And that's what I've been doing for the last few years where I've been testing that do the Thing formula into these groups through the challenges, using dares. And so this is the ultimate foundational challenge that's really able to help people connect in the most beautiful way. So I do these five minute videos and then a five minute dare. It's a really simple yet transformational experience where you're going to get to know yourself better while you're getting to know other people and you're going to be in a space with all different people who are all wanting to find their voice in a community. And how cool is that? Right? And then you get a separate subset with the community that you're in, being able to talk about the different things that you're experiencing. So in all, it's just basically really getting to know yourself better while you're getting to know other people in this space and you're seeing what that's like to be in a community at that level.

So what I'm hearing is people. It's almost feels like baby steps, right? Because I mean, I've just, I've coached for so long and there was a minister before that. I've just watched the human heart and human soul and even when someone is an uber high performer, high achiever in all the things, super busy doing all the Things, there's a little part of themselves that they often haven't birthed or haven't allowed themselves to look at and see and then let other people see. And often it's the part that they're most longing for. So when we get to the heart of what do you want to do? Or what's your passion? What's your side project? That's where it lives somewhere. And so what I love about this is they're tiny little steps, right? It's a loving dare, because I know you well enough to know that you're not going to be like. And you have to do this. Like, that's not the definition of safety. It's an invitation, right? With the playfulness of the idea of a dare where you get to see yourself like you've never seen yourself before in a beautiful way. And then you allow other people in this gorgeous, safe container to see you too. And just watching the humanity around that, watching people unfold and blossom and just come to life in one of the most maybe desired or intimate parts of their life that they've always kept quiet or haven't wanted to look at. Even people who are like. But they're so confident and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. There's this other side of humans that gets to come alive in this is what it sounds like and what I've seen from your work. And so I'm so excited. And I think that's beautiful because sometimes things can feel overwhelming, right? When we're like, I'm going to go find my voice or find my people, or it feels like I don't actually feel it in this. But I know of other personal development projects where it can feel like you have this massive Olympic undertaking. And there's so many journaling prompts and there's so many videos and there's so many things. And this is little short dares, so that those little tiny stretches that allow you to become who you are happen more easily than you can imagine.

And it's in a private space, right? So that's the other beautiful thing is you're almost getting this opening through this practice space of being with other people in this way. So that way, as the community that you're in, or even in other communities that you're existing. And like I mentioned, I was in two others. I'm in lots of different communities. You're learning how to be with other people and how to see them. So it's more of a global understanding. But the point and the reason why you're here is because the person that creating the community that wants you to be a part of this, wants you to be an active member. They want you to use your voice. They want you to support the other people as they're coming in. They want to be able to create the foundation of a safe space for everyone else coming in. And by you being a part of this experience, you're at the forefront of being able to really create the container for what the person that invited you to this experience is wanting. And it's just, it's exciting to be a part of that. Because who doesn't want to be a part of co creating something really cool where someone's wanting to do something like this? I mean, it's. What an amazing gift that is to be a part of.

So cool. And especially if it's something you're already passionate about yourself. Right. You're there for reasons it's not. Some unrelated. Oh my gosh, good for them, but not that cool. To me, that's so cool. And what a gift for so many people who haven't experienced human interactions that way. Right. Who haven't been able to be in a container where it is private and it is safe. And what I love about you is that there's this playfulness and this happy go luckiness, but there's also this ferocity. If it's like, don't mess with me. There's this mama bear side and this let's have fun. And when you enter a space like that, the boundaries will be upheld is really what I'm trying to say. Right. A lot of people will promise a safe space, but they don't have the chops to enforce it. And other people don't promise it at all.

Right.

So you're inviting people into these spaces where that really is the case. It's like walking into a party where everybody thinks you're awesome and they're gonna be really nice to you and when you talk, they're legitimately interested. And then you turn around and the other person's just as awesome. That's the vibe and the gift that this is gonna be for so many people who haven't experienced that in their maybe even in person, but definitely online interactions, let alone as they're becoming more vulnerable and heading for some of their biggest goals or dreams or passions. That's just. I'm beyond excited for them. I know how important that is.

Yeah. And you're making me realize that's one of the things that I hear all the time. And it's so beautiful when people say when they come into one of my communities, how different it is. And they've never felt this loved on or seen or heard and all of that stuff. And I think the gift of being a part of this experience is all of a sudden now you have the awareness that this exists and you're able to now have this in your life. And so I think this also helps you just see what's possible for all of us when we're able to be around something that we care about. Whether it's something fun like the funny bones or something like a dating expert or whichever group you're ending up being in, it's giving you that space to have your voice and to feel comfortable being in conversation with other people around the thing that you're there for.

Yeah. And what a training ground indeed for just the rest of your life to be able to feel safe and confident and have the feedback that your voice matters and is appreciated and your ideas are great and your most vulnerable shares are heard and loved on. That's just a healing experience for a lot of people, which then gives them the kind of internal certitude and conviction to go out there and tackle something else. It just gets bigger from here when you have a nucleus that's safe and awesome and fun and where you're guaranteed to be felt, seen, heard, loved on, starting with yourself and then the other people in the group, and then it just gets bigger. So that's so cool.

Yeah. And if for those of you that are here, you're here because you wanna be in a community, so you're only seeing this because you joined someone's community and they wanted you to be a part of this experience. And so that's saying something in itself. Right. Is why this is so important.

People value community so much, and so let's do it well, right? Let's do community the way it should be being done and not the way people have often experienced it or things that make people be like, I'll pass. So I'm just so excited for these people who are going to experience this. Stacy, is there anything else that you would like to encourage people with or leave people with as they're jumping into this journey, which is going to be. It's so simple and easy in certain ways and so deep and complex in others, but the results are just. I mean, I've watched them. I've watched the people in your world just explode and have the time of their lives and be seen and loved and more and more themselves. And it's incredible. So what would you kind of as a charge for people who are into this.

Yeah. I would invite you to do the thing and join this experience and honestly thank the person that sent this to you because it means that they care about having you in their community, and they want you to have a voice, and they want you to feel seen and they want you to feel heard, and they want you to do it for other people, too, in the way that they know this will help you, because they've been in this container themselves and they know what it did for them, and so that's why you're here. So that's what I would encourage you, is join us on this and then also just really acknowledge the person that sent it to you, because it's such a beautiful thing when you have someone that gets it and then they're wanting other people to feel it, too.

I love that. So just acknowledging the person who even allowed this opportunity and then jumping in and let's do the thing. Let's begin the seeing. Being seen. Loving, Being loved right now. And let the journey start, because it's gonna be an incredible one. Stacy, thank you so much for this time and for the work that you're doing in the world. There's a lot of great stuff happening on the Internet and even in the world. Right. But there are certain gaps, and teaching people and escorting them through a process that allows them to build and be in loving communities is one of the biggest gaps, I think, in the world right now. So thank you for the work that you're doing. To everybody who's jumping in, congratulations and welcome. This is going to be the ride of a lifetime.

Hey, thank you. And we'll see you guys soon. Do the thing. Don't wait for opportunity. Create it.