Michelle Bouse on Saying "Yes" to Opportunities

Michelle Bouse is a licensed esthetician and professional makeup artist now serving SW Florida. She spent over 20 years owning her own business and serving Hollywood stars from Jesse Metcalfe to John Schneider to Jennifer Garner. 

She started in New Jersey in musical theater as a dancer, earning her living through private events. Auditioning for each role taught her resilience, and self confidence. 

We discuss the difference in cultures from New Jersey to California to Florida (and a little Iowa or Midwest sprinkled in). We also talk about the importance of words and how different it feels to say, "I'm Starting a New Chapter", rather than saying "I'm starting over". 

Michelle notes 4 ingredients in her Recipe for Life:

• Happiness is a Choice,
• Kindness is a Must,
• Joy should be Shared, and
• Gratitude is the most important

We also chat about the significance of saying "Yes!" to opportunities. And to accepting complements. 

At one point in our chat, Michelle called me "Wise". I feel like I can usually receive and appreciate complements, but being called "wise" felt very different for me. I'm exploring why, but I suspect it has something to do with it feeling "unearned" to me. Wise is something reserved for older people. Well.... news flash! I AM older. And... I definitely have had the opportunity to practice resilience and patience through the years. Lord knows I haven't always been "my best self" and there are some things I would have done differently. But I have learned a lot and if I can use my experience (good and bad) to support someone else, then I'm all for it! I'll keep working on why the word "wise" is hard for me to receive... and will learn from my wise friends (new and old).

To connect with Michelle or learn about her services: https://michellebouse.com/ 

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Transcript

[00:00:00] ​Intro

[00:00:38] Penny Fitzgerald: Michelle Bouse is a licensed esthetician, say that three times fast, and a professional makeup artist now serving Southwest Florida. She spent over 20 years owning her own business and serving Hollywood stars from Jesse Metcalf to John Schneider to Jennifer Garner and many others. She started in New Jersey in musical theater as a dancer earning her living through private events.

[00:01:02] Auditioning for each role taught her resilience and self confidence. We discuss the differences in cultures from New Jersey to California to Florida, and a little Iowa or Midwest sprinkled in. We also talk about the importance of words and how different it feels to say, I'm starting a new chapter, rather than saying, I'm starting over.

[00:01:21] Michelle notes four ingredients in her recipe for life. Happiness is a choice. Kindness is a must. Joy should be shared. And gratitude is the most important. We also chat about the significance of saying yes to opportunities and to accepting compliments. At one point in our chat, Michelle called me wise. I feel like I can usually receive and appreciate compliments, but being called wise felt very different to me.

[00:01:48] I'm exploring why, but I suspect it has something to do with it feeling unearned to me. Wise is something reserved for older people. Well, newsflash, I am older. And I definitely have had the opportunity to practice resilience and patience through the years. Lord knows I haven't always been my best self, and there are some things I would have done differently.

[00:02:09] But I've learned a lot, and if I can use my experience, good and bad, to support someone else, then I'm all for it. I'll keep working on why that word wise is hard for me to receive. And will learn from my wise friends, new and old. Here's one of my new wise friends, Michelle Bouse. 

[00:02:27] Penny Fitzgerald: Good morning.

[00:02:31] Michelle Bouse: How are you? I'm good. I'm good. 

[00:02:34] 

[00:02:34] What do you want to talk about? What do you normally do?

[00:02:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, I, I just start by asking about you. Like how, what do you do and how did you choose that? And. like, you know, just kind of get to know you a little bit. And 

[00:02:47] I'm 

[00:02:47] really super curious about, um, your background and how you, you're a makeup artist, but there's so much more. 

[00:02:55] Michelle Bouse: I'm excited to talk to you.

[00:02:57] Yeah. Yeah. You look so relaxed and happy. 

[00:02:59] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, thank 

[00:03:00] you. I miss you too. It's, it's wonderful being back home with family and friends.

[00:03:06] And of course, my husband and where we golf and, you know, our golfing buddies, but, but yeah, it's, it's hard because I have a group of really good friends down Florida now too, that it's hard to leave. 

[00:03:19] Michelle Bouse: It's good that you have both though. 

[00:03:21] It's good to have people in all different places. I've noticed, you know, cause I was in New Jersey and then I went to California and now I'm down here. So it's like, I have people all over the country that are good friends. So it's, it's nice, but you can go to, you can enjoy both places.

[00:03:34] Penny Fitzgerald: That's 

[00:03:35] right. And you can never have too many friends. No, 

[00:03:37] Michelle Bouse: absolutely. What did they say? If you can count your friends on one hand, you consider yourself lucky. 

[00:03:42] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh wow. I'm super blessed. . 

[00:03:45] Michelle Bouse: Mm-Hmm. . Mm-Hmm. . 

[00:03:47] Beyond. Beyond Blessed . I agree. 

[00:03:49] Speaker 3: Me too. 

[00:03:50] Michelle Bouse: Me too. Nice to know you. 

[00:03:51] Penny Fitzgerald: You too. You too. So, so you mentioned New Jersey.

[00:03:55] Is that where you were raised? I mean, did you grow up there? I 

[00:03:58] Michelle Bouse: was born, I was born in New Jersey and I lived there until I was 25. And then I moved to Los Angeles because I fell in love and I moved cross country to be with my. Boyfriend at the time who became my husband andSo I was a professional dancer in New Jersey and New York.

[00:04:15] So that's what I did for a living. I was a tap jazz and musical theater, professional, super fun, super, super fun. I, that was always one of what I wanted to be when I grew up. And when I was making choices on what I should do for my career, I never wanted to look back and say, what if I had chose that, 

[00:04:34] That's really 

[00:04:34] how I've made a lot of my choices when I was younger.

[00:04:38] So it was amazing. I had a dance partner. He's still my best friend in New Jersey. One of the hardest decisions was leaving New Jersey, leaving that career behind and starting a new chapter. 

[00:04:48] Right. But 

[00:04:48] I had been dancing hard since I was about. I started when I was 10, so I had been dancing really hard in my teens and your bones are growing and doing things.

[00:04:58] So I had injuries and I had one last injury that was a bad pull in my leg, my thigh, my quad and my hamstring into my hip. Of course, I didn't go to the doctor or do anything. I just stopped dancing two days a week instead of seven. Um, but I got to the point where I probably would have needed. You know, I'm 51 going to be 52 next week.

[00:05:21] I'm on borrowed time, I think, with some of my joints because I've worked them real hard, but it was amazing, Penny. It was, it was what I always wanted to be when I grew up. So I, for me, honestly, everything from this far forward is all icing on the cake. And now. I'm actually going into another chapter. So it's like I've had three chapters.

[00:05:39] So as a dancer in New Jersey, I had a business background all the way through. So I always went to college and took courses on business. So it was a great executive, executive assistant. For me, it was just too boring. Cause I'm creative, but it was awesome. So I run my business. I'm a pretty good business owner, right?

[00:05:56] Cause I have that background. Yeah. I moved to LA and somebody said to me one day, your makeup always looks so good. You'd be a great makeup artist. 

[00:06:03] Oh, I went to 

[00:06:05] school. I was in, I was in LA. So I was like, okay, I'll check it out. So I went to, I took a class, a weekend class, kind of fell in love with it. And then I just, cause I'm from New Jersey, New York area.

[00:06:16] So I'm like, okay, we're going to do this. So I just, Started getting work and I was so blessed. I worked in Hollywood as a makeup artist for over 20 years, and I've worked on many celebrities. I've had an amazing career and I. It's so normal out there. Um, but I'm just grateful that it was an adventure. It was an amazing adventure with amazing experience.

[00:06:38] And then I got my aesthetics license five years after, cause we were thinking about maybe having kids, which I don't have any kids, but I got my license. So I was a esthetician and a skincare specialist in Hollywood, LA for about 15, over 15 years. 

[00:06:53] Wow. 

[00:06:54] And again, I had some high end celebrity clients. I did, uh, I specialized in lash extensions and I did a lot of lash extensions for TV and camera and different things like that and production people.

[00:07:05] So it was, it was amazing. I own my own place and it was great. And that was for 25 years in LA. 

[00:07:11] Penny Fitzgerald: Wow. Fun. Can I back up and ask you a little bit more about Broadway? That's my little 

[00:07:16] like short that's the short 

[00:07:18] version, but let's, let's get into some fun stuff. So, so in, when you were dancing, um, in New York, New Jersey, were you, were you doing Broadway things?

[00:07:28] Were you off Broadway or like I was. 

[00:07:30] Michelle Bouse: Off, off, off Broadway. Yeah, I did stuff in New York, but I, I auditioned at Radio City. I had done some off Broadway, but no, I never was fortunate enough to get a Broadway show, but I made a living traveling all up and down the East Coast doing, you know, regional theater, You know, it was different in the nineties.

[00:07:49] You got paid to do parties. I made so much money just being like, you know, a dancer that we would do choreograph routines and then we'd pull people up to get them involved and be kind of like the Like a cruise director. Yes, it was like a cruise director. Yeah. I got paid to do to dance and fashion shows where they wanted the, attire and the outfits to be, um, shown in a different sort of way.

[00:08:14] So we would have routines and then it was actually kind of faster stuff, like more, it was the J Lo hip hop era. So it was not the hip hop of now, but it was the fly girl era, which was more of like a jazzy hip hop style. Um, I did so many things. I, if I tried to be a model because I was, I'm, I'm a big girl, I'm five eight.

[00:08:34] I'm not tiny. I've always been athletic. If I tried to model, I never would have gotten any work by dancing. I got all this, um, modeling work just by association. Dancers move well with their body. They're comfortable. The, you know, we're usually toned and fit. So the clothes look good on us, but it was always before Kate Moss came on the scene, even in Hollywood, I got in TV shows, um, extras and movies just by being like working on the set.

[00:09:01] And they're like, we need somebody. We need somebody. One of my favorite stories is, you know, who John Schneider is, from the Dukes of Hazzard. Oh, yes. Yeah. I was working on a movie right before I got married, 27 years ago, and we were shooting at his house and he was producing and he just was always tapping his feet in between, you know, takes.

[00:09:23] I'm like, you tap dance. Well, he was on Broadway with Sid Sheeran. He played opposite her in Grand Hotel. So there was a little bit part where they needed some feet on camera to tap. So I did it and I wore his tap shoes. It was amazing. So I'm in a movie. That's so fun. But if I had tried, you know, it just wouldn't have happened, but I didn't really, I, for, for what I did back in the nineties, I did really well.

[00:09:48] You know, I had to audition in New York for everything. It was hard. That is hard on your self confidence, you know, especially in your early twenties teens, you don't really know. What, you know, in your fifties, um, luckily I had a great support system and I, I did enough things that I was pretty confident in myself that I didn't have.

[00:10:10] I wasn't a dancer that had an eating disorder, but, you know, I always tell people, even some of my friends that I'm meeting out here when we talk, you know, I'm meeting all new friends down in Florida. I'm like, I. have a form of body dysmorphia because it wasn't an eating disorder or anything, but as a teenager, all the way through my twenties, I was in a room in skinny attire with mirrors for like 12 hours.

[00:10:31] Wow. 

[00:10:32] So what would you do if you were in a room in mirrors all day? 

[00:10:36] Penny Fitzgerald: Um, well, throw up actually, 

[00:10:40] Michelle Bouse: well, I shouldn't have, I should have said when you were a kid. Throw up. 

[00:10:47] Penny Fitzgerald: Nobody needs to 

[00:10:48] see that. 

[00:10:50] Michelle Bouse: But you, you, it intensifies all the things like you're just 

[00:10:54] constantly 

[00:10:54] looking at 

[00:10:54] yourself. Yeah. You notice everything I would think, especially being in dance clothes and hip hop era.

[00:11:00] Yeah. 

[00:11:01] Yeah. So you're like, Oh, like, Oh, I'll get my, you know, I'll have my time of the month and I'm like, I'm getting a little puffy here. In the grand scheme of things, I'm in pretty good shape, but it's like I notice every detail of like, so it's, it's, I'm aware of it. It's not, I don't have, you know, a problem with it.

[00:11:17] But you know, anybody that watches any of those shows on TV that are movies about the ballet dancers and all, unfortunately all of that is true. 

[00:11:27] Oh, wow. 

[00:11:29] You get, yeah, it's just, it breaks my heart. Like with the whole mental illness, dancing isn't doesn't help and feed into a positive body image, you know, now a days with a lot of those dance shows, some of the girls are all different sizes, which I love seeing as long as they're healthy.

[00:11:44] My main thing is as long as you're healthy, awesome. But you know, I feel like everybody should really take care of themselves, whatever that looks like to them, you know, get up and move. Just don't sit all day, you know? 

[00:11:55] Yeah. Whatever feels right too. I mean, there's, but I was the 

[00:11:58] extreme, you know, as a teenager.

[00:11:59] So 

[00:12:00] yeah, 

[00:12:01] we live, we learn. Yeah. But it was amazing. It was amazing. 

[00:12:05] Penny Fitzgerald: It sounds great. Yeah. Well, and when you were in California and those opportunities came up, you said yes. Isn't that it? You were available. You received, you said, yes, that's so cool. 

[00:12:21] Michelle Bouse: I am all about, so let's, let's say I say yes too many times in life to things, right?

[00:12:26] I need to learn no probably a little bit more, but I am an overly positive person. So my cap, my cup is always half full. It's never half empty. I'm annoyingly like people have called me Pollyanna at times. And I always wanted to be open. Yeah. 

[00:12:46] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, I've been called Positive Penny a time or two as well. You 

[00:12:50] so are.

[00:12:53] Michelle Bouse: But I think I always saw it as a negative and like a dig and maybe it was from the people. And then that can actually take me into the story of why I'm in Florida. But, you know, people want to cut you down. It's so much easier to be negative and join the Negative Nelly. Debbie Downer than to be positive.

[00:13:10] But I, I remember so well, I always wanted to have, even now, that's why I am in Florida. The story of why I'm in Florida is because I've wanted more opportunities and I wanted to say yes to the rest of my life. I was tired of just settling and saying, Compromising and being, I was closing myself down and making myself smaller because I was too happy and too positive.

[00:13:32] And I chose after I turned 50, I had kind of an aha moment where I was like, no, I want to go back to, I don't want to look back and say, what if. 

[00:13:42] Right. 

[00:13:43] And you know, if you're open to positive, you will find positive. And when I was working in LA, I had a lot of, a lot of clients who would come down and, you know, they usually will fall asleep.

[00:13:52] Cause my voice is, I think I missed my calling. My voice is very relaxing, just as yours is too. Maybe we need to do like a sleep meditation. But you know, they just like a hairdresser. They talk to you, they tell you their problems. And I always listen cause I learned customer service when I was a kid, but I listen, but I would always say, I would point out the good.

[00:14:14] And so many people hate that. So it's like, yeah, so many people, when they're really in that mucky muck, they don't want to hear. Oh, I had a client that said, I want your opinion. And I said, but do you really? 

[00:14:28] You're right. And she goes, yes. I 

[00:14:29] said, now think about that. I said, because you know, we've talked for years and she wanted my opinion on this one, you know, word.

[00:14:37] Penny Fitzgerald: She already knew. 

[00:14:38] She already knew your opinion. 

[00:14:39] Michelle Bouse: But she got so mad and she stopped coming to me and being my friend after I gave her my opinion because I told her I was going to be honest and she knew what I was going to say, but she didn't want to hear it. And I actually, I, before we got talking, I thought, what is she going to ask me?

[00:14:55] And like, she asked me, you know, what is my motto in life? What's my recipe? Cause everybody's like, you're so happy, Michelle. I, I use good skincare, right? But I tell everybody I don't look my age, but it's because I have had a happy life and I was like, what would I tell Penny that my motto is? And I have four things that I think are my like huge recipe that really kind of ties into.

[00:15:16] I said, yes, I think happiness is a choice. 

[00:15:20] Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. Agreed. 

[00:15:22] Michelle Bouse: I think that kindness is a must. 

[00:15:26] Uh huh. 

[00:15:27] I think joy should be shared with others. 

[00:15:30] Oh, I 

[00:15:31] love it. And I think that gratitude is the most important. 

[00:15:37] Penny Fitzgerald: It's the foundation. 

[00:15:39] Michelle Bouse: It, I can't do anything in my life without coming from a place of gratitude, even if I'm super pissed off and so upset.

[00:15:46] And I mean, I'll be there for a minute, but you know, when you're grateful for something, turns your eyes off of what. Your situation is and you have to pull something good out of it. And I've said that over the years to so many people, you know, when they're sad and that's kind of annoying part of me too.

[00:16:03] It's like, well, tell me two things you're grateful for. I can't, there are absolutely two things. When I do my facials, I start off with aromatherapy. 

[00:16:10] And I have 

[00:16:11] everybody breathe in and I tell them, you know, think of something depending on how they're feeling. Think of something you're really looking forward to, or if they're upset, think of something you're really upset about and blow it out.

[00:16:19] But at the end of every single one of my facials, I started doing this years ago, 

[00:16:23] I do aromatherapy.

[00:16:24] I have them take a deep breath, breathe in aromatherapy, pause for a second and think of one thing they're grateful for, smile and blow it out. And I think that's so important. 

[00:16:34] Penny Fitzgerald: Wow. That sounds like a real, like people would walk away from that feeling very good. 

[00:16:42] Michelle Bouse: I've been very fortunate and very blessed to have a successful business and to be able to have the, it's not really a talent.

[00:16:52] It's not a skill. I'll say the gift of being able to lift people up and make them feel better than when they. Started in front of me, whether it's through a conversation or through a service or through a uh, interaction and I know that that's just one of my gifts that that's why I'm annoyingly positive, but I'm here to just be.

[00:17:13] I am. Did you watch inside out the movie inside out with all the emotions? 

[00:17:17] I haven't seen that yet. 

[00:17:19] I'm Joy. I'm Joy. She does cartwheels and everything. And I'm also a dancer, obviously. So I now do it for fun. And when I went back as an adult, I used to have some of my instructors say, Joy's in the house. So like best compliment.

[00:17:32] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh yeah. You know, and own it. 

[00:17:36] Michelle Bouse: I, at this point in my life, thank you for saying that I do, but I haven't. 

[00:17:41] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, well, yeah. I mean, because you have the negative Nellies that, you know, I feel like the people that are that way. Want so badly to feel better. But they don't allow themselves to because they're stuck, you know, they're stuck in that, what they know, and they're trying to stay safe and small 

[00:18:01] Michelle Bouse: people, the people that are hurting are the meanest and all they need is love.

[00:18:06] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. And it's 

[00:18:07] so, it's so hard to love someone that's lashing out.

[00:18:12] Michelle Bouse: can 

[00:18:14] turn it, it can turn their whole life around. I, I, so I don't have any kids, but I've mentored kids through the years. And I remember I went through a mentoring program before I entered this program and they were like, one person in a kid's life can change their entire life around just by them loving them.

[00:18:29] Consistently. Yes. And believing in them. I was like, how can it be that simple? But you take that to people. We could change the world. 

[00:18:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Of course, of course. And you know, even simplifying it even farther, just listening to someone. sends love, shares love, shares joy, because people just want to be seen and heard, you know, and to be, to be able to just truly listen and be present with someone and hear what they're saying, you know.

[00:18:59] Huge. 

[00:19:00] Michelle Bouse: It's a lost art form, active listening. I, I was really interested in when I'm all, cause I'm creative. So if I have too many stressors coming at me or too much, I'm not really, I'm not an introvert. I'm an extra extrovert, but I do need that quiet downtime. Oh yeah. I was like, am I listening the best that I can?

[00:19:26] And I really started listening to some podcasts and some books about active listening. And I was like, okay, I'm doing that. But then I thought, no, I could do that better. I grew up in New Jersey, Penny. Everybody talks. over each other. It's an active conversation. I moved to California and they found that rude.

[00:19:44] I mean it was no, and it was a huge thing between me and my ex. That's a big 

[00:19:47] shift. Yeah. Oh. Uh huh. 

[00:19:50] So it was, it was a point of contention all the time because I was just excited and I was, I wanted to reply to what he was saying and he saw it as being rude. 

[00:20:01] Penny Fitzgerald: It's just a cultural thing. Wow. that's difficult when you're in a really close relationship and you come at it from different backgrounds and yeah, exactly.

[00:20:14] And you know, if you, I don't know if you're both coming at it from love, but yet So different over time. I'm 

[00:20:23] Michelle Bouse: always, you know, I always feel the day we stopped learning is the day that we're done. We're dead. So there's always ways we can improve ourselves. Right? I mean, I'm in, I'm in that business of beauty care and self care.

[00:20:35] So it's like, well, how can I, I'm always looking for, like, how could I have, you know, had that conversation better with somebody or how could, because my communication skills have not been great through my whole life with, with heavy emotions, you know, I would always get stuck because I tend to have very strong.

[00:20:52] I'm, I'm more of an empathetic person. So I feel things so deep, which I love. I always tell everybody my greatest asset is my heart, but my greatest Achilles heel is my heart. 

[00:21:02] Yeah. 

[00:21:03] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. I think that's 

[00:21:05] kind of normal for whatever is your strength is also can be your weakness. Darn 

[00:21:14] Michelle Bouse: ironies of life. Yeah. 

[00:21:15] Penny Fitzgerald: Yes, exactly.

[00:21:16] Exactly. But yeah, I, I heard somewhere, I don't remember who said it, but you know, when you're a little kid or not even a little kid, but any younger growing up, the things that people poked fun of you for the things that made you weird. Those are your strength. Those are lean into that because that's what makes you wonderful.

[00:21:37] That's what makes you, you 

[00:21:39] Michelle Bouse: so true. And I, you know, as a beauty, so I've been on TV as a beauty expert. I'm so blessed. Like, I've just, I've met so many people work with so many people touched so many different faces, hopefully hearts, but people have asked me different questions regarding beauty. And, um, They'll always say, you know, what is the definition of beauty?

[00:21:58] Well, if we look in a textbook, it's what makes somebody more beautiful textbook is a symmetry of their face. Okay. So both sides of our face are completely different. Somebody that like is on the soaps and like an actor, their faces tend to be much more symmetrical on both sides. So they're more balanced and everything is like their, their eyes aren't very closed.

[00:22:18] It's like, everything is equally balanced and proportioned. 

[00:22:22] Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. 

[00:22:22] Michelle Bouse: But yeah, right. So what is, what really is beautiful is like, I've told people for years. It's the, I have a very strong faith base for me. So I believe everything is set. There's a reason and a purpose behind everything, but all those imperfections that you have, that's what makes you beautiful.

[00:22:40] And 

[00:22:41] I try to, when I do makeup lessons, I'm pointing out all the things that I see that are amazing. I've never seen your face before, but I'm going to tell you everything that I see. And I'm also going to point out, Oh my gosh, you have this. That's so unique. And they're like, I hate that. That's the worst part.

[00:22:54] I want to cover that up. And I'm like, but okay, I can show you how to cover it up. But let me tell you why it's beautiful because that's so unique to you. And it makes you imperfectly . Perfect. 

[00:23:05] And 

[00:23:06] I think beauty is found in the flaws and in the imperfections. And what you just said about being younger, it's such a bummer that we take it as knives, you know, when we're kids.

[00:23:16] And sometimes I'll even say with me, like, I'm, I'm going through another chapter right now, which is huge, new change in my life. And I'm sitting and looking at some of those things from my twenties, some of those things from my teens that are still stuck in there. And it's like, is this still my story?

[00:23:31] Yeah. Am I going to embrace this like my curls? I've embraced my curls, but it's like, am I going to embrace this and take it in as my truth? Is this what really is true? Or is this just other people are perceiving or have told me is true? And it's been really hard, but Empowering at the same time to just say, this really isn't.

[00:23:54] And I love journaling. That's how I figure it out. But I like I've gone through and I'm like, yeah, this isn't, this isn't me. And, you know, especially I look at the source of where it maybe came from. And, you know, when you get out of a really long relationship, you carry a lot of. Things. 

[00:24:09] Yeah. 

[00:24:10] And I'm just sorting through my box of things going, you know, this came from this person at this time in my life and they really don't know who I am.

[00:24:20] So I'm not wearing this anymore because this doesn't fit me. I feel so comfortable in my skin now. I'm not perfect. My gosh, I'm not, but I'm so comfortable with who I am and I love who I am. I love making people feel better. I love people saying that. You know, they feel better after they're around me. I'm just so full of life and joy.

[00:24:41] I love that about me, but that is a gift. Um, and that's why I say joy should be shared because when you have something that is so contagious and it can be a positive influence, Give that away. Don't keep that for yourself. There's too many people throwing anger out there. 

[00:24:58] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Well, and joy and love, anything.

[00:25:02] It's not a pie. When you give a piece away, you don't have less. It's just infinite. 

[00:25:09] Michelle Bouse: And it's kind of funny how that's where the mystery comes in because this is, I'm a little weird. I believe that the more you give away, the more yours fills up. 

[00:25:18] Penny Fitzgerald: That's 

[00:25:18] not 

[00:25:18] weird. That's. That is accurate, 

[00:25:21] Michelle Bouse: but some people be like, no, or I'm like, you know, so many changes in people's lives, especially a lot of people transitioning into different things.

[00:25:30] And, you know, they'll, a door will close in their life and they're like, I'm just not even, I don't know what I'm going to do. And I believe, and my ex and I argued about this all the time. It's never too late. It is never too late, unless you're talking about major life things where it's like life and death, but it's never too late to change your mind, to try something new, to learn something new.

[00:25:48] And when one door closes, Penny, I believe two more open, not one. I believe that there's more opportunity. And my ex always, I don't want to keep harping on that, but I just heard that a lot. We were together for 25 years. So it was like, no, There's a point where you don't get any more doors open. And I was just like, that's not really what I think, you know, 

[00:26:08] Penny Fitzgerald: that's 

[00:26:08] such a pessimistic.

[00:26:10] I feel like that is very, Oh, limiting. And 

[00:26:14] Michelle Bouse: it's just sad. That was kind of, that was a good reason. That was the main reason why I'm in Florida now, because, um, I'm, uh, annoyingly optimistic optimist. So when you are constantly around somebody that's really pessimistic, whether it's a friend, a spouse, even a child, um, a boss.

[00:26:35] There's only so long an optimist can take that, or you're going to start. I'm not here to be, 

[00:26:41] you know, I'm here to 

[00:26:43] give, but I had to make a change in choice. And here we are. 

[00:26:47] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Right. And again, it's a choice. I mean, being happy and being, 

[00:26:52] Michelle Bouse: and I can't be, I can't be your happy penny. 

[00:26:55] I can add to 

[00:26:56] your happy, but I can't be your happy.

[00:26:58] And so many people don't realize that. I can, you have to find you're happy 

[00:27:04] and 

[00:27:06] then things can add to it. Yeah. I'll just leave it there. 

[00:27:10] Penny Fitzgerald: No, I, I totally agree with you that you choose it and you can enhance it by doing things for others. I feel like being grateful. Um, yeah, getting out of yourself, like stop, stop the focus, put the mirror down, you know, 

[00:27:27] Michelle Bouse: out of the mirror, their mirrored room.

[00:27:29] Yeah, exactly. Step out of there. But you know, when you're sad and everything, you know, when people are depressed and sad, easier said than done, I know, but they always say, just turn your focus on someone else. Cause if you're serving someone else, you can't be thinking and you're not in that deep. So I've struggled with anxiety my whole life.

[00:27:47] My mom had agoraphobia. She had panic attacks. It runs in my family. Um, I, now I was good. Then you add stress on life and hormones. Hello, perimenopause. And I know that that's part of one of the, it's one of the triggers or it triggers anxiety, but if you are in it circles, you know, depression and circles is all inside us and your brain just goes around and it's an internal, it's an internal swirl.

[00:28:15] So if you're focusing on something external on helping someone else. it takes you out of that cycle and it really works. I mean, when I travel, sometimes I get anxious flying and if I'm talking to somebody, it's like the best distraction or if I listen to music, I, or if I'm, I just have to read, I just have to stop the thought that is circling in my head and my body calms down.

[00:28:37] It's amazing the connection between mind and body. 

[00:28:39] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, of course. 

[00:28:40] Yeah. Do you meditate? 

[00:28:43] Michelle Bouse: So I do meditate, but I kind of do it in form of prayer. Yeah, good. So I know it's all like connected, but I do journaling and then I every day I have a time of devotional reading, listening to a devotional music and then prayer.

[00:29:01] And I actually pray all throughout my day. So, you know, Meditation to me is the same thing because you're just intentionally slowing down, stopping, putting on. I work, I work in a very awesome environment all day, Penny. Come on. I'm like, I'm like meditating while I'm working all day. Music is playing. The lights are dim.

[00:29:21] That's why I love doing what I do, but being intentional and setting, um, you know, I'm in a, I'm in a, I'm in a transition to a new chapter. I've had, I tell everybody in the past, you I didn't realize, but it's been a year, almost two years now because it's May and my birthday's next week. So two years ago, I made a decision and it changed my whole life.

[00:29:45] I decided to move cross country, close my business. That was successful in LA for 15 years, move closer to my family,

[00:29:52] separate from my relationship, ultimately divorcing. And, um, Those are huge decisions. Got here. And, um, how everything has a purpose. I got here six months ago and five days after I got here, unfortunately, my dad got diagnosed with aggressive skin cancer, which is ironic since I'm an esthetician. And it was, um, just a total surprise.

[00:30:18] And unfortunately he passed away two months ago. So I was his caregiver. for five months. And it was not, that was not what I expected. And I was coming out of this really crazy, you know, life altering change. My dad was my person. My dad was my person. So I came here to be with him because I had been away and I'm an only child.

[00:30:38] I've been away for 25 years. So I was looking forward to spending time. We're coffee. You know, he's the one that we're exactly the same. We have so much in common. So I was looking forward to all that time. So now I really need to. Take the time to meditate and pause and breathe. I go to the beach. I do yoga once a week on the beach.

[00:30:56] Watch. I go to watch the sunsets. I feel like I can pray and meditate at the ocean. I have my feet in the water. I love being so close to the water, but it's really been healing for me. And I need, when you go through major life changes and major, you know, the only thing I haven't done in the past year of all the stressors of life has gotten married, everything else, all the others.

[00:31:17] Um, you need to, I think it's important that we. I can't, I can't stay at the level that I am being able to give out to people if I'm not taking care of myself. Right. You know, you, if you're not taking care of yourself, you're not filling yourself up. There's nothing to give. 

[00:31:30] Yeah. Um, 

[00:31:31] and I want to be better.

[00:31:32] I want to, I want to rock this next chapter and era of my life. I want to be, I want to do things that are well on my bucket list that I didn't get to look at. I'm moving into a house. Can I tell you? I don't know. What style do you like, Michelle? What colors do you want? 

[00:31:47] All of them. 

[00:31:49] Well, cause I don't know, like my mom started, my mom loves decorating.

[00:31:53] So she started taking me around and, and she's like, well, what do you like? I'm like, mom for, for years I've been with somebody and that kind of drove what it was. It kind of, unfortunately I'm so easygoing that it was like, Hey, what do you think about this or this? It wasn't, where should we start? It was, do you like this or this?

[00:32:12] So it was a choice and I was like, all right, I kind of like that. And I realized, I don't know what I really like. 

[00:32:18] Uh huh. 

[00:32:18] Did you watch the Runaway Bride? Yes. With, um, help me, Julie Roberts. 

[00:32:25] Yes. And Richard Gere. I had to think too. 

[00:32:27] Yeah. And he gives her a hard time about, cause she's always changing, you know, all the different guys.

[00:32:31] And he said, how do you like your eggs? And she's like, I don't know. He liked them this way. So I ate them this way. He liked them this way. So my girlfriend that I was staying with before I moved out here said, it's time for you to figure out how you like your eggs. 

[00:32:45] Oh yes. And I was like, yeah, 

[00:32:50] Penny Fitzgerald: wow. And you know, in a way it's very exciting because look at all the choices you 

[00:32:56] have.

[00:32:57] Michelle Bouse: It's a little overwhelming, 

[00:32:58] but 

[00:32:59] I'm staying in the excitement. I'm getting a mortgage by myself with, I haven't built my business out here yet, so I'm excited and terrified. It's a, it's a dual, dual wrapping. 

[00:33:11] So many. Yeah. 

[00:33:13] And it all works out. 

[00:33:14] Penny Fitzgerald: It will, it will. And you, you're saying yes to things and that always brings good things and more good things.

[00:33:22] Michelle Bouse: That's 

[00:33:23] where I need to sit, you know, it's really important to not limit out of fear. 

[00:33:27] Right, right. Anxiety 

[00:33:30] for me goes into fear. 

[00:33:32] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Yeah. Those are, you had, I don't know how many, five, six big life changes in the last year, two years. Yeah. That's a lot. That's a lot. Yeah. 

[00:33:46] Michelle Bouse: I don't know what came over me, but I don't know.

[00:33:49] I mean, I would not recommend probably doing all of that at once because 

[00:33:51] I 

[00:33:53] closed a business of 15 years and sold a house of 15 years. So just moving those. to like just closing and moving out of those two spaces. That's enough for anybody. 

[00:34:03] Oh, wow. Yeah. 

[00:34:05] And maybe the advice I would give is don't do both of those at the same exact time.

[00:34:11] If you have the choice. 

[00:34:12] Yeah. But then at the same time, it's like, well, that's done. But then, you know, moving cross country, I'm, I'm not, I've changed my wording. I think wording is really important. What we speak is, well, what we think is what we. feel and what we say becomes reality. So I think it's all, we got to be careful with all of that.

[00:34:32] Absolutely not that I'm like crazy with that, but I started to say instead of like, I'm starting over. I'm not starting over. I'm moving into a new chapter and I'm relocating my business. That's what I've said. So it's working better for me and not terrifying me as much. But, but then at the same time, it's kind of cool because I'm, I'm, I'm starting a new chapter and I move locations, but I have all this experience that I didn't have the first time I started out.

[00:34:57] So it looks totally different. 

[00:34:59] Yeah. Just shifting into a new, 

[00:35:03] that's exciting space. Frustrating. Cause I want it now. But it's, it's good. And meeting people like you, what a blessing, you know, from our, from our, I'm networking like a crazy fool, but I love the women that I'm meeting. I'm feeling so empowered by the women.

[00:35:22] And then I'm in return, um, getting opportunities. to lift so many women up. I didn't really have that opportunity as much as I do down here in LA. 

[00:35:30] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, really? Okay. Yeah. It's definitely our group are specifically our Sassy Sisters group. We are high vibe, 

[00:35:39] Michelle Bouse: but it's, there's no, there's a need for it. And there's, it's a unique group.

[00:35:44] Like 

[00:35:44] it's just so interesting. I don't want to diss anybody anywhere, but the cultures, you know, I'm, I came from New York, New Jersey, moved out to LA, Then I come from L. A. back to Florida, which is a lot of East Coasters, Midwesterners, and actually people from the North too, because everybody's moving in from everywhere.

[00:36:05] And I'm just going to say like, It's not like this everywhere. People, you're out places. I, I was on, I was out with a friend, um, the other night and we're pre celebrating my birthday and our, we were like next to another table. They were like, Oh, you, you guys definitely need to get that. And we were like, is it really good?

[00:36:26] We're talking table to table. We order it. We're talking about how good it is. The next people that were at that table, we look over and they're looking at us and we're like, Oh, you got to get this. The table that was here before us, they told us to get this. And we're telling you to get this. So before you leave, you got to take the, tell the next table to get this.

[00:36:41] And when would that happen? Not like, I can't believe they're talking to us. They're totally annoying us. Like it was so nice just to be so friendly and. Like that added to my night. 

[00:36:54] Yeah. 

[00:36:55] It didn't take away from it. 

[00:36:56] Penny Fitzgerald: That's not normal? 

[00:36:58] Michelle Bouse: It's not. I'll just say, I'll say in LA, it's not. Okay. Unfortunately it's not normal.

[00:37:05] Penny Fitzgerald: Really? But you, 

[00:37:06] Michelle Bouse: where are you right now? 

[00:37:07] Penny Fitzgerald: I'm in 

[00:37:08] Iowa. 

[00:37:09] Michelle Bouse: You're in Iowa. Yeah. Iowa. Iowa is awesome. Very. I don't know. I guess growing up in New Jersey, people were friendly, but a little maybe annoyed friendly at times. Like if you bothered them while they were doing something, but you would stand in line checking out and people talk to each other.

[00:37:26] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:37:29] Michelle Bouse: You would stand it. I'll say my experience because I don't want to diss anything. But my experience is people are so busy and just really self, um, 

[00:37:39] Penny Fitzgerald: in their own in their own world? 

[00:37:40] Michelle Bouse: Self. Yeah. And they were in their own world. Uh, they were distracted. 

[00:37:46] Okay. 

[00:37:47] Self distracted that they weren't aware of anybody or anything that was going on around them and people do not talk to others unless they're complaining.

[00:37:54] So it would be a time somebody would be. you know, talking to the girl that's taking too long from da, da, da, da, da. Oh, it wasn't. And everybody was on attached to their cell phones. Wow. Yeah. 

[00:38:06] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, and I feel maybe I'm oversimplifying, but I feel like a lot of that people distract themselves and go internal and go to their phone when they're uncomfortable.

[00:38:17] So that's a safety mechanism to not, if, if I don't interact with another person, they can't hurt me. They can't let me down. 

[00:38:25] Michelle Bouse: And I think there's a lot of insecurity in Hollywood. 

[00:38:29] Okay. 

[00:38:30] So that makes sense. 

[00:38:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Wow. That's again, sad. 

[00:38:34] Michelle Bouse: It's been 

[00:38:35] interesting. That was a huge, I've only been here six months, but being out and about, Oh my gosh, me and my dad, we'd be at doctor's appointments.

[00:38:42] We'd be at, you know, his, uh, his infusions at the infusion centers at the hospital. We're just talking to everybody. Like they always remembered here comes Tom and you know, his daughter. And it's like, we met, you know, I always said my dad never knew a stranger. And I guess like, I'm like that too. I, I have given, so.

[00:38:58] I was at Wawa. I love coffee and there, I know we're going to talk about wine, but I'm a coffee and tea. I wanted to open up a tea house when I retired. So next to my place in Burbank, where I worked in California was this amazing Priscilla's coffee house, home owned like one of those, 

[00:39:15] I don't 

[00:39:16] want to say boutique.

[00:39:17] It was boutique in a good way, just local been there forever. Amazing coffee. And their main coffee was blueberry. And I know a lot of people are like, what? 

[00:39:25] Penny Fitzgerald: I love blueberry 

[00:39:26] coffee. 

[00:39:27] Michelle Bouse: Unbelievable. So Wawa's has blueberry cobbler right now for a limited time. Just FYI, it's really good. So I stopped in to check it out because I need my blueberry coffee.

[00:39:37] Although I do order it from the place in LA, but you know, I was like, let's check out there. So while I'm there, somebody said, oh my gosh, you know, How is this? Have you had it? And I was like, Oh, I've had blueberry coffee. It's amazing. Long story short, I gave her my card and number. She ordered from the shop right across right next to my shop.

[00:39:56] She has been texting me how much she loves all of her coffee and all the different flavors she's been going through. And that was at Wawa. And everywhere I go, people are like, your hair, your hair. I love your hair. Well, my hairstylist is going crazy because everywhere I go, I hand out his card. And he's like, It's like, it's just, it's a whole different world out here where people will just talk and they're like, Oh my gosh, I would love to get that.

[00:40:21] Or, Oh, you're a beauty girl. What's your favorite mascara? I usually get that on the plane, but I wouldn't get that usually anywhere else, but here it's just nice. It's so community driven. I love it. 

[00:40:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Could it be that you are experiencing more joy and that you are open to those conversations and more giving and more into receiving, you know, you can receive it now.

[00:40:48] Michelle Bouse: 200%! 

[00:40:50] 200%! Because where, what you draw, you, you, what 

[00:40:54] Penny Fitzgerald: you attract, what 

[00:40:54] you are. Yeah. 

[00:40:57] Michelle Bouse: Absolutely. That was a penny for your shot. . 

[00:41:03] Yes. Mic drop, charisma. Mic 

[00:41:05] drop. Yeah, you're right. 

[00:41:08] Yeah. 

[00:41:09] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 'cause you, yeah. You definitely attract who you are and, and you get what you are. So if you're a happier, if you're happier now in your new chapter.

[00:41:21] Michelle Bouse: Mm-Hmm. . 

[00:41:21] Penny Fitzgerald: And that reflects, you know, it, it, it's what you put out. You're putting out happiness. 

[00:41:26] Michelle Bouse: Oh, I would be 

[00:41:27] annoying so many other people in my past. 

[00:41:29] Penny Fitzgerald: I 

[00:41:30] love it. You know, I don't think that you're annoying at all this, the, the, if you've heard that in the past, I hope you shed that, you know, allow that to just drip off of you.

[00:41:44] Michelle Bouse: Thank you. Because I heard a few times, I'm too much. And, uh, uh, a good 

[00:41:50] Penny Fitzgerald: Says who? 

[00:41:51] Michelle Bouse: I 

[00:41:53] heard it a few times. like you're just too much, Michelle, take it down, tone it down. And I tried, I tried that. And you know what, Penny, that didn't work for me. And I was feeling like, this isn't who I am. 

[00:42:03] Penny Fitzgerald: Don't dim your light.

[00:42:04] Michelle Bouse: Never. If we take anything away from this podcast, my advice is, please don't dim your light. Like don't let anybody dim your light. Situations will dim your light at times, but it's always on and it's always there to shine. That's what, that's where, that's where the the happiness and the kindness, the joy, the gratitude, that's all your light.

[00:42:25] You know, it's all coming from within. Oh my gosh, the whole thing. Please don't let anybody take your light. No matter what stage of your life you're in. And I've met a few really nice people. And my friend that I was actually having, uh, the dinner with the other night with the, it was a peanut butter pie, peanut butter pie cake.

[00:42:47] I had said, you know, somebody had told me that I, well, more than one person in my life through recent years have said you're too much. And it was a moment of, I'm going to pause you right there. And, uh, they said, please, I'll never say that. Like, I will never use that as an adjective, even in kidding, um, because you're not, and it kind of went back to the conversation of just the confirmation that you are who you are, your joy is part of who you are and that's your light.

[00:43:13] So just. What you just said, I've been hearing now from other people, um, that are becoming important people in my life and I appreciate that because going back to need to keep trying on the different things that doesn't fit me anymore. It never really did. And it was just the perception of the people here that didn't know what to do with me.

[00:43:32] And that was on them. Not me, 

[00:43:34] Penny Fitzgerald: right? Exactly. Exactly. 

[00:43:37] Michelle Bouse: Some 

[00:43:37] people don't know how to react to me. And I'm definitely not everybody's cup of tea or shot, you know, but, um, It's okay. It's okay. 

[00:43:46] Penny Fitzgerald: It's okay. Yeah. Yeah. You can't be everything or even something for everyone. 

[00:43:52] Michelle Bouse: Oh my gosh. That's way too much responsibility.

[00:43:54] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, of course. 

[00:43:55] Michelle Bouse: Yeah. Yeah. That'd be exhausting. But you know, I just do little things in areas. I know my strengths and I just work from there and you know, what did they say? It's the biggest things that come in the littlest forms or the smallest steps. Just taking a step is a huge deal. You don't have to, you don't have to do big, what is it?

[00:44:15] You don't have to do big things. You do little things with a lot of love and it makes all the difference in the world. 

[00:44:20] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Be present. Be there. 

[00:44:23] Michelle Bouse: Be present and practice listening. Those are two. And be still. Those all fall into, it takes, it takes practice sometimes. 

[00:44:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Well, and sometimes when you're a high vibing person and when you're a very happy person, you, it's hard to stay still sometimes.

[00:44:40] Yeah. It's, it's definitely a practice to sit, with thoughts and like watch them. Yeah. Preaching to the choir. 

[00:44:51] Michelle Bouse: And when you're really stressed out, like that's why I think it's important to take that time to meditate and pray and pause and journal. Because when you have too many things thrown at you, I mean, it's so noisy and so busy really.

[00:45:02] That's when it's hard to 

[00:45:04] be your authentic self. It's hard to listen. It's hard to be present because you're so distracted. 

[00:45:11] Penny Fitzgerald: You're reacting, you know?

[00:45:12] Michelle Bouse: Yeah. And, and. I always tell everybody, if you're really stressed out or really, really angry either, just pause for a second, close your mouth and pause and take a breath. 

[00:45:24] Yeah, 

[00:45:25] what comes out your mouth might be much different than what you were just gonna spit out Moment.

[00:45:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah Wow So true any yeah, yeah be still

[00:45:40] Michelle Bouse: Penny, do you have kids 

[00:45:42] Penny Fitzgerald: I didn't have children. I didn't give birth to children, but I have two bonus, uh, two bonus boys. 

[00:45:50] Michelle Bouse: Absolutely. I knew there had to be young 

[00:45:51] people 

[00:45:53] in your life. 

[00:45:54] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. They're, um, we have grandbabies. 

[00:45:56] Michelle Bouse: That's why you went home. Yeah. 

[00:45:59] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Well, and the 

[00:46:01] grandbabies are not nearby, but, but our, our, um, our men now, our one is, has a family in, uh, the Chicago area 

[00:46:12] and 

[00:46:12] the others in Mumbai, India.

[00:46:13] So they're very far away, 

[00:46:17] but, um, Paul 

[00:46:20] is coming home. Um, the one in Mumbai is coming home for summer. So we'll get to see him very soon. Yeah, that'll be very nice. And then we see the grandbabies, um, whenever we can and on holidays, no, it's like a four hour drive. It's not, it's not terrible. 

[00:46:36] Michelle Bouse: A four hour drive versus a four hour plane ride when I was flying cross country.

[00:46:41] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, 

[00:46:42] exactly. 

[00:46:44] Michelle Bouse: And the other thing is, you know, you know, you make time to do the things you want to do with the people you want to do it. You can always find time. And I, I would say that one of my biggest takeaways from being single now is, you know, people will make time if they want to spend time with you.

[00:46:59] If they do not make time to spend time with you, they don't make them a priority. Honestly, whether that's dating, whether that's friendship, whether that's family, although family, you kind of have to do a push and pull a little bit, family is a little different, but you know what I'm saying? Like relationships where I'm just starting all new relationships and it's interesting and you know, it's very sad.

[00:47:24] And some of my relationships I've had for years 

[00:47:28] are 

[00:47:28] ending because. They're not making time and I'm trying, I'm trying or, and I know that it takes time for me too, but you realize that people that are your, your. core group, your circle And then people that were just in your life for a season, which is such a blessing, but it is sad.

[00:47:46] And for me, because of my heart, it's hard to let a lot of people go. And I'm finding I'm in a season of heartbreak 

[00:47:54] for a lot of 

[00:47:54] different reasons. So one of my prayers, meditations every night is just, please, you know, help me heal my heart. I just want to heal a piece of it every day and fill it with something good because letting go of.

[00:48:08] I know that people are in your life for a season and a reason, and I love that. I love meeting people. I love people. People mean a lot to me. Relationships mean a lot to me. And sometimes when it's just a season, I go kicking and screaming on my end and I just go, no, I want them in my life for longer. And it's like, but this is why, you know, they were in your life and you serve this and they serve that.

[00:48:28] And now you have other people that you need to meet and serve. And it's like, 

[00:48:33] Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, But, well, seasons can be cyclical though. So maybe they were in your life for that season and maybe they'll come back around in a new season down the road. You know, I feel like people, like I look at the friends I had in high school and they were really, really close friends in high school.

[00:48:53] And then, you know, you go off to college, different colleges, you go off, you raise your families. You, you know, you're in your career and you lose track of each other, but then you reconnect later and like, I saw a girlfriend, I think it was last summer. And it was like, we never, like, we weren't apart 40 years, you know, those 

[00:49:13] Michelle Bouse: are good friends.

[00:49:13] You can pick up right where you left off. And it's fun to see, like, well, what's happened in this, let's catch up. And what's happened in the, in between. 

[00:49:19] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So maybe some of those relationships will, you know, blossom again. And, um, you never know. 

[00:49:28] Michelle Bouse: I have to, um, for me, for my, my weaknesses, I have to be willing to let them go in order to let whatever, you know, come into my life.

[00:49:39] You can't, you can't let things into your life until you let them go.

[00:49:42] that you don't need anymore. And I need them to go and do whatever it is they need to do in their season. And then if it does come around, great, but the problem, I have a problem letting go. I, I, I get attached to people. 

[00:49:55] Like I said, 

[00:49:56] my heart is my greatest asset and my greatest weakness. So that's my, that's probably my challenge. Because we get sentimentals, we get older too, you know, 

[00:50:04] but 

[00:50:05] I'm just like so many people.

[00:50:06] I'm so grateful that they were in my life. And that's why it's like, I'm so grateful that you were here during this time and that you helped me with whatever, whatever. And it's like, And I have to thank you and now say, yeah, 

[00:50:17] Penny Fitzgerald: bless and release. 

[00:50:17] Michelle Bouse: See you 

[00:50:18] when I see you. See you when I see you. 

[00:50:20] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, exactly.

[00:50:21] Yeah. And hanging onto anything too tightly doesn't work. 

[00:50:24] Michelle Bouse: No. Yeah. Unfortunately, but we, I just feel like I'm so much wiser now, you know, in my, in my fifties and I was, I was getting it together in my forties, but you know, it's like, Oh wow. Now I understand my thirties and my twenties hot mess. Just like, 

[00:50:42] yeah.

[00:50:43] So hard. It was hard. It's so hard. Cause you're like, I'm worried about this, what this person, how's this going to look? How's this outfit? You know, what's going to, then I get into, so I go from dancing in front of mirrors into beauty and I'm standing in front of a camera, looking at people's flaws and like, Oh, I got to fix that.

[00:50:58] Oh, I got to wipe this. Oh, that's not blended there. Oh, they have this lash out of line. You know, now I'm like in that, but I don't take that into my daily life because now I understand, but it's just like, it's crazy the things you choose and then how it affects. Your lenses in life. Yeah. Right. It's like what?

[00:51:19] I went to a group that was really interesting and it was like, you know, you have a situation in front of you. Maybe it's a Mm-Hmm. . Whatever situation it is, you know, you're trying to figure out how do I deal with this? And it's like they're asking well, what lens are you looking through looking at it? Are you looking directly at it?

[00:51:36] You know, I will just say one of my past relationships was I felt every single thing He looked at it was through foggy or gray glasses Wow. And that was in front of it. Then you have the people that sometimes I'm like that, you know, you're putting rose colored glasses in front of it. But it was really interesting when it was saying, you know, just pause and think about what glass do you have in front of the situation that you're looking through.

[00:52:01] Penny Fitzgerald: Huh, 

[00:52:02] interesting. 

[00:52:03] Michelle Bouse: Because it can. 

[00:52:04] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. 

[00:52:07] Well, our, our backgrounds, our, our experiences, they color us. They, yeah. And 

[00:52:13] Michelle Bouse: sometimes you react differently because you're thinking of something, like you said, you have to let go of things because they don't serve you anymore. And if you're holding on to something and you're looking through that, you're Yeah.

[00:52:22] At your current situation. Yeah. This doesn't count anymore. And if you let that go, this situation will look a whole lot different. 

[00:52:29] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Yeah. Letting go of some of that past pain is, it's a process. 

[00:52:36] Michelle Bouse: And I think going back to your point of meditation and pausing, and I love journaling because you can just write it down whenever it comes to your mind and head.

[00:52:45] It's important because it's a way of just so like purging your clothes in your closet. I think we have to purge our thoughts every so often and and probably more often than we do 

[00:52:57] Penny Fitzgerald: say goodbye 

[00:52:58] Michelle Bouse: and and just get it out because sometimes you know you have like one thought. I think this one gray hair, you know, I'm like thinking like somebody sees like, and for days you think about this one gray hair that you found and you're like, I haven't had any gray hair.

[00:53:12] Why is this one gray hair? Is it from the situation? Should I not be so stressed? And you're just circling around this gray hair. Take it out of your brain and write it on paper, and then you write all the thoughts that you're thinking and you're like, oh my gosh, I've been thinking about that one gray hair that has nothing to do with , but sometimes getting it out.

[00:53:28] Yeah, they say before bed, like, do you have a, I I, my favorite thing is to do bedtime routines, so Okay. Get prepared for bed and, you know, everybody says just do something to get that thought out or to stop the thinking because you know, when can't we sleep? 

[00:53:43] Penny Fitzgerald: When we're thinking, when we're spinning on thoughts, uh huh.

[00:53:46] Michelle Bouse: And you know, going back to my beauty expert ness, sleep is so important for your skin, for your beauty, and for your health. So if you're not getting good sleep, you need to think about how you could make that better. 

[00:54:01] Penny Fitzgerald: That's a great tip. Yay, another mic drop moment. That was, that 

[00:54:06] Michelle Bouse: was mine, so I gotta, I gotta keep going.

[00:54:08] Penny Fitzgerald: That was yours. That was awesome. 

[00:54:10] Michelle Bouse: You're the wisdom. 

[00:54:11] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh. Yes. I don't know. 

[00:54:16] Michelle Bouse: Penny is the wisdom. 

[00:54:17] Penny Fitzgerald: Ah. I'm, I don't know. Well, you know, so why do I have a hard time wearing that? That's interesting. I need to journal about that. 

[00:54:28] Michelle Bouse: You're like, tonight. Michelle said wisdom. What does that look like? You've said so many wise things.

[00:54:33] That's why I asked if there were children in your life because you, you are a great role model of kindness, happiness, positivity, and wisdom. 

[00:54:46] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, thank you. Thank you. That's, that's really kind. And I hadn't really thought about that. 

[00:54:53] Michelle Bouse: Well, I would really like you to think about that. 

[00:54:55] Penny Fitzgerald: I will. I 

[00:54:56] will. I will journal around that.

[00:55:00] It's very 

[00:55:00] cool. Okay. 

[00:55:01] Michelle Bouse: Are people say things in our, in our lives just for some, you probably just needed to hear that, 

[00:55:07] Penny Fitzgerald: you know, it was very pleasant to hear. Thank you for that. That's very nice. Okay. Let's, let's, um, talk about something fun. I mean, we've talked about a lot of fun things, but what's your favorite kind of wine or what's your favorite cocktail?

[00:55:28] Michelle Bouse: So this is the hard question, Penny. So I'm going to tell you a story. So I, when I was a dancer, I danced with everybody in my teens and twenties and everybody would get smashed. So I never drank because I could keep up with everybody that was drinking. Oh, 

[00:55:47] wow. 

[00:55:49] enter my girlfriends in my year of freedom, changing my entire life.

[00:55:56] And, um, I'll say another male person that introduced me to a lot of alcohol. Now I, I, I'm a pathetic drinker, Penny. I have a glass of wine and I fall asleep. I yawn. I it's crazy. I've never really been drunk. Really? I'm pathetic. I love wine, but I learned about, I went. I went bourbon and whiskey and right before gin, we went, we didn't go wine testing, tasting.

[00:56:28] My male friend, before I left, we went, liquor tasting. 

[00:56:33] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. That's dangerous. 

[00:56:36] Michelle Bouse: Oh, but it was, it was so fun. We were, we, we ate before we did it. Okay, good. We were walking around Santa Barbara. There's this awesome place. And of course I can't remember the name of it. It was awesome, but I realized, I realized, but I like it, but I don't like, so gin, bourbon, scotch, All the hard ones.

[00:56:57] Not really my thing, but let's talk about an apple. What was it? Oh, it's just because you asked me. I'm going to forget the name of it. Grandma's apple 

[00:57:08] Penny Fitzgerald: apple 

[00:57:09] pie. 

[00:57:10] Yes. 

[00:57:11] Michelle Bouse: Okay. 

[00:57:13] Speaker 3: Is that for bin? 

[00:57:14] Michelle Bouse: Um, you know, and it's probably bourbon. 

[00:57:17] I think it's Cutler. Okay. So Cutlers was the tasting room we went to, and it was so good.

[00:57:24] I could like, I could it Very dangerous. 

[00:57:27] Yeah. 

[00:57:28] I love Saki. Oh, how fun. I don't care if it's cold or hot or room temperature. I love it. Really? 

[00:57:35] I 

[00:57:35] can't believe I'm, I'm admitting this all last year was like, I did a whole, like alcohol tasting. I drank more and I wasn't like, I, I, I'm gonna say this and this sound terrible, like I was drinking all the time.

[00:57:47] Just I dance a lot. So 

[00:57:49] Penny Fitzgerald: I'm not here 

[00:57:50] to 

[00:57:50] judge. 

[00:57:50] Michelle Bouse: I'm like, I'm judging myself. I drank more last year than I have in my entire life, but I never over drank. It was just like I nurse one thing, but I loved sake. So we, so I got to just a guy I was seeing just took me around a lot. And it makes me question, like, does he drink too much?

[00:58:13] But then my ex and I, we used to do a little bit of wine. So my favorite wine is Rosé right now. Oh yeah. Nice. I do like a good Pinot, um, a light Pinot. Cabs are a little too heavy for me, but I've tasted some really light red wines that I like, but then I had braces on for a year, so I couldn't do any red because it stains.

[00:58:37] So I did all whites all last year, so that's why the sake, the pinot, you know, and um. So that's a loaded question. I'm sorry. Um, I think at a young age, I decided I really liked vodka and that's when I decided that I did not need to drink, but let's talk about Florida. You can freaking go everywhere down here and get mocktails.

[00:59:03] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, yeah! Okay, you are, I think, the third person that has mentioned mocktails. It's really having in a moment. 

[00:59:10] Michelle Bouse: Penny. 

[00:59:13] Penny. 

[00:59:13] Yeah, 

[00:59:14] Penny Fitzgerald: they're kind of en vogue. 

[00:59:14] Michelle Bouse: Those 

[00:59:15] are my favorite. So, if you ask me, like, what my favorite drink is, it's probably a, um, what is the, uh You're going to laugh the mule, the, 

[00:59:22] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh yeah.

[00:59:22] Moscow mule. 

[00:59:24] Michelle Bouse: Because I love ginger ale. I love ginger beer. 

[00:59:27] Yes. 

[00:59:27] But you can get it as a mocktail. And I've done that because when I dance, I, I really have learned if nothing last year, I've learned that I cannot drink and dance because You lose. Oh, the coordination. Uh huh. I lose. I lose. I turned fabulously, but I can't, I can't.

[00:59:45] One night that was what I was like, and done. I drank those, those little, this is a terrible, you asked me a very nice story and I'm just doing alcohol disaster story. What are those little things that you drink when you're in high school that are cinnamon? 

[01:00:01] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, schnapps. 

[01:00:02] Yeah. Cinnamon schnapps. They're just a shot of, Oh, there is a liquor though, that, um, 

[01:00:10] Michelle Bouse: It's really cheap.

[01:00:11] And everybody in college did it. 

[01:00:12] Well, one night dancing, we did these shots in a coffee and I had, it was this big. I didn't even have half. I think I had half. Yeah. And he finished the rest.

[01:00:25] That was the night that I was like, I cannot dance and drink. And it was a, a, oh my gosh, it just went through my head. A hot something, a 

[01:00:33] Penny Fitzgerald: hot damn, hot damn. Yes, it's cheap. 

[01:00:38] Michelle Bouse: It's like they're just little cheap ones. Yeah. 

[01:00:41] And 

[01:00:41] I 

[01:00:41] had the 

[01:00:42] Penny Fitzgerald: fireball. It 

[01:00:43] was fireball. It finally came to me. 

[01:00:47] Michelle Bouse: It was frickin' fireball.

[01:00:49] Penny Fitzgerald: It 

[01:00:49] must be too early in the day for me to be remembering names of liqueurs.

[01:00:53] Michelle Bouse: And I haven't had any coffee yet. Fireball. It was girl. And I got that little pack. Fire-Frickin-Ball I did not even drink one. I was drinking water all night, but the next day I went into, I went into my shop to work. So I didn't realize that I've never been hung over. Oh, I think that's what it was. My, my, my hair guy looked at me.

[01:01:19] I had fireballs shooting out of my eyeballs. I was like, I am never drinking this again. Literally, Penny, it was like coming out my eyes. 

[01:01:29] Penny Fitzgerald: And you could kind of feel it coming out of your pores. 

[01:01:31] Michelle Bouse: It was 

[01:01:31] terrible. It was terrible. And I'm like, I guess this is a semi hangover. And I only drank like, that's why I just, I didn't even drink half.

[01:01:41] My grandma's like, do you know how potent those are? So my friend was like, are you drunk? And I was like, drunk? And he goes, Did you drink last night? And I said, well, yeah, he goes, what did you have? And when I told him, he was like, what is wrong with you? Those are teenage drinks. So he was like, pound of water, finish your banana and take an, uh, um, I think a Tylenol or a Advil.

[01:02:09] Okay. And then he goes and don't talk to me for three hours.

[01:02:15] And then he was like bringing me crackers and cause we had two different rooms. It was just so funny. I was kind of like. Wow, that was embarrassing. But, uh, yeah, I'm not a real good liqueur drinker, but I will have to, if I, I was thinking like, what am I going to tell her? I love a good rosé. Long story. Good.

[01:02:31] Answer is rosé. 

[01:02:33] Penny Fitzgerald: That's all right. You know, that's fun. 

[01:02:35] Michelle Bouse: But I need a pasta bowl to have with it. Like, I need to have pasta with my wine. I love wine, but it's just, um, it makes me so sleepy. Oh, yeah. And after kind of funny, I feel like I could just tell anybody, anything 

[01:02:54] Penny Fitzgerald: truth serum 

[01:02:56] Michelle Bouse: for me. It is like, I could just say anything to anyone that, that guarded tongue just goes right there.

[01:03:03] It is crazy, but I'm just like, I can tell you, Oh Penny, my 

[01:03:08] goodness,

[01:03:10] how fun. Okay. So you don't, we need to do, Okay. We need to have another episode at in the evening and have a glass of rosé 

[01:03:19] before, after food. 

[01:03:21] Penny Fitzgerald: Well, I don't care, but we could, then we'll start talking about some of the stories from Hollywood.

[01:03:28] Michelle Bouse: I can do 

[01:03:29] that. Okay. I have great Hollywood stories. 

[01:03:31] Penny Fitzgerald: I would love that. 

[01:03:32] Michelle Bouse: Yeah, no, I would love to share. Cause I, I, now that I'm out of that industry, I feel like I can share. It's like when I, when I started my career, a makeup artist said to me, Beware of any makeup artists that when they meet you, they have to list their resume and tell you all the celebrities that they've worked with.

[01:03:49] The people that are very successful don't have to, their work will speak for themselves. They don't have to tell you that they've worked on this person. They don't have to tell you that they've worked on that. But now that I have worked on a lot of different people The stories are really fun to share. And now that I'm in Florida is helping build my business because people are like, well, if you've worked on them, although it's very funny, I've been doing a lot of brides and they're like, I send them my portfolio and I have, you know, a bunch of celebrities on there.

[01:04:18] You can see me on set. You know, I have mixed, I have a few, it's been years since I've collected bridal photos and they go, Oh, this is great. But do you have any pictures of brides I can look at? And I'm like, Okay. Like Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Garner's on my, like my, my portfolio. Did you pass over her and not realize that was her?

[01:04:36] Like, if I can work with her, I think we're good. 

[01:04:40] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. They wanted to see what a bridal. 

[01:04:42] Michelle Bouse: It's very cute. 

[01:04:44] So now I'm, I'm, I'm getting bride. Now I get my bridal photos after I work with them, but I hadn't had to do that in years. So it's just very funny. I would love to share some stories. I have a, I need to write a book.

[01:04:55] I really need to write a book. I actually started journaling from when I, I started doing, um, my work on set because do you remember Funky Cold Medina? Of course. Yeah. Tone Loc? So I worked with him twice and I have some hilarious stories about him. Oh my gosh. And, um, Coolio. Yes. It's like, with the braids. Yeah. Oh my gosh.

[01:05:21] Just, so I did, cause I did TV. I did movies. I did film. I did music videos. That's a whole nother ballgame. Oh, I bet. I did, I did photo shoots. I did so many different types of things with different, I was on a soap opera. I mean, that's a whole not, that's a book all by itself. It was Passions. Do you remember Passions with the witches and the little boys?

[01:05:46] Right out of makeup school. I got hired as just like kind of the extra set girl and I worked with Jesse Metcalf 

[01:05:52] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, wow, 

[01:05:53] Michelle Bouse: who is on he was he was known for Desperate Housewives. That was his coming out But now he's done like Hallmark movies and he had a movie, you know, he's he's huge I met him and I was touching him up on set when he was on the soap opera when he was probably not even 20 

[01:06:08] Penny Fitzgerald: Wow Yeah.

[01:06:11] Some of those stories would be really fun to hear. 

[01:06:13] Michelle Bouse: Yeah. And maybe a little wine would help me tell them better. 

[01:06:16] Penny Fitzgerald: I think they would be. That would be fun. 

[01:06:17] Yeah. There'll be something to look forward to.

[01:06:21] 

[01:06:21] Michelle Bouse: She's coming back, but you have to watch this part of this episode where she talks about alcohol and know that she's coming back with a glass of wine and some stories.

[01:06:31] Penny Fitzgerald: See how we do this. Yeah. 

[01:06:33] Michelle Bouse: That's a 

[01:06:33] good promo. 

[01:06:34] Yeah. 

[01:06:34] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. A little 

[01:06:35] tease. Okay. Good, good, good, good. Oh gosh. Michelle, this has been so fun. 

[01:06:42] Michelle Bouse: I hope, I hope it was something fun for what you do and to make you laugh is, um, If I can make you laugh and make you smile, my job here is done. 

[01:06:55] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, 

[01:06:56] yes, of course. And, and not only make me smile, but also get me thinking and, you know, sharing from your heart that thank you so much for being so open.

[01:07:05] And 

[01:07:06] Speaker 3: I think it's going 

[01:07:07] to help a lot of people really to. 

[01:07:09] Michelle Bouse: I 

[01:07:09] hope so. Yeah. We're all in this together, Penny. That's right. We're all in this together and you know, we have to learn how to receive compliments. That was one of the things that for years I couldn't and I did what I tell people, pause. Close your mouth, take a breath, , say what you wanna say inside your head and just say Thank you.

[01:07:28] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, 

[01:07:29] thank you . 

[01:07:29] Michelle Bouse: And you know, it, it's just practicing sharing and lifting others up. I just, you know, especially with the group where we met, I just think that that's so much about that, that's so much of what they do that I'm, it inspires me so much and I feel like I found my people. So yeah. You are my people, so I'm so glad to know you and thanks for just you too, encouraging me.

[01:07:48] 'cause I was like, ah, I'm not gonna. 

[01:07:52] Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, heavens. This, yeah, no, you're not 

[01:07:55] bothering me. 

[01:07:56] Michelle Bouse: And if one little piece of something helps somebody that's going through something, absolutely. Cause you know, life is hard, but it can be super fun and awesome. 

[01:08:03] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Especially when you open up and say, yes, that's the lesson.

[01:08:07] Big 

[01:08:08] Michelle Bouse: thing. Cause you, you, you don't know what you're, you, if you are closing yourself off, you don't know all the blessings that are out waiting for you. 

[01:08:15] But 

[01:08:16] because you didn't say yes, you can't get to them. Right. There's so many good things in our lives and waiting for us. I really believe that life is supposed to be lived and it's supposed to be enjoyed even though it's hard.

[01:08:30] But we're supposed to live it and we have so many great opportunities. I call them blessings, but you call them, you know, whatever you want to call them. But you have to move forward in order to reach them. 

[01:08:41] Yeah, 

[01:08:41] you know, you can't if you stop you're one gonna be stuck. you're not gonna be happy probably gonna be depressed, but you're gonna miss out on so many Moments to make memories, 

[01:08:52] Speaker 2: people 

[01:08:52] Speaker 3: that are going to touch your lives, things that are going to touch your heart and just adventures.

[01:08:57] And so many opportunities to fill your cup up that are, that are just right there. You just had to 

[01:09:03] Michelle Bouse: move forward. Yeah. 

[01:09:05] Yeah. So I encourage, that's what I encourage you. And I encourage everybody, you know, anybody that's listening, just take one step forward. Just don't stay still. You know, that's actually exactly where I was.

[01:09:16] Two years ago, I turned 50 and I didn't want to celebrate my birthday because I was 50 and I was so upset and I came down here to Florida and I told my parents, I said, do not wish me a happy birthday. We are not talking about my birthday on my birthday. You can wish me a happy birthday after. And I'm not like that.

[01:09:32] I celebrate literally and my dad is all about. So, so they respected my decision. But first thing the next morning, there was a rose and a balloon and we sang and we ate cake. And I thought to myself, why did I do that? I was, I was in my life stopped. I had been not in a healthy, happy relationship and I had stopped and I had just parked my car 

[01:09:59] and I 

[01:10:00] realized at that birthday that I'm 50 now.

[01:10:03] I have at least conservatively 25 more years. I was in LA for 25 years. I have 25 more years thinking back on all that I've done in that 25 years. Do I want to sit it? in the same seat for 25 more years. No. Yeah. That was why I changed my life because I was like, it's time to take the car out of park. 

[01:10:26] I'm 

[01:10:27] going slow.

[01:10:29] I went very slow that past that year. Even if you're just, you know, going a little bit and stopping, going a little bit and stopping, but I'm moving. I feel, and that's like what I feel like even after my dad passed away, that was a huge. brake stop because I wasn't expecting it and it just shattered me because I came down here to be with him.

[01:10:50] So it's like, well, what does that look like? Because he was a huge part of the piece of the puzzle while I was here. But since I got back out into the world, I've been back in networking with everyone and marketing and doing my business. It's been about a month and a half. I honestly have said to people, Penny, I feel like the car is moving forward again.

[01:11:10] I feel like my car is moving forward now and I'm excited. 

[01:11:14] Penny Fitzgerald: Good. 

[01:11:15] Michelle Bouse: Don't sit still. You can idle. You're allowed to idle for a minute, but do not stay parked for too long because then it starts getting comfortable and it's scary to actually start the car again. 

[01:11:26] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Right. I mean, all the 

[01:11:28] Michelle Bouse: stuff I did was scary, but I was like, Mm Mm. The other choice is, not an option.

[01:11:33] Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Right. Well, and you know, you hear people say, well, life is too short to blah, blah, blah. I think it can also be too long to do blah, blah, blah, you know, 

[01:11:43] Michelle Bouse: and going back to your point about being present. You just don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. Exactly. Just enjoy today. And don't keep wishing it away.

[01:11:52] Somebody said they were talking about happiness and they were saying they knew a person that they weren't happy, but they were like, when this happens, I'll be happy. 

[01:12:00] When 

[01:12:01] I get this, I'll finally be happy. Yeah. When I move here, I'll finally be happy. And all those different things happened. And they still weren't happy.

[01:12:08] Yeah. Because they just were parking their car. So it's like, don't do that. 

[01:12:13] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. It's not the destination. That's the happy, it's the choices along the way and the journey and learning and growing and the people you meet and the experiences you have. 

[01:12:22] Michelle Bouse: And saying yes allows all these people to come into your life that you have no idea.

[01:12:27] There are so many people waiting to come into your life right now that you didn't even know yet. 

[01:12:31] Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Exactly. So get your nose out of your phone. 

[01:12:35] Oh my gosh. Meet the people at the next table. 

[01:12:37] Michelle Bouse: Use those timers, put it down. Do not disturb. Turn it off, put, take, take a time out. They have those things on the phone now where it shuts off for like, you know, 45 to an hour or whatever, do it, put it down, do something where you can't have your phone.

[01:12:49] You know, I think we need to be doing the reverse now where we're all, you know, our phone is a mini computer, but I think we need to start now doing things where we can't use our phone and we have to incorporate time where our phone has to be down and out. Um, and I've been doing that a lot more now that I'm here in Florida, that has been one good thing.

[01:13:06] I feel like I probably cut my screen time in half because I was always, no matter what time of day, everybody always wanted to get me on the phone. It's okay. If it's family, you have the emergency contacts and all that stuff, but somebody can wait until you're done doing whatever it is you're doing.

[01:13:23] Unless it's three days, you know what I'm saying? You're usually we're working. If you're working, you technically can't pick up a phone call to chat with a friend and less it's lunch or you're done, right? 

[01:13:33] Yeah, old 

[01:13:34] school. Yeah, I'm old, but yeah, just taking that. What is that? What do they, what do they call that now?

[01:13:39] Um, 

[01:13:40] Penny Fitzgerald: do not disturb, 

[01:13:42] Michelle Bouse: but what are they, what are the, what are the kids calling? Is this not a screen break? Oh, like a timeout. Uh, uh, there's a word for a, uh, a technique, a technique. Oh. Tech timeout now. They're calling it something. 

[01:13:58] I'll 

[01:13:59] text you when I remember it.

[01:14:01] Cause my niece uses it. I'm on a, not a tech fast, maybe, 

[01:14:05] but I'll

[01:14:07] back to you. I'm going to make my coffee. I'm going to make my coffee and then it'll come to me. I'm going to make my blueberry coffee. Cheers. 

[01:14:14] Penny Fitzgerald: Yummy. Maybe I'll do that too. Hmm. 

[01:14:16] Michelle Bouse: Do you have, oh, Wawa. 

[01:14:19] Penny Fitzgerald: I don't have a Wawa up here, but yeah, I do have, um, blueberry coffee in my pantry though. 

[01:14:26] Michelle Bouse: And so you add, so here's the recipe of the day.

[01:14:30] Yes. 

[01:14:31] Blueberry coffee with a creamer that's vanilla. 

[01:14:36] Yes. And 

[01:14:37] a drop of 

[01:14:39] Penny Fitzgerald: Italian. Yes. Italian sweet cream. Yes. With vanilla. Yes. 

[01:14:44] Michelle Bouse: Because it was the combo of the vanilla. They used to use vanilla, which is amazing. Yes. Anybody who wants like fresh beans, really Priscilla's cat, uh, coffee, Priscilla's gourmet coffee house.

[01:14:55] I think it's in Burbank, California. They're amazing. And they sell vanilla powder. So you wouldn't have to put creamer in it. 

[01:15:01] Oh, 

[01:15:01] it's like the vanilla powder with the sweet, the flavor and the cream. 

[01:15:07] Oh, wow. And they have 

[01:15:09] a little, a little, um, they're a little icon is a little, um, blueberry man, blueberry man.

[01:15:16] So you can make your blueberry coffee. I'm going to make my blueberry coffee. Okay. And then we can circle back for a wine. I love that. A wine story time. 

[01:15:25] Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. Oh, that'll be fun. Okay. Well, all right. Everyone out there stay tuned for that. Thank you so much, Michelle. This is fun. This has been great. 

[01:15:36] Michelle Bouse: You're awesome.

[01:15:37] I'm so glad I met you and that our paths crossed. 

[01:15:39] Penny Fitzgerald: Me too. Me too. 

[01:15:41] Michelle Bouse: So I'll talk to you soon. 

[01:15:42] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Have a great rest of your day. 

[01:15:44] Michelle Bouse: I will. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend. 

[01:15:46] Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. You too. 

[01:15:48] Bye.