186: Kirsten Machamer on Transforming Military Moves into Opportunities for Growth and Connection

Jen Amos 0:00

All right. Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode here on hold and on the forts. I am so excited today to introduce Kyrsten mahkamah with simple home reset KEARSON Welcome to hold down the fort.

Kirsten Machamer 0:11

Thanks for having me on January appreciate being here and sharing what I have to offer.

Jen Amos 0:16

Yes, absolutely. I'd like to start opening up by asking you, for people who don't know, you give us just a quick snapshot of your life, particularly what's keeping your life busy nowadays.

Kirsten Machamer 0:28

So I am a military spouse of 10 years, my husband is active duty in the Air Force. And we're currently stationed out in Colorado Springs, I have two little kids, now a five year old and an eight year old and they keep me pretty busy during the year. We love traveling, anything that has to do with the outdoors. And we are so happy to finally be here in Colorado Springs, because we get to enjoy one of our favorite sports, which is snowboarding.

Jen Amos 0:56

That's awesome. I personally have never done it. It seems scary. So I'm curious, what would you say to someone who would may or may not try it for the first time if she had the opportunity?

Kirsten Machamer 1:08

If you're going to try it for the first time, I 100% recommend getting a lesson to learn the basics. So you're not totally down the felt like I did my first time.

Jen Amos 1:19

Good to know, I guess that would make a lot of sense that they would offer like intro classes because I'm sure these tourist places don't want to get sued for injury and all that stuff. But yeah, I know my husband has tried it. And he would spend like hours I guess back in the day when he would go snowboarding but it just seems so restricting. Because it's like, in a way it's like treating like a skateboard going downhill really fast. I imagine.

Kirsten Machamer 1:44

Yeah. We've been stationed in various places for the past seven years that did not have mountains or snow. So last weekend was the first weekend I was back on the mountain and I I will tell you, I was very nervous about it. Because I'm just like, Okay, I'm gonna fall off getting the lift. That's like my biggest fear trying to get on the list. And then I'm like, I'm gonna go down the mountain and I'm just going to eat it. And now coming up close to 40 years old, I'm gonna be like, it's gonna hurt real good. Oh, my goodness, surprisingly, I did really well. And after like one run, I was like, I got this to

Jen Amos 2:17

do it. Cool. Good to know. I feel reassured knowing that if one day I attempt to do it, I'll think of you

Kirsten Machamer 2:26

as I do snow tubing. That's always

Jen Amos 2:28

know to be what's known is that what is that? It's like, Have you ever

Kirsten Machamer 2:32

gone tubing down a river? You just didn't? Do you have any float on down? Oh, okay. So the flood down the mountain? Cool.

Jen Amos 2:40

I'll do that first. That sounds a lot of fun. But 10 years, 10 years of active duty military life. I mean, what a life that must have been for you. Actually, let me ask this. Give us a snapshot of your life like 10 years ago, before this crazy life that you opted into

Kirsten Machamer 2:57

10 years ago. So I met my husband while we were in college. And he was originally an engineer and got stationed out at Travis Air Force Base. No, sorry. Now I can't even remember because it was a long ago. Yeah, he was stationed out in California. Okay. Engineering, he transitioned to being a navigator for the C 130. H models. And during that timeframe of transition, we married and I finished my master's in public health. And then we got orders to Japan. And so here I am going well, great. I've created and spent my whole life working towards this Master's of Public Health. And I was like, I was so ready. I was like, I'm gonna change the world with what I do. Yeah, yeah. And then we give orders to Japan. And as any seasoned spouse may know, that when you go overseas, there is a very limited option for career choices. I mean, let alone when you move every three years that happens as well. So I used to say our first move, I was very devastated, to be honest. And it was a hard transition. I've traveled and I've loved traveling, but moving away from family for the first time ever is super scary, to not have that support system. But I was super blessed to meet some amazing people and lifelong friends that I still hold near and dear to me, to this day that I've met out in Japan. And I the biggest thing that I had to do was step out of my comfort shell instead of just saying, Well, I'm going to live in this hole of sadness. I'm away from what I know. I reached out to the people that I felt supported me during that move and tried new things. I am not a beauty person by any means. And I did my first Beauty Pageant Ever while I was in Japan. And it was such because it was just a whole bunch of women supporting each other Like, that's just amazing to hear. Yeah. And then after our whole Japan experience, I didn't want to leave. It's like I left holding on as tight as I could. Yeah,

Jen Amos 5:09

yeah. Well, I

Kirsten Machamer 5:11

was there didn't want to be there. Now. I don't want to leave. Yeah, yeah, I had my first child while I was there. So my son was born in Japan. That's funny, because his passport says, you know, born in Japan, yeah. Then we moved to Arkansas. And that was, again, its own transition. But that's where we bought our first house. And that's where I dove into finding. So hobbies or passions that I love, because we realized really quickly that I had to do one or the other. And this, this is just for me that I had to either be at home or I had to work. And I couldn't do both because one area would suffer because I just couldn't find the right balance for me. So I decided to stay at home and, you know, be with my kids for those early years, which was a blessing for us. And it worked out really well. So when my husband deployed, you know, wasn't as it's stressful, but not as stressful if I'm trying to hold down the fort and do a job and take care of all these other things. So it was just Yeah, me and the kids and make sure we're doing all right. My daughter was born in Arkansas. And then we moved to Florida after that. And oh, my goodness. Yeah. Well, great moves and interesting news. And they all have their benefits.

Jen Amos 6:23

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. All the cultural shifts to I imagine like every every state, every place has its different culture also.

Kirsten Machamer 6:30

Yeah. So in Arkansas, we lived in Little Rock. And we lived downtown, because I didn't have to think about school when we moved to Florida, one of my kids and NATO military school, so I had to start thinking about that. So that's a whole challenge in its own when you're trying to buy a house that now you have to look at school systems. Yeah, yeah. Then we found a wonderful new neighborhood there that was growing, but a lot of wonderful. It was like a mix between families like myself and older individuals. And as Florida, I guess, not to put it in a little pocket. But that's what it felt like,

Jen Amos 7:02

I feel like you get a mix of like, a lot of senior citizens, I guess, are people retirees? Right? Like, in general, like people come there to retire?

Kirsten Machamer 7:10

Yeah, I would say our neighborhood was half of retirees, and then half the senior citizens. And then out of that other half was like small families food. Yeah. Yeah, very interesting. But it was a great community. And we loved being there. And we discovered that we are not beach people. During our time there. We like visiting the beach. We don't like living at the beach. But we enjoyed our time there. And then we moved out to Colorado. And that was a wonderful time. We're so happy to be here. We're like, we're mountain people. That's where we're supposed to be.

Jen Amos 7:39

Yeah, well, it only took 10 years to get to your ideal destination.

Kirsten Machamer 7:43

Right, right. And now we have about probably two to three more moves left for my husband to finish out his active duty service.

Jen Amos 7:52

Yeah, I'm just reflecting on I mean, I know this was like, oh, so long ago, but I'm just reflecting on, you know, you went to school, you know, you were ready to really pursue your professional career. And it sounds to me that you had to go through, you know, a grieving process to let go of the hope of, you know, working in public health. And it seemed like life Sped up After that, you know, you went from one duty station to another one PCs after another. I'm curious if in those times, if you had any, I guess moments of reflection, or was it kind of just going through the motions of, of military life?

Kirsten Machamer 8:26

Probably a little bit of both. So there was a huge shift when I was in Japan, because like I said, when I first got out there, I felt like I was giving up everything to serve the mission and follow my significant other. And that can be a very heavy thing to realize that you are, you know, second to no reason else. Because that's just show this lifestyle is it's it's first and foremost, your active duty member is the person who is holding and holding down the financial fort for you, so to speak, and you're the one who's holding down the physical form of your home.

Jen Amos 9:03

So way to put it, by the way, yeah.

Kirsten Machamer 9:07

So it was a really huge shift of expressing to my spouse that, you know, I was struggling really hard when we first moved out there and having the least capacity because sometimes when you're new in your relationship to I mean, we had dated for maybe about a year before we got married. And then we did long distance. Well, I should say we did long distance for a year, and then we got married and then we got stationed overseas. So having that trust to share my feelings, you know, and said, This is where I'm struggling and I just need love and support. And you know, hopefully in these moments, please yeah. And then finding the right people that were outgoing was cute. Because I'm an introvert. I come off as this like bubbly chatty person I am introverts. And my recovery time from social events is a little different. Yeah, I get that. But finding the people that were outgoing, so they encouraged me to explore Japan, which has so many wonderful things to try and see and do. And I mean, like you said, it's just a whole different cultural experience, you might as well immerse yourself in it, then I was like, Well, you know what, I've got no job to do. So I'm just gonna take the train and travel here and check this out for today, check the train and go travel to this place for today. So yeah, there's a lot of unique opportunities when you're stationed overseas to do exploring, you just have to be open to doing it. Yeah, when we moved to Arkansas, we had to have another mind shift, because we wanted to buy our first house, but we had to make sure that we're balanced in our finances. So there's a lot of learning involved with owning a new house. And I'm fixing up all the things that we did in that house. We like got it everything and the kitchen and dining area and redid a whole kitchen remodel Hall all around. Yes. And then, you know, having to make a different mindset shift of now my husband's deployed, and now I have to serve in a role of I'm not a single parent. And I will say, Good me, when some someone would say to me, Well, you're a single parent, you can do this, you're strong. And I was like, I'm not a single parent, I have a spouse, they're deployed. I'm not single parenting. I have feedback from my spouse. And I was like, No, I am strong. But please recognize that it is tough, and I might need extra support. So the struggle that I had then was having individuals and people surrounding me that understood that particular struggle, and that I can't be strong all the time. Yeah,

Jen Amos: 11:49

yeah, absolutely. It sounds like there's this common theme of surrounding yourself with the right people, like, especially when you get into that headspace of like, okay, I'm in Japan, I may never have a chance to come back here, I might as well embrace it, more importantly, associating yourself with extroverts who will, you know, pull you out of your shell and take you places. And I know, for me, I think I've, I always said that I was an introvert, but I feel like I'm more of an ambivert. Now, I think I can, you know, come in and out, like, I can be pretty extroverted. But I still, like whenever I, let's say, make a friend, or get a text from someone who's very inviting, you know, people who love to host things. Like I lean into it, like my husband and I were actually both like, goobric, we're both introverts in our own way. And sometimes you'll entertain the idea of like, oh, let's host something and I'm like, Honey, like, you know what, you can say that, but we're not, we're not gonna actually, you know, like, see that through, right? Instead, it's easier for us to, like, show up for other people's stuff. Like when we get invited to like a house party, or, you know, some event at the church, like, let's like, lean into that, you know, because it's, it's leveraging other people's like gifts that we don't have. And so getting that social aspect. So I like how, you know, at least in Japan, you had like extroverted friends who were willing to go to those places. And, you know, they wanted to be explorers around Japan. And then I really liked hearing you talk about in Arkansas, where, like, you made sure to associate with people who understood that you're more than just a strong person, like you're a person that needs support. And you know, just understanding all that it sounds like it. I just think that's so healthy, because I think associations are everything. And if you surround yourself with people who are just like you, let's say like introverts, then yeah, you're probably never gonna go outside for one. And then if you surround yourself with people who don't understand your lifestyle, and don't understand that you need support to it would be hard. It'd be really hard. So I just, I just want to commend you for that and make that observation. Thanks.

Kirsten Machamer: 13:48

Yeah. It's definitely having the repertoire. And even if, when I lived in Arkansas, I lived on a wonderful St. A lot of small families very similar to my own. And it was just uplifting to have them be in that season of my life of say, well, I'm a family just like you. And even though I might not know what at the point, it feels like, I still got you, but I'll catch you. You know, our kids can play together and we can just sit and chat or be in silence, you know, and it was just great. Like, I remember one day, it was super hot, and my neighbor walks down the street. We were like the whole yard that had sprinklers in her yard. Her neighbors came down mama brought like a big ol watermelon. We cut it up and the kids just ran outside in the Spirit. And it was just wonderful.

Jen Amos: 14:32

I love that. Yeah. And I think it's important to articulate what you need to it's like, hey, right now I don't really need you to fix my problems. I just need you to feel my feelings or I just need you to hang out with me in silence, you know, while the kids play with each other. So it's one thing to surround yourself with the right people and it's also another thing to articulate like where you're at and what you need. And so I think that's like so healthy because I think the military culture has shifted a lot where mental health It's like a valid topic now of discussion. But I also still think that there is a level of stoicism or need to be stoic and, you know, hydrous struggles. And so you know, to just hear that, it sounds to me you've had pretty pleasant, at least when it comes to like socializing, you had a pretty pleasant military experience so far in the last decade, because you've surrounded yourself with the right people. Great. I

Kirsten Machamer: 15:25

would agree, I would say that our transitions were easy, but I feel like the hardest, and I'm sure everyone can relate to this that we struggle is is realizing when we need help, and finding those people that will hold space for us and and asking for the help. So yeah, and that can be a huge, huge boundary to overcome for ourselves. Because we feel like well, I can be stoic, and I can handle this myself. And it's, it's, it's okay to ask for help. We can't do it all. Like, yeah, even as a mom, I feel like we significantly struggle with asking for help, because we should be all of these things and be able to do all of these things. And it's just, it's impossible to me that.

Jen Amos: 16:04

Yeah, you know, I think I've had enough conversations and have enough life experience to, like, I just don't want to do anything by myself anymore. You know, I really love I mean, I don't ask for help all the time. But I do like reminding myself that, you know, humans are we're like innately, we like to support each other innately, we like to be in community with each other. And so part of that is asking for help. And part of that is giving help and you know, giving help in return. So yeah, just kind of gets me to reflect about that. But speaking of associations, I know recently, you graduated from the service SEO program by the Rosi network, and this is another mental shift for you, big life change for you. So So tell us a little bit about this, you know, how did you come across the rose network? And what do you up to now, as a result of it,

Kirsten Machamer: 16:52

so interesting, I've been organizing and decluttering. And like fine tuning processes, since I don't know when, and I've been doing it for friends for a long time. And it wasn't until I moved to Florida, we were in Pensacola, and I met a fellow military spouse who now was living there permanently. And I was like, I took over each away when we were in Florida. And I kind of reorganize their structure and how they did things. And it was like, really good at this, whether it be structural, or you know, actually physically organizing our spaces and whatnot. I said, let me see if somebody would be willing to mentor or allow me to shadow just to feel it out and be like, hey, is this is this something I'm really interested in? Or is it just that I'm interested in it right now, but not for later. Because that kind of happens as we change our seasons, or move and whatnot. So I reached out to organizer in the area, and I said, Hey, I'm not not trying to compete with you, I just want to get a feel if this is the right direction that I should be taking myself. Because after 10 years of being a homemaker, it's like, well, what do I do now, ya know, may have a bunch of life skills, how do I apply that to, you know, any particular job, and then I'll start somewhere, and then move in three years and have to start at the bottom again. And that can be very frustrating. So I was like, What can I create for myself, that I can grow, and literally, its growth depends on me. So then I reached out to her, she was like, I would love to mentor you and chat and whatnot. And we just really connected. So she's like, I'll check with my clients and see if I can have someone coming along. And it was a mindset, mindset shift for her as well, because she realized she really loved having a helper or an assistant with her when she did these jobs. So she then started her her business in a different direction. But both of my kids one was still at home. One was in elementary school, and I said, now's the time that I need to be making that shift into saying, hey, I want to be a business person, an entrepreneur. I don't know how to do that. Yeah, I've got enough life skills that I can figure it out. I'm a good learner. I like growing. I like digging into things and researching. So I was like, I can do this. It's scary. It's scared to take a leap like that, because it's new. But it's not because most of the time it's not because we're incapable of doing It's just scary,

Jen Amos: 19:22

because it's just yeah, yeah, exactly. I love that.

Kirsten Machamer: 19:25

So after mentoring her I was like, I absolutely love this. I love people going into their spaces and going by on this feels great. I feel so much better. Like it's like you lifted a weight off of their soul shoulders because you've removed something that's been bothering them for ages or years or whatnot. They're just like, I don't know, I've never touched it because I don't want to or whatnot. So yeah. And then when I got to call when we moved to Colorado, which was in July of this year, I was like alright, hit the ground running, got the kids all squared away with school and once that was lined up, I said I can commit to putting in time and investing in myself. And that was that was the mindset shift that I deserve to invest in myself. Yes, a lot of times, when you're serving the mission and serving the family, you put everybody else before yourself. Yeah. And so I was like, This is my time, this is my season, to invest in myself. So my mentor from Florida, she's like, do this program, it'll help kind of search you on the track to think as an entrepreneur, move you in the right direction to what you need to have done in cover so that you can be more successful when you kick off your business.

Jen Amos: 20:33

Yeah, one thing I really appreciate about the road network and the services SEO program is that it's not just like, hey, here's an introduction to entrepreneurship, like, here's some webinars just learned this. And you know, here's the A, B and C's of entrepreneurship, it's, it's actually very hands on, you know, and I feel like everyone that has graduated from it has, like, a website has a mission of vision, you know, they, they can tell you what they're, they have a pitch deck, you know, they can tell you like, what they're about and their ideal client. And I'm just incredibly impressed by that, like, so you really had the skill already. It sounds to me that the service SEO program just helped to turn into a business. Is that right?

Kirsten Machamer: 21:13

I would say so I allowed for clarification in areas that I was, you know, maybe lacking in or didn't dig down the right hole, because I am a huge person of finding facts. And I will go into a hole and then I'll get stuck in the hole because I'm trying to figure out everything. Yeah. And I want to say that the Rosie network with the way that it's laid out, too. And its structure and everything pushed me to keep on track. Because otherwise I'd get stuck in that rut of researching. And then I'd be like, well, just I don't know if this is just right. For me. The, for example, if I'm trying to figure out what website platform should I build on? Or what do mean system should I use? And it was like being pushed along to say, You know what, I can figure it out on the road, do something, get it out there be out there be present, and all this stuff will work out? And if you don't like it? And here's another mindset change. If I don't like it, I can change it. Yeah, you know, this isn't serving Well, this isn't working well, for my business, right now. I can switch and I can change to another provider or whatnot. So getting over that hump, especially as a fact finder person was huge when I was in the service to see program, yes, the connections you make with other businesses, because most of the time, they're not doing the same direction you're going so you get a whole completely different set of eyes who are looking how your business? Yeah,

Jen Amos: 22:37

I think that entrepreneurship is a lot like I've been self employed for 13 years now. And I still feel like it's building the plane as you're flying it. Because, like, even as you grow, now you need to build for growth, you know, now you need to build to scale. And I gotta say, that's what I really enjoy about this life is it's, it's like a living breathing organism. And unless you like, if you don't tend to it, like, you know, you won't, will for one, you won't make money, you know, but also, it's like, you won't have clients, because you're not like putting yourself out there doing the things to get out there. And so it's like a living, breathing thing. And, and I think that, at least for me, like entrepreneurship really just gets you to be so present with your life and appreciative and also humble, I think, I think I've learned a lot. I've embraced a lot of humility, but I'm always humbled. I feel like I'm humbled every day, every time I'm like, okay, yeah, I guess that didn't work out, let's just try something else. You know, it's a lot of trial and error. And I'm wondering if you feel a similar way with this lifestyle.

Kirsten Machamer: 23:39

For sure. Entrepreneurship has its own challenges. And like I mentioned before, it can be super scary. And it's not because we're incapable individuals, is because it's new, and we're learning new things. And oftentimes, we can be afraid to fail those failures that allow us for growth to like, exceed our own expectations within our own business. And like you brought up about your business or your entrepreneurial journey being a living breathing organism, it's if you don't nurture it, it's it's not gonna go anywhere. So you have to have the time to attend it. And I think of a lot of things we'll see floating around on social media and stuff like that, that, you know, oh, you can do it this way. And you can do it this way. It's so easy. And it's, it's not entrepreneurship is a hard journey. But it comes back to surrounding yourself with the people that can support you in that journey that will allow you to, you know, flow to success. It's not always going to be easy. It's definitely not a straight path for sure. Yeah, I

Jen Amos: 24:40

think that's the hard part about social media and personally like why I use a third party program to like push content out because I think social media really gets you to live on the fast lane in a way and it's like they're always pushing the rags to riches story, or the overnight success story or it's always about like how much content you can put Dude, like, how quickly can you produce it and like the most audacious tic tock videos you can make. And you know, I just think like, it's just nice, at least for me to kind of like, remove myself from that. And, you know, like you said, surround yourself with the right people, like, fortunately, I work with my husband. And I mean, sometimes, depending on the day, sometimes I say that he's like, too much of an idea guy. And I'm like, could we stick with like this one thing that you were so passionate about yesterday? At least? Yeah, there's a lot of like, push and pull with us. But it's good. Like, I like it, because I like that. He's the visionary. Because like, even if I created structure and wanted to stick to one thing, that one thing may actually be the reason that's holding us back, like, I've had to learn to kill my babies, so to speak, you know, and, and, and try to like, pivot, like, I've had to learn to do that, and not be so emotionally invested in, like, certain things that are really holding us back more than anything. And so so he helps me, like, learn to let go. But I also feel like I help ground us and say, you know, hey, we can't do everything. So, you know, speaking of which, I know that your spouse has I imagine your spouse has been, it must be really interesting for them to like, see your journey. And I'm curious what it's like for them to be supporting you. And in this journey that you started last year,

Kirsten Machamer: 26:21

it's been an interesting shift. So when I was Reese, self researching essentially into like, is this the direction I want to go? What kind of support do I need, it came down to, hey, when I start this business, there's gonna be a lot of time that I'm putting into it, that's probably going to crunch into like, our evening time after the kids go to bed, or what I'm like, I know, I've got to get a work life balance, I've got that. But at the same time, in order for me to experience growth, I still have to put in the extra hours upfront, so that down the road, my time is used more efficiently and effectively balanced much better, because then at that point, hopefully I'm hiring a team to do more of the stuff. Yeah, on the outside, and I can spend more time where I want to where it matters to me with my family. So yeah, there's I love that learning curve in there and adjustment, and it's him taking on some stuff that I have done for the past 10 years, you know, like, okay, hey, now, instead of me taking the kids all the time to all the events, I need you to be prison for this one event. Take this one, and I will do this one with this one, so that we can divide and conquer.

Jen Amos: 27:30

Yeah, exactly. It's like, hey, not keeping score here. But honey, can you help with the kids while I do something else for the first time in 10 years?

Kirsten Machamer: 27:39

Refrigerator, you make sure the food is cooked? Thanks. Yeah,

Jen Amos: 27:42

and keep the kids alive, goodbye. Working on my business. And you know, I think that's great, because I think in you know, you say seasons a lot. And there are seasons where you have to sacrifice time with, you know, your spouse to put in the work. And then there's going to be some seasons where you'll get your time back. Because, you know, you grow your business to the point where you can delegate, you know, hire out. But for now, like, you know, the early stages of entrepreneurship does require a lot of sacrifice. And just knowing that, that time is temporary, like you won't always have to sacrifice so much time don't always have to miss out on family events or holidays. You know, that's just the early stages. And and then later on in the business, if you have to scale, you may have to go back to that again. But you know that I think that's just the ebbs and flows of being in business for yourself. Yes, for sure. Yeah, no, I love it. No, that's great. I'm glad that I'm glad that he's very supportive and takes care of the kids every now and then. Yeah, yeah. And so I'm curious now to know about like, you know, I know that this is something that one you're just a natural with, like organizing. That's always been something you've enjoyed. And now you turn it into a business. Tell me like what your I guess sustainability plan is for simple home, reset?

Kirsten Machamer: 28:58

Sustainability. Give me a little more detail there.

Jen Amos: 29:02

Yeah. What is your hope? Like? How do you hope to make this sustainable? Like, let's say, for example, even if you like, PCs, again, like, have you thought about what this could look like, in the future? If you haven't, that's fine. Like, if you're just like, you know, I'm stalking one brick at a time, you know, because

Kirsten Machamer: 29:20

I think you definitely need to, if you want to be successful, it's not really setting goals. It's setting what I would say is milestones, because I feel like when we set goals, it has an endpoint, then once you reach it, then what are you going to do? And then milestones, you continue to set yourself up for growth. So when I was in the service to CEO program, we had to do like a milestone, timeline, whatever. And it's like, where did we start and where do we want to go? Some people kept small and some people weren't really big and I went really big. I was very clear on where I wanted to go so that I am making the steps towards that. And in my first Three years here in Colorado Springs, I was like, I want to grow and build relationships. I don't necessarily need to have a team yet. But I want everything in place so that when I move again, I knew how to hit the ground in the first year, and then build a team in the next two years after that in our new station. If I get a team here, that's great, then we've been growing really well, yeah. But not making it so concrete that that's what I have to reach. But having and making those milestone steps of saying, hey, I want to reach and I want to network, that's what I'm working on right now. Building visibility. And then the next step is, you know, furthering those relationships so that I become like a top choice in our area and putting the processes in place for a teen, then the next step would be hiring team. Now, if that happens in three years, great, that happens in six years, that that's where it wants to be the bigger goal of like, Where do I see ourselves in 10 years, and hopefully at that point, we would know where we want to be permanently. And then becoming the top like, my goal, like milestone would be to be the top choice in our area for organizing space planning your interior design. And in order to do that, I am going to have to have a T like I can do space plan. But the interior designing side is not my forte, so I'm going to need a remembers, that I can hire that are part of our team to serve in all those fields in order to have this bigger enterprise type business. And, again, it's scary to have those big dreams that I'm gonna have this big company, right? Like, how can you imagine that? Starting so small right now? Those dreams and milestones in, we're not going to grow our business, and we're not gonna reach that point where I'm doing less, but getting more out of it.

Jen Amos: 31:52

Yeah, I also think setting those milestones gives you like a Northstar to follow. Like, just know, it's kind of like having a vision board. It's like, okay, like, even if it's too audacious, like why not have it anyway? Because you shouldn't? Yeah, exactly. Because even if you don't hit it, you'll probably hit a version of it, you know. And the only way that's possible is if you set those, as they call it, like be hag like big, hairy, audacious goals, I think is what some people tell me about that. I think that's great. And I love how you call it milestones, I get to think often I have, I've always told myself that the final destination is death in a way. And that sounds really morbid, but just follow me, like the final destination in life is death. So everything else should be a milestone, so that you're always like growing, and you're never, you're never looking for that final destination. Because I think that I think that a final destination is kind of like the carrot on a stick that you may or may not ever attain, you know, and I think if you make it milestones, it is more attainable. And you can give yourself like once you hit those milestones, you can give yourself little moments a time to celebrate, you know that you made it to that certain point, you know, so I really liked that. And I love how you already, you know, set like your three year plan, six year plan, 10 year plan, and I think that's great. So you have like this big vision for, you know, for your business? Yeah,

Kirsten Machamer: 33:10

it's super helpful to have it. And then another key point would be to, you know, be flexible and pivot when you need to. And then don't worry about trying to fit some type of mold that you've created in your head like, Yes, I have my milestones, but how I get there might look different from when I first envisioned it as a, for example, when you're doing your business and you're doing marketing and you are creating a niche for yourself, who are the people you're talking to you right? I think I've changed my niche like six different times because I'm just I'm finding out what truly speaks to me and what truly connects on a deep level to just what would bring me joy so that that joy transfers to the people that I am serving. So first I was I just want to help busy professionals get their homes all decluttered and organized. And I sat back and I was like okay, busy moms. And while I still like to serve them. I was like, I really want to help moms in their kids spaces specifically. Yeah, I think as I've watched my kids grow and encourage them to be creative, their own little unique individuals and supporting them in their ebbs and flows of childhood and the challenges that they face when they're in school out of school settling this. Well, I want to create spaces that encourage them to be creative, imaginative, and reflect who they are. And I absolutely love providing that for them and want that to transfer to other families that they can provide this fun creative, more organized space. Yeah, their kids to operate and function and that's uniquely Jeff For them, yeah,

Jen Amos: 35:01

my hope for you is that you'll be in business for a long time. Because, you know, we all go through life changes. And the most obvious is kids, like you said, Hey, their playroom, it that's going to evolve, like, you know, over time, if not every month or every week, because, you know, kids get bored of toys really easily or, you know, whatever, they break toys, or, you know, just they get bigger, so then you need to accommodate for them to have more space. And, and so I love that, you know, to focus on Mothers and creating a space for, you know, to make sure that like their space evolves with like the kids interest and all that. So I think that's a very fine niche. And, you know, even if you end up, let's say, pivoting later on and choosing a different demographic, like, I think that also goes back to the the living breathing organism of what a business is, like, there's going to be a season where you're going to want to serve certain people. And then after a while, you're like, you know what, I don't want to work with professionals anymore. I want to work with moms. And then you never know, that may change. But I love that you give yourself a lot of grace and flexibility to be open to like different opportunities and all that because I think that, you know, I think for some people, it can be very easy to feel like we were set on our idea, we got our ducks in a row. And we have to like, hold on to that idea. Even like what I said earlier, like, even if it's starting to hold us back from actually like having your business grow. So I just want to say kudos to you for giving yourself that openness and flexibility to evolve and pivot.

Kirsten Machamer: 36:30

Right? It's definitely necessary. Another thing I was hyper focusing on, especially as a military spouse was that I know how to do moves, I know how to do well. And I was like, well, maybe I can serve in that capacity. And again, it comes down to Okay, well, what, yes, I can help in that area, and I can be very good at it. But is it going to bring me joy that's going to transfer into the people I'm serving, just a move can already be really overwhelming. And if we can't make it where my team can't make it a joyful or less stressful process, then we need to be serving in another area. Yeah,

Jen Amos: 37:06

yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it's kind of like just because you're part of this life doesn't mean you have to serve you know, the people that you're sharing this life with, like you could go in, I think, like, it could be a breath of fresh air for you to like focus on a completely different demographic, because it's like you're already having to, you're already having to do that for your own family like to do that for other families may not may not be as joyful. So I think that's great to give yourself that opportunity to, you know, try out a different demographic. Right,

Kirsten Machamer: 37:35

right, whatever. I think the biggest thing is the people that we find the easiest, just serve and bring compassion and kindness and joy to that is people that are very similar to what we already are. So in my current season, I have small children. And then it brings me joy to do that. And I can transfer that enthusiasm into serving moms and their kids in this phase of life. Yeah, I think we overthink sometimes of who we can serve. And literally, they're right there in front of us because we want to serve ourselves. Yeah. And like us, because it's easier to connect on that level, then that just gives us better confidence because we're there in that season.

Jen Amos: 38:18

Yeah, you're very wise. I feel like I mean, you're a mom. So I guess that's part of it. Was like, I feel like I'm learning so many life lessons from Kiersten right now. Yeah. Well, I mean, I feel like I've, you know, asked all the things that I wanted to ask you about your business and your life and your story. And I just want to make sure before we wrap up here that I asked everything you wanted me to ask you. So is there anything else that you want to share with our audience as we start to wrap up,

Kirsten Machamer: 38:48

I think if I can, I'd love to share like a few takeaways for our listeners, to encourage them, especially if they're, they're in a season of shifting to discover who they want to be or where they're going. It's so easy for us to get stuck in our own headspace, because of fears, or of limiting ourselves and following worse, because that's what we're used to doing. That's the life we've been leading, you know, supporting everyone else around us and forgetting to invest in ourselves. And that is going to look different for everybody. Whether it's investing in time to take the trips with your spouse alone without your kids, or Yeah, investing in your own personal endeavors, no matter how big or small they are. And then taking that leap and knowing that you are a capable person you are and you can do great things that it's really important to dream big and tap into those passions and ask yourself what you want in this life, whether it's being able to provide for your family when your significant others out of the service. Hey for that vacation you've always been dreaming up, or you want to travel the world every summer with the kids when you're on break, and then creating milestones and and steps that will get you towards those dreams. What do you need to achieve? To make that dream possible? What What steps do you need to take so that you can get that vacation, yeah, to support your family when your spouse is no longer in service. And I think you should always seek to learn and to grow, because that will allow you to thrive. If you if you give yourself and then walk, you're just gonna stop there and be stuck. We have to be open and willing to continue to learn to take feedback, and then to pivot and let that serve us in the direction that we're going. And that I can encourage our listeners to ask themselves, why haven't they started? Why have you started? What are you scared of and write those down. Like it can be so powerful, to see what's really scaring you, and how to step then outside of that fear. Because like I said, we get in our own headspace and we can stop ourselves. And if we have those self reflection conversations, we'll realize that the only thing holding us back is in our capabilities, this literally just. And then lastly, would be if you have an area that you're interested in, seek a mentor in that area, find someone who's willing and open to mentoring you, or guiding you or sharing things with you follow everybody that like does that thing that you like doing, because that's gonna be a game changer. If you find someone who can mentor you with passion and kindness in the same field that you're heading into, you are setting yourself up for success, you are essentially investing in yourself. Get over that mindset, and you deserve it. Invest in yourself so that you can move forward and thrive. Wow.

Jen Amos: 41:54

So I feel like your next business should be life coaching.

Kirsten Machamer: 42:00

investing involves some life coaching to some point.

Jen Amos: 42:02

Oh, I bet I bet. You know, I actually I haven't shared this story yet. But like, I hired a professional organizer, like over two years ago, and I felt like, I felt like it was a therapy session. Because, like, Yeah, cuz we were like, it was the first time I hired someone. And so that in case anyone's looking for, like, kind of like a built in therapy session, get an organizer for sure. I just remember, like, it was the first time I was like, decluttering with a professional, and I grew up with my mom, you know, she valued preservation, she valued like, keeping everything until it breaks, you know, and I just remember I had this, like, this instant pot that we had for a while, and it was actually kind of getting dangerous to keep it because, like, you know, it just it was just like beaten up at this point. And it kind of took longer for it to like pressurize. And it just it just started to become dangerous. wherein I had this new Instant Pot that was like a two in one. It was like it was an Insta pot and like an air fryer, like like both of them had had like two different covers for it. And it was like, in the box, like still in the plastic. And so my organizer at the time, she was like, Okay, why are you keeping this when you can just use this brand new one. And I was all like, well, because this still kind of works. You know, it still kind of works. And she's like, okay, so you're saying you're willing to put yourself in danger. Because this still kind of works, right? But you won't open up the new one that has you know, that is brand new, has more features, etc. And I was like, Yes. And she helped me understand that, like, I deserved to open the new one, you know, I deserved it. And and that I don't have to settle for, you know, something that's like breaking down and could, you know, probably injure me if it like opened up if I opened it up the wrong way. And also because my husband got it from me. She's like, why don't you like appreciate, like what your husband got for you, too. You know, like, you deserve that you deserve to receive gifts. And so it was like this whole therapy session. I feel like it's what I really paid her for. And I love that so so I in hearing you talk it just reminds you of that time. And so yeah, I definitely vouch for, you know, reach out to your professional organizer, reach out to Kiersten because I mean, if you if you didn't hear at this point, like I mean, I feel like there's like built in therapy slash life coaching in organizing someone's home. That's

Kirsten Machamer: 44:24

why I like connecting with moms because we're just we're on the same page and we we hold space for each other. And sometimes we get so stuck in taking care of the family unit that we forget that we should talk to somebody else and we're so used to talk, I talk to my kids all day long and I don't have human interaction in the room and you just have all this word vomit come up because you're like, oh my god, there's an adult here. Let me really say what I need to say. And so yes, how's the time? It's me holding space for them and listening to them and validating motherhood. Yeah, and then helping Understand that we offer our kids so much. And because of how a lot of us have grown up, especially if we're now in our 30s and 40s, like you mentioned that generational thing of, well, we have to hold on to it until it breaks. Like, our kids don't need 50 shirts, they need probably tend to get through the day, and they're weak. And if you have your system set up, where you're doing your laundry once a week, or your kid is doing it twice a week, depending on their age, that's enough. And then you don't have the decision fatigue, the overwhelm from all the clothes and all the clutter and stuff like that. So it's, it's like I said, a session of validating our motherhood and the season we're in and then say, Hey, it's okay. We don't have to have 500 Clothes items for our children, especially little girls. I have that problem too. Little girl outfits are so cute. But let's listening to what our children's needs actually are. And letting go of one family that I worked with, say their older siblings would hand down clothes and she's like, but they were handed down and they said, What are your kids using them? Are they are they really wearing them? Or are they just hanging in the closet taking up space? And they're wearing the same five shirts all the time? Because they're their favorite shirts? So? And she's like?

Jen Amos: 46:21

Yeah, I think it's really,

Kirsten Machamer: 46:23

it's so much we're in that like, Well, when I grew up, financial situation wasn't always the best. And so they always pitched so that can transfer when you're a parent, you're like, Well, I've got to provide everything for my kids. And I've got to provide the best then honestly, our kids don't. In hindsight, they don't need much. They just need

Jen Amos: 46:41

love. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, they have very low standards other than it's like, hey, just love me Be attentive. And

Kirsten Machamer: 46:50

a little hairy carry.

Jen Amos: 46:52

Your like first 10 First, like 11 years is pretty good. Just show him love. Doesn't matter what you put on them. What

Kirsten Machamer: 46:57

you get out. Yeah, their family time is a must. They don't really care about their clothes too much. Yeah. Yeah. And you get the teen years and then when you know, the personal image comes in there.

Jen Amos: 47:08

Yeah, glad I don't. I wouldn't want to relive those years. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Well, Kiersten this has been an absolute pleasure having you on the show. I really enjoyed your conversation. And I I definitely got mom vibes from you. Like I felt inspired by the things you're sharing. So thank you so much for that. And yeah, and that's all I have to say. Honestly, I feel like I asked all the questions, and I feel inspired by this conversation. I hope our listeners do too. So thank you again for being on our show.

Kirsten Machamer: 47:39

Thanks for having me, Jen.

Jen Amos: 47:41

Awesome. I'm