Ep 49 - 1 Year Podcast Birthday Celebration: Featuring Brittany McLean - Part 1

 

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of our links are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Welcome back, friends! Today, we have an extra-special treat in store for you as we celebrate an exciting occasion - our one-year podcast anniversary! We're beyond grateful for your support throughout this incredible journey.

In this special episode, Carly and our Content Manager, Brittany McLean, take a trip down memory lane, sharing their favorite moments from the past year. From laughter to growth, we'll revisit the heartwarming connections that make Tidy Revival so special.

Join us in celebrating this remarkable milestone - a year of "Going through your shit, while we're going through your shit." Here's to you, our amazing community, and to many more joyful moments together!

You can listen right here, on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or you can read the transcription below. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

Carly: Welcome back everybody. I am so, so, so, so. So excited to bring you this episode for two reasons. Number one, it's our one year anniversary of the podcast. We're so grateful to you, the listener, for supporting us along the way in our first year. It has been really, really fun to get into these conversations.

I know I've had some soapbox moments, which, you know I love and I've really been able to open up in a way that I haven't before. All of this got started just because, you know, it's so personal when you're doing a podcast, you're literally in people's ears. I'm grateful that of all the corners of the internet that you could be, you choose to come listen to what we have to say.

This is also why I'm so excited to have this chat today because we are going to talk about our favorite moments from the show and this last year in general. And so I brought my content manager, Brittany McLean to chat as well. And as I mentioned last week, she is the cornerstone of our podcast operations and she has been from day one, from editing our recordings to promoting on all our social channels, all the graphics we use, making sure the actual show goes out, and we're usually very much on time, which is absolutely amazing.

She also stays on top of the content schedule. She does so, so much and quickly because she's very, very part-time. She's just been a huge, huge part of our small but mighty team. So welcome to the show, Brittany.

Brittany: Thank you. Thank you for having me. That was so sweet. I'm excited to be here.

Carly: I'm so excited that you're here and I know that we chatted before we hit record, but this is your first podcast

Brittany: very first.

It's scary.

Carly: It's going to be awesome. I'm just I get to chat with you all the time and I know that we, I know we mention it sometimes, but we don't really like talk about our working relationship, but I just have to say that our working relationship is one of the most fun that I've ever had in my life.

Brittany: Totally. I so agree.

Carly: And I'm just, I'm really, really grateful for it. And so I'm excited that you're here.

Brittany: Me too. Thank you for having me.

Carly: Tell us about yourself. Tell us where you live. Tell us about your family. All the things.

Brittany: Okay. I am in Washington State originally from Oregon, so I will call myself a Pacific Northwest native.

I have two kids elementary-aged kiddos, a boy and a girl, and married, living up in the Seattle suburbs and just loving life.

Carly: Love it. And our fun fact is that we've never met in person.

Brittany: Never. Which is crazy. We fully expected to have met by now. That just goes to show life and how fast it goes and how thankfully for technology the way it is, we can have really pretty deep relationships that you've never met the person.

Carly: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's crazy. And we connect most weeks for a little weekly meeting on Zoom, and then outside of that quick questions, we talk over WhatsApp and do voicemail messages. Another guest of the show, Missi McKown, who is an organizer in the Twin Cities region, she's an accountability partner of mine, a biz bestie and we talk all the time. We have met once in real life and we have talked in real time, maybe six times, maybe, since 2019. But I talked to her without fail, usually multiple times a week, if not every other day. So it's just interesting.

Brittany: I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Who would've thought, right?

Carly: I know, right? It's so cool. Thanks, technology.

Brittany: Yeah. I never would've thought that I'd be working in this capacity with someone out of state. Like all the things. It's so cool.

Carly: I also never could have imagined most of this. Especially if you told me when I was, I don't know, like in college or something. Like, oh, when you grew up this is what you're going to do. I'd be like, what? Yeah. Right. 

Brittany: Yeah. Here's my fun fact. I was a kindergarten teacher. That was my professional background. So all my training and everything is children and teaching and so coming into this capacity was awesome. I was like, yes, but you do systems, and working with an adult, it was amazing.

Carly: I'm a real grownup. But that also is, I feel like you have so much patience for those around you, namely me, so I feel like that probably comes in really handy.

Brittany: It must. Let's just say you are definitely not a kindergartner.

Carly: Thank you so much for saying that. No one has ever given said that before, but I really do appreciate it. Can you tell Corey? No, I'm just kidding. 

So I know I mentioned this last week on the podcast, but if for some reason you didn't listen to that episode… thanks so much by the way. We chatted about the podcast in your interview, but I decided right before your interview that I was going to have a podcast. I was like, you know what? I'm going for it. And so I kind of switched up your role in the interview process. This job that you have now wasn't necessarily what you were planning on interviewing for. I just remember that you were just super down and had such an enthusiasm for organization that I was like, that's it. It's her for sure.

Brittany: And another fun fact, that was the first real interview of my really whole life.

Carly: Oh, you killed it.

Brittany: Oh, it was very….what would be the right word? I'd say intense, but not intense.

It was new. It was learning something new and being like, yes, I can do this. I am still blown away to think about that interview and how everything has come from that. I felt like a hot mess. You know, your first interview– In a different capacity, I should say. I've interviewed teaching many times. Teaching felt very different.

Carly: Okay. I was going to say, how did you get that job? You know, just hired the first interview. 

Brittany: they're like, she wants to teach kindergarten.

Carly: Done. 

Brittany: Yes. No, I was vetted very highly. 

Carly: That's good. 

Carly: I was like, what's going up in Washington? That's wild.

Brittany: Yeah. We'll blame Washington. 

No, it was my first in the professional setting. It's so different going into an interview. I was very thankful that you were on the other side because we went into it going– let's see if this will work. Let's see what this looks like. And I was along for the ride. 

Carly: Yeah. It was very much a vibe hire. I had full faith that you had the capabilities to actually do the job, but it was totally vibe. I was like, no, that's her. It's Brittany. 

So I'm really glad that you're here.

Brittany: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

Carly: So it's a year anniversary of the podcast and I know first we're going to talk about some of our favorite moments. We decided we would each pick a couple and I picked too many, but that's okay.

I'm going to let you kick it off.

Brittany: Okay. My favorites. Oh my gosh. Going through this was fun because I could definitely pick too many. When you think about what sticks out as– these are the moments– obviously we know my first.  My first favorite moment will be a lifetime high.

Interviewing Rachel Bailey on the podcast Parenting Specialist was truly the coolest experience to watch from the assistant side. You and Rachel are my two, I don't know the right word for that. Gurus?

The people that I really look up to. So having you guys together was so powerful. And the way that it just melded, it was like, yes. All of it made sense. It was so cool. And I geeked out so hard on that podcast, just the editing side. Like I wanted to work on it more because I wanted to learn more.

I couldn't get enough of that episode. It was so cool. And by far the highlight of my year. it was really cool to get to work on that episode and see the spark that the two of you had in decluttering for moms, like decluttering for parents.

The biggest struggle I think of in our home is stuff. So having stuff and then the parenting perspective with it was like light bulb after light bulb. It was so cool.

Carly: I really do appreciate that. We were very open with Rachel about how we were coming to the conversation as big fans of hers. I was so excited that that interview got to come to be because it was immediately like, yes, please.

Brittany: I will never forget seeing that message in our dms from Rachel Bailey. I was elated.

Carly: Yeah, we were beyond. We were following her and had been for a long time because her social presence is great and she obviously is a force and has just a lot of amazing wisdom to share in the parenting realm.

I know that when it comes to hands-on parenting experience, I am lacking as it compares to many, many of my clients and our listeners. I could be an auntie all day, but at the end of it, the longest I've ever cared for a child by myself is a week. and what a week.

Brittany: Which is definitely a crash course.

Carly: It sure was because she was two and a half at the time. It was a big learning experience, and I was humbled. She's an absolute joy. This is my oldest niece and she's nine now. 

But anyway, the point is that there are a lot of things that I've learned along the way and gleaned from my friends, my family, and my clients as far as what the pain points are and what systems work, what systems we can throw out the window, what's too complicated. But it's always great talking to people who are literal experts in the field because I cannot, will not, and should not claim that as far as parenting is concerned.

Brittany: And the expert level is such a niche. I've had kids now for 11 years. My son is 10 and a half and I still am constantly going– Is this right? We're always questioning everything, right? So having the expert weigh in really is enlightening for all of us. Even the ones who've been in it forever.  The knowledge she had, and the confidence… It just really gave me that confidence going, yeah, these things work. I'm seeing them work. I need to stop beating myself up because that's what moms do. 

Carly: Yeah, totally. I really felt that way when we were having the A D H D conversations. 

I know I'm switching gears to other episodes.

When we were hearing from our folks who are experts in this space, like the A D H D coach, Jen Hanson whom I spoke with, and author Lisa Woodruff. It was really great to be able to kind of have some things that you feel work well and even things that you talk to clients and they're working well. But to have these principles reinforced by somebody who does this day in, day out and exclusively is focusing in this realm in their career. It can be really enlightening and affirming.

Or maybe, you know, you're not quite on track with certain aspects of it and you can figure out what tweaks need to be made based on their advice to streamline things.

Brittany: Oh, definitely. Yeah.

Carly: Yeah. I love that. I also really loved the Ask the Organizers episode. I for sure want to do that again sometime. I know that on the editing side, that must have been a lot.

I appreciate you.

Brittany: It was fun. As I was going to put down my favorite episodes, it was fun how much overlap we had and what our favorites were. Those are the ones that stick out in my head too. Thankfully working with you, Carly, you are very organized with your systems.

You're trying new things and honing in. And so by the time we got to episode 31, you had everything in a package that made it a lot simpler to do the editing on. Then it could happen.

Carly: Yeah. I didn't want you to quit over that episode.

Brittany: Yeah. We didn't want to do the whole month in one, you know, one episode.

Carly: So we're making jokes about budgeted amounts of time because we work part-time together. We didn't want to blow the budget just from the editing aspect for one episode. 

It worked out on the backend. We were able to plan out the episode and then save all the audio clips with notes about who it was, so we could match up the order when you were editing. I really wanted to try and streamline that as much as possible for you since, you know, we're not, I don't want to say on the same page. That's the words that almost came out of my mouth, but that's incorrect.

Brittany: I'm not your brain. 

Carly: Yes. You're not my brain. We're not side by side. We're not working together in the same room or office for 40 hours a week. So we really do have to have some systems in place to make sure that our communication is as smooth as possible. 

Brittany: Yes. I have learned so much about digital organization by working together on this kind of stuff.

It's kind of cool. Yeah. I'm like, I didn't know I needed this. Learning how to not have a desktop just filled with your stuff– folders are such a gem.

Carly: Should we talk about that sometime on the podcast?

Brittany: I'm surprised how much I needed it. You keep downloading things and saving things on your desktop and it's like, oh yeah, I'll get this. And if you don't have it organized, it ends up being a desktop filled with items and you're like, oh, that was a screenshot. I don't need that anymore. Your systems are…. chefs kiss.

Carly: Cool. I'm going to do it. We'll do an episode. I just jotted it down. We'll do an episode about digital organization.

Brittany: Ask The organizers was really fun. Hearing from different people and that they were all over was kind of fun to hear where they lived.

Carly: I'm glad that you enjoyed it too, and I know I mentioned it then, but I'm a mentor in the inspired organizer community, and so there's over, even just in the Facebook group, and I know there are more folks who've gone through the community that haven't joined the Facebook group, but there are over 700 members in there now, and they're all over the US.

We have folks in Canada. If you needed a recommendation for an organizer in Amsterdam, I have it for you. And a few folks in Australia. It's most continents around the world. We have folks now, and it's really cool just being able to come together, you know, in our industry, ask each other questions, get support, cheer each other on.

But also with the tough times… if we have questions where we need folks to chime in from the industry. There are so many times I've asked a question, gone to sleep, woke up, and had answers.

Brittany: I love that the Australians are like, I got you, Girl in the middle of the night. I  imagine the questions and stuff that came up over the last couple of years have been, that community's been huge, I imagine.

Carly: Yeah. Like the moment that we all had to switch to online. We've been through it in there and  I love them so much. I applied to be a mentor because I loved the community and  personally, I was like, I need to be spending more time in there. Then a position came up and so I applied so that I would spend more time there. But also get paid for it and it's been great.

Brittany: I love it, what a cool community.

Carly: Yeah. Okay, switching gears. Another one we both mentioned is the episode with my husband.

Brittany: I imagine we love it for different reasons.

Carly: I don't know, it might be the same. So it was episode 20, Favorite Household Systems featuring Corey Adams, my hubs.

 and okay, now I want to know why you love it so much.

Brittany: It was so fun. I have only ever known Corey in passing because of our digital relationship. So getting to see the two of you together, and your dynamic… you guys are hilarious together! Listening to the way that Corey pulls out the funny side of you in this like, professional setting was so fun because you were so uncomfortable.

As only a significant other can do. Right. It's like Uhhuh really call you to the floor and you're like, stop. You were telling him so many times to stop. It's like, no, really honey, this is not where we're going to do this. And like playfully, like it was all in fun. It never felt mean. It never felt unsupportive.

Carly: Oh no. Yeah. 

Brittany: Like it was all lovely and I wanted to keep all of the banter in there and Corey wanted to keep all the banter in there. So it was great. I was like, I get you. I get you, Corey. I got you. We had so much fun while still respecting you in the process and making sure that it was what you wanted to put out there.

I adored it and I loved seeing you stretch to where you're like, okay, we can leave that in.

Carly: You're like, I think Corey's right. I think we should leave it in. 

If you haven't listened to the episode, I strongly encourage you to go back and maybe we'll just do some links in the show notes. 

Now it's to the different things that we're talking about. I imagine it may be too many links, but we'll try and get a bunch of links in this so you can go back easily and check 'em out. And I'll help with that too cause it's going to be a bunch of links, but yeah, the episode with Corey, there are so many times when you can hear, I mean, it's in the recording where I'm like, okay, Brittany, we're going to cut that out.

And he's like, no, don't cut it out, Brittany, leave it in.

Brittany: It was so good. Constantly.

Carly: constantly. I'm sure we cut out half of it.

Brittany: Oh yeah. There were so many outtakes that we could have played with. I was like, man, the audio that you could put out with this is gold. Cause it's just real life.

Carly: It is real life.

And we're about to hit in a couple weeks. It's going to be 17 years since  our first date anniversary. We dated for a really long time, so we've always celebrated our dating anniversary. But yeah, that's why, it's because it's silly. We're just silly people and it's not very serious. If that makes sense.

Brittany: I love it. Yeah. You guys enjoy life. Yeah,

Carly: Yeah, it's serious in that it's 17 years, so I get that, but it's not serious in that I'm laughing a lot. And I'm grateful for that. So, Yeah, check out that one. 

Brittany: I want to know why it was your favorite.

Carly: It was the same reason because he brings out… it's funny because like I'm the host of this show and it's very much like, leave it in Brittany. And I was like, oh my gosh. 

It was a more goofy side that I think it's nice to have glimpses into. because some of the conversations we have on here can be so serious.

Brittany: Yeah. Yeah. It was a lighthearted one. It was a fun listen.

Carly: I'm putting that in my notes too. We'll be like, bring Corey back.

Brittany: Bring Corey back.

Carly: Corey Corey.

Brittany: There could be like a Corey moment every week. Corey just comes in and just messes with Carly a little and walks back out.

Carly: And now the Corey corner.

The last episode that I was going to mention is way, way back in the first month. I saw it was like the end of August when it aired last year, episode four– Being Outspoken. I was really proud <<double meaning intended>> of that episode because yeah, we just talked about being outspoken as a business and not conforming to maybe social media or what, I don't know, mainstream media's idea of an organizer is. That you have to be buttoned up and pretend. Kind of presenting as perfect as possible type of demeanor.

And instead, we as a business can make really intentional decisions to talk about the causes and issues that matter to us. Knowing that for some people, that's going to be a reason why they stick around is because our views align. For other people, it may be the reason why they decide to tune out, but that's okay.

There are going to be plenty of organizers who don't talk about L G B T Q rights. There are going to be plenty of organizers who don't get riled up about women's reproductive rights. And if you would prefer to chat with them, I understand and you are welcome to.

Also chatting a little bit about my own coming out journey and why Queer representation matters to me on a personal level, was a really important moment for me. As someone who, I'm not a public figure by any means, but there's this aspect of my life that now is public-facing and doesn't necessarily belong to me in a private sense.

Just being more open in a public-facing way about my own life and journey. It was really important and I really appreciate you and your support in that too, because it really meant a lot in those early months as you were cheering me on. So, thank you, Brittany. I appreciate you.

Brittany: It has been an honor to be supporting you as you got to share your story, for sure.

Carly: You've been such a sweet part of everything, and because you do touch all of the content and you see it before it comes out and you're a sounding board and stuff. I just, I really appreciate you.

Brittany: It has been special on my end as well to get to be a part of this with you and get to learn how to be an ally in times that are scary on the other side, you know?I am getting to have the understanding that I might not have had otherwise. We think we know things about other people, right? And it's really nice when you get to just support people as they share who they are.

Carly: Yeah. Oh, I really do think and agree that allyship is more important than ever with just everything going on. I mean, politically as all these laws are trying to be passed left and right. So thank you.

Brittany: Thank you for bringing me along.

Carly: Heck yeah. 

So Brittany and I had such a great conversation, but when we finished recording we realized that we should probably go ahead and just make this two episodes. So you're going to hear part two of our conversation next week and we will see you then. Thank you so much for being here.

We would love to make sure that your questions are answered for a question of the week or a future episode. So we love to hear from you. DM (on Instagram) or you can always email me, carly@tidyrevival.com. We love hearing from you. We love hearing your thoughts about the pod, and thank you so much for hanging out.

If you wanna learn more about how I can help you, feel free to head over to tidyrevival.com to learn how I work with people one-on-one or in our private community. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe so you'll always have access to the latest episode.

We would also love to hear your takeaways. Feel free to tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. The Tidy Revival podcast is written and hosted by me, Carly Adams, and edited by Brittany McLean. Title Song Maverick is by Dresden The Flamingo.

and until next time, remember that…

 
 
 

Links mentioned in this episode

 
 
Tidy Revival PodcastCarly AdamsTidy RevivalDecluttering, Home Organization, Pride