S5E6 - Paige Friend
This week’s guest is Paige Friend, creator of The Beach Speaks podcast and former corporate aviation industry professional.
Paige grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania but always loved the beach. After an experience at a retreat in Italy with her favourite podcaster, returned from Italy and quit her job. It was time. We talk about releasing the attachment around what things are supposed to look like. As the story goes, Paige decided one day that she was going meet her soulmate, quit her 9 to 5 and move to the beach.
Before life on the beach, Paige spent her career in corporate aviation. At first, she wanted to be a pilot and got her pilot’s license when working for a small airport in Oklahoma. From there she ended up working in customer service in general aviation for 20 years.
Paige demonstrates going with her instincts about what she wants to do and then goes for it without having to know exactly how that thing will manifest.
Her podcast, “The Beach Speaks”, is a podcast for conscious people who love the beach and were inspired to create it after her morning practice of sitting on the beach. She has a voice that is perfect for this too.
Paige is also a certified yoga teacher. It is as much a spiritual as physical experience for her. She talks about how everyone can do yoga. It is just for those that can bend into pretzel shapes!
Her advice at the end on how to start to get to the thing you want to do is practical and you won’t want to miss it. And, her most inspirational person in the Fun Five was truly one of the most heartwarming so far.
Note from Rabiah (Host):
Paige is peace. She really is. She is also someone I could have talked to for longer. Our conversation was easy and I was constantly getting shots of information throughout. She has followed her instincts and made changes to her life but in a way that is more positive than I have at times. It struck me she quit her job without resentment for example. She trusts herself. It was empowering to realise that maybe I could do this too. I hope that’s what you get out of it. For example, we talk about her mindfulness practice and the way she puts it, it is really something anyone can do.
We also went off on a taxidermy tangent for a minute which makes me laugh even as I write these notes!
Fellow SquadCaster Paige Friend and I talk much more than podcasting!
Transcript
Rabiah (Host): [00:04:13] This is More Than Work, podcast reminding you that your self worth is made up of more than your job title. Each week I'll talk to a guest about how they discovered that for themselves. You'll hear about what they did, what they're doing and who they are. I'm your host, Rabiah. I work in IT, perform standup comedy, write, volunteer and of course podcast. Thank you for listening. Here we go!
Hey, welcome to this show this week, everyone. I got to interview someone who's a fellow SquadCaster. So you're going to hear SquadCast at least one more time in this season because I interviewed the other co-founder as well. You know, Zach was a little bit ago that episode. But this is a SquadCaster named Paige Friend who actually has her own podcast called The Beach Speaks.
It's a really calming podcast to listen to. I listen to a lot of [00:05:13] newsy podcasts or a lot of pop culture ones, but they have more heavy subjects, usually a lot of them. So hers is a nice break for that for me. And I really liked her voice. And so anyway, we just, um, kind of chat every once in a while on our Squadpod like chats.
And I just thought, "Hey, why don't you come on the podcast?" And she agreed to, so I'm really, really glad she did. She was super easy to talk to. And I think what's fun about her is her path that she's followed. It's just been kind of intuitive and she's just done what she feels is right for her. And it's really hard to do that.
Um, the thing that struck me. A lot was a lot of times I will personally, and I don't know if this is other people, but this is me. So I'm talking about me now. Um, I'll build up a lot of resentment around something. I try not to do that now, but I was less evolved even two years ago, honestly. And I'll start to resent something and get more and more angry and kind of have to have a negative motivation for leaving something [00:06:13] rather than a positive motivation for going to something if that makes sense. I like to be reminded of things like what Paige did and you'll hear her stories. I don't want to, I'm going to try really hard, not to give her story in the intro because I tend to do that as if you've listened enough, you know. But I like that she goes towards things. She doesn't really go like away from things.
I mean, as a result of going towards something else, she'll leave something. But I just like that. And so that's what I got from it. And, I've been talking to quite a few friends lately. I think a lot of people are, again in this change mindset are ready to make changes. And we see that with a great resignation and things like that and employment too.
But, um, I've been talking to friends lately about really two things. One is like really figuring out their value and not minimizing it so that they feel stronger going into the next thing, but also, just kind of trying to just take the steps to do whatever it is. And so this talk for me was [00:07:13] perfect this week because it's work I've been doing with myself.
I've, I've had a lot of things going on and I've had to really find a way to show my resilience and to, you know, build resilience. As I'm doing that, but also just really think about like this, like me moving to London was one of the first times I'd really left something. I left the States, but not with resentment, but just with like intention to do something new.
Um, my job, my last job I left, I definitely left because it was just awful. Actually last two jobs I left, I left because I was awful. I couldn't possibly do it anymore. I waited till I was so angry and desperate that I had to go. And it's really nice to not make decisions based on that. Paige doesn't talk about those things, but that's just what I, it resonated with me, but I got out of it in the end, um, for me.
So I'll be curious if you want to tell me what you get out of it, but I really hope you enjoyed this episode. I really like kind of the way she seats also yoga and mindfulness and things like that, and really practical terms. And we have fun [00:08:13] too. We, we crack up quite a bit on some things and we go off on a taxidermy tangent at the end.
So. Um, that was unexpected, but we both had some, some like stories around taxidermy somehow, and that was kind of fun. So enjoy this episode and you know, all the things ratings likes, et cetera, shares. But, um, and if you have a guest idea, let me know. I look forward to hearing from you and I appreciate again, you spending your time this next 40 minutes or so with me and with my guest and doing more than work, take care.
Rabiah (Host): Hey everyone. So this week, my guest is Paige Friend. She's creator and host of The Beach Speaks podcast, and a fellow SquadCaster. That's where I record this podcast. And she's also many other things that we'll get into, so thanks for being a guest here Paige.
Paige Friend: Oh, it's my pleasure. I am really excited to spend this time with you [00:09:13] and talk about the beach and anything else that you all want to know.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, totally. And where am I talking to you from today?
Paige Friend: I am at Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It's where I live.
Rabiah (Host): Awesome. You didn't grow up in Florida on the beach but you're there now and that's on purpose.
And can you talk a little bit about how you ended up at the beach?
Paige Friend: Well, I've always been a beach girl at heart. I grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania, nowhere near the beach. I was always asking my parents, can we please go to the beach? Can we please go to the beach? And every once in a while, we make the trip fast forward to my life in Florida. Uh, I'd been living in Orlando, which is somewhat close to the beach. I could reach it in about 45 minutes. If I drove really fast over to cocoa beach yet I was working in a corporate aviation at the airport and [00:10:13] I woke up one day and said, you know, I want to meet my soulmate, quit my nine to five and move to the beach.
And that's what I did. And I'm here at Jacksonville Beach.
Rabiah (Host): Amazing. And finding your soulmate, was that something you had thought you'd done before? Or was that something that was like, cause I'm, I'm one of those people who I'm in my forties single don't know if that's going to happen at any point. So I'm kind of asking for a friend , but also like, is that when you said that part of what you wanted to do, what, what was the idea there?
Just, you were to settle down?
Paige Friend: Well, I had been in an 18 year marriage that ended and spent a number of years and then in a dating relationship. And then, I just, I woke up one morning and thought this, this is just not it. There was something more for me and I believe in soulmates, I believe you go through what you [00:11:13] go through to reach what you're supposed to experience at the time we were supposed to experience it and divine timing.
So when I spoke that, I had, you know... and it's funny when you ask that question, because when I say I met my soulmate, everybody says, oh, I want to do that too. How do you do that? How do you do that? And basically what I did was I made a list of the, I will say top 20 things I'd want in a soulmate. And I had to kind of narrow it down because. I didn't want to be that specific that they had to be tall and blue eyes and blonde and you know, all those things, but how I wanted to feel with that person. And what in general was that person like?
And so I just kind of stuck that, had that in the back of my mind and as well as my vision of living at the beach and all that. then I joined a dating site called Meet [00:12:13] Mindful. Signed up. Thought the questions were super useful in just exploring myself and I printed out the questions and use it as a journal prompt and all these things. And I completely forgot about the dating site till the end of the free month. I got a message saying, "Meet Ernie". And I went, "Ernie?" I clicked on and read his bio and all those things that I had listed. He just checked every box. And his last name was "Friend"f. His name is Ernest Friend. And I mean, who doesn't want to meet someone with the last name Friend? So, I mean, that's how it happened for me. It, it can happen for anybody I think if you speak it into existence.
Rabiah (Host): Totally in that dating site. It sounds interesting too, because there's all there there's so many, it's kind of crazy. And I'll get the question a lot, "How do you like the app?" And I'm like, I'll just comment on the user experience. [00:13:13] 'cause I'm like, I don't know why this is the first thing you're asking me.
And this is not something that's interesting about me is my success or failure on this app, but, you know, bye. But it's, it's funny. So it's kind of interesting that idea that you're on one that, you know, resonated with you from the mindfulness perspective too.
Paige Friend: Right, right. And it's still in existence. I think it's still kind of small. So I don't know how far reaching the the extent of your choices would be five. It's always worth a try to And quite honestly, the beach led me to that website because I wanted to move to the beach, but I didn't know what side of the coast I wanted to move to.
And I thought, oh, let me just meet some people. I really just thought, oh, I meet some people on this site. I didn't really consider it as a dating site. It just turned out that way, and, yeah, I thought I'd be on the Gulf coast [00:14:13] and ended up on the Atlantic coast, which is perfectly fine for me. I'm loving it.
Rabiah (Host): And so then, as far as, so you had the meet your soulmate and then you had the quit the nine to five. First of all, can you talk a little bit more about what you were doing in aviation because that sounds cool, and I haven't had anyone on the pod who has worked in aviation?
Paige Friend: Yeah.
Yeah. Well, there's another thing. I'd always wanted to learn to fly an airplane And growing up, I always thought, oh, that would be so cool, but I could never do it. And through a series of events growing up, I had the opportunity to learn and I kept putting it off, putting it off until I ended up working in a little airport in Oklahoma of all places. And I had the opportunity to get my pilot's license and I thought, okay, now's the time. And I got my pilot's license was working at this little FBO, which is a fixed based operation that is on the general aviation side. There's two sides station. There's the commercial side, [00:15:13] which we're all familiar with the airlines.
And then you have general aviation, which is everything from your little two-seater Cessna is on up to corporate jets. And that's where I end up working for over 20 years. And especially in specifically in customer service, customer relations. And I loved it. I was really good at it. Being the consummate people pleaser, it was a perfect fit for me because I, I would bend over backwards to help you. And having my pilot's license, although I didn't fly a whole lot, really kind of gave me that extra level of understanding and a way of communicating with pilots and what they needed and what they did And pilots are a little finicky. They kind of want what they want when they want it. And. I just, it was fun. It was a wonderful experience.
And I'm glad that I had it, but I got to the point where [00:16:13] like all these things I was just done and it wasn't anything bad that happened. Just, I was done. This had run its course.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Paige Friend: I had gone on a trip to Italy, a retreat with a podcaster that I love. Rich Roll and well, he and I didn't go together, but he was hosting the podcast, The Rich Rate. And it was during that time that I realized this, I, I need to move on. This idea of quitting this nine to five
and all that is really, now is the time. So as soon as I got back from that trip, like that Sunday night when I landed, I rushed home, wrote my letter of resignation. Two weeks- actually I [00:17:13] was going to give them like four weeks because I didn't want to leave them in the lurch. And I came to work the next day, my supervisor said, so how was your trip?
And I said, it was fabulous. And I brought something back for you. And I handed him this envelope and he said, I knew it. I knew it. And then he wouldn't talk to me the rest of the day. He was really angry I was leaving, but I gave them enough time to try to find somebody to replace me. And I was ready to move on. yeah,
yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Paige Friend: I had no idea what I was going to do. just I just knew I was moving. People would say, well, what are you, where are you going to work? What are you going to do? And I said I don't know. I'm sure that there are a couple of palm trees. I can string a hammock and maybe make jewelry out of shells. But I'll...I'll find something.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't important. The important thing was you knew you were done with that part of your career at that point.
Paige Friend: Yeah.
yeah.
And I just had to listen to my heart. And [00:18:13] I didn't want to be that person that said someday you know, there are things that keep us from doing these things we really want to do, like, you know, real things like a pandemic, keeping you
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Paige Friend: or, just, maybe you have elderly parents that you need to stay local to help or children, or there are financial concerns and you haven't really taken the steps to build up that the opportunity to make the move financially, but I just didn't want to be that person that said, oh, you know, when I win the lottery, I will move to the beach or anything like that. It was just felt like it's now, now or never.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, I like that like not putting conditions on things. I think I'm definitely someone who's lived conditionally in a way, and even love myself conditionally versus unconditionally and when you start to remove those, if this happens then, and take those statements out of your life and just say, I will do [00:19:13] whatever,
I think it changes kind of the way you can approach things. And
Paige Friend: Yeah, releasing the attachment to what it's supposed to look like. On the other side, like I had the beach, I had my soulmate, I had this quitting the nine to five, but don't know what I'm going to do after that idea, but I didn't have a specific way that was going to show up just like I was open to living on the Gulf side of state or the Atlantic or.
It, I kept it kind of general and then maybe it was just creating a life, a beachy, like life, where I was. And you know, that could have been the alternative to o. it just turned out the way it did. Divine timing. Yeah,
Rabiah (Host): So, yeah, you didn't know what you were going to do, but I want to talk a little bit about the retreat you went to, because I think that that's something a lot of people think about doing. I've gone on two in my [00:20:13] life and they were both incredible. And I want to hear about the one you went to.
Paige Friend: Yeah. Yeah.
So I talk about my favorite podcast, A Rich Roll, a lot. And in, as you know, as a podcaster and listening to podcasts, you, you get to know the person intimately on a lot of ways, and you feel like you could walk up to them out of the blue and say, Hey, how did that meal go the other day at the restaurant you had been talking about? You know, things, random things like you would not talk to a stranger about just because you feel like, you know, this person. And he and his wife had offered up this beautiful retreat in Italy, in Tuscany called Plant Power Italia. And I had just recently become a plant-based advocate and switching to a vegan lifestyle. And I thought, you know, I get to spend 10 days with my favorite podcaster, eating fabulous vegan food in Tuscany. I mean, who does not want to do that?[00:21:13]
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Paige Friend: And I, I like other things I made the leap of faith.
I wasn't quite sure how I was going to afford it. I just, I thought I I'm going to go and I did. And it was transformative. It really was, it was the place I needed to be, again, divine timing and around people that were kind of doing the same thing, looking to do something different with their life, or they just felt something on the horizon and needed that little nudge to, to move it forward.
Move the needle forward. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. Do you keep in touch with people that you were at the retreat with?
Paige Friend: I do. I do several people and I. Often check in with Rich's wife, Julie. She had another retreat that I had attended before that in Miami. So she knows me probably a little better than Rich does. Rich has such a [00:22:13] following and you know, you get to be so big. I don't know that if I were to email him and say, Hey, how's it going?
Remember who I was, but that's, but that's okay. We have a Facebook group and all that we, we kind of keep in touch. So, yeah, keep tapped in some of those people.
Rabiah (Host): that's really great. And I think, I just like how you kind of set that kind of, you actually, you set your intentions and you did the things. Now, you have your podcast, The Beach Speaks, which I've listened to and I'll, I'll be linking to in the show notes for sure.
It's really nice and peaceful. And I lived by the beach for many years and probably will again, eventually, but I get at least to a certain extent, like why you like living by the beach. There is something about it that's special. What is it for you?
Paige Friend: Oh, wow. Well, the beach grounds me. It is the place I've always wanted to go. Need to go when ever I am anxious or stressed out, or [00:23:13] just need some serenity to just tap in with my soul it's healing just the feeling of the waves the sunshine, the sand, you know, everything that you imagined about the beach just is healing to me.
And it represents freedom, serenity peace, ease all, all of those things that are just part of me. And I'm a Pisces, I'm a water sign. So I naturally gravitate to water. It just kind of draws me like some people go to the mountains or really enjoy being in the city because it just speeds their energy.
That's just the energy of the beach really, really draws me. Draws me to Yeah,
Rabiah (Host): I get it. And I'm definitely when you said city, I was like, oh yeah. And that's definitely me and my mom and I talk about that. Like, you need to be in a city and I'm like I do, but I also need to get away from it sometimes. [00:24:13] And um, so they're both good, you know, so as far as the beach speaks, what's the podcast about?
Paige Friend: Yeah, well, The Beach Speaks is the podcast for conscious people who love the beach is how I describe it. I was inspired one morning. I'm a morning person. So it suits me that I'm on the Atlantic side because we have these fabulous beach sunrises and I'd go out every morning. And every once in a while, I will hop on one of the red, iconic beach lifeguard chairs that they would have sitting out on the beach and just overlook.
And, and I, I call it my throne I look out over the ocean, sitting on my throne and being so inspired. And I thought, you know, I need to find a way to share this inspiration with other people and. I wanted to share my love of podcast.
And I have a [00:25:13] voice that people have said, oh, you really should do a podcast or you should do a radio show or something like that.
And so I thought, well, how do I combine my gift of my voice and this love of the beach and podcasting, it just seemed like a perfect fit. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah. Well, you have a quality of your voice. That's like a like remember Delilah?
Paige Friend: Yeah. That's what everybody says. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, it's totally.
But but yeah, that's what your voice reminds me of, because I definitely have a different quality
Paige Friend: Yeah. Well,
Rabiah (Host): cool. Yeah.
Paige Friend: I have to attribute it to my father who was a vocal performer, professional singer, voiceover, actor, off-Broadway and all that. And I kind of followed in the footsteps of musical theater and singing and all that sort of thing. [00:26:13] So I have that background.
Rabiah (Host): So looking at your background though and your father being a professional singer, and then you having a musical theater background, how long did you spend doing, doing that yourself?
Paige Friend: oh yeah. Well, I started out in, I don't know, eighth grade and then went through high school and summers in college doing local music theater. We had a wonderful studio, art theater in my hometown of like 8,000 people small, but it was fun. And then of course my father being a professional singer, we followed him everywhere and watched all his performances and that
would just kind of carry it along with me. I haven't done anything like that, except for maybe singing in the choir long ago.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah.
Paige Friend: I've just kept that love internally, I [00:27:13] guess. Every once in a while it comes out.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, like that you'll just surprise people by like, oh, she has a voice
Paige Friend: yeah, Yeah. Or I'll, I'll just break out into song or something.
Rabiah (Host): Have you, have you seen any of the newer musicals at all? I'm just curious as a musical fan myself, or do you have a favorite music?
Paige Friend: Oh gosh. Well, it's funny. Someone from my high school, Facebook group had mentioned watching Grease the other day. And it just brought back memories of how I'd played Sandra Dee in Grease and how much fun that was. I mean, I, I love it all. Probably my favorite musical to perform in and to watch long ago was Godspell.
And I think a lot of people, I don't know, remember that from long ago, but it's just kind of transcended. And the way we performed, it was different than when it was performed back in. I [00:28:13] don't know the seventies when it originated and then going forward, my, my son actually played in the pit band for their production of Godspell in college.
And I got to watch that and I'm sitting in the front row and I warned him. I said, you know, I'm going to sing along and every word you're performing. And so don't be embarrassed. I try not to sing too loud. More just mouth the words, but that's just one that brings me back. Yeah.
I don't, I don't know about anything new.
I, I can't think of anything new that I've seen recently.
Rabiah (Host): I mean, Waitress is got a beautiful soundtrack. Just that's the soundtrack, I would say. Well, and love Dear Evan Hanson, but it's very sad, . Waitress has well, it's kind of sad too. They're all kind of sad I guess, but they're all happy. You know, they have both which is like life and that's why, it's why musicals are great.
Paige Friend: I can't, I can't believe that I forgot this, but my husband and I just went to see Menopause: The Musical [00:29:13] last weekend. I can't, but I'm thinking, when did I last see a musical? Okay, well there's because I'm of that age where those things elude me, I will remember things from 30 years ago. 10 minutes ago. I forget.
Yeah. And that was, that was hysterical. Oh, my gosh. We never laughed so hard. And I think my husband was one of like four men in the whole audience of a thousand women. It was pretty funny. Yeah.
Just how you can take something like that and it into a musical.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, no, it's, I mean, I don't know so much respect for those people who write, who are writers basically. So another thing though, besides all this, you're a certified yoga teacher, right?
Paige Friend: I am. I am. And there again is something that, well, I never thought that I would get certified in yoga. I love to do yoga and I had a well, I she's still. [00:30:13] mentor and yoga teacher, trainer, friend, Ramona. She had offered up yoga teacher training and I thought, Hmm, I don't know that I want to be a yoga instructor, but I do want to learn because there's so much more to yoga than just the asanas, which is the physical part of yoga.
And I said, yeah, once again, Let's do this. I'm not really sure why I'm doing it. And at the end, I realized why it was just something that really enhanced my spiritual experience. My to do yoga physically. It just opened up so many doors. Things for me personally. And I have yet to really formally teach a class every once in a while I'll lead a meditation or something online.
And the few friends of mine that have asked me, will you please load lead a yoga class for us sometime? And I said, [00:31:13] yeah, yeah, we'll do I have yet to do it though?
Rabiah (Host): not yet. Well, that could be, you know, you never know that could be the next thing.
Paige Friend: I just wanted to mention it about yoga cause people have here in the Western side, think of yoga as just the asanas, as the physical part. And you have to be able to bend yourself into a pretzel and you see those beautiful images on Instagram of these women just in these crazy poses and thinking "I can never do that."
People say I can't do yoga. And I said, well, can you breathe? And of course, yes, I can breathe. I said, then you can do yoga because yoga begins with the breath and if all you want to do is sit and breathe that's yoga. .
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, well, no, and that's a good thing to challenge people with because I think even with you've mentioned mindfulness a few times, and I think these things [00:32:13] become buzzwords and almost punchlines at some point. But then the truth is that there are practices that do help people get to a place where maybe they're okay with things, whatever the things are.
And it doesn't mean you're settling, but it just means you're okay. So when something comes up, you can handle it a little bit better. That's how it's been for me with mindfulness and I'll joke about it. But I do think it's important. And for you, I mean, do you do daily practices of mindfulness at this point in your life.
Paige Friend: I do when I'm out at the beach most, every morning I stand in the water or close to it and just look out, close my eyes or, and just feel that energy and. Just be present. And as much as I can clear my mind, there are other times where I'll do a physical meditation practice and then mindfulness is really [00:33:13] just being in the present moment.
So sometimes in the middle of the day, when something is starting to overwhelm me or aggravate me or I'm tired or whatever it is, that's maybe disturbing I can sit close my eyes and do some breathing. And just be in the moment, as they say, not judging where you are just, okay. Here is your.
I am as the witness to what's going on.
And typically that just kind of takes you out of that Headspace that maybe was getting in the way of whatever it was you were trying to do. That's kind of my daily practice. yeah.
It's interesting that you bring up mindfulness because one of my early podcast guests was. worked in human resources and then she always wanted to be an actress.
So she went out to LA to become an actress and got addicted to sleeping [00:34:13] pills because she was burning the candle at both ends working and being the actress, doing that thing that they do in LA. And she ended up coming back to the east coast and. Treating that addiction with mindfulness. And so she's gone back into HR with the mindset of bringing that mindfulness practice to CEOs and people who are just in high stress positions that don't take that time to
relax and take care of themselves.
And that I thought that was really interesting.
it was funny that we brought that up because that was kind of the running thread through the beginning of my podcast. Most of my guests had that mindfulness. Aspect to them and it's kind of grown from there, but that's another part of the beach that comes out for me.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, [00:35:13] and I, well, yeah, and I think, cause the beach can be a place where people do sports, so like surfing and that kind of thing, which also has its own, I think mindfulness element because if you're stressed out and not able to just focus on like go of other things, you're probably not going to be too stable on a board for example, or paddleboarding, same thing.
Just having tried both of them.
Paige Friend: well, yeah, I paddleboard no problem. And we have ocean kayaks that are a blast, unless you hit a big wave. Like I did one time and had. Epic fail where I flipped over, lost my phone, which was devastating for me.
Rabiah (Host): Oh man. Yeah, that is actually.
Paige Friend: Yeah,
Yeah. It, you see the surfers come out and in the middle of the day, and you can tell they're they're just racing out there to get in that water and probably get themselves centered again.
And, you know, that surfer mentality, [00:36:13] just like I gotta be with the water and the waves and it's for, for that type of person that needs that physical activity. That that's actually a practice of mindfulness too, because you gotta be in the moment and to be steady on that board for sure.
Rabiah (Host): A hundred percent. So is there anything we didn't cover that you want to?
Paige Friend: I just wanted to encourage your listeners and anybody out there that's has a vision for something beyond what they're doing right now, that to hold onto it and not dismiss it, it's there for a reason. And maybe you, you don't think it's within reach right now, but you can take the steps by just saying it out loud.
I am going to do this. I want this in my life. Just speak it out loud, call it in. And you can take small steps like I [00:37:13] did to just kind of bring yourself closer and closer to that. And I've been saying a lot lately that I want to create a life that I don't need a vacation from and bring those elements that will give me that peace and calm and joy freedom, right where I am in the present moment. And I encourage anybody. Who's, you know, it doesn't mean you have to leave your job. Doesn't mean you have to leave your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse or partner, you know, do this, not to do all those things, hang on to that vision. And that there, you can make that transition from one, one thing to the other without too much fear. Just trust the process.
Rabiah (Host): Nice. Awesome. Cool. Yeah. And like the other question I was asked is, do you have an advice or mantra? So that's perfect. So we'll, we'll use that
Paige Friend: Okay.
Rabiah (Host): that part. That's awesome.[00:38:13]
Rabiah (Host): I have a series of questions called the fun five that I ask every guest. So, we'll, through those.
Paige Friend: Yeah. Bring it on.
Rabiah (Host): What's the oldest t-shirt you have and still wear?
Paige Friend: That is so funny, this question, because I had recently gone through all my t-shirts and thrown all of them away, except for one. Well, not all of them, but the oldest, except for one, which is my Rich Roll podcast t-shirt that is so worn but I just, I, I couldn't get rid of it, you know, there's just that attachment to it.
And if I never wear it again, I'm I will hold onto it until it disintegrates, I guess. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): I have a Phil Collins t-shirt that's disintegrating. So they hold up longer than you think. It's
just, you can't wear them.
Paige Friend: No. [00:39:13]
Rabiah (Host): You know, all right. So if it, it has seemed like, and it's still not completely gone, that every day was kind of Groundhog's Day for awhile at least, you know, last year. So if it was, what song would you have your alarm clock set to play every morning?
Paige Friend: Okay. Well, first of all, I have to tell you that I grew up in central Pennsylvania, not too far from Punxsutawney and Punxsutawney Phil. We. Grew up thinking that Groundhog's day was actually like a national holiday because everybody is celebrated. I think somebody from my highest school became like, whatever that is the grand Poobah of Groundhog's day, you know, he was like the grand master and he pulled, you know, Groundhog.
I held it up like the lion king does, you know,
anyway, so Groundhog Day kind of has a special meaning for me. And the song that immediately came to mind was the song Unwritten [00:40:13] by Natasha Bedingfield. I could listen to that all the time. It's. You know, every day you're reinventing yourself. You're unwritten.
There's a blank page. Before you open up the windows, let the sunshine, you have the ability to write your story and you can do it over and over again because it's your story. It's your life. And I thought, wow, that's pretty appropriate for Groundhog's day. Cause you're getting a new day and a new day and I try to live one day at a time as much as I can.
So. Probably my, my choice. Yeah.
Unwritten.
Rabiah (Host): Oh, I really like that. Yeah. All right. And coffee or tea or neither?
Paige Friend: Oh, coffee. Absolutely. I'm addicted. That's probably one of my biggest new year's intentions is to cut back on that caffeine. You know, you drink too much coffee when you can have a cup and then go straight to bed and it doesn't affect you. [00:41:13]
Rabiah (Host): true. True. Do you take it any certain way or,
Paige Friend: Oh, just black. I love the French press. We're into that. Get a really nice grind and run it through their French pest. And there's nothing better than that first cup of coffee in the morning. Mm. I don't think I'll be able to get rid of that.
Rabiah (Host): No, I know. It's like, some things just kind of acknowledged that it could be a problem, but it's
Paige Friend: Yeah. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Can you think of something that makes you like laugh so hard you cry or just something that always cracks you up and you'd think of it that's your go to?
Paige Friend: Yeah. And I'm going to try not to burst into laughter right now, because, and this is probably not going to resonate with anybody, but there's a book called Let's Pretend This Didn't Happen. It's by Jenny Lawson, she is a blogger and kind of a comedian along the likes of Tina Fey. But for some reason, this book cracks me up. The story she [00:42:13] tells about her family growing up in Texas or father was a taxidermist. And at one time he, he had a squirrel that he, whatever it is you do to preserve it. And he had it in a box, he Stuffed.
it and he put it in a, in a shoe box and it was like their pet.
And I don't know. I would read just a paragraph and burst out, laughing to the point of just tears, rolling down my face. And I would try to share it with other people and they just didn't see the humor in it at all. But I just thought this is so incredibly funny and nobody really gets it, but me, but that's okay.
It, I was telling my husband the book the other day and just burst into l aughter just thinking about it. And like I said, nobody nobody gets it.
If anybody reads that, send me an email paige at the beach speaks dot com (paige@thebeachspeaks(dot)com) and let me know if you thought it was funny too, or if I've just [00:43:13] totally off the rails with that one.
Rabiah (Host): No, I don't think so. Alan Alda, I think it was, I was just telling my friend this last week had a. I think it was him who his autobiography, one of them was called. Never have your dog stuffed and other lessons.
Paige Friend: Oh, that that sounds like something I'd like to read. I don't know maybe it's stuffed
animals that make me laugh. I don't know.
Rabiah (Host): well actually, so just, this is a tangent, but whatever. I'm going to a taxidermy exhibition this weekend, this coming weekend with some friends,
because it's basically this lady, they're all ethically sourced. The animals are totally ethically sourced. They were like found, you know, in roads or whatever.
And the woman, the artist sets up displays of them as like famous works of art. So like those Degas, like ballerinas that are and stuff. Yeah. I'll send you a couple of pictures, but if anyone listening wants to know more about that, they can ask or, I might [00:44:13] put in the show notes, but yeah. So, I mean, there's, I'm not, look, taxidermy that's, it's not like an obsession, but there are funny things like you remember "Hope Floats," she had the scaredy cats,
Paige Friend: Yeah. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): the mom. So
Paige Friend: Well, and there there's another blast from the past for me, because my hometown had the only taxidermy like on the east coast for, and people would bring and deer season, there is another, what we thought was a national holiday was the first day of hunting season and people would bring their deer and have lamps made out of the legs.
And I mean, just random. Random stuff. I don't know. that they were ethically ethically sourced or, or whatever you want. Don't need to go there
but No, that sounds fabulous.
Rabiah (Host): So C always something random. And so that's, what's fun about the podcast thing, you [00:45:13] know?
Paige Friend: Yeah. You never know which way it's going to go.
Rabiah (Host): yeah. And so then the last of the Fun Five is who inspires you right now?
Paige Friend: Yeah, well, my husband has two daughters. I call them my bonus daughters and one of them has two daughters, our granddaughters and the youngest. She's five now. Remy is the most inspiring person to me because they didn't expect her to live beyond a year when she was born. And here she is at five years, she has SMA, which I had no, idea. I didn't know what it was, but it's actually more prevalent in newborns than we know spinal muscular atrophy. She's not able to walk and she can speak. She's fine with that. She is unable to swallow so she is fed through a feeding tube, but in all [00:46:13] other respects, she is every bit of a five-year-old that one can be.
She goes to kindergarten, she has little boyfriend. She, just does all the things. And primarily because her mom incorporates her into everything that everybody is doing as if. There's no limits to her. And she really doesn't know that she can't do some things. She just does what she can do and wants to be a part of everything.
And I love that about her and I, it reminds me that I am able, regardless of what limitations I feel like I have to be a part of and to do in my way. And she just brings back that spirit that I think. Is wonderful in, in children and that we can all carry throughout our lives.
Rabiah (Host): no, that's
Paige Friend: Yeah. So
Rabiah (Host): I think actually my friend's son has the [00:47:13] same
Paige Friend: SMA. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): really quick. I think so.
Paige Friend: Well, she was really lucky. There was a, there was some medicine trial treating it that when she was an infant, they got her into this, this trial. and I really think this medication that they were testing on the children that really was lifesaver really, really helped. Yeah. Plus many surgeries and this, and then that, but she's a, she's an inspiration for all of us. Yeah. Yeah.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, it's incredible. Yeah, he, it is. I just checked and it is SMA, so that's
Paige Friend: Wow.
Rabiah (Host): to have like another connection with that, but yeah. Yeah. That's really something that I've seen her posts, my friend posts on Facebook and just the, what the family's been through. And I think there's a way of sharing those things on social media that are just including people in your lives versus like, you know, in a positive way versus not.
And I just feel like I'm [00:48:13] constantly inspired by the strength of their family and this kid who is definitely facing things that a kid normally wouldn't have to, or shouldn't have to. And so, I think that's definitely like one of my favorite now is your five-year-old granddaughter it was like one of my favorite things I've heard as an inspirational person, for sure.
Paige Friend: yeah, yeah, Well, kids can teach us a lot in many ways that when you see one overcoming those obstacles, it's, it is really inspiring. It's humbling.
Rabiah (Host): yeah,
Paige Friend: It fills you with a lot of
gratitude.
Rabiah (Host): yeah, for sure. And I'm like, okay, well I guess I can go out and do you know, not be lazy today or something because people have a lot. Yeah.
Paige Friend: Yeah. Yeah,
Well, you know, and I'm the type thing. Likes to be relatively sure that I can do the thing before I go and do the things sometimes. So it helps to remember that there are those who will just go out and do it. And if they find out they can't do it then, oh, I guess I can't, but I don't know until I [00:49:13] dry.
Rabiah (Host): yeah, yeah, totally. All right. And is there anything that you want to promote? I mean, I'll put show notes, but just, if you want to tell anyone anything right now, if they want to find you, what they should do..
Paige Friend: Yeah. So the title of the podcast is The Beach Speaks. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, on all the podcast players. SquadCast is my primary recording platform. I love it. I love the SquadCast community, and I think Rabiah, you would agree any time I get a chance to, to give them a shout out. I do.
I've just loved the community and the support that you get. Yeah, And I am in kind of transition in the way I want to format the podcast and the stories that I want to tell, I want to incorporate it, incorporate more listeners and their stories. So I've set up a [00:50:13] voicemail and I'll give you the link. If you want to put it in your show notes, or you can find the link on my website, where you can call in and tell me a story or something you want to share about your beach experience and I will play it, or if you send me an email, I'll read it and you can be part of the podcast too, because I really want to give the listener, my beach people, what they crave about the beach.
Rabiah (Host): Yeah, that's cool. Yeah. And that's one thing that's nice about this too, is we can just keep iterating on our podcasts, which is nice.
Paige Friend: I know, I know. And it's really been wonderful. Being a guest on someone else's podcast. It's kind of different to be in the other seat, not, not asking the questions, but being, being the recipient of them. So I, I really appreciate the opportunity today. Thanks.
Rabiah (Host): Cool, well, Paige, yeah, thanks for being on. I really appreciate that. So, it was really nice to chat with you.
Paige Friend: Yeah. And like I, and my [00:51:13] podcast, the beach is speaking, are you listening?
Rabiah (Host): Nice.
Thanks for listening. You can learn more about the guests and what was talked about in the show notes. Joe Maffia created the music you're listening to. You can find him on Spotify at Joe M-A-F-F-I-A. Rob Metke does all the design for which we are so grateful. You can find him online by searching Rob M E T K E.
Please leave a review if you like the show and get in touch. If you have feedback or guest ideas. The pod is on all the social channels at, at more than work pod (@morethanworkpod) or at Rabiah Comedy (@rabiahcomedy) on TikTok. And the website is more than work pod dot com (morethanworkpod.com), While being kind to others, don't forget to be kind to yourself.
