Nicole Laino
Hi, and welcome to the limitless entrepreneur podcast. I’m your host, Nicole Laino. And I’m here with a very special guest. Miss Cathy Spence is joining me today. She’s a branding photographer, brand strategist and the host of the top rated podcast, align and hustle. Kathy, thank you for joining me. How are you today?

Kathy Spence
Oh, my gosh, Nicole, thank you so much for your kind words. That was such a nice intro. I’m so grateful to be here today. Thank you for inviting me.

Nicole Laino
I’m so excited to have you here today. Because I really, you know, just introduce yourself to the audience. Tell them a little bit about you and how you got to where you are right now, how did first of all, how did you your podcast really took off kind of fast and just had this kind of explosion and curious, what made you start your podcast.

Kathy Spence
So that’s really interesting. It actually was something that I’ve always thought that I would love to do. But you know, as an entrepreneur, you have so many things on that bucket list that sometimes don’t ever get started. But during COVID with the lockdown i I’m in Toronto, so we had very strict lockdown procedures last year in 2020. And I found myself having to close my studio, my commercial studio location for six months. didn’t start that way. I didn’t think that I initially like everyone, I thought, Okay, a couple of weeks, maybe a month, this would be fine. But because of the type of work that I do, the under the COVID regulations, I wasn’t able to open until what we reached was called phase three. So at first I, you know, did what we all do started cooking at home and started, you know, looking at it as a little bit of an extended vacation. But I don’t think I mentioned that a part of my business was event photography. So with losing all of the travel and events, and then having to close my business, there was a little bit of concern of how I was going to pivot, even though I don’t like using that word anymore. But how I was fought maybe need to pivot and how can I serve my clients and serve my my demographic in a way. And what I found was a lot of work. So when I was on social media, a lot of people were struggling, a lot of people were lost and stuck in fear. And I thought you know what, this is the best time to start that podcast, and really start speaking with and having conversations with these trailblazing women that are resilient and in the face and sharing their stories so that in the face of fear in the face of change, they evolved and made changes. And I just really wanted to inspire my clients at the time, I didn’t expect it to turn into what it did. So now I find myself running a business and managing a podcast. So it’s, I’m still learning, I’m still kind of going with it. But I really didn’t expect it to be what it was. But I’m thankful that it was because I I really feel that there was a gap and a need. And because of that I really I’m I’m grateful. And I’m thankful for the whole experience, because I feel like it’s really been helping people.

Nicole Laino
And yeah, and how long? How long was it on your list? I’m just curious. How long was it on your list before you pulled the trigger?

Kathy Spence
I think it was just a couple of years, only two years. It wasn’t like one of those tenure lists that, you know, we keep each other. We keep ourselves from out of whatever, but it only was two years. I think

Nicole Laino
I had mine on on my list for about two years. That was why I asked. Okay, so I because I think that it’s I think it’s one of those. It’s not a bucket list. But I think we also, I’m just curious just talking about podcast, because I know that that some of the people listening right now are thinking about starting one. They’re wondering if it’s right. They’re wondering if they should, and most of them are wondering if it’s too hard, if it’s too much. And for me, I actually found that the process was a whole lot easier than I thought when I stopped making it harder than it had to be. It became easy. And did you find that it was it was easier or harder than you thought to kick yours off?

Kathy Spence
Well, at first it was it was easy because in my work, I meet a lot of entrepreneurs I meet a lot of strong women because I’ve done the conference circuit. So I had a lot of people that I knew I could speak to so it was really easy in the beginning. And I was coming from service. So it didn’t really I didn’t expect it to go anywhere. So I didn’t have expectation. I had my intention, but I didn’t have expectation of it. So it was really easy. What I did find difficult was the because I was a one, I’m a well, I was a one woman show, I did all my editing, I had to learn how to do everything from the ground up. Because I thought why not I have nothing to do, my studio is closed, my events are gone, I might as well learn how to do this. It’s something new. And so I found the time that it took to record and edit and then get it up and the promotion and all of that I found that time consuming only when I had to go back to work. So it was fun. It was fun. I just looked at it as a new hobby, right. And it was fun until things opened up again. And then I was ready to go back to the studio. And then I also had this podcast that now for me, I feel I made a promise to my audience that I would be there every week to inspire them. So I need to keep going. So that’s when I found it a little bit difficult.

Nicole Laino
Yeah, it’s definitely it’s a commitment, and you really have to be in it for the long haul. And that’s why they say like, you know, most podcasts just die out. Because people don’t make that commitment. They don’t stick with it. But, but your show is great. And everybody who’s listening should go and subscribe to her show and listen to that show, because she’s got amazing guests, and she has just an amazing perspective. But I so being a photographer, and, and in the personal branding space, and just being a branding, a brand strategist and brand photographer, photography is a visual medium. And I think we all understand brand from a visual perspective. And then it’s been my experience, at least talking with people that there seems to be this disconnect. It’s like, it’s, I understand beautiful images, I understand like colors and vibe and all of that. But and then there’s the the actual being the brand side of things the human side. And I’m wondering if you have a perspective on bringing those two things together, and and how people can approach their brand in a way that’s authentic to them and still make it beautiful.

Kathy Spence
So I feel like, I don’t need to bring those things together, because I feel like

Nicole Laino
they are one unit,

Kathy Spence
if that makes sense. So to me the photography. A lot of people get confused with what branding is like a lot of people who come to me for branding, don’t really know what branding means. And a lot of people think it’s fonts, typography, website, colors. Yes, that’s branding, but it’s not your brand. What I’ve found in my work is that the future of business is personal. Like people, if you look at Elon Musk, and you look at his personal profiles on social media, and then you look at his company profiles, he has built such a strong connection by humanizing his brand. So even though he’s the CEO of Tesla, people don’t connect to Tesla’s the company, people connect to him as the leader. And he knows I’m getting goosebumps when he realized this. And he focused on building that persona, that personality around him, because he is business. He is the company really that’s it’s his ideas. It’s his innovation, that’s, that’s carrying the company, but people don’t care about logos, or, well, unless you’re Nike, that don’t care about logos, they want to do business with the messaging. And a lot of people are noticing that now and stepping in and having the confidence to step in and be the face of their brand. Were a long, a few years back, people would just hide behind their logo, and they wouldn’t step up and share their personalities because it was deemed unprofessional. And now I feel like it’s the leverage that you need in this changing environment, that if you’re not bringing your personality to your brand, you’re really missing out on opportunity. You’re missing out on having people that you’re looking to do business with find you and connect with you. Because as you know, as a business owner, business is relationships, that’s the foundation of all business. And the only way that you can really build a relationship is by bringing yourself forward.

Nicole Laino
Absolutely and right people build relationships with other people. And and recognizing that connection is everything, I think, in this and there’s an opportunity to build connection on like a broader scale like with social media. So I’m curious what what is it that you take people through when they come to you? What do they come to a brand strategist for? What are you looking for? Like, are there any red flags or things that you find with a lot of people that you work with?

Kathy Spence
Mm hmm. If people want to be famous, then I don’t really want to work with them. because it’s great that you want to be famous, but really for me, and for the work that I do, it’s all about emotion. And a lot of people ask me, how do you bring the essence of your clients forward? And I think it’s because I don’t focus on making them famous, I focus on their mission, and how we can create impact with that. And with photography, and with building a visual identity for them. I don’t really look at how can they get more followers? Or how can they improve their manner? No, they’re what’s that word? Famous quality? I don’t know, their influence? Uh huh. So it’s more about impact over influence, if that makes sense.

Nicole Laino
And I love that. And I think that that’s something like a question that people have to ask themselves from the very beginning is what are you really after?

Kathy Spence
Yeah, and that’s what I do with my clients. Like the first, a lot of people are like, Oh, my gosh, I didn’t realize this was so much work when they come to work with me, because the the photoshoot is last, it’s the last piece of the puzzle. For me, it’s clarity, we work through a clarity exercise together to really understand who they are, who they serve, what impact they want to achieve, what’s their mission, like, we really go through a lot of the emotion because for me, again, an image connects with someone when I connect with that person and bring their beauty forward, bring their energy forward. So I have no idea about that, like, I could never be the photographer where someone would just call me and we would book a session and we have a photoshoot, it just wouldn’t work. Because I really need to understand more about my clients so that I can help them grow their business in a unique and authentic way.

Nicole Laino
And I’m just curious, if so the clarity piece of the clarity exercises that you walk people through where they are digging into their mission? Are you helping, like, do you feel like that possibly helps them show up more for themselves in those pictures and show who they are, than if you in other way?

Kathy Spence
I think it really well, it builds confidence too, because a lot of people don’t even think about this. They think that like you said, I need nice photos for my website, or I need the lifestyle photographs for my social media. They don’t think they don’t think past that. And then they’re nervous about being in front of the camera. And when I take my clients through these exercises, and we get to know each other a little bit better, the photoshoot actually is so effortless, and easy. Because we’re pretty much we know each other. I know what makes them tick, I can bring parts of them forward that they don’t even realize because we’re just being in essence together. You know what I mean? That was a lot I just ran. I ran out of breath there.

Nicole Laino
No, it’s absolutely true, though. Because when you were when you were saying all of that all I was thinking was I was like, and that’s how you get the real them to come out in the pictures. And we’ve all seen those pictures online where you see somebody and they’re just kind of staring into a camera, and it looks flat, and you don’t feel anything from it. And people want to know, how do I get that feeling in my pictures? How do I get them to see me. And you know

Kathy Spence
what works for someone like every business is unique. Every person is unique. Everyone’s message is unique. Everyone’s intention is different. So to do like a cookie cutter, let’s take you through these five social media poses, and then you have something to put on Instagram, let me do that. Like it. It just doesn’t work. It doesn’t resonate, it doesn’t build, it doesn’t build their brands, because it’s not connecting. They’re not being authentic. They’re not connecting with their audience in that way. Because it’s forced. And it’s to me, I can look at imagery, and I can tell when the imagery is forced because it doesn’t feel I hate using that word authentic so many times because I feel that’s been overused, but it doesn’t, it doesn’t feel real. And what I want for my clients is to be so confident and and so feel so much worse than what they do and and what what they how they run their businesses that they can just show up and we can shoot for the day. And we choose locations and we do different things to kind of curate the experience but it’s not curating with props. It’s not curating with poses. It’s it’s more the background is the environment but the focus is on the real, authentic person.

Nicole Laino
Yeah, and I think so I’m curious what you what you feel? What could somebody do right now? Like if they were looking at how would they know if they had a good brand going on? Or not? Like what would what would if they were looking to do like a self audit of their own social media website, whatever it is that they have their their brand overall, what do you what do you feel that people should kind of look out for? Or ask themselves? Do I have these essential elements to photography or to their brand on a whole? Let’s talk about the brand on a whole. Okay, so

Kathy Spence
that’s when we look at everything together, like I said, with color, and with imagery. And with typography, it all kind of comes together. So the first thing depending on if someone is a solopreneur, or coach, or an author, really ask yourself, am I showing up in my brand? Am I showing me who I am and, and am I connecting with my audience through that image and through that cohesive look on all platforms. So if someone just wants to do like a starter brand, like just get their feet wet, we usually look at the three social media platforms that they’re most active on. And then we look at their website. And then we look to see if everything is cohesive. And we’ll kind of start from there.

Nicole Laino
So making sure that the message conveys from one to the other that at the end, we’ll look

Kathy Spence
though, and the look to the look in the field, because a lot of people are on different platforms, but they don’t carry the content. Like for instance, I had a client last month, where she was very focused on Instagram, she still posted once in a while on Facebook. But it was very different on Facebook, she was posting really personal things and more about her dog. And then, but that was her business page. And then on Instagram, it was lifestyle and value and education and inspiration. So there was her message. But then when people went to look for her over on Facebook, there was a disconnect. So you want to make sure that everything is cohesive, if you’re actually showing up on those platforms, because that’s how you’re growing your influence these days, too.

Nicole Laino
And do you feel like there that it ever warrants there to be something different for the platform, like I immediately think of LinkedIn, which is definitely a more professional, like buttoned up vibes and like Instagram, and how do you approach something like that?

Kathy Spence
So yes, depending on your audience, you will be showing up a little bit differently. Like, for instance, on Instagram, you might show a little bit more inspiration. You might because that’s an more photography on Instagram, because it’s a visual based platform. But on LinkedIn, the demographic is a little bit different. And they’re looking more for the value the education, why you should be hired on that platform. So you do tailor your content a little, but your the look of your brand should be consistent across all platforms.

Nicole Laino
i Yeah. And I think that that just helps people understand like when you know, and I always think like, there should be a feeling there should be some some way that you are, you want people to feel or experience something when they hit your brand. Or when they they see you. There’s just there’s a vibe there.

Kathy Spence
And that’s my first question. How do you want people to feel when they land on your site? How do you want people to feel when they land on your social platforms? And we go from there?

Nicole Laino
Yeah, and it’s such an it’s such an important question to ask, rather than like, are these colors right? It’s like, well, do they evoke the feeling that you want people to feel? Like there’s there’s things that are light and airy, but you’re so in touch with your energy? Nicole? Not ever? Things like that? Oh, no, no. And I mean,

Kathy Spence
I just think that’s why your brand is so gorgeous. I love your I love everything about your brand, because I had a feeling when I still hadn’t met you yet. But from the warmth, the colors that you’ve chosen and just how it was. I don’t know. I just felt like you would take care of me if that makes sense. Like I felt like you’re very honest. You’re knowledgeable, but you also taking care of me is not the right eye like I was in good hands with you like I was in good hands with you like it was it was just a very warm feeling. I didn’t feel you know, sometimes when you run into like a corporate site, it’s very cold, right? It’s very very much like to the point, but for you there, it just felt like so flowy. And I just loved it. I loved everything about it.

Nicole Laino
Thank you very much. And I want people to feel safe with me. Because when I do, it involves a lot of vulnerability and people coming in and feeling safe enough to be like this. This is what I’m experiencing. And can you help me and I want to tell you this thing privately that I haven’t really told anybody about, and I want to get past it. I don’t want this to plague me anymore. That takes a certain amount of amount of safety. So I’m glad that that that that got conveyed from my

Kathy Spence
thread. And I was impressed because I’m like, okay, because right away, that’s what I felt. And then I went to look what it is that you do. And I’m like, this woman is right on like, she’s done all the all the thing, all the steps, thank you really speak to that client to really evoke those emotions.

Nicole Laino
Thank you very much. That means a lot coming from you. I appreciate it. I just want to shift a little bit because I I was just not talking about the podcast specifically, but you call your podcast align and hustle. And I wanted to talk a little bit about that, because I’m all about alignment. And I’ve always said that, like with this podcast, I will say that, you know, I blend the tactical with the mystical, that I I want to give people the How to strategies that they need to grow. But the mindset stuff that is going to allow you to do all the things on your to do list, but you can’t meditate your way to six figures, unfortunately, because I have tried doesn’t work that way. I can sit on my meditation pillow all day and just make money that that doesn’t really work for most people. I wish it did. There are a few things that I love doing more than meditating. So if I could make money meditating, that would just be like, the greatest thing that could ever possibly happen. To me. That’s like the best possible outcome. But I you know, I don’t think I’m getting rich on my meditation pillow. And I have big goals. So I’m curious what your perspective like you are a go getter. You are someone who takes initiative, you know, like, you’re like, they shut down my business. I’m going to start this podcast, I’m, you know, you are out there, and you’re grinding, but you are also seeking the alignment. And I’m just curious, like, what is your take on that and, and going with like, your, your, your sort of, I can’t think of that same space as me, where you’re like, I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m not gonna be like, it’s not all alignment. But it ain’t all hustle either.

Kathy Spence
So that’s the that’s the thing at first I when I started the podcast, naming it was the hardest thing because I thought, Should I talk about photography? My business is branding. Should it all be about branding? And then I thought. So I started interviewing women who had personal brands, but then I found, you know, we’re all connected, we all deal with the same fears, the same doubts, the same worth issues. And it kind of I didn’t name it I sorry, I did some interviews. And then the name came. Because I realized that, you know, everyone that I was speaking to, yes, they’ve built these businesses. Yes, they’ve written these best selling books. Yes, they’ve done all these things and built these great personal brands. But really, what is the common thread and the common thread is that they’re all aligned in their purpose. And they all did the work that they needed to do to get it done. And so that’s when the name came, I’m getting goosebumps. So then that’s when the name came. But it was funny, because when I launched the podcast, I was getting some some flack on on the the name, because supposedly, if you think of alignment with, you know, people who are more woowoo alignment is supposed to be the opposite of hustle. So I would get some messages saying, if you are aligned, there’s no need to hustle. And then that’s where my personal views came in a little bit, because, like you said, you can meditate all day long, but unless you’re putting the plan in place, and unless you’re taking that inspired action from your alignment, and from your purpose, you need to step into it, you need to walk towards it every day, and you need to do what you need to get done. And, or else nothing happens without a plan without without the work. It just It won’t happen. So I didn’t want people to think that it was you know, all about breaking through your limiting beliefs and, and I didn’t want it to be all about self development. I also wanted it to be about putting the work in, because that’s what I do. So I it wouldn’t be authentic to me if I didn’t if I didn’t have it that way.

Nicole Laino
It’s what everyone and does so I’m going to call BS on the people that were, you know, because the people that say like, well, if you don’t if you’re aligned and you don’t need to hustle, you know what not really, there’s always some form of work everybody talks about because those same people that are manifesting that are, you know, the alignment gurus, they are all still talking about taking inspired action. They’re all still talking about action leads to clarity.

Kathy Spence
But I think it’s around the hunt the word hustle, because there’s a misconception about hustle. It’s been used, you know, with some of those coaches that are, you know, hustle, hustle, grind until you’re bleeding. And so I think it’s the misconception around the word hustle, but to me, it is inspired action. And to me, hustle means I’m just, I’m working for what I want. It doesn’t have that connotation around it.

Nicole Laino
Yeah. And I couldn’t agree more. But when I saw the name of the podcast, and then I listened to it, and I and I, and I read up on you, I was looking through it. And I’m like, I’m like, Yeah, this is exactly like, I feel like we have the same message. And I kind of just wanted to highlight that for the listeners. Because it really is about like, I always say you’re moving to balls down the court, you’re moving the mindset ball of growing yourself into the person that you want to be that you know, that you envision, but that also, in order for your mind to connect to that person that is the millionaire or whatever it is that you are thinking about. You’ve got to be acting day to day, or your mind’s going to tell you, you are not that person, you’re not doing anything, you’re not getting anything done,

Kathy Spence
then that’s when and that’s when you stop in your tracks. And that’s when you give up. Right?

Nicole Laino
Exactly. So I’m, I’m down with your message. Okay, great.

Kathy Spence
I knew you wouldn’t be because as soon as we met, I knew we were of the same cloth or the same mindset, we would vibe definitely, definitely vibe.

Nicole Laino
And what does so just Just a last thing on this is, you know, what does alignment mean to you?

Kathy Spence
alignment to me is standing, standing in your purpose, and being and, and living in joy towards that fulfilling that purpose. And I shouldn’t really know this better, because no one’s ever asked me what alignment means to me. That’s my question. At the end of my podcast, I asked, and I never I don’t even have an answer. But to me, alignment is showing up for yourself showing up for for your purpose and walking every day towards towards that in, in happiness and enjoy.

Nicole Laino
being rooted in that purpose. I think, you know, and I love that because yeah, it’s it’s letting that carry you and tell you what the right and the wrong moves are. And, ya know, I love

Kathy Spence
being confident with yourself and knowing yourself, because, you know, I was out of alignment for a really long time, because I put a lot of needs of other people ahead of my own. And I wasn’t really living a fulfilled life. Because I forgot what it is that I was here that I was meant to do here. And the joy and the purpose, and the action is just it just all goes together. And I’m sorry, go ahead.

Nicole Laino
No, I’m sorry. I was just gonna say like, I couldn’t agree more. That, you know, I think that’s a great point that you made, which is that sometimes we don’t necessarily, you don’t have to know necessarily exactly what alignment is, first of all, you’ll know it when you’re in it. Not necessarily the easiest thing to put words to, but you’ll really know when you’re out of it. And, you know, being out of alignment, I think we’ve all experienced that. And sometimes it’s just raising your awareness enough to kind of be like, I know, I’m out of alignment right now. What do I need to do to shift and recenter myself and focus on something true?

Kathy Spence
And sometimes I find that I might be out of alignment and then I’ll ignore it until something happens where I can’t ignore it anymore. And it’s like, the universe saying, get back on track. What are you doing? And you know, because you get caught up and and life gets in the way sometimes but staying on the path. That’s the that’s the thing.

Nicole Laino
Staying on the path. Absolutely. Yeah. Being connected to it and rooted in that is the most important thing and No, and it’s okay to

Kathy Spence
veer off the path sometimes but as long as you get back on

Nicole Laino
it just understanding that, you know, you’re already on the path. You’re just removing the obstacles that are in the way of you seeing it and that kind of can help you sometimes that can help me if I think about the, you know, alignment that way, if I’m just like, you know, if I let go enough that I allow myself to see it on my land and allow myself to feel what feels good.

Kathy Spence
And I had a guest on my podcast, and we spoke about that it was she called it Flo, though. Yeah. And that’s how I feel like, that’s how I know that what I do for a living is what I was put here to do. I am when I am in a shoot with a client, there is no time. Sometimes it’s it’s sometimes it’s the best and worst quality though because, you know, we don’t take breaks and poor clients get hungry and tired. And then I realized we’ve been shooting nonstop for three hours. But that’s where I feel that when you’re fully aligned is when you’re in that flow state. When you you lose all track of time your creativity is flowing, you feel joy, you feel happiness, and you just are on purpose.

Nicole Laino
Absolutely, no. And I think that you hit it right on the head there is when time disappears, pay attention to whatever it is you’re doing in that moment. Because whatever it is, is something aligned with you. Because if it felt like it went by like that, then you are in some sort of a flow state if it felt easy, joyful, and like time just passed by, write that down. And I wish tension.

Kathy Spence
I wish I had had a coach when I was younger, because I did love photography, I bet I was brought up in an Eastern European family. So photography was deemed a hobby, not a profession. So it never dawned on me that this could be my career that this could be my life. I loved it so much. It brought me so much happiness. But that’s when I veered off course. Because it wasn’t something that was considered a career that was acceptable. So it took a long time for me to come back on.

Nicole Laino
That acting was like that. For me. I wanted to be an actress I was I was deeply connected to it. And I felt like that was the path for me. And then of everyone was just like, well, you can’t do that. Like, that’s not what people from our world don’t become actors. And you should do something that’s far more grounded and realistic. And I was miserable. And I did the realistic thing. I was miserable for years and then coming back to acting and you know, there’s only one. Yeah,

Kathy Spence
sorry to interrupt. No. So many times, I was told to get my head out of the clouds, like and then when you said you’re not being realistic. Like it’s, it’s unfortunate that, that but did that keep you from going towards that?

Nicole Laino
It kept me from committing to it, I would do it as a hobby, I would do it. Because I loved it. But I would never really commit to it. I wanted to study it in college. And I was told to do so to study something that I could make into a career. Which subjects acting is not a career. Don’t major in theater don’t major in what you love. You go to school to learn how to have a job later on. And you

Kathy Spence
know what I got all the time was, anybody can take a picture. That’s not That’s not a career.

Nicole Laino
Well, and I got, I got people would say things like, Oh, well, you know, every pretty girl thinks that she can be an actress. Oh, first of all, I did not find myself pretty when I was You are very, pretty terrible. I was I grew into myself, and I’m very happy with the way that I look. Now I’m fine.

Kathy Spence
I think we all did, because everyone goes through that awkward stage right? No one thinks mine was really good. No, I don’t got it. Okay, well, we’ll share pictures later.

Nicole Laino
I’ll show you a few. It’s pretty bad. And I think it’s just also the way that you were treated like I was not treated like nobody wanted to date me or anything like that. I wasn’t that girl. So I didn’t see myself that way. But you know, those those words and those those things that people projected onto me because they didn’t see themselves that way. And they you know, they wanted to tell me that my dreams weren’t okay, or that your dreams weren’t okay. It caused me to dabble in what I loved and double down on something that I had zero connection to and hated. And it just caused me to feel out that’s out of alignment. I kept something in me that kept telling me like, take this acting class do this thing. That’s really great. And I would do it but then I would be bogged down in coursework for business management in college and I hated it. I was bored to tears and I hated it and I didn’t want to go to school. And you know, it’s just it just shows

Kathy Spence
that gosh, I think we were meant to meet because our stories are so similar because I wouldn’t be taking classes of in photography during high school but I excelled in math and science. So the the obvious path is being a doctor and and making everyone happy. And I remember being in university thinking, what am I doing? And a little voice said, Well, you could take science and become an architect. And that’s kind of creative. Or like, there were all these little voices that were telling me. But I was just, I was out of one. And I didn’t trust myself enough at that time to listen to that voice. And that was the thing.

Nicole Laino
And I think that that’s the problem. Like, I think that the younger kids these days there, they are listening to their voices a little bit more, I think that they’re, they’re seeing that so much as possible. And it’s sort of annoying, I think, to our generation, like we watch like the influencers and stuff. And these kids like, they’re expressing themselves. And I try to remind myself like when I catch myself judging, it’s just because I’m jealous, that

Kathy Spence
I’m a little bit jealous, too, because I wish I do you know, how many classes and like I started taking photography when it was film, like I would take photos on film, and develop my film. And now everyone has a phone when I when I see the Apple new releases like the phone new releases, and they have like 10 lenses. I’m just like, the hair on my on my arms just stands up I’m like why didn’t not have that you know how many hours I had to learn about different lenses and and F stops and all the technical that you know, anyone? Can you just take a click on their phone and get a pretty decent photo now, too.

Nicole Laino
Yeah, and all the lugging equipment and stuff like that I

Kathy Spence
still love I still love equipment. I still love equipment.

Nicole Laino
I’m a hobbyist photographer, and I have like, I have my DSLR. And I’m and I love all of my lenses. And that is just my my toys that I have to play with. But

Kathy Spence
there is still fine print. I’m going to I’m going to stick up for myself here. Yeah, there is still fine print on those Apple commercials, you know, they don’t tell you that there’s a bunch of lighting that they had to log in to achieve those effects. And because a lot of my daughter’s friends will ask me how come I can’t get that image like on the commercial? And I’m like, wow, because you have the phone? Yes, it’s It’s capable. But you also need the editing software, you also need the lighting. Lighting is key. So it’s not. It’s good. They’re great marketers. Oh,

Nicole Laino
they’re the best marketers.

Kathy Spence
I need the apple team.

Nicole Laino
Yeah, no, but but I think that like this is a great note to kind of, to sort of end on which is just for people to understand that that the the authentic self like that voice that’s telling you that the shoulds are not the direction that you should be going in that to listen to the thing, that it’s probably something that’s been nagging at you for a long time, it’s probably something to

Kathy Spence
trust in that voice, right? I just have goosebumps, again, to trust in that voice. Because I don’t know, we’re this generation maybe is a little bit different. Because I feel like they are a little bit more confident, they’re showing up a little bit more in front of cameras, and they, they seem to just have access to so much more information. So I feel like they’re a little bit more mature than maybe we might have been at that age. And I find that the women that that I work with are between 35 and 4550. And that’s, you know, that’s the struggle to really believe in yourself and to listen to those voices and to trust that you know, what’s best for you. Because a lot of us have been influenced in different ways that we’ve been, you know, maybe swayed in making decisions that maybe weren’t the right ones, but it’s never too late.

Nicole Laino
It is never too late. And I think that that’s what we’re seeing now. So many people are having the greatest second or third acts that they could have, you know, more than he could have ever possibly imagined. Just because they took a step just because they started to listen to that voice and said, You know what, I’m worthy of this dream. And why not me and

Kathy Spence
I have a quote I wanted to share this. I was listening to a podcast this morning when I was driving my daughter. Oh, it was something about the greatest gift that you can give yourself is to truly embrace all of who you are, or I don’t know, it was about being authentic and I should have written it down because these days things come in and go out so quickly. Sure do. But it is I feel like that’s the greatest gift we can give ourselves and I think that’s why I’ve built a business around it because I really want women in law entrepreneurs because it’s it’s a different ballgame when you’re an entrepreneur you really need to believe in yourself and and trust that you your message your mission is is enough and step into it and Follow it and follow that, that, that dream on your heart.

Nicole Laino
And that’s alignment. When you start doing that, like that’s, that’s how you get into flow, because it’s not going to feel like work, it’s going to feel like what you were always meant to do. And you’re going to want, you’re going to wonder, why didn’t I do it sooner, that’s the only regret. That’s

Kathy Spence
where you come in. That’s where you come in with the limiting beliefs, right? Because I find that a lot of my clients, we do a lot of work in advance, and some of them are gung ho and, and some of them need a little bit of hand holding, because there’s still that they’re still maybe out of alignment a little bit. And they need to, to kind of come back to themselves.

Nicole Laino
Well, there’s a part of you that’s holding on to the old way and saying, like, no, no, that direction is scary. Please don’t go there. Because we don’t know what’s down that path. And so there’s, there’s part of you that has its foot on the brake, your subconscious has the foot on the brake, and your consciousness has its foot on the gas, and they’re fighting over who’s going to control the car. And yeah, that’s how you the the limiting beliefs are the gas or the brake pedal, and we got to get the foot off the brake. But But Kathy, this was such a great conversation. And I love we covered so many things. And I think that we brought

Kathy Spence
our story. But I think it’s because we’re both entrepreneurial women. And I don’t know about you, but I’m interested in so many things, that a conversation will start one way and then end up a completely different way. So I hope it went the way that you want that you’re happy with.

Nicole Laino
I think that that’s how conversation should go. When they stay on the straight and narrow the whole time. Sometimes it just feels a little formulaic. No, this is a real conversation. And I think that this was all so valid for everybody who is listening. And and thank you so much. Is there anything that you want to say to the listeners, before we wrap up?

Kathy Spence
I just wanted to thank you, Nicole, again, for having me on the show and for the opportunity to speak with you. But if anyone would like to learn more about building a personal brand, you can reach me at www dot Cathi spence.com. And I’m on Instagram at Kathy Spence portrait. And I’d love to hear from hear your feedback on this episode. And maybe shout out to us. And let us know what you thought of the conversation. And if you need any, any help or clarity on your brand, I do have a brand audit that I would be more than happy to discuss what is working and what is not working in your current brand, and how we can fix it or how we can work on it and make it better.

Nicole Laino
And I would definitely take her up on that if I were you because she knows what she’s talking about. And definitely check out her podcast, the line and hustle podcast because it’s awesome. And thank you so much for being here. We will link all of that up in the show notes so you don’t have to remember all of it and definitely if you loved this episode, and it please take a little screenshot of it, put it in your stories tag Kathy and myself and we will definitely give you a little shout out on ours. Thank you so much for listening everybody. We will see you in the next episode. Remember, you are only limited by the limitations that you accept. And when you stop accepting those limitations. That is when you become limitless. Thanks so much. I’ll see you in the next one.