#1: Authenticity + Hustle: Building a Creative Business

Katiuscia sits down with her longtime friend Maddy — videographer,  photographer, branding and social media strategist, and owner of Madeline Elise Productions — to talk about the real side of building a creative business.

They cover burnout, pricing without apology, why difficult clients make you better, authentic social media, and what it actually means to show up as yourself — messy, real, and all in.

For the creative entrepreneur who's figuring it out, this one stays with you.

📸 Connect with Maddy: @madelineeliseproductions

00:00:00 — Why You Need Difficult Clients (Cold Open)
00:01:18 — Welcome to It Stays Here & Meet Maddy
00:04:16 — From Photography School to Running a Business
00:07:17 — When Paid Work Stops Feeling Good
00:14:19 — Trusting Your Gut & Aligning Work With Your Values
00:19:16 — Learning to Say No & Knowing Your Worth
00:31:16 — Showing Up Authentically on Social Media
00:34:16 — Real Content vs. Produced-to-Look-Authentic Content
00:41:17 — You're Not Going to Be for Everyone — and That's Okay
00:47:17 — Going Viral, Trolls & Letting It Go
00:58:17 — Lessons from Illness & Choosing Your People
01:06:16 — No One Is Thinking About You as Much as You Are
01:10:16 — Final Thoughts & Where to Find Maddy

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Transcript

Maddy: 0:00

I also think it's important if you're starting out in business to deal with shitty clients. Like how-- You can't grow unless you have difficult clients. 100%. And then you learn how to navigate that, and you learn lessons from it, because if you don't, then you're gonna get screwed over later on, pretty badly if you don't know what signs to look for

Katiuscia: 0:20

Are you ready?

Maddy: 0:22

I sure am.

Katiuscia: 0:24

Okay. Hi everyone, I'm Katiuscia. Welcome to "It Stays Here." I am so super excited that this is my first official episode, and my guest is one that I'm ultra excited about to kind of launch this and kick this off, and also the subject matter. So let me tell you why I'm so excited about today. We are gonna be talking about authenticity, showing up authentically in your business, in your relationships, just bringing your truest self forward, and I think that that's really crucial and something that everyone can benefit from. My guest is an entrepreneur, so anyone who's interested in starting a business based on their passions and not just something that they think that they need to do because they went to school for something specific. Really bringing who you are to the forefront. Let me tell you about my guest. a business owner, a videographer, a branding and social media strategist, a photographer, a yoga instructor, and she's been my good friend for over 12 years. My friend Maddy, owner of Madeline Elise Productions, is someone that has hustled more to get to where she is in life than almost anyone I know. I'm constantly impressed. I'm grateful to have you as a friend and to have your expertise because you've helped me in business, and I am so appreciative of that. And so with that, I'm gonna say, Maddy, welcome to the podcast.

Maddy: 1:56

Hi. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to be here.

Katiuscia: 1:59

And let me just throw in how we met-

Maddy: 2:02

Yeah

Katiuscia: 2:02

because that's probably the most fun. Over 12 years ago, I was a manager at a 24 Hour Fitness in California, and Maddy worked in the kids club And then just, over the years, I mean, through that time we became friends.

Maddy: 2:17

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 2:17

But over the years we kept in touch, and then when I moved to Boise, she's from Boise. I mean, all these beautiful connections. I'm just- Yeah … I'm so excited you're here and how life has really taken us full circle.

Maddy: 2:27

Yeah. I can't believe it's been 12 years when you said that earlier. I was like, "Oh my gosh." I was like a young, I was like 20, college student, so young, naive, not really knowing-

Katiuscia: 2:37

Mm-hmm what

Maddy: 2:37

was going on. And, I have so many fun memories Like we were all, everyone that worked there were all just like such close had the best It's so funny I ended up coming back to Boise. You ended up in Boise, and we also have other friends that are in Boise too, that we all have known

Katiuscia: 2:57

Isn't that wild?

Maddy: 2:58

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 2:58

It's just, and then whenever I go back to San Diego, I still see other friends of ours who were also at 24 Hour Fitness. So 24 24 Hour Fitness was like a hub that brought- Yeah … people together.

Maddy: 3:08

Thanks, 24. We really, uh, we made lifelong friends from that time.

Katiuscia: 3:12

We, we definitely appreciate, we appreciated that.

Maddy: 3:14

Shout out.

Katiuscia: 3:15

Shout out to 24. just the, I think the memories there are, um… It was a lot of fun. Yeah. I baked a lot, I remember.

Maddy: 3:22

Yes.

Katiuscia: 3:23

Yeah. And-

Maddy: 3:24

You baked, and you brought the best sweet treats, and everyone was always so happy when you were working because we're like, "Oh my gosh, what do we, what do we have today?" And I'm like a broke college student, so anytime you brought food, I was

Katiuscia: 3:35

Yeah. It's, it was my, my goal to like be big sister to everybody-

Maddy: 3:39

The

Katiuscia: 3:40

but also like the boss who understood things, and you still had to go through me for everything and call me when you were sick and I mean, all of the things, but we went through it together, and it was a lot of fun. I feel like that was a really fun, cool job. So fun.

Maddy: 3:52

I know.

Katiuscia: 3:53

It matters who you work with in anything in life, right? Totally. I mean, that goes to my career now. Yeah. That goes to everything. Your career, it matters who you work with. Yeah. Who you work with matters.

Maddy: 4:03

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 4:03

So let's talk.

Maddy: 4:05

Okay.

Katiuscia: 4:05

Tell me all your tips and tricks. you are so passionate about showing up in your truest self, who you are, whether it's in person, in your business, in everything online. You do a phenomenal job at guiding on that with your branding and working with companies and strategizing. But I would like you to please share what made you start, what made you decide that you wanted to start your own business?

Maddy: 4:29

Ooh. That's a good question. I… So I went to school for photography, and I originally wanted to do like high fashion magazine, like in studio, like huge productions. And the more I like got into it, I, it didn't feel aligned with me, 'cause I'm not- Especially at the time, was not like a big, fashion person. Have never really cared about that, but I just love the creative aspect, of being able to just like kinda get weird with photography. and then slowly that kind of just you know, It changed. Like, and it's also really hard to get, like, thrown into that industry, and I kind of just traveled the world and like realized like that's not necessarily the direction I wanna go. It didn't feel authentic to me, you know? And so, i kind of just took what came to me, like work-wise, because I was trying really hard just to make the business work, And so weddings, family photo shoots, like any sort of shoots, I'd be like, "Yes." I also, I remember I got hired from, DoorDash when they st- first started the app, and I got to go to all these restaurants and take pictures of food, and then all of it went on the app. And I remember it was like the worst photos ever, but I was like so excited that I'm like, "My photos are on DoorDash."

Katiuscia: 5:44

Fun.

Maddy: 5:45

You know? Um, and just like trying different kinds of shoots, really seeing what I liked and what I didn't like is kind of how I realized, "Oh, I could do this," you know? but yeah, I didn't understand the extent of running a business at all. I was just like, "Sure, I'll do this shoot. Sure. Yes, yes." You know? And then I'm like, "Oh, there's more to this, that I have to learn," you know? And so it was a big challenge, but it's all about learning and failing and growing from it, you know?

Katiuscia: 6:12

So out of that time that you were figuring out what it was that you liked and what it was that you wanted to specialize in, like what kind of shoots maybe- Mm-hmm. Did you find something that, I mean, whenever I see your footage of anything that you do, but especially the weddings, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, when I get married one day in italy, I'm just gonna have to fly Maddy out and she's just gonna be my photographer," of course. I mean, duh, obviously. But what was the, like how through that journey did you find what it was that you loved? what did you finally land on that you really, if you had to pick- something- that you're like, "I would never shoot this again. I would never, this style."

Maddy: 6:50

tough. There's a couple things that I don't know if I wanna say out loud in case I end up

Katiuscia: 6:53

shooting. Okay. Maybe a never say, maybe it's a never say never thing.

Maddy: 6:55

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 6:55

Okay. But what do you love the most? Let's do that.

Maddy: 6:58

Um, so the, okay, the way I really found out, like what I like to do is when I would go and do photo shoots with friends or like go out and just not have any pressure, because I always put so much pressure on myself when I'm doing, especially weddings or like any sh- like any time someone's paying me, I feel like I can't step out this l- out of this little box to be more creative because I'm like, "I'm being paid. I can't like fuck it up," you know? And so I'd go out with friends and we'd just take photos or I'd have a vision of like, "I wanna try this," you know, and see how it works and how it looks and- And I had friends that would just love to model and, we'd do, like, mostly, kinda branding stuff. or I'd get paid by, like, um, brands that have, a product, like clothing lines, swimsuit lines, or, food, beverages that would, pay me to do that. So then I got to go out and, like, kinda have the freedom to try it out. And when I lived in San Diego, it was so fun because I'm, like, going to the beach and I'm going to all these places and, like, getting these really fun shots. And, uh, then I was like, "You know what? I really like this." Like, having the freedom to get creative and having clients that are like, "Just do what you want. we trust your vision," is, like, the best. But I also, like… Yeah, so I think doing those, those types of, shoots and stuff really w- helped me branch out in a creative way. And, on the flip side, I stopped doing that for a while, where I was just doing paid shoots. It felt like a job to me, and I was, like, so burnt out, you know? And I've learned over the last, year to, to have both, to, like, bring my camera and go places and, like, shoot things that are not, I'm not being paid to, that it's just, fun for me. And it's really kind of, brought that spark back where I'm like, "Oh, I love this," It's, it's not just, a job, you know?

Katiuscia: 8:36

You are good at it, I will say, at making people… Because as a client of yours, working with you is so comfortable. Because when we did my branding shoot, and now we're getting ready to do another one, and it's, it was just effortless, but it was fun. Yeah. Because it's just two friends, and sh- you're capturing everything, which I love because I don't have to overthink everything. And as a, a major overthinker of everything, to just be able to be like, "Okay, if I have a great moment, she's gonna capture it. If it's a not great moment, she's gonna pitch it." Like, it's a beautiful thing to work with people who just make you feel at ease.

Maddy: 9:13

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 9:13

And really encourage you to kind of just, like, relax and let loose. I mean, things like photog- like, the photo shoots- Yeah … could be really intimidating for people when they're not used to it, right? Mm-hmm. If they're trying to do a branding shoot, if it's a new business, whatever it is, that could be really intimidating and overwhelming because if you don't know what to expect, you don't know what you don't know. Mm-hmm. And so to have someone guiding you through it, it's, like, way better.

Maddy: 9:38

Yeah. It, it's funny that you say that 'cause I have recently tried this thing using, like, my yoga teacher background and incorporating it into photography and, shoots, especially with personal branding because people are really uncomfortable in front of the camera, and they're always like, I'm even uncomfortable right now 'cause I'm not used to being in front of the camera. I'm like, "Oh, this is strange." You know? But one thing that I've done, and I'm trying to incorporate more with, like, the right clients, is, a visualization exercise and, like, a breathing exercise before we get going. And, like, I'll guide them through some breathwork and, have them visualize, who they are, you know, who their future self is, who they wanna be, who their authentic self is. And- You know, how they show up in the world, how they, move and their daily schedule, and visualizing that. It's like, what is that person doing? Who is she? You know? And really try to, embody that so when you go into the photo shoot, you're like calm and you're like, "I'm, I'm her." "I'm that higher self. I'm that future self version of me." And I've tried it with a couple people, and they said that it really resonated. And like, I also really try to, bring out authenticity in photography. And so when it feels really posed, like, and awkward, it's kind of obvious in photos. You know? You can just tell by, the energy and stuff. So it's, like, I think important to have just kind of like a moment where you're like, "Let's be calm. Let's, like, relax. Let's breathe." Like, let's get into this, positive head space instead of just constantly being like, "Do- does this look okay?" 'cause so many people are just like, "Is this good?" You know? And so it's just like, let's just be ourselves, who we are, and, like, embody that. And it's really, I've n- I've, I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from it, and I think I can also see it when I'm, like, editing and looking through the photos. And then I also bring up, like, when you look at these photos in the future, like when I give you these photos, I want you to remember, that's your higher self. Like, that's your future self that you've embodied, and, it's almost like a reminder for them to, like, when they see those photos, to get back to that head space,

Katiuscia: 11:39

That's a, that's a really, that's a really good point. Um, I've, I love, and I love when I see things online, and then I'll send them to you and be like, "Oh my gosh." Just whether it's different, like, I don't know, a photographer across the country that's done something. I sent you this the other day when it was- Yeah the stranger photo shoots, and I'm like, "Oh my God." I know. "This is so cute," because something that could be totally awkward, those photos end up being really cool, where- Mm-hmm the comments are all, "Okay, when's the wedding?" 'Cause these people obviously had chemistry. And just to be able to match situations and, and kind of put that level of ease on everybody is huge. And I can't say enough how right you are about when something is forced, and this, like, totally stems into the authenticity topic. Mm-hmm. Being authentically you, true to who you are, what you wanna do. If something is forced, whether it's the job that you're in, the relationship that you're in, anything that you feel, "Ugh, I have to do it," other people can tell.

Maddy: 12:37

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 12:38

It's not that you can fake it. There, there is a level of fake it till you make it in life with a lot of things. I don't think that that's one of them. Mm-hmm. If somebody hates their job, but they're trying to pretend that they love it, the person that you're trying to do business with can tell that you don't like your job. Mm-hmm. Or because you'll come off as insincere. Mm-hmm. Just almost that level of saccharine fake, but it's like there's a deeper story to this. Yeah. You can't, you can't possibly be happy in what you're doing. Mm-hmm. And I think that that shows up in just day-to-day life as well.

Maddy: 13:10

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 13:10

And maybe the person in that situation doesn't realize it, but This is a note that everyone realizes it. Yeah. Everyone can tell.

Maddy: 13:18

I, so I've been looking into this a lot, and I've really done a deep dive on authenticity and, what it actually is, you know? Like, researching it, what I've come to find out is, authenticity is just being aligned with, your values and your actions and making sure they match, you know? And so, and it, and it's ever-changing. if you wake up and you're like, "I have the worst headache today," like, you're aligned with that, and you can own it. You can be like, "You know what? I'm not in the mood today to do this." that's fine. And on the opposite, it's like, "You know what? Like, I feel really strongly about this, and I'm gonna do this in order to, like, show that," and showing up. And so I have really struggled with this, a lot in my whole life 'cause I, I grew up, really shy and had such a hard time expressing myself. I just felt like so, not even insecure, but just like I didn't wanna say the wrong thing. I didn't want any attention on me. I was very, like, just I would observe, you know? And I noticed that the people that, didn't really care and kinda were just like, "This is who I am," were the people that I was, like, more attracted to. I wanna be like them, you know? Instead of the people that are, like, constantly looking around, making sure they said the right thing and stuff. And so it's something that I have had to teach myself over time, you know? Because I've always been like, "Well, are people gonna like this? is this the right thing to do?" This and that, you know? And really, like, taking a step back and being like, "Do I like this? Is this something that I like to do? Is this true to me? Do I have enough, action and value behind this that I agree with?" And it's, like, something that e- even I struggle with to this day, so I, I still have to pause and be like, "Is this something I want? Is this something that aligns with my values? And do I trust myself?" That's the biggest thing is self-trust is also authenticity because, you know, if you don't trust yourself in knowing, this is right for you or not, you're gonna be second-guessing, and it's not gonna show up in an authentic way, if that makes sense.

Katiuscia: 15:17

Yeah.

Maddy: 15:17

I kinda just rambled with that.

Katiuscia: 15:19

No, I think everyone kind of gets to a point where when what they're doing is genuinely making them happy, it shows up, but they also feel lighter. Yeah. It's not that you go home from work every day and you think, "Ugh, what a drag." Mm-hmm. Or it's that relief of, "Oh, thank god I'm home." It's just like, "Oh, what a great day." Yeah. "Cool, now I get to chill." And when you're genuinely happy with what you're doing and satisfied… And not to say that nobody has bad days. Like, we all have bad days at work, right? Mm-hmm. No matter what the job is, what the career is, everybody has bad days at work, and it's kind of also what you said about if you wake up in the morning and you don't feel good, sometimes you can push through, like, if it's a minor level, but- Also just, honor the fact that you're not gonna be your 100% best self today. Mm-hmm. Because if you're not feeling that way, there's no way you can show up that way to do what it is that you normally do and what you love about what it is that you do. Mm-hmm. So I just, yeah, I l- I love that because I think when you're doing the right thing, whether it's work, whether it's who you're hanging out with, what you're doing in life, where you're living, all of these things are factors. Like, how you feel about yourself, right? And your body and all of the things. When you're genuinely getting to that point of I'm creating this life intentionally, right? Intentionality is huge for me- Yeah … just to do everything on purpose.

Maddy: 16:47

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 16:47

And when you do that, it really shows, but it's also, like, you're happier and, you know, and you, you go through the journey of getting there, but you're happier.

Maddy: 16:58

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 16:58

For the most part. you're not miserable in what it is that you're doing.

Maddy: 17:02

Yeah. I fully agree with that. Intention mindset is huge, you know, 'cause e- not everyone's gonna have perfect days every day. But that's also why it's important to be, like, loving what you do, and even on the bad days, it's like, it's better than doing this, you know? Like, this or that, that you don't wanna do. like I said, I've tried a lot of different shoots, types of shoots, different jobs that I've gotten, and stuff, and I just like, it's super easy for me to know, to tell if something's aligned with me and not, or not. And, just being aware of that and, trusting yourself and being like, "You know what?" I've had clients reach out to me, or potential clients, that I can immediately tell, I'm like, "This isn't gonna be a good mix at all," and I, I will politely be like, "You know what? I think it's probably best that you find someone else," or I'll just be like, it just, it's… Yeah. I don't say it, I can just tell, and I'm like, "Yeah. Mm, no."

Katiuscia: 17:51

Sometimes you have to guide people- Yeah … away from you because if you brought it close to you, it would be ooh, it would h- kind of be a little det- I don't wanna say detrimental 'cause that's such a big word, but it wouldn't be good. Right. Let's put it that way. It wouldn't be good, and then you can't fully show up because there's something blo- there's like a blocking. Yeah. Something is there.

Maddy: 18:10

Yeah, and, and really, trusting your gut. It's huge. And, and I don't think that's talked about enough. Like, this doesn't feel right, yeah, there's a paycheck here, but this does not feel right, and I need to trust that. And typically, when I'm like, "Doesn't feel good to me," is when a better opportunity comes, right after, and it's just trusting, like, wow, okay. That was, that was probably a good, a good sign. Or, like, you hear about, what a disaster this client was or whatever from someone that was hired because it's all a tight-knit industry or whatever. And so it's like, yeah, I dodged a bullet there. But it's just so important, and really self-trust, fully. And, what that looks like, self-trust is just Like I said, a gut check. "Hmm, don't know how I feel about this." Or it's like, maybe I need more information to develop like a real opinion here and a decision, yeah. It's been, it's been a struggle because like I said, at the beginning I said yes to every single projects that came my way 'cause I needed the money, and then I was like, "You know Now I get to be like, "No, this isn't gonna work for me," and that's okay. There's other people that it will align with,

Katiuscia: 19:14

And that's a really good place to be in. I think that when you said trusting your gut isn't talked about enough, well especially in business.

Maddy: 19:21

Totally.

Katiuscia: 19:21

Because when you are launching a business, you are kind of at the mercy of, "Well, I, I need to make it in this business. This is what I've chosen." And then you start getting in your head about, I've chosen this, I said no to other opportunities and other maybe potentially stable jobs, right? Because you're self-employed, I'm self-employed, like there is, there's not really stability as one would like normally consider stability. Mm.

Maddy: 19:43

Right.

Katiuscia: 19:44

So it's different. We have to kind of go our own way without like selling out too much of trying to build the business.

Maddy: 19:54

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 19:54

But I think it's a really good thing when we do sell out too much in the beginning because we all do it. Yeah. Right? I've done it, you've done it. Like anyone starting a business, this is going to be a natural thing unless you're just ultra blessed- Yeah to have an influx of whatever it is that you're, you're doing. But you have to be able to then start pivoting away and really honing in on what it is that you love. So you saying no to the shoots that don't really align with you, the clients that you know could be a bigger issue, that's a really good place to be in. Mm. Because you had to kind of grind and hustle through the stuff that didn't align with you and wasn't the ideal client to really understand that, otherwise how would you even know that?

Maddy: 20:33

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 20:34

But trusting your gut in business I think is a really good point to say. doing the gut check, because when you say no to something, it might seem, "Ugh, but I need that money right now."

Maddy: 20:45

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 20:46

But then God, the universe, it all has a way of kind of circling back and being like, "You said no to this, here's two-" Yeah … "that will align with you." And I-

Maddy: 20:54

Totally… Katiuscia: that's like- Yeah … " Katiuscia: Oh, what a win. Dodged a bullet, all those things. Yeah. Yeah. I will say though if you're starting out as a business owner, say yes to everything. You know, especially like in photography or any sort of service based real estate, everything. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 21:10

Oh, yeah. Like

Maddy: 21:10

I think it is so important to say yes to everything so then you can find out what you like to do, what you hate doing, or something that's like, "Oh, maybe I just need more experience in this." And that's how you learn what aligns with you and what doesn't. But I think it's also important that like I am very blessed to get to be at the point where I am and where, where I can say no to clients that I don't feel like align with me, but In the beginning, yeah, I said yes to everything, and I'm grateful for that because it really made me who I am and, understanding as a business owner. I also think it's important if you're starting out in business to deal with shitty clients. Like, how-- You can't grow unless you have difficult clients.

Katiuscia: 21:51

100%.

Maddy: 21:51

And then you learn how to navigate that, and you learn lessons from it, because if you don't, then you're gonna get screwed over, later on, pretty badly if you don't know what signs to look for with specific clients or anything. And I'm not saying all clients are bad at all. I'm just saying, like, just knowing what aligns with you and authentically. there's some clients that might do better with a different type of personality or whatever, because we are our own brand, right? So, this is who I am. I'm showing up. This is like, if we don't mesh on, a personal level, we're probably not gonna mesh in business, you know?

Katiuscia: 22:22

So that's a really excellent point-

Maddy: 22:23

Yeah

Katiuscia: 22:24

because there are so many different personalities in the world that there are better fits for certain types of personalities, who know whoever it may be, whatever doesn't align. But that's- Mm … where that becomes that forced relationship if you push it through, and I, I'm totally on board with you of in the beginning, do everything. Say yes- Yeah … to everything. With me and my business, because I-- this isn't a new business to me. It is in this state. But I've done this business before. I know how to navigate personalities- Mm … of clients. My big thing here was when I moved to Boise and knew nobody, I got involved, so involved in the community, because I love being part of the community, but I said yes to everything.

Maddy: 23:05

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 23:05

And then it got to the point, I think two years ago, where I had to start trimming down and trim-- "Yes, I can help with this organization. Yes, I can help with this project. Yes, I can…" Whatever it was- Mm … I was there. I was the one who always was volunteering for anything. I was never at home. I didn't have balance, and I lived on coffee, charcuterie- alcohol for, like, three years. Yeah. My first year, three years here, and it was just a matter of shifting, okay, I've gotten involved. I've met people. I'm still staying highly involved in the community, but I can't, the, I don't, you know, I, I can't survive on just volunteering for the community. Yeah. I need to build business. So I love that I'm still very involved. I will say all of my involvement has gotten me to a place now where I can talk to very high-level people. L- like, they know me when I call them. They call me directly. That is such a cool thing for me to have access to really high-up people that- Mm I only received it because of all my involvement. So very grateful, very grateful for that struggle of coffee, charcuterie, and alcohol isn't the worst diet, you know? No. It's just like you get to a point where you're like, "Do I need a salad at this?" Maybe. You know, three years in, maybe.

Maddy: 24:17

Smoothie.

Katiuscia: 24:18

It's very, it's very different now. Yeah. Just some kind of like micronutrient.

Maddy: 24:22

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 24:23

But I love that you're at that place now.

Maddy: 24:25

Yeah. It's awesome. I think on the opposite spectrum, when you are authentic to yourself and you say no to, to things that don't align, there's also like so much amazing things that come from that, doors being opened, you know, when you put it out there. "You know what? I am looking for some more work." I just said it to anyone that I was talking to, friends and stuff, and someone's like, "Oh, let me connect you to this person," and then you meet this person, then it connects you to someone else. And so now these doors are just opening especially in the winter it's slower, and then everything's just like blossomed into this beautiful thing, and I have so many shoots and so many clients and so many things coming to me. also like you said, meeting people and everything, you can connect people that are in other industries to each other, and just being in the community, it's just like… How do I put this? it's like a full circle, I don't know, manifestation. everything is just like flooding in when you finally open up to it. And 'cause I don't want it to be all about like the negative side of authenticity and like gut ch- gut checks. I want it to be more so like because you say no, better things will come your way because you're trusting yourself.

Katiuscia: 25:37

For sure. That No, that makes total sense. Yeah. That makes total sense. Yeah. Because in saying no and being true to who you are in, let's just use business 'cause that's what we're using, right?

Maddy: 25:47

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 25:47

In business, you said no to something that could've been horrific. Yeah. i've had experiences where I'm like, "This will be the worst. If I take this client, I will be miserable. I will f- be per- like just skeeved out every day." Yeah … we get this sometimes as women, and it's not fun. No. And you just have to be able to say no, and, and that's happened to me, and I just knew that if I say yes, it's going to completely change the trajectory, might even change my, my views on my whole career, right? Mm-hmm. In just dealing with people. If you allow yourself to have too many negative experiences without taking the lesson from them and implementing that in changing the future step-

Maddy: 26:30

Yeah… Katiuscia: then you can business- Yeah … and what it is you're trying to do. And that sucks because it's when you thrive at something and you're so good at something, if you allow that wrong person. Yes, it's saying yes to the shitty clients in the beginning, but that one person could really change it. That's when the gut check is like for real, for real. Yeah.

Katiuscia: 26:49

But when you say no, you're like, "Oh, wow." Like way, way better.

Maddy: 26:54

Yeah. I, I had a, an experience like that with a client, I gave them my pricing, and then they came back and negotiated, a way lower price. I can do that, but it's gonna be less hours," this and that, you know. And, they were really, back and forth about making a decision. and, just kinda came back with, even lower pricing, not wanting the full service, just, like, picking and choosing. "You know what? This isn't gonna, this isn't gonna work." And it wasn't even that, it was a bad thing. Like, they were being thorough. But I think for me, it was just "This is not for me." And, uh, yeah. And I've noticed that, that a lot of people will take those, really end up, spreading their time really thin. They do it for a cheaper price, and then they end up getting paid, way less because of the amount of hours that they have to put in on top of that.

Katiuscia: 27:43

Sure.

Maddy: 27:44

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 27:45

It's also discounting your value, right?

Maddy: 27:48

Totally.

Katiuscia: 27:48

when people reach out to you and you have set prices, it's not like you have a sliding scale for- Mm-hmm … hey, today I'm feeling like I'll do it for this price. Typically in service-based businesses, there are standard across the board fees for everything, and you come up with your prices and you stick to them. So when someone comes in and starts nitpicking pricing, it's like, okay, what would you like, like you did.

Maddy: 28:10

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 28:10

Okay, this is gonna be less hours. Okay. Well- Yeah … then I'm gonna take this off. This was the full menu.

Maddy: 28:15

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 28:15

And now you're gonna, we're gonna taper down on that menu. we're gonna start removing from this.

Maddy: 28:20

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 28:20

And I don't think people like that because so many people just wanna feel like they get a deal. But when you're working with people who literally make their money on the service they provide, the expertise that they have, all the schooling that they've done, the continued ed, whatever it may be, that's how they… They're not getting hourly money from someone. Yeah. They're not getting the same thing as a normal, we'll just call it like a normal, traditional, a traditional job where you would clock in, clock out. We work all the time. Yeah. You work all the time.

Maddy: 28:51

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 28:52

Weekends, holidays, whatever it is. You take the phone call, you do the job.

Maddy: 28:56

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 28:56

Because that's what the job wants.

Maddy: 28:58

Yep.

Katiuscia: 28:58

You can be a little pickier as you get further in, but sometimes it's worth to take whenever you can.

Maddy: 29:04

Oh, yeah. I

Katiuscia: 29:04

know.

Maddy: 29:05

So like what I've noticed with, service-based industry, like it's different with you because you have you have your brokerage, right? So there are those set pricing and stuff. Right. With being like self-employed and stuff, people do always try to negotiate. I understand, people have budgets, I always try really hard to work within people's budgets and, um, figure out something that is like good for both of us, you know. because I don't like turning down work, especially if I really wanna work with that client. So, over the years, I have Really had to be like, "My experience is also worth something." And it's so easy to be like competitive pricing with people, but, having eight years of experience I think is important to be like building into your pricing and I always say that to clients because a lot of people will come to me where they're like so… Like imposter syndrome is so huge, and a lot of people will just come to me mostly for advice, and being like, "How, how do I price this? what do I do? how do I show up online in an authentic way?" And I always am like, "Your, your experience in itself is, has value to it." Because so many people will be like, "Well, this person's charging this much." I'm like, "Yeah, but they just started out, so they can ch- charge less." when I started out, my pricing was way cheaper because I knew that I wanted experience. I wanted to build that value through that, and I was able to also book more, weddings or whatever it was because my pricing was really competitive. But now that it's like I have a huge portfolio, I have a huge like line of experience that if you want someone experienced, you gotta pay the price for it, you know? And, I think that's also really misrepresented in service-based industries, you know. people are like, "Oh, I try to say like, competitive pricing." It's just, that's not sustainable and, or you're gonna be working your ass off all the time and not making any money where you could just double your pricing and be working a lot less, you know. what I I was trying to say. Okay. Okay. That was a whole…

Katiuscia: 31:05

Okay. Okay, are you ready a pivot?

Maddy: 31:07

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 31:07

I would love, with all of your experience, the content creating, the branding, the s- just all the strategizing on social media- Mm-hmm … can you talk a little bit about the importance of showing up authentically online, whether it's in your business or just life, whatever?

Maddy: 31:23

Yes. I love this topic much because it's what a- all my clients struggle with. Any clients that I have, it's when it comes to like showing up, especially if you're a personal brand, showing up online is so difficult. Business owners, anyone, um, and people, friends come to me and they're like, "Hey, like I know I need to be posting, but I hate it. I do not know what to do. All these trends don't make sense. I can't keep up with like all these different things that are coming and going online." And I tell them like, "Let's just start small." "What do you wanna do? Like how do you wanna show up?" You know, and that's where I also go into that future self, that who do you wanna be? how is your future self showing up online? if you wanna be an influencer, if you wanna run a business or whatever, how is sh- how is she showing up? Like fake it till you make it, like you were saying, But in a way that feels authentic, you know? You don't wanna be a completely different person, but it's like, does this feel authentic to me or is this just me following trends? And I really struggled with this when I was, first started my business and like I knew I needed to show up on social media and show my face because I am my brand, you know? And people would say that, and like I said, that shy little girl came out where I'm like, "I hate this." I don't like being in front of a camera. it's so hard for me. And I would just record myself talking, and I would never show anyone, you know? But I would get used to like having, seeing myself on the camera and just talking, telling a story, talking about my day. And I'd watch it back and I'd notice things that felt genuine and things that I felt like I was like, "Well, today I did this," and very fake, you know? It's like, okay, that doesn't feel good to me. just doing a gut check, being like, would I post this if I didn't, if no one saw it, would it matter, you know? And, um, with clients or friends that come to me, I'm like, "Just record yourself. Just get comfortable in front of the camera and showing up." you don't have to post it. You don't have to post anything if you don't want to, But like once you become comfortable seeing yourself on the camera, because it's always just really uncomfortable, you know? You're seeing yourself, "Okay, like this isn't that bad." And then you can kind of like critique get more clear. Like, okay, I say like a lot. Probably saying like a lot, like a lot this whole entire podcast, But I'm aware of it. Something I'm working on, and I try to notice that when I'm recording content. And, um, i truly think that starting small is huge, and then being like, "Okay, I can post this." And I always am like, just do what you're already doing. Don't fabricate some like fake scene if you're like going behind the scenes. if you're doing a, if you're, if you like wanna do like cooking, don't make it this huge production, Like if you have a messy kitchen, film it, you know? When you're making pasta, whatever it is, like show all the splatters everywhere. Show it. I just, for me, and I think most people don't understand that a lot of content creators have full-on production teams that come in and they will batch content. They'll shoot content all day. They have like professional camera equipment, lighting, you know? And it's like you can't… And it's obvious, for me at least, where it's like-

Katiuscia: 34:36

For you it's obvious

Maddy: 34:37

yeah, I can see it where I'm like, this doesn't feel authentic. It feels very production-based, and that's like what a lot of marketing companies will get paid to do, right? To make it look Like authentic, but it's still a full production. Sure. Um, I've done it. Like I've had, you know, people hire me to do that kind of stuff where it's like they want it to look authentic, but it's still a production. And so you see that and it's like, okay, I can tell immediately if something's authentic, off the cuff, like real versus like very scripted and stuff. And I think it's becoming more obvious on social media, and people today really want authenticity.

Katiuscia: 35:15

I hope that it's becoming more obvious. I'm trying to think. I think I was messing around on TikTok last week, and these huge influencers who have like millions of followers for doing get ready with mes- Mm-hmm where you probably, yeah, I mean, I guess in the beginning everyone probably did think, oh, it's just them with a ring light in their room or in their bathroom or whatever it may be. But the level of, I wanna say messy perfection, because it is, there's the effort to make it look like this took a lot of effort, not necessarily as effortless as it probably is in- Mm-hmm terms of production, but they're, they're making it look like a whole thing. But I think it's also becoming unattainable- Yeah to people online, and that's what… Because I think during COVID, TikTok really took off, right? And then it went from the dancing to now the get ready and the daily life and the, you know, the come with me to do this, come with me to, whatever. Mm-hmm. To get gas in my car, to wash my car, and there's like- Yeah … a m- million people working on this, well, this one video. But I think that that's becoming a little more obvious now. Mm-hmm. I think that I, I like the messy stuff. Yeah. I, I want to see… Not that I wanna see the shit that someone's going through in their life, but I just wanna know that, that you're just like me. If you have a bunch of followers, millions of followers, I'm not talking about Kardashians who are like the OG influencers. Mm-hmm.

Maddy: 36:40

I'm

Katiuscia: 36:41

talking about the normal person who's doing makeup or cooking content, baking bread, sour- the sourdough creator or something.

Maddy: 36:48

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 36:48

I don't know. I don't make sourdough, but like that creator-

Maddy: 36:50

Right.

Katiuscia: 36:51

who's doing all this. I just wanna know that they have, yeah, it's a clean kitchen, right? They keep it clean because of, you know, they wanna be clean. But it's also normal. Thing- like something falls, whatever. with all of the things on social media, as perfect as everything is, I just wanna see real shit.

Maddy: 37:09

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 37:09

I think there's a reason that reality TV, uh, made, you know, had such a movement because people… And that's super produced, but I'm saying you wanna kinda see the behind the scenes, but the real ones- Yeah … especially if it's someone you're following online, that you're choosing to give views to, time to, and therefore increasing their revenue.

Maddy: 37:28

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 37:29

You're, you're like paying them to do their job basically.

Maddy: 37:33

Yeah. No, I, I fully agree. I, I think, yeah, it's becoming too attai- unattainable with- Especially influencers and stuff. And, um, because I've ran multiple, like, social media accounts and my own, and I, I, I had a lot of people asking me this, and I was like, "You know what? Like I, I just need to show it on my personal, like, branding, my personal account and my business account, because I can give you all this advice, but if I'm not doing it myself, like I need to show up." And so I've been starting to do that, and literally just recording my days. Like I'm doing a lot of shoots and a lot of like editing and stuff like this, you know? And so it's really authentic to me because it's like this is my day-to-day life. I'm not like fabricating anything, And like I said, I record it all, so half the time I don't use it, And so if you're like a business owner starting out or you're trying to show up more online, record your day. set up a tripod. If you're working with clients or you're doing a shoot or you're doing anything like, and you're allowed to record, you know, do it and then cut it up and be like behind the scenes of this and this. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback, and I've gotten a lot of inquiries for photography and shoots since I've kind of showed up like that. And like now my days are filling up more and more and more with shoots, and because people like the behind the scenes. And I am like, people, like in my head, I was like, "No one wants to see that. No one cares." And I'm like, "Wait, but actually that's pretty cool," because I do different things all the time. Like I've been desensitized to it, but like people are like, "Oh my gosh, that's so cool that you're doing all these shoots." And every time I see people, they're like, "Oh my gosh, you did this shoot, you did that, you did this, you did this." And it's like, "Oh yeah, like that's just my norm." But for people that are not in the industry, they're like, "That's pretty neat to see." And so I also like seeing that too with other business owners that are not in my industry, that I'm like, "Oh, that's so cool. That's how that works or that's how you do this," or "This is what your day-to-day life looks like." And then it kinda makes you feel like you're in on a little secret or something.

Katiuscia: 39:34

Also, it gives you a little insight into who that person is.

Maddy: 39:38

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 39:38

So how, how you see them in the behind the scenes of their life, of their daily job, right? Their career.

Maddy: 39:44

Mm-hmm. But

Katiuscia: 39:45

how you see them when they're, I don't know, not so polished, not so whatever, just a little more raw, a little more authentic, who they are as a person, chilling, whatever it is, getting coffee. I've, I've loved all your content lately 'cause it's like you're editing, you got coffee. And it's just so relatable too. Everyone wants to be able to relate to someone. We need that connection. Humans need the connection. Mm-hmm. And we find the connection. Now it's a weird, weird w- hold on everyone, weird world because You're connecting online and not always in person. So that just means it has to be even more compelling to watch online.

Maddy: 40:21

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 40:21

Because you need to be able to really relate to that person and connect with them. That's how you're-- That's the new review system. That's the new interview system of who you wanna work with, you know, how you find someone to work with. You basically look online. Mm-hmm. You see who they are. I have a TikTok page that I had started a few years ago. Not business, just very, very authentic. Mm-hmm. I mean, I talk about… I, I, I'm not very active, but I've talked about en- everything on there.

Maddy: 40:47

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 40:48

And I leave it because I'm like, "Well, if someone goes and searches me online, will they find it?" Yeah. Will they like what they see in the sense of the subject matter that I'm talking about, if it's politics, for example? No, not everyone's gonna like it. Guess what? I'm okay with that because that's true to who I am, and maybe that was the person that I didn't wanna work with 'cause I didn't want some clout or them to bark at me for some… You know, you just- Yeah … keep it separate. Not everyone has to like you in life, and that's okay.

Maddy: 41:15

I think that's also really true when it comes to authenticity, is not everyone-- You're not gonna be for everyone, and that's totally fine because when you try to be for everyone, it's not authentic. And I've, I've struggled with this where it's like, "Well, are people gonna like this if peop- like this post that I'm doing?" in the past. I'm like, some people will, some people won't, and I need to accept that, like, as long as I'm trusting myself, then that's all that matters. And if I don't trust myself and I'm unsure about this post, if it doesn't feel like 100% like me, then of course I'm gonna be insecure about it, and I'm gonna be worried that people are judging me and stuff because I'm not confident in the content that I'm posting. And I think it's so important, like you said, leave it. People, if people wanna like comment or whatever, people may, pe-people people may not like it, but yeah. It's kind of like narrowing down the people that will and like niching down and be like, people vibe with you, you know? Or they don't, and that's the great thing about being authentic is like you're not gonna be friends with anyone, and that doesn't matter 'cause you don't wanna be friends with them anyway.

Katiuscia: 42:14

Right.

Maddy: 42:14

You know?

Katiuscia: 42:15

And that's, and that's just a great point-

Maddy: 42:17

Yeah

Katiuscia: 42:17

in general because the more you try to cater to every type of person and every audience and every company, whatever it is, every client-

Maddy: 42:25

Mm-hmm

Katiuscia: 42:26

the less of you that you are. So in a way to put this in proper English, um- … the more you cater to others, you lose portions of yourself.

Maddy: 42:39

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 42:39

Because you're, you're so focused on trying to be well-received, be liked, be respect, whatever it may be, that now you're losing who you genuinely are. You don't even know who you are anymore.

Maddy: 42:51

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 42:52

And that eventually shows because then those are, I think, the moments that people just kind of lose it and spiral down 'cause they're like, "Well, shit, who am I?" Like, "I'm not this person. I don't like doing this." That's not only in online, that's even in person, to show up to events. I mean, I go to a ton of networking events. I used to way more. Not in my main level of love wheelhouse. I'm a very natural introvert. I've just had to always have extroverted tendencies for every career I've had in my life. So moving here not knowing anyone, you best believe not only am I volunteering for everything, I was at every networking event. I would have to go into bars to meet people alone. Like- Yeah … you know, for a happy hour, for a business happy hour. That to me is so not normal 'cause I get so much anxiety about going in places alone. Yeah. And, you know, I think I'm gonna be trafficked all the time. So it's- … um, that's like a real thing. Now I'm better. It is. But I just feel that it's taken so long for me to show up to do those things that it, like you said, you were always shy. It's such growth in getting to that point, but it's also scary going through it. Now that we've gotten there and now that we're better at it, you know, we kind of just keep forging on. But even when I would walk into those bars and like when I was uncomfortable and had anxiety, I would sit down and I would tell the person that I was being like, "Oh," I'd let it off my chest. That way it kills the awkward if I- Mm-hmm … walked in with any awkward thing. Like, "Oh my gosh, I had so much anxiety walking in here. How are you?" Mm-hmm. And then it's fine. So it's when you show up and if, if I had totally tried to fake it and- Yeah … you know, faking a situation, it would be rec- it would be received like that. It would be received that she's faking and being insincere, and nobody wants to work with, be friends with s- anyone insincere.

Maddy: 44:39

Oh, totally. And first impressions, what is it? Like the first like few seconds, someone creates a whole- Yes … like perception of you. Yeah. So if your energy is walking in and you're like you know- Right flustered, people can feel that. Right. And like I think we're way more attuned to energy and like people's like emotions than we realize subconsciously. Yes. And so you can tell specifically online and in person, and like even with dating and relationships and stuff, you can just tell immediately, like are we gonna jive or not? And I think it's important, like you said, just being like, "I'm really nervous." And then they're like, "Oh, okay. That's why." then everyone's able to like lower their defenses and be like, "Okay, this… She's just nervous. She's, she's anxious." and just being authentic and true to like, yeah, this is something that stresses me out you know. But then the more you do it, the easier it gets, right? Like, if you get on stage for the first time and you're speaking to thousands of people, yeah, that's gonna be really scary. But if you do it a lot, then you're gonna be like, "I got this." And it's just like being authentic to who you are in that moment is so important, and like you could agree with something one day and change your mind the next day, and that's the beautiful thing about being authentic and true to yourself basically.

Katiuscia: 45:46

Yes, absolutely. I do also wanna point out that I think a lot of people, even though maybe they get on stage a lot-

Maddy: 45:54

Mm-hmm… Katiuscia: I think sometimes if person, I think you'll always have a little bit- Oh, for sure

Katiuscia: 46:03

Even for me Yeah … for, for like being comfortable in front of a camera and doing-- Which is so weird, but TikTok actually got me. That was my thing where I would post something, maybe it was controversial to some people, maybe not, whatever it was, and then I would just post it. Mm-hmm. Typically when I was about to go to bed, 'cause I was like, "This is kind of like setting the fire in the middle of the street and like walking away." Yeah. That was my whole mentality because I didn't wanna see anything come through. I just wanted to post it and like be done. It was like a video diary.

Maddy: 46:31

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 46:32

So I guess if people just looked at-- If they're uncomfortable posting online and doing videos and being in the videos, right? Yeah. 'Cause a lot of people can do videos of other people. But if you're in the video and you get super uncomfortable with that- … maybe, yeah, maybe just consider it a video diary.

Maddy: 46:48

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 46:48

You don't have to post it, but if it's something cool that maybe you can reach one person, That's my whole thing. Yeah. If it helps one person, reaches one person, that to me is worth it.

Maddy: 46:56

Totally.

Katiuscia: 46:57

Whatever.

Maddy: 46:57

I, I like that you said that because I, I've had… Running accounts for other businesses is really easy for me. I've had like-- Because I understand it. I'm not in the content, so it's like I've been able to get accounts to get like high views, like a couple million views for some videos. And then I, I was trying something out, this was like a few years ago, posting my own content of me talking. It was like about I think manifestation, energy, like just kind of like some stuff that I like am passionate about. And I filmed this video, it was super off the cuff. It took me like maybe a minute, and I posted it, and it got over a million views. And the, when it was like growing, growing and growing, I was starting to get like more uncomfortable. I was like, "I hate this exposure. I don't like having this many views." I, I was not down with it. I, I was like, "I wanna see how high it gets, but I'm gonna like delete it," you know? it's a good… and it was k- kind of more of a test in a way for a clie- so I can use with clients, so I can-- It's like a beta test to like- Sure … if I try this and this hook and this and then I talk about this and stuff, and it was kind of me just testing things, seeing like what worked and what didn't. Because like I said, I want it to be, I wanna know these things for clients and like little tips and tricks and stuff. But I-- Oh my gosh, the exposure of getting m- a million views of you talking on a video is terrifying. And I know you have some videos that have gone viral, and it's like people are like, "Yeah, that's so cool you got a million views." I'm like, "I don't know if I like this. I don't wa- I don't know if I wanna be like…" A million views is a million people saw it. Like that's- That's a lot … that's a lot, you know?

Katiuscia: 48:29

That's a lot. I will, I don't wanna like make you more nervous about it. But even though you might have deleted it, you know that it's still on the internet. Totally. Like somebody shared it and then- Right … it's like somebody- Stitched it, repo- whatever

Maddy: 48:40

Yeah. It's like it's on there. It's It's I mean, it wasn't, like, anything bad, but it was just like… Then I'm, like, second-guessing myself. I'm like, "Is this-- This is stupid. why did I post that?" But I'm like, it's resonating for people 'cause people are commenting and, like, liking it and sharing it. Yeah. And so, yeah. But it's it's really exposing, and I think people

Katiuscia: 48:57

don't realize that. But for someone who doesn't like that on them, right? I can imagine how that's so wildly uncomfortable, where you're just watching it, and every time you log in, it's more- It's more … and more. Yeah. And that, I thought it was fun for, the video of mine that went viral. I'm like- Yeah … "This is great," 'cause I had a million views in one day for- Yeah … for that video of mine. And I'm just- … I was just amazed because I thought, "Oh, that means…" And, you know, then you look at the comments, and I had to stop responding after a certain point there's no way you can respond to two, at that point- Yeah like 200 and something thousand comments. You, you can't.

Maddy: 49:28

No. No.

Katiuscia: 49:29

So you just, you do it in the first couple days, and then you just, like, let it go. But I would've never thought that that would've been the one. I thought it was… I was annoyed. I was annoyed when I posted it, and it, I mean, it resonated. So- Yeah,

Maddy: 49:39

because you showed up as your authentic self, and it- Super

Katiuscia: 49:41

authentically annoyed. Yeah. Like it was-

Maddy: 49:44

And that's what-

Katiuscia: 49:44

But not bitchy. Like, just annoyed.

Maddy: 49:46

Just like… But that's the thing. You were real. Yeah. And that's, that's where I'm like, Record it, even if you don't post it.

Katiuscia: 49:52

Yeah.

Maddy: 49:53

just for you. And then you, you know what? Maybe if, if it's really exposing and you don't wanna share it right away, but maybe in six months you're like, "I'm gonna post this." You know? But it's just, yeah. I, I think the exposure… it's like, show up authentically and you will go viral. Yes. But also, like- You will … be prepared to go viral, and be prepared for people to, like, say negative things. Trolls are real. people will insult you because people love to, like, be mean on the internet.

Katiuscia: 50:21

They do.

Maddy: 50:22

And so that's where I'm like, with, with other clients, I'm like, "Great." these are going viral, and I'm like, "This is awesome." I'm not in this content, but I can show you, like I know what I'm doing. But when it's comes to me, like online, "I don't, I don't know if I wanna do that."

Katiuscia: 50:35

This is where I think also certain businesses should probably… when they can have someone managing all their socials who deal with the comments for them-

Maddy: 50:42

Mm-hmm… Katiuscia: better. You know? Totally. You, I mean, not everyone has that luxury to be able to have that kind of support team on staff, but, or on deck. But I would say that that would be something… And again, you will get to a point where you can't, especially with viral content, you'll get to the point where you just can't handle it. Like, you can't do it, and it's also not worth it. why would you get lost in a sea of comments? Just let it go, right? it's unmanageable at that point. Yeah.

Katiuscia: 51:07

But I think that these big influencers who have these videos, I think that they have full ass teams-

Maddy: 51:13

Totally… Katiuscia: who are just at once, just responding to things-

Katiuscia: 51:18

Oh, yeah … as it goes. And I just can't imagine that because I like the control. I like to have control. And I wanna be very careful about who I let also share control with me- Yeah, totally … of certain things. whether it's about me and how I'm showing up online or in, in real life. But for me, I would say one of the things that I'm most proud of with my own level of authenticity in the world is that I'm very much who you see, what you see is what you get. If that's the person online, that's why I left the content that was- Yeah … like maybe controversial to some. Maybe it's just because I have an opinion that's different than yours and the way that the world has, you know, kind of put, tried to put everyone against each other. It's okay to have different opinions. Like you said- Mm-hmm … not everyone's gonna like you. That's fine. But I left it 'cause I thought at least it's, I'm being pre-vetted online, and that's okay. And you better- Mm-hmm … believe when I meet someone, I'm looking to see if they're on socials. Mm-hmm … because I just, I wanna know if what I see is actually what I'm getting. Totally. Because a lot of people aren't doing that, and, and that shows. We know.

Maddy: 52:26

And I think you are really good at that. I think you are, you are so like 100% yourself in every situation, and I've admired that so much- Thanks because I've known you for so long, and I've seen it. You've been the same authentic, real person from day one, and that's also a skill that a lot of people don't have, you know? It's so easy to morph yourself into different, people- Sure … de- depending on the world that you're in, you know? Sure. And like different careers, different-- like your social life is different than your, your business life- Yeah … and stuff like that. And so I fully understand that too, because that's something I struggled with. That's why I love talking about authenticity, because I've been that person where it's like, "Oh, you want me to be this person? I'll do that. You wanna pay me to do it? Sure. I'll be this person. I'll, whatever you want." And then it's like, no. it's fake. You can tell. Yeah. You know? And like I've, tried to be that specific person online, just copying all the trends that all these other people in my industry are doing, and I do it, and I'm like cringing at myself. And I'm like, "This isn't me." and I delete it 'cause I'm like, I don't trust that this is me. Gut check, not me. Delete it. And then when I'm posting stuff that's real and who I am, like behind the scenes, that's what I do a lot of my content of, 'cause it's like I'm actually working. I'm not even thinking about there's a camera recording me. I'm working and doing my job, and then it just so happens to show up like authentically. Like that's what you see what it's like to work with me because- Sure … yeah, I'm not gonna be- Someone I'm not.

Katiuscia: 53:54

You're very comfortable to work with, and I-- And that's not just because I have known you for so long. I think you genuinely make people feel very comfortable to the best of your ability, maybe not knowing them. I know you do like, you do all the pre-calls and all these things to even decide and… You find out if it's a match, and it isn't always there.

Maddy: 54:16

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 54:16

It isn't always a match with whatever the situation may be. I, I think that as people who like to show up authentically, for me, I just-- It's not that I don't care in a bad, almost take it or leave it, whatever, sassy. I'm not trying to be sassy. I'm just trying to say I think that it's just so much more worth being myself, and you know who you're getting, and I won't change. Mm-hmm. And this is just, life is short, and that's just 29 years of having an illness have taught me, has taught me that life is short. And so my, my connections, my relationships mean everything to me. Right. And who I jive with matters. If I don't jive with you, that's cool. You're not a bad person. I'm not a bad person. We just don't jive, and that's okay. But there is a little bit of an art that we have to have in this world of authenticity, of being service-based businesses.

Maddy: 55:11

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 55:11

Is you have to l- a little level of chameleon to- Yeah to… Remember I was talking about catering earlier? Not full catering, but like just to be able to work with someone, to be able to flow. Yeah. It's all a flow thing.

Maddy: 55:26

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 55:27

Not that you're changing who you are, but maybe you change your approach, because this is a great client, and you love this, and it's, it's a mutually beneficial situation.

Maddy: 55:36

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 55:36

you flow differently, and that's fine. You're not changing the value system. You're not changing what you do. You're not changing anything about yourself as a whole. You're just, it's the approach. And I feel a lot of people don't change their approach, or they just go totally different, and sometimes it's worth a little tweak.

Maddy: 55:53

I 100% agree. Love it. I think that's also something that we haven't talked about, is that literally, Understanding your client is the most important, and communication is so important. So if someone's like, "Hey, I really don't like being in front of the camera for my content." okay, well, let's pivot. let's do something that's like more behind the scenes and not, not, that's not you talking on the camera. You know, stuff like that. But understanding and being like, "How can I best serve this person?" And also understanding like, "Hey, I'm not that person. I can't help you with what you're trying to achieve," and knowing the difference, you know? Because it's like- I could try, and there's been times where I'm like, "This is out of my realm." I, I don't think I'm gonna be the, the best person for this. But I think also, catering in a way that still is authentic to you. Because yeah, there are some clients that want more professionalism versus some that you can just wear really casual clothing and swear and shoot the shit with them. But, you know, I think it's all just about kind of, um, knowing your role you can still be authentic to yourself, but also just being I know I gotta like kinda be a little bit more professional in versus, Also, I'm always professional, so I would just

Katiuscia: 57:01

say that. I was gonna say… Yeah. Oh, yeah, totes. I was gonna say it's the, it's just reading the room.

Maddy: 57:07

Reading the room, yes.

Katiuscia: 57:08

The basic, like reading the room on the person you're work- on the client you're working with, whether it's one individual, whether it's a group, whether it's a business. Like you read the room and you f- you quickly have to analyze and navigate how is my approach gonna be? Who are these people? What-- And immediately, you should be able to get it pretty quickly. I think a lot of- Mm-hmm … people want to work, especially your industry, excuse me, my industry, those are things that you wanna know that you jive with someone, and you just have to know their approach. So for me- Mm-hmm I can have the more analytical client who wants to know all the data, which I love all the data 'cause I will nerd out from data, but that's also not my main wheelhouse. I'm the per- Yeah … I'm the person person. Mm-hmm. Like I wanna help you, guide you, whatever I can do, take all the pressure off of you, literally remove the stress. I always joke, your job is to have no stress other than the normal stress of selling a house. But- Mm-hmm … everything behind the scenes, that's mine. Right. I take that on for you, which I do. I literally do, and I pride myself on that because it's like that's who I am as a doer, as a go-getter, as a I can beat anything. It's just- Yeah … these are lessons that have been ingrained with me just from, from dealing with being sick, chronically ill for so long. Yeah. So it is, it's reading the room, it's like a muscle that's trained. Yeah. You have to just keep learning, and you do it very well. And I know that you say that, you know, you had the struggle to just of, you're- 'cause you were shy and just to kind of- Mm-hmm … come forward. But I will say everything you've-- I love it. I love what you're putting out, and I, I mean, I know you and I love you, but I love when I get to see that side of you, too, 'cause I'm like, "Look at her in that coffee shop. Like I should go there. I wonder if she's still there," thinking- Yeah … you that it's today, and it's not. But I, I love it 'cause I get to see it. Mm-hmm. And it's like she's always out doing things, and I, I like watching the behind the scenes shoots and how you're doing it and the finished product. That's really cool. It's really real, and it's just an insight that I would've never had.

Maddy: 59:04

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 59:05

If it wasn't for you sharing it.

Maddy: 59:06

Okay. Do you mind if I pivot a little bit?

Katiuscia: 59:08

Yeah. I mean, no, I

Maddy: 59:09

don't mind. I really-- I mean, I love what you were talking about as like, of, with your illness and how it's really changed your perspective on being around people and, and choosing who you're around, and getting to choose that and knowing that life is short. I think that's such a beautiful perspective I think people that have gone through some trauma and stuff like have that, you know, where it's like you see life as like a very precious thing and how quickly it goes, you know? And how bringing that into your day to, day-to-day life is important, And I wanna know, like I think-- Sorry, I'm turning it on you, but I wanna know- Oh, gosh … like, like how that changed your whole perspective and how your life

Katiuscia: 59:48

Um, for me it was, I mean, I got sick so, so young. Yeah. I was 13. I think for me, I always loved my friendships, my relationships with people. Mm-hmm. But as the years went on and as I went through some pretty dark times, really sick times with the illness, I realized that the thing I put the highest value on was my health and my relationships with people. Because you need your health to survive, but who you have around you is so crucial in those moments of support, in the moments of, um, like you wanna be uplifted at certain points. You want to know that you're not struggling alone. Oh my God, really? This is my first episode. You did this to me. I-- It's okay. Um, I, I just, I really value… I'm the friend that goes all in. I will do whatever I have to do for people. For my clients, I, I pride myself, and it's just who I am to go above and beyond, to do everything I can to realize that that relationship is so important to me. And that's why when I say, "Oh my gosh," and I, you know, I was volunteering so much, but I met all these people, I am beyond grateful for the people that I have been able to meet through my networking and like, uh, volunteering just, um, I guess, str- not struggle, but like, uh, I got flooded with it 'cause I just threw myself into it, my deep dive into it.

Maddy: 1:01:14

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia: 1:01:15

And the importance of relationships has been something that I've always had. Like it's just been the thing that keeps me going, knowing that I have those people I can count on. And I don't have 500 friends that I would call every day, right? Mm-hmm. I've got a handful of really good friends, and then I know a ton of people that I would happily chat with, go to coffee with, just really wanna know. I'm very interested. If I ask you how you are, it's 'cause I give a shit, a real one. Mm-hmm. And I wanna know how you are, and I wanna know how that one issue that you were working on, you know, last month when we talked, like did that get resolved? Or I'll do a check-in with people. It's very real to me. It's very who I am to be all in. Yeah. Like you want me- on your team. It's- Mm. Because I, that's the person that I wanna be. I wanna give you all the support that you need and, like, celebrate you when you fucking kill it. Mm-hmm. That's who I wanna be. Yeah. So that's like, I love when I get that back- Yeah … in return, but that's why I'm telling you it's a handful- Yeah of people, right? So.

Maddy: 1:02:20

I love that. I think, yeah, I, I think hearing that, it just, it really puts in perspective, right? how important- like, we can talk about authenticity all we want, ultimately it's like showing up so in touch with yourself, whether it's messy, great, you know? And like, people will, will still be there for you, you know? And like- For sure … that's how you can genuinely feel loved, It's like people love you for every phase of life that you're in, And when you fake it, people don't understand. Th- th- they can sense that. They're like, "They're hiding something," or they don't wanna go there, you know? And so I really admire that, and you are that person. Like, you show up. you always are checking in. You're always, showing up and doing things for people, and it's so admirable to see, you know? Like- Thank you … I love it, and it's, it encourages me to, have more intention too with my relationships, and I think by you showing up as your authentic self, whether you realize it or not, it is affecting other people around you in a positive way.

Katiuscia: 1:03:13

I appreciate that a lot.

Maddy: 1:03:14

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:03:15

Thank you.

Maddy: 1:03:15

Of course. No, it's so true. And I think going back to, struggles and stuff, it's like, especially online, people wanna have this perfect curated life and not share the hard stuff, 'cause it's, it's exposing and it's vulnerable, and it's really hard. and I struggle with it, you know, talking about things. And I mean, even with friends, or people in, real life, like there's that handful of people that I'll share, like what's really bothering me and stuff, and then there's those people where you're like, "I don't wanna like burden them with what I have going on," you know? And, um, I think going back to, showing up as your authentic self on social media or in person, it's just like being real. And you don't have to be so exposing. you don't have to overshare, but just having that, realness to be like, "Yeah, I'm really struggling right now. Like, I'm having a hard time," you know? And then, someone could be like, "I really… I've been through that," or like, "My family member went through this or that." You know what I mean? And so it just ultimately brings human connection, and that's like the most important thing-

Katiuscia: 1:04:17

Totally… Maddy: when it comes Like, bottom line. I think that's full circle, this whole thing that we've talked about. It's just like authenticity is what brings you closer to people. I'm very on board with that. Um, believe it wholeheartedly. It's, uh… You know, I always say that I'm so passionate about the relationships that I nurture, the connections that I make, and that's It's legit. Like when I say things, I don't just say them, I follow through. It's very intentional. there's a reason that I share it. There's a reason that I'll share if I am struggling, right? Because like you said, one person could be going through it, family member, whoever it is. I've had a lot of people reach out to me for things that I've gone through with my illness, um, how, I mean, when I used to compete. All of these things. Compete with an illness. Just all of the different moments in life where I was able to share my experience, which is going to be different than your experience. Mm-hmm. But at least you're hearing that you're not alone. And all of us- Mm-hmm … we want that relatability. We wanna be able to connect to people, and we don't wanna feel alone.

Maddy: 1:05:29

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:05:29

Right? Mm-hmm. That's the whole thing with the human connection. It's that we wanna know that, okay, someone else has done this? Okay. Mm-hmm. Then I'm gonna be okay. Yeah. Like if you're going through something, it's just knowing that if someone's sharing and you know them or you know them in person, so whether it's online that you're seeing them and following them, whether it's in person, whether it's the phone call that you receive, if that person is showing up as who they are and being super authentic, you will know and you will also have that comfort of like, "Okay, it's not just me.

Maddy: 1:05:55

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:05:56

I will get through this. This, this will pass, right? This too shall pass. All of the things.

Maddy: 1:06:01

Yeah. And I also always tell myself this, and I try to tell clients too, it's like, not in a negative way, but I'm like, "I'm not that important," in the sense that no one's sitting there around thinking about me all the time. so if I post something, I'm like, people are probably gonna see it, like it, scroll past it, and they're not gonna think about it again. So if I post something where I spend hours and hours and hours editing something where I'm like, "I have to look perfect," and stuff, it's like no one cares as much as you care. Sure. And I say that in a, not to be negative, but it's like no one cares about you as much as you care about you, and no one's thinking about you as much as you're thinking about yourself. They're, everyone's thinking about themselves. if anything, like when I see someone showing up authentically online, I'm like, "That's really cool. I wanna do that for me because I'm thinking about myself," you know? Instead of "Oh, I'm judging everything about them." it's just like, "Sweet, I like that. I'm gonna save that because I wanna make something like that similarly." Yeah … or something like that, you know?

Katiuscia: 1:06:52

Yeah.

Maddy: 1:06:53

And, uh, when I say that to people, I'm like, "No one's thinking about you as much as you are," they're like, "Huh?" And then it kind of shifts. And so I think it's just kind of a mindset to think about like just in life, if you embarrass yourself, no one's gonna think about it as much as you do.

Katiuscia: 1:07:06

It's a fleeting moment.

Maddy: 1:07:07

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:07:08

And just don't give it so much power.

Maddy: 1:07:11

Totally

Katiuscia: 1:07:11

or importance in your life of, "Oh my God, I messed up so bad on that." You know what? Yeah. Yeah, but we all mess up, and the good thing is, is now you actually learned a lesson, so you know what not to do the next time. But move past it. Nobody gives a shit.

Maddy: 1:07:25

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:07:25

You give a shit, but if you implement it and use that embarrassment or that moment as fuel to change or make a different decision, then it's, you actually won. You didn't lose anything, you know?

Maddy: 1:07:39

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:07:39

It's just a mindset shift. Yeah. I like

Maddy: 1:07:42

that. It, and it's so easy and hard to, remember that when it, you're going through it, when you're embarrassed or when you post something- Totally … that's a little more vulnerable or exposing. It's like, no one cares. We're all like, I hate to say it, all very selfish beings. We all think about- Totally … them, ourselves. But like, it's not a big deal. it's not that serious. I say that all the time. It's not that serious. But life's so short. Like, because I posted a content that maybe was embarrassing or cringey, whatever, who cares? If I say something that's like, "Mm, probably shouldn't have said that," I won't do it again next time, stuff like that. Right. Um, but yeah. I think it's just so important. life in itself is just like showing up, being authentic, being vulnerable, being honest, and really just staying true and trusting yourself, and also learning from your mistakes.

Katiuscia: 1:08:31

Totally. Take them and implement them. Make, do better. Use them to make you better. That's my life motto- Yeah … is always do better.

Maddy: 1:08:39

That's why we have free will, We learn from our mistakes. We think, find things that, you know, work for us and things that don't, and, uh, it's part of just life.

Katiuscia: 1:08:49

And it's- And growing… Maddy: and growing. And it's, it actually good to be embarrassed. Like people are like, "I don't wanna do anything that exposes me or embarrass." it's actually a muscle that I feel everyone should experience it teaches you as a person, and it gives you empathy for people that also like do same, similar things that are embarrassing or, you know, struggling. I think at the end of the day, we're, we get one shot at life. We're all just trying to survive and thrive. Mm-hmm. And we have to do stupid stuff along the way. It's how we grow. It's how we learn. And then it's what we take with that knowledge and the feeling of maybe, "Oof, I don't like how that felt"-

Maddy: 1:09:26

Yeah

Katiuscia: 1:09:26

that propels us into how we make an active change of, or how we, "Okay, maybe we don't do that next time, and we take this path instead." And it's all of these moments. If you eliminate one, then you could be potentially eliminating something huge. So just honor it, kinda like the waking up with a headache thing. Yeah. Honor it as this is what happened. Okay, it happened. I can't change it.

Maddy: 1:09:46

Yeah.

Katiuscia: 1:09:47

and just move on with your day. I think it's like move on. Don't let it define you, right? Mm-hmm. Any struggle that you've had in your life, anything that you've been through in terms of trauma and you've overcome Never let it define you. Me, illness, it's never defined me. I've like, no way. That was always my big mission, like not gonna define you. Yeah. So I just, I love this conversation. I love that you were able to join me as the first guest on this fabulous podcast. It's gonna be so great.

Maddy: 1:10:15

I am

Katiuscia: 1:10:17

And I just thank you for being here. Thank you. And I want you-- I just, I do wanna give just a note that having worked with you as a client in multiple occasions, you are a true gem, and you are so incredibly talented at your craft- Yeah … and at working with people, and at reading the room I mean, maybe it's taken a bit, but I've also- Yeah known you for 12 years, so to watch you kind of grow into the person that you are has been a really awesome thing for me as like that girl who took on the big sister role at 24 Hour Fitness in 2014. Yeah. So congratulations just for everything you've done. I'm so freaking proud of you.

Maddy: 1:10:57

Thank you.

Katiuscia: 1:10:57

And working with you is, is a real blessing and a gift, so I encourage anyone to reach out. Please, I will put all your information in the notes, but share how people can find you online or what, whatever.

Maddy: 1:11:09

Um, yeah. I mean, people, if people wanna find me, um, just through Instagram is probably the easiest. Madeline Elise Productions. Send me a DM. I just keep it simple. you know, if you wanna reach out that way, go for it.

Katiuscia: 1:11:20

Good for you. Yeah. Okay, I'll tag all that. Thank you for being here. Thank you.

Maddy: 1:11:24

I'm so excited.

Katiuscia: 1:11:25

Yay.

Maddy: 1:11:25

Appreciate you having me, and this was a really good chat, and I love

Katiuscia: 1:11:30

Thank you. Yeah. Well, have a great day, everyone.

Maddy: 1:11:33

Bye. Oh my