155. Life’s Journey isn’t a Straight Line

“When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home.

– Rumi

I am pumped to welcome longtime friend and fellow entrepreneur to the T&T mic, Courtney Mcrae! Courtney and I reconnected at our 20-year high school reunion few years ago and I have been excited to do this podcast ever since! Courtney has an amazing background in all thing’s food (even working as a pastry chef in Australia), event planning, and currently runs a B&B on a working ranch in Wyoming with her husband Scott. Courtney shares her journey thus far and how letting go of the traditional path led her to finding herself and the ability to consciously pivot, seek good therapy (as we all should), and then create space to let the universe show her that it is indeed working in her favor. This is an awesome convo for anyone learning to let go and keep the faith, we have all been there- and will likely be there again at some point. We have to remember that if we follow our hearts and show as best we can, the plans ahead will be better than anything we could have planned ourselves. This breakdown and breakthrough will be a continuous process our whole lives – keep this podcast and some tequila handy:)

This one is a video, so be sure to check us out on You Tube!

Highlights:

Life’s journey…and some technical difficulties on this podcast, but we stayed in it! Holding on vs. letting go. Hard learned lessons are the best worst. Don’t date someone in a band. Big choices, even when they are not our own. Trusting your gut and giving yourself grace. Fertility after 40 and grow up conversations. Breakdowns, breakthroughs and the continued process of “always learning”.

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155. Life’s Journey Isn’t a Straight Line

Courtney Mcrae:

Hello! I’m Courtney, but you can call me “Court.” HoldingCourt.com is a place where I can share what I have learned through my experience as a pastry chef, caterer and event planner… it’s the place where “holding court” with Courtney comes to life. I started noticing that friends and family were coming to me when they had cooking and entertaining questions. I love being able to help, so here we are, “holding court” together to simplify life with easy recipes, tips for entertaining and other things to come.

I’ve been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my mom needed to find ways to keep me occupied while she was making dinner: she would fill a pot in the sink with soap and water and put a stool in front so I could climb up there and make my famous “Pea Pie Soup.”

Cut to a few years later, you could still find me helping my mom in the kitchen, but I added entertaining into the mix. Anytime we hosted a holiday gathering, I was at-the-ready to help.

Throughout my childhood and beyond, I spent lots of time around food and in the kitchen. I cooked for friends in college every Thursday night and fell more and more in love with cooking every day.

In 2002, I moved to Sydney Australia for 6 months. I got a job in a fancy French restaurant where I spent most days peeling shallots, chopping herbs, making sauces and prepping salads. I also had the honor of learning from a very talented chef who taught me the importance of being organized in the kitchen.

With my new skills in tow, I was back in the US and ready to work in another restaurant. I moved to Boulder and got a job as a pastry chef at The Med. I learned a lot about breads and pastries and spent my days baking up a storm.

After graduation, I started a catering company and took on personal chef gigs at the same time…not the brightest idea! It was brutal work and I was a one-woman-show. My boyfriend (now husband), Scott, eventually became my dishwasher, which helped a ton, but it was just too much and I found myself starting to dread the round-the-clock hours.

Around this same time, I started working in event planning and hospitality, which tied my love of food to my love of entertaining. I continued down this path, which brings us to today… Scott and I run a seasonal B&B on a ranch in Wyoming. All of my entertaining, hospitality, and cooking experiences are put to use everyday! Getting our B&B up-and-running also fueled my burgeoning interests in decorating & interior design: it’s safe to say I will always be ready to learn and try new things… and I’ll be ready to share them with you. Thanks for being here to support me: celebrating food, entertaining, and life after 40… with Courtney!

www.HoldingCourt.com

@courtneymcrae

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Get In Touch With T&T:

IG: @TurmericTequila

Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila

Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com

Host: Kristen Olson

IG: @Madonnashero

Tik Tok: @Madonnashero 

Website: www.KOAlliance.com

154. How to Retire by 40!

“Retirement is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of the open highway.”

–Unknown

This is an awesome conversation about something we are all concerned about, money! I am excited to welcome Tommy Jones to the T&T mic to share his journey and relationship with money. Tommy is a fellow podcaster (How The Hell Are We Friends), entrepreneur, investor… and retired at 34! Tommy shares how he changed his mind set to change his bank account. Like many of us, Tommy grew up with a scarcity mindset around money, but with society’s prescription that we actually need to buy more. This is a great convo for anyone looking to break the cycle and get their money or financial health right. Like any other health approach, it’s not just one thing, it’s the whole human approach. Tommy share tips, tricks, and pro tips on how to level up your financial game, easy ways to start that journey now, and how to recognize the power of the community currently around you to support that overall wellness journey… so you can retire financially early and get on to the next phase of purposeful living.

This one is a video, so be sure to check us out on You Tube!

Highlights:

Financially retiring early. Taking life one step at a time. Living aware and making conscious change. Setting goals, achieving them, and not always having it all figured out. Continuous evolution. The whole human approach. Money, mindset, saving, and being present.

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154. How To Retire At 40!

Tommy Jones:

I am a 34-year-old retiree, I accomplished this massive goal in many different ways, most people think it’s only about my investing strategy, which I definitely cover on how the hell are we friends podcast, but that was only one aspect. I cover all the topics like mental health, physical health, and different philosophies that have helped my friends and me that I have coached to live a more financially free life. The name of the podcast How the hell are we friends, is also a massive contributing factor to our success. I often speak about ways we can have conversations to understand rather than to win, and in the process, we can walk away with a broader perspective that allows us to understand and navigate in the world we live in a little better.

How The Hell Are We Friends, Podcast

We all want to be understood, but how much time do we spend trying to understand others. We will dive deep into varying perspectives on Growth, Self-improvement, Mindset, Empathy, Wealth, and Financial Literacy with host Tommy Jones and friends. We will discuss thought-provoking topics that will have opposing viewpoints; however, our focus will be on having a conversation to understand rather than a conversation to win.

https://howthehellarewefriends.buzzsprout.com

@howthehellarewefriends

. . .

Get In Touch With T&T:

IG: @TurmericTequila

Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila

Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com

Host: Kristen Olson

IG: @Madonnashero

Tik Tok: @Madonnashero 

Website: www.KOAlliance.com

153. Trust The Process

“Hold the Vision…drop the excuses…remember your why. Swerve around obstacles…trust the process. Happiness and success will find you.”

— Karen Salmansohn

I am so excited to welcome Chastity Fant to the T&T mic! Chastity is a former D1 athlete (basketball), fellow podcaster, NFL wife, mother of 3, AND Co-Founder of the Fant Foundation. Chastity and her family have a pretty amazing story and are walking proof that you should/need to trust the process. We all know, we need to show up, but there are few factors we really do control. Chastity shares her journey in faith and her passion to give back. The Fant foundation is making big waves teaching life skills through sports and other initiatives to support their local community. Chastity and George, Chastity’s husband and Co- Founder, hope to grow the organization nationally at one point and share the good blessings that have come their way- in all the ways that they can. If you aren’t sure on your next move or “how” something is going to happen, this is the convo for you. Maybe start with doing something for someone else and see what happens.

 

This one is a video, so be sure to check us out on You Tube!

Highlights:

Keeping the faith and trusting the process. Larger order and letting go. Giving where you can and receiving blessings in return. Teamwork, sacrifice, commitment, success. Athletics, life skills, and building community. Leading by example.

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153. Trust The Process with Chastity Fant

The Fant Foundation’s aim is to strengthen and uplift today’s youth by showing kindness and support through every action in the communities we are a part of.


About The Fant Foundation:

The Fant Foundation was founded in 2021 by George and Chastity Fant. Our aim is to strengthen and uplift today’s youth in our communities though event and engaging with the community. We strive to continue the legacy of Dream Big Camp and generate more community support through our events.

About The Fant Family:

George and Chasity met in 2008. They attended WKU together from 2011 – 2015, where they discovered their passions aligned leading them to want to give back to their community in whatever way needed.  After the first annual Dream Big Camp George and Chasity knew this was something they wanted to continue to do for a very long time, from there they continued to build a legacy by expanding to the Fant Foundation.

www.FantFoundation.org

@fant_foundation

@chas_gooch30

. . .

Get In Touch With T&T:

IG: @TurmericTequila

Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila

Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com

Host: Kristen Olson

IG: @Madonnashero

Tik Tok: @Madonnashero 

Website: www.KOAlliance.com