Unfiltered After 5 Years: Worst Guests, Big Mistakes & Confessions I’ve Never Shared

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What's up, you guys? Welcome back to the podcast. Today we have a super special episode because we are celebrating 5 years of Makeshift Happen. Holy shit. If you have been a listener since the very, very beginning, I would love for you to send me a DM on Instagram because it is so cool to see how our community has evolved, but also the amount of you that have actually been here since July 1st, 2020, when we first started Makeshift Happen. And the fact that we have put out an episode every single week, plus some bonus episodes with no breaks and no stopping, no pauses ever. And it's been 5 years of us hanging out every single week. Is absolutely insane. So I want to extend a very special thank you to those of you who have listened to the show since the very, very beginning, and I would love to connect with you guys in the DMs. And also, if you are a newer listener, welcome to the family. I'm so happy that you're here. And don't forget to go through and like binge some of these past episodes because there is so much gold waiting for you in this vault of podcast episodes from Makeshift Happen over the years. So incredible guests, solo episodes, stories, shifts, motivation— like so, so much. But for this special episode to commemorate 5 years of Makeshift Happen, I'm going to be sharing some spicy hot goss about the show that I've never shared before, including my biggest mistake, insider podcasting secrets, the most annoying episode I've ever recorded, the worst guest, an honest confession, and where I see the podcast going or not going in the next 5 years. So if you are down for the ride and you want to hang out with us, this is going to be a very fun episode. Stick around and let's dive in.

Welcome to the Makeshift Happen podcast. I'm your host, Samantha Daly, entrepreneur, life coach, and your no BS bestie, here to bring you all things mindset, manifestation, and personal development. This podcast is designed to help you expand your mind and uplevel your life. So turn the volume up and roll the windows down if you're coming along for the ride.

Let's go make shift Happen.

We are celebrating Makeshift Happen's 5th birthday.

I cannot believe we've been doing this together for 5 years now.

To celebrate, I want to give 5 lucky winners free lifetime access to my brand new course Sold Out Stories. There are over 200 of you already inside, 5x-ing your story views overnight, making thousands of dollars from a single story set, selling out offers in under 8 slides, and leveraging intentional brand positioning and premium buyer psychology. I know this has been such a hot offer with insane results, so I'm excited to give it away for free to 5 lucky winners. All you have to do is leave an epic review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, screenshot the review before you hit submit, and DM it to us on Instagram @makeshifthappenpodcast. And that's it. Even if you're not interested in sold-out stories or our cash giveaways that we do every month for those who review, I would still deeply appreciate if you could take 2 seconds as you're listening to this to leave the show 5 stars. It's just a quick tap of your finger on Apple, Spotify, wherever you're listening, and this is the best birthday gift you could ever give us. I want to thank you guys so much for sticking with me over the years and being such an important part of my life. I wouldn't be the same without the podcast, and the only reason that the show still exists is because you keep tuning in and sharing the show with your friends and your communities. I love you, and I can't wait to give away my brand new program to a handful of you who go leave reviews. I read every single one, and I appreciate them massively. So thank you guys so much, and happy birthday to Makeshift Happen.

So my team helped me come up with some juicy prompts, some questions that I have to answer to help us go through this episode and make it fun. And the first one is one of my hot takes about podcasting. So when I think about I mean, it's hard for me to have hot takes these days simply because I pretty much share what I'm thinking and speak my mind at all times. So it— these are going to be hard for me, like secrets, things that I've never shared, confessions. Like, it's hard because I am so honest and transparent. So I had to really dig deep to think about what I wanted to answer for a lot of these prompts. But when it comes to a hot take about podcasting, I think the best thing that I could share with you all, especially if you are someone who's in the entrepreneurial space wanting to build a personal brand, maybe you have a podcast or want to have one is this idea that video obviously is now, you know, very big in the podcasting space. All the major podcasts have video, they're on YouTube, and I really think that video makes the show worse. And you might be like, well, you do video, Sam, so what the fuck? And you're right, I do video and I'm still doing it. And I do plan to continue doing it. But transparent— transparently, candidly, I really do think that video makes the show worse. And I've actually heard really big podcasters, even really big influencers who have huge podcasts, like Emma Chamberlain— I've heard her talk about this on a podcast with other podcasting experts, and they were all sharing how they felt like once video was introduced to their podcast, the quality of the conversations and the podcasting got worse, especially when we're talking about solo episodes, right? I think if you're communicating with a guest, video makes it better in the sense that you can read each other's energies and facial expressions and know when they're pausing or when to go. Like, it's hard to record with guests when you're not on video or in person. But when it comes to like your solo episodes that are your self-expression or your teaching or whatever, video definitely just changes the dynamic so much. When you are staring down the barrel of a camera, there's something about your body that immediately goes into performance mode, and it just is another barrier to really being authentic and and natural. And I think the— at least for me, the pressure of the camera feels like I can't just take time to pause and gather my thoughts, or it feels like there's more pressure to not fuck up. Whereas when it's just— when it's just audio and you can show up in a bathrobe looking like a troll and just whip out your mic and speak from the heart, I think a lot more of your natural authenticity comes through. I think for me, I'm able to channel messages a lot better and just kind of like get in the zone. When you're staring at a camera and you're on the recording light and making sure the battery's not dying. And, you know, then you've got audio on the screen and you're looking at notes, and there's just like a lot more happening, and it makes you feel like you need to be on top of things. When we added video to my podcast, I felt like I needed to be a lot more prepared for my solo episodes, whereas in the past I would just have like 5 bullet points and I would riff riff riff riff riff. And now I feel like I need more structure. I need to know what I'm going to say for the intro. I need to have like some guidelines. And while I'm— I've never been the type of person to script a podcast episode because I want it to be natural and I want it to be conversational. I want to talk through everything. I will say that it took some time for me to adjust to having the camera and being able to free flow in these solo episodes without as much planning or without as much like written down in my notes. And so yeah, I just think that that's an underestimated challenge, and that's just in the, you know, the quality of the conversation that's coming through. But obviously if you think about the editing process and post-production and, you know, having to make a— make it a YouTube video and cut it up into video shorts and trailers. And video adds a lot of complexity to podcasting that I don't think a lot of podcasters need, at least when they're first starting out, because the most important thing to set you apart from every other podcaster is really just the consistency. Most people stop podcasting after about 3 episodes. I think you're like in the top percentile of podcasters if you can get to like 21 episodes without quitting, which is kind of embarrassing for everyone else. So if you've done at least 21 episodes, like slay. But that's the biggest barrier, is can you stay consistent in your show and actually build a community? And when you add video, it can add this like unnecessary complexity to it, at least at the start. So I do think that the episodes get worse when you add video. The complexity of editing and post-production and everything, uh, gets more complicated. But I do plan on continuing with video simply because of the fact that I have a team that can support me in the production of everything. So I have a video team, I have an editor. Like, I don't watch any of that stuff at all. Like the Shorts, the trailers, like those all get made for me. I'm not doing any of that editing. Everything gets uploaded and posted to YouTube and all the other platforms. The captions are made. Like, I don't do any of that. And so it makes it easier. But that wouldn't have been the case when I was starting out with my show. But because of where we are now, I would like to continue to play and, and try around with video, because even now we have like almost 8,000 subscribers on YouTube, and mostly the only thing that I post is the video versions of these episodes. But we've started to do some vlogs So if you haven't checked out the YouTube in a while, check it out. There's a couple of vlogs up there. There's some more that are getting uploaded. And so yeah, it allows me to kind of experiment and play with a new platform of YouTube. And so yeah, I'm gonna keep doing it, but I do think that it makes your show worse. So if you've been contemplating it and you feel already a little bit overwhelmed or stretched thin, or you don't have the team or the resources or the capacity to get help with it, I would say don't fucking stress out about it because it honestly kind of sucks. Okay, the next question for me to answer is the worst guest I've ever had. Now We can't put anyone on blast, even though I know you guys are like dying and you're like, I would love for you to share the worst guest. But I think honestly, like, almost all of the guests that we've had on the podcast have been really, really good, and they've been worthwhile because of the vetting process that we use. Like, so many people pitch to be on the show, but there's only so many that we can accept simply because of the, you know, how many episodes we have per year. Not everyone who wants to be on the show can be on, and I really do prioritize episodes with people who I know, who I have relationships with, who I admire their work, who, you know, I have some sort of connection with, mutuals. So in that way, it becomes a lot more filtered. But of course, we've had guests that I've preferred way more than others, and some where I'm like, okay, that was kind of frustrating. People will show up unprepared, right? And they're like not ready. Um, but what I want to say about like guests, I think, here is that there's this misconception that if you get big guests on your show, it's really going to help grow your listenership and grow your show. And we've had so many incredible guests, like big, big guests with huge followings, millions of followers, bestsellers, like all the things. We've gotten such incredible guests on the show in the past couple of years. And what I've noticed is that big guests don't actually equal big listener conversions. Right. And so you might think, oh my gosh, like I need to get these big guests on my show. What it will do, I think, is build some authority around your show. It— for your listeners, it'll be like, wow, okay, the show is, you know, really moving in the right direction. And it's growing because look at these guests that they're able to land. So I think it does that. But if you think that like getting a huge guest on your show is going to give you like tons and tons of listeners, I would say don't get your panties in a bunch over it because it doesn't usually happen that much. And half the time, if you have a really big guest on your show, you might be like, oh, this is awesome, they're going to share it with their audience, and then they fucking don't. They don't, they don't share it. And then you're like, okay, cool. Um, and I think there's there's, you know, a lot of— with podcasting now, it's become the main medium for authors especially, but even like politicians. Like in the last presidential race, we saw politicians really leveraging podcasts as the main kind of medium to reach the masses, and especially young people. And so it's huge for authors obviously to promote their books and get their work out there. So you get a lot of pitches from authors and people that are like begging you to come on and promote their book, and then they'll never like, you'll be like, okay, and you give them the free promotion, you do the research, you read part of their book, like, you do all this work, and then they never promote the episode. And you're like, okay, cool, you're welcome for the free fucking marketing. So I think those are some of the kind of challenging guest experiences I would say that you have behind the scenes, along with people that like just come and they're just like not fucking prepared. Like, they pitched you, they wanted to be on your show because they want the marketing, because they know you have the audience, and then they show up and they don't have fucking headphones and they're not ready to go and and they don't know what they want to talk about, and you're just like, okay, like, why, why are you here?

Why are you here?

Okay, the next question is an unforgettable guest story. So there's a couple— there was way too many for me to choose just one, but I wanted to pull out a few that really stuck out to me. I would say when I got to interview the Almost 30 girls earlier this year, um, Krista and Lindsay— Lindsay shared about her her ex-boyfriend snorting pre-workout off the bar. And this was just such a fun, funny episode while still being like quite deep, right? And it was obviously a dream to get to interview Krista and Lindsay because they have one of the biggest podcasts in the space. And we talked all about like our wildest parts of our 20s and the shitstorm of moving through a Saturn return when you're getting close to your 30s. And then also the behind the scenes of them building one of the largest podcasts out there and also staying friends while doing it. Like, there was just There was so much substance to that episode. I really loved it because it was fun, it was lighthearted, but it was also deep and thoughtful, and there was a lot of really good takeaways. So that was a really good one. I also thought about the episode that I did with my friend Madison Rose where she shared about her father's suicide right before her wedding and before the birth of her first child. And this was just such an incredible story about resilience and trusting your inner guidance and keeping your heart open and, you know, moving through grief and rising against all odds. And there were a lot of people that reached out to me and her after that episode because of how much it touched them. So that's one that was like noteworthy and stood out to me. Also, when I interviewed Andrea Crowder and she told her story of like how she went from stripping and selling weed to building a 7-figure business, and like she just shared some of the rawest parts of her path into entrepreneurship and, and the good, the bad, the ugly, because she's truly been through so much. And there were so many golden nuggets in there about welcoming your trauma and clearing money blocks, which is like a huge thing that she's so, so good at. So that was a really good one. And then the last one that comes to mind is just Gala Darling because she's such like a fun, bubbly, colorful person. So she was really enjoyable to interview, and she told the story about how she went on 100 dates to find the one. She was like committed to finding her husband, so she set herself this challenge. She went out on 100 dates and she ended up engaged within 4 months of meeting this guy. So in that episode, we talked about dating outside of your type Speeding Up Your Manifestations, which is something she's amazing at. Obviously, The Power of EFT, which is what she's most known for, and Billionaire Mindset. So, so, so many good ones. I couldn't pick just one. But if you've missed any of those episodes, like, I guess this is a cool invitation to go back and, and listen to them. I believe all of the ones that I've mentioned are on YouTube because those are when we started, you know, doing video. So you can watch them on YouTube or listen anywhere that you listen to this podcast. Those were some of the ones that stood out to me the most. Next is the most annoying episode I've ever recorded. So I think about, well, you can take this a couple of different directions. Like, if I think about me being featured on other shows, I would say the most annoying versions of that is when, you know, you show up and the interviewer doesn't really know how to interview, and they clearly aren't prepared. They don't have notes. They haven't researched you. They don't know anything about your story. They don't have like clear, precise questions about your zone of genius that they want to ask you. And it's the classic, you know, start of the episode where they're like, okay, so Sam, tell us a little bit about your story and how you got to where you are today. And yeah, like what you do, and just introduce yourself to the audience. That is my least favorite way on planet Earth to be interviewed because because it's just— it just shows that you're not that good of an interviewer and that you're just not prepared. So I would say those, those kind of episodes are quite annoying when you're being featured as a guest. And then, um, again, like when other people pitch to be on your show and they want to be featured but then they show up unprepared, like they're late or they don't have their materials ready or their mic isn't working, they can't find their headphones, etc., that's annoying. And then if I were to say like episodes on my show that I've recorded that were the most annoying, I would have to say the Egypt series, which these episodes are so fucking good. And I've gotten so many messages from you guys who— you guys loved these episodes. If you haven't listened to the Egypt series, it's 3 episodes and there's so much goodness inside of there. So many stories, uh, spiritual revelations, paranormal activity, like all all the crazy things and synchronicities that happened while we were in Egypt. Really, really, really cool series. Absolutely loved the final product, but they were really annoying to record because of the nitty-gritty, like, planning process. You have to understand, like, I went to Egypt for 11 days and I went on this super deep pilgrimage, and there were a million things that happened and so many different synchronicities and stories and things that were lining up. But to really share that in a compelling way across 3 episodes, I had to literally write down every single thing that happened, everything that I wanted to talk about. And then I also had to go back into my notes from Egypt and do even further research beyond that so that I could make sure that the things that I was sharing with you guys were actually clear, right? You— we all, you know, learn stuff, history, culture, spirituality, and we're like, whoa, that blew my mind. But to actually be able to reiterate it and to share it in a way that's coherent and that other people can actually grasp and understand is a totally different ball game. So I had to go back through all of my notes, be like, all right, I wanted to talk about this, but let me dive into it more. Let me study even more about, you know, these conspiracy theories around the pyramid and the top being missing and what this means as it relates to the Masons and the US dollar. And like, I really had to make that all make sense. And then I also had to map out an entire timeline and see an order of events so that the story would make sense. And it wasn't as simple as going, okay, day 1 of the trip, day 2, day 3, because in order for me to tell you the story about how I connected with Goddess Hathor and all the ways that she was calling to me and speaking to me and how she came to me, I had to really make sure that I lined up the order of those events and kept those together and sorted without mixing it in randomly with the other topics about everything else that happened. So it was just kind of this like logistical shit show of mapping out and planning those episodes. It took me so long. I'm actually shocked how soon after I came home from Egypt that I got those out. I think I just got right to work on them. But yeah, it was a lot of planning, a lot of like storyboarding and moving things around, making sure the order was right, making sure that it made sense, and also ending every episode off on like a cliffhanger so that it would lead perfectly into what we were going to talk about in the next one. And then knowing what I was going to talk about in the next episode episode so that I could preview you with some hooks at the end of the prior episode saying, okay, in the next episode, here's what we're going to cover, and make sure that those were like juicy hook formats. Oh my God, it was really fucking annoying. So I hope you loved those episodes. And if you're someone who listens to this show and you haven't listened to those episodes, for the love of God, please, if you care about me, honor the hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of work that went into those episodes and go do yourself a favor and listen to them because because they were really fun and, and they turned out really good. Okay, next is the subject that you've beaten to death on the podcast. I mean, let's all say it together. 1, 2, 3, manifestation. Wouldn't you say? Wouldn't you say? Those of you who've been around since the very beginning, you know there are so many episodes on this show that tie into manifestation somehow. And yet when I ask you guys what you love the most and what you want to talk— want me to talk about more on the show, it's always manifestation. Manifestation. So if you do want even more manifestation content, please let me know. Comment below this episode on YouTube or Spotify, wherever you're listening to, or send me a DM. I really want to know what you guys want to hear more of. And for the most part, it tends to be like manifestation. So if that's changed or there's anything else that you really want to hear on the show in the next 5 years— I mean, it won't take me that long to deliver, but you know what I mean— let me know what you guys want to hear more of, because that's always super interesting, because a lot of times it's not what I would think and it's not what I would have guessed. But I definitely think the subject that we have beaten to death on Makeshift Happen is manifestation. Okay, the next prompt is a big mistake that I've made. So when it comes to the podcast, I think that probably the biggest mistake that I've made is that all of my best stuff goes on to the podcast, and I'm like a chronic oversharer, but then I don't cross-share half of this stuff to social media. So if you are someone who just follows me on social, you will probably see a lot of my like businessy, entrepreneurship, like success mindset type content. But there is so much more depth on the podcast and so many more like personal stories, and all of that gets shared here. But I think because like I'm such a long-form girly. I love long-form content like this, being able to just sit down and grab the mic and talk with you guys and share stories and riff. Like, it doesn't have to be so strategic. It doesn't have to be a 30-second soundbite. I don't have to make sure that there's a hook in the first 2 seconds and we only have 7 seconds to grab the attention. Like, that's what I love so much about long-form. And so I think that's why that so many more stories of my life and my travels and my journeys and, you know, what I'm learning and going through and insecurities vulnerabilities and fun stuff and life updates, and like all of that gets shared on the podcast. And not as much of that like gets cross-shared over to social media because I think my brain just like works in a different way when it comes to short-form content than it does to long-form. And I know a lot of people will be able to relate to that, and that's something that I can definitely get better at. But I would say, yeah, that's probably like one of my biggest mistakes because not everyone listens to the podcast, and there's probably a lot of people that follow me on social media and they just assume that my podcast is going to be like all about business stuff or making sales or messaging or a lot of the things that I talk about in my work and the work that I do with my clients. But the podcast is like a totally different ball game for me. It's the place where we have like the deepest, most interesting conversations. It's where we bring on incredible guests from so many different walks of life and backgrounds and expertises and authors and leaders and, you know, sharing their stories and talking more about like my personal life and how I see things. Like, the podcast is very, very different than my social media content. And I think the reason I would classify that as a mistake is because obviously when you're building a personal brand, you want people to be able to see the personal side of your brand and your values and, and who you are. And I think, you know, I do that too to a certain extent very well on social, but like it could be even better if there were more of what we share on the podcast also cross-shared over to social media. Which brings us to the next prompt, which is about this kind of insider secret. Like, what's an insider secret for how you operate in your business with the podcast? And for me, it's this, this separation, as I was just speaking to, of social media versus the podcast. And they're both, they both can be viewed as marketing channels, but I've never really looked at the podcast as a funnel for my business. So most people will have their social media content, they'll view that as like the top of funnel for their business, right? So that's where everyone comes in. They get this visibility on who they are, their brand values, expertise, et cetera. And then hopefully they go down into that funnel where they buy an offer, they upsell, they go into a, a bigger program, maybe buy a mastermind, something like that. And so for a lot of people, they have social media as their top of funnel, but they will also have other top of funnel strategies, whether it's like YouTube or podcast. And so a lot of business owners, not, not content creators, but business owners will approach podcasting through the lens of like, let me make my podcast a top of funnel space for my offers and programs. So they create their podcast as another way to reach people, just like social media content. So they will specialize their podcast, they'll niche their podcast, and they'll make all the content that they share on their podcast about the actual work that they do, the programs that they sell. And it'll be very niche and specific in that way so that the people that listen to this podcast end up getting nurtured to the point of wanting to buy something from them. And that makes a lot of sense, and it's a totally valid structure and form format. No shade to it. I just have always kind of viewed my podcast as not a top-of-funnel strategy for my business, but its own separate entity, its own project, its own little part of my brand ecosystem. And so because of that, you will see on this podcast every episode is not about how to get more sales or how to fix your messaging or 5 tips to become a better marketer. Like, I don't— that's not how I want to podcast. Uh, that to me is boring. And of course, a lot of you that listen to this show are ambitious females, you have a business or want to start a business, you have an entrepreneurial mindset. Like, yes, that is a big part of the demographic that naturally listens to the show, because if you align with me and the way I live my life, or my values, or what I teach, or what I'm about, then you're probably going to share some of those characteristics.

But okay, so I have something I think you're really gonna love, and your business is gonna love it even more. Do you want to steal the strategy I've been using to seduce premium Buyers and Sell Out My Offers on Instagram Stories. Chances are you're already posting, you're already making sales, but if your Instagram Stories aren't working as hard as you are, you're leaving money on the table. Sold Out Stories is going to teach you exactly how to change that so that you can sell out any offer at any price point. And even high-caliber coaches miss this because selling on stories isn't about how much you post or how frequently you show up face to camera. It's about psychological sequencing. And the way you're posting right now might be giving the premium buyers in your audience the ick. Documenting your day and hoping it builds trust, posting look at me content and calling it authority, sharing client wins as soon as they drop in instead of strategically weaving them into a story selling sequence designed to drive demand and convert sales. We both know that you're not here to learn how to show up more. You're here because you know your content could be converting faster and more more effectively. Sold Out Stories is going to give you 5 high-converting story selling frameworks built specifically for premium buyer psychology. Inside, you'll get over 6 hours of deep dive video trainings, real IG story breakdowns, and live walkthroughs that show you exactly how to elevate your slides from authority building all the way to offer flow in less than 10 slides. My clients have already been using these frameworks to pull 5-figure sales days while posting less. Yes, one client generated 14 premium leads from a single story sequence. Another sold out her event in under 6 hours with just 8 strategic story slides. No sales calls, no paid ads, just the right frameworks. You'll walk away knowing how to sequence for desire, transition into your offer seamlessly, and sell daily without ever feeling salesy. You already know your offer's incredible, so now it's just time for your stories to sell it like it is. Grab Sold Out Stories today and Turn 10 Slides or Less into Your Highest Converting Content. Let's make your next story your most profitable one yet. Click the link in the show notes below and I'll see you inside.

I don't want my podcast to be all about like business and marketing and how-tos and have it just be this like very narrow niche like thing that's meant to funnel people into the things that I sell. So I've always kind of put the podcast in my brain off to the side as its own project, its own little part of the personal brand ecosystem. And for that reason, we've kept the conversations on the podcast. I think there's an anchor to the vibe of what we talk about, but there's a wide variety of topics and conversations and guests and what we share. And it's not so narrow and niche and only serving to drive people towards my program. So you could listen to this podcast and love it and like never buy something from me. And that's not ever been the point of the podcast. And what I will say about that is, even if that— even if I don't set it up for that to be the intention or the point, I do think that people end up getting nurtured through listening to me every week and enjoying the conversations, whether it's the solo episodes or the guests, or having these like insights, or aligning with the way that I talk about things, or the way that I teach, or my philosophy and values for life. If you feel connected to me in some way, eventually down the line, if I share something on social media or I send you an email and there's a product or a program that really aligns for you and you're like, yes, like, I want to be part of that, you might be more inclined to buy because you've been more nurtured over several months or years of listening to the podcast, even though that's not the main intention of the show. So I've never publicly shared, like, my philosophy around the podcast and that separation from social media and how I view it as part of my brand ecosystem. Wisdom, but they asked me for an insider secret. So there you go, that's kind of my perspective on it. And, um, I think it's— it could be an interesting one. I don't know if you are someone who has a podcast, you're a business owner who has a podcast, that might be some, some sort of like aha moment for you for maybe why your podcast has been feeling like kind of boring or dry or sticky or like this to-do list, because it's it's not fluid enough, it's not fun enough for you, because every episode has to be about something that's going to drive traffic to an offer. I mean, that to me is not something that I want to do every single week for the rest of my life. However, this— having these, you know, free-flowing fun conversations, having amazing guests on, getting to talk about like health, wellness, uh, like female hormones, learning about optimizing your mindset for success, psychology, tax, like all these things. I want to talk about all of those things. I just want to be in this, in this space of like fascination and empowerment and feeling lit up. And hopefully that's what we're able to create on Makeshift Happen for you. And that's the reason why it is the way that it is. So I remember one time there was a review for the podcast that was like, used to be good but now it got too businessy. And I was like, that's so interesting because I I mean, maybe my social media has gotten more businessy because that's like the direction that my work has gone into, of me like really discovering that I have this zone of genius when it comes to marketing and messaging specifically. But the podcast is still, you know, very wide, and we have a big variety of conversations that we talk about. But, um, like I said, I think there's definitely like an anchor that everything is connected to that's rooted to this idea of being like an ambitious woman who wants to create freedom for herself. Yes. So if you don't resonate at all with that, maybe you perceive that to be like businessy. But anyways, that's how I view the podcast versus my other like marketing channels, social media, email, etc. Like, I don't see them as one and the same. The podcast is not designed to be top of funnel. It's a fun, creative, fluid space. I want to have amazing conversations and I want them to be enjoyable and interesting for you guys. And as of right now there's no monetization strategy on Makeshift Happen. So we don't have paid ads. Like, we spend thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars every single month to produce this show, and it's not making any money for us other than if you think about the kind of invisible ripple effect of people getting nurtured through the podcast. And then probably that's helping them feel more safe in buying something from me later down the line because they feel more connected to who I am, and they feel feel like they can trust me more and they know that they align with the way that I see things more. But yeah, there's like no monetization strategy right now, which is kind of wild when you have, you know, a podcast with like millions of downloads. So yeah, that's the insider secret. Okay, next up is an honest confession. Uh, I think we just did an episode recently of like 10 Confessions and Things That I'm Embarrassed to Admit. So if you want more vulnerable, deeper confessions, definitely go listen to that episode. But one that I could share here is the— this truth about being the female breadwinner and just the honest fact that like I don't really enjoy the experience of it as much as I thought that I would. Growing up, I always thought that, you know, I was going to be this like independent boss woman. I was going to work in corporate. I was going to be that, you know, girly, and I wanted to make my own money and do my own things. And I love that. I love that I have the freedom and flexibility to, you know, make my own money, to be independent. If there's something that I want, like, I, I can give myself my best life no matter what happens in my romantic life. Like, I know that I can always take care of me, and that is priceless. I love it. But there are parts about being the breadwinner in your relationship that can be really challenging, and I think it's almost like a lot of those goals or things that society tells you that you want in life, and then you go out and you do them, and it's kind of this disillusionment of realizing like, oh, but this is what that feels like. Like, you go to college and you're like, cool, and then you get the job and you're like, cool, and then you're, you know, making the good salary and you're like, cool, and then you're just— and you buy the house and you're like, cool, and you do all these things and you're like, okay, but like, do you know what I mean? Like, it's not everything that it's cracked up to be. And I think the same thing happened for me in becoming the female breadwinner. I was like, fuck yeah, I'm gonna do this, like, I can't wait. And I'm so glad that I did it. But the honest confession is just the fact that, like, when you reach that mountaintop, you're just like, okay, and like, I still want you to pay for me. Like, I still want you to take care of me. Like, I still— I, I actually don't like all the pressure. I actually don't like holding all this responsibility. Like, this actually is isn't as cool as everyone thinks that it is. And so while I think it's definitely a flex and a privilege and a huge blessing to be able to create an abundance of resources and wealth for yourself and your family and to have that independence and freedom, I also think there's just a reality of it where you're like, yeah, it's not, it's not as cool as I thought it would be. So that's my honest confession, is that um, I thought I really wanted to be that girl, and I became that girl, and I was like, okay, and I think I'm done now. I think, I think I don't want to be that girl. And I love what I do so much, so I'm never gonna, you know, stop like creating and building and teaching. Like, that's what I love so much. But I just think I'm, I'm over the— like, I love it. It wouldn't be— it wouldn't be a bad thing for me if my man was like making more money than me. Like, I wouldn't be like, oh my God, like I need to compete and like work harder. I'm like, the competition part of it is, is well and truly over. Like, there's no competing, honey. Like, you go ahead, you go ahead, you make as much money as you want. I'm going to keep doing my thing, but like also I'm not like rushing.

Hey, don't forget that every month we are picking a Listener of the Month to win $50 in cash just for showing love to the show. All you have to do is leave an epic review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, screenshot the review before you hit submit, and DM that screenshot to us on Instagram at Makeshift Happen Podcast. And that's it. I want to thank you for being such a loyal listener and show my appreciation by putting a little extra cash in your pocket. I know it's super easy not to do it, but every single rating and review seriously helps the show rank to hire and reach new people, so we appreciate them more than you know. We'll announce the next winner at the end of the month and slide into your DMs if it's you, so keep an eye out and good luck. Love you guys and thanks for supporting Makeshift Happen.

Because I don't care anymore. Like, what we've created is amazing and it's enough, and that also kind of feels good in and of itself. But yep, if you're obsessed with like the idea of out-earning your man or becoming the breadwinner, I'm just here to tell view that I think you should— I think you should go for it. I think you should do it because it's worth it. It's like everyone who says like, you know, money's not everything, and then there's a quote, it's like, anyone who says that money's not everything hasn't made enough to like actually know that it is. So I think everyone should do it. I think you should have the experience of doing it, but then you have the peace of being like, okay, and that's not the thing that solves all my problems, and that's not the thing that makes me feel happy, and that's not the thing that brings me all the fulfillment. So then you can let go of that being something that you need to chase because you already have it. And then you have the freedom to now explore other avenues of fulfillment and truly like lean into things that really bring you joy and that actually mean something to you. It's like the Jim Carrey quote when he said, you know, I wish everyone could have the chance to become famous, rich and famous, so that they would realize that it's, you know, it's not all that it's cracked up to be. But it's like, you're never going to— I can't sit here and tell you like, oh yeah, it's fine, you don't need to do it. I think you do need to do it. And And once you do it, once you have the abundance, once you have the money, once you have the success, once you've created that for yourself, then you can almost like take this exhale and realize that wasn't everything. And there's more, there's other layers of fulfillment, there's other things that are gonna bring me joy. And so you can move on, you can truly let that go. But if you never go for it, if you never create it, that might always be in the back of your mind of like, but if I could just make more, if I just had $100K a month, if I just could be the breadwinner, if I just whatever, and that that might always torture you. So go fucking do it. Go do it so that you can knock it off of your list, honestly, and just be like, okay, it's done and I don't need that, and there's other things that can bring me joy and fulfillment. That's my honest opinion. And lastly is a dream that I have for the next 5 years. When I think about the podcast specifically, like, if I were to go into a dream world of what would happen for the podcast, I think we would be doing a lot more more in-person, in real life interviews because I love that experience. And I also love the viewer experience that it gives you guys of being able to see these, you know, crispy, clean camera angles and the outfits and the, um, yeah, just kind of like the chemistry between like a guest. And, and I think that's really fun. And so whether that's like all of our episodes or it's just like going on these tours and going to major cities and podcasting with really cool people like we did in Austin. I have dreams of doing that in other cities like New York, LA, wherever else, you know, we want to go to link up with some other really cool leaders, authors, podcasters, all the things. I also think it would be so cool to have a studio or like a set, like a Makeshift Happens set. Oh my God, I would love that. You have no idea how many times we've contemplated turning this whole, like, room into a set, or renting a place, or buying a piece of property. Like, there's a lot of— there's a lot of dreams and visions, but I don't know exactly what it's going to look like just yet. But definitely more in-person podcasts, going on tours, and yeah, monetizing the show. Because like I said, right now we don't monetize the podcast. It's just a passion project. It's something that I love. It's so much fun. And I do think, of course, it brings a lot of value to the brand. Like, it adds to my personal brand. It allows you to get to know me more. And it's just this beautiful, like, body of work that I'm so proud of. Like, how cool to think about one day that even, like, my kids or potentially grandkids could, like, have access to all these audios and, like, listen to this, like, storybook of my life and experiences and what I used to teach and, like, who I was. Like, I think there's a lot of legacy in documenting your life and your experiences and your teachings, and that's something really, really valuable that love, and it brings— it makes me more connected to you guys. Like, there's just so much more, like I said, personal stories and life updates and all the things that I can share here that I don't share as much on social media because I love long form and I love just like yapping and hanging out. So yeah, um, but eventually, like, we should monetize the show, do you know what I mean? Like, we, we should definitely have some kick-ass brand sponsors, and we should be getting paid to do this because right now it's just a— it's just a money pit that we like throw thousands of dollars into every single month, but we love it and that's why we keep doing it. And I definitely plan on continuing to do this for many, many more years, hopefully. Like, I don't really see myself not podcasting. So for now, that's the vision for the podcast. If I think about like my life in the next 4 years or 5 years, a dream for my life is obviously like having children. Like, I, you know, I'll be— in 5 years I'll be 36, so hopefully I have like 1 or 2 babies on my hip at that point, which would be crazy. And I'm really excited to bring you all along on that journey and see how that unfolds. Like, that's a huge mystery still at this point in my life, which I think is fun to try to peer into that vision and see what that's going to be like. But it's a complete unknown, so that's really fun. And that's on the horizon in the next 5 years, hopefully. Hopefully, God willing. Um, and then yeah, just continuing to like scale the business. And I want to spend more time in Spain and maybe have a house there. I don't know if that'll happen in 5 years, but yeah, that's the dream. That's the dream for life and podcast in the next 5 years. And I hope you guys enjoyed this little, you know, chit-chat about some of the unseen behind-the-scenes things with the show that maybe you never knew. Um, some things I've never shared. And yeah, I just wanted to celebrate 5 years with you, which is really, really crazy. Thank you guys so much for tuning in and listening. If you haven't ever, or in the last couple of months, left an updated rating and review for the show, we so appreciate them. That is the best birthday gift that you could give to Makeshift Happen, is to drop a rating or review for the show. We do our monthly giveaway where we gift you guys cash for leaving your reviews. So we are going to do that again this month, so make sure that you drop your rating and review. And also follow the show on whatever platform you listen on. If you don't subscribe or follow on the show, that is one of the most important metrics for your show to be able to be ranked and for other people to find it. So we so, so, so appreciate it. Thank you guys so much for the most incredible 5 years of my life. I could have never imagined how much my life would change when I sat down with a microphone in my one-bedroom apartment in Madrid and hit record and talked about my, like, body image journey. Like, if you go back to those early, early episodes, it's wild, you know. I talked about my journey with body image. I think one of the first episodes was me talking about how to ask for a sign from the universe. And when I think back to that version of me and all that's happened and what we've done and created as a community over the past 5 years and where we are now, like, you know, living in a whole new country, having bought my dream house, scaling this business, like, still full-time doing what I love, you know, growing this community, like, I truly could not have fucking imagined where we would be. And I have you guys to thank for that. So Thank you so, so much. I love you all, and I will talk to you next week. Bye! Muah!

If you loved this episode, make sure to check out the show notes where I've linked a few similar episodes I know you're also going to love. You'll find them under the similar episodes section in the description down below with direct links so you can dive in and start listening right away, or add them to your queue for later. Binge away for even more growth, expansion, abundance, and fire motivation.