Why Networking Feels Awkward for Working Moms (And What Actually Works)

Welcome to the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We're your host, Erika Radis and Marie Lifschultz, a realtor and lender here in San Antonio. But most importantly, we're working moms just like you.

This podcast is all about creating a space where we can come together, share stories, and learn from each other. We love connecting with local moms in business hearing about their journeys and how they're balancing it all. Because let's be honest, it's not always easy, but it's so worth it.

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Our business community and coworking memberships are officially open. Whether you're looking for a supportive community of moms in business or need a beautiful space to work and grow, we've got just what you need here at Working Moms of San Antonio. You can visit the link in our show notes or workingmomsofsanantonio.com/membership for more info.

Now onto today's episode. Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let's get started.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. Today we have a guest, Jenna, with Happy Hope Wellness., and I'm gonna turn it over to her to share all about herself and her business.

Awesome. Hi, I'm Jenna. And so I'm the owner of Happy Hope Wellness. And so it's a creative wellness company that we work with individuals, organizations, businesses, and everything just to really engage in overall positive wellness strategies. So my motto is mindset meets nervous system regulation, and it's a combination of education and then embodiment of it. So I bring in just different emotional intelligence strategies. I come up with positive aspects, reframing perspective shifts, as well as integrating it all with creative arts, sound and well, uh, excuse me, sound wellness. So sound healing, sound therapy, a lot of good ways to integrate the sound frequencies within your body at the cellular level. So I bring a lot of science in with the healing portion in all different aspects.

That's amazing. You know, right before we started recording, I had said like, I don't know that I had ever known someone that does all of that.

And so I have a very diverse background. I am an Air Force veteran. I'm also a speech-language pathologist currently in the state of Texas. And then my background with grief and trauma, I have had multiple losses in my life. And so I like to integrate all of that into my work. You know, challenges happen every day in life, things happen. And we can't always really control that, but we do have the 100% choice to move forward in a positive way. And I really like to bring that aspect in with strategies and applications, 'cause a lot of people don't really know how to bring in some simple strategies to help identify their emotions in a correct regulation of way. And then we bring in the mindset perspective shifts, just kind of looking at things in a different way. And then again, with the creative wellness and the sound-based wellness, with the nervous system regulation, it really helps get your body into the parasympathetic, um, nervous system where it's the digest and rest, and it helps you just overall feel great. And I think when we integrate all aspects, it just really helps, um, people transform in a very positive way.

Yeah, I'm sure. Um, you mentioned having gone through some grief and things like that. Is that, do you think, one of the main factors in how you started this business?

So definitely. So I Started my business a few years ago, just through all the loss that I have gone through. About 20 years ago, I did lose my first son, Joshua, to sudden infant death syndrome.

Wow.

And so I was about 20 years myself. So I was very young and I didn't really understand a lot of ways to help go through that. I did do counseling, I just did a lot of different things. But when you're in that kind of grief, it's just a very different journey for everyone. And as I experienced that journey throughout the last 20 years, and especially the last 5 years, I've lost both of my parents. So that grief on top of the other, it just kind of really brought me to a point to where I was going through my own journey, but with the information that I learned and what I now provide for individuals has really been so transformational. And I just really want to share that with everyone. Yeah. Because, um, If I can feel happy again and find hope in, you know, life, then anybody can. Yeah. And I just wanna share that with everyone.

Oh, I love that. And I feel like that's so true. I mean, so did you feel like many businesses I think are sort of built out of maybe like a lack of resources and that kind of stuff. Mm-hmm. And so do you feel like when you were going through these things that some of these things weren't available to you and you had to kind of do research and things on your own?

Well, I think there was a combination of both there. There were a lot of resources. And actually, I do work with a local organization, Any Baby Can of San Antonio. They actually reached out to me at the very beginning of my journey. And so it was nice to have that. But there is a lot of things that they don't always touch on, a lot of nervous system regulation, I feel, just innovative and different ways to address grief. There's usually always like counseling and talk therapy, which is great. It's nice. But then there is also Sometimes you need a little bit more. You need some coaching or kind of a meaningful way to get through instead of just going back and digging up all the bad stuff. Because our nervous system actually can't tell the difference between something going on in real life and a very impactful memory. So when you—

Wow.

So yeah. So when you think back into a painful moment that you have or a memory, you automatically feel those within your nervous system. And that's your chemical system within your brain just identifying that that's something that's going on. And so I kind of go beyond that and bring in central nervous system regulation with breathing, with sound wellness. It goes into the cellular portion of your body and it really helps with everything. So I bring in a lot of just different innovative ways to address grief, trauma. I also work with workplace wellness. Anybody and everybody. Yeah, I do it all.

I guess we all need sort of regulation throughout our whole lives, probably at the workplace and during grief times and, you know, that kind of stuff.

Yeah.

Wow. That's super interesting. So how do you determine, um, or like what does it look like when someone gets with you? How do you determine which of these things is gonna be the best for them to kind of get started?

So it really just depends. I personally think, and I have a, um, program, it's the Reflect Reframe Renew, and I really feel that you kind of need to have all three aspects when you are addressing any kind of life challenge. It can be grief, it can be trauma, it can be overwhelming in your work life, personal, anything. And when you address your emotional intelligence and you understand there are so many layers of emotional intelligence, for example, like if we talk about grief, you have the overall grief portion, but there's so many like hidden losses and secondary losses that a lot of people don't really identify. So if you think for like a loss of a child, that's the overall arcing loss, but there's hidden losses underneath. So it's the loss of the future you thought you were going to have. It's the loss of safety and security. It's the, you know, now you're going to be freaked out every time something might happen. So you have all these small little triggers underneath the large one. So when you're able to go through and kind of identify each one and find a, I say solution in quotes because some, we can't go back.

Sure.

You know, and so when we are in a point to where we can move forward in a healthy way, and look at that in a positive way, then we can kind of reflect in that. Then we move to the reframing of it. So we look at different situations and find different silver linings in different things because really we can be upset about something or we can look at a situation and kind of move forward with that. And it really, our body can tell.

Yeah.

And then I bring in the third portion for renewal and that really helps with the breathing techniques. I am a HeartMath practitioner. And so HeartMath is a, company that's based out of California, but it works with the electromagnetic field around our body and indicates that— so we have brain sensors, but we also have heart sensors, and our heart sensors actually produce more than our brain sensors. And so when we are intentful and, um, focusing on our heart, when we're breathing in and out and have a positive, um, intention, it shows that the heart rate variability within the body— and this is research and everything— lowers and helps regulate. So that's the breathing aspect of it. I bring in creative arts and sound wellness. And what happens, it activates the default mode within our memory, and it allows us to process things better, allows our emotions to flow through more, and just makes us feel really great.

Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like once they go through this process, I can only imagine they feel at least more control, which I'm sure when, you know, when we all go through stages of grief and different things like that, you feel very out of control. And this really helps them take some of that control back.

Yes. I really like to give them practical strategies and applications that they can actually use very like in the moment. Um, so for example, with, um, humming, I just posted something on my Facebook page this morning. It's when you hum, you activate the vagus nerve and the vagus nerve runs through your body. I'll just do a little example. So, mm. And so any of the listeners, if you're listening, you can hum to yourself and you can feel your vocal area vibrating. And that is right next to the vagus nerve. And that allows the stimulation through your whole nervous system and it brings your body into a state of relaxation. It helps with you just feeling so good. And what I do is I tell my clients, the organizations I work with, especially— so I am an Air Force veteran and I work with veterans and first responders. And I really tell them this trick, especially in the moment, is so helpful just to kind of give yourself a little reset. And also with the HeartMath breathing, it's very simple. You kind of put your hand next to your heart. You inhale through your nose on a count of 4 and then just exhale longer on a count of 6. And when you inhale and then you exhale longer, it puts your body into that parasympathetic state and it tells your body that you're safe. And it actually has the research that shows your heart rate variability will, um, regulate. And it's just been so transformational. So I like to bring those aspects in. And then I also like to just bring in small little perspective shifts in changing, um, just so they can use it in the moment.

Yeah.

Because sometimes when you're, um, in a state of overwhelm, stress, or grief, you don't really know what to do. And the main important thing is I wanna give them something they can feel empowered about in the moment and they can shift that. Cuz you don't wanna stay stuck, um, in a specific like dark negative feeling. And if you can have small little ways to shift that, then it's so transformational for them.

Yeah. That's so interesting about the humming.

Mm-hmm.

I'm the kind of person that hums. First of all, I'm the kind of person that has a lot of anxiety. I suffer with anxiety and I mean everyone does to some degree, but, um, and I, and I do hum and I don't notice that I'm doing it. And I will often joke, like, I think it's like a stress reliever for me.

Yes.

Like I think my body's doing it to help me.

Mm-hmm.

Without even my knowledge.

Exactly.

How interesting.

It is very, it's, um, and when I worked in the school district, I worked in the school system for 10 years as a speech language pathologist. And a lot of the times in the halls you might hear the kids have like the bumblebee ears, or the noise. So they'll put their fingers in their ears and they'll hum. And that is a stress regulation for kids. And that's something very easy that they can do if they're overwhelmed. But it really just does put your body into a state of relaxation. There's a lot of good research showing that vocal toning, like your own voice, is one of the top ways to help heal your body, like from the inside out.

That's so interesting.

It is.

I can't believe that. I'm curious as well about like the sound baths and all of that. Yes. So like, is it the vibration that's like helping you? Like what is, what is it?

So it's a combination of both. So when you have sound wellness, the sound baths, um, and I'll give an example. So what a sound bath is for the view or listeners who might not know what it is.

Yeah.

Um, it's like crystal sound bowls. It could be Himalayan, um, bowls. Chimes, a gong, any kind of instrument that really brings healing sound frequencies. And it's a combination of psychoacoustics, which is the sound entering through your cranial nerves, through your auditory canals, and then sending different signals throughout your body. Then the second portion is the vibroacoustics. And the vibroacoustics bring in the sound frequency, the vibration at all different levels, and it penetrates at the cellular level. And it goes through your central nervous system that way as well. There is some fascinating science. If you want to look it up later, the listeners can listen or look at it. It's called cymatics, C-Y-M-A-T-I-C-S. And it's the study of how vibration creates these beautiful shapes at different frequencies. And if it's at a specific sound frequency, it'll create these really gorgeous shapes. And if you think of that, It does it in water as well. And our body is made up of 80% water. So those sound waves will literally generate these beautiful— it's like a massage for your cells.

Yeah. So for your cells.

Yep.

Wow.

Even cells deserve a massage.

Yes, they do.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

Um, how, like, how long typically are people working with you? Is this like an ongoing thing that could go on like indefinitely? Or is it just like, you know, usually maybe just a certain amount of time? Or how does that work?

And it really just depends. It could be a community event I hold. Someone could come to the sound bath there. I have organizations who they will hire me out on a quarterly basis, more of just kind of like a continuing wellness item for their workplace wellness. I have clients who we do intensive, like, 6-month programs, and then we might see each other for a little bit after that. It just really depends on the individual itself. I can give them some really good techniques and then just follow up with them. So, yeah, everyone is different, but it's definitely so amazing for anyone and everyone. That's why I love it so much is I, um, it can be helpful for anybody.

Yeah.

Everybody needs a little self-care. And I tell every— life's supposed to be fun.

Yeah.

It shouldn't be stressful. And if you take care of yourself and your mental health especially, I don't know. It's just the best. Yeah.

I feel that way too. I mean, I don't do it because I'm a working mom.

It is, right?

It's so hard.

But I do find that when I do, when I do make those extra efforts to take care of myself and my mental, like even for me, what that usually means is like setting time aside to read.

Yeah.

Cause I like to read. Um, but if I do that, it's weird. Like stuff sometimes does seem to like fall into place like the way that it should.

Mm-hmm.

Like, and so I'm sure that's very true. It's not by coincidence you're actually doing things to put out, you know, better energy and all of that.

Yeah.

For your own self. So, um, that makes sense.

And it's really, um, you know, the world is made up of energy and not to sound woo woo. And like I had mentioned, I believe that too, you know? Yeah. I, um, and when I do presentations and conferences, I always discuss, you know, this might sound a little woo woo, but it's not woo woo, it's woo hoo.

Yeah.

And I always joke because it's, um, it's so amazing and I really, love to bring this information and awareness to people, but I love to also bring in the science behind it because a lot of people don't know about it. They hear— so for example, for— so sound wellness is not just sound baths. It can be soundscapes when you listen to nature sounds on audio or you have your little rain noisemaker. And then as well as vibroacoustics as well. There's a whole range. Like I have something called the Sound Oasis. And it's a zero gravity chair. Oh. So I do vendor shows and workplace wellness, all kinds of stuff. And so what I'll do is I'll bring that there and the employees will come in, like a 5-minute session. They'll sit on there and it brings low frequency sound waves into your body as well as they're listening to it through the headset. And it's just a whole immersive experience.

Yeah.

Yeah. There's just so many different ways you can address sound wellness and creative wellness and just really, Um, you know, wellness doesn't have to be something where it kind of like going to the gym is like, you know, might be a little blah, uh, yeah. Or this or that. But it can be fun and exciting and it only takes like 5 minutes and it can be different outside of the box.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Um, do you have any tips for our listeners? Many of our listeners are working moms, obviously. Mm-hmm. And like, do you have any tips for these women, little things that they can do themselves, you know, just during the day to sort of like regulate?

Yes, definitely. So as I mentioned, the humming.

Yeah.

That is, I will say my number one trick is you can literally do that anywhere in your car. And I mean, you even, you're in the bathroom sometimes you might hear people hum, you know, the HeartMath little technique that I had mentioned about the breathing. That's very quick and easy. Both of these are like under 1 minute.

Yeah.

Listening to like positive prayers, positive affirmations. If you have a favorite person you listen to, Definitely get in some like motivational, just like feel good stuff. Like I love a good true crime, but if I listen to true crime all the time, you know, it kind of like penetrates in and then—

Yes.

You just kind of want to take a break from some of the heavier stuff and just kind of lighten it up.

Yeah.

A quick like 5-minute good positive song, a little dance, you know, things like that. On the way home or even at home playing with their kids, have their kids hum with them.

Yeah.

I will say if like kids are in a stressed out moment and you might be in a stressed out moment, you can say, all right, we're going to hum and everyone can hum and it's fun and it might be silly, but I guarantee you that will be something that is going to change. Yeah. You know, just small little, small little things. I will say that working moms need to tell themselves how amazing they are every single day. You know what I mean? I feel that so much of us have guilt, shame, overwhelm, like, you know, I'm not good at this, or man, I was so much better when I was maybe a stay-at-home mom, or I can't do this like I did when I'm a working mom. And that drains us, first of all. Then we might not feel as good as we should, but your kids love you and they don't think about any of that other stuff. They just see how amazing you are. And I just want to say also is, Give yourself love, but also make sure that you do take care of yourself. Even though you might not think you have time, you have 5 minutes that you guys are always on social media scrolling. You can literally take 5 minutes to journal or hum or just listen to a song or even like a small little visualization. Excuse me. That's positive. That something you're looking forward to. I always say storytelling too. And so this is part of the emotional intelligence and reflection portion I do with my program. Talk about how important like self-identity is, especially as a working mom.

Yeah.

And, um, understanding how amazing you are and how empowered you are. And then taking that, um, and just, you know, relaying it to your family, your kids, and yourself especially.

So, yeah. No, that's great advice. And we need that. We need to be doing that. We do. It's hard to remember, but it's so true. Um, and you mentioned, you touched on the true crime. I am that person too. I let, sometimes I fall asleep to that and I think what a psycho I am. Like, how is this even happening? But, But it's so true. Um, and you know, between that and social media and stuff, the stuff that you do must be more needed than ever now. I mean, because we're sort of inundated with just like horror stories and like different things that are happening. I've, we've talked on this podcast before about it and I just don't think, like as a human being, I don't think we were made to know about all of the problems that exist on this entire planet. Yeah. Like it's, you know, obviously before these type of technologies, people knew about things in their own. Vicinity, but not every single thing that was going on every single place. And it's just, it's very overwhelming.

It is, especially for your nervous system. And then you get distracted with things that, um, and you know, you're, you know, people are caring, so you do, you have empathy and you can compassion for these people, but then sometimes that kind of stays in your cognitive psyche for a little bit and that really impacts you. And in the big picture, how is that Um, personally helping you move forward in your day.

Yeah.

And sometimes it kind of keeps you, you know, held on and a lot of people are just like, well, no, I wanna stay updated in the news. Yeah.

And that is important.

Yeah. Um, but then sometimes it's like, really, I don't think if you like miss the news for a couple days, it's gonna be a big deal.

Yeah.

But just finding other ways that you can get your information. Um, but just being really aware of what you're listening to and how you're feeling. Yeah.

Um, maybe just getting the head feels like the basics, you know, about knowing that kind of stuff and not diving into stuff. Yeah.

Like a lot of people deep dive and a lot of people, and I don't know about you, but, um, in my previous, when I was struggling a lot and going on my grief journey, I kind of wanted to stay stuck in the pain or stuck in that feeling of sadness for a little bit. So then I would find a song to make me feel sad, or I'd continue to look at stuff. Yeah. And you know, then your body like feels that.

Yeah.

And then I think one of the hardest things for us to sit back and realize is we have that choice to continue to feel like that if we want to or if we don't. Um, cuz everything really is within us. So many people expect the outside world to change around them.

Yeah.

But really, you know, it, it starts inside. And so I just like to give different people perspectives about that.

And yeah, that is a really good perspective. When I was, when I was younger, I had a friend that would Um, she would move all the time. Like she was like, okay, well maybe here's gonna be better. Maybe here's gonna be better. Maybe here. And I just, I always thought to myself like, but if you don't change anything, how, why is it gonna be better?

Exactly.

You know?

Yeah.

And so to your point, yeah, I mean, we, we do wait. We wait for things around us to just be a different way. Yeah. And it might not be if you don't choose to be a different way.

Well, exactly. And a lot of people, um, are waiting for something on the outside for them to make a move or have a feeling that they feel good or bad about something. Like we see a lot of like celebrities or after their career, you know, might not be as great as it was or millionaires, you know, I have all this money, but there's still something else that's missing. Why isn't that money or why isn't this external gratification working? And it really all stems back to within yourself. A lot of people are seeking something to make themselves feel better, but really they need to like step with inside and just see how they're already amazing and they don't need to earn anything, I think, on the outside. And then just love themself and know how amazing they are and that they were create, you know what I mean? That they were creating this amazingness and that's all that they need to worry about. But yeah, I just, it's so hard though for people to kind of soak that in. They're like, that's so easy.

Yeah.

And you know, in our world it is very hard to kind of stop and think about that.

Um, but that's why I made my business because I was gonna say that must be a lot of what you center these kind of conversations around is sort of the inner self and all of that.

Yeah. The inner self and really reflecting on, on how that really translate into how you show up, how you show up for yourself, for your family, for your team. Because if you can't show up for yourself first, how are you expected to show up for anyone else and give that level of— not level of all, but as much as you want? So, yeah, I like just a lot of self-reflection, reframing, and I don't know, just making people feel good and less dependent on the world outside them.

Yeah.

And I think it changes a whole lot, like with relationships, if, um, everything.

Yeah. So if you feel better, things will be better.

Exactly.

Yeah.

So I do a lot of coaching, consulting, um, with, you know, just so, you know, they can kind of take a look and say, oh wow, I didn't, I didn't think of that before. And a lot of people don't. And that's what I think is so empowering as well with my work is I can see see like in the moment, like this light bulb switch, and they make one little small change and it's just so impactful for them or so impactful for their team or for their family that, um, they take small little shifts. Cuz it's not like this huge, um, it takes the work. You have to, you know, put in a little bit of the work. You have to stop and do self-reflection. You have to stop and, and take a moment to respond versus react. Yes. In a world that is so reactive all the time. Yeah. Um, we're just go, go, go. Um, so yeah, it's just a nice way.

I can see that. And I could, and I could see how it would be, that's not like an inherent thing that we do in society.

Mm-hmm.

Like I'm a very, I'm a very reactive person.

Yeah.

Because I feel like I don't, I'm, I've always, I like to put my hands in all the things and like do all the different stuff. And so I don't have a lot of time. Yeah. And I don't leave myself a lot of time to like listen. And then I'm already like, okay, yep, that's it. And like, let's move on and all that stuff. And so. I think as people, that's kind of how people are.

Yes.

And so you do have to almost like retrain yourself to say like, wait, hold on a second. I'm hearing what this other person is saying. Yeah. Maybe let me see how I feel about that before I like, just like word vomit all over the place.

And that's exactly how I was. And I think most of us are like that. Just, you know, that's how we kind of grew up. And, um, this is how you need to respond, or this is how you need to react to this certain situation. And I feel a lot of the times, we don't even realize we're reacting like that.

Right.

And then I think that's what's so great when you do self-reflect is you can become aware. Cuz if you're not aware of it, how can you even start to address it and kind of take the steps to fix it? And so, yeah. Um, yeah, I had another thought I was going, but I lost it, but I'm sure it'll come back.

Yeah.

Yeah. That happens on this podcast sometimes.

Yeah.

Um, yeah, I think it was just talking about how I used to, be exactly like that. And I think I had mentioned it before, like when they can kind of see those small shifts, it's just, um, it's just great.

I imagine it is a little bit of sitting in your uncomfortableness. Yeah. For a moment. Mm-hmm. You know, I don't like a lot of pausing or a lot of like silence.

Mm-hmm.

Like my husband and I joke all the time, like, and it's not anybody's fault, but like everybody's personalities are different. And if somebody is not like overly friendly to me, like if I don't receive an exclamation mark on the end of that text message, I think that person hates my guts.

Yeah.

Like that person may have never met me, but they already hate me because they're not exclaiming to me the way that I would like to, you know, anything that is not, that is very uncomfortable for me. Yeah. So any sort of silence is, so I imagine that's, that's what it would be for me is just being like, okay, like you have to actually take time. Taking time for me is uncomfortable.

Yeah. And what's good too is whenever, um, you do take time for yourself, like journaling I think is good too, or even like doodling or art because it allows you to kind of have that time with yourself, but you might not just be sitting there.

Yeah.

You know, and kind of not, which is good too, if just to sit there, 'cause when is the last time you can sit there? That, that should be a social experiment and see, you know, how long can you, I mean, I'm sure people can train themselves, but that's what I was gonna say. Rewiring. Oh, okay. So earlier whenever I lost my train of thought.

Yeah.

So as I mentioned, you know, they can train themselves, but when you rewire the way you think, it's not just your consciousness, but your subconscious kind of just automatically would start changing into just automatically reacting to a situation in a certain way. You can respond to it appropriately after you can step back and reflect and say, hey, I can look at this situation in a whole different way versus this. And I think when someone stops just for like 2 seconds before they make a decision, they can feel so empowered when they decide to make, um, I say a decision out of love, the highest love. Um, because really if you make a decision out of judgment and anger, really what's the outcome gonna be?

Yeah.

Um, and a lot of people don't really think of that in the moment.

So, sure.

Yeah.

No, that's so true. Um, you mentioned earlier about doing some, like, some of this work at people's workplaces.

Mm-hmm.

Is it often like high-stress job-type places, or is it just all types of places? Because work is stressful no matter what, you know, and that kind of thing.

So it is a combination of different things. I've done them at like counseling offices, which, you know, might not be as high stress as some places. I have done them with, you know, the military and first responders. So of course that is a higher stress, you know, environment. I've done them with infant loss and grief workshops, which— it's a whole different level, which I know is not workplace wellness. Sure. But I've done corporate events, I do conferences. So it really just depends on what the workplace is looking for. If they want, I could go in and do like a sound bath, like a whole immersive 30, 45-minute sound bath with my crystal bowls. I bring my yoga mats, eye masks for all the participants. Or if a workplace wants to have me come out and do like a half-day retreat or like a 90-minute I called it a fast reset and it's 5 minutes. They take turns like rotation and it really also depends on the workplace. So if this is easier for their time schedule, it kind of works out. Each employee will have like a 5-10 minute break. They'll rotate, they'll come to where I'm set up and they'll sit in the chair, the Sound Oasis. They'll have their whole little immersion and they're back to work. And it's kind of just a whole variety of things. Sometimes I go in and do presentations. Sometimes I do virtual workshops. It's a combination. So it really is customized specific for any and every workplace. I will say that something fun that I like to talk to workplaces about is the environment you're in. So let's say you like your sales environment or you have a high-paced environment for your job. You want to be listening to fun boost, high boost music, you know, versus slower music or, you know, maybe if you're like in litigation or you're talking to clients that might have more high-stress situations, then you might want to have some Mozart in the back, you know, some more classical music. And it really helps match the vibe you're in and the environment that you're really trying to kind of immerse yourself in.

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. I mean, music is super important.

It is.

Um, I guess I never really thought about that, but yeah, it just makes me think of when I used to work retail and we would have like the same 4 songs on like all day long and you just want to like Claw your ears off.

But, well, exactly. And I'll have, um, workplaces will have me come out and I'll do consultation. I'll go through their departments.

Yeah.

I will talk to them and I'll get, you know, a checklist of what their focus is for that goal. Like what's their prod— um, productivity focus, um, everything else. What department is working on less stress stuff? And then I will curate like a playlist or a soundscape for them. To help with that overall just outcome.

Yeah.

Yeah. And it's not only— well, I mean, it is mainly for the worker employee wellness, but if they feel good, they're going to have increased productivity. They're going to have increased focus, overall rapport. The culture of the workplace is so amazing. Yeah, I always joke with some of like if I'm at a vendor show or if I'm talking to a potential client, Like, you know, if you have an employer's, if you have an employee who wants to be hired and you're excited to try to get them in, like, wouldn't it be amazing if they had a monthly sound bath every day at your job? You know, I mean, I think that would be amazing.

Yeah.

So small little innovative perks like that. And so workplaces have been very open to that. I've done New Braunfels Utilities. I went out there and did a little lunch and learn for breakfast and lunch. So yeah, anything and everything.

And it seems like to you that like workplaces are getting to be more open to this kind of thing.

Yes, I think wellness has been probably a top priority, I think, probably in the last couple years, and I really see it increasing and growing. And I see that in all aspects, 'cause I work in the education sector as well. Like I mentioned, I was a speech therapist.

Sure.

And I work with like the education service centers and I do presentations and we talk about this as well, is how can you, serve the population of the student population if you are not 100% there yourself. And I, so I see so many from like the government, from military, from workplace wellness, really trying to take care of their employees.

Yes.

Um, instead of an aspect of like, what can I get out of it? Like, what can I give my employees so I can see a return and they're still taken care of?

Yeah.

Um, yeah. So I see a really good interest and I know in like the next 5 years it's going to be, it's going to be an everyday thing.

Yeah.

I'm just so positive and I just know how amazing it's been in my own life and I'm just going to keep, keep going, keep pushing it and saying, hey, this is so amazing. Like, you got to try it out. And I will say that's the biggest thing too, is what I love to do. If I go to vendor shows or wellness fairs, I like for them to experience it. Because you can only listen to something so much, or someone can tell you something so much, and, oh, that's kind of cool. Um, so if like your listeners are listening to the humming thing, they're like, that's cool. It's like, no, do it. Yeah, you need to do it in order to experience it. And that's kind of what my whole, um, I think, um, outlook on things is, is don't just hear about it and think that's cool. You need to get the knowledge and the information, and you need to actually embody it and take the action towards something or else your body and your nervous system's never going to match up to what you would like it to be.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's true. That's true of probably a lot of things, you know? Um, well, do you have any events or anything coming up recently or, or soon? Yeah.

Oh, actually, well, I guess I might not be on the air tomorrow. Right. Um, I do have some workplace wellness things coming up next week in Universal City. Actually, I'm doing, um, at the Chamber of Commerce there, we're having Business Balance. So it's like, don't let the holidays hijack your headspace.

Oh, that's good.

Yeah. And, um, so I'm gonna do a presentation in there and kind of talk about quick strategies, wellness, practical applications you can do. And then I'll have my Sound Oasis chair there and then a sound bath. And so that'll probably just be more of a demonstration for local wellness leaders, um, business owners and stuff like that. Um, next week I also have a, um, grief and trauma workshop. I have some stuff coming up, um, next month. You can follow all that if you, um, follow my social media. Yeah. Um, happyhopewellness, um, .com, Happy Hope Wellness on Facebook. Um, I have an Instagram. It's not Happy Hope Wellness, it's just my name.

Yeah.

Um, but Happy Hope on LinkedIn and, um, Facebook would probably be the best.

Oh, perfect.

Actually, I take that back. It's Jenna Annis on LinkedIn.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

Well, that's cool.

Well, usually as we get sort of wind down, I ask people for that information and that's perfect timing.

That's perfect. Yes.

Yeah.

So we'll make sure that we put all of that stuff in the show notes and that way, no matter when this airs, people can go to your website and check it out and see what you've got going on.

Yeah, definitely.

This has been so good.

I'm so glad.

Yes.

Thank you so much for being on. I learned a lot of information and I can just say that I hope that this kind of spreads awareness and that more people take advantage of some of these simple techniques that could help ground them and, and help with their nervous system.

Yes, definitely.

Yeah. Okay. And then I'll also thank our listeners for tuning into this week's episode and we'll catch you guys next week. Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We hope you love today's chat and found a little inspiration to take with you into your week. If you have a podcast topic suggestion or a question you'd love for us to cover, definitely send us an email at hello@workingmomsofsanantonio.com. We'd love to hear from you. And until next time, see you in the community.