Podcast Episode 91: Getting Happy with Sarah Shewey

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Rachel: Well hello, welcome to our listeners. Hi, Felicia.

Felicia: Hi Rachel and Hi Sarah. Hey. Hey. Thank you so much for joining us. Before we get too far. And I want to tell all of our lovely listeners who you are. And while we're talking to you.

Rachel: We are so excited to have you here, Sarah. She is the founder of happily, which is a nationwide network of over 50,000 independent marketers producers coordinators and assistance specializing in delivering effective strategy and sustainable operations for conferences and pop ups with some of the world's biggest brands so happy to have you here.

Sarah : Thank you so much for having me here. We are big fans of She+ Geeks Out. Like us, we need to be on their progress as needed.

Felicia : That's exactly right. Thank you for having an appropriate reaction.

Rachel: Excuse me while I flipped my hair back.

Felicia : Virtually flipping right now.

Rachel: Well, we feel the same about you, the work that you do is so incredible and I've been wanting an excuse to have more conversation about you in the work that you do, anyway. And so, as our listeners may or may not know We brought the pod BACK BECAUSE WE JUST THINK THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO DO IT and wanted to talk with you because we are in a special place in the world right now. And want to get your thoughts and your feelings about all of that. But before we get into some of that stuff. I would just love to hear. We both would love to hear about your story, your journey, your origin story.

Sarah : And I, um, well you know what, like, I'll tell you things that I never told other people that I was, I feel like it's like relevant now because I keep thinking like, oh, I have experienced with these weird things that I was actually been like homeschooled since I was like seven years old. And like, yeah, my dad worked nights and my mom work as a day, they would just like that they could, you know, take care of me and like part of my dad's like version of homeschool is to take us to Disneyland. So like I've been like Disneyland like over 1000 times like I feel like, actually, like, kind of like living in like fantasy land and like Disney like space like kind of like subliminally shaped me to be this like events experiences producer that I am now and I always I also like wanted to always work in like TV and film. So I actually have a degree in communication film, television production from USC and thought that I was going to be a TV and film producer. But I worked for Miramax I was an intern there and just saw the toxic environment that Harvey Weinstein had.

Felicia : I agreed.

Sarah : When I graduated college I, you know, decided to actually just take a step you know away and I moved to Boston. I'm actually and I was working in an attempt, like a temp agency in Boston, like wearing like pantyhose and like filing stuff and like a lawyer's like office and I was like, this sucks, but I want like I want to do something that that like actually like maybe does actually lets me use my degree you know so i wanted like I want it like circling like every like nonprofit that I thought was interesting in the back of this magazine and I wound up getting a freelance event coordinator job for Harvard's American Repertory Theater, which is...

Felicia : Cool.

Rachel: Like we love it, you know, cedar.

Sarah : Yeah. And it wound up getting called Boston's best party of the year and so like out of the gates. I just kind of was like, whoo good at this.

Felicia : But I'm saying 

Rachel: Can I ask a question about the AR T, which I'm a huge fan of. What year were you there was it part of like the donkey show was in my gosh age me now, girl.

Sarah : I did Bob Brustein, I don't know if you remember him, but he was the executive director. He's all started the Yale drama school and I did his retirement. It was like coins at his retirement party this this gala, and that was in 2002

Rachel: Oh damn.

Felicia : Day.

Rachel: Nice. Does that is

Sarah : Like you don't look that old

Rachel: You don't you

Rachel: Well, since you did. I will double down, you do not look

Sarah : Yeah. So what does that mean I'm almost 20 years you know like a working and event space and yeah. And then after that I was like oh good at this. I'm gonna, I didn't want to go back to school, so I worked and managed a venue. I worked in a managed catering business. I worked in AV for a short stint because I figured every event needs a roof over their heads. They need food, they need power. So if I get the basics down. I could do anything and then when I started, I just like built a website and this is like in 2006 I started my company. And at the time, sculpting cloud. And that was the same year Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth came out and someone that someone was like, what do you do that's like so special. Your events company like you're no different. And so I wrote this blog post that said that my all of my events. We're going to be as waste free as possible and that was really different. And actually, like, the producers of like Oprah and NPR and the head of events for Conde Nast like all saw that blog post or something, I don't know how they got me, but I think it was from a blog post and then I kind of became this like the girl that you would call if you wanted to do like a hip cool sustainable events which was awesome. And along the way, I found out about this thing called Ted and I was like, that thing is awesome because if there's anything that motivates me it's like being around the most creative like talented smart like genius people I can be around. So I'm kind of like it was a longer story for another time. Like working my way and to be an early, early person over at TED I co-founded Ted active, which was like a satellite experience. I think at that time, Teddy just decided to take their very like elite exclusive conference and make it democratize it and bring their talks in their community online. So Ted, active, brought like the most active like super fans. I guess of TED, together with these different artists and technologists and researchers and people that we curated and then we did all these like cool things was kind of like a incubator for new distribution models for ideas are spreading so TEDx and fellows and Ed and all these people would, you know, come and gather and do stuff at TED active and we would also get into, like, a lot of really weird fun like I was. Yeah, yeah. So anyways, it was a wonderful time in my life. And at that time I had lots of really crazy ideas for our activities and stuff and found that they weren't really good. They weren't really good like production teams, especially like local teams to execute on these ideas. And so, around that time I had met one of the founders of air Bed and Breakfast Airbnb and he was telling me about like we didn't even marketplace was even a word, but he was like telling me about how he was making this website where anyone who had extra space in their house like in their living room floor, they could sell it online. And I thought, Oh, that'd be great for an event like that. People like an extra space in their calendar, they can sell it online. And then if we did that, then we can create these like project based teams of experts, you know, not just like temp people to actually come in and work together and do events. And that's how happily I went from being like an event, you know, nerd basically to like a technologist and building this platform and it's been crazy but also so fun to be like, and it's such a privilege to be like. Now, you know, helping like 10s of thousands of event planners meet each other, team up with each other and just do better events than they thought they could do on their own.

Rachel:That is awesome. I have a before we launch into the present and the future. I have a question. If I don't even know if you're going to answer it. But what is, what would you say is your favorite event that you've ever produced. Can you say it, are they all like you're your own children.

Sarah : I mean, I would have probably stuff that I had active was my favorite. And just because we had like people from over like 100 countries, you know, coming in and I had carte blanche because I was, you know, like one of the cofounders of it. But one of the things that we did a TED active I brought in this artist Megan get color and she's now kind of famous and like does these she took this like flagging tape and made these would make these really intricate like rainbow colored like sculptures. And we're just really cool how she would take a very simple object like that like flagging tape and then create like new like spaces and new volumes and it was really wonderful when she so we we bought like boxes of this stuff and like she's very methodical and scientific about it and you know she was inviting people to like come in and do things a certain way and then I think someone got into it overnight or maybe she was hanging out with people and they were like having drinks and then all of a sudden the next morning when I woke up like the entire pool area was just like covered in like all this flagging tape and it just like that was like that was just a wonderful. That sounds like an example like what would happen. You know, like just wonderful to it's something that like you kind of give people like materials and like, you know, ideas, but you also like let them run with it. That's, I think, like, the beauty and the magic of events.

Rachel: You know, you can really co create and co-create that world and people's stories together. Maybe that I love that.

Felicia : I mean, I think, you know, we obviously are no strangers to events ourselves but that's one of the things that I know Rachel and I have seen where you can set that stage. But then what happens there is a little bit out of your control. And so all you can do is set the stage to see, you know, is there enough structure and food and drink and people and bring it all together. But then the magic happens once you release it out into the wild. So I love that. Can I bring us into the present, perhaps. Alright, so I think we just have to address the elephant in the room, which is the Rona. It's here. My number of people is definitely affecting it so I want to learn about events in the age of coronavirus. So what are you seeing as trends for event planning and you may think this is changing day by day, not even week by week. So I'd love to hear what you've been seeing in the last maybe even a couple days. Are people like postponing canceling going all virtual are different industries are different types of events, looking at this differently, what are, what are you seeing on the front line, so to speak.

Sarah : Yeah, I think the majority of folks are postponing into the fall and like crossing their fingers and some of them unfortunately are like canceled. They're done put I think like O'Reilly Media got taken.

Felicia : Down. Yeah, I saw that let go. Their whole event staff.

Sarah : Oh wow servants were so boss like so sad.

Rachel: And it's tech. It's interesting that they try to find a way to make a virtual

Sarah : And then will they might actually so we'll see. You know, I think, because everything has happened so fast, and it's just been like an economic crash really yeah you know you don't have a choice but to just sort of pull, make hard decisions and pull and then, you know, I don't. I have confidence that like, you know, Phoenix out of ashes, they'll come back and you just all hadn't done events. The right way again. You know, um, yeah. Even south by southwest might not come back. Y'all like that crisis. Just because it's not just south by but you know there's so many other brands and musicians and artists and, you know, small businesses that also do events around that. So just think about how just crumbles, um, and virtual I've been seeing. It's like, very few people are adopting that right now. But it's gets more and more every day. And I think as people sort of like, get out of their haze like stop smoking weed and putting their heads, you know, head in the sand. They're like, oh, this is going to be around for a while. Let's do it.

I think we're going to see virtual pickup even more. And we're as individuals and as a society. We're also creating new social norms like online social norms and behaviors right now so now, I think that we just have like virtual events is going to be just going to be a reality, moving forward, and I think it's a really good medium for connection and expression that's really brand new. And somewhere in between events and TV so I mean, personally for me. Like, that's where I'm the most excited because I feel like the most creative, you know, like mad genius folks are trying to play inside of and it will be cool to see what happens. Out of that.

Rachel: Are you, is happily, adjusting or pivoting in any sort of way?

Sarah : Oh yeah, I mean, we like, immediately went and said like, okay, we've got, you know, 10 thousands of people. Right. Like how many of y'all know how to do virtual and we had hundreds. We just still have a lot, you know, like, all things considered, but like it's not going to be enough. So we're trying to train you know, train up our folks free, you know, we have free education like classes, we're compiling all the tutorials and stuff like that to get people, you know, educated and up to speed, so that they can now move laterally within their industry.

Rachel: You know I'm sorry, I wanted to ask a follow up question I had. I apologize. Do you find from it from a tax standpoint, I feel like everyone is using zoom right like that's the answer for so many people. And then I've seen like occasionally like there's some other tools that are being used. But I think the the piece that I think people maybe are trying to really latch on to and in a digital way is these one on one small group kinds of ways in a way that makes sense for this platform and in a large maybe full day or multi day type of experience. Do you find that folks are coming up with innovative solutions, and if so, do you have any thoughts on that?

Sarah : Yeah. So the way I think about it, I think Zoom is a really great platform for like smaller groups for larger I think that people kind of fall into this trap of doing the same thing that they did in real life, and try to put that online. But actually, the reality is that like we have so much less control over the environment. Because really we're, we need to be planning for the many time zones that people are sitting in you know the different rooms and environments. People dogs that are distracting them. So, um, you know, I think that there's a lot of people who are doing webinars and stuff like that on zoom. But I think Zoom is much better for small breakout groups for everyone, like maybe eight people to 12 people to talk like a little dinner table. So I think Zoom is great if you think about little tables. That's what my preferred sort of method of using zoom would be. For people who are doing like conferences and they're doing like talks for like one too many where you're on a platform. I actually think that pre recording that and then stitching like their slides and stuff like that together. Showing that, you know, and then showing that live with a group of folks and having the speaker in the chat room asking questions about, like, you know, it's a little meta, but I think that that experience is way better way cooler. One, you don't have the stress. Like, what if the speakers internet goes out. You know, and then, you know, to, I think, a lot of times people are trying to you know how they like to rush to the stage to talk to the speaker and ask their questions like, now they can be doing that, which I think is also really cool. So, um, so I think that like YouTube is probably better for something like that. That's like a larger event and different formats, there's this other software that's like newer. I think it's still in beta, but it'll come out soon. And ice. It's called icebreaker. That's one of my favorites and that one allows you to have, kind of like chat roulette and a curated community. So you can have one on one conversations but then these like questions or prompts maybe situational prompts are just talking to, like, a mindfulness group. And I was like, oh, like why don't you do a proper. It's like, imagine you're in a forest in three minutes. Like, what did you notice, while you're in that forest and share it and then come back out you know so i think that technology of being able to have like one on one experiences and there's still like a serendipity to it. Actually I found that I have made almost stronger connections and relationships with folks because you're like, you know, you're still like your head to head right like closer physically in a way. And if you were to be in the real world and so I think like that. That's also really good. But yeah, I just, I don't know, there's lots of technologies out there and ultimately, it's just as soon as people get over the newness of, like, oh, where's. Where's the button and I press for this like the tech just becomes like a table. Like, right, it would be in real life. So it's not really about the platform. It's about what you do with that platform.

Felicia : Thank you so much. I'm wondering, to what your thoughts are around people starting to experience virtual event fatigue because I know that just in the last two weeks. I have seen an explosion in virtual events which has been wonderful because obviously we have to start moving away from in person.  And I feel like especially in these times of uncertainty. People are trying to connect more on a really human levels. That's great that we have these technologies to allow us to do that. But at the same time during the day, I feel like I'm booked in five different webinars, all the same time at night. I've got like five different friend chat zoom recording things going on at the same time every night there's virtual concerts and Instagram lives. I was actually looking on Twitter the other day and people were saying please stop going live on Instagram. No one wants to see it anymore. And I'm just wondering if, you know, if you think that's like going to be a real thing, or if we're just going to sort of get over this little this little bubble where we're all so excited. And so trying to figure things out with virtual and it'll calm down and a little bit

Sarah : Against social behaviors. Right, so like when we're in a I get overwhelmed when I'm on a trade show floor and there's 1000 people I have different coping strategies for that put on the headphones and don't make eye contact. Right. I just think that people haven't developed their coping strategies yet for having all these different life opportunities and essentially ads you know that are like flashing at them. Where everyone's a personal friend now so like they're all like advertising their own brand of weird, weird coolness. Um, I think. Yeah. So I think yes. Everybody is having this kind of fatigue, but over time you'll learn how to ignore. And like, you know, move on. And I think that it'll make it just like in real person events when you do decide to talk to the girl with yellow glasses and you make that like an intentional choice. You know, it's going to be the same thing when you decide to look at someone's Instagram Live feed or you decide to like go into a webinar because you know that you have so many more options for people to interact with. So I think it's just because it's all new.

Felicia : Yeah, well, we have to pause really quickly and talk about the yellow glasses. Okay perfect segue. You just brought them up. I know people who are listening will not be able to see Sarah, but she's got these unbelievable awesome like neon cat yellow glasses and before we start recording. I asked a very important question which I said I would put a pin in. I'll bring it up. Now what, like, Where can we find these glasses. What are they, what is happening? They're amazing, tell them everything.

Sarah : So, um, so I live in LA and there is like this Boutique. I think there's two, maybe three glasses store called La I works and these two women. Who like it when you go to LA, I works calm and see them like they're like older ladies and they're like, give the like the hip cool like aunties, they're like, you know, or the old women that you want to be right. And they're like,

seem like they've been friends forever and they designed them and they they have like all of the glasses at La I works are amazing elton john gets his blessings there and they're like looking at their site now and it's like tthey're like they launched le I works with the mission to encourage people to stop looking and start seeing like awesome people. So go to hell yeah I get your glasses there.

Rachel: We allow our newest sponsor. Just kidding.

Sarah : You know what's really funny as they sponsor. They work with, like, a lot of artists, you know, so they are really good about supporting, like there's really good about supporting creative organizations.

Rachel: That's awesome. That's really good to know. I will put it in the show notes.

Sarah : Yeah. I was walking into the store. And then I was actually looking at this walked into the store, and there was this other woman trying these glasses on in the full length mirror, and then she saw me kind of like come in the background like being like, whoo. Awesome and that day I was wearing a rainbow tie dye dress which sounds uglier than when it was a swear, but she kind of looked at my colorful outfit and like my enthusiasm for these glasses and she's like, I think these belong to you. And I'm like,

Rachel: Wow that's so sweet. Yeah, you've got the bold lip too and the black and we need to see it pulled all together.

Sarah : It's, yeah.

Rachel: And then we'll just we'll have a picture of you people can see it.

Sarah : That's to like when you're going virtual I strongly recommend that everyone take a little bit extra time to like and think about what they look like.

Rachel: You know, that's so true. It's like it's beyond first impressions online because you're looking at this person for like a half hour or more so. Ladies, we can do this. Well, it's actually really interesting because, especially given the fact that we're all social distancing right now.

I have a full head of gray hair, which I think I might actually see for the first time. In a more than a bigger way. So there's that. And then there's this whole like I've struggled with anything flesh and I both talk about it was a no makeup thing. It's like this is actually an opportunity for women to be like, hey, guess what, this is what our faces look like. Deal with it. But I, you know, also, I'm a little jealous of your bold lip right now because I don't have that.

Sarah : Well you know what, also, though. Like, let's be honest on is like I usually it's my trick like to put a like bright color on my face like lipstick or whatever. Whenever I'm like sad or depressed or because it just like, I don't know, it just like gives me a little like kicking the butt to be happy and be like, you know, just present and not look sick and gross is so these these dark times of coronavirus have brought the red lipstick out on the daily.

Rachel: Get it, look I showered today. You know, so I feel like it's a win.

Felicia : I told Rachel. Good day, I was like good news. I did inventory of my sweatpants and leggings and I have enough sweatpants for each day of the week. Don't worry. I get taken care of.

Sarah : I need more sweatpants like well what pant trend.

Rachel: I will say, I just before all this happened when I went to Atlanta and like basically bought out the store because I found a few things that I absolutely loved and I just felt like I needed a refresh with my workout situation. So now I have all these incredibly comfortable leggings, which are just lovely. And actually it's, you know, to motivate myself to get outside. It's nice because I can put on nice workout clothes and be like, all right, I'm gonna go and do this. I'm gonna look adorable while I'm doing it.

Sarah : Look the part, be the part.

Rachel: That's right.

Sarah : That's right.

Rachel: Fake it till you make it. Speaking of actually this is a good transition to this to this next question being a business owner in what is very clearly a recession. Do you have thoughts around how to know, basically thrive survive or thrive and or thrive in this environment, especially given the work that you do? But even if you didn't do this work. I think a lot of us, small business owners are reassessing. So do you have any thoughts and strategies recommendations?

Sarah : Yeah, I mean, I'm the look any business owner, we have so many monetize it feels like because we're like making the website and we're doing them at getting creative, finding the supply chain and managing that like, you know, just like all the things. So, um, so I think like, at least I think like a really good thing to do is to just think about what are the skills that you have that translate into other jobs, roles, industries and functions. What are the skills that you have that like you really want to maybe don't like you want to actually develop right identify like the other people that other businesses who are still who aren't affected you know as much as maybe like our industries are and take this time to develop those skills you know and learn something and learn more about other different communities and you know, honestly, like start to volunteer and stuff like that, again, I think that's like the best best thing to do. Because once things come back to normal. And they, you know, will be different. Just like would have been different. Anyways, like, you know, every day is like new and better. Right. So, but once things come back then, you now have not just you know one core product line you've cut three right now so that's what I would suggest.

Rachel: And that's great advice. I think that's sort of foolish and I am pushing it too is like taking this opportunity to just give back as much as we can. And then also see, you know what, what's next. When we always joke that you know we're small. So really, we're nimble. So, you know, there's that benefit of being able to sort of respond to situations in a more flexible way than maybe a really large organization or company can. So I think that's fabulous optimistic positive advice which I very appreciative of. Thank you. 

Sarah : Yeah, yeah, there's no better time, you know, then the present to be better.

Rachel: Have that quote

Felicia : Well we are going to switch around a little bit, our questions. What's the one piece of advice that you would like to give to people who are thinking, you know, how can I play a part in this crazy world to make things a little bit better and brighter. And I was just talking about stuff from the business owner perspective, but for people out there listening who may not be small business owners. Maybe they're working for big business or their individual contributors, or they're just not really coming at it from that mindset. Any advice for how we can play a part in this new world order.

Sarah : Um, yeah, I mean like, um, I think the best thing to do is to be creative, to create something, you know. So in part of the process, the creative processes identifying like avoid and just imagining, you know, imagining what are all the different ways that you can fill that void and then having the discipline to actually implement any one or number of those solutions that you have come up with, and then having the boldness to get yourself out there publicly and share that you know with with somebody else. That's a stranger or friend, you know, that maybe didn't know that you could make that cookie or whatever. Do whatever it is that you do. But I think that the brightest part about all of those coronavirus stuff has been seeing creativity.

That's like come out and come out of it. My friend is like a fashion designer. He's already a really creative person. But watching him weeks ago sort of see that there was going to be a need for masks and he like started making mass and you first gave them to like the LGBT q plus like

Senior Center down the street and then everyone's like, Hey, wow, that's awesome. And they look joke. They're so fashionable. It looks so cool. And then he opened up like the kit for you to be able to make those yourself. You know those master yourself and then like now you see people from all over the world showing like all the cool fabrics and the things and the places that they're giving it to like that are based off of his pattern and that's awesome. You know that creativity and sharing. And again, sharing that I think a lot of times people are especially women, I think they are scared to come demonstrate something cool that they did. So, but I think that that's, that is, you know, we really have the opportunity like seeing in inside of each other's houses now like think about how crazy that is like I feel like we have this huge opportunity to like be more individual and be more expressive and to not have to not have to really look the part, you know, just be yourself. Playing that's me as the brightest thing to come out of all of this.

Rachel: That is solid advice. Quick question. What was the name? Who is your friend?

Sarah : What's the well I'm Ashton, Michael. He's a, he's actually on a Netflix show to like he's kind of famous and I think

Rachel: Was he on that one with

Sarah : Tan yes 10 friends she and Alexa. Yeah, he's from LA who can't deal with patterns.

Rachel: Amazing.

Sarah : Yeah. He's wonderful

Rachel: Right, I'm adding that asked to the show notes. Thank you. And that was just that was wonderful advice. Thank you for sharing that. Um, one question that we love to ask everyone. I think it's related to a bunch of what we talked about is we love to know what people geek out about love to hear from you. What are you currently geeking out about something unexpected that we wouldn't just, you know, it wouldn't be events would be something else.

Sarah : Something that I like. I'm a nerd about

Rachel: Yeah.

Sarah : Well, like right so I was also supposed to get married next month, so I am in like wedding mood. And I decided to have a cyber wedding. 

Felicia : Oh, okay. Tell us everything I feel like I was only come up now.

Rachel: And also, Felicia is in a similar boat.

Sarah : Oh really,

Felicia : Well, yes and no. My fiance. Sorry. I hate calling that sounds so weird to me. But anyway, my fiance and I were trying to do like a very quick little cash wedding in the fall and then we were starting to realize that's not really possible for what we want to do.

Felicia : So we're now thinking next spring, but I'm like, at this point, maybe that's not even going to be a thing. So we're sort of just like on hold at the timing and yeah, everything is on hold.

Sarah : Yeah, no.

Felicia : I feel for you. You are a bit further down the path than I am. I just have a ring and a plan to get married at some point. That's all it is.

Sarah : Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so like I just like I just hate not having I like I hate having that Limbo. You know, it's like always need to be moving kind of thing. And I also like the look, I've actually helped over 1000 people get married and I didn't want to be a bride, and I've already been a bride since July, and like, it's as sweet and lovely as people are like, oh my god.

I just be like, yeah, let's not talk about her. So I just couldn't I just really couldn't imagine myself being a bride for another year like I didn't want to do that, um, and i also like, I don't know, like I know how to do a virtual event. So why the hell not right.

Rachel: So how are you doing it?

Sarah : Well, our original, original wedding was actually going to be a cyber theme in a rose garden. So once our rose garden canceled on us. I was like, We just got to go full cyber NOW BITCHES so you're like, early net like 90s, the like redoing a spoof of that cyber truck like opening sequence for I think Ryan's is like a hologram. You know, like, welcome everyone in we're having our friend, Keaton be our cyber boy and like, it's like it's 2020 like a global pandemic has like Swift of the world's leading social isolation solution.

Felicia : So real. 

Sarah : Everybody and then my friend, Allie is making like an original theme song. She's like an

electronic music producer and you've got all this like cool graphics and lots of surprises. I don't want to give away too much, but it's gonna be amazing. And we're turning our house like so we're live streaming our vows in our house. I bought all this tinsel like I guess to get a cover.

I'm gonna see if I can install a disco ball like we just bought lasers like off of Amazon and I already had a fog machine because before he had turned I so I geek out about karaoke. And I turned my house into a karaoke studio. Yes. So we already had fog for the karaoke studio. But now we're going to like fog and lasers and like do you. I'm really excited that like like about everybody but I'm excited that now I own lasers like add to my like karaoke situation.

Rachel: You're like, It's so funny because like, yeah, of course, Amazon doesn't have a shortage of lasers.

Sarah : Just tell you I'm picky. Right. Lasers with hearts on them. Dolphin pattern you need that. One being but whatever.

Felicia : Are you today we have a disco ball in our living room. Oh, you do. I feel you. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, we do. It's a disco ball setup. Wasn't her dad. I'm sorry.

Sarah : Was it hard to install

Felicia : Know the biggest issue is that we don't have the corresponding light situation. And so we have a bit of a self reg right now where it's like a little ball. It's stuck up sort of in the entryway to the living room. And then we have a little mini flashlight hangs down. The problem actually the two problems are first the flashlights. So, so, and, secondly, you really need a rotating disco ball. So what we do is we just do it old school where we give it a little spin and it

was great. It goes around

Sarah : I'm gonna find a laser and like send it to you as

Felicia : Well, I mean, do you need. Do you need the disco ball. Happy to ship it over to LA.

Sarah : Oh, you're so sweet and I'm going to get one because I need one. You know, like

Felicia : That one with a pre rotating thing installed. That's my, my professional disco ball. Know we were at Christmas tree shops months ago and I had been eyeing it and then we went back for something and I was like, Steve, we are getting that God. It’s coming home with us.

Rachel: That was my question was like how did a disco ball and up in your home. So thank you for

Felicia : Free shop. Literally, I forget why we went there, it was not for a Christmas know maybe it was for Christmas tree. I don't remember, but we were standing very long line and this woman had one and I clocked it and I was like, where did that come from and did not want to get out of the line go look for it. And so when we came back. I was like, we're going to look for it because I know they have to have them somewhere in here and it was like $3 I found one and I

Sarah : This. So that was my next question. I was like, how much was it

Felicia : Oh, it was cheap. It was definitely worth it.

Sarah : Is it like the size of an ornament. 

Felicia : Now I Know it's like it's like the size of my head.

Sarah : No way.

Sarah : Yeah, I like I also geek out about a deal and like

Rachel: Alicia.

Sarah : I'm eventually better

Felicia : To paint you a picture. So my fiance is really big into like fish and the Grateful Dead and live music so he has this It's a blow up bare head called bears Lee and so bears Lee came from his bachelor pad and I was like, You know what, it's not really my style but I made it so bears Lee is mounted up in our living room and then the disco ball he sits right below here.

Sarah : Oh my gosh.

Sarah : He's a disco bear

Felicia : Yes.

Rachel: I think we need a picture.

Felicia : I'm happy to provide you a picture. The funny thing is when you walk outside our apartment. We're on the second floor. So when you walk outside at night. You can see the barrel.

Rachel: Racing

Sarah : Can make it like animatronic you know like into somehow they have like Bear Country. And you can like, have them like seeing ungrateful.

Rachel: Baby. Oh.

Felicia : I was gonna say maybe the summer when we're all stuck inside trying to be socially distant and the nice weather. I'll like will record something and play it out.

Sarah : Please. That sounds awesome.

Felicia : Amazing well know you what sounds AWESOME IS YOUR WEDDING. I'm really excited for you.

Sarah : To find it. Can I, can I am like

Rachel: Yes.

Sarah : I'm like plugging the

Rachel: What's the URL. And then we can add that to the show notes.

Felicia : I have a gift registry, like, yes, we just got there.

Sarah : Like the gift registry. You don't like have to, like, if you want to give us something cool your rad, we'd love you will send you something. And like, as a thank you iIt's like, now listen to the Kickstarter. I don't know. But like, but like you should look at the things because I feel like our captions are hilarious. Um, and if you go to Coco shoe.com see OC. Oh, that's my fiance's like nickname cocoa and then my like the front part of my last thing, which is Shui. So it's s h e w Coco shoes to see. Oh sh e w.com April 25 I don't know when this thing is hearing but

Rachel: It'll air. It's airing beforehand.

Sarah : Don't you worry. Yeah, April 25 5pm PST we're going live baby.

Felicia : So exciting. I might just check all this out cuz I'm like, I feel like I might need some inspiration. Yeah.

Rachel: Nominal wow what a gift that question was, I'm so glad we asked. I mean,

Felicia : Literally. That's why we ask these questions.

Rachel: To get to the good stuff like events should women and

Felicia : Play a though like I I'm really feeling it. Because one thing I have been thinking a lot about is like as an events person. I'm like a it's gonna be an amazing event, whatever, it's going to be this wedding situation and then be like, I don't want to have to be the events person at my own

Sarah : Right.

Felicia : That is such a real issue, but I'm excited to hear all the way to see all the virtual funding.

Sarah : Yeah, it's not just like my girlfriend in Berlin is like managing the stream cast or friend and like Orange County is like calling the show. It's like, it's, it's going to be interesting to see how it all comes together, but it's awesome.

Rachel: I'm excited and I will tell you we ask one last question, which I don't even know if it's

going to be relevant. Since I feel like we kind of covered it but we like to end with something fun. So tell us what's making you happy in the world that you would recommend or one thing that you can learn from her laugh that you're enjoying.

Sarah : I've been loving making food tutorials on my Instagram and also watching all my friends food tutorials on Instagram. And I'm like, oh, look at the inner Martha Stewart in all of us like we’re cool like I love yeah like I like learned how to make some dope like eggplant vegetarian Indian vegan. Today, I also like me. What I really love about it is that I like it even with myself too, like, you know, when people make a mistake. And I'm like, and they show it. And it's like, oh thank god like I would have totally made that exact same mistake. And it was hilarious and entertaining but also I feel like so much like it can make things so much better like going through that process. So that's been like, yeah, so like have all of a sudden this like brand new weird cool Food Channel like you know situation that's been giving me a lot of joy.

Rachel: I love that. Do you know, Eliza Schlesinger, the comic?

Sarah : Oh my gosh. She's so funny.

Rachel: She's so funny. And she's married to a chef. Yeah, yeah. So her Instagram lives are like all it's all that she's just she was yelling at him. At one point, because he was putting in too many Rice Krispies for the Rice Krispies Treats.

Sarah : Hilarious. I'm gonna have to work because I think she is hilarious.

Rachel: She really is, she is. And yeah, I think she's just like, I feel like everyone's, like in this place where they're doing their own version of chopped like here's the stuff.

Felicia : Yeah.

Rachel: And what are some baskets full of stuff? Go for it.

Sarah : Do this thing with my friends like this squad from Columbia like Columbia and like we do our version of chocolate. We call it pecan oh. That's what our dinner parties are like is it.

Rachel: I love that sounds so good. I just, I'm so grateful that the restaurant. So all the local restaurants are still open for, like, take out. I'm like, it's our civic duty to like helping the delicious.

Restaurants. So that's what we're doing.Yeah.

Sarah : I keep telling Coco to. I'm like, oh, I think we have to order in tonight because we haven't done it in a bit. And like, you know,

Rachel: They're calling them take out Tuesday's.

Sarah : Aka I just really don't want to cook.

Rachel: Again for your in

Felicia : Today's fair, that's totally fair. Yeah.

Rachel: Period and we're doing good in the world. I had to support my local wine bar. had to go get 

Sarah : Some wine. The Wine Bar five times a day.

Rachel: That's right. I gotta go get those wines.

Felicia : I was just gonna I was just on a webinar. Speaking of a virtual event earlier today, and the woman. She was like, I start my day with coffee and I end my day with why and I preached to that. Like, I am so with you.

Rachel: Without a mug. Now that mug to me. I agree with that. Well, thank you so much. Sarah for spending this time with us. I feel smarter and happier.

Felicia : Happily year Happens.

Sarah : A Geek here. And also, like, I don't know, like, thank you so much for having me. Really, truly, I was so excited and I didn't even I like I just didn't even expect that this conversation was gonna go so fast and be so fun. So thank you really.

Rachel: Oh, your various services next. Oh yeah, that's gonna get we're gonna get that damn target sponsorship.

Felicia : Yeah, I'm just saying. Now is the time target.

Rachel: Manifest manifest. Alright. Thanks, everyone.