From Red Carpets to Real Connections: The Power of Sisterhood - Finding Your Passion and Purpose

In this episode of the "Nickels and Dimes: Finding Financial Freedom" podcast, host Natalie Kime hosts sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, co-founders of Pop Culture Passionistas. They discuss their transition from high-profile Hollywood careers to creating a media company focused on empowering women through storytelling. The Harringtons share insights into their community-building efforts, emphasizing the importance of sisterhood, support, and positive narratives. They also introduce their "Power Passionistas" program, aimed at helping women bring personal empowerment stories to life. The episode highlights the transformative power of community and the significance of pursuing one's passion.

In this episode: 
Transition from high-profile careers in Hollywood to entrepreneurship.
Founding of Pop Culture Passionistas and its mission to empower women through storytelling.
The importance of sharing diverse success stories and personal journeys.
The impact of the Me Too and Time's Up movements on their focus.
Building a supportive community and sisterhood among women.
Ethical considerations of profiting while supporting marginalized communities.
Unique aspects of their community, including free and premium membership options.
Educational programs and workshops designed to empower women.
The significance of resilience is in finding one's purpose in overcoming challenges.
The transformative power of connection and understanding among diverse individuals.

You can find and follow Amy and Nancy and their Passionista's community in the following locations:

www.thepassionistasproject.com/

www.facebook.com/ThePassionistasProject

twitter.com/PassionsProj

www.linkedin.com/company/the-passionistas-project/

www.instagram.com/thepassionistasproject/

Podcast:

https://www.thepassionistasproject.com/passionistaspodcast

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Transcript

Natalie Kime (00:00:02) -  Welcome to the Nickels and Dimes Finding Financial Freedom podcast. I'm your host, Natalie Kime, and today I'm speaking with Amy and Nancy Harrington. Amy and Nancy Harrington are sisters and the founders of Pop Culture Fashionistas and the fashionistas. They both walked away from high profile jobs in Hollywood to work together. Amy was the vice president of visual effects and post-production for all feature films at Warner Brothers, working on movies like Harry Potter, The Matrix, and Batman franchises. Nancy left the ad agency where she created Academy Award campaigns for Miramax. They have conducted over 1600 interviews, including red carpet events and more than 65 one on one oral histories for the interviews for the Television Academy Foundation with pop culture icons like Julie Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rita moreno, Lily Tomlin, Laverne Cox, Carol Burnett and many others. They have also produced interviews for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including a sit down with Mick Jagger. They were handpicked by Owen to be part of the VIP digital press corps covering Oprah's Life class during Winfrey's tour of the US and Toronto.

Natalie Kime (00:01:26) -  Amy and Nancy expanded their brand and founded the Passione Stars project in 2018 through their website, podcast, online sisterhood and annual Power of Fashionistas Summit. They inspire women to follow their passions by telling positive pop culture stories through their media company. Amy and Nancy, welcome to the show. Thank you guys so much for being here with me today.

Amy (00:01:52) -  Thank you. So glad to be here.

Natalie Kime (00:01:55) -  I'm excited to talk to you guys. There's a ton of information in your bio that I don't want to just skip over. First of all, Laverne Cox, is that Laverne and Shirley?

Nancy (00:02:05) -  No, but we did interview Laverne and Shirley, interview.

Amy (00:02:09) -  Lauren and Shirley.

Nancy (00:02:10) -  Laverne Cox was on orange is the New Black.

Natalie Kime (00:02:13) -  Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Amy (00:02:15) -  But.

Natalie Kime (00:02:15) -  Laverne, if you're listening to this, I apologize.

Nancy (00:02:19) -  I'm sure she would be happy to be confused with Laverne from Laverne and Shirley. We, we did do the Television Academy archive interviews for Laverne and Shirley, So we got to go to Penny Marshall's house.

Natalie Kime (00:02:32) -  Oh my goodness.

Nancy (00:02:33) -  We spent a day hanging out with Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall and our mentor, Karen Herman. and it was one of the greatest days of our lives, hands down.

Natalie Kime (00:02:45) -  That's awesome. I don't know why I would have thought her real name was Laverne, because that was her character's name, but still, like, that's a pretty significant list of individuals, not to mention all those that I'm sure you didn't list out by name, but also sitting down with Mick Jagger.

Natalie Kime (00:03:04) -  Yeah.

Amy (00:03:04) -  That was a pretty insane day.

Nancy (00:03:06) -  That was crazy. I mean, we had done a ton of interviews by that point, and, and we got the call from our friend who was working at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and she said, I have a conflict, and Nancy and I always have a rule. When we do interviews, we always are together. That's our brand. We're sisters. And she was like, I have some interviews, but I'm going to need you guys to split up.

Nancy (00:03:27) -  And we're like, oh yeah, I don't know. And then she said, one is with Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and one is with Mick Jagger, and they're happening at the same time, and we're like, we'll split up.

Amy (00:03:38) -  Just this week. And then we drew straws. Who gets who. Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:03:42) -  Oh my gosh. Absolutely absolutely amazing. So I mean and one of the one of the reason is those people are very well known, right. They've had amazing careers, amazing legacies. You talk about Oprah Winfrey and what she's done. And the thing is, how many times was she told no or actually even outright, you're not good enough. And so she created it herself.

Natalie Kime (00:04:12) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:04:12) -  Which I think leads perfectly into the work you guys now do. Number one you had amazing careers. number two how fun the things that you got to do in your careers.

Nancy (00:04:27) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:04:28) -  But let's start with like, what was the catalyst to know, like, we're ready to step away from this and to move in a completely different direction because it is what you're doing now is so different.

Natalie Kime (00:04:41) -  And you're and there's so much creativity and work that you're putting into creating a community that is very unique and special. So what what was kind of the catalyst to say, we're ready, we're ready to go in this direction?

Amy (00:04:58) -  Well, first of all, it's different, but it's not okay because we are still telling the stories of the people that we work for and with. so it's still all about storytelling. the difference is, like you said, we're telling the stories of women who aren't well known and rather than the people, everyone knows their name. So so that's the the big difference. The catalyst was, you know, in the, in the, early the 2016, 2017, that era when the MeToo movement was happening, the time's Up was movement was happening. We were hearing we had been thinking about doing a podcast for a really long time, and the obvious choice was to do a pop culture podcast. That was our expertise. That's what we loved. We were already in that world, but we just kept thinking, you know, everyone does that.

Amy (00:05:53) -  What's what makes it different for us. And and then, like I said, the MeToo movement happened, the Time's Up movement happened. And we were hearing all of these really very necessary stories about women that were stepping into their power, speaking their truth. But it was all so heartbreaking. And so we we it dawned on us, let's tell positive stories about women, women who are empowered, women who are living their truth, women who are living out their passions and following their passions. And so that's what we did. We just we started the podcast to help to tell the stories of these women. So we were doing essentially the same thing, but we were just doing it for women who weren't getting the spotlight and deserved to be. And that has grown into the community that we've created. But it started with a podcast.

Natalie Kime (00:06:46) -  Yeah, no, I love that because it is really easy to, well, and it it was your life to right. Your livelihood was to be around these people who were well known, who had these amazing careers, as you know, actors, actresses, the big names behind the scenes at, you know, the companies that produce everything, musicians and all of that.

Natalie Kime (00:07:09) -  And so everybody knows who they are. But to step away from that, to tell the stories, like you said, Nancy of people whose stories deserve to be to be told, but they don't have. I don't know the right word. They don't have the the space or the place to show up and do that. and I know, like a lot of the stories that you guys tell, and I've been blessed to be a guest on your podcast as well. So thank you for returning the favor. but sometimes I don't know that more important is the right way to say it, but the everyday stories of people that are easy for listeners to relate to because she sounds all reference. You know, my background, my story. Being a single mom, when I hear the story of another single mom and her struggles, while they might be different, I can still relate to her and that overall experience. And a lot of times when you have those people who are famous, I think over time a lot of them have done things that go back and tell their stories of where they came from, and maybe some of the hardship they faced along the way, but it's not usually the at the forefront of who they are, right? You're looking at what they accomplished, not necessarily where they came from.

Natalie Kime (00:08:35) -  And I think for so many everyday women like yourselves and like me, the ability to connect with people just like us is so special and so important. And so I'm really grateful for the work you guys do in creating that. so let me ask then, looking to tell the stories, starting with the podcast. Talk a little bit about where the Passion East is, project and community. How did that grow from that?

Nancy (00:09:08) -  So we've been doing the podcast and meeting incredible women and like you said, and I appreciate you saying this, like women who we could relate to when and women we were starting to connect to. Like as celebrity interviewers, you think you're making a connection with this person who you're never going to see again. And even if you do, they're not going to remember you, right? we started doing the interviews for the Passion Project and started making friends and hanging out and finding for ourselves this community of beautiful women who asked us what we needed as much as we asked them what they needed.

Nancy (00:09:49) -  And so we started to realize like how powerful it was. We both came from kind of male dominated worlds, especially me having worked in entertainment in a studio setting and a motion picture studio, and I was usually the only girl in the room, or one of the only girls in the room. And I was younger than everybody. And so I never had that feeling of being surrounded by women, except for in my family and with my sisters. And we have a great brother, too. But that sisterhood that I had growing up. And so the more Nancy and I started to benefit from this community we were building. We started to realize how beautiful it was to be surrounded by women. And when we were looking to find the best ways to serve the women in our community, we realized that everybody says to us the same thing, which is, I wish I had what you have. because they see Nancy and I were best friends, were sisters. We work together, we have fun together. We're just inseparable.

Nancy (00:10:59) -  And everybody that sees that, especially women who are solopreneurs and they're they're doing it on their own or they're activists or they're artists and they don't have this big structure around them. They really crave what Nancy and I have, which is even if it's just one other person who totally gets me or lets me be me or who I can just say anything to or let my hair down with. I want that, that's what, that's what I need. And so we were like, well, we can give them that. We know how to do that. And so we had already surrounded ourselves with all these amazing women. So now it's just a matter of introducing them to each other and welcoming more women in to build a bigger, broader, stronger network. So it was it was almost a no brainer. Once we realized that somebody pointed it out to us, it was like, oh, of course like that. That's easy. We can do that. So that was how it shifted into this new online sisterhood that we have.

Natalie Kime (00:11:58) -  Okay.

Natalie Kime (00:11:59) -  No, I, I like that too. So I do not have a sister. I have one older brother. And there have been so many times I thought, I wish I had a sister and I don't know. There's times I wish I had an older sister that could have given me advice. And then there's times I wish I had a younger sister that I could have done that for. and one of the things that you guys are so great at is bringing that experience to life in the community that you've created. and, and showing the way that we can connect with each other and just be authentically who we are. Have fun. Interact. And yes, there is a networking aspect to it. There's a business building aspect to it, but there is very much that personal connection of share what you're going through right now, because there's so many women in here who have maybe walked that path or who are also going through it or thinking about going through it in some aspect of their life that if you can pass that on to them, there's so much value in that.

Natalie Kime (00:13:02) -  and one of the, one of my favorite things you guys do, and we will share their, their social media is where you can follow them as they started. I don't know what it was maybe a couple months ago doing six tips and they are my absolute. They put out a lot of great contact content, but that's my absolute favorite because they are hilarious and I'm just going to reference real quickly. The most recent one, at least, that I saw was, help her get to the root of the problem, which is a very common thing. Right? How do I get to the root of this problem? But literally, Nancy is in the bathroom and with with Amy, but all you see is Nancy at first, and then it pans out and she's got the little, highlighter tube thing to do to help color, color the roots on Amy's hair. And so but I mean, it was the.

Natalie Kime (00:13:56) -  Perfect.

Natalie Kime (00:13:57) -  I don't know, it was the perfect play on words and just a ton of fun.

Natalie Kime (00:14:02) -  And there's so many other ones that are. How many of those do you guys have out now?

Amy (00:14:06) -  I think we're editing number 23 right now. We have so much fun doing them. And what you don't see behind the scenes is that we do them with our interns. So we have IU interns, Indiana University interns every semester. And so it's different, different young women who help us, and we ask them to shoot for shoot them for us. And, and then they edit them. And then we have so much fun. And our last intern wanted to do an outtake reel because we have we have so much fun doing them. And, but they shoot them. They do a great job. And we have 23. We have to I think Thursday we're going to be shooting another batch. So, okay.

Natalie Kime (00:14:51) -  We really I love.

Nancy (00:14:54) -  That one because I woke up and I was like, oh shoot, I need to color my hair. Let's do a step. So sometimes they just come out of the things we need.

Amy (00:15:03) -  And what you don't see is after the after we turned off the camera, Amy was like, okay, can you do it? And I'm like, I'm not going to color your hair for you.

Natalie Kime (00:15:09) -  She wants.

Natalie Kime (00:15:10) -  The whole she.

Natalie Kime (00:15:11) -  Wants to actually.

Amy (00:15:12) -  Color her hair. And I'm like, no, I'm not.

Nancy (00:15:15) -  Ruth wasn't that hard a job.

Natalie Kime (00:15:18) -  I love it, I love it. no, you definitely need to go follow those because they. There are a ton of fun, but they're also really valuable tips. It's great information of, you know, whether you have a sister or not. I mean, I don't know how many of my close friends and close business partners who are also friends. When I text them, it's, hey sis, what's going on? What is your day look like? And it's because when you allow yourself to, pull back the curtains or let down the walls around a community and a community can be one other person, it can be three other person, it can be 300.

Natalie Kime (00:15:55) -  But when you find those right communities where you can let all that down and truly be yourself and you make connections there, it's because those people are willingly doing the same thing. And that's when you can turn friends into family, as I like to say it.

Nancy (00:16:10) -  Yeah. And every tip starts with saying want to build better relationships because that's us is it's the foundation of good relationships is what Nancy and I have learned from each other over the years, you know?

Natalie Kime (00:16:23) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:16:24) -  No, I love that, I love that. Well, I'm going to circle back because I skipped over what my first question normally is. So I'm going to throw out my icebreaker question. And I this is the first time I'm interviewing two people at once, so I'm interested to see what your answers are. My question is, if you could be any superhero or heroine, who would you be and why?

Amy (00:16:50) -  Oh, that is hard to choose.

Nancy (00:16:54) -  Interesting. This is going to sound weird. I'll go first. Let's go. This is a weird answer, and I want to start by saying the passion.

Nancy (00:17:03) -  This this project is, is really a feminist organization, intersectional feminist organization. But we love men. So take this there men listening. Take this the right way. But Nancy and I have been talking lately about, buying a town in Italy.

Natalie Kime (00:17:20) -  Buying a little.

Nancy (00:17:20) -  Village. Not just buying a, like, a villa, but a village where all of our women friends can come and we can have retreats there. So I've been thinking a lot lately about Wonder Woman and and Amazonia or whatever it is, that land of all powerhouse women. So I've been thinking about that a lot lately, so I would probably have to say that. And plus, I would like to have an invisible plane. I think that would it.

Amy (00:17:46) -  And this is going to sound like a cop out because she just stole my answer. But I actually when you said it, I literally thought, I want to be Wonder Woman because I want an invisible plane.

Natalie Kime (00:17:59) -  Well, I mean, you.

Natalie Kime (00:18:00) -  Guys are sisters and friends.

Natalie Kime (00:18:03) -  So I'm not saying we really do.

Natalie Kime (00:18:05) -  Yeah. I mean, you could.

Natalie Kime (00:18:07) -  You guys are not twins.

Natalie Kime (00:18:09) -  But.

Natalie Kime (00:18:10) -  You and and you do. I mean, definitely, you have differences, but you marry so well together, and you do, feed off of one another in every project that you do, you come together very well, but you're also different. and so I think that answers great. And I think it's fine that, you know, every if every woman wanted to be a Wonder woman. I think there's so many personality traits within superheroes that we were often drawn to them, either because of maybe something we don't have that we wish we did. like an invisible plane, superhuman strength, whatever it might be. But we also get drawn to them, especially if you really watch them a lot, which I love all the superhero movies. I do think some are better than others. I'm not going to say it here, but I do think some franchises and the way they present the stories are better than others. But I love all of them.

Natalie Kime (00:19:07) -  And it it is because there is the fantasy side of it, the unreal. Like, you know, if only I had x ray vision or I could read someone's mind or whatever, all the things are, but But also if you really follow their stories and if you are a comic book person for real, it gets into more of their backstories. Then I think a lot of times the movies have the full opportunity to tell, but there's so many everyday components.

Natalie Kime (00:19:40) -  Of.

Natalie Kime (00:19:40) -  Them, right? So there is a way in that they are relatable for sure. And so that's why I like that question so much. And and most of the time the answer, as a matter of fact, I don't know if there has been a time that I thought really, I wouldn't have thought that's what they'd pick. Most of the time, it's like spot on with when they tell me. When someone tells me their answer, I can see it for the characteristics I know in the person I'm talking to, but also the character that they reference and you absolutely can't go wrong with with Wonder Woman for a million reasons.

Natalie Kime (00:20:15) -  But I think it plays perfectly into what you guys have created as wonder women in your own right, but also a space for women to become that in their own lives.

Natalie Kime (00:20:28) -  so.

Natalie Kime (00:20:29) -  I think, I think it's the perfect reference to.

Natalie Kime (00:20:32) -  What.

Natalie Kime (00:20:33) -  You specialize in and what's different about you guys in your community. So I want to ask you, you know what? What is what is it that's so important about being a part of a sisterhood of women?

Amy (00:20:50) -  Whose turn is it, Amy? Is it your turn? You go. Go. I'll go.

Natalie Kime (00:20:53) -  I mean.

Nancy (00:20:55) -  I think it's it's just there's nothing more supportive than then a group of women who come together to care for each other. It has transformed our lives completely. and I think we are the core audience as well, you know. I was like to joke that old hair club for men where we're not just members, we're the president. we so we can speak to the experience both as the people curating it, but as the people benefiting from it.

Nancy (00:21:32) -  And no matter what I'm going through, whether it's something I'm happy about and I want to share it and just have people rate me or I'm having a really hard day and I'm struggling and I just need somebody to say something, not even directly to me, but something that they say that I can connect to and know that that's the lesson I was supposed to hear that day from the universe. it happened earlier today with somebody that we just met for the first time. She said something and it was like, yeah, that was the thing that I needed to hear. it's just a beautiful place to be. And I think it's interesting. And, you know, we talk a lot in The Sisterhood about the social media world because it seems like you're in social media when you're in the sisterhood because it kind of looks like Facebook, even though it's not. It's a totally separate thing, but it's that it's the most positive elements of being on social media without all the other bad stuff. So you're not getting the infighting and the sniping or the the.

Nancy (00:22:40) -  It's funny, somebody said this once, not even mansplaining, but women splaining like, no one's there to solve anybody else's problems or tell you what to do, but they're there to just say, like, I, I hear you, and I know either I know what it's like or I can't relate. But that must be so hard. And, it's just I don't know how I'd make it through the day at this point if I couldn't check in.

Natalie Kime (00:23:06) -  With.

Nancy (00:23:07) -  My sisterhood. And. And that is how I feel about Nancy. It's like we have done what we wanted to do. We've recreated this feeling, and there's studies that show how much healthier physically and mentally a woman's life is when they surround themselves with other women and with the community of women? It's just it's good for you. You know, it's scientifically proven to be good for you. And we we can say the real benefits of that, you know.

Natalie Kime (00:23:35) -  Yeah, absolutely. And I, we had touched, I think, on a few components about sisterhood, but I wanted to circle back specifically to that community because I think that's true.

Natalie Kime (00:23:45) -  And, you know, I even said.

Natalie Kime (00:23:48) -  We.

Natalie Kime (00:23:48) -  Actually talked before this just kind of a touch based call. And I said, I need to plug in there more. And that's really a part of it. You know, there's an opportunity absolutely for me to talk about what I do and share about things I have going on in that community. But it's also I need to tap into that community for what I get from it, for what's waiting there for me. Not. It's it's like the cake is what's waiting there for me. What I have to contribute, what I have the ability to contribute there is like the frosting or the sprinkles on top or whatever. Right. But but it's it's there's there's so much there. And you're right. It is. I'm going to I'm going to call it for what it is. The passion needs does does not have a whole bunch of keyboard warriors back there telling you if you use the wrong form of two or there or. And don't get me wrong, I often think I should have been an editor because every single book I read I will find it to.

Natalie Kime (00:24:44) -  And I'm like, they paid people to edit this book. And I found that, but I'm not the one who's going to get on my keyboard and tell you when I'm going to correct myself, when I realize I do something wrong. I do that even in text messages. But that's what you see every single day. If you go into the comments of things on open social media and all of that, you see the ways that people are just looking for a way to tear somebody down to make them feel less than. And the community you've created is 100% to do the opposite. But not only is it created to do that, it is actually doing it. And when you get in the chats in there, you see exactly what you said, Amy. Somebody may not fully relate. They haven't walked in those shoes, but they're still showing up for you to say that I see you and I hear you, and I think that's what's so important, and that it is a community for for women, for sure.

Natalie Kime (00:25:41) -  because we need our own places, just like guys need. What is it? The gym, the golf course, the places they go to congregate and to get together, and the things that feed their souls that they get excited about. and it's and it's online, by the way, we're definitely going to talk about how how people can tap into that here in a few minutes. But it's online, so it's a place that every woman anywhere can go. If you have the internet, I mean, you can get to this community and you can contribute to it, but you also can glean from it. And that.

Natalie Kime (00:26:16) -  We have women from.

Nancy (00:26:18) -  We have women from Australia and Canada and Japan and Brazil and all across America, all across Canada. So there, you know, you can meet people who are living or all around the world. One of one of our dearest friends now is Australian and and you know, one of them is Canadian. And we just meet, you know, you can meet really and really interesting people.

Nancy (00:26:41) -  You know, they're like, I'm constantly amazed when people introduce themselves. It's like, you do what? And how did you find us? And this is amazing. You know, we have someone that does that now or feels that or lives that lifestyle and, and everybody's really respectful of each other. That's the only rule is just like, you have to be kind. You have to be respectful.

Natalie Kime (00:27:02) -  Yeah. Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:27:04) -  And I want to touch on a couple other components. So, there there is the chat, there's the interaction, there's the sharing information, pulling information. But you guys do a couple other things within the community that are really special, that are designed to bring people together and provide education. So do you want to talk a little bit about what those other components are that make it, I think, very different than social media?

Natalie Kime (00:27:32) -  Sure.

Amy (00:27:33) -  Yeah. So we actually have, what we call our power fashionistas. And our power fashionistas are the experts in our community. And through them there are courses, there are workshops, there are classes, and opportunities to interact with them.

Amy (00:27:50) -  So we have right now a full year long series of courses, they started a few months ago. So the ones that have already happened are there and you can access them any time. And then we're rolling more out. We started with Doctor Melissa Bird, who did a course on trusting your intuition. And right now we are in the middle of Kylee Stone's class about finding your purpose. in a couple of weeks, we're starting with Lauren Best's hypnotherapy course about giving yourself permission. and then after that, this fall, we're talking with, Crystal Alice Walker's doing her course on diversity, equity and inclusion, and, and followed by Julie DeLuca. Collins, who will be now that you've trusted your intuition, you found your purpose. You understand how to include everyone else in your vision. What are the steps you need to take to bring that purpose and that vision to life? So we have this whole arc of courses that are happening over this year. And, and it's really the journey that Amy and I took last year because we, you know, like we said, we started with a podcast and this whole thing just sort of snowballed.

Amy (00:28:58) -  And we never had a plan. We just were going along every day with what should what should we do next? And someone said to us, you know, you're driving down the street while you're looking at the map and you guys need to take a break, stop at a rest stop, pull over, look at the map, plan out your route, and then get back on the highway. So we did that and we took a year to rebrand and that's how we arrived at the sisterhood and the online program. But so this courses that we've mapped out are with the coaches that we worked with. And it's really the journey we took to defining, really defining what our purposes and what our mission is, and taking the steps we needed to take to bring this vision to life. And as you see, it worked for us. So we are really encouraging everyone to take these courses because it worked for us. So it can work for you.

Natalie Kime (00:29:48) -  Yeah, and that was.

Natalie Kime (00:29:49) -  Right about the time that I met you guys.

Natalie Kime (00:29:52) -  so, Julie DeLuca. Collins, who they just they just mentioned is my business coach and my friend, she's also my podcast producer. And so through her mastermind community that we all happen to be a part of. I got to know Amy and Nancy, and it was right at the point you had developed the idea and you had your timeline in place. And I know I kind of saw that.

Natalie Kime (00:30:17) -  That.

Natalie Kime (00:30:17) -  Journey of you had a timeline in place, and I know of a handful of times that that timeline got bumped for different things. and so there was a whole journey there. Even once you have your purpose and you have your idea of getting there. So my next question is, I guess, what's the word I'm trying to think of staying the course, right. So there's finding your purpose. So maybe talk a little bit about the steps in finding your purpose and moving into creating that reality. But then also, staying the course. And when things are hitting you in the face and trying to hold you back.

Natalie Kime (00:30:58) -  But you know that's your purpose.

Natalie Kime (00:31:00) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:31:00) -  Keeping things moving in that.

Natalie Kime (00:31:02) -  Direction, I can.

Amy (00:31:03) -  Address the staying the course.

Natalie Kime (00:31:04) -  Part. There you go.

Amy (00:31:06) -  Because one of our biggest obstacles in the midst of everything last year was that I got really sick. Yeah. and, you know, Amy, Amy and I always say to, to women, you know, we we understand you're on your own. You're feeling overwhelmed. You're doing it by yourself. And we can relate to that. When in reality, it wasn't until I was sick and basically in bed for four months last year that Amy really found out what it was like to do it all by herself. Yeah. And, and so she kept the ball moving and kept the agenda moving forward until I was able to get back into it. And so, you know, it just it just, it really drove home how important the sisterhood is and how important having a support system in place is. and for anyone watching, I'm fine. Now.

Amy (00:32:00) -  It's I'm I'm all better, but, it was a crazy few months, and, it really fueled our fire to keep going and and reach the finish line. You know, I think some people may have taken that as a sign of like, oh, this is this is too much and we can't do it. And it would have fallen apart. But Amy was amazing and kept going. And then we just pushed the deadline a few months and kept going. And it it fueled us to make it across the finish line.

Nancy (00:32:35) -  Well, and I also think that one of the things that we learned from Kylie Stone, who's teaching the class about finding your purpose and who was our coach last year specifically for branding and really stripping down, like what we were doing, what our offering was and how we were, executing on it. And we even recently, like we did that whole year with Kylie. But now that we're taking her course again on In The Sisterhood, we started talking one day.

Natalie Kime (00:33:06) -  How.

Nancy (00:33:06) -  Once you find your purpose, once you know what you're here to do, then even on the hard days, even when it feels like.

Natalie Kime (00:33:18) -  Yeah.

Nancy (00:33:18) -  But I got to pay my bills and the money's not coming in or. Yeah, but we don't have any idea how to do that. And we need to figure it out, and we don't know where to start. Whatever that obstacle is, you know that you are going to get through it or jump over it because nothing is going to stop you from fulfilling your purpose.

Natalie Kime (00:33:42) -  Yeah.

Nancy (00:33:42) -  And Nancy and I know 100% we are here. And she was given more time. Yeah. Specifically because we are supposed to do this. We are the people who are supposed to help the women. I mean, I don't know if we clearly have said that a lot of the women in our community are from our from marginalized communities. So we welcome AAPI women and black women and women with disabilities and indigenous women in a way that they've told us they don't feel welcomed in other spaces. And we do that by letting them be themselves and talk for themselves, rather than talking about them or talking for them. This is a place where they can come, and they can educate us and inspire us to educate ourselves on issues that we might not otherwise be aware of.

Nancy (00:34:31) -  So we know that we are the people that are here to do this and that we're doing something that no one else is doing, and that a lot of the times people stop doing this because they can't make money off of this, you know, this mission or thrive because of the space that they're in. And that's exactly why we are never going to stop, because we're not going to abandon these people that we love and are committed to. So it's easier to get through the hard days, or it's easier to let yourself have a hard day and wake up the next morning with a fresh perspective, knowing that this is what you're here to do, because there's nothing that will stop you from doing it.

Natalie Kime (00:35:20) -  That's really beautifully said. Because truly, you know, in in my business, we talk about when somebody is coming in and they're starting their new business and you hear it really everywhere. What your why what your what your purpose, what your why. There's a lot of different ways that people say it.

Natalie Kime (00:35:34) -  The reason that's so important is because if it's not big, if it doesn't make you emotional, you are going to give up and walk away when it gets hard. And, you know, another thing is every level has a different devil and you can apply that to a million different aspects in life. But from an entrepreneur perspective, every time you're getting ready to hit a breakthrough, that next level in income, that next level in clientele, that next level of, you know, for you guys, you had the podcast and then now you're trying to create the community, right? Right before that breakthrough. And my own mentors in my business and in life have told me the same thing. Just keep going, Natalie. And I'm at the point now that when those things come, I just start stacking them, right? I just start stacking them because I'm like, how many is it going to be this time before the window opens or the door opens? Because I know it's going to open. I'm I have evidence.

Natalie Kime (00:36:32) -  Right. So you have that proof by things in the past that you're going to get there, but you're growing and this is a big level. So is it ten things. Is it five things? Is it two really big things? They're going to try and slap me in the face, or pin me against the wall and keep me from my purpose. And so that's why going through that exercise, to really get down to the root of chasing what you're truly called to do, it's so important because when it gets hard, you will run. if you're not doing it for the right reason, you know? And the paths we get there are so different for for every single person. And I think, you know, my my podcast is Nickels and Dimes and it's about getting financial education out there. So some of my listeners may be thinking right now, what's this episode about This episode isn't only only me.

Natalie Kime (00:37:26) -  Or.

Natalie Kime (00:37:27) -  This. This podcast, I should say, isn't only about working with me and the products that I have that can change people's lives financially.

Natalie Kime (00:37:37) -  Like all of those people that I hope to work with and help come from a million different walks of life, and they do a whole bunch of different things as a career. And so showing examples of success and starting to have guests on that tell their stories of how they found their purpose, how they transition, pivoted in a career, whatever that might be, plays into all of that. Because when when you know you're doing what you're you're called to do, number one, you're not going to quit on it. Number two, you're going to keep pushing until you hit success. And for success. It can be a million different things. It's not necessarily a dollar amount in your bank account. Right. So it's about sharing those stories of people who are chasing that and putting them in the opportunity where they can have life freedom. And then I hope to plug in with a lot of people to give them the financial peace that goes along with that, so they can continue chasing that passion, chasing that purpose that they have.

Natalie Kime (00:38:40) -  So that is the tie in, you know, for this episode and also the journey to get here. Right? You guys walked away from I have to imagine very lucrative careers in the industries that you were in. Clearly from your bio, you guys were no good at what you did. I mean, come on Oprah. Hello? I haven't I haven't gotten there yet, but someday, Oprah, if you're listening, someday we'll sit down and talk. But. So stepping away from that to chase your purpose and trying to figure out how do I get by, right? How do I make a living doing this thing I'm called to do is kind of the next direction I want to go. It does tie in with with what I do, right. Making sure that you can cover your bills, you can buy your groceries, you can do all of those things. So, how is that transition for you guys as business owners, business creators, you know, driving while looking at the map, trying to figure out your next direction and build on this thing, whatever Whatever industry it is, whatever it is, you choose a job or, you know, creating a business of your own.

Natalie Kime (00:39:53) -  There's a struggle.

Natalie Kime (00:39:54) -  Right?

Natalie Kime (00:39:55) -  There's a struggle in in working towards that success. So if I can ask you guys to maybe I don't know if it's be a little vulnerable, but kind of talk about that journey for you guys in it goes along with staying the course right and creating what you're creating. So what has that looked like?

Natalie Kime (00:40:13) -  Yeah.

Amy (00:40:14) -  Yeah. I mean, it's the struggle is real. We're here with it. and we've had ups and downs. I mean, when, when Amy left, Warner Brothers and I left the ad agency where I was working for that was doing the Academy Award campaigns, we didn't know what we were going to do. We didn't know what the next step was. we were working with a friend on a project. That was it was her passion project, and we were helping her out. And we're like, well, you know, we had aspirations that this will be huge and we'll make tons of money. But it was all a pipe dream at that point.

Amy (00:40:49) -  And we realized very early on, like, this is her dream, not our dream. And if it's not our dream, we're not going to be able to make it happen for her. You you know? and then that's when we, you know, stumbled into the world of celebrity interviewing. But I think I've always been an entrepreneur. I started my own business right out of college. I have had very few, quote unquote, real jobs with bosses. and so I've always felt secure in knowing that no matter how bad things get, it all works out the way it's supposed to. it was a little harder. I don't want to speak for her, but it was a little harder for Amy because she was in the studio system and she had her security. She had a contract and she had security, and she was making good money. And so that was a bigger leap for her. But because we were doing it together, she felt safe knowing that we could do it. But, you know, there have been highs and lows all along.

Amy (00:41:55) -  And, you know, in all honesty, financially, right now we're in a little bit of a dip because we, you know, we have all of this time that we've been doing the fashionista project. We've had pop culture fashionistas, and we've had clients that pay us to do stuff. And we lost one of our biggest clients recently. So, you know, like, life throws your curveballs and you got to figure out how to hit them, how to hit them out of the park.

Nancy (00:42:21) -  I also think, Natalie, I know this is something you talk about, which is that right? And for us, for a long time with the Genesis Project we were struggling with, we're trying to help people, and we're especially trying to help people from marginalized communities. So how is it okay for us to try and profit off of that? And we were feeling really weird about, like, are we making money off of.

Natalie Kime (00:42:49) -  These.

Nancy (00:42:50) -  Challenges? And then we read a book that I cannot think of.

Nancy (00:42:55) -  The name of the book. I will get you the name of it, but it was a woman who basically went to Africa and adopted a child. And while she was there, she saw all these women who were struggling financially, but they were making these beautiful products, beautiful jewelry. And she brought the jewelry back and started selling the jewelry at like, kind of Tupperware ish parties, and sending the proceeds back to the women in the villages so that they were then making steady incomes and they could help other women in the villages thrive. So she was helping local women in the States thrive because she had built this now multimillion dollar company. All these women had sources of income here and then. All the money was going back for the sale, from the sales to the women who were creating the products. And it was reading that book, that made us realize, like, it's okay, we we need to thrive. We need to build this into something that makes us money that that we're comfortable living off of so that a we can hire other women and feed back into the economy of women that way, but also just because Why is it why? Why have we created a system in the world where people who do good make less money and struggle? Like, why is that the norm when all these activists or people out there with small business owners who really are out there trying to do something really positive, aren't getting the income and the recognition that they deserve? So it's been a money mind mindset shift for us over the course of the last few years.

Nancy (00:44:42) -  Like we're not taking advantage of anybody by making ourselves giving ourselves a sustainable lifestyle. And frankly, we're helping more people. If we can make money so that they can make money. It's part of the reason with the Passion Project sisterhood, we have an affiliate program so that if somebody brings in a premium member, they get 20% of that of the income from that member for the length of that membership. Because we want if we're thriving, we want everybody involved in who's supporting us to thrive. So we're constantly trying to figure out ways to make money so that we can continue to serve everybody, but also set things up in a way, set up this micro economy like, oh, Natalie is a financial coach and so-and-so needs a financial coach. Well, they should go to Natalie because she's in the sisterhood. So build this micro economy of fashionistas buying from fashionistas first and foremost. And that way we can all thrive together and wipe away this concept that, like, it's normal to struggle when you're trying to do something good for the world.

Natalie Kime (00:45:57) -  Yeah, and I think your community does a really good job of that. First of all, you guys are definitely connectors. definitely connectors. I don't know how many times, you know, we've had a conversation or we're on our mastermind and in the chat I get a message, hey, we need to connect you with so-and-so or, you know, through through the fashionistas. You guys message me and say, you need to meet so-and-so. They do this in the financial world, and it's a different component that I do, but another resource and relationship that I can build. So when I have clients that have a need in that area, I have somebody that I trust that I can send them to and that I know is going to not only take care of them, but represent me well for that connection. And so you're right, we should not feel guilty for making the money we make off of chasing our our passions and fulfilling our purpose. It's throughout chasing our passion and fulfilling our purpose. Are we opening doors and windows for other people to do the same thing? And I think that the passion is does the sisterhood, that whole community that you guys have created is at a core to connect people authentically?

Natalie Kime (00:47:07) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:47:07) -  However, it also happens to bring with that so much opportunity for growth, not just as individual individuals, but through connections, collaborations, spotlighting businesses and things that people do. And so it is that opportunity for women to not continue to live, in, in poverty or, you know, having to choose to go without.

Natalie Kime (00:47:35) -  Right?

Natalie Kime (00:47:35) -  Instead, they're seeing examples of people who are chasing their dreams. They're building relationships with people that can help them to do the same thing. And pretty soon they can build their own life within their own hands and their own control to create a life of maybe even more than what they need, right to where they can start to truly thrive, and then turn around and reach back and help somebody else to do the same thing. So there's a very big difference. Then, you know, if you guys were just like, $50, $100, $500 and there was no value there, there there's complete value in this community. Absolutely. And it's one of the reasons that I said earlier that I need to tap back into it more because it's a place that I have the ability to serve.

Natalie Kime (00:48:29) -  It's a place where innately you can go to give.

Natalie Kime (00:48:35) -  And.

Natalie Kime (00:48:36) -  Also receive, but go with the intent to give.

Natalie Kime (00:48:39) -  That's.

Nancy (00:48:40) -  Yeah, that's one of our favorite things about it is that people come expecting. I think people go to, to most online communities to say, what can I get out of this? And I'm not saying that people don't do that in our community as well. But the number of people who come and say, what can I give to everybody is like nothing I've seen anywhere else. And we always say the people, the people in our community who a lot of them we speak to on a regular basis, we know a lot of the women, you know, there's some were just starting to get to know, they're the kind of people that when you're on a call with them, they always say, what can I do for you? They are not just there to take and you really, really feel that. And and going back to something you said earlier and kind of echoed throughout, like early on, someone said to us, what you need in the community is like a Brené Brown.

Nancy (00:49:40) -  You need like some huge name expert, and we totally love and respect her. But we were like, that's not what this is. This is a space where you come and you see women who are living a lifestyle that you can relate to and that you can attain. And you're not talking about Tony Robbins having a private island and like, oh, gee, that would be great. I'd love to have my own island or invisible plane. But the reality is, I would like to have a life where I can go out to dinner when I want to, or take a trip or whatever that thing is that fuels you and feed your soul. This is a place where you can come and you can see other women who are doing that, and you can connect to them and understand like it makes what your dream is achievable. It's not some pipe dream that may be. Someday you'll luckily, you know, achieve. This is like living a real day to day life.

Natalie Kime (00:50:39) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:50:39) -  And I think, honestly, you know, I love Brené Brown.

Natalie Kime (00:50:42) -  I love her books too. If you had somebody like that, with a significant presence in there, I would imagine it would also require the cost to participate to be higher, which means the women you're most trying to serve might once again not be able to show up in the community because of their current situations. And so, look, I think the community that you're building and the people that the amazing women that you have in there and the way you're spotlighting the work that that they're doing, is why that idea of what can I give to this community exists, right? Your your spotlighting them and giving them an opportunity to grow and build their businesses. And they're doing that by giving the expertise to they that they have to the community to help other women take that next step wherever they're at in their own journey. And I, I think that's really beautiful. I think that that is the kind of value that good communities, good sisterhood, good connections can provide that don't have anything to do with a dollar amount.

Natalie Kime (00:52:00) -  Yeah, right.

Natalie Kime (00:52:01) -  And so the fact that there is in your community, I do want to touch on this, as we're, we're kind of beginning to wind down. Is that your community is set up so that any women, any woman, excuse me, can join your community. For free.

Natalie Kime (00:52:23) -  Yes.

Natalie Kime (00:52:24) -  And as they learn and grow and have the opportunity, then there's places that they can plug in into a paid membership.

Natalie Kime (00:52:33) -  That.

Natalie Kime (00:52:34) -  Allows, allows them to do even more.

Natalie Kime (00:52:36) -  Yes. Correct. Yeah.

Amy (00:52:38) -  Yeah, yeah. We have we have two tiers. We have the free membership, which is really robust. And you can get incredible value out of that. And that's really where all the connections happen. The premium membership is really where the education and resources are. and but we also have a scholarship program so that because, because we are so intent on helping women in marginalized communities and understanding that more, more often than not, those are the women that don't have the resources to join a paid membership and would benefit from the educational experiences behind the paywall.

Amy (00:53:17) -  we have a scholarship program, so anyone who signs up for a premium membership for a year, we automatically gift a membership to somebody who can't afford it, and we are also in the process now of going out and getting sponsors so that we can raise money to have blocks of scholarships to give out. We've partnered with several, female based, charities already. we have a domestic violence women's shelter and arts arts, organization for women with disabilities. And we offer their members free scholarships. So and we'll be expanding that program as we start to get more sponsors. So, it is our goal to not exclude anybody. And, you know, like you said, the free the free level is really all you need. But if you want more, it's there. And and we want to encourage women to come to us if they can't afford it and ask because we will let them in. We have scholarships.

Natalie Kime (00:54:20) -  Yeah.

Natalie Kime (00:54:21) -  I think that's a beautiful part of what you do. That's evidence that, your mission and your goal is what drives you first and foremost.

Natalie Kime (00:54:33) -  yes. You you still have bills to pay and all of that. But the work that you guys feel like you're called to do that I believe without a shadow of a doubt that you've been called to do is bigger than, the paycheck, and it's meant to be all inclusive, and you guys are finding a way to make that happen. So, I want to ask you one last question. I want you each to respond to this, if you will. And then I want to get into where can people find you and that connection piece before we close things down. But when it comes to the passion project and the sisterhood and the community, what are you most proud of?

Amy (00:55:16) -  I'm most proud that we did it. I'm most proud that we had this vision a year ago of what this would look like. And it's happening. We wake up every day and we text each other, oh, look, so and so joined. And she said this and she did that and she posted this like, it's just it's thrilling.

Amy (00:55:34) -  It's it's really thrilling to just witness it actually happening.

Natalie Kime (00:55:39) -  Yeah.

Nancy (00:55:39) -  And I'm most proud of the change I see it making in other people's lives. I see people who have felt unheard and unseen being embraced by other people. I see people learning about people from different backgrounds that they might not have considered before. Like I always give this example, we did an event where it was all women with disabilities doing comedy, and they're all comedians, and they did a night of comedy. And then we had a roundtable conversation, and one of the women said when they were asked, how can we be better allies? And one woman said, if you don't have a disability and you go to a restaurant and you see that they don't have an accessible bathroom, say something. Such a simple thing. And everybody without a disability was like, oh I didn't think about that. I can do that. And we've had so many people say that to us years now after that event that they heard that and they do it.

Nancy (00:56:43) -  And the fact that those kinds of things are rippling out, and we're seeing people in a million years that we never thought would meet each other or have any like we're constantly surprised by the connections that are being made, like, oh, yeah, I didn't think about those two, but it makes total sense.

Natalie Kime (00:57:02) -  Yeah.

Nancy (00:57:02) -  And so seeing women connecting, seeing them supporting each other in a very difficult time in the world where people are so quick to jump on each other's differences in a bad way and and embracing each other and loving each other and helping each other is I'm so proud of that. And I just want to do more and more of it every day.

Natalie Kime (00:57:24) -  Yeah, I love that. I love those answers. Thank you guys. I do think.

Natalie Kime (00:57:28) -  That.

Natalie Kime (00:57:29) -  If we'll truly take the time to step back and look around, not not with what we see. That's the easy. That's the cop out. In my opinion. That's the easy way, right? But what you feel by being around different people, regardless of their religious beliefs, their political beliefs, where they come from, how much money they make, what they look like.

Natalie Kime (00:57:57) -  The way that people make you.

Natalie Kime (00:57:59) -  Feel.

Natalie Kime (00:58:01) -  Makes all the difference in the world. And I think because the world is so busy and so many things are coming at us all the time, it's hard to slow down and listen to that sense that we have, you know, our intuition about people and the ability taking the time to and and having the ability to connect with other people, we are truly more alike than we are different. And I just had that conversation with a great friend of mine the other day, who is so gracious at my ignorance. she is an amazing, strong, powerful black woman who is finding ways in her small community in Central Texas to change the game, and she has shown me so much grace in asking questions over the last 2 or 3 years that we've known each other to understand what she's trying to create and why that's so important, because my life and my experience is very different. my culture, my upbringing, the things I'm automatically entitled to in ways is so much different, and she gives me so much grace in fumbling through the question, trying to say the right thing or ask it the right way.

Natalie Kime (00:59:13) -  and it's been such an opportunity and experience to learn. And I think that in, in so many ways that exists in the community you guys have created. So I will say my thing that I'm most proud of, about the passion list is in the sisterhood you guys are creating is that you've created it. That is changing people's lives. But honestly, the opportunity, just the opportunity for any woman from any place, in any financial situation, it's a space for.

Natalie Kime (00:59:47) -  You.

Natalie Kime (00:59:48) -  And it's a place that you belong. And it's a place that when you show up, you'll feel that. And so that's the thing I'm most proud of, is that you're not just doing something on the surface. It really is what you intended it to be. And anybody who steps into that community can feel it. So I'm grateful to you guys for creating that. And I'm grateful again for you guys being here with me today. And as we close things out, I want to ask, where can people find you? definitely IG so they can see those cis tips, but how can they find the community? And is there something you guys have going on that you want people to know about?

Amy (01:00:32) -  Well, they can find us at the Passion Sisters project.com.

Amy (01:00:37) -  You go there and it'll link you out to all our socials. It'll link you into the community where you can sign up for a free membership or paid membership. and it'll also you can find the podcast there and everything. As far as what's coming up, what do we want to plug? Amy, what do we got?

Nancy (01:00:53) -  Let's say the big thing that we were telling Natalie about earlier.

Amy (01:00:57) -  All right. Go ahead.

Nancy (01:00:58) -  Now you tell it.

Amy (01:00:59) -  All right. We are. We are opening up our power, fashionistas, program by the end of probably July. and we're giving women the opportunity to become power fashionista. So they're experts in our community and also go on a journey with us to learn how to tell their story. So they. There will be a workshop, a six week workshop with Amy. And I will lead you through the process of choosing what your story of empowerment women's empowerment is and teaching you how to tell that story in written form and in audio form, so that at the end of the course, you will have a chapter that will go into our anthology book and a video that will go into a summit next year.

Amy (01:01:46) -  so we're really excited to introduce this program and it'll be happening, through through this through the end of the summer and into the fall. We'll be taking applications and bring people into that.

Natalie Kime (01:01:58) -  Yes, I love it.

Natalie Kime (01:02:00) -  And I mean, as you guys got get the applications and things ready to launch, please share them with me so I can get them out to my community and the listeners. I can go in and add the links into this episode when all of that's ready. I just believe so much in what you guys are doing. I'm grateful to be a part of it. It's helped me to grow, and it's given me an opportunity to help other people to grow through, through my expertise. So again, thank you guys for being here. I appreciate your time. I'm sure at some point we'll come back and and talk again. I always get excited about the opportunities I have to connect and messages to share as your community continues to grow. Will definitely do that. So thank you everybody who has listened in to this episode.

Natalie Kime (01:02:46) -  I appreciate you joining us again today for the Nickels and Dimes podcast. I'm your host, Natalie Kim, and I look forward to continuing to bring you amazing content each week that will educate you, support you, and most importantly, help you to find financial freedom. So until next week, take care and stay safe.