AMA with AMA: Answering YOUR questions... and then going off on a tangent.
How I record voiceovers + What I think about New Year's' 'Resolutions'
Dear Kula Diaries,
I hope that all of you had a beautiful holiday! It’s Wednesday… so I’m here with an AMA (Ask Me Anything)… which ended up morphing into a little bit of a year end review. I thought that it might be fun to share some things that I’ve learned this past year… and also some of the things that I really really loved.
To start this post off on a fun note, I’ll share a playlist. One thing that I genuinely love is leading our Dance Experiment Sessions — I usually host them on Wednesdays and Fridays, but this past week, I opted to host the Christmas Day Dance Party. So, I’ll start by sharing that playlist with you… in case you feel like fitting in 28 minutes of dancing today:
And without further adieu, let’s get to the questions…
Dear AMA,
What made you decide to do readings of your posts? I love it - keep going!
When I left my job as a railroad police officer, I decided that I was going to start a podcast. I had no idea how to start a podcast… but as it turns out, it’s pretty easy to Google it and figure it out. I didn’t have a microphone, so I purchased a Yeti microphone to record my podcasts… and then I downloaded a free program called Audacity, so that I could record myself. Keep in mind — I had no idea how to do any of this at all… but also remember that if you don’t know how to do something… Google is your best friend. Ha!
I started self-producing a podcast called The Inspired Adventureprenur Podcast. My goal was to help inspire people to begin the process of creating their own, adventure-inspired life. It’s funny to reflect back on that podcast now, because I started it at the beginning of the phase of my life where I had jumped into the unknown with both feet. The podcast was a combination of, ‘I believe I can do this’ and ‘I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.’ It was a really beautiful experience … and some of my dearest friends were folks that I <very nervously> reached out to as possible interview subjects for my podcast. Namely, my friend Mallory Ottariano, the founder of Youer, was somebody that I interviewed for the podcast. At the time, I remember that her previous company, Kind Apparel, had about 3,000 Instagram followers. I was absolutely terrified to send her a message… and I was shocked when she said ‘Yes!’ to being interviewed. We’ve been close friends ever since.
I produced 36 episodes of The Inspired Adventurepreneur Podcast before I transitioned into working on Kula Cloth a bit more. At the time I was producing that podcast, I had quit my job and I was still struggling with quite a bit of fear. Recording my weekly shows really helped me stay focused on the things that I needed to focus on — gratitude, abundance, creativity, appreciation and uplifting others. It was a really important project for me, and I know that it helped me stay focused on everything that was possible… instead of retreating into a very fearful and doubtful world in my mind. Sadly, I don’t think that any of the episodes are available anymore on podcast platforms, because I stopped paying for the subscription to store the data — so I do believe that the episodes are ‘lost’. I wish that I could go back and listen to them, because they are such a great snapshot of an important moment in time for me and for Kula.
When I started writing The Kula Diaries, I knew right away that I wanted to record voiceovers for a few reasons. First, I know that a lot of people don’t necessarily have the time or desire to sit down and read something that is particularly lengthy… and we all know that I am simply unable to keep my posts to the ‘ideal’ thousand-word arbitrary limit. Having a voiceover option gives folks the ability to listen to my posts more like a podcast — and I’ve heard from many of you that you listen to them while you are driving to and from work or out running other errands. Secondly, I think that the voiceover gives me the ability to say things in the way that I intended it to be received. I write about a lot of things in The Kula Diaries that can be emotionally charged or sensitive … and if you are just reading text on a screen, it’s hard to know, without hearing my voice, how I feel about what I’m writing. However, when I have the chance to speak the words out loud, I am able to add in the true essence of how I want my words to be received by the reader. Things like compassion, empathy, sensitivity and kindness are things that can be heard in the human voice — and I think that’s a really beautiful way to enhance a piece of writing.
When I was a kid, I used to hate hearing recordings of my voice… it made me feel very self-conscious. When I started recording the podcast a few years ago, I got used to hearing myself, and ultimately learned to love the way in which I could speak into a microphone and share my voice with people all over the world. On Instagram, oddly enough, I have a few regular ‘trolls’ who like to say mean things to me about my voice… which I find pretty amusing. I have to wonder about the type of individual that decides it is a good use of their time to mock a stranger’s voice on social media - ha! However, I’ve become pretty impervious to mean comments on Instagram, and that certainly will not deter me from continuing to record my voiceovers here.
It usually takes me a few hours to write a full AMA post… and it takes me much longer to write my weekly posts — some of those I work on, off and on, for weeks at a time. My voiceovers usually take around 20-45 minutes to record, depending on how many mistakes that I make while I’m reading them. If I make a mistake during the recording, the Audacity program lets me ‘highlight’ the last thing I’ve said… delete it… and then I re-record that section and continue reading. It’s a time consuming process, but I’ve received enough feedback about the existence of the voiceovers that I’m going to keep doing them… plus, I really enjoy recording them.
Finally, I record all of my voiceovers in my closet - yes, in my closet. When I started my podcast years ago, I also recorded in my closet — so this is really a fun way of coming full circle. My husband and I have a decent sized walk-in closet, and so I set up a little TV-tray type table with my computer and microphone on it… and then I bring a little stool into the room… and I sit in there and record… and a few days later, all of you get to listen to it! I’m going to share a little video giving all of you a ‘tour’ of my recording studio — mostly because it’s funny, and it will give you a little bit of a peak behind the curtain… or, rather, into the closet.
Dear AMA,
What is your view on resolutions for the new year?
It probably won’t surprise anybody to learn that I don’t make New Years Resolutions. I don’t have any particularly strong feelings about them — so, if you think that they work for you… they might be a great option. If you notice that you have a ‘habit’ of making New Years Resolutions… and not keeping them… then I would probably re-evaluate if they are doing more harm than good. By ‘harm’, I would be concerned that if you don’t actually ‘stick with’ your resolution that you’d be hard on yourself and/or think that you had failed or done something wrong. In that particular situation I think a resolution would be completely unhelpful.
Instead of resolutions, I find that I’m constantly participating in an ongoing process of visualization, growth and expansion. I try to set aside intentional time each week to visualize the best outcome or best version of myself or a situation. Then, I do my best to find a way to match the feeling of that best outcome or best version of myself. This is specifically how my cell phone ‘break up’ occurred — during a visualization of my life, I was specifically viewing the ‘best version’ of myself, and I saw very clearly that the best version of myself did not sit on her cell phone all day. At that point, because I was coming from a place of not wanting to ‘fix’ something that was wrong… but, rather, aligning with what I knew was right for me… it wasn’t even a matter of motivation to reduce my cell phone use… it happened quickly and easily.
Another term for ‘visualization’ that might be helpful would be the term, ‘actively creating’. When you are focused on what you want to create… you are creating it. In fact, you are creating at all times — whether you realize it or not, and whether you are focused on what you want or not. Most resolutions are coming from a place of wanting to ‘fix’ something that is wrong… which is why they don’t have any lasting power. As you sink back into the energy of what is wrong (which is what you are focused on), it’s inevitable that the desire to change behavior will slip away. However, if you are focused on what you want to create and why you want to create it… and if you allow yourself to feel the realness of that creation… you’ll be naturally inspired and motivated, because you will start to see yourself in a new way. I started to see myself as a successful entrepreneur who didn’t have her nose stuffed in her phone all the time… and who had a close and connected relationship with her husband. The ‘old me’ ceased to exist, so it wasn’t a matter of willpower anymore. I just genuinely didn’t want to spend time on my phone.
So, the very long answer to your very short question is: no, I won’t be making any New Year’s Resolutions… but, also, do what works for you. Oddly enough, I’ve never chosen a ‘word for the year’ … but a few weeks ago in a meditation, a word came to me very strongly. That word was:
My life, on any given day or week, is decidedly not simple. I’m sometimes trying to do the job(s) of many people. I’ve got responsibilities at events… I’m trying to coordinate production… attempting to run a fulfillment center… developing new products… creating content for social media and our website… writing The Kula Diaries… hosting virtual events… leading Dance Experiment sessions twice a week… managing employees… trying to write new policies and procedures… attempting to grow our distribution… coordinating with factories and ordering raw materials… reaching out to new accounts… adding new products to the website… formatting our weekly newsletter and writing my weekly Founder’s message… trying to do some (minimal) marketing for Milk Run Moto… and, somewhere in the mix, trying to spend as much time with my husband as possible. Let me assure you: It is not sustainable. Captain Joe, my most sage friend wrote to me a few weeks ago and astutely noted my seemingly impossible need to, “to save the entire world, counsel the bereft, rectify all error, hug and hold those who need such attention ,and then save the whales in the afternoon.”
Last week, I met with a business coach, and as I was describing the various branches of my daily tasks he interrupted me, “Ok… now… this is a red flag for me. You’re doing too much.” He was right too. When the word simplify appeared in my consciousness, I tried to push it away — but it is continuing to surface in many shapes and forms, and I have decided to throw my heart into the art of simplification. I’m not sure what it looks like yet, but my plan is to begin to visualize what a simplified life might look like. In particular, how does this version of Anastasia look and feel? What is she doing? What does her business look like? What would it mean if she could focus on the important things that she is really excited about… and not have to spend her day feeling like she is scattered and being pulled in a zillion different directions? I have a feeling that it would lead to a significant sense of peace, freedom, and also a lot of success — because I wouldn’t be partially doing things… I’d be finishing them.
I’ve learned a lot this past year, and one of the things I also like to do is reflect on some of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned … so I’ll share those with all of you too… and then share some of the things that have been the most wonderful parts of this year.
Things I’ve learned:
It is not my responsibility to make anybody happy. It is my responsibility to show up every single day and to do my best… it is my responsibility to support and uplift people, but it is not my job to bend over backwards to make people happy. If people are looking for happiness in me or in Kula, they are looking for it in the wrong place. Happiness and joy are something that comes from within each of us — you can’t find happiness in a job or in anything outside of yourself. You can only find it within you. Your external situation might then reflect your sense of inner happiness — but it is not responsible for it. This year, I nearly destroyed myself trying to make people happy… trying to save them… and it wrecked me… and it didn’t help them. Ultimately, I had to let go of being a savior to anybody outside of myself.
Policies and procedures are not bad to have. When I started Kula, my method of running a business was very… ‘wishy-washy’. Not having policies and procedures implemented really made my job incredibly difficult this year, and I wish that I had implemented them much earlier … so that I didn’t have to back peddle once things went sideways. If you own a company, even if you just have one employee… or one contractor… do yourself a favor and download an Employee Handbook and make it one of the first things you do.
Trust your gut — always. Earlier this year, I hired an outside individual to do some work for me… and I got a bit of a strange feeling about this person, but pushed my feelings away because they were recommended by somebody that I trusted (and still trust). The person ended up committing fraud and theft against me. I’ve ultimately turned this experience into a wildly successful writing project — so I am retroactively thrilled that it happened — but in the moment, I kicked myself that I didn’t trust my gut when it had said No.
No amount of time with my nose buried in my cell phone is ever worth it. I’ve shared very publicly here about my compulsive cell phone addiction. At its peak, I would estimate that my screen time was in upwards of 12 hours per day (if not more). There was literally not one free second of the day when I wasn’t on my phone — usually under the guise of ‘working’ and/or doing ‘research’. It was a compulsion beyond anything I had ever experienced in my life, and the ramifications of this addiction on my life and relationship were devastating. I’m embarrassed and regretful that I ever wasted so much time on a cell phone… staring into a mostly fake and lonely world. There are still very helpful and beautiful parts of using a phone… but it is not a substitute for life. Finding a balance between digital life and my real life over the last year has been one of the most challenging, bewildering and rewarding experiences. I have reconnected with my life and my husband in ways that I never imagined possible. I’ve also made new friends leading our Don’t Cell Your Soul Group… and it has been wildly rewarding watching the folks in that group become more mindful of their own cell phone usage. I’m planning to write an update post in the next few weeks — because I have so much more to share and so many updates about how this ‘break up’ with my cell phone has continued to change my life.
I can be in the midst of absolute chaos and still be really happy. I’ve been meditating for over a decade now, and it is a practice that I do every single day. This past year, particularly the last 6 months, have been very challenging… and, even amidst feeling like I was living in the Twilight Zone, I have still had a great time. I’ve spent time with my husband… ridden motorcycles… visited lighthouses… and, in general, enjoyed my life. In the past, when I was faced with ‘problems’ — they seemed to bleed into everything that I did… making it nearly impossible for me to ‘be happy’… but now, I don’t feel that way. I don’t even really see them as problems anymore — it’s just stuff that is going on… but I know that if I stop and take a breath, I can still find a bit of peace and stillness exactly where I am. Finding the now has changed my life.
Some of my favorite things that happened this year:
My husband and I put over 8,000 miles onto our motorcycles!
Aaron and I had both ridden motorcycles independently of each other before we were married… but last year, we decided that we wanted to find something new to enjoy together. While our motorcycles are not really touring bikes… we bought travel bags for them, and still managed to do multiple overnight trips through Washington — including the famed Cascade Loop. We even rode to Rainy Pass to re-supply a PCT Hiker … which meant that I had the opportunity to strap an ice axe to the back of my Ducati Monster:
We went on an amazing backpacking trip into the Glacier Peak Wilderness
We took my mom to The Glacier Peak Wilderness, and I got to share a very special campsite with my mom and Aaron for a few days. The trip itself was perfect, and it was incredible to be back in one of my favorite places in the world. Ironically, as somebody who owns an outdoor gear company, I probably hiked more and less than I ever have in my life. When I say that I hiked ‘more’… it’s because I probably hike around 7-13 miles per day up and down the small mountain behind my house. When I say that I’ve never hiked ‘less’ — I mean that most of my hiking was done in my backyard. I didn’t visit many trailheads — my husband and I spent most weekends riding the motorcycles when the weather was good. In years past, I would have panicked if I hadn’t gone backpacking at least 30 times over the summer months. This year, it was fantastic and perfect to have one really special trip. I don’t love it any less… I’m no less interested in being in the wilderness… I just don’t feel the anxiety about ‘getting out’ anymore.
Kula got a new home.
When I first started Kula, it was in my guest bedroom. Then, we moved to a new house… and Kula moved into a converted shop and also my guest bedroom. It is very challenging to have a ‘sanctuary’ of peace and relaxation when it is also your fulfillment center. It was very important for me to find a new home for Kula. Our first home is quirky and weird… the ceilings are slanted and you have to be careful not to bump your head… but it’s a real office that isn’t in my house. Now, I can go to work… and come home… and when I’m home, it’s just for me and Aaron and the three cats.
Aaron started working with me — for real.
Back in May, CNN posted a review of Kula Cloth that went completely viral. At one point, it was the leading story on all of CNN. As you might imagine, we experienced ‘Black Friday in May’ as a result of this article … which was an amazing thing, but also a really crazy thing to manage for a very small team. With only a couple employees to inspect products and package orders… we needed help. Aaron stepped in and started ‘volunteering’ for Kula… and after awhile, he was able to see how overwhelmed I was trying to do almost everything. In his previous career, Aaron was a ‘Trainmaster’ — which is a fancy way to say that he was a supervisor of people who were building and running trains. He has a significant amount of experience with logistics and planning at a very complicated level… so he figured that Kula Cloth’s logistics and planning might be easy for him to manage. Right now, he’s trying to develop a better system for our planning — since ordering raw materials and managing inventory is a complicated process that is constantly changing.
Going to work every single day with Aaron is a gift — we work great together, and we’ve been able to maintain a balance so that we are finding things to enjoy together in our time off. I don’t want Kula Cloth to define our relationship. Kula Cloth is a thing that we do… but it is not who we are. The past 6 months have been really challenging for me, and I honestly do not know what I would have done without him. He is calm, encouraging and my biggest supporter. He is the hardest worker that I know, and I am so proud to work with him every day.
We launched new products, and I applied for my first patent!
When I started riding my motorcycle in cold weather, I cut holes in my gaiter so that my braids ‘flooping’ out of the bottom of my standard gaiter wouldn’t make my neck cold. I saw a big gap in the market for a neck gaiter that was compatible with long hair — so I designed one! This is my first patent-pending product, and I’m so proud of it! It’s the most life-changing piece of apparel/gear that I’ve used in awhile (if you have long hair, you’ll get it!)… and it has been really exciting to watch it head out into the world. One of my big focuses for 2024 will be building awareness and distribution of the Rapunzel Gaiter. Aaron and I also quietly launched our new company… Milk Run Moto, and I worked with my Creative Director to design a new print for motorcycle riders… based on the ‘solfeggio’ sound frequency for the feeling of freedom.
I love designing products. I have so many ideas… and there is nothing more invigorating than taking an idea to fruition and watching it come to life. For me, that part of the process never gets old. I am really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this past year. In addition to moving dozens and dozens of Kula designs through the Kula Art Factory…. we’ve also launched a lightweight pad (designed by my sister) and a line of bath and body products for stinky hikers called ‘Hiker Trash Apothecary’. When I write it all out… it’s pretty exciting. It’s not always easy, and we don’t always know what we are doing, but we sure are trying.
Rose and I held our first Musical Mountaineers concert to a sold out crowd.
Here’s one of the pieces we played along with a video filmed by Mitch Pittman. The song is ‘The Color of the Sky’ by Chad Lawson.
In November, The Musical Mountaineers (me and Rose) had the opportunity to perform a full concert to benefit the NW Stream Center. Rose did an incredible job putting together an amazing program. The entire experience was overwhelming and beautiful, and we were able to share our story… poetry… and videos of our Musical Mountaineers adventures. It was a really special experience — it was also really intense because all of the rehearsing took place amidst a challenging time at Kula and during our move into the new office. In the very beginning of Kula, performing with The Musical Mountaineers was a huge part of helping me stay focused, present and calm. Again, my time with The Musical Mountaineers helped me find a sense of peace. I’m so grateful for my friendship with Rose and being able to share our music with so many people was a gift. We have been asked to perform at Benaroya Hall in April, and I’m really looking forward to that event. In September, we hiked with Mitch Pittman into the Cascades to film the video that will premier on stage while we are playing. The photo below was taken on that evening… it was the return of The Musical Mountaineers and it will be very special to share that experience with all of you on the stage at Benaroya Hall.
Aaron and I started… and finished… The Great Lighthouse Quest
In July, Aaron and I rode our motorcycles to Vashon Island, where we visited The Point Robinson Lighthouse and met Captain Joe, a retired Coast Guard Captain who serves as a docent at the Lighthouse. Captain Joe regaled Aaron and I with stories for over an hour… and at the end of our conversation, he gave us a map of 12 different lighthouses throughout the Puget Sound. “Visit all of them, and come back on December 3rd to show me,” he ordered. And when a Coast Guard Captain gives an order… you take it seriously. And so, Aaron and I embarked upon an unexpected quest to visit 12 Lighthouses. The Lighthouses we visited (in the order we visited them) were: Point Robinson Lighthouse, Admiralty Head Lighthouse, New Dungeness Lighthouse, Point No Point Lighthouse, Mukilteo Lighthouse, Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse, Cattle Point Lighthouse (a bonus lighthouse we added to the list - also on San Juan Island), Point Wilson Lighthouse, West Point Lighthouse, Alki Point Lighthouse, Browns Point Lighthouse, Grays Harbor Lighthouse, North Head Lighthouse and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.
When we visited Captain Joe on December 3rd, we were actually three lighthouses ‘short’ of our goal — because my car was unexpectedly in the shop, and we didn’t have transportation down to the final three, which are the furthest away. However, we were still able to join Captain Joe for the Point Robinson Christmas Party, which was a beautiful celebration of friendship and music and history. The Lighthouse Quest was not something that Aaron and I ever imagined embarking upon… but it was one of the highlights of the year for us. Planning out our Lighthouse trips gave us both something to look forward to — and I kept in touch with Captain Joe throughout our journey and still enjoy receiving his kind and thoughtful messages. As it turns out, searching for Lighthouses will shed light on a lot more than a rocky shore or a treacherous cove. I am planning to write a longer piece about the experience — but I will suffice it to say that if you have the opportunity to participate in a quest… take it. You never end up finding what you think you are looking for… but you always end up finding what you are supposed to find.
I started writing The Kula Diaries
Last but not least… I started writing the Kula Diaries in May of this past year. That means that I’ve officially been a professional writer for a full 6 months now. When I visualized the best version of myself earlier this year, there was a lot more that I saw than just breaking up with my cell phone — when I visualize my ideal day … it involves working on creating new products, writing, dancing and spending time with my husband and cats. I had no idea how to make this happen… but I knew that I just needed to do it. And so, on May 28th of this past year, I published my first Substack post without having any idea where it would go… or if anybody would even read anything that I wrote. To be honest, I was afraid that I’d run out of things to write after the first month. But as I let my cell phone addiction go… the cobwebs were cleared away, and suddenly I had space to think creatively again. The Kula Diaries were born from that place, and they have taken me on an unexpectedly beautiful journey. I never imagined that they would lead me on an imaginary adventure to both repair a fissure in the universe and investigate a curious case of moral turpitude with a Creepy Victorian Cat Detective. It’s been a labor of love, and I have enjoyed every single word of it.
I’ve also hosted 6 months of virtual events for the Kula Diaries, and the conversations that we’ve had… the dance parties we’ve shared… and the genuine friendships that have been cultivated are really beautiful. I’m so grateful to all of you for making a choice to be here. I hope that, in some small way, my writing and adventures will inspire you to create some of your own — imaginary or otherwise. When you do, I hope that you will share the stories too. I believe very strongly that the ripple effect of love that we each have the capacity to create is the single most important thing that each of us can do. Never underestimate the power of anything done with love — even the smallest act can create the biggest ripple.
Friends, thank you so much for being here — again, I’m unbelievably grateful for your support and kindness and I look forward to sharing many more words, stories, adventures, imagination, dance moves and cookies with all of you in the upcoming year and beyond. You are loved beyond measure!
Thank you for the tour of your closet! I heard you mention that you recorded in your closest, so I started doing that too (I’m recording an audio version of my book on www.Patreon.com/kidsoutwild222). I love seeing all the big things you’ve accomplished this year. You are such an inspiration!!