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Stay Modern With Murray
Welcome to the Stay Modern with Murray Podcast, your go-to source for the latest trends and insider tips in the homebuilding industry. Each episode, we delve into the dynamic realms of design and construction, providing valuable insights that can elevate your understanding and approach to building and renovating homes.
But we don’t stop there! We go beyond mere construction topics to engage with influential figures such as business owners, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. These conversations highlight the experiences and expertise of those who are making significant impacts in their respective fields. Here, you will discover not only innovative ideas and practices within homebuilding but also inspirational stories that showcase leadership and creativity in action.
Whether you're a homeowner, a potential builder, or simply interested in the housing industry, our podcast will offer a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Join us as we explore the intersection of home construction and the vibrant discussions that can help shape the future of your projects. Tune in to enrich your understanding and spark new ideas in homebuilding, design, and business leadership!
Please tune in to hear from industry experts, non-profits, and local business leaders shaping our world. Visit our website at www.murraycustomhomes.com/podcast for more information and to catch the latest episodes. Subscribe today and stay modern with Murray!
Stay Modern With Murray
Color and Confidence: Amanda Fairley on Transforming Lives through Color Analysis and Mentorship
Have you ever wondered how a simple shift in color can ignite confidence and change your entire outlook on life? Amanda Fairley, a former agricultural sales expert turned color analyst and empowering mentor, joined us to share her story of transformation. In a candid conversation, she unveils the magic of color analysis, not just for your wardrobe, but as a tool for personal empowerment, revealing how understanding your natural palette can lead to a renewed sense of self and the way you approach the world.
Life's pivotal moments often require us to reassess our priorities, and Amanda's choice to put family first is one such inspiring example. She shares the challenges and triumphs of leaving her structured job to start her own business, all to ensure she could be present for her children’s milestones. We delve into the essence of intentional living and the decisions that lead us to a life rich with purpose and joy. Her testimony is a powerful reminder that when we align our actions with our values, we can achieve a gratifying balance of personal and professional satisfaction.
Welcome to another episode of Stay Modern with Murray, brought to you by Murray Custom Homes, where we build your dream home together. Now sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride with your host, Matt.
Speaker 2:Murray the day. Matthew Taylor, I'm pinch hitting for Matt Murray. Today we are joined by a very special guest, amanda Fairley. She's a career coach, leadership facilitator, event speaker, color analyst, farm wife and mother of two. Everybody help me welcome Amanda. All right, amanda, thank you for taking the time out of your day today and the time out of your busy week to come and sit in on the Stay Modern with Murray podcast. I'm so fired up to get to know a little bit more about the person behind everything that we just labeled here. Let's lead into this. Can you tell me a little bit about you personally, kind of where you grew up, some of your personal interests and then the whole farm? Wife and mother of two. How did that all come about?
Speaker 3:Yes, so I am not originally from Nebraska, I am a transplant. So I am originally from Delaware and I've been in Nebraska for 14 years and I was here about six months and met my husband and I guess what do they say? The rest is history. And two kiddos later. So we have a son, bo, and daughter Ellie, and we farm and have cattle. My husband is a crop duster, so pilot and does aviation, so we stay very busy is a good way to put it, but productive.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, delaware. So what I'm typically on this part it's like oh, the girl brought you to Nebraska, that's how we kind of lead into that. But why, why Nebraska, and what took you to Delaware in the first place?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I grew up in Delaware. Those are the. That's where I was raised. Those are my, my roots, and I was raised on a farm. I've got an agriculture background and my first job out of college was actually to sell corn and soybean seed. And they gave me an option of all of these different states that I could move to, and Nebraska was one of them and I thought where else would I go to sell corn and soybean seed but the heart of the country? So I'm going to Nebraska and so that's how I got here and I was here about six months before I or I was here six months and met my husband and it's been incredible and I love this state. I love it. I would I would live nowhere else.
Speaker 2:It becomes home. Right, Like we can go visit other places, we can look on vacation spots, but every single time you get to the end of that vacation, you get to the end of that trip. You're just anchoring to come home. It is home.
Speaker 3:Yes, they don't call it the good life for nothing.
Speaker 2:No, they don't. So is it crops and farm animals, or are you guys just mainly a crop-based farmstead out there?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we raise crops and livestock. So we've got some cattle, so we run some cow-calf pairs and we do a lot of rotationally grazing, so kind of setting them up in small paddocks and grazing and then moving them more frequently. But we also raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
Speaker 2:And that is incredible. You're literally providing our community with their means of survival, right? I mean, you're talking fuel, you're talking food, you're talking everything. I love it. It keeps you busy, right.
Speaker 3:It does. It is a lot of fun and to be part of that foundation is really neat.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am. All right, so let's get right into it. We talked about being a color analyst off air and I kind of want you to give the listeners a little bit of a background. Can you explain to the audience what a color analyst is and how it can benefit somebody?
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. Color analysis is a very powerful tool and, as a color analyst, I lay drapes on my clients to find the best colors that create harmony and balance with their natural features. So I am looking at skin undertone, I'm looking at lip color and eye color, and each of the drapes that I have were chosen specifically for each season based on the color that they reflect on the client. And something else that I will note here is some people may be familiar with the traditional four color seasons, and I actually do 12. And so I have 12 different drape sets and a set of test drapes to really find out the season, the accurate season, of my clients. So I'm looking at neutrals as well as true seasons.
Speaker 2:Man, that is incredible. Okay, so we talked off air and what I took out of the conversation is look good, feel good, perform good and all of those things kind of come around, the idea of carrying yourself with self-confidence, a little bit of self-pride awareness. And you mentioned, hey, it took me two minutes, three minutes, to put on the outfit that I'm wearing today when, in turn, I'm wearing all black, and it still probably took me 15 to 20. And it probably says more about me than anything. I get it, but can you kind of walk us through? Hey, my name is Matthew Taylor, I want to set up a meeting with Amanda and I want to figure this thing out from start to finish, from the minute I walk into your door. I mean, what are we looking at as far as timeline and how long would it take for a session?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. So. It is a two hour appointment with me, and so I bring you in no makeup and wear some comfy clothes, because you're gonna be sitting for two hours, and I put a plain gray drape on you and then I just start laying the drapes, and so I'm really looking for the changes that happen in your face. So, based on the color we wear as a shirt on our chest, the color reflects on our face. So sometimes black can create this washed out. Look on us.
Speaker 3:Sometimes those that are more cool skin tone, if they wear warmer colors, it can create yellow in their skin.
Speaker 3:And so if we have any ladies listening that you've put something on and it doesn't feel right, or you don't make it out of the house, or it's still sitting in your closet with the tags on it, it's probably because it is not right.
Speaker 3:It's probably because you've been able to see in your face that something is off, but you haven't been able to name it. And so that is what we do in the appointment is, as I'm laying the drapes on, I'm saying, you know, did you see this? And watch for this? And then I put the drape back on, and so I want you to see it, I want you to feel it so that, when you leave the appointment, you get a fan with 65 different colors that are specific to your season, and you can use that when you shop or pick out paint colors for your home or buy your next car However you want to use it, you can do that.
Speaker 3:Even hair color makes a big difference, and so some of my clients have been dyeing their hair a different color and after they find out their season, I'm like you need to go warm or you need to go cool, and they're like, wow, I've been fighting this for so long, trying to be something that I'm not, and that's what really. I think it brings people back to who they truly are, and so I think it's one of the best gifts that I'm able to give is helping women feel confident in who they are, and that just ripples into all the other areas of their life.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. I. We, you and I were talking a little bit before we started this and I know this is Matt Murray's side of the podcast thing. So for those that are tuning in for the first time hearing my voice, I am a baseball coach and I try to take that more than just the game of baseball. I try to you know better students, better friends, better brothers, better athletes. Last in secondary, I want to build better futures for our future leaders of our community.
Speaker 2:That being said, I'm constantly talking about confidence. I mean to the point where you should have all the work done before game day. So when you walk onto the field you know, hey, I am the guy, I am the man. I put in my time, I put in my work. Now it's time to go have fun and play this kid's game. Right, A lot of what we forget is baseball is a kid's game. These kids should be having fun and with that, you have to have the confidence to walk up to the plate and know me versus you and I'm going to win it, Even if you don't right, you go into it with that mindset.
Speaker 2:I say all that, knowing that confidence is a large part of my day. Right, I grew up overweight. I've recently lost 200 pounds in the last two years, so I'm a completely different person, right? So confidence is something that I preach to not just my kids that I coach, but also my personal my own kids and my wife and our team here at Murray Watching my wife go shop, go with my wife to shop, and she is dead set on this outfit and that outfit and that outfit. Set outfits are still in our closet, have never been worn, have never taken the tags off, and I've always thought to myself I'm like you look great, you look amazing, it doesn't matter what you have on. And she was like no, no, I just don't feel it. I don't feel it. I don't feel right. I've never put those two things together. You know, who am I to tell you how you should feel or how you should look when they leave your office? That has to have a sense of fulfillment on your side of things, or else why would you do it Right?
Speaker 3:Yes, yes. So so much of that resonates with me. Uh, congratulations, by the way, on that loss. So I have lost 100 pounds three times, and so I it resonates.
Speaker 3:I feel like there's, you know, this precedence out there that we should be something, we should be this, and I just want women to be them. I want them to be who they truly are, and that's a huge part of what they get to walk away with, and so being confident in the colors that they wear, and then they don't have to spend time deciding which outfit to put on, because they're all going to look good, and so it's definitely a huge boost of confidence. And we talked previous about relating it to baseball and just having your color analysis done, doing the shopping, cleaning out your closet, creating that alignment, and then you feel good about picking something out super quickly and that doesn't have to consume your day. So we all feel like most women. They're like if I could get back an hour, or if I could get an extra 15 minutes, and so this actually gives you back time and money in the long run.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that whole cleaning out the closet, that would be like the perfect analogy for this right. And I don't men, women, kids, adults, grandparents, whoever it may be, that's listening right now. We all have said one time or another I don't care what I, I don't care what they think I look like, I don't care what their opinion. That's not what the point is. The point is is you and your opinion of yourself and your belief in yourself and your confidence in yourself. That's fantastic. How did you fall in line with this? How did it? Was this schooling? Was this just a love, a passion? How?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so great question. I had my color analysis done by the traditional four seasons five years ago and I guess you could say that's when the bug bit me and I just truly felt that it was something that I wanted to give as women and empower women. And so much of what I do, whether it is on the career coaching side, the mentoring side, the rise coaching side we're going to talk about all of those things. It's about empowering women and building other people up, and that is, I feel like, my goal, is to create that beautiful space in this world because there's there's a lot of darkness and so if I can be that light and give that light to others, then that's, that's what I truly want.
Speaker 2:I'm constantly saying I'll even post it on Facebook every morning, like just for me type deal, just so I can go back and I can read it. It's go change someone's outlook on the day. Go change someone's opinion of you on the positive side. Go change someone's outlook on the day. Go change someone's opinion of you on the positive side. Go change someone's mood for the better and just the. I call it almost a coach's currency, right, like cause, we make $0 an hour doing what we do, trying to help the youth. So it is what it is, so I call it my coach's currency. Just seeing you kind of strive, right, seeing the person that I'm helping mentor or coach or whatever it may be at that time, just seeing them kind of light up a little bit and a smile on their face because it's something that you said or did or helped. That's the fulfilling factor, right, that's our currency on all this. It's amazing, absolutely All right. So I'm already starting to think about how we can do this color analysis for our homes and the paint and all that.
Speaker 3:It is super powerful. I took a wall that I had originally painted in our home before I knew what my colors were, and that was one of the first things that I actually changed, because it was in the opposite palette of mine and I didn't realize how much it bothered me until I painted it and I had naturally decorated the rest of the home in my palette, except for that wall. And when I changed that wall color, the entire room changed, and so I know it might sound silly for some people that you would use your palette for paint color, but when we surround ourselves with our colors we are happier because our colors make us happy.
Speaker 2:Man, just one accent wall and your living space could change. I mean, you wake up. It's the first thing that you're going to walk past. You're right. You're right.
Speaker 3:It makes a huge difference.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you have all these things in the fire right now. You're not just doing a color analysis, you have everything career coaching, your motivational speaker, event speaker, mother and wife. And what does a typical day look like for Amanda?
Speaker 3:Yeah, depends on the typical day, but usually it is a mix of all of those things sometimes. So, you know, monday I started out I had multiple coaching calls in the morning and then I had two color analysis in the afternoon, and so today I'm meeting with you today, or meeting with you right now and talking about this, and then after today I've got, or, excuse me, after we meet today, I am meeting with a gal about an event, speaking at one of her events, and then I have a color analysis on my way back home tonight. So I try to maximize my time. It's one of my strengths and so that's definitely something that I try to do is utilizing my time in a positive way. But it's a beautiful mix of all of them. So, whether I am career coaching, so meeting with a client, doing a coaching session, a color analysis appointment, or even meeting with a leader, a team lead, on some leadership development for their team, it's a mix. My typical days usually are quite mixed.
Speaker 2:It's thriving in chaos. Right, you're able to thrive in the chaos. Don't let it just eat you up. All these things kind of tie in together, though. I mean the event speaking, the life coaching, the career coaching, rise, which we're about to get into, and I find this one of the most important aspects of the community of Lincoln and the surrounding areas. I really do. I've been up to the Chamber of Comrades office and met with their Shannon and then the president of the chamber, and the one thing that they hit on is you have to get somebody in from Murray on this RISE group. So, all right, tell us about your involvement with Rise and share with the listeners what Rise is all about and how did you get started with the group.
Speaker 3:Yes, so Rise is a program that is housed under the Lincoln Chamber and it is essentially for women in business that may not have access to coaching that's one piece of it or access to a network of women inside their workplace, and so this gives them an opportunity to have connections, have conversations and meet other women in a space that is positive and that's going to build them up. And so Rise is one of those programs where women come together. They have monthly gatherings, and I was just up here last week for the Rise gathering and it was hosted at a local boutique, and so it just people women get to come and meet each other and there's just conversation and it's just a uh, it's an incredible program that they have put out, and so I am honored to be one of the rise coaches for that, and so, uh, they are group coaching sessions. So right now I'm hosting it's called Own your Genius, and so I use the Working Genius as a base for the group coaching program, and I've got about eight gals in my group. I like to keep my group small so that everyone can have a voice and feel like they have a chance to be coached, and so that's kind of my role in Rise is the coaching piece.
Speaker 3:But I had a really good friend of mine that works at the chamber and she said, amanda, you would be perfect for this. She's like it doesn't pay, but you would be perfect at it, but you would be perfect at it and kind of your. Your example of baseball is some of the greatest things that we can do. We may not be getting monetary payment for it, and so the the connections that I've built with the gals that come to rise is is just incredible and so wonderful women. And it is, it's definitely. It's. It's definitely a space that women feel safe and feel like they can be built up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know what? It's so hard for somebody that's just getting into the world of trying to help others to look past the all right. Well, how do I make this? I hear it all the time about the Big Brothers program, the mentorship program. I hear it constantly. Well, I don't have the time, I can't find the time. How do I do it without getting paid? And if those, you have to find a way to give back to the community. If you can, and it's not, it's never going to come down to you're getting filthy rich from it or you're monetizing from it. What it comes down to is being able to help the next generation of leaders or athletes or women who are that you want to empower. Like it has to start from the ground level. You know, at a young age. I would, I that's what I'm always saying. If you can ingrain that seed now, they will give back to the community when they're our age type of deal.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I was speaking to a 4-H group at one of their banquets this past weekend and one of the things that I touched on is that we are given gifts to share them. It's not about hoarding them or making people pay us for them. Yes, we need to make a living right, but we have been given gifts to give them back and I think that is just so powerful and we have to remember that. So I wonder, you know, think, what are the gifts that the you know, whoever's listening right now what are the gifts that you have that you could give back? How could you give back to those around you?
Speaker 2:And it's the most fulfilling life that you can live. You wake up the next morning wondering how do I get to the next person? How can I help the next person? What message can I pass along? I I get to the next person. How can I help the next person? What message can I pass along? I think I told you about the bigger than baseball message. Right, that's to me it's. Baseball is secondary. It is raising better young men and young women to help lead our community in the future too.
Speaker 2:You are an incredible person. I know everything happens for a reason. I'm a firm believer on that. But, like you know, I don't know. Just hearing you kind of vocalize and talk about what your day looks like and how you got into this. It nothing's by accident, right? I mean, everything has happened for a reason. You moved from Delaware to Nebraska for a reason. Now you have a wonderful family and it's yeah. Um, before we get to this next question about um advice for leaders in the in in the community, I want to pause. Knowing what you know now and all the tools and everything to help you be successful in your everyday activities, is there a piece of advice you would give young Amanda? I mean before the move from Delaware to Nebraska or something that you wish that you would have known. I know it's a sneak question, I didn't brief you on it.
Speaker 3:I guess I would probably say to her hang in there, I promise it's worth it, I love it. There's a lot of things that we go through, I think, when we're younger and we wonder why is this happening to me and why is this so hard and it's worth the wait. Just wait for it. And so I think that's what I tell her is just be patient and wait, because it's so worth it and it has been.
Speaker 2:And I got goosebumps. That's incredible, Amanda, that is yeah, it's worth it.
Speaker 3:It is.
Speaker 2:Whatever it is, it's going to be worth it. Okay, If you could give a leader of a company three pieces of advice three to five pieces of advice to be a successful leader, what would the advice be?
Speaker 3:Yes. So one of the number one pieces that I try to share at the beginning of any of my workshops or working with leaders is the best leaders are self-aware leaders. So when we become self-aware about ourselves, we are able to communicate that back to the people we work with, and people are usually going to give more grace to those that know themselves and are willing to share. And so the best leaders are self-aware leaders. The second one that I would share is invest in yourself and invest in your people. So sometimes when you're at the top, it can be a little lonely, right. And so find your network of people, whether it is a coach that you do one-on-one work with, or whether it is a mastermind of other leaders that are at the level that you are at. Invest in yourself that way, and then investing in your people. People stay with businesses and organizations because they feel wanted and they feel appreciated and they've been invested in, and so if you want to keep your people, you want to foster that growth, invest in them and they will stay and they will be loyal to you in your business.
Speaker 3:The other one I will mention is paying attention to your environment and your culture. So what is the culture that you want to create in your business and organization. What is the environment? You want to create, that environment where people are able to grow and thrive and be their best self, they're working in their strengths and they love what they do. And so I think it's a good reminder to ask yourself what is the culture that we are creating here? What is the environment?
Speaker 3:When people walk through our doors or they see our business name or organization name, or our employees are talking about where they work, how are they going to talk about that environment? Are they going to talk about that culture? And then the last one that I'll leave you with is communication is the foundation for success, and so no one can read minds right, and so if we are going to become better, whether it's as a leader or with a team, it's so much about communication and no matter the relationship. So whether it's husband, wife, you know where you work, it doesn't matter. Being open and communicating is is going to give you that success that you want. So there's my four that I would give to, uh to any leaders.
Speaker 2:It's so crazy that this is the second person that I've talked to that was given advice to the few, to the leaders of companies, and it's the second person in a row that's brought up culture. And I tie it back to about a year ago when I was hired to leave the government and come work here for Murray. I had three interviews and then the fourth interview was a culture interview and I had no idea what he was talking about. I have never once where I've worked, for I'll just leave it at the government. Well, I worked for about a decade with him and and I went home every single night and I would tell my wife about how I I I was good at what I was doing, but I was taking things away from people. I would go in secure ground for future beltways, I would go in secure ground for future overpasses and literally taking people's livelihood that they've known and loved. And that's how they grew up farming right. Being from Western Nebraska, my grandfather would say there are two things in this world the Lord gave you dirt and your body and you're taking dirt from these farmers. You need to find a different career and you know that stuck with me. And anyways, coming back to the culture interview. Once Matt Murray and Megan said, all right, we got one more interview and it's our culture interview. We want to make sure that you're the right culture fit for what we have here.
Speaker 2:I couldn't wrap my mind around it and then I thought I didn't get the job right. I mean, two days went by after the interview. I'm like I guess I don't fit the culture. I couldn't have been more wrong, like I walked through these doors every single day and I and I'm thankful that I don't have to go home and tell my wife about how I'm stealing ground from homeowners and farmers and and landowners and at the end of the day it all ties back to being able to wake up and feel like you're doing something positive in the world or the community or helping others. And that culture thing, it, it. This job wouldn't be what it is unless you felt that when you walk through these doors, I talk about it every single day. My son wants to come to work every single day. That he doesn't have school. It's crazy. You got Matt and Megan's daughter out there running around right, like that's, that's, this is home, it's a family environment and everybody feels that when they get here. It makes such a huge difference in our workload.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Yes, it really does the, the culture that is created, and it starts with leadership, and so, just like you said, you know Matt and Meg, they they made sure that that was important. That was that was a separate interview Like that's huge. I don't know very many businesses or organizations doing that and so, but we have to put a precedence on that because and people want that, you want to have a career that you're not complaining about or that brings you down, and so one of the best pieces of feedback I get from clients when I work with career coaching clients is I can't believe that I get paid to do this.
Speaker 2:That's incredible.
Speaker 3:And it just fills my cup to hear that because that's where we want to be. I feel that way about what I do. I can't believe that I get paid to do this because it is so fulfilling and we should all want that, and so how do we get it? And it's about becoming self-aware. It's about having people invest in us. It's investing in ourselves to find that. So I think back to even being in college and, yes, you know, you get a degree, you have these things to go out into the world, but are we really given that foundation to know what direction we should go in? I don't feel like I was as prepared as I should have been, and so knowing, knowing what I didn't have has given me the opportunity to provide that for my clients. And so, uh, I would challenge individuals to really take a close look at, uh, if they have the ability to make a shift or change in a culture or environment. Do it, do it.
Speaker 2:And it's not going to be easy, because I mean, if it was easy, you know they probably wouldn't be the right thing to do. I say to my son all the time he's seven, you can do hard things, right, you put the work in, you can do the hard things now. And trust me, man, when and if and when you fail because you will I'm here, man, I got you, Like, go out, go out and set your expectations super high. And if you fail, so what dude, what can I do to help you? Right, what can we do next time to help?
Speaker 3:We never fail. We learn. Oh my God, I say that to my team all the time hey, we're not. We either win or we learn. That's it, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Jeez Louise. How did you get into career coaching?
Speaker 3:Yes, so I spent almost 10 years in higher education teaching, and so I was teaching in the classroom, I was an academic advisor, I was a program director for a little bit and then I managed a internship program, and so I worked a lot with employers and matching students to career placement, essentially, and I just I'm so fueled by that finding that fit. And so it was just when I knew I wanted to step away from corporate and start my own business. I knew that was a natural fit for me, because that was something that I was truly passionate about and truly loved.
Speaker 2:Now starting your own business. I know I'm completely off script at this point, but starting your own business, what was the final push? I mean, what gave you the hey? I'm doing this. Whether I win or I learn, I'm doing this.
Speaker 3:Yes. So my youngest, my daughter, was going to start preschool and she was going to be off on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And I hit a point in my life where I realized I think people tell you you know, these years go by really fast and you know you need to make the most of them, et cetera, and I realized I wanted to be with her on those Tuesday Thursdays and so I didn't actually teach a class in person on Tuesday Thursdays and I asked if I could stay home and work from home on those days so I could be with her. And I was told no. And God had laid on my heart to be a more present mom because I'm not going to get that time back and I want to foster that relationship, I want to help grow them. And so that was the push, the no. I got a no and I said, okay, this is it, I'm stepping out, and it was a huge leap, super scary.
Speaker 3:People are like you're crazy, you're crazy, but I think we all have a little craziness right and it has been very rewarding. It's been hard. It is hard being a business owner. I mean you do everything, so I create the content, I think well, I go, I think about the idea. I create the content, you know, I deliver it and then I do all the follow-up and I bill and I do the books, and I do it all Like I am a one woman show and so there's a lot that goes into it. But at the end of the day, being able to walk away and knowing that I've changed lives, knowing that I've had a beautiful impact in this world, is so worth it.
Speaker 2:And you'll never, ever, ever regret spending the amount of time that you get to spend with your little one. I mean, that's, or I guess, what was that five years ago?
Speaker 3:Two.
Speaker 2:Two years ago, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it was priceless, absolutely priceless, two years ago. Okay, to today, and there is nothing. No, this is what I would say. There is no amount of money, there are no benefits that can outweigh that time and those moments and those memories, and I just, I feel so blessed to be able to do that.
Speaker 2:That is 100% the reason why I started vigorously and angrily applying to these places. I applied for the VP of sales position at Murray initially and I had never, ever, ever ever done any of that. That's what I applied for, just because I needed out, because my work schedule that's what they always said Are you able to live in the gray? You lived in the black and white for so long. If I wasn't there at 7.30 and 7.33 went by, then I would have to stay till 5.33 and it was just an entire thing and it came down to I don't want to have to pay for afterschool care anymore.
Speaker 2:My daughter is 11 years old. My son is seven. They live in a small town, local Nebraska. They should be able to take the bus home. I should be there to be able to make sure they get off of the bus and that their home's safe, and we shouldn't have to pay for childcare and daycare for three hours or two hours when I can do what I do from my home office too. So I mean, at the end of the day, you're right, there is no amount of money, there is no amount of benefits, there is no retirement fund stashed away. That's going to take anything away from the amount of time I get to spend with those two kids. It's invaluable.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and I know not everyone can necessarily do what I did, but I think you have to get really clear on the priorities that you have for your life, and my priorities were I want to be a better wife. I want to be a more present mom, 100% about, and it has definitely rippled into all areas of my life.
Speaker 2:Yep, Feel good, look good, perform good. It all kind of ties back to that. And also those four things are kind of lean into the four pieces of advice that you gave to the local leaders in our community that are listening. Absolutely With that same train of thought, if you could talk to the 20 year old Amanda right, I know we had already said the piece of advice you would, you would just stick with it and it gets better With the train of thought of the four pieces of advice that you gave to the leaders, what is something that you would tell yourself that's coming straight out that just said hey, guess what? I'm quitting my job and I'm starting my own business. What's that piece of advice?
Speaker 3:know the areas where you want to spend your time and get really clear on that. Time is the universal equalizer. So you and I may make different amounts of money, we have different families, we drive different cars, but you and I both have 24 hours in a day. But you and I both have 24 hours in a day, and so how we spend that time is what sets us apart from other people. And so I would say, get really clear on how you spend your time and where you put your time and who you spend your time with. That's what really matters.
Speaker 2:You know what? I've said this for the last couple of years. With the weight loss I've also been on year nine of sobriety. Right, no alcohol, no, nothing. I have no energy drinks.
Speaker 2:The last month and a half I've tried to tell myself that you can do hard things too, right. So with all that, I had to completely change the people I surrounded myself with and not anything against them. It was just where I wanted to go with my life. We did not have the same goals. When I asked hey, man, where do you see yourself in two, five, 10 years? It's the same exact dang spot. You are right now. You know I'm drinking beer on my porch. You know drinking beer with my old man in the backyard. That's fine, but that's not my goals.
Speaker 2:My goals is I want to leave a legacy behind for my two kids that share my last name. I want to leave a legacy behind for the kids that I've been coaching for the last 10 years of their life. I want to leave something behind for my wife. If I leave first, I want my mom to be proud of her. Son. Couldn't do those things with the life that I was living, dang sure couldn't do those things with my supporting cast of characters that I called friends right. And it's funny. Now to this day, about 10 years later, not one text, not one hey. And I've reached out to them I've said hey, man, sorry for the way I left things. You know, I'm in a better place now. Let's talk, let's meet up, nothing Again. You know, I probably could have handled the front end of things differently, but I had to do what I had to do for me.
Speaker 3:I had to, I had to be able to at least try to hit those goals. You know I haven't hit all of them yet, but I'm still trying every single day. Yes, we become who we tell ourselves we are and we become who we surround ourself with, and I believe those two things. And when we really start making shifts in our life and analyzing is this best, is this where I want to be? And then making the changes that we need to, it's huge. It can make a huge difference in our life and you and I are both living proof of that, and anybody can do it, and it's not rocket science. Just use what we've talked about in this podcast today and ask yourself these questions that I've posed and do an analysis of it and whatever comes out of it, start making some shifts and you'll thank yourself later.
Speaker 2:The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result. It isn't ever going to happen. Amanda, how do people get a hold of you? How can we get in touch with you? How can we book sessions with you? I want to know it all. How do I get a hold of you?
Speaker 3:Yes, so head straight to my website, amandafairlyllccom. It is all there. I do have presence on Facebook and Instagram, so my color analysis business is the studio of color and, but it is all housed under my amandafairlyllccom on my website.
Speaker 2:Now, if somebody wanted to show up and get with you in two weeks from now, are you? Would they be able? Would you be able to fit people into your schedule after hearing this podcast? Do you have availability? Do you have openings?
Speaker 3:I do so I am booking out to about the middle of uh, middle of April right now, so I'm about a month out. So I would encourage you to jump on the calendar now, and especially with summer coming.
Speaker 3:I really cut back once, the my kiddos are out of out of school and so, uh, but you can always email me my calendar. It is what it is when you go to my booking link. But, uh, you can. You can always ask and there might be an opening or I might get a cancellation somewhere, and so I do keep a list of those so that I can reach back out to people.
Speaker 2:And we will have all the ways to get ahold of you in the description of this podcast link and if you are on our Facebook page, we will have links to her pages there as well. I got one more question for you and it's simply just for my personal knowledge and bank here Thoughts on social media. I am a big component of. There is a right way and a wrong way to do Facebook and Twitter or, wait, sorry, Facebook and X and Instagram and the social media aspect of it. I am a, I'm a, I'm a believer in. These are tools for people like us and leaders and coaches and business owners to be successful. What are your thoughts on the direction that social media is heading and advice again for other leaders to use those tools.
Speaker 3:My advice would be to show up in your most authentic self. Social media there's so much out there that is fake. People are fake, words are fake, pictures are fake, and so if you really want to draw people in, I think you've got to lean into who you are authentically and that's how you show up. And so it's hard. I do all the things, like I said, in my business, and social media is one of them, and sometimes I struggle getting things up there, but I really try to make it. This is me, this is what I'm doing, this is, uh, this is where I'm at, and so I. That's what I would say is show up as your authentic self in those spaces, because people, people will eventually see through the, the, the chatter, the fake that's out there.
Speaker 2:The BS out there.
Speaker 3:Yes, but they'll recognize and they'll be like, wow, this person's real and they'll be drawn to it.
Speaker 2:I have. About a year ago, I stopped with the. Should I do this? Should I post this? Is this too much information? Am I being too real? And I just gave up all the other stuff and I just put myself out there and I'm telling you. It has made a difference because I don't have to hide anything. I don't fake it. When I meet somebody, I am who I am and you knew the minute that you saw it. This is who I am, wholeheartedly. If it's at baseball, if it's at work, if it's at home, if it's with my kids, I am this same person online as I am everywhere else, and it's made my life more, almost more simple. You know, absolutely, amanda. Any final thoughts? There's something we didn't hit on that you want to touch base on.
Speaker 3:I would just. I would just say do some, do some self-reflection. We don't normally take the time to do that, unless we're working with a coach or we have to do it in some type of workshop, but I would encourage listeners to set some time aside to really self-reflect on the life you want to have and how you want to live, because we could just go through the motions of life so easily and so many people do and I did for so long. But when we truly start to be intentional about where we spend our time and who we spend our time with, and pouring into ourselves, we're able to show up as our best self in all areas of our life. So in our marriage or with our kids, or at baseball or in our jobs, it doesn't matter, we are able to show up as our best self. So I would say pour into you, take the time to concentrate on you and self-reflect and plan, because you are worth it.
Speaker 2:And you can do hard things. You're an incredible person. I know I said it before we went on air and I probably said it a couple of different times. Matt Murray, I hope you feel better, but thank you for being sick today, man, because I had so much fun better, but thank you for being sick today, man, because I had so much fun with this. I thank you for being here. Thank you for taking the time out of your day. I know you're busy and I know there's a thousand other things you can do, but again, everything happens for a reason and I'm glad you showed up today. Thank you for having me. Thank you everyone for joining us with this Stay Modern with Murray podcast.
Speaker 1:I appreciate everyone's support and look forward to the next episode, if you have questions or topics you'd like us to discuss, you can email them to info at murraycustomhomescom. If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe to Stay Modern with Murray on Apple and Spotify, or check back on our website and social media regularly for the latest episodes.
