The Power of Creative, Female Collaboration — Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik

08/13/20 • 45 min

Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in, that you’re somehow different from everyone else, or maybe even, that you don’t belong? This week I sit down with Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik, the co-founders of Almost 30, the top-rated LA-based lifestyle podcast. After meeting in SoulCycle, the two became best friends and soon realized they shared a desire to explore the theme of belonging, both to yourself and others. Almost 30 was born out of these conversations, and while not their original intention, it’s now grown into a full-time business, brand, and community.
In our conversation, Krista and Lindsey discuss creating for the pure love of creating, and how money, validation, and recognition fall into line once you’re doing what you love. They share what they’ve discovered about themselves and their relationships as they turned their podcast into a business. Krista and Lindsey show us how to speak your truth with compassion and trust yourself as you pursue what you love.
Show Notes
- A glimpse into Krista’s wild and rebellious and Lindsey’s eccentric childhood days.
- Krista’s departure from her Catholic roots and why she sees the church as oppressive.
- Discovering spirituality and the love of the true source that she felt was “hidden” from her.
- Why Catholic school was confusing for Lindsey and how she is revisiting the idea of God.
- A word of wisdom about navigating your difference and individuality in the context of a group.
- The distinction between fitting in and belonging and how this sentiment is expressed in Almost 30.
- How the two women met and the mutual interests that ignited their podcasting journey.
- Hear about their creative collaboration, the growth of the business, and the intricacy of the co-founder relationship.
- The significant learning opportunities presented by our closest relationships with people.
- Female friendships and the importance of responding to others from a place of awareness.
- Asking yourself the hard question: do I truly want to create or am I looking for validation?
- How social media can hamper your creativity and perpetuate inauthenticity.
- From side hustle to booming business and learning that you can make money from doing what you love.
- The lessons Almost 30 is teaching them about their relationship with money and boundaries.
- How they are reclaiming their gut instinct and speaking their truth with love.
References
Krista Williams - http://itskrista.co/
Krista Williams on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/itskrista/
Krista Williams on Twitter - https://twitter.com/itskrista?lang=en
Lindsey Simcik on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lindseysimcik/?hl=en
Lindsey Simcik on Twitter - https://twitter.com/lindsimss?lang=en
Almost 30 Podcast - https://almost30podcast.com/
Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/
SoulCycle - https://soul-cycle.com/
Break the Good Girl Myth - https://majomolfino.com/book
Majo Molfino - https://majomolfino.com/
HEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

Previous Episode

Sophia Amoruso on Why Failing Forward is the Key to Designing Your Path

What is your relationship to failure?
My guest this week, Sophia Amoruso, believes that, as long as you’re learning from your experiences, there’s no such thing as failure. The founder of Girlboss Media and author of #GIRLBOSS, Sophia watched her first business, online fashion retailer Nasty Gal, go bankrupt after a successful run. Rather than hide or quit when the challenges came, she chose instead to learn from the experience her first business gave her.
Sophia started her new venture, Girlboss Media, in 2017, with a fresh perspective on what success really means and a healthy relationship to failure. In this interview, you’ll hear how Sophia emerged from the challenges of losing her first business and the way these trials shaped who she is today. Even when the darkest days come and life puts obstacles in your path, there’s always something you can be grateful for.
Show Notes
- Growing up a troublemaker who had a distaste for authority and convention.
- Hear about Sophia’s high school years with ADHD and mental health struggles.
- A few compelling reasons why the traditional education system fails many people.
- Leaving home at 17 to live in the city in a purple “closet” with a bunch of musicians.
- How Sophia's teenage anti-establishment phase spilled over into her mischievous life in Portland.
- Find out why Sophia describes her time as a stripper as a positive experience.
- How privilege and special treatment made her feel entitled to indulge in delinquent behavior.
- The lessons in social engineering and acting that help Sophia to combat imposter syndrome.
- Learn about Sophia's journey to starting Nasty Gal and its exponential growth.
- 2016: the year her husband left her, her company went bankrupt, and Trump was elected.
- Breaking free from the binary concepts of success and failure.
- Seeing the good things in life amid the difficulty and embracing the mystery of our existence.
- The wonderful hindsight that comes with being a second-time entrepreneur.
References
Sophia Amoruso on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sophiaamoruso
Sophia Amoruso on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sophiaamoruso
Girlboss - https://www.girlboss.com
Girlboss on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girlboss
#GIRLBOSS - https://www.amazon.com/GIRLBOSS-Sophia-Amoruso/dp/039916927X
Nasty Gal - https://www.nastygal.com
Isabel Allende - https://www.isabelallende.com
Majo Molfino - https://majomolfino.com
HEROINE (Podcast) - https://majomolfino.com/podcast

Next Episode

How to Undo the Idea That You’re Not Enough — Monica Padman

On this week’s episode, I talk with fellow recovering good girl, Monica Padman.
Monica, an actress and podcast producer, hustled her way into acting and co-leading one of the most downloaded podcasts today, Armchair Expert. She double majored in theatre and PR at the University of Georgia and then moved to LA to pursue her dreams of acting. She’s appeared in several TV shows, such as The Good Place, and Drop Dead Diva, and performed a role specifically written for her in the 2017 movie, CHIPS. Armchair Expert, the podcast she co-hosts with Dax Shepard, started off as something they did for fun, and has now exploded into one of the most downloaded podcasts. The duo have interviewed musicians, entertainers, writers, doctors, and psychologists including Alicia Keys, Brené Brown, Monica Lewinsky, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Emilia Clarke.
In this episode, Monica shares how she met Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. She talks about the familial relationship she’s built with them, and how that relationship influenced her path. You’ll also hear about the parts of herself she kept hidden in order to fit in as a good girl, which are now the parts she’s reclaiming for herself. Monica’s story shows that you can do whatever it takes to create your dreams, while staying authentic.
Show Notes
- Monica’s childhood as a careful, shy, rule follower
- The early influences that fueled her love for acting
- Her experience with being a good girl and her need to fit in during school
- Monica’s relationship to her Indian culture growing up in the South
- How she dealt with the uncertainty of making the leap into a full-time acting career
- The importance of community and relationship
- Ensuring she built out other areas of her life so that acting wasn’t the only focus for her
- How she built a close, family type relationship with Kristin Bell and Dax Shepard
- The inspiration for the Armchair Expert podcast
- The role Monica plays with Armchair Expert, and how she feels about it
References
Monica Padman on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mlpadman
Armchair Expert podcast - https://armchairexpertpod.com/
Armchair Expert on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/armchairexppod/
The Best Little Boy in the World - https://www.amazon.com/Best-Little-Boy-World-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B0042JSNYU
Serial podcast - https://serialpodcast.org/
CHIPS - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
Making Sense podcast - https://samharris.org/podcast/