>> Barbie the welder, thank you for joining us today. I appreciate it. It's good to see you. >> I'm grateful to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me. >> Yeah. Well, I love the set, what's going on behind you. You got some of your pieces back there. Let's just start off, Barbie. Tell Tell us what you do I'm a metal sculptor and author and an international keynote speaker which is just profound to say all of that out loud because It's all stems from welding Yeah, you don't start with that all in mind It started with which welding is how I got there, but it started with sculpting. It was an immediate understanding that I was supposed to be a sculptor, and that comes from a 15 -second clip in a movie that profoundly changed my life. Really? Tell me more about that. I've gone through a whole bunch and self -induced mental health issues. And at the time of finding sculpting, I was on my way out of chemical dependence and was still like totally swimming in all kinds of mental issues with depression being the number one. set down with my neighbors. I was unhappily married at the time. I had two children that were mine and a stepdaughter. Just like I had like these beautiful human beings in my life, but just was unhappy. Just here, it was all here. Set down with our neighbors to watch a movie. It was cast away, trying Tom Hanks and the clip in the beginning where the woman's welding those angel wings. I'm going to cry. Just even thinking about this moment in my life. It is a it is a defining moment that I'm sure that you know, I know today sitting here that we get signs and signals every single day, like every single moment of every single day. Truly, it was just, I think the first time in my life, like we have instincts that we just don't listen to out of fear. And this was a, I don't know if it was a calling, an instinct, it was just whatever it was, it was mine. It was for me, it was what I'm supposed to do. And I knew I needed to do it as much as I needed to breathe. And what has unfolded in the last 19 to 20 years from that moment has been. I knew it was mine, like I know that my hands are mine. You'd never. Well, all right, hold on. So you had you ever even thought about this before? No, prior to this gift, I just did not see myself at all. It was cultivated. So it was this moment of inspiration. However, gift, I don't know if it's a gift or if it's a magnificent obsession that with, you know, thousands of hours of practice and play, you know, cultivated skills. I do believe everyone can do it. However, anyone who has the mindset to. I don't know I say that boy that's such a. I'm like, I think everyone is capable, completely 100 % capable, what you put in is what you will get out. And that is mentally, emotionally and physically, all of it must be in alignment. So the reason I say gift is because I think that the gift is you have a new That you are passionate about and because I believe that happiness resides on the other side of achievement The gift is you now have the opportunity to achieve and something that makes you feel good and really the the idea of the quality of The product whatever it may be whomever it is is not totally relevant Because it's the task Yeah, of course, so it's not the quality of what the person's doing, like you sit down and make something. And this isn't relevant. I mean, this isn't specific to you. I think just in the pursuit of achievement, or happiness resides on the other side. And the gift is, if you really have passion for something, you'll push through the obstacles and get to the other side, so to me, the gift is that I now have focus, clarity, and so I can get to the other side of achievement. I think that is the most beautiful way I've ever heard that expressed. Oh, thank you. Oh, no, thank you. You teed it up nicely. Wow. Wow. Because I just feel like it's such a prerequisite for happiness is to have toiled and look back and be like, I'm not even really looking at the thing I made, I'm looking at my journey that I took. It does become, well for me it's who I've gotten to grow myself into and that has been that journey with a singularity of focus that has allowed me to do that. But it's, it's who you get to become in the process is it's that right there, but it's only with the passion and having that I must do this, like I need to breathe, like that gets you to but it's finding that right there, like, how do you find that when you, I mean, I didn't know I needed it. I just thought this is how life is. Wow. Well, that's the cool 20 years ago, huh? So I was going through your YouTube and learning about some of the stuff that you've done. And, okay, so now with the insight that you started from, you were watching a Tom Hanks movie with a volleyball and it to all the stuff I saw on YouTube. It's like, Jesus, you really got a lot done. I'm seeing who, who, who, who hires you to make things, right? It's, it's ridiculous. So tell me, Tell me about some of the some of the projects you've done. I mean, I saw some big names out there. Yeah, it's definitely, I'm gonna just, I'll cry. It is freaking profound. Never in a million years, you know, I started out, when I say weld art, I started out welding spoon rings and little silverware people and horseshoe hearts in a price range of, I have to $25. 35. I did have one. My first commission was $35. How pumped were you? Oh, so pumped. People are paying me money to do what I want to do. Are you kidding me? What it's grown into is, my gosh, Carolina Boot Company, American Welding Society, Chicago Pneumatic, Harley -Davidson, two sculptures, Harley -Davidson. Are you kidding me? I'm like the high seas ride, look at my wall, the high seas rally. The, my gosh, Bailey Industrial, I've worked with them. Chicago Pneumatic, Weiler Um, I'm currently partnered with boss laser. It was just incredible company and my most recent social was, was for Burger King and how to train your dragon was my last commission. Oh, I did a microphone stand for Chuck Garrick, the bassist for Alice Cooper. I mean, like seriously, and so are you in a place now where it's like, like you kind of need to decide what you want to do with your time. Like, I don't know, I got Alice Cooper on line one and I got Burger King on line two. I know you don't mean it that way, but is, is that what's sort of occurring? Um, yeah, it's, if it's not an F, yes, it's an F no today. And it's actually been that way for a while and it's, Yeah, beyond, beyond explanation, but I'm like, I can tell you how I did it. And then it's like, but it also defies. It defies logic, however, I could tell you exactly how I did it. But yeah, if it's, if it's not a complete f yes it's a complete f no I'm very, very blessed to have the opportunity I say no to a lot of stuff, because I mean, if it's like, whatever my last job is, that are better, you know, oh, Baker Beam, that was another one. I'm like Baker freaking Beam, five sculptures for Baker Beam that landed me in a solo art show in the Chelsea Art District in New York City. Like, seriously, how many I just like, I know, I think it's what artists work for all their life. And it just shows up in my email. That's unreal. It really is. I'm like, if I didn't know me, I would think I'm a liar. Well, I mean, you just, I mean, oh, okay, let me peel this back, which is, are you still buddies with some people that knew you 20 years ago? Completely. High school friends, yeah. Are they just like, they're probably not surprised on one hand, right? They're probably, you got a good motor in you. - Anyone who had ever known me, no, I think everyone is completely surprised actually. And the fact that I'm still alive is probably, it's just beyond miraculous. To tell you the truth, like anyone who knew me, I got kicked out of two high schools in one year, the one was a school for the bad kids, been arrested more times than you can count in one hand. And it probably was voted most likely to to be in prison in high school, honestly, and or dead by 21. So it's yeah, people like to say they're surprised is probably an understatement. The fact that I'm alive is more important than I'm done. Well, all of it is just Well, maybe some of that at first plus doesn't seem like relevant life experience to become the artist you are. But I found that as time goes on, it's amazing what we draw from as we do things. And it's in how it just creates fertility somehow for creating things. And it's, it's amazing amazing how you're like, God, when I was getting caught, I had no idea that this was going to be like such a great experience later on to draw from. You know, I mean, but seriously, I mean, it's who knew. So what are you working on currently? Oh, just a sculpture of a lifetime, so I follow, because of listening to my instincts and my intuition, I just cultivated that more and more. Slight backstory, I was approached by the Veterans Healing Farm, which is a non -profit that heals veterans without medication from PTSD. They approached me on LinkedIn and asked me to make a sculpture. I said yes and quoted it. They had a specific sculpture in mind. It wasn't an FES, but it was I wanted, been wanting to do something for veterans. The give back is absolutely like paramount for me. Just because of just because it just is part of what I must do. It just feels so good. And I'm grateful, so grateful. So the veterans are like just a complete FES, but the sculpture design they showed up with, I was like, not really enough FES, but it was because I wanted to work with the veterans. I quoted this through further, I meditate. So through meditation actually was in meditation after quoting this job and got a message. I don't know how to explain it other than that, but got an understanding. That's a good way. I got an understanding that I was supposed to make them a sculpture, not the one they wanted and that I was supposed to give it to them. I wasn't supposed to charge them. And I was given a message that if I do that, then I will be taken care of like financially. And so like this was a like, what do you do? I'm like, like, pretty big because I'm like, you're getting paid for this. They're out there working on raising money for that. Like, you're an idiot. However, the message was received, and so after, I think it probably took me almost two weeks to say something to them because I'm like, again, like, I'm a businesswoman and it's, you know, but it was just, it was so loud and clear that I had to. So I contacted the director and said, listen, you know, I know that this is what you were supposed to have. of, however, I have just, it's just, I don't feel this one. I feel like you deserve something that is, I feel like there's something different for you. And by the way, I'm gonna give it to you if you will receive it. And so it was a guess. They don't know what the design is. I am still working on the design for this sculpture. - I was gonna say, do you know what this design is yet? - No, but I know when I was told immediately that it's supposed to feel like peace and healing. So I know, and that's what I explained to him, I'm like, look at, and like, that's the most artist thing I've ever said my entire life. (laughs) I don't know what it looks like. - Am I really that person now? - I was like, oh, God, right? I'm just like, whatever, whatever, baby. But this is where I am. And so I'm like, I have just learned to listen to this. Oh, and By the way, like five minutes after I told them that I was going to give them a sculpture, Burger King showed up with how to train your dragon in my inbox. So, when you're on the right path, there will be signs. It is so important for you to cultivate a relationship with yourself, or you listen to yourself, and you're in that this of listening to yourself, the most magical things. And there is, and like going back to our, your first comment about fear, you know, it just completely is right in alignment with this. I'm like, yeah, it's scary to turn down a, you know, a payday, like literally a payday. And with all due respect, I'm a business woman, like you need to give, I have bills to pay, metal costs money, and I like to eat steak. - Yeah. - Yeah, I'm saying, you know, Yeah, I'm saying it'll be free guys. Yeah, the pipes and all, but it's like to turn that down is like what the hell if I had a business manager, she would have fired me or he would have fired me. However, I'm like by listening to this inner these messages or these urges or these, whatever I'd like interknowing whatever it is like I just like practiced again and again on like what direction I should go in and it has been profound but that's why I'm sitting here like that's why I'm sitting here today and you're excited to talk to me and I'm excited to talk to you is because of that everything that wasn't a FES has been enough no no and that has allowed me to continue just to honor myself and what's really excites me and because I am working in passion and not under pressure it's just allowed everything to come through or just it's allowed everything to come through it's like it's like you create yourself and like this magnetic magnetic something or other attracts the most prolific things ever I'm like this sounds kind of woo -woo but I'm like, I'm sitting here and I'm like, it's, it's happening. Yeah. And I'm like, I didn't know this to begin with. This is just something that just through again, it's the practice. It's just, yeah, it's hard to, and I had, so, you know, we have investors for our business, we do a lot of creating as well. I mean, We're creating a marketplace and software and, you know, having to come up with all this stuff, all these ideas, there's no model out there. So you're kind of, I mean, we come up to, you know, trailheads all the time, like forks in the road and just like having to figure that out. Now, I was talking to an investor several years ago and he goes, you ignore your instinct at your own peril. And he goes, that's why, that's why I invested with you. It's like, I just have a sense that you're gonna figure this, you know, you're gonna figure this thing out. So he's like, just, just don't ignore what you feel about it and just go do it. And don't think, just go do it. And that, those are sorts of comments that kind of set you free over time because you start getting feedback, you know, from the products you're putting out in the world and seeing things happen. And it's sort of emboldened you to really believe your instinct more increasingly. Because it doesn't come, I think most people can, you know, their instincts barking at them or they're getting clarity in their thinking. And, you know, you have these at least a minimum of two voices. One is sort of the logical safe voice. And then the other one is sort of like, you know, full throttle. Let's go that. And then you also have, you know, what is probably the reasonable thing to do voice. So those are, it takes discipline to, to give yourself a chance. That's well said But I want to touch back on the idea of fear. I was saying earlier I was going through YouTube and some years ago like four years ago and you were talking about the idea of Fear can go fly kite, you know, there are two types of people people who just fold up the tent and And they go, they don't, they're like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to push through. I'm going to break that. I think you said some of the breakthrough and some of the breakdown is actually how you wrote it. Tell me how you, how did you get there? I understand your story and how you've, you've learned to push through fear because there's good stuff waiting for you. But tell me about your position on fear. So I actually have a tattoo on my arm that says fate favors the fearless But it's I still and we spoke about in the beginning I've actually spent all of my life in fear It's we put on masks, you know Massiciness that we're scared to you know offend someone or or we put on masks of bravery, we're still scared, we go and do it anyway. And that's like always a practice of that, feel the fear and do it anyway, you know? 'Cause you're either gonna, you got like, what if, you know, what if you don't make it? Like you're going to gain knowledge, you're gaining feedback, you're seeing what doesn't work. Cool, Right you fell on your face get up and do it again. It's fall down seven times get up eight You know, it's yeah, it is scary It's scary because I mean like everyone's looking at you and they're judging you and it's like I quit my job And everyone's sitting there going she's an idiot, you know, I had the most of I don't know if they did or not I felt like they did and that's what I had in my mind is like they all felt like I was an idiot You know, I bet there's a couple of them out there that wish they you know would have had that Because most of the people who are at that company were more talented than I was and was more capable of creating their own businesses than I was, than I was, I just had it in my head that that's what I was going to do. But, you know, people are going to judge you one way or another, you know, might as well do what you want to do. And like, that fear part is, you know, they will judge you regardless but feeling you're gonna have the fear not but it's like I don't know find a this is what I did is I think I found a passion that was that just was greater than the fear like it just was uh it was scarier not to go after it I feel like and I couldn't even like now that's not even the truth it there's like my passion or my Obsession I'll say obsession like my I needed to do that more than I needed to breathe and it's like fear went away Like there wasn't like I've definitely had fear a whole lot like throughout the whole thing However, like when it came to I must do this like fear wasn't even a Fear wasn't even a factor fear was a factor. Hey, Joe. Yeah, no Yeah. No kidding. I understand what you're saying, which is you're so doing the right thing that I'm just so locked in on what I'm doing here. I'm so aligned with me. Everyone else had fear. Everyone else around me had fear. I apologize for interrupting, but I just want to clarify that. Every single person around me had fear over my decision that I needed to do for myself. My only obstacle was I probably had some of my own fears and doubts. However, I had to overcome my fears and doubts plus theirs 'cause these are close family members. This was a then husband and a mom and a dad that my mom and dad totally, like that one was the biggest obstacle because just like the first relationship, mom and dad. And so like that was the wanting them to be happy, wanting them to feel secure, like, why don't you trust me kind of thing? But their fear was, it was harder to overcome their own fear. I was already over, like, I already didn't have it, but I had to overcome their fear that they projected on me. - And did you reach the point of, did you reach the, I understand that, by the way. I mean, my business and have parents, parents, they're like, you know, I don't know, it doesn't seem like the, yeah, like there's, is there like a more secure route? I'm like, yeah, those are kind of boring. That's, that's that generational though, because of what they went through. And it's not personal, it's generational, you know, generational fear. You know, they were, they had a certain thing, Like moving forward. I'm like, I don't cast that on my kids. I'm like, man, you guys should be entrepreneurs. It's epic Like you should have no freaking boundaries, you know, but also it's like our generation is different and moving forward Fear like this. There's not the fear in I don't believe and I don't know. I don't feel it anymore. I Feel uncertainty sometimes and like should I be doing this or this? doing this and that, but well, once again, it is fear. I still feel fear. Well, I would assert, and this wasn't my original thought, that we all are guided by fear entirely. Like every, they can be tiny little fears, but it is what guides us through our day. And to the extent, you know, people are biologists and say that makes a ton of sense, I I would agree with them that it makes a lot of sense that we might be motivated by by fear And then we have the larger frontal cerebral, you know frontal cortex that kind of helps us balance that out But I think everything we do is is, you know fear -based and people like to get into default behavior that typically is the core of which is Um, and there's, that's, that's a bargain. That's, that's a bargain that's being made. Um, and. Oh, yes. But, you know, it's, everybody has different tolerances, but there's, there's, you kind of get used to living in chaos after a while and you, you start to understand it and how it works and, and not internalize the things that are occurring in your environment that directly impact your success. It's like, "That doesn't make me bad at something or a failure. You just can't internalize it." Yeah, it's feedback. You take it as feedback. Yeah, I take it under advisement. the founder of, you know, that company Spanx, you've heard of that, you know, the founder, Sarah, somebody, I can't remember her last name, but she tells a story about how, you know, her company's been wildly successful. And she talks about, she was interviewed and she was sharing some of her background with in the you. And she goes on to tell a story about, you know, we're very comfortable, comfortable with failure at my family. And the reason is at dinner, my dad asked me, what'd you fail at today? And they always, so I got sort of this parental reinforcement like support of the concept of failure, which you were just talking about is that they were worried of failure and you getting to a life that, they wanted for you and all that sort of stuff. And she's learning from this early age that that's not gonna be an obstacle to her success. And now that probably cuts about two ways as all things do. I don't know what other sorts of problems that might have led to, but in the context of that conversation. I was like, yeah, I could see how that'd be really helpful. Yeah, I have paved my way to success by using my failures as stepping stones. Yeah. Who was that? I'll forget the authors. They might have been Mark Twain, possibly, but he said, you got to learn from other people's mistakes because you never live long enough to make them all yourself. It definitely sounds like a yourself. Yeah, it does. So but the idea of fear, I really caught my attention. I actually have on my wall is the FDR. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, which I walked by this morning. And every time I walk by that, it's on our staircase and I just look at it. I'm just like, God, isn't that the truth? Hmm. I think in practicing faith in ourself and that starts with the listening to ourselves, do we eradicate fear from our lives? And also, in looking back and seeing all the things that you've overcome, I find an excellent exercise in overcoming fear is to look back and look at your successes. Look at all the, I went through this relationship. It was awful, but I mean, like I survived, but did you die kind of thing? And looking at all the things that you've overcome in your life, like we get so busy going left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, like focusing on where we're going, that we forget to lift our heads up and look around and just see how very far we've come. You've not gotten here by accident. It's definitely by hard work and like overcoming things. (upbeat music) to like oh yeah that feels like it would be so much fun like if you know if money and time and people's opinion was no object what would i be doing kind of thing and then like that right there and then like leaning into what shows up like but it is practice and i definitely there's always more room to grow i'm like i'm an apprentice of life like i will always you know continue to grow you to grow and learn and to find new ways to do things better and faster or maybe not even faster, maybe just better, but just doing things in a new way. Yeah, an interesting thing is I'm hearing you talk is the idea of as you get better at these things, you kind of look back and part of the journey is when you start these journeys, you're sensitive to what people were thinking. And then you kind of look back and you look over the journey, you're like, maybe I don't care what people think. And that's kind of a cool thing because there's no way you would have done what you did. If you really like, like you might hear it. And I know, I mean, I don't know you that well, but like it's just interesting to look back at these journeys and be like, I used to think I was so worried about everyone thought. and here I am and I've done it. And that's sort of like a moment, right? - Yeah, it's like, look at what you've done. I do all my own stunts, like my website, I do it. You see my YouTube channel, I do it filming, I do it. It's, you know, me incorporated. And I was redoing my website recently and decided to do a video of like one and a half seconds of for each client like just on a spinny thing and I started putting my clients on there and started to like upload the pictures and I just I cried I was I can't even believe that what that looks like I'm like are you f -ing kidding me like it just it's there I've been putting my you know head down working like I know I've been doing this but it just not that it register. Each one is very, very, very special. However, I'm just so in the moment that it's like, when it's done, I like, I'm in this moment now. And I'm like, I'm not always thinking about what's coming up in front of me or what's behind me. It's just, I've practiced on becoming very, very present. And so when I do something like that, and it's like, dude, Dude, holy moly, like, not one, but two sculptures for them, and like, they wanted five sculptures from me, like, and gave me an art gallery, or an art showing, I'm like, it's, oh, yeah, oh, and let me keep the sculptures too. I'm like, and let me keep the sculptures to sell myself on top of it. Yeah, like, just profound opportunity, after profound opportunity that these companies have given me, you know, I ended up just, I'm like, I could go down a list of some other stuff. It's just like what the hell, you know, but it's like you don't always realize it until you take that step back and really just kind of look at how, you know, how listening to your intuition serves you and being in alignment with that And, you know, not taking things that other people say to you personally, I think that's probably my number one thing is because people come to you and they're like, oh, you know, I'm mom and dad, like, being a welder is like, is the stoop. Why would you waste your money doing that. And then when I got into, you know, a job to go, oh, hey, great, she's going to be a welder. Okay, and we support her and then five years later, I'm like, I'm quitting my job to go full time as an artist. - Well, no, that wasn't a popular decision. I didn't take it personal. - They take you over to the wall with all your drawings growing up, and they're like, "You sure you wanna be an artist?" (laughing) - That's what I'll remind you. - And that was pre -empting savage right there. I'm taking that personally. (laughing) - They're like, "Look at that." - You're my drug will never stack up, Barbie. (laughing) So let me ask you a question. You said at the beginning that you never fancied yourself as an artist. So are you an artist? Like do you when you think about Barbie, are you like Barbie, like the artist, do you have you believe that now? Do you, you say, yes, I am, or do you, or do you kind of like, no, I'm just someone who's how to makes like really creative, great things, but I'm not really an artist. Gosh, that's a really fun question. I have not, give me a second to think about that because you call myself an artist. I'm gonna open my spin drift while you do that. I've called myself a welder, a fabricator, an artisan, an artist, a sculptor, and I'm probably like all of those and none of those I just I love to create and I love to design and create and I don't know if it matters what I'm designing and creating I think the design like what I have personally found on this journey is that the designing and creating just brings me so much happiness whether I am designing and creating laser engraved coins I'm working on that that's new I'm designing and creating sculpture I'm designing and creating ad campaigns for companies I'm working with I'm designing and creating author. Just a machine. The machine. I'm magnificently obsessed. I just I love to create. So I would say I'm a probably at the core of it. I'm a creator. designing and creating. Let's put that here. So you're saying design creative. What is that? I do whatever it takes to make my sculpture to make whatever sculpture I want to. That's what I do. I mean, whatever it takes. I think of design and creation, maybe. So you think of them very differently, though, designing versus so is the design, the conjuring of it, and then creating is the making of it. Yeah, so two halves. So one is just months of thinking, months of physical labor. So For me, with the sculpting, it's like I probably spend half the time thinking about a sculpture and the other half the time creating it. Like, there's so much not doing that I'm involved in that people would think I'm the laziest woman you've ever met, where I will. God, does that resonate? Right. But then, like, when someone sees me work, they can't imagine me being lazy. And I say lazy and I'm like, I lay around or I walk the beach or I walk the neighborhood or just drive aimlessly, just to think and to, and it's, I am, see this, the veteran sculpture, I have like, it's been back burner, but I've still spent probably a couple of hundred hours already just thinking about design. And now I'm getting into where I'm starting to put like just thinking, nah, I've written like, you know, like this much down like now I'm where I'm like really writing stuff down and really researching and looking at pictures and feelings and meanings of things and like, now it's getting into the more, and I'm like physical thinking, if that makes sense. I haven't even like, this is a couple hundred hours before I've even gotten to sculpt. And so, and like I also behind this sculpture is because I'm donating it. I'm creating a way for people to support it so that financially I can take two months of my time and be able to, it's gonna, I've made your projects two to three months. The longest one's been six months, but I'm thinking I can get this done in two months. I have a hard, I have a hard unveiling date of September, or I'm sorry, November 11th. That-- - Good to have a date, it's good to have a date. - I'm like, that's when I'm gonna unveil it. However, and that's in two months, two months and a week, I don't have the sculpture design yet. So I'm also creating an ad campaign behind it in order to get people involved because people will be able to, part of the sculpture is a laser engraved dog tag that will be incorporated onto the sculpture that people can donate and have someone that they want to honor, go on to the sculpture. I've never done it before to have like where people can, well, actually, yes I have. I've done it once before. Ah, that was really cool. People, I have a sculpture where people sent in tools that I've welded into a sculpture. I just realized that. I did a live stream yesterday and said I've never done that before and I totally lied. - That's all right. - No, it's not. I'm like, I should know these. - Well, I know, but I was trying to make you feel better. I mean, yeah, that's fine. - I don't, fear, you scared I'd feel bad. No, I'm just like, just realization. I'm like, from now on, I'm like, I have to just remember. - No, I think it's good. I mean, but so you touched on something that just absolutely, two things resonated big time. One is, I've never had my great idea at my desk ever. - Oh, I love it. I've never had a good idea that I've had good ideas, but like the breakthrough idea never happens at the desk. It's always what I'm, you know, doing what you described back. I'm literally just like playing with a ball of yarn or something. And I'm just like, yes, that's it. I finally figured it out. and it just slots, and you know it the second it happens. You're like, wow, that thing, like it's like a Tetris piece falling in. You're just like, yes, that's exactly it. And then the other one was this idea of this whole concept of you're sort of working the idea, working the idea, working the idea, and it's like rapid prototyping, right? It's like in your head, it's like going so fast. And you can just turn it off and put it on a shelf. And then three days later, you can pick it right back up and you're going. And so they used to call that procrastination. And I read this, I've read this white paper, whatever the hell it was, like a couple of years ago. And I was like, that's what I was doing. Finally, Finally, there's some science behind the fact that I wasn't just staring at the ceiling. I was doing something. It's just you needed it done. You just said the test was on Friday. If it had been the following Friday, I would have crushed it. But things hadn't crystallized for me. That's it to crystal clear our words and how we speak is so much fun. It's something that I it's like crystal clear and you have to crystallize it you have to make it clear and that's exactly what it is like I'm here to give people permission to not work. It is such a it's if you look at my like what I do it looks like I'm working 24 /7 which technically I am I'm always working and I'm always playing. It just doesn't always, it isn't always physical. And it was at first very, very hard. It was 2018, I'm like picture it Sicily, 1947. Like it was 2018 that I was going, did a whole bunch of self -help stuff. Start with reading books, like how to be a better business woman, how did like, self esteem, huge, like, huge working on self esteem, a lot of, like, all of the self work. But it went from reading books to go into seminars to getting a personal coach to listening to myself and getting rid of all that stuff. And like, understanding, I'm like, I just need to listen to myself. I don't need to go outside of myself for advice. I'm like, I just, I know, I know what I need and you know that practice, but in 2018 and one of the seminars I was in, I was, it was like the greatest lesson of all time is like I need time off. I was working seven days a week at a complete under fear. I've gone full time as an artist September 1, 2014. We I'm working on 11 years as a full -time artist September 1st. I'm so proud of myself. I really just want to stop and say thank you to myself for just working at that one because it is by far the best 20 years of my life to do 11 years full time. Thank you, me. I was working seven days a week just complete and or fear and I needed that to get to where I am. I recognize it now but at the time it was just so much, it was so much pressure that I wasn't taking, I wasn't taking time off and just it was complete fear that like if I stopped for a second that everything would fall apart and so what I realized is I need to start taking time off so 2018 I took 18 days off that year and since then, practiced taking time off and not working. And when I have found by taking this time off, like it was so much fear behind, like I can't take a second off to, I took six months off in 2022 when I moved to Florida. I'm like, I got really-- - So you really adopted this time off thing? - I I did and I found personally that it was been the best thing I've ever done and I practice now working less and earning more and passive income has been a huge portion of that but also just honoring myself and what my time is and my my essence that I will never ever ever ever get back. That just making sure that I'm honoring that by, You know raising my value and then making sure that might what at the value that I'm giving is a hundred You know hundred percent what I'm capable of and like find craftsmanship and just attention to details and all things and then just You know working to raise my standards and all things it has been the best thing ever but that taking that time off and you know Showing myself that I'm I don't have to work all the time. We have such a, it looks like I do. I'm like, weirdly, I compress time. And I'm not sure how to explain it other than that. Like what used to take me months now takes me hours. And I think it's because, I believe it's because I don't know for sure. Well, facts kind of show it that it's like exactly because. But also momentum, right? So hard work over long periods of time, I have created momentum in my business that is profound. But by honoring myself, it's on working on the right things. This is just a whole big recipe for it, I guess. Well, it's the concept of time under tension, right? You get your under tension for such a long time. You create such great strength in And it's it's there's this whole concept of time and retention for cognitive ability and the ability to get things done. And, uh, it's the, the idea, the, the analogy that they give is when you're lifting, we, when you're lifting weights, like, you know, these guys who are massively jacked and stuff like that, that you can do a squat in three seconds or you can take 30 seconds to come up And you're better for having coming up over that 30 seconds, right? Then it's time under tension Yeah, deal with that. I mean that's You know like it's a and it once you start thinking about that it's like yeah And it's so they've the scientists have taken that a step further and say how can we apply that time under tension to our cognitive of ability, right? And our ability to get things done is related to our time and retention. - And the sculpture that we've taken two months will probably come out in two weeks. And like that's it too, is 'cause I've never taken so long to think about something in my entire life. And patience is a practice for me. So that's wild to Well, and also, so also comes with that your confidence is we get better at getting our stuff done and getting being successful. We don't panic as much when we have to get something done, meaning that we're confident that we can get it done. So I know that I don't need to pour over it for four months Because I know I'll get it done You know, so you just have a confidence of completion if that makes sense Did you do coaching and this has been like the most prolific hour of my life? Well, no, I we have Wow Sarah and I have two young boys ten and eight so I catch a coach like like flag football. That's what you mean. No, I'm not personal coaching, which I'm listening to myself. But man, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I cannot wait to like binge your podcast. This is like, because that's what it is. It's like your insights are powerful and life changing. Never once have I ever heard of time under tension. And it just immediately resonated and just felt like home when you said that. And it's just exactly what I've been doing but didn't have words for it. - Yeah, well, check it out 'cause it is, it is a lot to chase down there and it just resonates and resonates like more and more and more. And so the other thing I wanted to ask you is we've talked about the art primarily. What are, are you a business person? I mean, okay, let me back up. You've heard something called the Creator's Curse, right? Which is you can be an amazing creator, best design in the world, and you cannot sell what you do to save your life. So the Creator's Curse, which is you can make these great things, but you don't have the confidence to go out and get yourself and turn it into something that can be a living for you, right? I think that's, that's a thing, which, and so you, it's so interesting because you never like thought of yourself as an artist. So you have these elements, you have this capacity to make things, but maybe you also have this great aptitude for business, which you clearly clearly you've taught yourself and put in the work to get good at it. I heard what you said, but you don't seem to have sort of this creator's curse, which is you are comfortable saying, hey, I had to make a living. I know this stuff is good. No one's doing what I'm doing. Look behind me. I've got like this kick -ass jacket in this crazy, like I didn't even know what that thing is. And so, But they're cool, and I can see that. So, but you know it too, and you're okay going out, and maybe that's just time has said, well, no one's gonna do it for me, so I better go do it. But tell me about, what is your aptitude for business? Is that, did that come more naturally than learning how to weld? I mean, they're both, they're very discreet skills. I mean, those are two different things. - Both are learned, and both are self taught. Well, the welding I was taught by someone else, but the sculpting art is self taught and the being Barbie the business lady is also self taught. And it's just everything that I've learned to do has come out of necessity. So I knew that I needed to be a full time artist. I didn't necessity, I've learned to do all the things I know how to now do and still I'm like, I need to, you know, I must sculpt, or I must do it full -time, like part -time, like I'm like half measures of Alice Knot kind of thing. I cannot go into something like Luke Warm. I'm like all in, I'm not like that. Oh yeah, I like you a little. I'm like, oh yeah, we're best friends forever kind of thing. So I like, I must, you know, be a full -time artist in order to do that, I have to figure out the business side. and then studying like different people again like I read books and I you know listen like 24 hours a day like if I was up I was either working in my shop and building things I was on social media building that or I was reading books and and that didn't start out at first it took me a couple of years to get to that like slow progression into like dude I'm like I'm like I got two boys that you know are watching this and I can't fail so fear was definitely a factor for me. It was the fear of failure. Like I need them to see that I can do this. You know, I don't want to go back to work and I'm part like that's complete ego. I'm like, I don't want to people who think of me as a failure. And so 100 % ego got me here. Thank you, ego. I love you so much. Oh, you know, like I'm like not trying to like be all like toot my horns thing, but like ego does serve us deeply in some aspects, as long as we're using it as proper tool for good, using it for good enough or evil kind of thing. Yeah. Kind of like the force. Yeah. Absolutely. Right. Because I think we could use our powers for whatever we want it to be for. So, but I just had to cultivate business skills because I could not go work for the man. I had to be the man. And so I have to. And I'm like, again, I'm like, I like steak, I like to eat well, like to, you know, I want massages daily. I don't, I'm not there yet. I'm working towards that. You know, I'm like, I want to own my own little salt bath chamber thing. And, you know, I want to have a greenhouse and a, you know, ginormous shop on property. And I'm like, I don't have that yet. And so like, it's like, there's no, it's me. It's like, there's not, you know, like, I'm not waiting for something to come along and like help me with this. It's just, this is me incorporated. and so, you know, like Ricky Bobby is me incorporated. I'm sponsored by me and I have to do this. You know, and I have to, I'm like, I get to. And this is like the coolest effing thing ever 'cause I'm like, this is like challenge accepted. I wanna do this. And I also like, I wanna do this for me. I deserve it. I want this. It would be so much fun to go and create this. I'm like, I want like Yacht and Monaco Harbor watching the Formula One race. And I'm like, I want to do that on strength of me because it sounds like fun. - That sounds awesome. - And I want to go here and do this. And you know what? I want to show other artists that it's possible because I represent possibility. Like that's what's been a really fun thing is because it started out being completely effing selfish and for me, And it still is, however, I've realized that there are so many other people out there. Dude, I know how happy I am. I'm literally living in the middle of the dream. I don't have my yacht in Monaco yet. However, I'm on my way, and I'm so much further along than I ever have been. And I know what doesn't work, and I know what does work so far. And that will change along the way, but that is the joy of becoming who I get to become. And that's just through practice, you know, and play. I've written a book on the artist guy to kind of brand market and sell yourself basically online. I'm like, I just totally screwed up the title for that. Well, yeah, branding marketing and selling art online, because that's how I've learned to do it. But it's a branding part and understanding understanding you're a brand, you know, the clients aren't just buying my art now. They're also buying my name. And that's what I teach in that book. And that's something that artists don't understand. And I sure had no idea, but it's something I've learned. Is that a form of transcendence? When you can sort of do that, which is, you know, where you've you've transcended, you know, Here's a relatable example, which would be God, okay, you could take like Leonard scanners their music has transcended those people Right, it doesn't matter. It's so long as they are still been ordained by some original member playing that live Right, they've been just been brought in that that sweet - Sweet Home Alabama is just an anthem, right? Or you take Taylor Swift, her brand is so strong that she could live in a concert, like ordain or coordinate somebody and be like, I'm out, this is the new me, see ya. And, you know, that's the, I mean, so she's transcended her own product, you know, or the brand has transcended herself rather. That's where I'm at. And I feel like I just got there. I feel like I just got there with the last job, because that's how it was quoted was for rights of mine, my brand, along with the sculpture, which has taken a lot of practice to get there and it's taken a lot of belief in myself when there was no evidence to the contrary. That's remarkable. And no, it's interesting is that you're recognizing it where there are a lot of people are sort of like, so kind of they're at odds with their talent, you know, or the success that comes from their talent that, you know, and that you are, You are you have a great relationship with I'm sure it ebbs and flows is all things do but you're you're present and able to enjoy The progress and the payout pay off rather than the payout That you get in the result and that's what you were talking about example for your boys. I mean, that's pretty solid. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I nailed the best mom ever with how to train your dragon. Yeah, absolutely. I totally believe that. So let me kind of steer us towards a closing little bit, which is, as you think ahead, I mean, you just transcended your own brand. So looking ahead, Do you feel like, are there other things you might add into your daily activity list? I mean, art is a never ending thing. It's like, you're never finished drawing the perfect circle, right? I mean, you can be like, I can try it one more time. You know, you can always make a better circle. And so, but are there other things you feel like you might kind of bring in to the Barbie fold? - As far as? - As like, oh, - As like your art, which you love to do, you're welding, right? Are there other interests or things that you want to incorporate into your business? - Oh yeah. - I mean, you're writing books. I mean, you're out talking, you're like, so what's next? - I am learning to cast. I'm working on getting to learning to cast. I've got some of the equipment. I need more equipment, but I am going into casting products on limited run to to offer a different, different barbie the welder experience. So I go from my books, which are $15 and $35 to $10 ,000 and up for sculptures. And I would really like create something, maybe not in the middle of that, but just on a limited time to allow people to collect at a little different level. So I've got some products that I'm really excited to do and all of it will, I haven't figured out which ones yet, but will support nonprofits and causes that are very personal to me. Working on a product to promote helmet safety, motorcycle helmet safety. I had a best friend pass away a year and a half, almost two years ago now from motorcycle accident. I grew up telling my kids a minute they got can be on something with wheels that you'll wear a helmet, but never once looked at my best friend who I wrote all over hell's creation with this man that he was wearing helmets on long distance trips, but not around town and, you know, that hit by a car in Daytona and killed and had he been wearing his helmet, he would not have been. And so I want to and will create a product that a major portion of the proceeds will go to promote helmet safety so that I can save people's best friends or like at least just bring awareness to a conversation. I, you know, I never once turned to him and said, Hey, man, because if I'd said something to him, he would have put it on and I know this. So it's something like that. So products with purpose, it's all of it's like art, art with this art with a heart. Guess what all like everything I create is just like it's art with a heart. It's just everything that like the veteran sculpture and being able to go in and just, you know, create a way for a community to come together and create this, you know, to be able to fund this project, to be able to give it to them. They are healing PTSD without medication, something that I've done for myself. So that's why this project is so, so personal to me. Like everything I do is just, it's personal. It's business and it's personal. And like, that's what I think has made it that right there. It is personal to me. And that's what has made this so it's easy and not easy. It's easy to put in the work to create what I've created and to learn the things I've learned because it's personal. I mean, how are you supposed to get through all like anyone to get through a really hard business stuff, if it's not, I mean, if it's not personal, I mean, it's hard to be in it to win it. Yeah. You know, it is. And that's, I like everything you're saying that you're able to, and what a great opportunity that you can use what you do to, you know, put it art with a heart, right, to be build up do that and I'm sorry to hear the story you just told me about your friend. I'm sorry for your loss but it is nice to have like the ability to channel that way. I get to honor my friend and hopefully save others that way and like it is it's a complete and utter I don't even have words for how lucky I am for what I get to do that I'm in a position to be able to to I the mirror, like I used to hate my guts. I'm like, and that's an understatement, just like for clarification, I just used to hate who I was, and then made every decision to support that feeling. And it just threw, you know, just through beliefs grown up with that I took things personal that wasn't. And it's like, through that self discovery, just gotten to Do this but who I've got to become is like it's I'm my greatest masterpiece as are you and everyone Who's listening like our greatest? It's all right I just learned this word yesterday, and I'm gonna use it until the cows come home my Magnus opum I think is what it is. It is my greatest masterpiece, right? And I'm like it is me Like at the end of the day like what I'm truly sculpting is it's not businesses and it's not, you know, and I say businesses 'cause I am a serial entrepreneur. I just, I'm just at the very beginning of what's gonna happen. Like all the people I get to serve and the ways I get to give back and just share what I've learned. I'm like everything I learn, I immediately share it because I know what it's done for me. And I'm like, I share open and freely. I'm like, I will tell you every business secret which is not a secret because I want it for you too and I want it for other artists and like that you know the book it's every single thing that I've learned to get me where I am today you know it's everything it's I'm an open book because I know what it's done for me and I want to be around other people who feel the way I do because I know that I'm a good neighbor I want to be neighbors with someone like me and so then you know I give it all away I've got more than a hundred videos on, on YouTube to how to weld art and how to be a business person and, you know, personal mental journey on growing our grown ourselves. It's just, you know, I have to live in this neighborhood. You know, I mean, I have to live in this neighborhood. And I just, I'm, I want the best for my neighbors. I want them to be happy, healthy and whole, you know, financially stable. If you need help, and any of that stuff, I'm like, I got a couple of books. if you need help and can't afford it, I'm like, send me an email. I'm like, I'll give you a book. I want happy neighbors, you know? - Yeah, I think that's well said. Well, I'm gonna wrap us up, Barbie, Barbie the welder. How do people find you online, your website, and tell us again the name of your books. I'd be interested in taking a look at those myself. - I have three books on how to weld art, one is about horseshoe art, one is about silverware animals and the other one scrap metal art. Those are all available on my website. Like all six books are available on my website. Best way to get them because you get signed copies and I send little gifts because I love to. I'm working on laser engraving so you get laser engraved little key chains and stickers and things that I'm playing with as I'm learning. You can so Barbie the welder com is my website and then social media. All of my channels are Barbie the welder. I'm on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. - Yeah, well, I wanna say thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. It's been an absolute blast hearing about your stories and your journey and there's a lot of resonance as well. So thank you for that shop. It's absolutely been amazing to learn from you. This has been an incredible afternoon. Thank you so much for your time. I'm grateful.