On Big Leaps. Making A Midlife Side Hustle Your Main Gig with LaShawn Wlitz of Everyday Eyecandy
Show Snapshot:
Stuck in rut? Afraid to leave a comfortable job? LaShawn Wiltz did a career 180, leaving a 15-year nursing career to launch not one, but two passion businesses, including the subscription box business Pouring Over Books – a monthly box of artisanal coffee and classic books. We cover the nuts and bolts of preparing for a pivot and how to get a business off the ground. Plus, why joy is on the other side of an uncomfortable leap.
In This Episode We Cover:
How a creative outlet can become a full-time gig.
Why being your own boss can be the flexibility you need.
How to prepare, budget, plan for a career pivot.
Monetizing a passion project.
From Everyday Eyecandy to Pouring Over Books – the genesis of LaShawn’s two side-hustle businesses.
Blogging, finding sponsors, paid posts, and more.
Creating a “vision board” versus goal setting.
Top coffee and book picks from LaShawn.
Quotable:
I could talk all day about coffee and books. It’s my passion project. ‘Cause you know they always say, “Do what you love.” But it’s not always true that if you do what you love, money will follow. But I decided since I had Everyday Eye Candy consistently bringing me money, I could do this fun thing that might bring me money. But at least it would be fun while I was doing it.
Starting a business feeds my need for adventure. Most people don’t tell you that most nurses are adrenaline junkies, that’s why we get into it. But owning my own business is my adrenaline, it feeds my adrenaline daily.
Transcript
Katie Fogarty (0:03):
Welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. All month long, A Certain Age is featuring women running small businesses. This topic is close to my heart. I’m a small business owner and I have a lot of company. There are nearly 13 million women-owned businesses in the US; about a third are small businesses. My guest today runs two of them.
LaShawn Wiltz did a career 180, leaving a long time nursing career to become a digital creator and photographer. She runs a platform called Everyday Eyecandy and recently she launched a second business, a subscription box business called Pouring Over Books that marries her love of coffee and great reads. She joins me today to talk about passion careers, getting a business off the ground, and how to know when it’s time to close one career chapter and start a new one. Welcome, LaShawn.
LaShawn Wiltz (0:56):
Thank you so much for having me.
Katie (0:57):
I’m excited. I’m really excited. I love books so much, [LaShawn laughs] my mom was a librarian so I am you know, team books so I’m really excited to dive into that business. But before we dive into your career switch, I would love to start by asking you where you grew up and where do you live now?
LaShawn (1:16):
Okay, I grew up in Washington DC. I was born and raised there and I moved here in Atlanta, right outside of Atlanta right now, about 17 years ago. So I’ve been here for a while.
Katie (1:31):
Nice, okay great, I love the DC area, I lived there myself when I was right out of college, it’s a great place.
LaShawn (1:37):
Yeah, it’s my favorite.
Katie (1:37):
So, where were your nursing career? Were you doing that in DC? Was that Atlanta-based? When did you have that career? And when did you decide to leave it?
LaShawn (1:48):
I was everywhere when I was a nurse. I started in DC because I went to college in DC so I just stayed for the first couple of years of my nursing career. And then in nursing, you can do something called travel nursing, and so for the next two years I did that so I worked in Miami, I came back home and worked in Virginia for a little while, and then I moved to Vegas for a whole year and worked there. Then I finally located here, actually in Decatur where I live now, where I met my husband and got stuck here.
Katie (2:23):
[laughs] I think it’s a good place to be stuck though. I’ve heard it’s beautiful.
LaShawn (2:27):
[laughs] It is, it is. So, I got stuck here and then continued to nurse after we got married and then I had my son in 2009 and about 5 years after that, that’s when I transitioned to not doing nursing anymore.
Katie (2:48):
Okay. And was that when you took on this sort of blogging, digital creator role?
LaShawn (2:53):
I started blogging as an outlet. I was always a creative person who liked to write and blogging at first was like an outlet to meet other moms because I felt kind of isolated being a new mom and I wasn’t like a young, young mom, I was 30… No, I was like 34 when I had my son. So, it was a way, an outlet to meet other moms and then to write and then I discovered that you could make money doing it. [both laugh]
Katie (3:25):
That is a good discovery.
LaShawn (3:27):
I was like, “Oh, what have I been missing here?” So, then I went ahead and started, it was like a side hustle. You know, the little thing you do on the side to get money for trips and things like that. My son had lots of food allergies and I was always being called away from work to go pick him up or to take him to the emergency room, or something like that. And little children get sick a lot, especially when they already have asthma, anything triggers them. And nursing, despite the flexible schedules, is not a flexible job. And I had so many issues with just trying to work around his doctor’s appointments, just trying to work around picking him up from school because of the long hours, no matter what branch of nursing I worked in. So, finally, I remember complaining to my husband about it. I was like, “I’m just really tired of this, of the juggle that I have to do.” And he was like, “Why don’t you just quit and work on your blog?” And I was looking at him like, “Seriously? [Katie laughs] Why would I do that?” [laughs] Because up until then it wasn’t a consistent thing.
Katie (4:49):
Sure, and did it become consistent because you quit and prioritized it? How did it start to take off?
LaShawn (4:56):
Yes, it started to take off, right, ironically, right when I said, Okay, I’m going to quit and I’m going to make a plan from when I’m gonna do that. Because I’m not a spontaneous person, I plan things out. So, this was September maybe, and I was like, I’m going to quit in January. So, I was trying to get all my ducks in a row. And ironically, maybe five or six big contracts came to me at the same time. And I was like, it’s a sign!
Katie (5:29):
[laughs] Ka-ching, that’s a good sign.
LaShawn (5:30):
Yes. And so I went on vacation and then I came back and gave my notice [laughs] and then that was it. And then I was on my own. It was a hard first year, but I survived and made it through. It was a hard second year, but then it just kept getting better and I think what am I on…the fourth year now? Of doing this full time. And you know, I know the ups and downs. It’s still a work in progress always this thing.
Katie (6:04):
Sure, we’re always learning.
LaShawn (6:06):
Yes, we’re always learning, always adjusting. But you know, it’s working.
Katie (6:12):
So Lashawn, I’m curious. You said you’ve got five sort of big projects that was the sign that yes, you made the right decision to leave and really give this a go. So, for our listeners who don’t really understand how one can make a blog a business, what were those contracts? What does that look like? Fill us in.
LaShawn (6:31):
So, I remember one of them was with Coca-Cola for instance. So, if you have a blog, advertisers, brands will pay you to talk about their product or talk about their company on your website and on your social media. So, I got a bunch, especially since it was the fourth quarter, fourth quarter is really busy in the blogging world. Because advertisers have money to spend and it’s the end of the year and they have to get rid of that money. So, everyone wanted me to promote something.
Katie (7:06):
That’s great!
LaShawn (7:06):
So, it worked out that way because I was like, “Oh, I can do this.” It was almost like as soon as I put it out there that this was what I wanted to do, everyone was like, “Well okay, here we are.”
Katie (7:18):
The universe was answering. So, how did you figure out, I mean this was new to you, how long was your nursing career, remind me about that?
LaShawn (7:26):
About 15 years.
Katie (7:27):
Okay, so you had a 15-year nursing career and a brand new blog. How did you figure out what to charge and how to work with Coca-Cola? Did you Google this, did you ask friends? What happened?
LaShawn (7:40):
So, my blog wasn’t brand new. I’d had it like I said since my son was born. But I had never monetized.
Katie (7:46):
Gotcha.
LaShawn (7:46):
I’d monetized here and there and as a blogger you know, you’re always going to blogger conferences where at the time, there was a lot of emphasis on how to monetize. I had friends who were bloggers who were monetizing. There are lots of networks that will connect you to brands, so I joined a lot of those. And that is how I got a lot of contracts.
A lot of it was pitching people too, that is something you have to do. I had to put myself out there and say, “Hey I have this blog, I have this many followers, I would love to do a story about, you know, why this toilet paper is the best thing in the world.” [both laugh] Something like that. You know, “Why we use it and why it works for my family.” Things like that, so I had to put myself out there as someone whose audience would love their products, to learn more about their products.
Katie (8:46):
Okay. Right, that makes sense. So, we’re gonna take a quick break, but LaShawn when we come back I want to hear about what did putting yourself out there look like? We’ll be back in just a minute.
[Ad break]
Katie (9:48):
Okay, LaShawn we’re back. You got a contract with Coca-Cola which is amazing. Some stuff came to you, you pitched some stuff. How did you do that? For somebody who’s listening. Did you send an email? Pick up the phone? What worked?
LaShawn (10:01):
Email. A lot of people don’t know that Google is your friend. You can Google practically anything.
Katie (10:08):
How do you think I started this podcast? Yes! [both laugh] You can Google things, I love this.
LaShawn (10:13):
Anything. And press releases always have contact information on them about who to contact or, you know, if you want to try to get in contact with somebody at the company. So, I Googled a lot of things like that. And then I would just send blind emails, like “Hey!” And you know, nine out of ten, you might not get anybody to respond, but there’s that one who will say yes and that will meet your price that you’re asking for.
I had to be very specific because I know a lot of bloggers will take product in return for advertising but since I was needing this for income to support my family, I had to be very specific, like, “No, I don’t want product. I’ll take your product but I’ll take pay too.” Things like that, so I had to be very specific. I had to set a budget. I was very lean [laughs]I did not spend a lot of money because I didn’t have it to spend. I still had to pay bills. So, that first year, as I said, was hard. But you know, it got easier as time went on.
Katie (11:23):
Right. I love the fact that you hit the Google and found emails on press releases. That’s such a smart tip for anyone who is looking to open the door at a company. This is a great tip for people who are looking to get a job or get any kind of conversation off the ground. If you’re persistent you can find out a lot of wonderful information online. So, so smart. So, I want to hear about how you built this blog over the years. How old is your son now?
LaShawn (11:52):
He is getting ready to turn 12 in a month.
Katie (11:54):
So, you’ve had a 12-year blog, which is amazing. Congratulations. You started monetizing it a couple of years ago, with success. But you recently started a new business. So, as somebody who has one small business and a podcast, I’m always amazed when people add new things to their plate. Tell us why you started Pouring Over Books and what is it?
LaShawn (12:15):
I love books and coffee. And on my Instagram, I was always like every day, I pour coffee, and I was always talking about what book I read; it was like a thing. And everyone knew that these were things that I loved and I had a friend one day maybe, last year, I think it was the beginning of last year, before everything happened, they’re like, “You should start a subscription box.” And I remember saying to her, “Girl I’m not doing nothing like that, that’s crazy. I don’t have time for that.” And I said that.
Katie (12:52):
Famous last words.
LaShawn (12:53):
Yeah. And because she always throws, you know how you have that friend who just throws random ideas out there and then not until maybe a year later you’re like, Oh, maybe that was a good idea. She’s that friend. So, I remember I was making my vision board in December. And I was like, okay, what do I want to do next year? I need to do something different, I’m bored. And I remember for some reason that conversation kept running around in my head. And it ran around in my head for a week about the subscription box. And I was like, “Maybe…maybe.” And of course, me being me, I researched. And was like, oh, so there are whole websites devoted to this, there are companies out there. Seems to be a good thing. So I put it on my vision board and was like, Okay this is something I’m gonna do next year. And I still researched for about four months out of the year and then launched on my birthday.
Katie (13:54):
Oh congrats, I love that. What a fun birthday milestone, that’s so cool.
LaShawn (14:00):
Yes, because it was like my favorite things; things I could talk about all day, coffee and books. I could literally talk about these things, it’s my passion project. ‘Cause you know they always say, “Do what you love.” That’s not always true that if you do what you love, money will follow. But I decided since I had that one thing that was consistently bringing me money, I could do this fun thing that might bring me money. But at least it would be fun while I was doing it.
Katie (14:28):
Yeah, absolutely. I love that you put this on your vision board. Is that something that you do every year? Tell me about that, I’m curious.
LaShawn (14:35):
Yes. I do it every year. I don’t do the traditional way where people cut out pictures from magazines and then paste it on the board. I do mine online on Canva and then I print it out and like right now, I’m sitting at my desk while I’m talking to you and it’s right over my desk. So, I cannot help but see it every day, and it’s the screensaver on my phone. So, it’s a thing I do every year, and I find that it helps me focus my energies from the year. It makes, almost like tunnel vision, I know what I’m going to do and I don’t get distracted by things that are not on my to-do list for the year. I’m big on lists. So, I do one every year.
Katie (15:20):
That’s such a smart and wonderful idea. I love Canva and I love that you have this visual reminder of what your priorities are. I had a fabulous guest on in my first season, she was in a job that she didn’t love but really wanted to publish a book. And she made her computer password prompts, so every time she logged in she had to write “book, book, book” and then the second time she logged in she had to say, “book agent, book agent, book agent”. And every single time she got on her computer at work at a job she didn’t love, she was confronted with her daily reminder; she wanted something else for herself. So smart to put something in front of you.
So, you had a subscription box business on your vision board, you made that vision a reality. Is that hard? Do you have to work with a vendor to put the boxes together? How did you get your clients? What goes in the box? Walk us a little bit through this process.
LaShawn (16:21):
So, I knew it was going to be a higher-end type of thing. I knew it would not be cheap to produce and it would not be a product that was you know, like $20. I knew that wouldn’t be what I was doing. So, I had to set up, first of all, to find good products.
Katie (16:47):
And what is the cost of a box? What do you sell your boxes for?
LaShawn (16:51):
The box right now, for a subscription is $49.99 and if you just buy a one-off box, you don’t subscribe, it’s $54.99, just $5 more. And then there’s a shipping and handling price, which is a flat rate. I knew that I wanted small business coffee owners and I wanted good books. My thing was, it was either gonna be a classic book. To me, classic is anything before 2000, if I’m going, to be honest, because I’m a little older, so classic book. [both laugh]
Katie (17:32):
I love that we’re classic. We get to a certain age, we’re not old, we’re classic. [laughs]
LaShawn (17:36):
We’re classic. So, I knew that these would be books that maybe I read in high school or college or something like that. These are books that are either classic book or is gonna be a new release.
Katie (17:50):
Yeah, they’ve stood the test of time. They come well-recommended.
LaShawn (17:54):
Yes. Or a new release, which means that it had been released in the last 90 days. That was my goal. And I didn’t have a specific genre in mind but just good books. And so, because I always knew that everyone always said I recommended good books, so I was like, this is a good thing and I just recommended books that I liked to read, that I read that was good, and that I think everybody else would enjoy.
And then I knew that I wanted products in the box that helped, that also were under the theme. So, each box has a theme. Like the theme for our November box was "Gratitude and Giving" So the theme around that whole box is gratitude and giving; the coffee, the book, all tie into a theme. I can’t give it away yet because it hasn’t been shipped, but it’s all around the theme of giving. And there are also a couple of products in there that will help you do gratitude. So each box has a theme and I knew that going in, that each box would have a theme. So every month, I plan everything around that theme, products. And they’re useful things, things that you can really use, not just stuff that you look at and then forget and throw away, but stuff that you can keep using even after the next month rolls around. Even if you’re not using it every day, but you will be using it. So, things like that.
Katie (19:25):
That’s so smart. And so are these boxes a surprise to the subscribers? They know a box is coming, they might know the theme, but you’re not told what’s inside, it’s a surprise arriving.
LaShawn (19:37):
Yes, you’re not told what’s inside. On the website every month I tell them the general description of what the book is about, a general description of the coffee, and then just simply that the other items in a box are around that theme, that’s all they get. And then after, I say about 90% of the people get the box, then I reveal the theme.
Katie (20:00):
So fun to have a surprise, because there are so few surprises in life these days. [laughs]
LaShawn (20:05):
Exactly, exactly. Because I had someone ask me was I gonna start revealing the themes, revealing what was in the box before they went out? And I was like, "No, there are some things we need to wait on in life, this is going to be one of them.” [laughs]
Katie (20:17):
So, give us an overview of a past box, one that’s already been sent, shipped, and revealed. What type of things go into it? Is it bags of coffee?
LaShawn (20:27):
Okay, so our September box started off our coffee, there always is a 12 oz bag of coffee. So that coffee was Kahawa 1893 coffee, it’s roasted in San Francisco, but it’s small-batch coffee and it was a medium roast, very smooth and it helps small farmers in Africa. Also in that box, we had our book, which was The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, I think that’s how you pronounce that, forgive me if I pronounced it wrong. The thing when I gave the description before the box was released, I was like: is it a romance novel with characters who have issues? Or is it about characters and their issues with a little bit of romance thrown in? [Katie laughs]
And then in this box since it was Back To Routine, I’m always showing pour over-coffee, so I gave everyone a little pour-over coffee maker; like a little brewing cone cup, one cup of coffee. And then they got a reusable filter called CoffeeSock. They’re very environmentally friendly and they go perfectly in the pour-over brewer. And then they got a fall scented candle, I think it was…very fall, it smells glorious [Katie laughs] I have two burning somewhere in this house right now, so my house always smells like it. And then I had instructions on how to do pour-over in it, and insert for the coffee about how they could help the farms because it’s grown by women, that’s another thing about their coffee, it’s grown by women. So, it was like a tip on how you could help those farmers, and it was a very fun box I thought. People loved it because it sold out after actually. After the box went out, people saw it, I still had a few leftover and it sold out after people saw what was in the box.
Katie (22:35):
That’s fantastic. What a vote of confidence.
LaShawn (22:38):
It was.
Katie (22:40):
So, speaking of confidence, what gave you the confidence that you could get into this totally brand new business? Because the subscription box business can be a bit of a crowded market. There’s Birchbox for cosmetics, then there’s FabFitFun which sends you clothing and stuff. What allowed you to know that you could succeed with this?
LaShawn (23:01):
That’s a hard-to-answer question. I am one of those people who just tend to do things, thinking it will succeed eventually. [laughs]
Katie (23:14):
You’re an optimist. You’re an optimist.
LaShawn (23:15):
Yes, I’m an optimist. And I also knew that there was not another box exactly like that. There are a few coffee and book boxes out there, quite a few as a matter of fact, but most of them are very generic and I knew I was being very specific. My box is a self-care box, it’s self-care in a box really. And I marketed it towards women. Because I was like, women, we have especially busy women, over 40, over 35 really; you have kids, you have work, you have the house, and there’s so much going on in your life that you rarely have time to sit down and take time for yourself so I wanted this box to fill that niche. That I need something for myself, what can it be? Some of us, it’s as simple as sitting down to a good cup of coffee and complete silence with a good book.
Katie (24:13):
You had me at “complete silence” LaShawn. When you said, “complete silence” my ears perked up because that can be hard to find.
LaShawn (24:21):
That’s all I want. Yes, it can be hard to find. And sometimes the only time you can have it is before your kids wake up, you know when it’s dark and you’re just having that cup of coffee, or maybe when it’s down for a nap or maybe it’s right after everyone is off to school and work. You know, there’s that time, where you gotta take some time for yourself and so I was like, this is what that box is going to fill that.
Katie (24:43):
I love this. I remember years ago... I love to sleep. Sleep is my thing, it’s my jam. And I used to sleep very late, back before I had kids and I remember years ago my mom saying, “You’ll become a morning person when you have kids,” and I thought absolutely no way. And now I realize, that is the only time that you can reliably get to yourself.
LaShawn (25:07):
Yes, yes. And people resist forever until they finally give in. I have friends who are struggling I’m like, soon you will understand.
Katie (25:16):
Yes, you’re gonna be like ba-ding, up with the dawn, because it’s your time and your time only. So, how do you get your customers? Where are you finding them? Is it advertising? Word of mouth? If somebody’s listening right now thinking, I’ve got a great idea, I want to bring a product to market, to a fellow small businesswoman, what would you say about creating interest for your product?
LaShawn (25:40):
So, I was lucky in the fact that I already had a built-in audience from Everyday Eyecandy. So, what I did was I started building interest there first. You know, little hints of, “I’m doing this thing, I hope you all follow me over on my business account, @pouringoverbooksbox.” And you know I would suddenly, I started noticing, maybe in January, I started specifically talking a lot about coffee and books because I wanted people to come to see me as the authority in these two areas, you know what I mean, and self-care. So, I talked about that a lot. And then when I started building the Instagram account for @pouringoverbooksbox, I talk a lot about books and coffee over there, that’s all I talk about over there, books and coffee. On Instagram it’s a matter of advertising, hashtags you might wanna say, interacting with other accounts that are like yours to get on people’s radar.
And it was simply a matter of sharing with everyone I knew also. Because in the beginning, it has to be word of mouth. I will say my community did step up. I shared it on my personal Facebook page, I was not ashamed. Which is something I don’t do with my blog, which is very weird to me, but with @pouringoverbooksbox I was like, “Here, I have this product.” And then my friends would share and past customers would share. I have one lady who does not order for herself every month, but she orders for friends, she orders them as gifts for friends. And then those friends have become subscribers themselves, or they order a box. So, that is the type of thing, it’s mainly word of mouth now.
Katie (27:41):
Sure, grassroots.
LaShawn (27:43):
Next year, I’m gonna have to start advertising, but for this year…
Katie (27:46):
Leveraging your networks.
LaShawn (27:48):
Yes, I use my networks.
Katie (27:49):
You touched on something that’s so smart LaShawn, that you really need to let people know what you’re doing. Do not be afraid to be visible and to say to people, “Hey this is my new thing, I’ve got a subscription box biz, I’ve got a podcast, I’ve got a book.” Sometimes people think that promoting is a dirty word.
LaShawn (28:15):
Nooo.
Katie (28:15):
You hear this from women sometimes, they’re reluctant to sell and it’s really important to be your own best advocate because if you’re not buying what you’re selling, if you’re not excited and lit up about what you’re doing, how is anyone else gonna be? So, I love that.
LaShawn (28:30):
Yes, my father always said, “Closed mouths do not get fed.” [Katie laughs] So, I remembered that. It’s like, it runs in my head if you don’t tell nobody, how they going to know?
Katie (28:45):
How are they gonna know? Exactly. So, speaking of knowing. Knowing what you know now, about how your career evolved, you’ve launched two businesses that are succeeding and thriving, what would you go back and tell your younger self?
LaShawn (29:01):
Stop worrying about the little things and stop stressing. I wouldn’t even do half the stuff I did. [laughs] I think it built who I am like I had some of the things that I learned, like in nursing school, come in very handy as a mother.
Katie (29:23):
Like what?
LaShawn (29:24):
All health things. Because I have a child who has food allergies and asthma. So, everything that I learned about asthma and CPR in particular, really helped me with him. Because there were plenty of times where I need to give him the EpiPen and if I hadn’t been trained I would have been scared out of my life to give him the EpiPen. Things like that, even giving, knowing when I need to take him to the doctor and when I don’t. Things like that, I learned because I’m a nurse and that information will always stick with me. So, I can’t…
Katie (30:07):
You trusted your expertise. You had expertise that gave you trust.
LaShawn (30:11):
Yes, I trusted my expertise. But I wish I had realized earlier that it was not going to be a career. Because I held onto it for a long time and I wish I had been able to tell myself that it was okay not to have a full-time job with benefits and a pension. I realized I wish I had been able to tell myself sooner, let that go. There is more to life than a paycheck every two weeks and a pension and PTO.
Katie (30:45):
This is such a… What you just said resonates with me so much. Because it’s very easy to stay attached to things that feel comfortable.
LaShawn (30:54):
Yes, it was very comfortable, very comfortable.
Katie (30:57):
It’s hard to leap sometimes. But there’s great joy on the other side of taking a chance.
LaShawn (31:06):
Yes, it’s great joy and it feeds my need for adventure. Most people don’t tell you that most nurses are adrenaline junkies, that’s why we get into it. But owning my own business is my adrenaline, it feeds my adrenaline daily.
Katie (31:24):
This is such a great segue into my speed round for you. Because the speed round is the one word, maybe a two-word answer to complete sentences and my first one for you is: running my own business is _____.
LaShawn (31:39):
My adrenaline fix.
Katie (31:40):
Love it, love it. Me too, I’m with you. My superpower at work _____.
LaShawn (31:48):
Organization.
Katie (31:49):
My superpower at home _____.
LaShawn (31:57):
Peace.
Katie (31:58):
Peace. That’s a good one. My favorite place to drink a cup of coffee in the morning is _____.
LaShawn (32:06):
My table in front of my bay window.
Katie (32:09):
Ahh, nice. Best coffee I’ve discovered lately _____.
LaShawn (32:15):
Kahawa 1893, the last coffee that was in our box.
Katie (32:19):
Nice. Book I am currently reading _____.
LaShawn (32:22):
Oh gosh, I’m reading like ten books. [both laugh] Really, I’m one of those people who can read more than one book at a time. [laughs]
Katie (32:32):
That’s a good quality.
LaShawn (32:33):
It’s called…The Marriage, is it called A Marriage…geez I can’t even remember the name of it which is really sad.
Katie (32:43):
That’s because we have like menopause, perimenopause fog brain. [LaShawn laughs] We can’t remember everything. All right, a book on your to-be-read pile. Is there something you’ve had on your radar you haven’t gotten to yet?
LaShawn (32:59):
To be read pile is, The Professional Troublemaker by. Luvvie Ajayi Jones.
Katie (33:05):
Ooo, I love her.
LaShawn (33:07):
I do too. I’ve had the book since I went to the book release party, it was online, here in Atlanta. So I have the book, but I have not, it’s for me, non-fiction I have to devote more time to and I have not read it yet. So, I’m looking at it right now.
Katie (33:27):
You’ll tell me how it is. I’ve read her first book, her first one is…
LaShawn (33:30):
Me too, I have that one.
Katie (33:32):
The Do Better Guide: I’m Judging You. So good.
LaShawn (33:35):
Yes, I have that one.
Katie (33:37):
Okay, on weekends you will find me _____.
LaShawn (33:40):
In bed.
Katie (33:41):
Oooh [laughs] nice.
LaShawn (33:44):
I don’t cook or clean on the weekends.
Katie (33:46):
You gotta relax. You gotta get your self-care Sunday in. If I want running my own business, I would be a _____.
LaShawn (33:56):
I would be a nurse. [both laugh] I would still be a nurse.
Katie (34:00):
That makes sense. All right, this has been a lot of fun LaShawn. Before we say goodbye, how can our listeners keep following you, Everyday Eyecandy, and Pouring Over Books?
LaShawn (34:10):
The best, easiest way to find me is on Instagram @lashawnwiltz. The subscription box is at pouringoverbooksbox and the website is pouringoverbooks.com and Everyday Eyecandy, that’s where you can find me.
Katie (34:31):
Perfect, I’m putting this all in the show notes. Thank you very much, LaShawn.
LaShawn (34:34):
Thank you.
Katie (34:35):
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology. And this wraps our October shows, and our focus on women running small businesses. Missed a show? We kicked off the month with a cofounder of the cannabis wellness company Hello Again, who launched her company with a close friend after years as a stay-at-home mom. New York ad executive Katie Keating joined me to talk about creativity, ageism, and pushing through fear to launch a business in midlife. And beauty founder Kendra Kolb Butler of Alpyn Beauty shared the skincare benefits of wild mountain botanicals and how a cross country move from New York to Wyoming sparked the launch of her beauty line now carried at leading retailers like Saks and Sephora.
Join me next Monday when we kick off a month of conversation with women focused on the magic of community. These women are building robust career networks, blogging and digital communities, volunteer networks, and at long last, connecting women at fabulous in-person events, not just over Zoom.
Special thanks to Michael Mancini who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time, and until then: age boldly, beauties.