Flipping The Script: The Trials & Triumphs of a Mompreneur with Chelsea Husum

This episode flips the script on the construction industry with Chelsea Husum, a powerhouse entrepreneur breaking down barriers and building something BIG!

Beyond the inspiring career pivot: Discover how Chelsea and Robert navigate gender challenges and the emotional toll of facing adversity. ⚖️

Join the conversation: We delve into the power of therapy, vulnerability, and creative expression (hello, "Real Vibes Only" book!).

This episode is for you if:

• You're seeking inspiration to pivot careers or overcome challenges.
• You believe in the power of authenticity and building community.
• You're ready to celebrate personal branding and embrace your unique "vibe".

Slip on your metaphorical work boots and join us! We're building something extraordinary here.

Enjoy!

Connect with Chelsea : https://chelseahusum.com/
Buy Chelsea’s Book here!

Links:
Roberto on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/robertorevillalondon
Tailoring Talk on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/tailoringtalkpodcast
Tailoring Talk on YouTube https://youtube.com/@robertorevillalondon

Credits
Tailoring Talk Intro and Outro Music by Wataboy on Pixabay
Edited & Produced by Roberto Revilla
Connect with Roberto head to https://allmylinks.com/robertorevilla
Email the show at tailoringtalkpodcast@gmail.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Welcome to Tailoring. Talk with Roberto Rivera, your beacon in bespoke tailoring and menswear design. Here, it's not just about crafting custom clothing and footwear. It's about unlocking your potential through style and enriching personal development. Dive into inspiring stories with self-starters and innovators, gathering insights to elevate your own journey. Support me by subscribing. If you can leave a quick rating or review, it helps immensely. I'm joined today by a trailblazer in the male dominated construction industry. Beyond breaking barriers with her thriving startup, she has turned personal adversity into a powerful narrative of resilience and empowerment. Known for her authenticity and humour, she's not just surviving, she's leading the way for others. A passionate entrepreneur, author and mother, she embodies the spirit of turning trials into triumphs. Get ready to be inspired by her journey of overcoming and succeeding against all odds. Tailoring Talkers, let's welcome Chelsea Hussam to the show. Chelsea, how are you, and did I just completely botch up the pronunciation of your name?

Speaker 2: 1:23

No, you're good, Chelsea Hussam, you're pretty close, you're doing pretty good. Yeah, it's a hard one. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. I know you're welcome.

Speaker 1: 1:31

I should have checked that with you beforehand. Do you know? Earlier today I was thinking when I was preparing my notes for you. I was like remember to check pronunciation.

Speaker 2: 1:39

That's okay. It's the worst thing, it's okay.

Speaker 1: 1:43

Bodge it up.

Speaker 2: 1:44

I get my husband a hard time. I'm like, really everyone, my maiden name was Hunt H-U-N-T and it was so easy, yeah. And now I'm like, oh gosh, yeah it's rough.

Speaker 1: 1:54

I bet you have to spell it every single time, right, because people will be like. Hussam. What's that? H-e-w-s-o-m-e?

Speaker 2: 2:01

Yeah, they say all kinds of stuff. You're like, oh yeah, sure whatever.

Speaker 1: 2:06

There you go. Anyone who's dating out there, just check your perspective husband or wife's, their husband's or wife's, because people do take their spell to the surface.

Speaker 2: 2:16

Yeah, we them out. Be like oh, this isn't going to work.

Speaker 1: 2:18

Yeah, this isn't going to work just on the basis that I have a really simple surname already. Anyway, sorry, this started off really bizarre. Welcome to the Madhouse. Thank you, chelsea.

Speaker 1: 2:29

So first of all, when we first connected, I was like, yes, I can swap some stories with her, because, although I've experienced it second hand in the construction industry because I think probably there's little difference in the attitudes of males in the construction industry, no matter which side of the pond you're on my wife has project managed our house build. So she's been dealing with this thing from being in the ground all the way to the finished thing that you see behind me through the camera. And oh my God, the things that I've witnessed. It's absolutely crazy. I mean, if I'm, I try to take myself out of the process or out of meetings as much as possible, because as soon as there's a guy there, they assume that you're the boss and you're the one that has all the answers.

Speaker 1: 3:25

In reality, she knows the kind of building code inside and out, backwards and forwards, up and down. Technically she is so, so amazing, and me I'm a dummy, like a complete dummy when it comes to building. So but you know, guys, if I was happened to be in a meeting. They suddenly just ignore her completely and just focus directly on me and I'm just like what the hell are you talking to me for? She's the boss. And then they think that I was joking.

Speaker 2: 3:57

Yeah, no, she really. Yeah, talk to her. I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 4:01

Yeah, exactly. So what got you into construction in the first place? Was this something that you just always had a passion for as a little girl growing up? No you fell into it.

Speaker 2: 4:13

Definitely not. So, yeah, I just I was not playing with Barbies like I want to own a construction company someday, definitely not when I was a child and I never, I truly never, had the urge to even own my own company. So I'll start with that. So I have a Spanish degree and a broadcast journalism degree. I thought I was going to be the next Barbara Walters and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm going to go into broadcasting. This is going to be great. Then I found out they make 20 grand and work nights and weekends for like ever, and the likelihood of making it to be Barbara Walters is like nothing. And I was like, well, that sucks, I don't want to do that.

Speaker 2: 4:53

So I got both degrees I had to do I'm from a small town in South Dakota, so I had to move to. I moved to Colorado to do my internship and so I did that, and then I ended up staying in Denver and then, six months later, my the bills are coming due for my loans. I'm like, oh God, I got to get a job. So I took a job as like a temp staff at a temp staffing agency and I would just do random receptionist work for all these companies downtown and one day a lady said you know, hey, my sister has this company, they're hiring receptionist, she wants to meet you. So she, she met me, she hired me and I worked at like a trade show experiential marketing company for about five, six years, started as the receptionist, worked my way up through the company and then I remember one day I was in yoga. I was at yoga and it was. I had a show in New York going on and I had my cell phone next to me, like in the yoga studio. I was like so stressed out and I was like, because this driver was lost and this show you know, we're on a tight deadline I'm like am I really in yoga, stressed out, with a cell phone, and I like ran out and I had to take calls. I'm like this sucks. So I just started being like what am I doing with my life? I don't feel like I'm doing anything worthwhile, like making a difference in the world. So I quit that job.

Speaker 2: 6:12

I got my master's in education and then I became a high school Spanish teacher for 10 years. So totally different, reinvented myself again. Really loved that until the last year. One day a kid called me an effing waste of space. And I was like what Tell me how you really feel, bud? And I was just like I looked. I remember it was like September 18th I look over at the clock, you know at the date and I was like, oof, this is gonna be a rough year. So I again was like I don't love this. I got to get out if I don't. But what now? What am I going to do? I really have no clue.

Speaker 2: 6:50

So I started applying for just random jobs and no one even no one called me. I was like, did teaching pigeonhole me, you know? And I find weird like I would hire a teacher in a second they're multi taskers, hard workers, whatever but like no one hired me. So I, the only job I got offered was a office manager for a small construction company, and so I took that. And then, in March of 2020, I started my company. So I actually worked.

Speaker 2: 7:20

I worked that other job and started building my company until, gosh, it was April of 22, I believe. So it was a while, but it just got to the point where I'm like I physically cannot work this much. It's psychotic. And then, yeah, since then I've just kind of stepped in and my company, you know I saw Nitch I did in Denver like I got thrown into construction with that other company, had like two days of training, not even full days. It was horrible. I cried a lot, had no clue what I was doing and I learned the hard way. But then all of that I learned really helped me when I stepped out and started my own thing. So it's been really exciting. And now I can't imagine not being an entrepreneur. I told my husband I'm ruined, I can't ever work for somebody else, I have to have my own company always.

Speaker 1: 8:11

Yeah, I think for successful entrepreneurs, one of the key ingredients is resilience.

Speaker 2: 8:17

Totally.

Speaker 1: 8:18

You know, I mean you started your business so just as we were coming out of the pandemic, I think around April 2022.

Speaker 2: 8:25

Well, I started in March 2020.

Speaker 1: 8:29

So like literally when?

Speaker 2: 8:30

but I didn't you know. I just kind of started building the company, not really out in the field yet, but yeah, I mean it was interesting.

Speaker 1: 8:37

Yeah, no, absolutely. And your company's American GPR Cooring Yep Now as well, versus I am now having built a substantial house. That sounded really arrogant. Any of my clients who are listening? I am not very large mansion. Exactly, you are not paying me too much, okay.

Speaker 1: 8:58

I'm on the poor side of where we live in North London. So so, yeah, no, no prejudging, but compared to where we were last, this is a big house. And do you know it's funny right over here. Yeah, you kind of want to play down your achievements for fear of people kind of I don't know, over here people want to pull you down all the time. They're very, there's very little people who want to be cheerleaders, everybody's kind of like sniping all the time we always found when I worked in America that it was the complete opposite.

Speaker 1: 9:34

I mean, you know people want you to achieve.

Speaker 2: 9:36

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:37

And you know to do really well, so yeah that's just kind of just why I have this chip on my shoulder. So yeah, so anyway as well. Well, versus I am in all aspects of building what the hell ground penetrating radar services. Yeah, I don't even know what to start with that.

Speaker 2: 9:56

It's interesting, so it is so ground penetrating radar, it's called GPR scanning. It's this really expensive little machine. So well, first we work in commercial construction and so it's this little machine that you. It scans the concrete and it pretty much says like there's something over here, there's something over here you can safely cut here. So it shows like where things are in the concrete, mainly just for safety. And then we, we got into core drilling, which is it's the circular cutting of concrete in floor or wall. So, really, like I work with electrical companies, mechanical companies and some general contractors, so I'll go into like a 20 story building and, just, you know, scan it and cut all the holes for them, and then they come in and put what I don't even know what they put in.

Speaker 1: 10:41

Get it, yeah, yeah, yeah it's super, super random. Yeah, cool holes. Oh right, Okay. So like a bigger scale version of what I had to do when they were here and they were doing the extractor fan and then I had to like yeah, it's probably probably yeah to the other side so they could put the pipe through. Yeah, okay, I got it Awesome. Oh yeah, actually, now that you say it, your company name is really obvious.

Speaker 2: 11:06

Well, now yeah, but thank you, You're welcome, Okay, great.

Speaker 1: 11:12

Well, look, you never know, because my American audience just edges my UK audience numbers. So anyone who out there, who is in commercial construction and so on Chelsea's links will be in the show notes hit her up and see if she can you know, pour holes all over your big building.

Speaker 1: 11:31

Exactly, you never know. But that's not exactly what we're here to talk about, because we are here to talk about how you know your experiences and you know adversity that you've had to overcome and so on. So I guess, if we kind of go back a little bit, sort of pre pandemic, I mean, you have an absolutely beautiful family. Now you have two sons, so my wife is two boys, yeah, yeah. You know, happily married, still happily married.

Speaker 1: 12:02

Oh yeah, Okay, I just want to make sure because you might not update your website. Your husband's still there and but, given what you an incident that you have to deal with in the past I'm guessing there may have been a time in your life where you never thought you would be where you are today.

Speaker 2: 12:23

Yeah, yeah, I mean there's kind of two stories that come up of pretty intense things that I've overcome. One was gosh, like 20 years ago. So I, so I, with my Spanish degree, I studied abroad in Ecuador and South America a lot, and at one point I was down there alone studying and I Like with our university or with our academia, we would go out like when people were leaving we'd be out at bars and stuff and kind of celebrating and sending them off, you know, to go back to wherever they were from. And so and I I'm going to share this story really, because this is talking about 20 year old or 20 years ago, me right, and then I'll share another one that shows kind of how we deal with trauma differently. So one night I we were all at like this bar or whatever, and apparently one of my professors that was from Ecuador, at this academia, he drugged me, he raped me and I actually woke up alone in an abandoned house in by myself in South America, which is terrifying. I mean I could have probably been killed, and so really that, like I tried to, I woke up and I was just like, oh my God, and I'm like the night before I was extremely ill, but I'm getting like flashbacks between the blackout and tried to get out of this house. I got it was like getting electrocuted for like a half hour trying to get this door open. It was so weird. And then I I don't know what day it was, it was a day of the week and I had school and I had, I took I didn't know where I was, so I took a taxi back to school and had to. He was there. I had to look him in the face and I did not tell a soul, for, like I just recently started telling people so like how horrific that was and how even much worse it truly could have been. Like I shoved that down so deep and locked it and threw away the key, and it only recently.

Speaker 2: 14:32

I'd be laying in bed and I'm like, why would you put yourself in that situation? Why it was starting to come back to my mind because I had, like literally buried it and even though, and then I was like, why are you blaming yourself for that? You didn't do that right? So, but I did zero healing, I totally pretended like it didn't happen. I didn't tell anyone Now, my parents, nobody for like until recently, literally. But then so and then fast forward 20 years.

Speaker 2: 15:02

So a couple of years ago I was in a lawsuit and it lasted two and a half years and just being sued over the most ridiculous things for millions of dollars and honestly, like that true, that has been the worst experience of my life, even worse than the Ecuador situation. Really like being attacked and living in fear and this heaviness and I would wake up in hives. I would wake up in the middle of the night and be like, oh my God, it's not a dream. Like this is real and this is just. It was horrific, it was absolutely so horrible and it went on for two and a half years. So the depression and heaviness and like just the fear that I lived in every day of being attacked and having to constantly like defend myself and I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. Never even I had all this evidence to disprove everything. Like right here, here we go and we're supposed to go to trial, and my lawyers kept saying, well, you know you're going to spend 300 grand just for trial. You know we really think you should settle. And I'm like, well, I don't want to settle. Like I have all this proof, you know, and at some point. It was like my kids are like mommy, when are we losing our house? Mommy, here's our, here's $12. You need it more than I do, you know. And it was like, oh my God, like this has seeped into me. And it was just, I'm a really positive person in general and it was like I was not okay. And so finally, I wrote a check to settle this madness at the end of 23. Thank God, and I didn't bring it into 2024.

Speaker 2: 16:44

But there were times during that, like kind of in the middle, because they kept like adding more just ridiculous accusations and I'm like, oh my God, like what? And it was a time where I woke up one day and I was like I'm not okay, I don't want to die, but I don't want to live. I can't live like this anymore and I don't know how I'm going to make it through. And I had to say like I remember texting a friend who's therapist and saying like I need help, like I'm not okay, and so I got, you know, started with therapist.

Speaker 2: 17:14

I had to really look at my habits and be like, how am I taking care of myself? Because I'm struggling right now and I'm not okay and I need to. Maybe I don't need to go to all those work meetings. Maybe I don't, you know. I need to stop drinking, I need to work out, I need to get outside in the sunshine, I need to do things to actually make me feel good or I'm not going to get through this.

Speaker 2: 17:36

So it was like those two times I felt so powerless and so attacked. How different you know, and I'm like I'm. I've done all the work and I do a lot of personal development now, so I knew how to look at myself and be like you're not okay, you have to heal while you're going through this, because it's hell and it's taking forever. So it's like it's interesting to me how like we all go through trauma and different things. Every single person you talk to, everybody has gone through stuff, right, and we're going to. That's like the human experience. But it was so interesting to me to like see how differently I went through or dealt with those things at 20 years apart.

Speaker 1: 18:18

Yeah, I know some of what you were going through, having been through some of the things ourselves, and then on the other side of it, with what happened to you in Ecuador, when I was a child, I suffered abuse and lots of that went up for a very, very long time and you know my wife originally was the only person I'd kind of talked with about it and then more recently I kind of started opening up on the podcast and I've been on a guest on other people's podcasts and kind of started to open up about it as well.

Speaker 1: 18:58

But it's really really tough.

Speaker 2: 19:00

It is.

Speaker 2: 19:01

Because, even though you haven't done anything wrong, you still feel like you would be judged as if you had guilt and shame and embarrassment, yeah, and I think a lot of people it's sad, but a lot of people out there have gone through something like that, and how many of them are like us that we just didn't say anything for so long because, yeah, what is the world going to think of us? Like you know, are they going to judge me? Or I don't even know why. We're terrified, but there's so many people out there that have gone through that stuff.

Speaker 1: 19:38

Yeah, and then when you talk about litigation, I mean that. I mean, you know, some people would have been, would have listened to you and said how could she say that the litigation thing was worse than what she went through in Ecuador? Well, if you've ever been through anything like that, you can definitely either equate or put one on top of the other, for sure, because, again, you know, we've been through kind of similar like we haven't.

Speaker 1: 20:08

we haven't been sued per se, but we were involved with quite a long running court case. Our insurers actually settled for us in the end, Despite the fact that, from a moral principle point of view, like with you all the, you have all the evidence you haven't done anything wrong. This is all just started because somebody decided that they were going to pick a fight with you.

Speaker 2: 20:32

Yeah, you can sue for anything apparently.

Speaker 1: 20:34

Exactly.

Speaker 2: 20:35

It's ridiculous, yeah yeah, but it's to be attacked over and over again, like day after day, and to have those feelings. That's why it, like it, seeps into your life and just affects you. You know so much. Worse than one night. One time you know it really does.

Speaker 1: 20:52

Yeah, exactly, it's every second of every minute of every day because it is literally becomes part of who you are. It doesn't want it, you just want it now yeah. You know. And then I guess at some point you have to kind of either say to yourself or you know, you have that realization because your boys are saying to you are we going to lose our home?

Speaker 1: 21:14

You know, they're giving you 12 bucks and saying you need it more than we do, and you have to kind of ask yourself look, you know, I don't want to live like this.

Speaker 2: 21:23

No, I need my life back.

Speaker 1: 21:25

I need my life back. I don't want this to be my story. What do I need to do? Hold my nose. What do I need to do to make this stop? Yep, no matter what. It takes right.

Speaker 2: 21:35

Yep, because life is too short, it is. I don't. I can't live like that. Two and a half years, like that's a long time to live in that heaviness. I just couldn't do it anymore.

Speaker 1: 21:45

Yeah, absolutely, and I'm guessing that that experience now, I mean it was very, very recent.

Speaker 1: 21:51

So still yeah exactly what lessons I mean other than what we've just talked about. But how, how? How can you use what you've been through, because you've got a lot on the horizon now, because obviously you've got the business which is thriving. You're doing a lot of work outside of that in terms of networking and public speaking, to inspire, encourage and motivate other women around you, whether it's the next generation or others of the same. I'm really sorry. So you know what my Bengal's doing. So before we started recording, chelsea and I had to contend with delaying our recording because my Bengal's gone absolutely eight shit crazy. She's now managed to get into the server cabinet.

Speaker 1: 22:36

She's actually managed to get all the way and that is set right high up on the ceiling. Yeah, she's actually managed to open the door. It was unlocked to be fair, but she's managed to open the door. Get in there and she's now pulling network cables out.

Speaker 2: 22:49

That's great, yeah, where they belong.

Speaker 1: 22:52

Do you, do you fancy a Bengal cat?

Speaker 2: 22:55

No, I'm good my yeah. I'm good, but thank you.

Speaker 1: 22:59

Maybe a snack.

Speaker 2: 23:00

My husband's allergic.

Speaker 1: 23:02

Really, she's hypoallergenic.

Speaker 2: 23:04

Oh yeah, no, they still.

Speaker 1: 23:06

I'll ship her over to you if she survives the journey to Colorado. Oh my gosh, she's just doing my head in right now. So so, yeah, sorry, back to company. You have a book coming out in days, like we're recording on a Friday, your book comes out on Monday. Yep, as you have all of these things on the horizon, you know kind of what are the biggest sort of takeaways for you in terms of, or how would you protect yourself from anything possibly just coming at you?

Speaker 2: 23:39

Well it's, it's weird, like I mean, let's fingers crossed, no one. I mean I've never been sued before. And then there's this one time. I hope to God, no, it never happens again. But I'm like you said, I kind of have a chip on my shoulder. Now it pissed me off, like let's be. It pissed me off Like, oh, you're trying to ruin me, mm. Hmm, nope, it's not going to happen. Now I'm going to go out and kick more ass and like I don't, like I didn't.

Speaker 2: 24:05

You know, you were saying all these things about me and making me seem like, oh, you think she's smart enough to run that company by herself? Or oh, she's just a Spanish teacher. Like really, yeah, actually I am smart enough to run this company. I built it and run it myself, all this other stuff, right? So now I'm going out, like I'm going to go out and kick even more ass than I already had planned Because, like just to show everybody who doubted me right and you know, I do have a lot of support but so it's really like, and with my book, so I never wanted to be an author, I had zero thoughts of writing a book, to be honest, was not on my bucket list at all and I went to this.

Speaker 2: 24:43

I'm in a women's entrepreneur group and I went to a event once and this woman in Denver she owns a publishing company and she was talking and I'm like, oh my God, I love you, I love your energy, like. So I chatted later and I'm like I feel like I could do this and at that point I had zero clue what I would even write about. So let's put that out there. And she and I started talking and I'm like, okay, I'm going to do it. And honestly, I had zero direction for a book at all and I just sat down and started writing and all of these stories all it's just a bunch of short stories that kind of poured out of me, of things that I've overcome in life.

Speaker 2: 25:19

So you know, I mentioned two of the more kind of traumatic, the more intense ones, but there's other stuff too and it's really meant to inspire people to own their stories. It's okay to be real and raw and vulnerable, because other people appreciate that and other people are going through the same kind of maybe not the same exact thing, but something similar, and they need somebody to share that. So they know they're going to be okay, like when, when you're in it and it's the real bad times and you feel like that could break you. I want to inspire people to say it's not going to break you and you will get out. You will get out, but you got to work to get out and you got to take care of yourself and you got to do the healing. But it's like that will propel you to what you're meant to do. You will come out stronger. And for me, it's like going through all this stuff and then writing this book.

Speaker 2: 26:13

I truly feel like now, this year, you know my message is to talk to women, to moms, to entrepreneurs, to busy people.

Speaker 2: 26:20

You know, juggling it all be real. Life's not. I'm not perfect. I'm far from it, but I try my best and I, you know, I share things that have worked. I share things that are funny, stories of crazy crap my kids have done. You know I share it all but and I also share how I've overcome some of the stuff so people can feel seen and connected and not alone, because we, a lot of us, don't share when we're going through those hard times. So that's kind of now, through going through all of this in life and then writing this book, I kind of feel like that's my mission in life now is to share and just be real and say you know, say I'm a hot mess and you know my. So my book is called Real Vibes Only Unapologetic Confessions of a Hot Mess Mompreneur. If that sums it up. I mean let's just be real here and just throw it out there, because I know people feel the same.

Speaker 1: 27:13

But that is so important, especially in this day and age. I'm so sorry. I keep looking, I am totally attentive, but yeah, I'm just kind of worried any moment that whole thing's going to come crashing down. She's really going to town on it up there. There you go New piece of core, whole equipment for you?

Speaker 2: 27:33

Yeah, right, you will clear, I'll ship somebody over.

Speaker 1: 27:36

Yeah, so in this day and age, chelsea, what you're doing is so, so important.

Speaker 2: 27:45

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 27:45

Because everything that is put out there not just social media but the media in general is all it is either designed to I mean, I guess people just feel bad about themselves no matter what because the news is either just the worst things that are going on Death and destruction.

Speaker 2: 28:04

I call it. It's horrible.

Speaker 1: 28:05

Death and destruction. I can't even watch it. Or, hey, you should be like this, or you could achieve this, but you can't really. The unattainable perfection which doesn't exist. No, people are wringing themselves over it, mentally, physically, it's all going on, it's horrible. Not enough people. People are going through things and they keep quiet about it. They don't want to talk about it, and that's absolutely fine. Anyone who's listening right now to us and is in that camp, that is absolutely fine.

Speaker 2: 28:37

Totally fine.

Speaker 1: 28:39

But more of us need to stand up and tell our stories in order to just give hope to those people, like you said there, that things can be OK, that you can own your story to inspire them to look at their own situations and hopefully help them to figure it out.

Speaker 2: 28:59

Yeah, and it's not like everyone needs to go out and share their message or write a book about it or go speak on stages. But if and that's totally fine, but for those people, know that you don't need to feel shame and guilt around it and you can do the healing and the work and be OK. For even if it's just for yourself, at the very least know that right.

Speaker 1: 29:22

Yeah, exactly, and I think the authenticity that you present is amplified because there's so little of it going on. I think people that want to work with you, that want to deal with you or build a relationship with you, whether it's commercial or otherwise they do like to see some of that authenticity, because otherwise you know everything I have people saying to me at the beginning of the sorry just recently, because this year is already like six weeks in, this is what moving house does to you shifts your perception of time.

Speaker 1: 29:59

It's crazy. People have been saying your energy is kind of different and I'm like what do you mean? You haven't even seen me because I've hardly been on Instagram and so on.

Speaker 2: 30:10

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:10

And they're like no, that's the point, we haven't seen you, like you've not been posting, et cetera, and I'd be like well, you know, I kind of went on there and I see a lot of people who post for the sake of posting.

Speaker 2: 30:23

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:23

Right Stuff and it's not really helping anyone. It comes across as really self-serving and all of that, and you know when I do anything, you know. Case in point, this conversation with you. I'm always trying to think if I'm going to create this bit of content and put it out there, is it going to help anyone?

Speaker 2: 30:45

Absolutely yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:47

It needs to help one person.

Speaker 2: 30:48

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:49

And if it helps thousands, great. But if I can just help one person with each piece of content, Then you've succeeded yeah. Yeah, but if I'm not inspired to do that because I'm not feeling well in myself or I'm going through stuff on my own, et cetera, then I'm not going to do it at that point in time, because it's got to come from the right place.

Speaker 2: 31:08

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:10

I wonder if, with the book, because it was something that was never on the horizon for you, was never on your bucket list. Nope, Someone saw something in you and said they must have said to you you've got a book in you.

Speaker 2: 31:23

I don't know. I think people are going to read it and be like, oh my god. First of all, I know way more about her than I ever thought I wanted to. But I think a lot of these I don't say you know what I mean. So I think people that are close to me are like, oh my god, I had no idea you know what I mean. So that's a big deal putting it out there, but, like we said, somebody needs to hear it and it's just. That's. My journey of life is apparently, I'm called to do this now. And here we go.

Speaker 1: 31:54

Yeah, I love that. So, yeah, a couple of days to go. This must be really, really exciting for you.

Speaker 2: 32:01

It is.

Speaker 1: 32:03

What's the plan once it's out there? Because so you've got. The ebook version is out next week Yep.

Speaker 2: 32:09

And then two days later, is the paperback.

Speaker 1: 32:11

Oh, ok, so we don't even have to wait that long to get the physical copy. I like physical copy. Yeah, it'll be out on.

Speaker 2: 32:16

Amazon yeah.

Speaker 1: 32:17

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:17

I do too. I'm totally an actual book person, for sure.

Speaker 1: 32:22

Yeah, so as of Monday you then become Chelsea Husion published author. You know my credibility that gives you Like it's just kind of goes through the roof.

Speaker 2: 32:34

Yeah, it's crazy.

Speaker 1: 32:36

Yeah, but I mean one of my recent guests, Annie Margarita Yang, one of my favorites. She's so awesome, you know, kind of mid to late 20s already written like two or three books. I think you know. She said that the amount of credibility you get when somebody finds out that you're an author or that you've published a book or two, and it's because it shows some staying power, it shows you've got guts and gumption and that you can actually take a task and start it and actually finish it, because writing a book is a big deal.

Speaker 2: 33:13

I've heard only like 1% of people do it, which I've kind of find surprising because I now have all these new author friends and I'm like, oh my god, I have like 30 books that I bought of theirs to read in my free time but like it's so cool. So it's weird to me that I have all these new author friends that are they're freaking amazing people and so cool and inspired me and but it's like only 1% of people do this. It's weird but it's yeah, it's. It's cool to meet the people that share their stories and put it out there. And I feel like most when I go to conferences, when I'm reading books, it's really just people sharing the things they've been through truly and how they've gone through it in all different, completely different, but we're just sharing stories and how we've been human and get through it.

Speaker 1: 33:58

As you really got into writing and you were starting to get into kind of flow with this things and the stories were starting to come back in your mind and you were getting them out onto paper. What was that like for you? I don't want to put words into your mouth, but what was that process like for you?

Speaker 2: 34:13

Yeah, so I started like I have an office at home and I, you know I'm very busy running a company, but I would take my laptop and go to a coffee shop and be like, ok, for these two or three hours I'm going to bust writing out this is what I'm doing. So I kind of get I try to change my scenery and it was really. It was kind of a healing process in itself. I cried a lot writing it. I, you know certain stories I'm just sitting there like sobbing writing it and even when I I've read the book now like five times and I to, you know, for edits and things, and I still sit and cry at some stories, or I, you know, hopefully people laugh a little because I do a lot of, I've done a lot of stupid shit in my life. Hopefully it gives a little laugh.

Speaker 2: 34:59

But yeah, it was. It was really almost like healing and like going through some of these things and like putting words to it. You know, things that I maybe thought or felt in life. But now it's like a concrete thing out there and I had to like process through it a little more, which so it was a really it was a unique and really cool experience. I liked it. I didn't you know when I it had to bust it out and make time for it, but I wasn't like miserable writing. You know, I feel like in the movies. You feel like, oh my gosh, I'm running a book.

Speaker 2: 35:29

It's you know this whole like horrific thing, you know, and their whole life goes on hold. So that was. It fit pretty nicely in there, but it was a neat experience for sure.

Speaker 1: 35:39

Yeah, I mean, I imagine for you it was probably a little bit more like because you weren't writing a you know kind of book book it was, yeah, memoir, right, because you're telling stories from your life and so on, Yep, and sharing your experiences, I guess with the goal of of inspiring the reader, helping the reader. I was going to make a really awesome point and it just literally was zipped out of my brain. Great.

Speaker 2: 36:06

That happens to me all the time.

Speaker 1: 36:08

I know it's crazy and it's not going to come back. Um, okay, fine, so we'll park that one. So before I let you go, I need to try. I promise the listeners that I'm going to try and sprinkle a little bit more clothing. Talk in here.

Speaker 2: 36:21

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:22

Now the photo shoot for your website must looks like it. You had a lot of fun.

Speaker 2: 36:27

I did, I did.

Speaker 1: 36:29

But it also looks super natural for you because I'm guessing day job you can be in. I'm guessing you live in jeans when you work there might be a pants or yoga pants.

Speaker 2: 36:42

That's what pants I mean when, when I'm working at home, it's not glamorous sometimes.

Speaker 1: 36:47

Okay, are you ever on? Are you ever on site these days?

Speaker 2: 36:50

Sometimes I do have my boots and my construction or my hard hat in my car. So if I'm driving and I see a site I want to be on, I'm like I veer over and I go on there and put on my vest. So I always keep that on my car to do that. But yeah, so normally if I'm working at home and I don't have a meeting, it's pretty ridiculous. Sometimes the pajamas are into 2pm, you know. But um, yeah, but the photo shoot was. Yeah, it's definitely not what I wear every day.

Speaker 1: 37:18

Yeah, but you it looked like you could wear that every single day, because you look so comfortable.

Speaker 2: 37:25

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 37:27

So outside of yoga pants, hi, vis-vess and side hats.

Speaker 2: 37:32

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:33

Chelsea, imagine your husband is taking you on a date. Yeah, he hasn't told you where you're going, but he's just said we're going somewhere nice.

Speaker 2: 37:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:45

What does Chelsea do? What's your kind of style inspiration? What's your? In terms of favorite outfits and what's your kind of go to, for you know, wow factor.

Speaker 2: 37:56

Okay, so I I've, um, after talking with a brand strategist this a girlfriend of mine now really kind of to go along with the book and this is just me anyway, but it's we're kind of throwing it out in the world now is bold. I love bright colors. I'm, you know, like I said, I'm energetic, I'm a positive person. So, like lately, I've been wearing blue, like blue little suit, short things I don't know what you'd call that a suit, short things. Like hot pink pants with like a black little, you know, a black little top with some really cool shoes, my um, wearing like blue, with gold boots that my book cover.

Speaker 2: 38:39

So just trying to just be bold, comfortable, but out there a little bit and like I want to feel like when I walk in a room, people are like dang, so I wore these. I had an event in Phoenix last week and I wore these hot pink pants and literally you can hear as you're walking around and people are like oh my God, I love those pants, oh my God, and you know they're like. And then some people just say it about you and you hear them and others are like say it to you, right, but it's. It's like that bold, unapologetic here I am, you know what I mean, but something you feel good in. But that's kind of the vibe I'm going for now.

Speaker 1: 39:13

Yeah, I love it. It really suits you as well.

Speaker 2: 39:16

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 39:17

I've got to get to know you. I can definitely put the two things together. So your brand and consultant has done a great job because there is a lot of consistency.

Speaker 2: 39:28

Yeah, totally yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 39:32

I'm really, really excited for you like, genuinely.

Speaker 2: 39:35

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 39:36

So I will, because by the time this episode goes out, in a couple of weeks time, the book, the book, the book will be out. So, I'll make sure that I have a link to your website, thank you, and I will also have the relevant Amazon links, etc. For the book as well. So, thank you, those listening can go check it out. Real vibes, only unapologetic confessions of a hot mess. Mompreneur, did I get that right?

Speaker 2: 40:02

Yeah, yeah, good job.

Speaker 1: 40:04

Told you I was listening. Where else can people connect with you, Chelsea?

Speaker 2: 40:10

So, yeah, my website ChelseaHusamcom. I'm probably most active on Instagram, just ChelseaHusam. I'm on LinkedIn as well. There, that's kind of more of my construction vibes. So if you're feeling that vibe go there. Instagram is more like life, Like here's my kid doing. You know, I'm at hockey, I'm doing this and that, so yeah.

Speaker 1: 40:31

Awesome, I'll make sure I have all those links, Chelsea. Thank you so so much. Have you had fun today?

Speaker 2: 40:36

Thank you, I did this was great. This was great. Thank you, this was great. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 40:40

You're welcome and I do apologize for my zoo of a household. They're all crazy. Hopefully the Zoom background noise blocking thing did its job. Chelsea, thank you. I'm so glad that we met and the universe is connected us together and, as I say, good luck with the book launch next week. Let me know how things go Anything that I can support you with from over here, Just let me know Okay same to you.

Speaker 2: 41:09

I appreciate that, yeah. However, I can support you too.

Speaker 1: 41:12

Thank you and, speaking of support you lot. Thank you for joining us. Remember, you can join the Taylor Talk community on Instagram at Taylor Talk podcast, and I'm all years, all years, all ears for your feedback. So email me at Taylor Talk podcast at gmailcom. If you've enjoyed our conversation, please subscribe, leave a rating and so so important share this episode with anyone you know who might find what Chelsea shared inspiring, or they may be in need of this conversation with whatever it is that they're going through in their lives. And if you want to support the show further, you can check out the link in the show notes. Every bit of support means a lot and means I can keep helping you by tailoring these amazing conversations. Have a great week, Be good to each other and I'll see you on the next one.