Embrace Your Hot Mess with Jessica Mesnick: From Chaos to Confidence

Amanda Paolicelli: 00:00:06

What's up, Radiant Icons, and welcome back to

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Dare to be Iconic, the podcast made

for icons daring to be themselves.

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I'm your host, Amanda Paolicelli,

and we are back with Everyday Icons.

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This week, I'm spilling the

tea with Jessica Mesnick.

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Now, before we get into exactly what

we spilled a tea on in this tea time

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sesh, make sure to connect with me

on socials on Instagram and TikTok.

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It's at @amandapaolicelli_

and @daretobeiconic.

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And if you're on LinkedIn, because I

love LinkedIn, at Amanda Paolicelli is

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where you can connect with me there.

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And all of those socials will be

found in the show notes below.

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But now, let's get to the good stuff.

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Let's get to some tea, shall we?

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Today, Jess and I spill the tea

on all things about being a hot

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mess, because Jess is a hot mess.

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I've known that girl since college,

and she embraces that chaotic,

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messy lifestyle, but in a hot way.

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And that's exactly what we are

doing today, Radiant Icons.

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Embrace being a hot mess.

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Are you ready?

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Because your tea time

sesh is starting now.

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Jess, welcome to Dare to be Iconic.

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How are you doing?

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Jessica Mesnick: I'm doing so well.

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How are you?

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Amanda Paolicelli: I'm doing very good.

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I'm very excited, radiant Icons.

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Jess and I go way back.

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We go all the way back to college and we

will get into that later on in this tea

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time sesh, but let's get to the questions.

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So what does iconic mean to you?

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And how do you dare to be

iconic in your everyday life?

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Jessica Mesnick: To me, iconic means

embracing your true, authentic, messy,

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chaotic self, whatever that means to

you, embracing your wins as well as your

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failures, acknowledging just who you

are as a person and living that through.

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And in my daily life, In order to

be an icon and pursue that iconic

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mentality that you push so hard.

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I love I try so hard to just

always be working towards my

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highest self always been working

towards growing And embracing that.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Since the moment

I've met you, Jess, you've just

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been so yourself and I've just

been so privileged to be able to

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witness this journey firsthand.

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This evolution of you embracing this,

like, chaotic, messy, but, like, hot

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mess messy vibes, you know what I mean?

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You are a Jess of all trades, and

it's very, very true, so can you

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just elaborate on how how all those

experiences have really impacted

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like your dare to be iconic journey?

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Jessica Mesnick: Yeah, absolutely.

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I mean, I feel like I've talked

to you about this before.

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I had a plan.

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Right.

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I had a plan.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Yes,

you definitely have

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lots and lots of girls times,

whether it's with wine or sushi.

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We have definitely chit chatted

a lot about all of this.

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Jessica Mesnick: A lot about my plan

and my biggest lesson of my life is

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nothing, nothing goes according to plan.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Absolutely!

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A thousand percent, trust me.

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Jessica Mesnick: And that just,

it was such a wake up call for me.

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But it, I mean, you know,

it happened in the pandemic.

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Everybody kind of got a wake up call.

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Everybody kind of realized

things don't go according to

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plan for me specifically, though.

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Nothing was going to plan

even up until the pandemic.

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And then after the pandemic, during

the pandemic, I was like, I have, I

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kind of had to figure something out.

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I kind of have to see

where things are going.

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And so I kind of just started

embracing and pursuing all these

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different interests that I had.

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We majored in theater together in college.

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And so that was part of my plan was to go

and be this big time actress, director,

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work on movie sides, something in the

arts, and the pandemic put that on a hold.

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So that kind of forced me to see

what other things that I loved and

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that, you know, I started working

on events and traveling the world.

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I started directing in

theater again last year.

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I started acting in

movies again last year.

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I started pursuing Dog sitting,

carpentry, electrics, all these

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different things that I had an interest

for, but it wasn't part of my plan.

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So I had to branch out.

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Amanda Paolicelli: So, within that

embracing that messiness that life kind

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of forced upon you in a way, what is

another pivotal lesson that you carry

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with you now in all of those experiences

that you're dipping your toe into?

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Jessica Mesnick: Something I

think that I took away from that

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specifically from working on luxury

events was that no is never an answer.

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If, if somebody asks for something, you

don't get to say no, you figure it out.

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You have to come up with another answer.

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So something is halting your career.

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Something is halting your growth.

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You just have to figure out

like an alternate route.

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Amanda Paolicelli: How have you been

able to apply that into your life,

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specifically with content creation?

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Jessica Mesnick: So I think when it

comes to finding alternate routes

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and never taking no for an answer

in terms of content creation, if

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I don't have an opportunity, if a

brand doesn't reach out to me, I'm

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going to reach out to the brand.

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If I want to do content for this

thing, I'm just going to do it.

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I felt like in the beginning of my content

creation journey, I felt like I had to

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explain a lot of the time, my reasoning

for doing certain pieces of content.

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And you just have to

throw that out the window.

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No one needs an explanation.

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Just do it.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Exactly.

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I remember us sitting down for sushi

when you came here to Orlando and this

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was right before you had taken that

leap to actually start the content

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creation cause I know it's been

something that you've been wanting to do.

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I remember us mentioning a lot about

fear and like breaking away from it.

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So how have you been able to take

that lesson of breaking free from

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fear and just doing it anyway?

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Jessica Mesnick: I know when it came to

like getting over fear for specifically

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for content creation, it was kind of just

like a wake up like I don't want to stay

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in this position that I've been in my

entire life or at least for a while now.

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And I want to take that leap of

faith and just force myself just like

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nosedive into whatever it may be.

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I know a couple of years ago, or I guess

it was more of like the last two years.

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When I moved to Atlanta, had a

realization that, I mean, when you

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first met me, I'm a little shy.

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I'm a little quiet.

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Like, I'm not, I'm not a talkative person.

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I'm not a yapper if you don't know me.

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Amanda Paolicelli: No, I

mean, I guess that's fair.

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My brain didn't even take a second to

I'm like, what are you talking about?

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Jessica Mesnick: You have to go way back.

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Like, you to go way back.

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You approached me, Amanda.

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Amanda Paolicelli: I actually

don't Is it bad that I don't

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remember our first conversation?

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I literally just remember us being

in Be's class, like, getting paired

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up for that, like, acting finale.

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Like, that's all I remember.

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Jessica Mesnick: You paired us up.

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Amanda Paolicelli: I did?

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Jessica Mesnick: You paired us up.

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You came up It was after we had

done some monologues for the class.

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You walked up to me and were like,

Do you want to do a scene together?

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And I was like, I wasn't

going to ask anybody.

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Amanda Paolicelli: So this whole time I

was like, Oh, Be definitely paired us up.

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That is not what happened.

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Okay.

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That's a very Amanda thing.

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Jessica Mesnick: But, but

like, I'm not a yapper.

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I like.

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I might be now, but let me go back.

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Let me go back.

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I am not all the way back.

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I'm a little quiet when you first get to

know me because I don't, I could sit in

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silence forever and be perfectly fine.

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In my career, a year living here

in Atlanta, a year traveling the

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country with all these luxury events,

I realized I hadn't made any real

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connections because I'm not a yapper.

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I'm not a talker.

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I don't go out of my way to meet people.

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And I kind of just, it hit me.

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I was like, I'm going to get nowhere

if I don't change this about myself.

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And so I kind of pulled the actor card

and decided to go out and just open

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up my personality and almost put on

like a whole different personality

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in terms of like talking to people.

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Amanda Paolicelli: So, Radiant

Icons, we all know that Jess and

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I met in college, and she has

definitely reminded me how we've met.

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And , when I was in college, I had no

idea what the hell I was doing, and

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there are a lot of things I would have

told 19 year old Amanda, 20 year old

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Amanda, 21 year old Amanda, to brace

her for what life has in store for her.

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So, for you, What would you

tell Jess in college for the

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years to come and what to expect?

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What is one piece of advice that

you would tell her or one piece

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of motivation to keep going?

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Jessica Mesnick: Take bigger risks.

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I felt like I took bigger risks outside

of university than I did in university,

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which I feel like it should be the

opposite sometimes and to just freaking

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stop adhering to this plan that is ever

going to happen according to the book.

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Everything you'll ever want is going

to happen, but it will never happen

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the way that you expect it to.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Oh, that's

a thousand percent true.

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You mentioned how you feel like

you've taken more risk outside

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of college than you did in.

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And I can relate to that, because I think

I played a little scared in college.

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I didn't go as big as I should

have, and I've definitely taken

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bigger swings now in my life.

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So what has it been for you?

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What was that one moment where you're

like, oh shit, like I actually,

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actually did that damn thing.

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And like college me would be so proud.

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Jessica Mesnick: I freaking

traveled the world.

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Some lady just like hit me up on Upwork

and was like, do you wanna work for me and

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travel the world with some luxury boats?

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And I was like, what else am

I doing in the pandemic, and

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Amanda Paolicelli: That

is such a Jess thing.

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Oh my God.

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That is so you, that is so you,

of course you'll say yes to

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traveling and going on a boat.

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Jessica Mesnick: She literally

messaged me and then like I just

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took off for a month and it was.

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It was a dream, everything.

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It was something I had always

wanted to travel for work.

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And it, like, I'm driving in the

middle of nowhere at one point.

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I'm like, Oh shit.

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I'm kind of like living my dream right now

in the, in a way that I never expected.

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I would have never expected

it to be like this.

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Amanda Paolicelli: So what

did you learn from that?

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Jessica Mesnick: Take fucking risks.

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Just, just, just.

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Amanda Paolicelli: You're

like, take a damn risk Amanda.

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That's what I'm learning.

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Jessica Mesnick: Yes!

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Amanda Paolicelli: That's how

I'm redefining my narrative.

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Period.

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But as you should.

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Jessica Mesnick: Put yourself out there.

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It was a one in a thousand chance

that she would have found me like

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I put myself on the internet.

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I did not put myself out anyway,

and she came to me and found

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me and I mean, I manifested it.

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I, you know, if you pray, maybe you

pray for whatever, but it happened

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because I just, I wanted it to happen.

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And I put myself out there

in the best way that I could.

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And then it came to me.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Yeah, it did.

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Now you have a good ass story to tell.

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Jessica Mesnick: I know,

I have a good ass story.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Miss world

traveler, miss I've gone to all

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these countries, miss you need to

stay with me in a hostel next time

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that you travel the world, Amanda.

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Jessica Mesnick: Yes, Amanda.

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Hostel are where its at.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Listen, I got

literally so lost in Barcelona.

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I literally have the worst travel stories.

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Like, Airbnb, like, it's like, horrible.

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Like, I can't, I can't.

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Jessica Mesnick: You know what's

great, though, about a hostel?

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Amanda Paolicelli: No, please tell me.

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I know you're going to tell me anyway, so,

let's share it with everyone, shall we?

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The radiant icons are in for a treat.

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Jessica Mesnick: If you go to a

good hostel, like a decent popular

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hostel, the majority of the people

there are probably new to the city

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as well and just figuring things out.

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And the people at the front desk

have all the resources that you

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need and are there to help you.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Okay, I

guess you're, like, right.

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I rea Okay, like, I could see

where we were going with this.

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Okay.

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Yes.

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So basically the next question

is, what is our next trip?

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Like, what are we doing then?

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Jessica Mesnick: Oh my god,

okay, well, hopefully Miami.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Jess

needs to come to Landobash.

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Please.

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Jess needs to be at Landobash.

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Oh my God.

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Yes.

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Jessica Mesnick: My dad would be so proud.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Oh my God.

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I know.

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That's a fun fact too is that, Jess,

what you want to share about your family

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history and like cars and everything

and how I like literally almost passed

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out when you told me over sushi.

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Jessica Mesnick: I mean,

it's, it's nothing too crazy.

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My dad, my dad has had a crazy life.

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I just want to start like every

time I talk to him, it's just

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some new, random, crazy story.

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Like what, who are you?

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What are you doing

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Amanda Paolicelli: here?

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Like literally,

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Jessica Mesnick: So, okay, well,

let me start from the beginning.

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So he told his parents.

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That he was going to Italy

for vet school for college.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Okay.

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Jessica Mesnick: He did

not go to vet school.

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He brought a racing helmet and

went to driving school in Italy.

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Um, and so he got sponsored became

a professional formula driver.

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He's done Sebring.

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He's won.

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His first race, I think, at

Sebring, he came in like, Seventh

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or somewhere up in like the top 10.

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Um, but yeah, no.

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So he racing legend basically.

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Yes.

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That is like a little cool.

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Um, but no, he used to race

formula cars professionally.

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Yeah, and then my brother races.

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He did race go karts growing up and

now he races every so often, um,

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whatever he, I don't actually know.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Why is that

such like sibling core right there?

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My sister never knows what I'm doing

and I never know what she's doing.

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Like she just graduated with her

master's in December and I'm, everyone's

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like, oh what's she graduating with?

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I don't know.

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It's something with numbers.

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Jessica Mesnick: If it's numbers lost,

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Amanda Paolicelli: yeah, over my head.

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Like, don't, please don't ask me.

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No, no, like she's the one who's

going to be making lots of money.

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And like, as long as she knows

how to count it and all that

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stuff, that's great for her.

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But I have no idea how to comprehend that.

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Jessica Mesnick: Love that for her.

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Amanda Paolicelli: Yeah, me too.

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Me too.

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She'll definitely be the breadwinner.

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But anyway, what advice would you

give to others who are trying to

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redefine their narrative or rewrite it?

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Jessica Mesnick: I would say really

sit with what makes your heart burn.

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Like, what is something that you

truly just, you cannot live without,

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that you are just so passionate

about, you are just constantly

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thinking about it every single day.

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And just take those baby

steps to getting it.

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And if you don't know what

that is, that's totally fine.

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Some people haven't discovered it yet

and won't discover it for years and

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years, but start exploring, go, go do

craft clubs, go meet people, find a

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passion that makes you so happy and

embrace the messiness and pursuing it.

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Amanda Paolicelli: So basically,

be their own Jess of Trades.

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Jessica Mesnick: Yes, be

your own jess of Trades.

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Literally.

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Absolutely!

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Amanda Paolicelli: And embrace

the hot mess of it all.

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: 00:14:50

So what is one iconic insight

that you want to leave with

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the Radiant Icon community?

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Jessica Mesnick: It's okay to be

scared and to go into things that

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are terrifying and unknown and

you don't know how to do properly.

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: 00:15:06

So do it messy, do it chaotic,

do it wrong, and figure it out

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: 00:15:11

along the way because it's so,

so much better on the other side.

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: 00:15:16

Being a hot mess is just freaking fun.

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: 00:15:19

Amanda Paolicelli: Jess, I, I cherish

your friendship a lot and I'm just so

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: 00:15:23

happy that we get to do this together.

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: 00:15:26

And all that.

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: 00:15:26

That's good stuff.

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: 00:15:28

I know you're not sentimental on

me, so I won't, I won't make it

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: 00:15:31

too tear jerky, but thank you.

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: 00:15:32

Jessica Mesnick: It's okay.

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: 00:15:33

It's okay.

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: 00:15:33

I appreciate you and cherish

our friendship as well.

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: 00:15:39

Amanda Paolicelli: You see, I wore

the pink just for you, actually.

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: 00:15:41

Jessica Mesnick: I got

the purple just for you.

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: 00:15:44

I said, wow.

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: 00:15:44

We really switched.

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: 00:15:46

Wow.

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: 00:15:47

Yeah.

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: 00:15:48

Amanda Paolicelli: How iconic of us.

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: 00:15:50

Jessica Mesnick: Love that, love that.

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: 00:15:53

Amanda Paolicelli: But thank you for

coming on Dare to be Iconic, Jess.

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: 00:15:56

Jessica Mesnick: Thank you for having me.

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: 00:15:57

Amanda Paolicelli: Alright Radiant Icons,

That is your tea time sesh for today.

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: 00:16:01

If you enjoyed today's episode make

sure to subscribe, to leave a rating,

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: 00:16:04

to leave a review, to tell your friends

about us To tell anyone and everyone,

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: 00:16:09

because we love more radiant icons

in our iconic community of ours.

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: 00:16:14

I will never get tired of saying

that radiant icons, absolutely not.

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: 00:16:18

But anyway, I want to thank Jess one

more time for coming on the podcast

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: 00:16:21

and spilling all the tea with us

about being a chaotic, hot mess.

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: 00:16:26

I love it.

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: 00:16:27

It's great.

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: 00:16:27

And if you are listening to this episode

the day it drops, well then you're in

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: 00:16:32

luck because we'll be going live on

Instagram on Thursday, January 23rd, so

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: 00:16:37

make sure to stay tuned and connect with

me on social so you can get that little

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: 00:16:42

notification when Jess and I go live.

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: 00:16:45

But if not, I'll chat

with you guys next week.

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: 00:16:48

Next week we are spilling the

tea on the subtle art of letting

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: 00:16:52

go and not giving a shit.

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: 00:16:54

Now that's definitely a tea time sesh

you want to tune in for, and if you

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: 00:16:58

have any questions regarding that topic,

then make sure to submit your questions

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: 00:17:04

in the Dare to Be Iconic hotline.

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: 00:17:06

There's a link in the show notes below

and also on the Dare to Be Iconic website.

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: 00:17:11

I'm so excited for next week, you guys.

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: 00:17:13

You will not believe it.

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: 00:17:15

Anywho, I'll chat with you guys then.

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: 00:17:18

Remember, Radiant Icons dare to be iconic.

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: 00:17:21

Bye!