Critically Drinking Erin Burrell

Today's episode is all about creating clarity about what content in the media is doing to our consumption habits and how it makes us feel.

First, I need to make a confession. I got busy. Now busy isn't an excuse for anything, but busy was quickly followed by being overwhelmed. The messages in the media and the content I was consuming became more and more hateful during the lead up to the US election last year.

I was saddened to discover that friends and relatives were trolls and in some cases full of anger and venom and that was something that I just couldn't take. So... I went dark. From social media and content creation to recording and publishing episodes of this podcast, I chose silence.

What I forgot during this time of hiding my head in the sand was that the only way to slow down the hate and ugly in the world is to dilute it with good. If we take in good, that is what we start to see in the world around us. Things like bias and hate can only grow if their messages outnumber the great ones.

"If we take in positivity and great hopes for humanity that is what we embody"-Erin Burrell
It's time for us as content creators to share stories of inspiration and hope so that we can be a part of the world we know can exist.

What I'm reading, watching, and listening to:

Reading:

The Color Purple by Alice Walker- a story of religion, triumph, and self-discovery

On Competition by Michael Porter-one of the best business books of all time

Watching:

Brooklyn 99-laugh and enjoy

Jane the Virgin- hard not to become consumed by a modern masterpiece

Listening

Finding Mastery with Michael Gervais-every episode takes you on a quest

Personality Hackers- Myers-Briggs meets modern common sense

Fly My Pretties-ensemble music that tells a beautiful story

Lucy O’Connor is a lot of things, but more than anything she is human. Giving up a day job with an approved career path and a secure income is not a luxury that all of us can afford, but it’s exactly what she did. I know that running off to chase a dream is something that a lot of us fantasize about doing, but are afraid of the ramifications.
Almost a year ago Lucy quit her 9-5 to chase her dream of working in a new field all the while documenting her story on her Monday Hustle website and associated social media accounts. Telling her story with honesty and humility is what has caused her to not only create a connection with her readers, it has helped her to create a space where reflections on victories can be celebrated right beside stories of the hard times.
The creation of her public persona has actually served to bring her even closer to her family as she shares her feelings in real time with the world. Unfortunately, not every day has been fun. Being lonely, losing friends, and being responsible for creating her own motivation to hustle is not as easy as it seems, but as she navigates each new challenge, Lucy’s story it helping people around her and she feels that using her strengths can fuel the energy of her readers. ”I love to make people feel empowered and I realised that that was my thing”.

The phrase madly in love with beer doesn't even begin to describe Ren Navarro. As one of the five founders of The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies, you would guess that she has been known to imbibe in fermented hops and barley from time to time, but she is so much more than just a gal who drinks beer.

The Society is pretty focused on being a part of a fully inclusive environment and while they stand behind the ladies only until midnight rule it isn't a hard stop. "You identify as a woman, you like beer. Come on down". SOBDL is not just about beer either. They also are proud supporters of the Canadian Women's Foundation and as Ren puts it "Use their powers for good" by drinking beer and supporting the cause "how could you go wrong with that?" It's added up to a lot of support raising more than $10,000 for the charity since they started.

"How is it that the beer industry says that women don't drink beer?" -Ren Navarro
Telling us that her "inner artist likes the creation" of beer is just the beginning of the flavour notes that describe Ren. A passionate believer that you can crush stereotypes and try new things she advocates for the "just go on do it approach". Motivated by a curious mind and a love for all things beer and photography related she is filling her days with a long list of different creative pursuits that keep her excited about life. "Life is too short to be like: I just did one thing".

"I feel like if I’d done it differently I wouldn’t have ended up here" Ren Navarro
You can find Ren on Twitter or Instagram. Follow her, you won't be disappointed.

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When you are introduced to Tesh Randall you are pretty sure that she is just another girl next door type who moved to a beach town, but then again we all know that first impressions are often wrong. Following a known path isn't what Tesh has done and she is quick to tell you that while she knows she might have missed out on some experiences she has no regrets about her unconventional route so far.

Starting in childhood being home-schooled, she has certainly used a different map than most to reach success. Self publishing her first book at 19 and pushing on to create unconventional companies as opportunities present themselves Tesh and her partner are not wasting a minute. Leveraging every opportunity that comes their way has served to make her an enthusiastic supporter of other people's projects as much as her own, but admitting that "You can’t force your own enthusiasm and onto someone else", was the first step in realising that not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur.