The Conscious Salon
Men: Stop killing us.
The conversation shifts to darker tides as we discuss the onslaught of national violence against women epidemic. We open up about the struggle to maintain a sense of calm and direction amidst such turmoil, sharing strategies for anchoring ourselves amidst the storm.
We also touch on the power we hold within our personal bubbles to effect change, a reminder that even as the world's gravity weighs heavy, there's strength and purpose to be found in the actions we take every day.
In our final chapter, a more somber reflection is cast upon the issues of feminism and violence against women, an issue that continues unabated across communities and nations. We challenge the dismissive responses and instead call for a proactive stance among men to address this pervasive crisis. We are unyielding in our dedication to empowering women in business and beyond, using our platform to advocate for fundamental societal shifts. Gratitude wraps our conversation as we acknowledge the importance of these discussions for creating a future that's not only safe but ripe with opportunity for all women. Join us on this journey, where laughter meets earnestness, and where every voice becomes a beacon for change.
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
The conversation shifts to darker tides as we discuss the onslaught of national violence against women epidemic. We open up about the struggle to maintain a sense of calm and direction amidst such turmoil, sharing strategies for anchoring ourselves amidst the storm.
We also touch on the power we hold within our personal bubbles to effect change, a reminder that even as the world's gravity weighs heavy, there's strength and purpose to be found in the actions we take every day.
In our final chapter, a more somber reflection is cast upon the issues of feminism and violence against women, an issue that continues unabated across communities and nations. We challenge the dismissive responses and instead call for a proactive stance among men to address this pervasive crisis. We are unyielding in our dedication to empowering women in business and beyond, using our platform to advocate for fundamental societal shifts. Gratitude wraps our conversation as we acknowledge the importance of these discussions for creating a future that's not only safe but ripe with opportunity for all women. Join us on this journey, where laughter meets earnestness, and where every voice becomes a beacon for change.
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
Here at the Conscious Salon, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land in which we stand today, the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to the elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Welcome to the Conscious Salon. Welcome back to another episode of the conscious salon podcast. Hello, co-pilot hello, that's like how are you?
Speaker 2:thank you, how are you? Very good test. We start with a little segment called the week that was yeah, what's your week? Uh, yeah, start with you because I'm trying to remember well, I had a beautiful weekend away, a beautiful romantic weekend away with pete, which was very nice g-rated version please I did actually you did facetime me with pete in the bath of the fluid of champagne, so that was a treat for all of us.
Speaker 2:We did. We had a beautiful weekend. Actually, do you know what it was actually? The best customer service experience. I've ever had in a hotel. Yeah, big call, cause we've stayed in some beautiful places around the world, but that is a big call and I stand by it. We stayed at the Sheraton in Melbourne.
Speaker 1:A little bug for them, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:And I did book a really nice room, like I booked a suite.
Speaker 1:Would you like to share why, for instance, like what's happening?
Speaker 2:it was Pete's birthday and we love Pete Young. He does a lot for Pete Young who just finished the the renovation as well. So yeah, it is an extra special birthday celebration yeah, I was like order the champagne and you know, do what I do best um, but no, it'll be another episode for another time but um no, it was beautiful, so it took pete down to do what I do best by paying for everything actually you will have a nice story that tess will love great.
Speaker 1:So I hope you are certain on that, because we'll see how it's gonna go. I'll tell you what. I'll give you my honest review. It's a feminism moment. I do like them continue.
Speaker 2:Okay, so well. First of all we said sheraton, obviously it was beautiful. We booked the suite, like gorge got upgraded but we did arrive early. We arrived early and they said like the room. They were like, oh my god, we're so sorry the room's not ready and we're like no, no, that's fine, it's like 1 30 and we're due at 3.
Speaker 2:But I said I just thought a chance and see if it was ready and they said no, but we're gonna bring you out free-flowing champagne yep, naturally darling good on you pete loves a champagne, and when pete's on a champagne campaign, I'm just there for it because he, he just loves, he loves I feel like, yeah, I've been through a few campaigns with Pete myself.
Speaker 1:The last one was not, so I wouldn't say that was my. That was my last campaign campaign. Was that when you vomited?
Speaker 2:in a plastic bag.
Speaker 1:It would be that moment yeah, yeah so it also was like I was at a wedding, which is a real stellar moment. My primary school best friend, she does listen. So, ellie, love you. Uh. So yeah, that was excellent. Um, I ended up getting quite drunk on the champagne campaign, um, don't know why, just probably because that's where I was influenced by pete. Pete young had influenced us and uh, yeah, I do remember him throwing around nan, yes, he wasn't any of our mans.
Speaker 2:He took the groomsman and was flinging around the dance floor. Pete was hammered and he, like, got into a tango with nan and was flying around the dance floor and then someone or something was playing came up and said you need to put nan down, she was loving it that was a real moment.
Speaker 1:And then, um, I decided to go outside for, whatever you know, I reckon I probably was probably trying to sniff out a cigarette, because I quite partial to try and chase up a little dirty diary if I've had a couple. Um, and yeah, I was wearing ridiculous shoes and I fell over on the gravel, yeah. And then, um, nikki, I remember, oh my gosh, I was wild that night and I was getting cleaned up by the bride. Thanks, ellie, again for helping me out with that.
Speaker 3:You're a doll, that's what you're going to be doing on your wedding night, and I remember saying to her I don't want to bleed onto your dress, so vibes.
Speaker 1:And then we went back to I don't even know where it was some motel we were staying in that was close to the venue, yeah, rank, and I vomited all through the motel room, which was gorgeous, and then, um, the whole way home in a no, I got the entire way home, just we were pulling into the street pulling in.
Speaker 2:You threw up, I threw up in the plastic bag, actually just off the freeway, and I can remember. Every time I get off the freeway I always think this is where test munch is a monumental moment. It was really. We'll need to put a statue in your honour.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely wild. I do remember what wasn't helping the hangover from hell and feeling incredibly nauseous the whole way home was the amount of roadkill that we saw.
Speaker 2:There was a cow. There was a cow in the middle of the grass, in the freeway.
Speaker 1:There was a cow with all four legs, stiff up in the air just on its back and we were like we've got questions yeah, I think you were like there's a dog and I was like, oh god, that's ruined it for me. That was, it was truly horrific. So I mean, honestly, it was a wonder that I got that far without vomiting, but I remember I kept having to tell you to pull over anyway, campaign, but yeah, that was the last campaign for me, so that was like 2014, so I haven't re-entered it since then no, I don't know when, it was 2018, I reckon my last campaign was with pete was on sunday and it was really beautiful, like lovely, like great time the um at the sheraton.
Speaker 2:But it was very funny because obviously, like it was my gift to pete, so I booked the room, um, and it was like a beautiful room, whatever, but it was really funny every time we went out the way that they would treat pete versus the way that they would treat me.
Speaker 2:So when we got to the thing they directed all like check-in stuff to pete, because they obviously thought that mr pete booked it but, I was like oh no, miss nicola booked it. Yeah, 100, mr nicola, over here they started calling pete when they were coming over to him and saying like we're so sorry, the room's like 15 minutes away or whatever. Would you like some more champagne? Or whatever. They started saying, mr nicola honestly.
Speaker 1:If that's not you summed up though, mr nicola, I think it's got quite a ring to it actually calling pete.
Speaker 2:Mr nicola, I was like it's got quite a ring to it actually, but they kept calling, paid mr nicola and then, just like directing everything, giving him the key card.
Speaker 1:I was like darl, I paid, I paid. Where's the part that I'd love? Because I don't love that at all. No, I just thought.
Speaker 2:I thought you would love the story of it. But and then we went. Well, we went out for dinner. They handed him the bill.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm paying oh no, I don't mind that part. I'm like I'm all strongest feminists in the world, but still hand the check to the man.
Speaker 2:I'm happy but yeah, I just thought it was really funny. I was like, oh, this will tickle test. You'll hate this.
Speaker 3:I absolutely do oh gosh, so they started calling him mr nicola I was like, oh, this is now ridiculous.
Speaker 2:Mr nicola would love that but we also got upgraded, which I was like. Yes, is that when they realized? That you'd paid and they were like fuck, we better make this right, keep the champagne no but like, aside from the funny like mr nicola thing, they did do the most, it was the most beautiful customer service. They're like knocked on our door and brought us chocolates and like a handwritten note saying welcome, miss mr nicola happy birthday, mr nicola.
Speaker 1:exactly, yeah, I would understand why they're doing that. I'm going to pull this apart a bit more. I understand why they're doing that because they've been like fuck, we've assumed something here that we shouldn't have and quickly, let's butter her up with some champagne and some peppermints or whatever it was. That's very good. Yeah, I won't be staying there, that's for sure yeah, yeah, no, no, they brought you back. You're back on board you're loving it.
Speaker 2:Mr nicola left five star review, naturally, but anyway, for anyone new around here, I'm just surprised that that would have happened though in the first place, because I've been in hotels.
Speaker 1:Like when we go into hotels, like you're captain of everything, none of us even lift a finger with anything. They come up to us and I'm like talk to mama over there. I wouldn't have a clue and Pete is worse than me he literally would have no idea. Pete looks lost in our house. It's like if the bedroom's right here or over here. I I don't know. I've got signs up, but it is. I'm like how did that happen?
Speaker 2:because you are in charge and in front, yeah I was just like oh, the guy with the sauce stains on his t-shirt, you're dreadlocked. You're going to him for the answers.
Speaker 1:No it's not you and the power suit.
Speaker 2:I was like me and, like the briefcase, absolutely not but anyway, how funny. Yeah, well, sheridan, if you're listening, fucking clean it up yeah, but also like it was a beautiful customer service, they brought you back mate I get it, I understand.
Speaker 1:I look I'd be brought back too. I can be like one over, like that acknowledgement, perfect. Uh, yeah, bar is on the floor and we'll get straight into hottie g so for anyone new around here, we run a little segment what's it called?
Speaker 2:tess hot girl hotline? So we put a questions box up on instagram and we ask you for your business troubles, your woes, what's keeping you up at night, and then we offer our advice around it. Tess, what is today's Hot Girl Hotline question?
Speaker 1:This one is a little bit of a heavy one. This one is just saying I'm really finding it hard to be motivated and inspired at the moment, especially with the world, with how it is. I'm finding myself feeling incredibly anxious and just not motivated to do much.
Speaker 2:That's sad.
Speaker 1:Understood. I feel like that could have been from me to be, honest who wants to go first?
Speaker 2:I'm going to give the advice that I like still give to myself when the world becomes like the outside world becomes a bit too heavy, because I feel like I don't know if it's. I mean, I don't like to blame anything, but I don't know if it's like the world that we live in, the expectations that we have, the different like substances that are available, the mental health issues that we have, like, so combination of so many different things that has made the world like a big, scary place and I reckon, in the last five years it's gotten like really hectic.
Speaker 2:In the last two years it's gotten like do I want to exist in a world like this? And one thing that has really helped me in all the personal development because I'm a very empathetic person- and not only do I feel other people's emotions, I actually find it really hard to differentiate between my emotions and what belongs to me and another person's emotions.
Speaker 2:So something that has really helped me is when I go, like, too far outside my bubble and I'm like, oh my god, what's happening, you know, overseas, what's happening with the war, what's happening with, like, the violence against women in Australia, like I'm just going to be super honest here what's happening with, like, the world economically, what's happening with, you know, a, b, c and d.
Speaker 2:I go so outside of my bubble I can go like fast down the rabbit hole, yep. So for me what has really helped is coming back to my personal bubble, as my son's childcare calls it, my personal bubble. What can I control? And for me, just going okay, I've got my son, my partner, my house, my business, my team, like my dog dog, like down to the small sort of things. Those things feel safe to me and I have to shrink down to my personal bubble of how can I show up every single day to change all of the things in my personal bubble for the better. And that really helps me, because when I start to go too far out, I'm like I am losing the like optimism to live in a world like this.
Speaker 2:Totally that's really honest way too heavy, but like I just have to shrink down to like, okay, the things that I can control, the things that are in my control on a day-to-day basis, the things that I can do for the better, and I just have to shrink right down because otherwise I find, for me personally, I absorb, like I remember like one certain tragedy that happened in 2008, 2009, 2008, just before I met pete must have been 2008 the westgate bridge oh god with darcy freeman yeah, and I was 17 when that happened, so like super young, like shouldn't even be affected by news and like things that are happening in the world.
Speaker 2:And I remember thinking about that so deeply and like worrying about that, not just for days, but for months, worrying about, like, who witnessed that? What was going through the person's head? How did the child feel? Like these horrible thoughts? What about the mother? These awful, awful thoughts for months and months and months. Potentially even it lasted for a year like unreasonable anxiety. So I can very easily go to like unhealthy mode with the way that the world is and I really have to come back to what I have control over. But I'm not gonna lie. What's going on in the world right now, and like even what's going on in our own backyards, with women being killed like 31 women so far I feel like I wake up every day and there is a new news report chances are, the stats will be different by the time this comes out.
Speaker 1:That's like the scary part.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's been like two this week.
Speaker 2:And I think there's a difference between Saying that you're a feminist and truly embodying that. Yeah, because I'm now at a point where I'm like it's a matter of time before we know someone who is one of these statistics, and that feels very heavy to me and very scary to me that's really so my advice to this person is like I'm so sorry, but I'm not too sure what to do.
Speaker 1:So first time we've done a hot go, hot question where I'm like I don't actually know what to do, shrink yourself down to your bubble, and I think that's helpful though, like I definitely like, like I know you said that to me because, similarly, you know, as I said, I feel like I could write this question myself, because this is how I feel, how I have felt, how I continue to feel.
Speaker 1:It is a, yeah, incredibly uninspiring time at the moment, and and it's a very scary time yeah and I think I spend a lot of my time going on rants and lectures and fighting, you know, for better, for different. I stand up for things and I'm very loud and and open with how I feel and what I think and I'm unapologetic around it, which also means that you face a lot of combat and a lot of people who don't believe in that and, again, I'm going to try and keep this as quiet as possible with things. But, yes, what is happening in Palestine is unbelievably heavy for me and what is happening with women here is unbelievably heavy for me. My two biggest fixations at the moment moment things that I'm really passionate about and things that I want to be different. And I'm going to keep this to an unpolitical point of view and I want to be clear on what I'm saying with this. In terms of palestine, I don't agree with the genocide. I'm not loving watching women and children being murdered. I can't fucking handle it. I don't care what the reason is. That's's what I can't handle. And I certainly cannot handle women being killed at the hands of men. I'm over that as well, and especially as a woman, for someone that is sitting in this moment, and I promise you I'm going to keep this to a small park, so if I start getting activated, we will be here for three days while I'm ranting and raving and carrying on. I want to say to this person if these are some of the issues or other parts of the world that are affecting you at the moment, feel your feelings. And if you're not feeling super inspired or motivated, I understand. It's not super. I feel the exact same.
Speaker 1:I've turned to my partner after the Sydney siege that happened a couple of weekends ago and said the fact that this is happening in a shopping center on a saturday afternoon in broad daylight, targeting women, targeting women, and I think about the things.
Speaker 1:Because I wear t-shirts that say feminist, I wear outfits that say, yeah, the girls. I'm pretty open with what I put myself out there and I said to Mick I would be a target in that situation, not just for the fact that I'm a woman, but the fact that I'm an outspoken woman. And what my issue with this is is, I said to Mick, I feel like now I should stop wearing that stuff because I don't want to put a bigger target on my back. And he said to me that is who you are, so if you start doing that, then you're already giving your power back. You need to really keep with who you are, and that's what I keep going to. Every time I start thinking it's too much and I need to shrink myself down and I need to stop taking it in, I start remembering nope, I want to be speaking out with what I believe is right and how I feel in that moment but also you.
Speaker 2:Doing that allows other people to go no, fuck it, we're gonna do that as well yeah, I mean, but I also mean I'm also at the point of being so tired.
Speaker 1:It's like even with you know where. I know we're going to the march on sunday, but I'm like what's gonna do? You know what I mean which is so depressing, and I start feeling like what's the point? And I then remember that I have a 10 year old who is looking to me and I want her to feel safer than what I have and how I feel currently. I don't want her to experience this. I don't want to teach her how to defend herself with a pair of car keys.
Speaker 1:I don't want to go into the conversations around turning off your headphones and not actually doing it, or texting your friends when you're getting home safe and not feeling comfortable to leave a fucking party, or even now going to a shopping center I have to keep a real tab on this and not feel safe. So I am going to keep speaking up on those things. I'm going to stop with that, because I will literally spend the entire episode going into this. So I just want to say to this person it's okay to feel how you're feeling. Allow yourself to feel it. If you need to rant, rave, scream, cry, be angry, be angry. There's plenty in the world to be angry about at the moment. The one thing I find really helps I have really taken on Nikki's bubble approach. That really helps me looking at my.
Speaker 2:I think people call it ignorance, but sometimes you have to actually reduce yourself down to work out in what capacity you can serve.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I think it's more about just how I can impact my bubble around me. So, yes, can I control all the other things that are going on in the world? No, I'm not that powerful yet, but what I want to really be able to do is make sure that I'm controlling my surroundings, that I am showing up in a way that I feel really good and that I'm allowing myself to feel my feelings, but I'm also not going to allow my feelings to take over and start really creating a depression for me, not being able to motivate myself to get out of bed, because that's going to have a massive impact as well. So I have to kind of put some boundaries and time limits on things as well. So I definitely feel my feelings, but I do have to keep a bit of a balance with it.
Speaker 1:But I think in this moment, right now you know, hopefully we're reaching a point where things are going to get better. I want to be part of the change. I want to see the change in every and with all of the things that are going on in the world, not just some of the two things that we've spoken about on this. I really want to see this world be a more harmonious and beautiful place, because it can be so. I think you know this. Like anything with feelings, they they change and it's it's a moment in your life that you're feeling like this and if we nurture it enough, hopefully it'll get better and we can be out of this moment bloody quickly I'm going to be honest.
Speaker 2:So the reason that I'm going to the march on sunday is like, yes, I'm going there to be a louder voice for women who are fed up with men killing us. I'm going there to be part of a voice that feels louder. Yeah, however, I'm also going to be around the energy of strong women. Oh yeah, like I literally want to stand there because I want to a be a part of being a voice, but, b I want to hear the other voices totally and know that I'm not fucking going crazy here, thinking that this is wrong, and just you know talking about it casually in a coffee shop, or talking about it casually with clients, or you know reading about it on a news report and just like forgetting someone's name.
Speaker 1:Who has feeling like you can't talk about it because it's not all men and all that sort of shit that's being put out there, yep 100. You know, and you're right, that that energy is really going to like, really give us strength and like, again, collaboration, support, resilience, all of those things that we need in this moment. So you're right, there's, if you're like me, where you were like what's the point? There's every point. Get your ass down there.
Speaker 2:Or, if you can't get there, I read something the other day, someone saying like why should we have to march? Like I'm sick of this shit, blah, blah, blah. And I was like I totally understand. I'm not going to prove a point to someone else. I'm going so that I can be a louder part of like I just want to add to the volume this much, yeah, to let people know this is just not happening anymore like that. That's why I'm going. I'm like I'm going for like self-indulgent reasons to be a part of that. I'm not going to prove a point. I'm not going to like for anything else other than to be a part of this movement. That is like this is changing, whether you want it to or not.
Speaker 1:Totally this is absolutely changing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's interesting because we obviously had a different plan for this episode, but I think it's gone exactly the way that it was meant to and I really want to acknowledge this, because feminism is a really big value of ours and it's actually on our website, the conscious website, and we have our, our values there, just so that we can really show you know what it's like to align with us and people can either make their judgment of yes, these are my people, or no, they're not Fine either way. But one of our values is feminism, and I really didn't understand what it meant to be a feminist until the last couple of years to be honest.
Speaker 2:And even more so since I've been a mum the last couple of years, to be honest and even more so since I've been a mom and I think saying that you're a feminist but having no action can be really contradicting, whereas, you know, bringing up a topic like this on a podcast that's about business and salon ownership, some people would say it would be a bit risky, and I know that in the past I would have said oh no, don't talk about anything political, but I feel like it's not really political though is it Like.
Speaker 1:This is the thing I've been keeping.
Speaker 2:Well, no, this is like our life now. It's not political anymore. Totally, yeah, but you know what I mean. Like no, totally, that's something that's in the media, totally.
Speaker 2:But I actually feel right now, in this moment that we have a podcast that is revolved around business in a female dominated industry. It would be a disservice to our community if we didn't command and demand more for women, and it would be a disservice if we didn't talk about this and the importance of this and show our feminism and show why it matters to talk about these topics, because every single day, we're waking up to news that women are dead at the hands of men and men are not dying at the same rate at the hands of women, and we're in an epidemic of violence against women, and these are the women that we're hearing about who have actually died, not who haven't quite gotten to death. Like this is happening everywhere in our backyards. So I really think that this is necessary.
Speaker 1:I agree 100%. I'm just like in awe of what you're saying right now. So excuse me for just being part of the audience and not being part of the conversation, because I think, yeah, something it's scary and it's hard and it's it's scary and it's hard and it's yeah, I think. You know, I had this conversation with Mick when I was saying about you know, I got really rattled with, as I know so many did with what happened in Sydney and I think I just really lost my nerve, lost my confidence, started feeling like I should shrink down, you know, not show up the way that I do not be as outspoken, you know, because you just don't know. And then when I started unpacking it, I said to him I'm just not even sure that there's been significant progress during our lifetime, which I know people will be like what about the vote and what about this? Yes, I know, I know about that. I know that women are independent now. I know that we can make our own money. I know all these things.
Speaker 1:But there is an epidemic of violence at the moment and you can sit there and say it won't happen to you, or it won't happen, you know, to anyone, or you know there must be reasons for it. It's not. It not all men, all that shit that we all have fallen behind. It's not all men, but it's fuck enough of them, there's enough, and I think, with this situation, yes it's, it's not all men, but it has only been men who have been killing women in these violent totally, and this is not a women's issue, this is a men's issue, and I think that's the part that really needs to be heard with this, and this isn't about like male and female, anything like that.
Speaker 1:This is no longer our problem, because we are not the reasons that this is happening. This is on them to start sorting out and taking responsibility and start showing up and being a part of this conversation. And if this conversation is triggering you, I really invite you to go inward and have a look at why you feel the way that you feel. I've had to have some really fucking uncomfortable conversations in the last few weeks. I've had things that I did not want to be talking about, but parts where I was like I can't just pretend that I'm okay with someone saying not all men to me, I'm not okay with that and yeah, it's not.
Speaker 1:It's just such a stupid argument to have, because if it wasn't a problem, the stats wouldn't be what they are, we wouldn't feel how we feel, we wouldn't have to like. It's just, it's such a, it's such a ridiculous merry-go-round that it goes on and on and on, and I just want to be at the point where we stop teaching kids how to defend themselves, what to look out for, not to get too drunk, don't wear things that are too short. Like I'm so done with that, like I want better for us and I want better for our futures. I want better for our lives and I really think, in these moments, when we start having these opportunities to really be a point of difference and create difference and really stand up with it, take it like, take it and and do something with it, because if you want there to be change, you have to be part of the change and, as you say, I don't want to just keep sitting and hoping it will get better. I want to be actively part of that. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:That was interesting well, I think, mate, I think this is like we're just gonna to have to be really real here. This has come up in our salon like as a topic of conversation. It's come up within our team. It's come up within our clients, like our private clients in Conscious.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's come up in every aspect. It's come up in our family, like it's come up in every aspect of our lives and you know we made a pact when we started the Conscious Salon to serve women in our industry and really like one of the really core beliefs that we have at the Conscious Salon is for women to have a better life. So this is one of the reasons we're talking about this and, look, I know it's like risky to put a podcast out like this in a time of you know, a heated time anyway, but this is authentic for us. This is coming up for us.
Speaker 2:Us. This is as it's coming up for us, so I hope it's resonated for some of you guys and just know that you're not alone when you are worrying about these issues huge, huge issues in our world at the moment. Yeah, tess, it feels a bit contrary, but we had every episode in gratitude. What are you grateful for in this moment?
Speaker 1:I'm super grateful that we're speaking on this, um, because I think it is, you know, something that is just so deep, far out. It's deep, it's so fucking deep and I think, as you said, it would have been a disservice if we just kind of keep pretending, because I know you're exactly right so many people are feeling this and it's not even just so. There's so many men that are feeling this and so many, oh, my goodness, it's being felt by a lot of people, a majority of people, but I know, with the heaviness of the conversations that we've been having within our world, and just how this can impact and has such a weight to it as it should, it's truly awful, um. So my gratitude for this is that we are speaking on it and we have opportunity again, finding the opportunity to, if nothing else, have other people who are feeling this way feel seen and understood, and that it's okay if you're feeling depressed, sad, angry, resentful hopeless yep, anything that's okay.
Speaker 1:I understand that and all I can say is I'm just grateful for the opportunity to hopefully leave our world better than what we found it. I don't know if that's still like a bit of a too much of an optimistic thing to say, but I'm really grateful to share this and I'm really grateful that you shared your bubble analogy, because that is one that really helps me in those moments when I'm like wanting to burn the ground, the you know, the world to the ground and, like you know, just lose it all together. That truly and again something that we're teaching kids has really been a really massive um change it for me of being able to just yeah, the personal bubble, and I can't control everyone.
Speaker 1:However, I can control myself and this is how I'm going to show up in this is exactly, and, and all I'm trying to do every day is making my space, my place, my world better than how it's been. Yeah, what about you? What are you grateful for?
Speaker 2:I'm actually really grateful for you because you taught me a lot about feminism and I remember a humbling moment about I reckon it was probably about six years ago, maybe five years ago, and you and another client I'm gonna shout her out on here, kylie were talking in the salon and you guys are talking about feminism and you were like are you? Kylie asked me, are you a feminist? And I said I'm not a feminist, I'm an equalist. I just believe in, like, equal for everyone. Because I was like I don't want to be seen as a feminist, yeah, and I called myself an equalist and said I just believe in equal for everyone, which was really ignorant, really foolish of me, um, because I didn't understand that. That wasn't what we were faced with.
Speaker 2:There is a problem with women not being equal. Maybe it was longer than five years ago. Anyway, it was a stupid thing to say and you absolutely cleaned me up in front of the client. I don't know if you remember.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, there she is the wallflower that I am especially around those stomachs.
Speaker 2:You basically said to me moron in so many words, and I remember being like absolutely outraged and I was having a blue afterwards. But I really thought deeply about it. You know me, I'm like you know.
Speaker 2:I used to meet everything with an argument and then afterwards I'd like deeply feel the wound of it yeah and I thought about it long and hard afterwards and just really didn't understand at the time how important it was to fight for and command and demand more for women, but how important it was also to call myself a feminist, because for me feminism means that it is absolutely non-negotiable that women will have better and in my lifetime that will happen. It may not be happening right now, but it will absolutely happen. And for me feminism is deciding that women are important and superior and being available for nothing less. That's what feminism is to me.
Speaker 1:Yep, we'll just cut that right there. Leah, we'll end there. That's like the hottest thing ever. I'm like yep, there she is. We're going to put that on some t-shirts. Beautiful, beautiful. And get down to the march on Sunday.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you guys, so much for listening A heavy episode, very, very necessary.
Speaker 1:tess, take us out um, I'm gonna say, yeah, the girls love you guys. Stay conch, sis conscious, stay conscious. I've got to drop conch guys. We're sticking, we're going back to conscious.
Speaker 2:Stay conscious, everyone thanks so much for listening to this episode and hanging out with us today to hear more about our journey. Follow us on Instagram at B underscore conscious underscore salon. If you're a shit speller, check the spelling of conscious or at a head hair underscore.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining us today and we'll see you in the next episode.