Welcome to Stories, Success & Stuff! In Episode 00 you’ll get to know your hosts Siarza CEO Kristelle Siarza and adversity alchemist Jace Downey as they attempt to make sense of the world around them and uncover the reality of success and happiness.

Join them as they share stories of their experiences with adversity and success–from starting a business to overcoming obstacles in life. They’ll provide tips and tricks on navigating the modern world while having a good time.

This episode begins a fun-filled journey of thought-provoking conversations, witty banter, relatable stories from both Kristelle and Jace’s lives, and plenty of laughs. So pull up a seat and let the conversations begin!   

A Siarza Production
Executive Producer: Kristelle Siarza
Producer: Jace Downey
Videographer/Editor: Justin Otsuka

Get the downloadable audio version of this episode at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1913667/12955203
See all episodes at siarza.com/siarza-podcast
Follow us on FB, IG, TT, YT and TW @siarzatheagency
Follow Kristelle @kristellesiarza
Follow Jace @jacedowneyofficial

About Stories, Success & Stuff:

Are you feeling stuck in your career, relationships, or life in general? Join Siarza CEO Kristelle Siarza and adversity alchemist Jace Downey as they explore the bullshit of success and excitement of failure. They’ll dive into stories from their own lives to provide a glimmer of hope and a reminder that whatever you’re experiencing, you are not alone. Through funny anecdotes and compelling conversations, they’ll show you that you have the power to create your own destiny. Tune in and learn how you can explore and shift the paths of life that lead to true fulfillment. This is an inspiring podcast about shifting paths, stumbling to success and creating a life you can fall in love with. So grab a cup of your favorite brew, put on your comfiest clothes, and prepare for untamed stories of success and stuff!

Episode Transcript

Kristelle

 The bullshit of success and the, um, excitement of failure. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, those, those particular things. And, and I’m really excited to, to really dive into the fact that you know, who, again, who’s the person I want to, to listen to this podcast. I want somebody that just wants to hear a good positive message and a good glimmer of hope.

Yes. We have a podcast. We have a podcast. Um, and it’s been a year and a half in the making. And what I’m really excited about is I just wanted to share some really good stories, some cool shit, some cool stuff, right? Andjust talk about the things that people, what keeps us all up at night or what, what, what success actually looks like.

What failures actually look like. Like I really wanted to be authentic. To what’s about to happen, um, in, in, in a podcast, which is a lot of people, you know, they might ramble or they might have different topics. Sometimes you just wanna see the connection between people. Um, but really I just wanted us as a team to share wisdom.

Like you always do. Um, share fun stories, make people laugh, make people cry, make, make people know who we really are. Um, so I’m really excited to move forward on this podcast and thank you for being my co-host. I really appreciate it. So you don’t get into the field. What, what are, what are we trying to accomplish here?

Jace

I, for me, my biggest thing is always I want people to know whatever they’re experiencing, other people are too. And that they can talk about it, they can be in it, they can shift it if they want to, or they can just accept it and be like, well this is, this is a mess.  And and I love that about myself!

And I love that about my life and it’s part of it, and it’s not a big deal. Cause I think we’re, we. Get into the most trouble when we are isolated. Mm-hmm. And we isolate ourselves because we think what we are experiencing isn’t what other people are experiencing. Yep. Mm-hmm. And that if they knew.

That this was going on, then I, I’m out Right. Then I’m not accepted or I’ll, I’m less than or whatever. So if we all just started talking about it and saying like I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time. My life is a mess most of the time. Like sometimes just having a good hair day is, that’s it.

That’s all I got going for me that day. Like, ooh, but this is all right. Like, yes. You know? So my why I wanna do this and have. Just genuine conversations so that people know whatever you’re in, somebody else is in it too. Mm-hmm. Somebody will hang with you in it, or someone could help you get out of it.

Kristelle

Yep. Yep. If you wanna get out of it. Yeah. I, I think every single time we talk about what is this podcast all about, it just becomes like an even greater Seinfeld episode. It’s a little bit about movie everything. And I say this because like we were talking about like, who the hell’s gonna listen to this?

And I thought about it, I was like, maybe it’s my C level friends or maybe, or acquaintances, or maybe it’s my family, or maybe it’s just some gal that really looks up to the agency or the businesses or the Asian community. And I was like, I don’t know who’s gonna be the target audience for this, but somebody who’s willing to listen.

Right? Somebody who’s willing to listen to hearing how sometimes they feel like they’re alone at the top. Sometimes they feel like their home is in shambles, but their career’s really awesome. Um, sometimes, you know, I, I wanna talk about and meet people and tell about, talk about their stories, about how they’re really successful from a marketing perspective, but at the same time, they still can’t figure out how to get a damn date, you know?

Or, and when I hear I, and I, I’m really, really excited to dive deep, dive into failures. Mm-hmm. Right? Because our paths were so different. Our paths were same. You said, I had a lot of failures and I was like, well, I had a lot of failures. And you’re like, no, I had a lot of failures. Yeah. And like, these are all like really circular moments and I think with each other.

And I feel that, you know, when we see people putting out content or podcasts or videos or vlogs, Some of ’em are like, hi, this is my channel. And this is very like mechanical and very procedural. Like we even, we even stopped this podcast in the first recording cause I was like, this does not feel right.

This feels right. This feels right because it’s like authentically us. It’s authentically stories, it’s, it’s authentically, you know, random things that happen in our daily lives. Right. And I, and I’m excited to share this with a person that just needs. A glimmer of hope. Mm. Somebody to relate to. Mm-hmm. Um, somebody that has been in my shoes, or somebody that wants to be in my shoes and just put it all out there and see what happens next.

Jace

Say, or in my case, wants to have no shoes, no shoes at all, because that’s how I’m, that’s how I’m rocking it over here. 

Kristelle

Oh, I totally forgot that.

Jace

I almost never have shoes on. I’ll even do. Workshops and speeches without shoes on. One time, true story, I had this really big workshop. It’s, it’s one of the scariest ones I give. It’s really fun. It’s called Conscious Connection. Use the internet, don’t let it use you. It was all about technology in our relationship. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. And I’m looking great. Right. I had my outfit all planned and everything and I recognize I’ve been introduced and I’m walking up to the stage and I realize my sandals are making a fart sound when I walk.

That’s great. It was not great. I didn’t love it and so I was like, what am I gonna do? I can’t be giving this serious presentation. None of mine is all that serious. Cause I gotta keep it. Yeah, try to keep it a little goofy, but I’m like, I can’t give this. And then people, all they’re gonna remember is that I was farting the whole time because they don’t know what’s my sandals and so, I’m like, you know what?

Quality flett lids. Nope. I took ’em off and I told them what was going on. I was like, my shoes are making a fart sound. I will not have y’all walking into this room thinking I just farted the whole way through and I took ’em off and I just did the whole thing barefoot and had a blast doing it. That’s you gotta just, that’s life.

Kristelle

Yeah, I know. Just figure it out and like those funny stories I think are gonna be what makes this podcast great. What, not only that, but like when we were brainstorming on what this could potentially be or how we could talk about it, I think one of the things that even came up with me while we were talking, like I cried, I was like, am I like, why am I so emotional?

But like I’m excited to share those stories of like what success actually looks like, or you know, the funny, the failure stories where I’m like in tears and, and like in panic or losing sleep over things. I’m excited to share those stories too, and even some far jokes from time to time. 

Jace

So do you know that is the first time I’ve ever talked about farting on camera before. That’s like, that’s, you guys don’t know it, but therapy wise, that’s a, a breakthrough I just had. Probably later. You, yes. Thank you. 

Kristelle

Mm-hmm. Well, and I also think too, you know, we haven’t talked about this yet, but. What will come out of this conversation over time will be very therapeutic moments in our crazy industry.

Mm. Right. We’re in the marketing and advertising. Mm-hmm. PR industry. There’s probably a million emails. I know. At least 2000 in mine. Um, I wish I was kidding. 

Jace

II would literally have faked my own death by now. 

Kristelle

Please don’t do that. Like, and I mean it like, I think one of the great qualities about you being my co-host is the fact that I said to you once that you’re kind of, that, that guiding light or that voice of reason for a person and sometimes C level executives don’t have authentic employees.

I can be that. I mean that, right? No, I believe it. 

Jace

I’m just, in my head, I’m going like, yeah, that, that tracks. Like, if you were to be like, I don’t wanna hear that you’re fired, I’d be like, yeah, that all right, cool. I’m good. I had a good run. 

Kristelle

Yeah. Yeah. And so, and, and I mean that like, I think that this is just really good for my soul to really talk about this and really break into.

What, what are the good, the bad? What are the good things? The bad things and the ugly things about being in business, helping other people, non-profit management even help being a, a mom, volunteering at her son’s school. Like those are things I’m really excited to talk about. I. I just wish I had a funny story that I can think about, but I don’t have anything off the top.

Jace

Why you always got a one up me. Maybe I had the funny story this episode. I don’t know. 

Kristelle

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that’s why there’s multiple episodes moving forward. 

Jace

Just so that you can get a funny story in. 

Kristelle

Yeah, I can get a funny story. That’s it. That’s why y’all are here. That’s, that’s it. Um, but I am very grateful for you being here, um, being my co-host, and I would say, let me ask you this before we wrap up. What’s one thing that you think people should. Subscribe, hit that subscribe button. What’s one thing that you think people are gonna get away from this podcast compared to any of the other ones that are out there right now?

Jace

Reality. That is what I wanna bring into this. That is what I hope people take away from it.

That there’s no one way to success. There’s no one definition. Of success. Mm-hmm. And even in our own definition of success, there’s not one way to get there. Mm-hmm. And we’re gonna mess up a whole bunch along the way. And that’s part of the process. And it’s the, it’s the like yummy, juicy part of how we got there.

And it helps us become who we are.That’s the reality. We’re not robots that are just like, if I follow this checklist, then I’ll be successful at the end of the day then I’ll be happy. Enjoy. Good luck if you’re doing that, and make your that, make that podcast.

People will listen to it. That’s not my life. My life’s a mess a lot of the time and I love it, and I love who I am. I love the mess, so it’s like I want, that’s the reality. To be a person, you gotta be in the mess. You gotta find a way to enjoy all of it and make all of it useful. To me that’s success and happiness.

Kristelle

I think the reason why I want people to listen to this is because I don’t want to them to feel like they’re alone. Mm-hmm. I also don’t want people to continue on living a life where it’s all of perception. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, I’m really proud about the fact, fact that the both of us come from different communities.

Even just like, yes, I am a strong female woman. I wanna say what I wanna say, but being a woman of color, having a, you know, a Filipino led podcast not to talk about d e i issues, which eventually we’ll get to, but like mm-hmm. Somebody that other Filipinos or even people of color can relate to about the bullshit of success in the.

Um, excitement of failure. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, those, those particular things. And, and I’m really excited to, to really dive into the fact that, you know, who, again, who’s the person I want to, to listen to this podcast. I want somebody that just wants to hear a good positive message and a good glimmer of hope, knowing that, you know, my mission, being, creating jobs and helping people.

I just wanna help somebody go on with their day. Based off of this podcast. Mm-hmm. From, from two people in marketing and advertising, from a person that comes from a background of business, like, let’s cut through the bullshit because business is not. Conventional anymore, right? Nope. Yeah. So this, this is gonna get really exciting and, and I’ll say this like I am again honored to have you be like a host.

Um, we have some really great topics, you know, success and failures stories. Um, we have special guests that we have to hope, hopefully open up to us too. Um, and even maybe just eat. Some of our team members, like, we’re grateful for Justin Otsuka behind the camera and behind the microphone listening to us and just pretending like he’s, he’s doing a really great job pretending like we’re, we’re, he’s actually interested and thank you.

Even if we only get one listener, 

Jace

We’ll have three. I mean, we both have moms.. 

Kristelle

And Justin. 

Jace

I mean, you’re about to get married, so he’s gotta listen.The wedding ain’t complete yet, so, you know, there’s still room to back out if he’s not listening.

Kristelle 

Spencer? Well, Spencer will probably be listening to either Swami Rob or me for the rest of his life. Anyways, um, I’m, I’m really excited to have this podcast. So, um, I hope everybody stays tuned. Stays, stays tuned for episode one. Um, anything else that you can think of that’s gonna be helpful? 

Jace

I have a pondering.What if, with things being as different as they are nowadays, right? There’s, there’s no formula anymore. What if it is actually possible to be successful on every level? I’m talking career, finances, fitness, family, relationships, health, the dating, the whatever it is as your full self, fully and enthusiastically in love with who you are, showing up in the world that way. And living a boldly satisfying life. 

Kristelle
Is it possible? 

Jacce
What if, what if that was real? What if we all had the chance to experience that? And we get to explore it here on this show. That’s my pondering. What would that life look like? 

Kristelle

I’m excited to explore the opportunity, cuz immediately my answer is nobody’s perfect in life happens the way that is.

Jace

But that’s, that’s it. That’s the part of it. 

Kristelle
Yeah. That’s, that’s it. Like, okay, so here’s an example and. I know I’m conscious of time. While I was talking to my son like a couple days ago, he told me, he said somebody close to me said that he thought that the picture perfect life was a picket fence. A family, two wives, three kids, or one wife two. 

Jace
Oh. So I was like, well, they’re not forward to hearing that. I was like, wait a minute. 

Kristelle

That’s a different kind of religion. Anyways. Um, No. So he, he said, you know, somebody in my life thinks that a picture perfect family is a dog, kid’s picket fence house, et cetera.

And I said, well, that was the reason why that person and I never got along. Mm-hmm. And I said, the person and I never got along because their picture of success was a fake picture of success. And everybody’s, everybody’s future looked so different than each other. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, and you know, that’s a perfect story, I think to tell.

At some point during the show, you know how many of us had a C level executive come in and say, my life is great. I have the Tesla, I have the beautiful house. But I’m lonely when I go home and I wanna stop eating dinner by myself. Mm-hmm. Or with business colleagues or things like that. That happens.

That happens. That happens all the time. Yes, of course. Yeah. So it, you know, never know what’s gonna happen. 

Jace

I think we could do it all. Also, I’ll throw out that, and we’ll have to dive more into this later, but I do think that we’re perfect and that life is perfect. It’s not flawless, but there are ways for it to be perfect. And we can, we can touch on that in the stuff portion of a later episode. 

Kristelle

Yep, for sure. So thanks very much for being my co-host. I really appreciate it. And um, I look forward to meeting all the listeners and people that are willing to hear us on Stories, Success & Stuff.