![[INTERVIEW] Embracing vulnerability and inner confidence w/ Anna Murphy Artwork](https://www.buzzsprout.com/rails/active_storage/representations/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBCT2g0dndZPSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--6093c5dcc506bae800dde98703a071c7f33536ce/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDVG9MWm05eWJXRjBPZ2hxY0djNkUzSmxjMmw2WlY5MGIxOW1hV3hzV3docEFsZ0NhUUpZQW5zR09nbGpjbTl3T2d0alpXNTBjbVU2Q25OaGRtVnlld1k2REhGMVlXeHBkSGxwUVRvUVkyOXNiM1Z5YzNCaFkyVkpJZ2x6Y21kaUJqb0dSVlE9IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJ2YXJpYXRpb24ifX0=--1924d851274c06c8fa0acdfeffb43489fc4a7fcc/2.jpg)
Self(ish) Confidence
Your confidence is your superpower… but what if you don’t have any? It can be hard to show up as your authentic self. When we go out, or even scrolling on the couch, it's easy to get trapped in the comparison game, making it even harder to be beautifully you. Self(ish) Confidence is about finding your confidence, shining your light and taking action toward your unconventional life. Every week, we'll chat through barriers that could hold you back. Follow along with me, Jess Clerke, as we learn to find our confidence together and begin to share our magic with the world.
Self(ish) Confidence
[INTERVIEW] Embracing vulnerability and inner confidence w/ Anna Murphy
Have you ever met someone who exudes confidence and authenticity so much that it's almost tangible? That's Anna Murphy for you, an unstoppable force from St. John's, Newfoundland, who joins us this week on Selfish Confidence. Her story is not just about bold fashion statements and cultural dynamism; it's a blueprint for anyone looking to craft their own life around genuine self-expression and entrepreneurial spirit. We chat about the importance of community, the growth of her business ventures, and the dynamic experiences she creates that inspire others to shine brightly in their authenticity.
Our conversation takes a deeper turn as we uncover Anna's personal battle with body confidence and self-acceptance. She bravely shares her past encounters with bullying and how she's learned to convert her wardrobe into a celebration of her innermost self. We also discuss the transformative power of dance, the role of affirmations in combating negative self-talk, and the broader impact these practices have on the community. Anna's journey is a vivid reminder that the path to self-love is not just about the highs but includes embracing the lows with grace and resilience.
Join us for this heartfelt dialogue that's sure to leave you feeling inspired, connected, and ready to embrace your own path with a little more confidence.
Connect with Anna:
IG: @murphyanna016
Podcast: Yellow Rose Coloured Glasses
Anna's Morning Vibes Playlist
Thank you for listening to Self(ish) Confidence! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or on your social media and tag me @jess.clerke so I can personally thank you for helping spread some confidence + love!
Check out my website at: www.jessclerke.com
If you're on instagram, come say hi!! 👋👋
My Personal Account ---> @jess.clerke
The Podcast Account ---> @selfishconfidence
Welcome to Selfish Confidence, a place where we can connect and be real about how hard it is to be your damn self. My name is Jess and my goal is to help you build confidence and belief in yourself to live any life path you want, even if it's unconventional. It's time to flip off societal pressures and connect with women who've also felt on the outside by their life choices. We're here to encourage you to grab the mic and speak your truth. I know it can be scary, but we're in this together. Let's get started. Hello, hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Selfish Confidence Podcast. It's Jess here and it is a fun day up in here you are going to love. Today's guest, Anna Murphy, is sitting with me today and she's just such this beautiful, bright light. You would love her hot pink sweater she's wearing today and it is just going to be such a fun episode. Welcome, anna. How are you doing? I'm good.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. I adore you obviously, so I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1:I adore you. I remember when I first saw you at that event that we met at Shift with Gina and Emily last year, last January, which is wild and you had the coolest outfit on, and I remember watching you and just thinking like, wow, that woman is confident, like she is herself, and it's the coolest thing when other people can see that too. But I'm wondering how you felt internally in that season too. Were you just as confident as I was seeing you?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think I just like live in this absolute delusional fantasy of myself at all times, like I yeah, I was I feel good, like I think that I always dress in a way that makes me feel like an extended version of myself, and I love to project that in rooms with people, because what a great way to introduce yourself, to be like I'm here and I'm open and I am authentic and I'm like welcoming you to be the same.
Speaker 1:And I think it is just like really on brand for you. So can you tell everyone like who you are, what you do, tell us about your unconventional life and like how you're living over there?
Speaker 2:So I am in St John's, newfoundland, I live with my beautiful, amazing partner, chad, and I have so many things on my plate in my crazy, wonderful life. I own a clothing store called Yellow Rose downtown St John's. It's all handmade, hand-dyed, painted, block-printed clothing and the whole brand and aesthetic is all about like just feeling like you can find special pieces that again feel like an extension of an authentic you. That's always really important for me and also creating spaces for people to feel comfortable in my clothes and also to come shop at Yellow Rose. I also own a fairly new brand called Creative Spuck and I do social media branding for weddings and events, small businesses, and that has been like a small baby that I am taking on as I start to work less in my store. So that has been like an interesting transition process for me, because normally I am at my store all the time, so that's been really exciting.
Speaker 2:I also am the executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Rose of Trulie, which is an amazing Irish cultural organization that sends representatives from Newfoundland to Ireland every two years to participate in the Rosa Trulie Festival. It's like if you can imagine somebody coming from there's 65 centers around the world sending this beautiful, amazing person who, like loves to volunteer in their community, is like, open to new experiences, is supportive of other women, is successful in her own right, which, like looks different for other people. And we send them all to Tralee in Ireland every August, be best friends and like experience this big, amazing festival together. So it's like a big life changing thing that I got to do in 2016. And now I'm creating that opportunity for women with an amazing committee of volunteers just to keep that opportunity going here in the province.
Speaker 2:And I also am with Steph Dawkins on Wine Women Wellbeing. We are a chapter creating amazing events here in the city. So I always have lots of things on my plate. I dance, I'm creative. Yeah, I'm just like a little hurricane. I think that's just doing all the things. That fills my heart as much as I can.
Speaker 1:I like to picture women's just women's lives in general as like a plate that you have at the Chinese food buffet and, as you say, all the things that you're doing, it's like another scoop of like really delicious food on your plate and your plate sounds like there are some chicken balls that are about to fall off, like there's a lot on there.
Speaker 2:Well, thankfully I have a partner that loves chicken balls and he always helps me eat them if I can't and supports me the best I can.
Speaker 1:I have such an amazing circle of like my family, amazing friends, amazing partners, so that kind of allows me to live this amazing life and has it always been like that for you, Like what got you to where you are, especially to starting your business, the Yellow Rose. Like what got you to there? Has it always looked this like supportive and loving and, you know, fresh for you?
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like my life in a lot of ways. Like I'm 32 years old, I feel like I am a 600 year old sea witch or something. I feel like I've lived a million. Like I'm 32 years old, I feel like I am a 600 year old sea witch or something. I feel like I've lived a million lives in this 32 years.
Speaker 2:And you know, I, when I was growing up, I was definitely the chubby girl. I started puberty really early. I have been five foot six since I was in grade four. I was always a tall big girl back then and now I'm like a pretty average girl, but pretty average in size. But at the time, you know, when you're in grade school, a woman-sized human is not who you expect in a classroom setting. So I always had a lot of problems with bullying and I never felt very confident in my body because I couldn't find clothes that were for children in my size, of course, and so you're always kind of an other in your spaces.
Speaker 2:But I played soccer. I played soccer a lot. I loved it, played all-star soccer, and then I always had like a community of people that were celebrating me for a reason that was because of my body but at the same time had nothing to do with my size, and I think that was kind of the start of when I realized community spaces could fuel me. Now, I mean, I didn't know it looked like that at the time, I didn't know what that meant, but like I felt good in that welcoming space. And then I joined debate when I was in junior high. I was just shy little pea and I really think about debate as a place that changed the trajectory of my life Learning how to speak in rooms of people, learning how to get behind you know, research that you've done and ideas that were yours. That was the first time I ever felt like I was learning how to articulate myself in a way that others would listen to, and that really changed my confidence.
Speaker 2:It led to you know, doing student council and spirit leader and like all of these amazing opportunities that I put my hand up for as I was like growing up, put my hand up for as I was like growing up, and it let me develop this habit that really continues to be so true for me is that I am constantly saying yes, and I'm saying yes for opportunities that people are putting in my path, and I think that an amazing thing that I have fueled in myself is that I am delusional enough to believe that I can actually do it like I never. I no longer struggle with feeling, oh, you know, you're holding yourself back from these opportunities because I truly believe I could do. Now, sometimes it means my Chinese food buffet plate has too many things on it because I believe I can do all of the things, which is something I'm working on in counseling, but that's another idea. But it just allows me to kind of stick up for myself, because I had so many moments, like through those years and in university, when I felt like I was living for somebody else's truth and somebody else's story, pleasing my parents' story which you know, that's all internal.
Speaker 2:Really that wasn't them necessarily, that was a perception I had of myself for them, and I was just like not living super authentically and was depressed and sad and not feeling good in my body. But like, as I began to learn how to articulate my voice and feel confident in my words and my brain, those were the things I was putting forward when I couldn't feel confident in my body or myself and that I was doing business and money, planning on going to business school or, sorry, planning on going to med school. And I was kind of just like going through the phases, checking all my boxes and my partner said to me one day you know, I love you, I support you so much, but I just wanted to like let you know that you cry like every single day, like do you realize how much you're crying? Because it's like a lot.
Speaker 2:And I was like, oh, I actually didn't really realize how much I cried every day every day I was crying a lot and, um, I got wine drunk with my mom and I told her I don't think I can do this like this med school thing, it's not for me. I was working in clinical research at the time, like it was a whole thing, and so I applied to a whole bunch of art schools and I got into a whole bunch of art schools and I was in my early 20s and I had this guy that I was dating and I just wasn't sure I was ready to move across the country or move to another province all by myself. So I did the textile studies program that's offered here in Newfoundland at the College of the North Atlantic and I said I'll just do this for a year and then I can transfer when I'm feeling more confident and ready to go on my own. And that program was like a big family and we learned all of these incredible textile designs and we learned how to have product development and learned how to make products for stores and have a business plan and do all these amazing things.
Speaker 2:And I graduated with a whole business and I just kept going. After that I moved different places and opened different stores and you know, Yellow Rose really has become an extension of me in so many ways. The family that I have built from Yellow Rose, my customers and yeah, it really has taken me on a special path and it's like so deeply imperfect. I'm a very imperfect business owner in so many ways but I just like keep learning and keep trying to do the best I can and I try to just do that in like every aspect of my life.
Speaker 1:I love that so much. I think often the outside world sees this beautiful picture, right, they just see that one version of you, they just see the finished product. Same thing, like it goes with some of the clothes that you make. Right, we just see the finished product. We don't always see the process that goes into making that happen. And it's beautiful to see all those layers, because those of you who are listening right now, who are in like the mucky part, the hard part, the crying everyday part, like you, don't always realize that something so beautiful is coming on the other side of that too. Right, we just think, like everyone else has figured out and I do not know anything, and so watching you in that and like learning those pieces of your story is just like really beautiful to see more layers of you and more layers of the things that are on your Chinese food buffet plate.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna have a good Chinese for supper this week.
Speaker 1:I'm like super hungry now, so I think we probably do need it and I just love watching you shine in so many ways. Like you have this beautiful, creative, magnetic energy and I knew that the day I met you. So what's really cool, now that I know these other pieces of you and that's not something that you've had your whole life like what would you tell to that version of you from even 10 years ago, 20 years ago, who didn't have this Like? What would you tell them today that would help them to take that next step?
Speaker 2:When I think of like a version of myself that I would love to talk to, I very specifically think and I think this is really relatable for a lot of people I think of this girl who was sitting on the floor in her little basement apartment struggling to keep the lights on not much in the fridge and I was sitting in like the mountain of clothes that I had and none of it fit and I felt horrible and I was like I am the grossest entity on planet Earth. I am the grossest thing. And that was like very much a rock bottom moment for me, especially in like how I felt about my physical self and like my spirit, and I feel like that is definitely a space that I thought I cannot live like this anymore. And I started working on myself and I just like I wish so much that that version of me could see who I am.
Speaker 2:And it's not that there hasn't been a million gray days or like in the muck since then, but I now know that I can count on myself and I can trust that. I have been through the muck a million times in so many different ways and I am still here in my like pink sweater doing this amazing podcast with this beautiful person and you know people think of my business in great ways and I'm contributing to the lives of people who are important to me and I would not be able to contribute to myself or others in the way that I can now without having been through that muck. And I think like that is so important to our journey that the ups and the downs are just as important along the way. It's not just the sunny days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, especially when you're in Newfoundland. It's not just the sunny days there's no sunny days lately.
Speaker 1:But I love your perspective on that because you have been leaning into like loving the gray days too, which is really, really cool. And so I want to talk about body confidence for a bit too, because, again, when I see you, I don't see this like muck. I don't see this like these difficulties that you had. I just see your beautiful burlesque dancing on the internet and I love when you shake your butt. So what got you from that crying no, none of my clothes fit. Everything sucks, life sucks. To where you are now. A person who creates clothes for women and for all people, and like a person who gets on stages and dances and shows her butt off and wears her fishnet leggings, like how did we get from there to here?
Speaker 2:well, I think that, like, just for people who don't know me, I am like a size 14, 16. I have been this size for like for a while. Like give or take a few sizes, you know, um, and I did not necessarily grow up in like a household or with women around me that spoke kindly of their bodies and those women don't talk very kindly of their bodies. Now I am the one that's kind of like give that up there's. You know, you are the most beautiful thing in this whole world. Give it up. I. You know everybody's on a different journey, but I guess I kind of just like realized at a certain point that I was spending so much of my day and my time focusing on how I personally felt about how much that content was on my bones. Like, imagine spending 50% of your day crying about something that you could change or feel differently about. Instead of going outside and spending time with my loved ones learning something new, listening to music, I was spending time thinking about how horrible I was and like, how dare I Like, how dare I talk about myself like that? I would simply never promote or allow anyone who I love or care for to do that to themselves, because it's just like a form of torture that lives in your brain, which is the worst place that lives. And I just started to think, well, well, you know, if I absolutely hate my arms or if I absolutely hate my stomach, I will love this shirt, this silly floral shirt, more than I hate my arms. So I would find I really got into like finding clothes that felt like a part of me or like I really really enjoyed. So I was happy to kind of show off the shirt. I wasn't as worried about my arms or my belly or something, and learning to just dress myself in a way that made me feel like it was an extension of, like, my soul or my spirit. I started to forget about the arms and the belly. And then I moved from forgetting the arms and the belly to thinking, oh, you know what my arms and my belly are actually things that helped me do all of these amazing things in my life. And you know, then I started thinking you know what I actually like my body? Oh God, that's really kind of weird. And so it's like I was just slowly picking away and chipping away at, like, my thinking about it. It wasn't that. I just said, oh well, I'm perfect, you're right and just, I'm just gonna love myself as I am. That was not how it worked at all. It really was like a chipping away and I think like the biggest thing for me in developing confidence was giving myself proof every single day and evidence that I wasn't a piece of shit, which was how I really felt about myself in that moment. It's like here is evidence against your thoughts towards yourself and I guess that probably comes from debate. It was like here is the proof, here's my four points that I need to prove my point. And that became growing my business and volunteering. It was like I was fueling myself so that I could start to feel better about who I was as a person.
Speaker 2:And just before the pandemic started in 2020, all of my girlfriends had been dancing in this dance program. At the time, it was called Army of Sass. It was across the whole country and it was like a franchise, and Heidi Downton had the local franchise here. One of my friends was a teacher. A bunch of my other girlfriends danced in it, but they had danced all.
Speaker 2:Growing up, I played soccer. When I wasn't playing soccer, I played rugby. I used to run a little. I certainly didn't dance, I could sing. So I was like I know I have some musicality in there somewhere, but I was like I am just going to try it. I always just thought these girls are so confident and I would just love to have a tiny piece of that somehow. So I do this drop in class. I left and I was like whoa, this was not for me. I am horrible at this.
Speaker 2:But the girlies convinced me to sign up for like an actual program, the pandemic and all this kind of stuff. So I ended up doing the first little bit of my dance program in my living room on my laptop, which I think was really good for me, because I got like a little bit comfortable with looking at myself moving, which I think is like the biggest in class. Barrier Once you finally get to class is you spend a lot of your class looking at yourself in this big old mirror and you're looking at your body and you're contorting it in ways that you wouldn't normally and you're probably wearing leggings and like your shirt's riding up. So you're kind of like oh, I don't like how my body looks in that way. So I had to get comfortable. Basically, it's like I had to go back from when I was all excited about different parts of my body. I had to go back a little bit further and say, well, I enjoy being here and look how strong you're getting, and forget about the things I didn't like until I could come back and remember I did like those parts and now I have like moved up three levels in the program.
Speaker 2:I am basically naked on stage all the time. I'm naked all the time. I have like found myself to be so strong and feel so celebrated in like this amazing program. I'm in two dance programs now, three different types of classes. Like dance was like just another proof. It was more proof of like how amazing my body is and how people could see me shining in times when I couldn't see myself shining it like I feel like dance and then debate and like this moment on the floor. These are like all moments in time that have really changed trajectories of my life and just continue to turn me into this entity that I am today, which is like so different than who I was two years ago, five years ago, 10 years ago.
Speaker 1:Turned you into this, like badass woman that you are over there.
Speaker 1:Like every time I see you post from your dance shows it's like wow, like that is confidence One, you're right. Like wearing very little clothing on stage in front of people when society tells us that that is not what an optimal beautiful woman should do. Like hide yourself, sit in the corner and shut up right like you were doing all the opposite things of what society tells us a woman should do, and that is like amazing. Like that is so freaking cool that you can stand up against society's pressures to be yourself, and I love that. You said I actually like my body, and I know that that isn't something that came easy. It takes time and effort and it's something that, as my body has been changing, I've been starting to learn a little bit more on too. Is there anything like that I could do today to like my body a little bit more?
Speaker 2:Well, I think the thing that seems maybe counterproductive about learning to love your body is that you're like physical self is the least interesting thing about you, and when you think about when you go to the mall or you go to the pool or something like that, I can't think of not one single person I ever saw there in my brain. I don't like how un one single person I ever saw there in my brain. I don't like how unremarkable is everybody's body in a sea of bodies. Nobody remembers any of that. The only person thinking about it is yourself. And like how valuable that time and space that you use to think about that could be used on listening to music or writing poems or talking to people like your friends, and none of those things songs or dances, like.
Speaker 2:None of that cares about what your butt looks like when you don't have any clothes on. Nobody cares about any of that, and I I guess like it's not that that's a switch that could just so easily turn off, which is the thing it's like giving yourself grace. I mean certain times of the month I look in the mirror and I'm still like, oh, she is looking like a potato today, but I just like give myself. Grace to that. You know where. It's not a perfect thing. It's like every single day you have to remind yourself that this is the body that allows you to do all these incredible things in your life. And also, how great are we to have? I have this amazing partner who, even though I'm like I am actually a spud. He looks at me and is like pretty sexy spud. You know, like we, we don't see ourselves like other people see us. You know. Yes, we are a flawed mirror. Yeah, you're a sexy spud too. Sometimes I feel like we're all sexy sp.
Speaker 1:We just recorded a podcast episode before this for Anna's podcast and we talked about being a potato with legs and I just love that Like I think it's just funny and it's not like a way to like downplay our beauty. It's just sometimes we feel like that, like a potato with legs and like you are a sexy spud and in a good way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like every day is not hot girl day.
Speaker 1:It's not, but like potatoes are always delicious. Yes.
Speaker 2:We are like we are not. I am not more or less valuable because I feel a certain way about my body, and I'm not more or less valuable because my body looks a certain way compared to somebody else, because the thing that I think we forget is that the person who I am like wow, she has the most perfect body I ever seen. She's also spent a 50% of her day thinking about how she's a potato. So we have to just remember these are our own personal experiences, and I just feel like my time is worth more than thinking about how many dimples are in my belly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if we were to add that to our plate of Chinese food dinner. Like, just add on, like hating my body, on top of that plate too, you're going to have to lose a few more extra chicken balls, like you're wasting that space of all of these beautiful things that you do. You're wasting that space with hatred towards your body, when you could take those chicken balls and eat them and make space for something really really beautiful and really really exciting. I think we're both kind of hungry.
Speaker 2:It is dinner time when we're recording this, so like I'm a longer, I actually have my supper in the oven.
Speaker 1:I love that. So you're ready to go right after this? I would love to know, like, what is the best thing that you've learned from truly loving yourself out loud?
Speaker 2:I think that I am so resilient and that, like the last three last two years besides global pandemic, a bunch of other kind of like once in a lifetime things have happened to me in my life that have been really, really difficult. They have been shitty cards that kind of make you look around and think how could nobody else is getting this like poopy hand. I just don't understand why me and it's like well, because why not? You first of all, and also these experiences have allowed me to feel more confident in, like, my decision making and setting boundaries. It's like all of these things add to my journey and just make me more confident. It's like more proof. It's like it's always for me, goes back to the proof. It's just like I'm constantly looking to prove to myself that I can do it. And the delusional part that says, well, you can do it. It's like when you get to that hard part, it's like you've only proven. Here we are today, alive, looking at each other. We have derived every single thing that life has ever thrown at us, good, bad or indifferent. You only have proof that you can do it. So, like this is just one more thing Not Not spending time hating yourself, even if you spend it thinking about something else while you're slowly chipping away at that little bit of ice, like that is like such a success story and we would never talk to other people like your mom, your best friend, your partner.
Speaker 2:We would never talk to them. How we internalize and talk to ourselves and so, like, pretend you're not you for a little while, don't say anything to yourself. That you would say, like if you wouldn't talk to your mom like that, don't say anything to yourself. You wouldn't say to your little grandmother you know, be kind to a person while you're building and learning how to figure out where, how to get there. I mean, I'm 32. I have been hating my body since I was in probably grade one. You know like what a lifetime of personal, like trauma that you've like dumped on yourself and mean words that you've said in your heart that you have to slowly chip away. That's not like a turnaround. This is like an ever ending project that you're constantly working on and I do really identify as somebody who feels really confident in themselves and like true in myself. But it's because I've been working on it a long time and I actively work on it every single day.
Speaker 1:And do you think it's worth it to make the time to work on it?
Speaker 2:Yes, because I cannot be yellow rose and Rosa Ch of chili and a fiance and a daughter and you know good to myself and doing my morning routine. I can't be this person if I don't work on myself every single day because, like, that's the foundation of my house. You can't let the foundation crumble. And it's the same with, like, taking your vitamins every day and eating your breakfast and drinking your water, like you're just fueling yourself and you have to prioritize that because if not, yeah, you're just not going to keep growing.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that so much and I love watching you period creepily outside your window all the time, 24-7.
Speaker 2:Walk in the window, jess, hello, love you and what's for dinner? It's not for free.
Speaker 1:Perfect. I can't wait. I love watching what you're doing and as the woman that you are, like as a successful entrepreneur and you know about to get married and all like, all the beautiful things, it it's just you are an incredible human and it is just really really cool to see that. If, if you could go back again and we talked about this a little earlier, but, like, just think of, like, anna from last year, one year ago, when we met. What would you tell her today?
Speaker 2:um, you know I will. Last year at this time I just started my counseling journey. Um, I was just starting going through counseling for a um assault that I had gone through and I was in a really dark, horrible place and I went to shift with Gina and Emily as like a hallelujah, I need help moment, because as much as I was working on all of these things, I did not know how to work on this. And Gina said to me that maybe when I had asked her a question about, like how do I grow my business when I'm under the big flooding rain cloud? Like, what do you do? And she said to me in front of all of these people, when I was like my hands were shaking as I was talking on the mic to her, I felt so vulnerable and like open in that moment that maybe this is not the year for business growth. This is not the year for trips and fancy new dresses and all this kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:This is the year that you get your house in order and go to your counseling and like, do all these things and so like to take your like how can you exist in winter when you're just have seasonal depression? Or like, how can you exist in a time that feels so uncomfortable and you don't know what to do? Because you could get all these emotions out and I literally just got my house in order. I started getting the house in order and going to counseling and taking my sad girl vitamins for the winter and you know, prioritizing, getting outside and like evaluating, like sitting down and just thinking what makes me happy and noticing in my body, when I was in rooms or spaces and people are eating food, that I just made me feel like happy dance and fresh air makes me feel like happy dance.
Speaker 2:It's like all of these tiny things that I thought at the time were not as important as like just I don't know, making more money or like feeling more confident, figuring it all out, all of the things I did this year and how amazing that the january anna from this year was not in the same sad place as January Anna last year. It's just, I don't know. I like I guess I would tell her that to give yourself grace and you don't always have to be the number one in everything, because you can't be the number one in anything if you don't have all your stuff in order, like you got to take care of yourself before you can take care of all the other stuff and.
Speaker 2:I have been focusing on that and it has really been paying off.
Speaker 1:I love that and even just to think about one year of transformation, like so much can happen in one year, and it's been beautiful watching you shine. I've only known you now for a year, so it's just so cool to just see all the things that you're doing and everything that's coming to light. Can you tell our listeners where they can connect with you, where they can find you in person, in your store, online for those who are not in Newfoundland and also what they can expect from your podcast?
Speaker 2:Yes, which I didn't even mention earlier. This is so me. My brain is off in space. So I did start a podcast. It's on Apple, it's on Spotify, it's called the Yellow Rose Colored Glasses Podcast. All about confidence and like living in that little bit, the Lulu Yellow Rose Colored Glasses, so that you can find happiness and joy in your life in all the different ways. Some seriously amazing, amazing, amazing guests, including Jeff, who's going to be this weekend. I also own Yellow Rose Yellow Rose Made M-A-D-E on the Instagram. But if you really want to connect with me and find the links for all the other things, you can just find me on Instagram, which is murphy, anna 016, anna, murphy, and you will find me and all the foolishness. And if you're in st john's, newfoundland, come to a dance class with me. Let's go do the thing together.
Speaker 2:justin you come, we should do a dance class, yes, yes, and where's your boutique it's on duckwood street, 214 duckwood street, uh, in seichon superland, or you can find us at yellowrose, madeca. And yeah, come have a chat. I have an amazing candy bowl and I always want to have a chat and share crazy stories with people, even if, um, you're not shopping, you just want a spirit exchange. Please come and have a chat with me.
Speaker 1:I'm coming in for some candy. I already have like my bucket list for my next trip to dufferin. It is to come to your boutique and to do a dance class with you, like top of the list, and eat some candy with you.
Speaker 2:It's yes, and you met my teacher at shift as well, Heidi?
Speaker 1:Yes, I did so. I am terrified to do it, but I I feel inspired by you and I want to try.
Speaker 2:It's amazing, just like being in a room where everybody is like looking at themselves in the mirror and thinking, oh, I messed that arm up, oh, I did this, but everyone is just cheering you on. It's like such a genuine happy connection. It's really a special space.
Speaker 1:I can't wait. That sounds so wonderful. So I have a couple questions that I ask every guest that comes on the podcast. You ready? Yes, I am ready, okay.
Speaker 2:So first question is what is your favorite compliment to receive that I have like a good energy or like a good spirit? You know that I feel good for people.
Speaker 1:Yes, or also that I feel safe and nonjudgmental.
Speaker 2:That's another thing that I really pride myself in.
Speaker 1:I was just going to say you have a safe energy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we put two people always tell me their secrets and I think it's because, not even in like a like a gossipy sort of way, but just in a way like I've never told anyone this before, and I feel I feel really special to be like chosen by people in that way.
Speaker 1:I love that so much. I, yeah, it is a beautiful gift to be able to be that chosen by people in that way. I love that so much. I, yeah, it is a beautiful gift to be able to be that space for people. What's your favorite thing to boost your mood when you're feeling grumpy?
Speaker 2:The number one thing that will always boost my mood is listening to September by Earth, wind, fire. I will request it always, in every single way. I start my day with a happy girl playlist and it's the number one song. When my feet hit the floor, it's to September by Earth, wind and Fire, and there's nobody that can't feel good listening to that song.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that, and you have like a playlist on Spotify with all these songs, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, and it's on my LinkedIn, which is linked off my profile.
Speaker 1:Can you send it to me and then I can put in the show notes, so everybody can also start their day with your playlist yes, it's, it's a good pump up. Yeah, it's definitely not a soft start good, good, I have another question, but you might have already answered it, because I was gonna say do you have a song or a quote that boosts your confidence?
Speaker 2:um, well, the one thing I I will share my favorite quote, if that's okay, please do that. Around that time, like before we went to shift, I was listening to blcm, which is like the local saint jobs radio station here, and there was a guy on sharing a quote and he said that he had struggled with drug addiction and he was like really trying to get his life back together. And somebody had said to him just because it's not your fault doesn't mean it's not your responsibility, and that really changed my thinking and how I think about my relationships with other people, with family, with things people have done to me in the past. It's like it doesn't matter what people have done to you, it's your responsibility to clean it up in your heart, in your mind, and move forward from that. So that was something that I really think about all the time.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's so good. Yeah, we're working on some stuff over here and.
Speaker 2:I love it. Always working, work in progress always.
Speaker 1:Yes, thank you for being here, anna, for taking some time to share your light, share your truth, to share the story that you have, and for just being real, like being vulnerable with us like what a gift it is to really know you.
Speaker 1:So thank you for being here and for those listening. I will put all of Anna's information in the show notes so you can check her out, you can connect with her and you can go check out a dance class with her and shake your butt and wear no clothes if you want, or wear whatever you like but I will have no clothes on, not literally, or maybe, yeah, she'll have some clothes on. We don't want to scare everybody no, no she'll have some, but you'll like it.
Speaker 1:You'll like it. Yeah, that'll be good come with me, please yes, thank you for being here, anna.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. This was a really beautiful way to spend part of my day.
Speaker 1:What's up, sis? I am so glad we could hang out today. If you love this episode, send it to a friend or share it on your social media and tag me so I can personally thank you for helping me sprinkle some confidence in the world. And don't forget you are magic. Let's show the world your shine.
