Episode 52 transcript: Embracing failures and pushing past comfort zones with Kelly Robinson

Podcast Introduction:

[00:00:00] Kelly: I tend to be an empath and I genuinely care and feel for my clients. And it's all about the relationship for me. And as far as discretion is concerned, this is somebody's hub and I came from that world. I was never famous, but I understand how exposed you are and how important it is to have your privacy.

[00:00:26] Aneta: We often hear people wishing us a long, happy, and healthy life, but what if the length isn't what matters most? What if instead, it's the breath depth and purpose of each day that matters most? Welcome to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. My name is Aneta Ardelian Kuzma and join me weekly as I interview guests who made changes in their own lives to live more fully with intention. Gratitude and joy. Be prepared to be inspired by their stories of how they shifted their mindset, took courageous action, and designed the life that they always wanted to live.

[00:01:01] Aneta: Welcome back to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. Thank you so much for joining me again this week. I'm so excited about today's conversation. My guest today is Kelly Robinson, and she is a senior real estate broker and founder of the Kelly Robinson team. Kelly has been selling Residential real estate in New York City since 2005. And she's expanding to Miami in 2023. She and her team are consistently ranked in the top one and a half percent of real estate agents and teams nationwide by the wall street journal. Her unique approach is supported by an extensive background that spans multiple sectors of the industry, including resales, new development projects, investor, and buyer representation.

[00:01:47] Aneta: But what you will also hear today, which I loved was really getting a sense of who Kelly is outside of her job. So many of us attach our identity to our careers. And while she is so successful in the industry in the sector that she's been in since 2005, Kelly has such a strong, compassionate heart. So we talked a lot about what are her passions outside of real estate, including a new side project in business that she started during COVID. So you'll get to hear a little bit about that, but also the secrets to her success in real estate, and really it comes down to active listening. Being engaged and having authentic, true relationships using her ability to connect to people in a way and really listen to them and help them find the homes that they love. We talked about the things that helped her differentiate her business, how she actually started in real estate, and also what she does in order to live this full, big, abundant, beautiful, integrated life. I think you're really going to enjoy our time today. And I'm so grateful for the conversation. Take a listen.

Podcast Interview:

[00:02:57] Aneta: Kelly, it is so nice to have you with me today. Thanks for joining me.

[00:03:03] Kelly: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:03:06] Aneta: It's so nice to see you again. A couple of weeks ago, I had an opportunity to be on your podcast. It was so nice to get to know you. And I was so excited that we had something on the calendar for us to reconnect again. In our session before your dog, Seamus made sure that he was a little vocal and made an appearance. So I will say if he makes an appearance today, I think we need to give him a little bit of love and airtime. So that could happen.

[00:03:38] Kelly: So I apologize in advance. Thank you so much for having me and I'm so happy to connect again. You are just so lovely and such a pleasure and I can't wait. Until your episode on my podcast airs, because I think you're going to inspire so many people.

[00:03:53] Aneta: I am so excited. And I am so grateful for this chance to talk because as I shared, you are such an amazing individual and you've accomplished so much in life. And before I go through any of that, I want to hear in your own words, your journey, like how did you get to Kelly Robinson circuit 2023, like tell us a little bit about your beginnings and sort of how you found yourself in the top one and a half percent of all real estate agents

[00:04:24] Kelly: Yeah, I mean, I think not to downplay it, but I do think that it's easy to be in the top one and a half percent when you're transacting in New York City, where the prices are so high.

[00:04:38] Kelly: I mean, yes, we work hard and we do well, but I will say that I almost, I'm glad that they do it by volume as well because that gives people across the country the opportunity to be on that list by doing a number of deals instead of just price points.

[00:05:02] Kelly: So, where did I start? I was born in Manhattan and we moved to West Hampton Beach and then Connecticut for my dad's job. And I was raised in Connecticut, which was really nice in a small town. Sports were a big deal in my high school. I was an actress from a young age and also did modeling on the side just because it was easy and it was money, but it was nothing that I was aspiring to do, nor could I really be like a supermodel.

[00:05:36] Kelly: It was just catalog stuff in it. And it was nice to make money in high school and growing up. And then I went to a conservatory program called Mason Gross School of the Arts. It's one of the top conservatory programs in the country for acting. And when I graduated, I was acting, I was doing well, but my manager and I weren't really on the same page, so we had a bit of a falling out, and I decided to take a year off from acting, and just figure out if I wanted to do something else, but the plan was always to go back.

[00:06:14] Kelly: I had signed a postdated contract with a new manager. And yeah, I fell into real estate. I mean, one of my girlfriends was like, well, if you don't want to bartend, why don't you try real estate? You can do it part-time and it's during the day and there won't be weird men slipping you their hotel key at the bar.

[00:06:34] Kelly: So I got my real estate license. I ran around the first year sweating and gross and like in a rat race of New York City rentals because it's almost impossible to fall into sales. You really have to break into sales. And I realized that and then I got a job as an assistant for a top-producing agent. It was her assistant for about six months. And then I became a team member and a buyer's agent. And I was on teams until about 2010. And then I left, went on my own, and started my own team.

[00:07:09] Kelly: So I've been in the business since 2005. I learned so much from being on those teams. I also learned a lot about what not to do and how not to treat people. But I think that's shaped me for sure in the way that I handle my own team. I really believe it's important to bring on people that are more intelligent than you and that have more to offer than you in certain areas so that you really are a team instead of being a team leader who tries to hold people down. I want people to evolve and elevate and become my partner, possibly. So that's a nutshell.

[00:07:53] Aneta: It's so interesting. When I ask people to share their journey because I think when we tell our own stories, we sometimes gloss over all these important steps only because for us, maybe we were there. But I want to go back if you don't mind and just address a couple of things. So you said you took a break, you decided to take a break and sometimes it can be scary to take a break or to even spend that time alone in stillness and reflection. So tell me about whether or not that was something that was initially frightening to you in order to sort of take a break and then also just what are some of the biggest things you learned about yourself when you were able to just take a step back and pause.

[00:08:38] Kelly: I learned a few things taking a break was definitely scary. I was an actress my whole life since childhood and it was something I always wanted to do. And it wasn't about the fame. It was about the craft. But I was more of a relief, I think, than anything else. Because even though I was a working actress and I was doing pretty well, I was still bartending at night. I didn't want that lifestyle. And, I wanted to be the one that went out at night with my friends and I am an early riser and an early bedtime person. And I just feel like it was a better lifestyle for me to work during the day.

[00:09:21] Kelly: So it was kind of a relief and I decided I wanted to learn things. Maybe I had never tested out before. Maybe I would be good at something else. Sorry, that's my other dog barking. Fiona.

[00:09:34] Aneta: Seamus and Fiona. I love these names.

[00:09:41] Kelly: Thank you.

[00:09:42] Aneta: Yeah, no, I think that's so interesting. And as you said, it's so nice to be able to say, what kind of a life do I really want to live, and are the choices that I'm making right now aligned to that, or don't they? And it's so interesting that your friends, sometimes people within our circle who know us make a suggestion, even if they don't know where it's going to go.

[00:10:03] Aneta: And your friend said to you, try real estate. You get to do it during the day. It will allow you and support you in what you're looking to do long term. Had you known, because you work hard and you can look back now and see the path that brought you to where you are today? But had you known that this was the path that you were going to go on, would you have taken it? Would you have said, I'm going to go all in on this?

[00:10:29] Kelly: I think so. Yeah. It's funny. You learn things about yourself and I always loved interior design. When I was 13, we were redesigning my bedroom and I did not come from a wealthy family. And I was like, Mom we need to go into ABC carpet at home in New York City.

[00:10:48] Kelly: And she's like, who are you? So we went in, we got ideas and then she helped, we kind of, made things that looked like the 800 duvet cover that I was like, I have to have this. And my mom was like, where did you come from? But I've always liked the design and stuff like that.

[00:11:10] Kelly: And I also, when I was a little girl, I actually. I used to look through the paper and circle listings and ask my parents if we could go to open houses, and it was a small town.

[00:11:22] Kelly: So people, they were embarrassed, right? Because, like, here we are, everybody knows who we are, they know we're not buying the house, it's like, there's the Robinsons, but they're 11 years old. Who's a looky Lou? So it's kind of serendipitous in a way. And I think the acting training really helped me with rejection handling. Modeling and acting helped me a lot with the rejection that you experienced in real estate. And I think it also helps me to become a good listener.

[00:11:59] Aneta: I could see that. And so also you deal with high profile clients. I know that one of the things on your website is I was looking at discretion. So as you're working with very large listings, very important places, and in New York City, which is one of the most amazing settings in the world. So tell me a little bit about what it's like to work with your clients and what you think differentiates you compared to maybe some other real estate agents that they could be working with.

[00:12:30] Kelly: I tend to be an empath and I genuinely care and feel for my clients. And it's all about the relationship for me. And as far as discretion is concerned, this is somebody's hub and I came from that world. I was never famous, but I understand how exposed you are and how important it is to have your privacy.

[00:12:56] Kelly: So I think I also understand how important it is just to be treated like a human being and not an idol all the time. And so I think that that's really helpful. I also I am a hustler. I'm not a pushy salesperson. I listen. I really try to hear what the motivation is and what the goals are and work with people to achieve those things. And the one thing that surprises me that I hear all the time from my clients and customers is you actually listened to me. You actually treated me as a relationship rather than a transaction.

[00:13:39] Aneta: Yeah. And I mean, that is the key to all relationships in life. I mean, so much of it is being able to connect to someone and for them to feel like you're present and that you're listening and that you really care about their experience. So of course that's going to make for a successful interaction with everybody.

[00:13:59] Aneta: But how does that work when you've got couples, I'm sure you maybe had some instances where you may have worked with couples, and if there were different motivations, like, how are you able to really bridge what you're hearing from both partner and to help them really find the place that they could both really love?

[00:14:17] Kelly: So I just ask a ton of questions. I tried to get down to the bottom of what they both mutually love and focus on those things. I also figure out who the decision maker is because there's always one person who has more pull and more weight than the other person in any given decision. And, it's unfortunate.

[00:14:40] Aneta: So, do you have a love affair with New York City? You said you were born in Manhattan. You found your way back to the city. How has it changed over the years?

[00:14:52] Kelly: I love New York City. I just love the energy. It's like no other city in the world. It's changed a lot. I think some things that I don't love about it now, or that so many of the mom-and-pop places that I love, the little hole in the walls are gone, especially after COVID. Crime is not great right now. But I still love it and I will never, ever fully leave.

[00:15:21] Kelly: I do spend about half my time in Miami, but I need the energy of New York City. It's like in my blood. And I also love that to make it here, you really have to be successful and it motivates you because it's expensive to survive in this city but that expense is worth it to me. From what I'm getting this whole playground is my backyard. Instead of having a backyard.

[00:15:54] Aneta: Exactly. I love that. Yeah. We were just there last week. My husband's from New York City and we just spent a week in all parts of the city it's beautiful to come back to and to feel and to experience, and there are definitely some things that feel the same and some things that have changed, but change is inevitable with anything.

[00:16:15] Aneta: And I think the people who love it are going to continue to stay there. And there are still so many transplants, people who move from all over the country or the world to New York back to what you said, people who have this dream of making it in the city, like the song say, and really experiencing all the energy.

[00:16:33] Aneta: But the other thing you said is that you are spending time in Miami, another place with a lot of energy, maybe different energy. So tell me a little bit about Miami because I know that your team has expanded Miami this year, is that correct?

[00:16:47] Kelly: We are, we will be expanding to Miami and we've already started doing some business down there with a partner with my clients. I've been going down to Miami for years, probably since before COVID. And then I had a little bit of a scare where I wasn't feeling super safe at home and I just spent a ton of time in Miami. I was there half the time, practically living at a hotel during COVID.

[00:17:18] Kelly: And then I met somebody down there, which was a funny story. He woke me up out of my sleep. I was snoring in a pool chair and tricked me into dating him. I ended up being with him for two years and staying with him, but that ended. And I'm still in love with Miami. And it was always the plan for me to expand down to Miami. And I think those things that were happening in my life just pushed that plan along sooner.

[00:17:50] Aneta: Yeah. And it works out sometimes when you look back and can see why things worked out the way they did. So tell me a little bit about Kelly. Outside of your job, because sometimes our job and our business and our career, especially when you're successful, can take up such a huge part of our identity. But what are some of the things that make you, you, the things that you love, the passions that you have that have nothing to do with your job?

[00:18:16] Kelly: Well, as you can tell, I have a zoo at home. I have two rescue dogs. I love animals. I would have a silky chicken, a baby goat, and bunnies. You name it I would have it if I could.

[00:18:32] Kelly: I have two rescue dogs. I love them so much. I have a startup on the side, although that's a career, but it's completely different from real estate. It has to do with pets. And then I love to travel around the world and just spend quality time with my family and friends. I don't have kids and my brother has a three-year-old and my sister is due any day now with her second.

[00:19:04] Kelly: And it is just such a joy to be an aunt. I love the fact this might sound horrible, but I love the fact that I have these amazing children, well, child, soon-to-be children, that I can spoil and hang out with and love as I've never loved anyone. But if they're misbehaving, I can give them back.

[00:19:27] Aneta: Of course. The best of both worlds.

[00:19:29] Kelly: Exactly. And I also am very close to my ex-boyfriend's daughters who are in their teens and twenties, and I feel like, you know, everybody comes into your life for a reason. They call me their New York mom. And yeah. And they are such a blessing to me. They're like my little besties and I'm not trying to be their mom. I respect their mom. I just want to be their friend and be there for them. And I'm lucky to have them in my life.

[00:20:02] Aneta: So beautiful. And Kelly, it seems like there's this theme from what you're sharing that you're an empath, but it seems like you really nurture your relationships with the people in your life.

[00:20:13] Aneta: And then that's a huge part of your motivation and drive and also just looking at your website. I see that you've got this team and a lot of them look like they're young. And so do you feel like you carry over some of those qualities that you have into your relationships even at work then with your team?

[00:20:32] Kelly: Yeah. I mean, as a team leader. You have to be a mentor and love all of my team members. And it's taken a long time to get the right team and I will help them in any way that I can. I want them to succeed. I want them to make money. I want them to feel autonomous and happy and not feel like they're just under the Kelly Robinson team name.

[00:20:54] Kelly: So, as I said before in my team structure, they have the opportunity if they achieve certain goals to become my partner and we rebrand and it doesn't have to be about me. I want them to feel like there is an upward movement for them. And that they can grow and that creates longevity, but I adore them all, especially my director of operations. She is a magician. I cannot live without her. I don't know how she does everything she does.

[00:21:25] Aneta: That's so amazing. So you said you love to travel. So I'm curious as to some of the places that are on your top list and then maybe some places you haven't visited yet, but that you're anxious to visit.

[00:21:38] Kelly: So I love Italy. I try to go there as much as I can and I haven't been to Sicily, which I am going to Sicily on Thursday. So I'm super excited about that. I loved Turkey. Last year I was in Turkey for about a month and a half, in the middle of that I got deported, but that's another story. I did not commit a crime.

[00:22:03] Kelly: I had to get back, and my passport had four months on it instead of six. They gave me an exception, but then I went to Italy in the middle of the Turkey trip and they didn't tell me they give what exception per person per year. So I was in airport jail and I got a squirrel on the plane and was sent back and it was interesting, but I went back and I love Turkey.

[00:22:24] Kelly: That was an awesome experience. And Croatia is great. South America, Argentina. I mean, even places in this country, Napa, I love Sonoma. I mean, honestly, as long as the company is good, I'd be happy in like a dump. You know what I mean? Like I could sit in a landfill and I mean, maybe not a landfill, but you know what I mean?

[00:22:47] Aneta: I do. Yeah. I agree with you. It's like new scenery, new culture. Differences and it definitely makes for a great trip if you have good company. So where are you going in Sicily? Tell me where you're going.

[00:23:00] Kelly: So what I do on many of my trips, as long as my travel buddy at the time is okay with it is I will book certain things and then I will leave part of the trip open to figure it out, which is scary for some people, but it has always been the best part of my trips because you find out from the locals what you should do. You end up meeting people, you get immersed in the culture and like once in Croatia, my girlfriend and I ended up chartering a boat and going to these islands and it was just randomly.

[00:23:35] Kelly: So. I'm going to Catania, the Cyclops Islands, Taormina, and Syracuse. And the last couple of days of the trip are wide open, so who knows? We'll see. Going with one of my best girlfriends. Yeah.

[00:23:54] Aneta: That's fantastic. So, we've never been to Sicily and I think I shared with you that I'm hosting a retreat in Tuscany in September, and then the second week my family and I are gonna go to Sicily.

[00:24:08] Aneta: And I'm with you. I do the same thing. I have a pretty good structure, but I leave a lot of space for inspiration. And also like, don't you feel like sometimes you're like, if I want to rest, I wanna be able to rest. And if I want to find something to do or if I want to allow the adventure to sort of take over giving myself space to do that always gives you the best experiences

[00:24:34] Kelly: I agree. I cannot travel and have back-to-back plans the whole time. It's not relaxing for me I need to be able to just hang out, roam around and find a cafe, whatever, maybe see a few landmarks and stuff, but take my time. So I always go for a long time, but wow. Tuscany, a retreat in Tuscany.

[00:25:00] Aneta: I know. I'm so excited too. It's been a dream to be able to do it and to facilitate and teach. And so it's coming up really fast, which feels exciting and amazing. Yeah. We'll have to compare notes on Sicily.

[00:25:17] Kelly: And Tuscany. Yeah.

[00:25:19] Aneta: And Tuscany for sure. So tell me what kind of a traveler you are. Are you a, I'm efficient, I'm going to create a capsule wardrobe and just take a carry-on because I'd like to have it with me, or do you just pack more and allow yourself to be inspired by what you want to use when you're there?

[00:25:37] Kelly: So it depends, but usually I try to travel in a carry-on. I mean, when I was in Turkey for a month and hopping to Italy and all these other places, I had to check bags, but when I went to Europe for two and a half weeks and was hopping all over, I traveled in an international carry on and a small tote bag.

[00:26:02] Kelly: And we had booked a couple of Airbnbs in addition to some nice hotels, so I did laundry. I am trying to do that for this trip. I've kind of, like, picked out things that are all in the same tone and go with the same shoes and bags so that I don't have to bring the heavy stuff that fills up your suitcase, like shoes and bags. Those are also the things that tend to get stolen. So why not check?

[00:26:33] Aneta: I'm with you and I've just seen too many nightmares of bags being lost or things being stolen. And like I just, if I could avoid that as much as possible, I'm going to do it. And also it almost gives you freedom when you're like, these are the outfits I'm going to mix and match, figure it out.

[00:26:51] Kelly: And like you said there's usually access to a washer and dryer. If you can do that, that would be fantastic. Yeah. I'm with you. And I just feel like, the older I get, the smarter I am around some of that stuff. And you don't really need five pairs of shoes. Yeah, there's some trade-offs there.

[00:27:06] Kelly: There are. And you know what? If you end up needing a pair of shoes, you could always get it there. You know what I mean?

[00:27:14] Aneta: Heaven forbid you get to buy something in Italy or I suppose you could find something there.

[00:27:21] Kelly: Yeah, but the first time I went to Italy, my mom and I went and we had the biggest size suitcases you could possibly get and we bought so much stuff that our suitcases broke. We had to go to Samsonite in Florence or somewhere and get new suitcases. And then we had to ship stuff home. And we were there with these suitcases that were like half our height. I'm like, never again.

[00:27:48] Aneta: Exactly. Well, also because they have cobblestone roads, it's not always convenient or easy for walk-ups. Like, you don't necessarily always have an elevator at some of these beautiful historical buildings. So, yeah. Lessons learned from our youth.

[00:28:02] Kelly: And then you don't end up wearing everything anyway. It's like you wear two things the entire time and you're like, I really didn't need to like drag this around.

[00:28:11] Aneta: Exactly. Which is so funny. So tell me some of the other things that you have, any creative projects, or any interesting things that you still want to do as much as you're willing to share either personally or professionally.

[00:28:26] Kelly: Yeah. So personally, I've recently gotten more into prayer and meditation. I'm not a religious person, but I am a spiritual person. But I've never been able to meditate. I never thought I could do it. I mean, even at yoga, I would like to twitch during Shavasana, like I can't sit still. But I just decided to take a leap. And I did this like 21 days, it just like more, it was like five minutes in the morning and you know what, it changed my life and that's why I can't wait to get your book because I am going to, I think it's going to change my life.

[00:29:06] Kelly: So that's something that I've started doing and it's really become a nice, calming way to start my day. The other thing is I've got a startup on the side in the pet products industry. And in real estate, I do work in the sports and entertainment industries, but it was usually entered more entertainment because of my background.

[00:29:31] Kelly: Now I'm starting to work with a lot of athletes and I've been creating a curriculum to do athlete education for NIL players, for new pro athletes. And I've been speaking to a bunch of team owners and stuff like that, as well as college coaches for D1 schools to bring my curriculum to them for free.

[00:29:55] Kelly: Just because they really need to know how to save and invest and create a passive income because you can get injured in a second and you've just spent all of your money on houses and cars and your friends and your family and this and that and a lot of them don't even realize because they're so young when they get all of this money how much taxes they're going to have to pay.

[00:30:21] Kelly: And so I really just want to educate them. And if something comes out of it, great. If not, at least I feel like I did something valuable for them. So that's something that I'm working on right now.

[00:30:34] Aneta: That's really beautiful. And it's so nice to be able to proactively reach out to, as you said, young people who maybe aren't even thinking about it, or maybe haven't even been educated either at home or through school or even professional career to think about their future in that way, because to I don't know.

[00:30:54] Aneta: I mean, like most of us, we always are working towards a certain goal. And for these athletes, I imagine that when they hit their goal and they signed the contract and they're playing on the team, they feel like they've arrived, right? But there's still so much more of life left and you want to make sure that they're protected and they're taken care of.

[00:31:12] Aneta: So it's really a beautiful thing that you're doing. I hope that you have a lot of success with it and I know that that will mean a lot to you. Yeah. And so tell me a little bit about this product that you're doing for pets. If you're able to share.

[00:31:26] Kelly: Yeah. So there, I can't talk about it too much yet, but it's called paw shop capital P A W. And it's e-commerce and it's B2B. So like a Poshmark or an Etsy or an eBay, it's buy or sell or send things to each other. It's something that does not exist in this world yet. And it's something that I figured out when Seamus grew out of his crate in like a month and I had this brand new crate that was like 120 bucks that he didn't fit into.

[00:32:01] Kelly: And I was like what do I do with this? And so we're working with shelters. We're looking to work with some of the big chain stores. So that's what I can kind of give you as a teaser at the moment.

[00:32:13] Aneta: What a great concept and idea. And I can't believe that doesn't exist already.

[00:32:18] Kelly: It doesn't. And I found out by accident.

[00:32:22] Aneta: Well, you identified a need or an opportunity that you saw personally, which is great. And there are so many people who purchased pets and who became pet owners during COVID and it can get quite expensive. So hopefully this gives people an incentive or an opportunity to continue to care and provide for their pets in a way that. So they don't have to necessarily give their pets up if it becomes too financially difficult, to maintain.

[00:32:51] Kelly: Yeah. That's one of the pain points that we're trying to address. And it's funny, I had thought of this idea before COVID, but never did anything with it. And then when the lockdown happened and I couldn't show properties, I was like, okay, you know what, I can either sit around and feel sorry for myself or I can do something. And so I decided to start this company.

[00:33:13] Aneta: What a great thing to do. And isn't it interesting how opportunities come out of sometimes things that could be a blessing that you didn't even plan for? So how did you spend your time during COVID because you mentioned you have a lot of energy, a lot of activity happening all the time.

[00:33:31] Aneta: You've got this team and this company. So what else did you do while you couldn't go out and show properties like you used to?

[00:33:38] Kelly: I did a lot of puzzles. I worked a lot on this project and did a ton of research. I also was selling real estate, just not as much of it virtually. I was lucky that I had started doing video tours of my homes, and my properties prior to the lockdown.

[00:34:00] Kelly: I had a feeling things would lock down and video tours were just starting to kind of become something that a few people would do. And I just got everything professionally shot. And so I had that. So that helped. And I just reached out to my past clients and my neighbors.

[00:34:19] Kelly: And I just reached out to them to see how they were doing. If there was anything I could help them with. I also started a Facebook group for the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Upper East Side COVID-19 support group. We had hundreds and hundreds, maybe even a thousand members. And it was just something I wanted to do for my neighbors and my community, just for support. And the number one rule was there's no selling of anything or promoting yourself. This is just for support. So those are the things that I did. And I spent a lot of time doing Zoom workouts with my trainer.

[00:35:01] Aneta: You got into an even better shape, right? You've moved more time. Well, I do want to acknowledge you for starting that group and identifying that sometimes when things get really difficult, the best thing we can do is to serve and use what we can to help others. And I'm sure that was so meaningful for so many of the people that were involved.

[00:35:20] Kelly: Yeah, the people are still posting every day in the group. I don't check it as often. I've made some good friends and it's been nice.

[00:35:31] Aneta: Yeah. So, Kelly, I want to talk about this concept of living an integrated life, right? We all dream of living an integrated, balanced, big, beautiful, abundant life. So tell me how you've been able to cultivate that for yourself.

[00:35:48] Kelly: I mean, I still feel like I have so far to go. I guess that's part of being an entrepreneur, right? You never feel like you're finished and you never feel like you're there yet. And it's not that you feel like you're not good enough at least I don't feel like I'm not good enough, although I have at times, but I just feel like there's always something more to do. I try to work out every day. I'm starting to try to say a little prayer and maybe do a little meditation every day.

[00:36:22] Kelly: Spending time with my dogs. Animals are just such pure beings. And family, so I really try to make time for the people that I care about because I don't have a lot of time. So I know that life could pass me by really easily, but I think for me an abundant life is relationship based. So I make the time.

[00:36:49] Aneta: It's so beautiful. And we never arrive. I'm with you. I think that we never arrive. So I ask everyone on the show it's tied to the title of the podcast, what does it mean to you to live the width of your life?

[00:37:04] Kelly: I think embracing failure, elevating from it, learning from it, growing from it. I'm sorry, but you cannot take away my failures from me. Embracing them and learning from them and growing from them. And I think that my life has become wider because of that and fuller because of that. Because not only does it put hair on the chest, but you learn so much about how to be better next time. And without that you're stagnant. So I think that is the main key for me.

[00:37:42] Kelly: Another thing is doing something that scares me. I always say do something that scares you every day, I try, but I don't do it every day, but I think that doing something that scares you and getting out of your comfort zone can change your life.

[00:38:00] Kelly: And for me, it was literally at networking events, going up to strangers and saying hi, instead of standing at the cheese table, being an introvert. If I'm throwing a networking event or a party, I'm working the room, but if I'm by myself at somebody else's networking event, I'm an introvert. And so I just said, you know what, Kelly, you have to get out of your own way and not worry about if somebody wants to talk to you or not. And it's changed my life.

[00:38:29] Aneta: I love it. And we're all better for it. Thank you so much for your time today, Kelly. Thank you for being such a bright light in this world. I think that it's easy to look at someone's credentials to look at, you know, what we see online. But when we talk to a person and you, especially here, I just got to know your heart, your empathy, your focus on animals, people in your life, and authentic relationships. And and it does sound like you are living the width of your life. So I wish you continued blessings and I'm so grateful for our time together.

[00:39:04] Kelly: Thank you so much. I wish you all the best. You deserve everything. You are such a wonderful, bright, inspiring person, and I'm so glad to have met you.

[00:39:15] Aneta: Thank you, Kelly. And I will include links to your website, to your Instagram, to all of your social handles. And when you are ready to share any of the other projects that you are working on I would love to have you back on and we can go more in-depth on that as well.

[00:39:29] Kelly: I would love that. Thank you so much.

[00:39:32] Aneta: Thank you. Have an amazing day.

[00:39:34] Kelly: You too.

[00:39:36] Aneta: Thank you for listening to today's episode. If today's conversation inspired you to dream again, break out of your comfort zones or reflect on what it means to you to live more fully, then please follow this podcast because every week you'll hear more stories from people just like you who took imperfect action towards their goals, created more joy and are living.