Summary of Chasing Holistic Wellness

We love our Krabby Patties but we’re still on our holistic wellness journey.

Join your hosts Mercedes and Mama Telanna as they go beyond french fries to share a candid and insightful conversation that dives deep into wellness and holistic healthcare.

Mama Telanna opens up about her recent venture into holistic healthcare with an integrative doctor, turning 50, and the pivotal moments that led her to prioritize her well-being. Discover the role of technology in their wellness routines, from glucose monitors to Oura rings, and how data-driven insights have empowered them to make informed decisions about their health.

From battling the temptation of french fries to confronting the realities of aging and autoimmune diseases, Telanna’s story is a testament to the power of proactive health management and finding joy in the journey.

Mercedes, not to be left behind, shares her own experiences of falling off the wellness wagon and the revelations that have pushed her towards a more mindful and health-conscious lifestyle.

Together, we explore how technology like MyFitnessPal, Smartwatches, and even virtual reality games like Supernatural have become our allies in the quest for better health. But it’s not all tech; we delve into the emotional and spiritual aspects of wellness, challenging the idea that health transformations need to stem from trauma or drastic life changes. It’s a conversation about making peace with your body, embracing change at your own pace, and the realization that sometimes, the most significant wellness breakthroughs come from the simplest of questions: “Can I still have my coffee?”

Whether you’re just starting your journey or interested in going deeper, this episode is a mix of laughter, sincerity, and a bit of mother-daughter banter that promises to inspire, motivate, and maybe even convince you to give those VR workouts a try. So plug in, get comfortable, and let’s chase wellness together.

And if you’re enjoying this podcast, send us your thoughts, review, or note of encouragement at ⁠⁠hello@chasing100club.com⁠⁠! We’d love to share it on our social media platforms!

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LINKS AND RESOURCES

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Oura Ring: https://ouraring.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Telanna (Mom), the Purpose Minded Woman, ISTJ

About Telanna: ⁠⁠https://www.purposemindedwoman.com/site/about ⁠⁠

Mercedes (Daughter), the Career Love Coach, INFJ

About Mercedes: ⁠⁠https://www.mercedesswan.com/about⁠

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Chasing Holistic Wellness Transcription

Telanna: If you would have told me that, like, I could go a month without french fries, girl, preach.
Mercedes: That’s the testimony right there. This is the lead into the episode. A month without french fries. You have been delivered.
Telanna: Yes. Come on now.
Mercedes: Come on now. Amen.
Telanna: Reach godfather and have some potatoes for me in heaven.
Mercedes: Yes, ma’am, every day. Well, yeah, maybe once in a while you can have some french fries, but.
Telanna: I will say that is the absolute thing I asked the integrative doctor. I’m like, look, lady, I don’t care what’s in these 23 pages. All I need to know is, can I still have coffee? If I cannot have coffee, just throw my whole body away.
Mercedes: I would just go to early grave, because.
Telanna: Hey, chasers, it’s Mercedes and Mama Telanna here.
Mercedes: It’s your favorite mother daughter duo. And we are finally back with another episode. Today we are talking about wellness. Yes. We are going to be talking about holistic healthcare and how we’re using technology to support this as one of our biggest goals. Now, me, your girl Mercedes has been off the bandwagon, okay? But I started off 2024 strong. We are eight days in. But Mama Telanna had a very lovely, amazing last year where she just went and brought in the new year strong. She may say otherwise, but I’m going to pass it off to her to tell us a little bit about her wellness journey so far.
Telanna: Hey. Well, Mama Telanna turned 50 last year. Really? Sounded a little bit lame. I need some more energy behind. Well, I didn’t want 50.
Mercedes: I didn’t want to bust our friend’s eardrums. But I do have.
Telanna: You know what?
Mercedes: We got a new podcasting app that we’re using.
Telanna: It has sound effects. All right, I’m sorry, guys. That was the app.
Mercedes: Sound effect.
Telanna: Okay, well, that was an apping. That was an apping. Next time, I’ll bring my own little horn, okay?
Mercedes: Okay. Sorry.
Telanna: But, yes, I turned 50 last year. And so, as you know, for most women, maybe not you guys, right? Because you all are doing a lot better with embodying whoever I want to be. You’re not waiting till that 40 year old midlife crisis. You all are doing it now, which is wonderful. But for my generation, us Gen Xers, we had the midlife crisis at 40, and then I feel like at 50, you have the health life crisis, right. Although it’s not really anything serious, right? So I turned 50 last year, and one of the things that was on my life list to do was to really visit a functional, integrative doctor. And one of the things. I feel like mercedes can relate to this, even though she kind of fell off the wagon, the truck, the van, whatever.
Mercedes: It left me in the dust. And it said, I’m going to leave a couple of pounds with you as I leave you.
Telanna: I think if you’ve listened to our previous podcast, we try to find ways that are maybe a little bit unconventional, a lot of ways that use technology, because we both love technology. And so, as you know, with one of the previous podcasts, we did the floating right, and that was all about the health, too. And so with this episode, we’re just going a little bit deeper around what other steps that I took in order to really figure out what my future, best self health wise looks like. Right? Because I’m only going to get older, I’m going to look fabulous, right? But I’m going to get older. And so I really want to make sure that I know what I’m looking forward to and then really putting myself in the best position possible to be able to deal with my health in the future.
Mercedes: That was a lot. I didn’t hear anything that you said.
Telanna: Wow, podcast.
Mercedes: Okay, so I love that you were talking about, like, we have this moment where we’re like, I can’t keep doing this, which is how a lot of times we get to most of our goals of actually doing the work or taking action. But what was it that really made you do that in a different way? I know you were like, I turned 50. But what really made that difference for.
Telanna: You to see this difference in business? Why are you trying to get.
Mercedes: That’s what I’m here for as you’re. I’m not here for the soft questions, okay? I’m here for the hardball, get right to it questions, okay? I’m not Shannon sharpening it. Okay.
Telanna: Sound like you’ve been listening to the Shayshe club. But anyway.
Mercedes: Dragged him, mommy. No, people dragged him. Say, what kind of questions are you asking, sir?
Telanna: But anyway, I don’t claim that we won’t go there.
Mercedes: Okay?
Telanna: So for me, rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family. I’m not really sure if it’s hereditary, but I think it is. I don’t know if it’s.
Mercedes: Thank you for that.
Telanna: I don’t know if there is a consensus about that, but generally, more or less I think that it is. And so that is an autoimmune disease. And so I feel like given that it’s in my family, I really wanted to make sure that I stopped ignoring that, because for a while it’s like, I’ve known it was there. But like you said, that day comes when you wake up and you’re like, okay, I’m sick of this. I need to do something about it. And if I don’t do something about it now, it’s just going to get worse. And so I think for me, turning 50, right. Was also a wake up call to say, okay, Telanna, now this is the time for you to really do something about it. Because I may not have an opportunity to fully correct it, but I can definitely slow it down, if that makes sense.
Mercedes: Yeah, for sure. It’s not just, I don’t know, the generational or the genetic pieces, like, whether it’s hereditary or not. But also, I think, kind of all these other compounding effects of how poor wellness or health kind of makes you feel. I think that’s been one of the biggest things for me. That has been the shift of, like, I can see how different I feel when I’m eating better or exercising more. So I’ve been trying to. When you talk about that embody piece, like, really trying to stay connected with that, like, how she feels, like, when she’s. Can’t say I’m totally there because I was struggling today and I had to go pick up some trail mix. Okay. Instead of the Ferrero Rocheres, I did eat a krabby patty, but I only ate one Krabby patty, and it was 33 calories. So thank you, my fitness pal, for enabling my 33 calories of sweets today. You are welcome. Yeah, I didn’t say you. I said my fitness pal, too. Are you my fitness pal? I wasn’t talking about you because you did not see my Krabby Patty, even though you’re the reason why I have that problem. So take that hereditary problem.
Telanna: You’re welcome. They are great little snacks because, you.
Mercedes: Know, they’re not all made the same.
Telanna: Of course I do. I love SpongeBob, so why wouldn’t I love Krabby patties?
Mercedes: Crabby patties are made the same. The gummy ones. Okay, so let’s get into this, right? So you said, I acknowledge that I had this moment where I was like, I’m not going to do this anymore. How did you get from that to saying, I’m going to go do this holistic wellness piece and all of these other things that you’ve implemented, like, we’re doing myfitness pal. You have some other technology we’re using. Notion, aura ring, Samsung health, all different sorts of things. So how did you get from here’s? What I want, and here’s how I’m going to actually implement this into my life. Yes.
Telanna: So, a few years ago, I had my gallbladder removed. Right. I think that was 2016, maybe.
Mercedes: That was very traumatic.
Telanna: I’m sorry. Stay off the french fries. Stop eating the Krabby patties. There’s my advice. God.
Mercedes: Listen, ma’am, I’m trying to counteract all this, okay? How many years?
Telanna: How many years? Yeah. So, with losing your gallbladder, there are certain things that came with it. And with it came, for me, was, like, a lot of bloating. From 2016 up until now, I just experienced bloating just from random, different foods that I might eat. But I’m not really tracking it enough. I’m not giving myself the data to be able to make better decisions about my food habits. And so that was one reason. The second reason, like I said, the fact that rheumatoid is in our family. And then I think the third reason was also recognizing that perhaps my body might have started to go into this perimenopause stage. I noticed, of course, having some hot flushes, having some difficulty sleeping, also still having a different type of bloating, I felt like. And so it was just like, okay, enough is enough. Because if you can’t be comfortable in your own body, there’s really something really wrong with that. And then, too, there’s a spiritual side of that too, for me as well, because, of course, the Bible says that our bodies are actually the temple of the Lord. And so it’s like, okay, here I am in this position where I’ve been giving this beautiful gift of this body, and I’ve spent most of my adult life abusing it. Some people might say abuse is kind of strange, but it’s actually abuse when, you know, like, I shouldn’t be eating as many french fries as I have been eating. But what can I say? I love french fries. So really, that’s where it started. It was like, you know what? It’s all piling on top of each other. Low energy, just all sorts of stuff. It was just like a downpour. So I’m like, you know what? Something’s got to give.
Mercedes: Yeah, I can definitely agree with that. I think for me, more so as I have a way that I want to see myself in clothes or booty naked in the mirror. Yeah, girl. Okay. But I think one of the challenges with that is kind of, like, this idea that you still kind of have this desire, this goal, and you see yourself in that cycle. Because I know, that’s what everyone talks about when it comes to fitness and health goals of one having this desire to be there, but kind of going through the cycle of in and out, fluctuating weight, but then also kind of separating that idea from what looks to be physical health versus actually feeling healthy. And I think that’s the difference for me this time of, like, there’s no reason that I should be taking two tums every night before I go to bed unless somebody snuck coconut milk into my food. Okay, that’s my one valid excuse, talking about the coconut milk right now. Coconut milk has ruined many a night. Many nights. But that being said, I think that’s been the thing for me this time. Just really seeing. Wanting to be more thoughtful about the health side of it and the wellness side of it. And I think that’s why my fitness pal, I used to just be just tracking calories, like, how much can I eat today? How much can I eat today? But I have really liked seeing the difference in my sleep score and seeing what my micronutrients looks like and doing my food diaries on these different websites. So let’s talk a little bit about the technology. I know that you’re using an aura ring, and I think you’re also using Samsung health and myfitness.
Telanna: So as a result of going to my physician, it wasn’t my regular physician. So I just throw that out there. I know that we don’t want to run on in this episode about all of this, so we might do a second episode more about going to an integrative doctor outside of your regular primary care doctor, because it actually wasn’t my primary care physician that helped me with all of this. Right. I would just go to him and.
Mercedes: He would say, oh, look, you’re getting.
Telanna: Close to being pre diabetic. Work on that. Right?
Mercedes: Not helpful, sir. Not helpful.
Telanna: Yeah, not helpful at all. Right? And so I’m like, well, I’m not diabetic yet. Let’s go get those french fries, please. All right. Going to the integrative doctor really opened my eyes. And I will also say, too, it was probably in 2018 that I first heard, okay, go visit an integrative doctor. And I also heard that it was extremely expensive, like, thousands of thousands of dollars.
Mercedes: Really hard to find them. Right?
Telanna: Yeah, exactly. Actually, the one that I was looking at was all the way down in Fort Lauderdale somewhere. So I just put it on that life. Like, that’s not something I need to do right now.
Mercedes: I see you when I’m pre diabetic.
Telanna: Yeah.
Mercedes: No, that’s not funny.
Telanna: And so we put limitations on ourself. I didn’t do any research. I just took it for what it was. But at the same time, too, I feel like God puts you in a position to give you what you need when you need it. So I didn’t necessarily need it back then, or maybe I wouldn’t have been ready for it back then. So it is what it is. But the integrative doctor was like, I want you to actually go and get a glucose monitor so you can start tracking your sugar. And I’m like, okay, you know what? I went from one Doctor who never.
Mercedes: Told me I was fat, like, at all. That was wild.
Telanna: Never right to this doctor. So I was thrilled about that. So I got that. I have, of course, blood pressure monitor, which that’s all fine and under control now. I got my oring last year before I went to the integrative doctor. And I love this little thing because the more data that you have about what your body is doing, the better you are able to make adjustments for yourself, right? So when I wake up in the morning and I look at my aura app, I can tell what type of day I’m going to have, right?
Mercedes: Is that good or bad?
Telanna: It’ll literally say, girl, you ain’t had enough sleep or you didn’t have enough. You need to take it easy today. And it’s not lying. So I love just being able to have that data, and I also take that data, and I put it in the notion so that I want to see the big picture of it all. So I also load it in notion. I just started using my fitness pal with crusaders as a form of accountability as well. So I’m using that, the paid version, because I’ve done things like Noom before, but with Noom. The thing that I love, the psychology of Noom, the thing that annoyed me with Noom, is that its library is, like, ridiculous. So they need to do better with that. And then, like you said, I’m also using my watch that keeps telling me I’m not walking enough, not taking enough steps. Right.
Mercedes: Listen, Sam is petty.
Telanna: It is petty. But even though I have been told that that whole 10,000 step thing was a market employee.
Mercedes: Was it really? Wait, come on.
Telanna: That’s what I found out. I was listening to some.
Mercedes: Wait for the fitness trackers or something else.
Telanna: No, it was for the fitness trackers. But it was like, I want to say it was like the. Don’t know. If it was in China, I would have to look for it. And hopefully I can look for it and put it in the show notes, because it was used as a marketing tool to get people to focus on their health and wellness. And I don’t know if it’s actually scientifically proved that you need the 10,000 step.
Mercedes: Okay. I thought you were saying that, you know how people. The whole conspiracy theory with. I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy, but how that healthy food chart is based on marketing people that they needed, like, the dairy, is not really that important.
Telanna: I wouldn’t be surprised about that either.
Mercedes: So I thought that’s where you were going with the people with the watch manufacturers, like, the fitbits of the world and the garmins of the world. They were like, if we can just get people to feel that they have to track their.
Telanna: Yes.
Mercedes: Which is for sure. Oh, okay. It is.
Telanna: That is what I’m saying. It was a company, I believe, somewhere in Asia, in the.
Mercedes: Well, I mean, as much as I want to be like, ooh, conspiracy theory about it, I will say that the steps helps me better evaluate my activity levels, which is helpful. And then also, who knows? Whatever. The American Heart association could also be a load of ****. But I think their thing is, like, 30 minutes of activity. Yeah.
Telanna: And I think that’s why no one really bothers about it. Right. Because it’s legit either way, it’s still good for your health. But I think with my goals, one of the things that I’m really focused on, I’m not focused so much on making sure that I do a particular thing or a particular outcome. I’m really focused on what my desire is to embody a healthy person, what that identity looks like. Right. So that may not necessarily mean I’m tied to this outcome of, I have to take 10,000 steps a day. For me, one of my goals is to hit my activity marker on my. Hit my activity marker on my aura ring, because it gives you an activity score every day, and the more you hit it, the higher it goes up. And so I feel like if I’m hitting that or maybe for somebody else, if they’re using Google, if you’re hitting Google fit, I think Apple phones have a little circles of all the colors you’re achieving that you know that you’re doing the work, and it eventually is all going to add up. I think that’s what’s most important. Instead of stressing out, should I get on the scale? Should I be measuring every little thing? I think it’s important to find what you love, experiment with it a little bit and then move on to the next thing.
Mercedes: I know. This is going to sound, like, very counterintuitive of most of the ways that we talk about embodying the person that we want to be or the person that we are becoming. But I think actually, for this one, at least, when I was originally starting this and I talked about how a lot of that had to do with body perception, my own self perception of my body. But I actually found that demotivating because I would look at it and I would say, oh, a healthy person would not eat this Ferreira rochere. A healthy person would not eat this krabby patty. And I guess when I’m saying it out loud now, I’m like, that’s a ridiculous thing for you to say. That’s how you embody a healthy person. But I was using very punitive metrics or evaluations of that progress. So I think that was why using my fitness pal has been super. Like, I’m mostly on Samsung health just because I want to track my activity and to be honest, see how many calories, because, like, so food driven. I just want to eat all day. Food is happiness, okay. Food is happiness, okay. But I think I found a way to be like, okay, well, I’m incentivizing myself. Like, okay, if I’m active today, if I play supernatural today, if I go on a walk, like, oh, that means more calories. It’s been really interesting where then I then value those calories more, and I’m actually less likely to eat them. So I’ve somehow psychologied myself into this, which I’m okay with. But I will say that being able to see what food is this really high calorie, it’s also helped me be more intentional about just not overeating because it’s just customary. Like, I looked today and I was like, I’m going to eat two pieces of bacon because I want bacon. And that’s not a healthy food, but I want bacon. And I’ll have two eggs and some avocado. But normally that portion for me would have been like, I have three pieces of bacon, a slice of bread, some toast, some ham, some avocado, put some onion on, some tomato on there, and then I’ll have three pieces, oh, maybe some fruit on the side. What are my things?
Telanna: I think that’s the healthy way to do it. And I think that’s what I like so much about noom is like, it didn’t limit what you were eating. It didn’t try to put you on any strict diet. But what you said, you become more mindful of the things that you’re eating when you’re using the know, it’s like kids when they get their first job, right? And you’re like, oh, I want to go to McDonald’s. And you’re like, well, in this day and age, your McDonald’s is probably cost more than an hour of, you know, for high school kids or whatever. And so it’s the same thing with the food. You have choices that you can make because, you know, I love coffee, right? And I’m pretty sure that most of the sugar that I consumed in my life, the creamer was from creamer.
Mercedes: That’s the one thing I love, is creamer.
Telanna: People probably don’t even pay attention to that, right? Because if I’m having like three cups of coffee a day, sometimes four, just depending on how I feel, and I’m putting creamer in all of those, that’s no different from me drinking soda. I mean, I don’t drink soda generally, but it’s the same premise. And so I don’t even need the creamer. Now, that’s a beautiful story.
Mercedes: More power to you.
Telanna: You’ll be there someday.
Mercedes: You’ll be there someday.
Telanna: No, ma’am, but too, I like black coffee. You drink.
Mercedes: I drink creamer.
Telanna: Coffee with your creamer.
Mercedes: No, I mean drink creamer.
Telanna: You drink coffee with your creamer.
Mercedes: Ma’am, I drink creamer with a bite of coffee.
Telanna: Yeah.
Mercedes: Anyway, that’s the one thing on my myfitness pal that is like, ma’am. But that’s okay because my fitness pal will tell me when I’ve hit my allocated sugar for the day and I have not. It’s just my creamer. Maybe today with the krabby Patty. I’m not sure. We’ll see how it shakes out at the end of the day. But, yeah. Anyway, I think this is like a really good segue into the habit. So I was saying before, it kind of has been this really good reverse psychology into making better decisions. But I now feel like how many ever days it takes to create a habit. I’m on day eight, and my habit has really been to be very intentional about entering my calories so I can make better decisions and trying to integrate other things as I go through. So what are some of the things that you’ve done to create better habits around your health and wellness?
Telanna: Well, first I’ll say that a habit takes you as long to build it as it takes you. That whole 21 days is nonsense. Okay. If you wake up on day 22 and you don’t do it, and day 23, you starting all over again.
Mercedes: Well, we could talk about how the neurodivergent people don’t do well with habits. There’s no such thing as a habit.
Telanna: I’m just saying.
Mercedes: So I’m anti habits, but I’m trying to be okay for the neurotypicals out there who could do habits.
Telanna: Well, I don’t know if it’s. So I like habits. I don’t like routine.
Mercedes: Are you going to explain the difference between that? Because I feel like a habit is.
Telanna: Something that you choose to do and it’s part of your journey, right. It’s part of your growth journey. And whereas I feel like a routine is something that people get locked in. Like, you hear people say, oh, my gosh, I hate my morning routine, or I just need. And to me, that’s more stringent, right? To say, I’m going to get up and do the same thing all the time, every day. And so I prefer to create habits and not necessarily just have this routine that people use, if that makes sense.
Mercedes: So give me, like, a tangible. Because I feel like there’s so much overlap between the two. What’s a tangible wellness habit versus routine?
Telanna: Okay, so I think a routine would be saying, I’m going to get up and I’m going to go to the gym every morning at 05:00 a.m. Before I get KJ up for school.
Mercedes: Well, those people are called psychopaths, but.
Telanna: Okay, yeah, so that’s a routine I feel like they’ve put into their day. And so for me, I still want to have a healthy lifestyle and create a habit where I am getting that activity. But for me, saying I’m going to do it every day at 05:00 a.m. Is not saying that I want to have this habit that I do each and every day. Whatever that may look like is more empowering for me. So for me, that might mean, okay, I’m going to talk trash about you now, but it’s okay. You’re my child.
Mercedes: It’s okay. I’ll forgive you, probably.
Telanna: I got a message in Whatsapp today. Say, hey, let’s do supernatural.
Mercedes: Oh, my God. I was just trying to be accountable because you said you were starting on Monday.
Telanna: Don’t interrupt me.
Mercedes: I’m interrupting. I said I was off the bandwagon, but I was catching up.
Telanna: Girl, you asked for the example. Now let me give my example. So back up, right? So say, for instance, someone I won’t say who sends a message and says, hey, let’s do supernatural at 05:00 in the afternoon. And you say, okay, I’m going to wait till 05:00 in the afternoon to do it. Even though you really realize it’s Monday, Mondays are a low energy day for you. I think I want to do it at lunchtime. That way I get that little extra adrenaline. But you get that message and you’re like, I want to be accountable. I want to be in it with her.
Mercedes: I just wanted you to start strong.
Telanna: And then what happens at 05:00 comes and the person says, I need a nap.
Mercedes: That’s so rude.
Telanna: And I end up doing it at six. And so it’s still a habit that I’m a daily habit that I’m building, but I’m not so stringent to say, okay, I have to do it this time. Because I think a lot of times when people have these stringent routines, if they don’t do it at that time, they feel like they can’t do it at all. So if I don’t go to the gym at five, oh, I just can’t do it. I just messed up my whole day. And so that’s why I kind of don’t like to fall into that. And that’s possibly because that was me.
Mercedes: Routines are successful. The last thing I want to do is be like, you know what, every single day at 05:00 I’m going to do supernatural because then it won’t be something that I’m enjoying or, yeah, I’m not enjoying it anymore.
Telanna: Hey, if you want to keep track of your habit, I have a notion template for you. Okay.
Mercedes: Okay, girl. Okay, girl. Lincoln bio. Lincoln show notes.
Telanna: Yes, Lincoln show notes.
Mercedes: Yay, girl. For the low, low price.
Telanna: I don’t even remember the price. I think it’s $25.
Mercedes: Get you your habit tracker for $25.
Telanna: Well, it is more than a habit tracker. It is a life organizing. Hey, y’all. Telanna here. And I’m on a mission to challenge women of God to fall head over heels in love with pursuing God’s purpose and plan for their life. Purpose minded Woman is a faith brand with a blend of inspiration, practical advice, spiritual guidance, coaching tools and resources tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by christian female professionals and entrepreneurs. Join me and other ambitious women of faith by subscribing to purposefully nourished, a weekly newsletter to pique your curiosity, build your faith, and pull you into taking inspired action towards your divine destiny. Join me@purposemindedwoman.com it’s just that, of course, habits are a big part of that.
Mercedes: Amen.
Telanna: But I was going to say, I think the most important thing with anything is just to really make sure that you’re doing the things that you enjoy, you’re not doing the things that other people say you should do, because that’s a big part of the success, not just in your health goals, but in all of your goals, that it’s something that you actually want to do and you know why you’re doing it.
Mercedes: I was going to say that that’s been one of the biggest things for why supernatural has been such a great thing for us, because we didn’t really say what supernatural was. We’ve just been name dropping supernatural. So KJ, my brother, your son, got an oculus and then eventually just converted all of us. Right? That’s how that worked. He got it first. Right. It was.
Telanna: That worked okay.
Mercedes: Because I was like, was it his that I tried? And so then I was like, well, I had been wanting one for a. So. Cause we know I like the technology. I want to play games. I got to get cute, cool stuff. So then I finally got it, which is a year and a half. Well, yeah, because we got it not last birthday, but the birthday before that. Anyway, so a year and a half of having one, and then Brandon got one. And then Brandon’s whole family got one. You stole KJ’s and then lost out on a deal of your lifetime, ended up getting the new one.
Telanna: Yeah, he got a good deal.
Mercedes: He got a good deal.
Telanna: I had to make it sweet for him, so I had to put in that option to buy. So he made some money, and he got to keep his oculus.
Mercedes: I mean, if that’s what makes you feel better as you review that story from your own lens, yeah, that’s fine. Fair.
Telanna: I believe in being fair.
Mercedes: You could have just gave him the money. Okay, sorry.
Telanna: We were doing better than yours.
Mercedes: I mean, it is, but my camera is better than yours. We all got priorities. So, yeah, I went there. Low blow. But anyway, so we started playing beat saber, and then that was kind of became an exciting way to kind of stay in shape or get active in the house. And so we’ve been doing. So that whole thing turned into playing supernatural. And they’re both kind of these virtual reality games where we have batons or we’re punching or we have sabers, and you’re kind of moving to hit targets. And supernatural is more like fitness related. So there’s like, squats and lunges and boxing and meditation. I haven’t done a yoga. Knee strikes. Yeah, that thing. And so anyways, it’s been a nice way to. Oh. And the best thing about it is it has lots of music. Like, all different types of music styles in there. So I’d be having some fun listening to little Wayne.
Telanna: I literally did the knot cracker today.
Mercedes: Who?
Telanna: Music from the knot cracker.
Mercedes: That’s interesting. But give me a little Wayne one. Give me a little Wayne or a paramore one.
Telanna: And I don’t do the nutcracker, honey, do the nutcracker.
Mercedes: Enjoy that. I don’t like Christmas as much as that.
Telanna: No, but you like that.
Mercedes: Everybody likes the nutcracker.
Telanna: You just imagine trying to.
Mercedes: Okay. Actually, I can see it. I can see it now. Thank you for doing the little. You can’t see it, but she made a little dinosaur arm.
Telanna: It was very. Because I was telling you, it only had two songs in it and it kicked my has, like, Lil Wayne has nothing on it. Okay.
Mercedes: Not even worse than that paramore one where you were like, I’m never doing the paramore one ever again.
Telanna: I don’t know. And I just did the queen one, too, which was pretty intense, too.
Mercedes: Anyway, we love us some supernatural.
Telanna: We do.
Mercedes: I’ve had my heart rate monitor from my Samsung watch on while doing a stairmaster at the gym. And my heart rate has been higher, like supernatural in the living room. So I feel like it’s a good exercise and I’m not about all of the gym grind and the self consciousness that comes through it. I tried personal training for a little bit. It was not it. So to circle back, find your joy, what’s going to help you? What do you like doing? I found that I really like snacking. I would like to eat seven meals of little tiny snacks. And I would also like to wave my hands in the living room like a crazy person to exercise. And it’s working for me. On day eight of 2024.
Telanna: Yes. Gosh.
Mercedes: Okay, so I think we’ve covered a lot. Is there anything that you feel like we haven’t covered yet? If not, I have a closing question for you.
Telanna: No, I think we covered everything. I mean, I think I would like to do, and especially if they want to hear more about the experience of going to an integrative doctor and what that.
Mercedes: Well, I want to because you didn’t tell us all the things. So. Yeah, it doesn’t matter what they want a lot.
Telanna: Just think about when you go to your doctor. They give you a one page summary or whatever. I left with like 15 or 20 pages.
Mercedes: That’s rough.
Telanna: Real eye opener. Yeah.
Mercedes: I have to muster the energy to go do that because blood work just terrorizes me. Yeah, all health care terrorizes me. Really? My gynecologist is going to get a nasty gram. No, I like her, so she’s not going to get a nasty gram. She’s going to get a polite, nasty gram because she was like, you can’t have your birth control, ma’am. And I said, ma’am, last time I was there, you told me that I’m not allowed to cry in your office and that I can have two years do it. I can’t handle these. Being in these people’s offices, telling me crazy stuff. Oh, my gosh. Did you see, I will circle back to my question, I promise, but did you see that stupid white doctor on TikTok? Hey there, it’s Mercedes. If you’re listening to this podcast, you probably have some pretty big dreams and aspirations. Are you looking to break into your dream job? What about pivot into a new career that aligns with your purpose? Or maybe you want to advance your career as an amazing black woman. If any of this sounds like you, it’s time for us to have a chat. In the show notes, you’ll find a link to schedule a quick and free 15 minutes career clarity chat with me during our call, we’ll dive deep into your career goals, and I’ll share some transformational career advice. If coaching with me could benefit you, we’ll discuss that too. If you’re feeling uncertain about your career, it can be tough, but it’s possible to find clarity and direction. So why not take a step to your breakthrough and schedule your free career clarity chat with me today. The link is awaiting for you in the show notes, love. All right, let’s get back to the episode. I’m guessing, based on your face. No. So there’s this man, he gets on TikTok and he proceeds to say, ask this stupid question like, sir, you’re a doctor you went to through how many years of education to get on the Internet, ask a stupid question like that? He said, I want to know why. Whenever my black patient, white man, whenever my black patients come into the office, they’re always on the phone with somebody else, a family member or whoever. And he really posted that on the Internet, right? TikTok was ******. Well, black TikTok, obviously.
Telanna: No, I did not see that. Yeah, I’m black and I’m never on the phone allergic to my.
Mercedes: You okay, well, we’re going to have this conversation, okay. Because the comment was that people, you can’t trust your health care providers, especially when it comes to wellness health and being able to advocate for yourself in a health care setting. And so that’s why they’re on the phone.
Telanna: I don’t know if that’s on the phone. I’ve had my own issues with advocating for myself around having this cough that I had. And if that’s it, but why don’t you ask your patients?
Mercedes: Well, that’s what people said. But people said, like, you just got.
Telanna: On the Internet sign up and saying, but we live in this age where people just think they can put whatever they want on the Internet. So there you go.
Mercedes: Well, I’m glad. And then people were like, don’t cancel him. He’s a doctor. Like, you really got on the Internet to say some stupid stuff like this. And then we’re expecting. We were going to be like, oh, here’s why we do this. You should already know this answer, sir. But anyway, yeah, it was just wild. And I was like, the amount of times that I’ve had apple tell me something that somebody that went to school for how many years to be a doctor could not tell me is the reason why. I don’t care what you say to me. Just give me my prescription, sir, so I can go home.
Telanna: Yeah, I mean, it’s rough out there. I mean, my doctor basically told me I had lupus, and I was like, what?
Mercedes: I’m sorry. This is a man that we don’t. Well, whatever. This is the man.
Telanna: Yeah, but just because he’s not used to looking at test results for autoimmune diseases, that was his response when he saw a little bit. I mean, I did more information searching. That’s absolutely.
Mercedes: Did I know you said, did you show me? I’m sorry.
Telanna: No, I didn’t tell anybody. I told Kevin. And I’m like, I’m not telling anybody else because this is ridiculous, and we’re.
Mercedes: Already traumatized for other reasons. So it’s.
Telanna: But. And. And that just goes to show you why visiting an integrative doctor is so important. Because she opened my eyes to so many things that I wouldn’t have had a clue was going on in my body just by. Because it’s one of those things, right? Like, she’s trying to prevent things, so she’s proactive. My physician is reactive. So you got to be dying before they want to do something. And I’m not saying that’s all his fault. Right. That’s kind the type of medicine, the type of healthcare industry that we’ve created in America. I mean, there’s so many constraints on physicians about how much time they spend with a patient and all sorts of things. So I know that it’s not all of their fault, but it’s like, if you have the ability to do this on your own, I would absolutely say, do it. Yeah, I’m sorry.
Mercedes: I just realized that there are two spongeBob backpacks back there because I forgot about the other one because I love SpongeBob. You do?
Telanna: 50 year old woman that loves SpongeBob. And I’m not ashamed.
Mercedes: And crappy patties. I was, like, looking at them, I was like, oh, that’s another SpongeBob backpack. It’s okay because I enabled you for the second one.
Telanna: Yes.
Mercedes: Oh, I was last, I think last question about your integrated health, lady. So was she a woman of color, or do you feel like she was culturally competent in how she spoke and interacted with you?
Telanna: No, she was a white lady. She was great. And actually, I didn’t find out until after my second appointment, like, my follow up to go through my reports and stuff. I didn’t find out until after that that she was actually married to somebody black. But, no, she was great. I mean, my first appointment with her, we sat down for, like, an hour. She’s like, tell me everything that’s going on. When has a doctor ever said that to you? Right? I’m like, I just want to sit here forever with you.
Mercedes: Yeah.
Telanna: So, no, it was very nice. She was very understanding, of course, because when you’re doing that, you don’t necessarily have the words to explain everything that’s going on. So I’m like, I think this and I think this. Meanwhile, I don’t really know anything. Whereas when I went to my other doctor, not the man, but before that, she was like, well, why do you think you’re in perimenopause?
Mercedes: That’s a great question. That’s a great question.
Telanna: But I had told her some of the symptoms that I thought. I’m like, if you just want to ask me, lady, have I been on Google, just ask me that.
Mercedes: The answer is yes, because my doctor sucks.
Telanna: Yeah.
Mercedes: I mean, I love that because, I don’t know, it was one of the things that I was really committed to a couple of years ago when I was going through all of my anxiety and depression stuff. Well, it wasn’t a couple of years ago, but it happened before then. But it’s continued through each of the things of, yeah, I made sure. My dentist was a woman of color. I made sure that, well, my gynecologist wasn’t a woman of color, but she’s fabulous, so she can stay forever. She’s a lady, though. And then when I was trying to find a primary care doctor in my area, I made sure it was, like, in a facility that was actually owned by a black man. And then more recently, when I was going through all of my mental health challenges, the physician was a black woman. And so it’s been really nice to kind of be in these settings where it’s nice to feel kind of, like, safer in the conversation versus feeling like you might go into a facility where somebody’s going to ask you why you’re on the phone and why all their black patients are on the phone. So I love that. Yeah.
Telanna: And I agree with that. Comfort is important. I don’t know for me if I really care that the person is black or white or whatever. It’s important to me that I’m heard. I’m happy with her. So I’m still keeping my primary care physician, and I’ll see her probably every six months or so.
Mercedes: Yeah, like, well, round.
Telanna: And then, of course, now I have a rheumatoid physician that I literally cannot get in to see until March. So there you go.
Mercedes: Well, that was rough. That story was a little rough. Well, I’m glad they’re still your physician after that.
Telanna: Because I did have a black female physician, and we loved her. And then one day she was gone, and I honestly think she was gone because she spent too much time with her patients and she ordered tests that I had never had before. And so I really think that’s why she couldn’t fit in the mold of what the healthcare system needed. So I’m steady looking for her.
Mercedes: I will find her one day. We go find you, girl. I’m not going to say her name. We’re going to find her.
Telanna: I have her MPI, so I can find her. Yes. Whenever she goes somewhere else, Miss Billing.
Mercedes: Claims reimbursement lady, I’m gonna find you.
Telanna: Now let’s wrap up this podcast, girl, because somebody has to go to Walmart to pick up their groceries because I forgot to order from Kroger and I actually have to go to a Walmart. Somebody pray for me.
Mercedes: That is so sad. I am so sorry for you.
Telanna: But not going in, I’m just going for, you know, I didn’t even like to be in the parking lot.
Mercedes: Well, I have a fiance that just says, send me your grocery order. He was all excited because he got some good job updates today, and he was like, what you want, baby? I got you. Get me all the fruit. Yeah, I’ll tell you later.
Telanna: I got to get that just from Publix.
Mercedes: Oh, the fruit. Oh, but I was getting smoothie stuff because I’m doing. Where’s that?
Telanna: Well, that’s different.
Mercedes: Yeah, well, I mean, it was some fruit, but I am doing your little girl. This book comes up every once in a while. Ten day green smoothie cleanse. I’m not doing a ten day cleanse. But I do like their smoothies.
Telanna: No, but some of those smoothies in there are real good.
Mercedes: Good.
Telanna: They’re. I have to pay attention to my sugar intake this whole time.
Mercedes: I did not know this was a black woman in the back. Okay, JJ Smith will be linked in the show notes. We’re a mess. Okay, so I know you got to go, and I also have a call because we do in business and life and health and all these things. So my closing question to you was going to be, if you had to tell yourself something 20 years ago, or. Well, you’re getting old. Maybe 25 years ago about anyway. If you had to tell 25 year old Telanna something that would change her life about health and wellness, what would you tell her?
Telanna: That you can be healthy outside of your trauma. I feel like every time, whenever I look back at things that I’ve changed in my life in regards to my health, it was always attached to me, trying to ignore something that I had gone through. So whether it was a breakup or whether it was just another outlet when I look back, other than being pregnant, those are the times when I had lost weight. Right. So after a breakup, pouring yourself into the gym, and I don’t necessarily know if that was because I wanted to prove a point, because I’ve never really had this strong body image. Like, my body has to look this way. But I think that’s not just for the weight loss, but for just so much different stuff. Like, you don’t have to go through trauma in order to really have and create the life that you want. You can do that now. And so I think that’s a big part of it for me, understanding that I can have what I want whenever I want it. And for me, that’s just now and really understanding that why behind it. Because a lot of times, that why is not really the why. It’s fabricated. Why is an illusion. So that’s why you don’t stick to it. Right. So the really why now is because I’m not trying to die or have my body in pain, and that’s the truth of it. And sometimes you need to give yourself that wake up call, the reality of it, and stop sugar coating it and saying, well, I want to fit in a size two or I want this. No. What is the why? The why is if you don’t correct something in your life, Telanna, you will die. That’s a cloth you have to have with yourself.
Mercedes: I’m having flashbacks about Mr. What’s his name from 600 pound life. What’s his name?
Telanna: Oh, my gosh.
Mercedes: You are going to die. I don’t know. It’s true. He’s not wrong. He’s very terrifying. What’s his name?
Telanna: I mean, if you would have asked me, and this is the last thing I would say, if you would have told me that I could go a month without french fries, girl, preach.
Mercedes: That’s the testimony right there. This is the lead into the episode. A month without french fries. You have been delivered.
Telanna: Yes. Come on now.
Mercedes: Come on now.
Telanna: Amen.
Mercedes: Reach.
Telanna: God’s going to have some potatoes for me in heaven.
Mercedes: Yes, ma’am, every day. Well, yeah, maybe once in a while you can have some french fries.
Telanna: But I will say, last week, last week, that is the absolute thing. I asked the integrative doctor. I’m like, look, lady, I don’t care what’s in these 23 pages. All I need to know is, can I still have coffee? If I cannot have coffee, just throw my whole body away.
Mercedes: I would just go to early grave because that is hilarious. I love it for you. Well, I love that feedback. I think that is a good nugget to leave off of. You can have your coffee and french fries and you don’t have to live by your trauma. I love that. So thank you all for joining us for this very special chasing wellness podcast episode. We are definitely going to do a follow up about holistic wellness, whether you all ask for it or not. So there we go. So until next time, we wish you so much success with you chasing your biggest goals. And we’ll see you for our next episode. Bye bye.
Telanna: Bye.
Mercedes: They can’t see you do that. They only get the audio. They can see me. Okay, great. I’m glad that they can. All right, bye, all.
Telanna: They may want to.
Mercedes: No, they don’t. Absolutely not. In the closet.

The post Episode 7: Chasing Holistic Wellness appeared first on Chasing 100 Club Podcast.

Summary

Is money really the root of all evil? Should we be ashamed of wanting to live a life of luxury when so much is wrong with the world?

In this episode of the Chasing 100 Club Podcast, Mama Telanna and Mercedes unpack how we’re chasing luxury every day be that lux experiences, lux purchases, or future desires. Join us as we share our personal money mindset stories, our journey of embracing financial abundance in our lives, and what we’re chasing for our next level of luxury.

We’re also sharing strategies and tips that you can use to shift your money mindset and manifest your own version of a luxury lifestyle!

And if you’re enjoying this podcast, send us your thoughts, review, or note of encouragement at ⁠⁠hello@chasing100club.com⁠⁠! We’d love to share it on our social media platforms!

WATCH OUR TURKS AND CAICOS TRIP RECAP: https://youtu.be/yWpuN2klPZU?si=EJvrObr3ahET3QO9

Explore Coaching with your Hosts

LINKS AND RESOURCES

⁠⁠ ⁠Chasing 100 Club Shop: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/thecareerlovecoach⁠
We Should All Be Millionnaires by Rachel Rodgers: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Un7v4R⁠
Hello Seven with Rachel Rodgers: ⁠https://helloseven.co/⁠
Money Bootcamp with Denise Duffield-Thomas: ⁠https://www.denisedt.com/

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Telanna (Mom), the Purpose Minded Woman, ISTJ

Learn Telanna: ⁠⁠https://www.purposemindedwoman.com/site/about ⁠⁠

Mercedes (Daughter), the Career Love Coach, INFJ

About Mercedes: ⁠⁠https://www.mercedesswan.com/about⁠

Engage with the Podcast

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chasing-100-club/message

Support the Chasing 100 Club Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chasing-100-club

Chasing Luxury Transcription

[00:00] Mercedes: Okay, I’m ready. So long.
[00:04] Telanna: We’re back, baby. What is wrong with you? What is right with me?
[00:10] Mercedes: What is wrong with you? Are you ready?
[00:13] Telanna: What I want for my birthday.
[00:15] Mercedes: You do know or you don’t know?
[00:17] Telanna: I don’t.
[00:18] Mercedes: You never know what you want for your birthday, and I’ve given up on that endeavor.
[00:23] Telanna: So else something luxurious.
[00:27] Mercedes: You want something luxurious? Is that what she said?
[00:33] Telanna: Machine is $900.
[00:35] Mercedes: That’s luxurious for sure.
[00:37] Telanna: The two silhouette machines together are 900.
[00:41] Mercedes: Oh, you wanted those?
[00:42] Telanna: I don’t know. I’m leaning towards my coffee machine anyway.
[00:46] Mercedes: Okay, are you ready?
[00:48] Telanna: But that is luxury. A $900 coffee machine?
[00:52] Mercedes: It is luxury. I hope you bring that up once we officially start. Are you ready?
[00:58] Telanna: I am ready.
[01:00] Mercedes: All right. Well, hey, y’all. Hey. It has been a little minute since y’all heard from us at the Chasing 100 podcast. And if you don’t know me, it’s Mercedes and it’s Mama Talana. Yay. You got your cue, girl. Okay, I know because we was getting a little rusty there.
[01:27] Telanna: It’s been a while.
[01:29] Mercedes: Yeah, it has been a while. So we are welcoming you back to the Chasing 100 podcast. It’s your favorite mother-daughter duo, and we are chasing our biggest 100 goals. And today, what are we talking about?
[01:42] Telanna: Luxury.
[01:43] Telanna: Chasing luxury.
[01:45] Mercedes: So, I figure we could talk about a little bit about our recent trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Okay. Because I know how to say it now, since we gone, and I figured we could kind of launch that as our entryway into this podcast for living a life of luxury. So, do you want to take it away?
[02:05] Telanna: Well, definitely the Turks and Caicos. With a capital T-H-B. Because that’s the most expensive place I’ve ever been in my life.
[02:15] Mercedes: Preach. We left a bag. Several bags.
[02:19] Telanna: And that’s a lot coming from Bermuda, definitely. You hear people say tux and Caicos is expensive, but you just play it off, right?
[02:33] Mercedes: Yeah. Because you’re like, well, any travel is expensive, obviously.
[02:37] Telanna: Exactly.
[02:38] Mercedes: It was not that.
[02:39] Telanna: No, it definitely was not that. But I will say, even though it was expensive, it’s definitely worth the trip.
[02:51] Mercedes: Preach. Okay, so I think I would consider this one of the nicest, most luxurious trips that I think I’ve been on. I don’t know if you feel the same, Mommy, but it was really just this moment of feeling like, wow, I have made it so far from where I was, like, a year or two ago. To feel like this trip was a plausible, reasonable trip where we could do fancy stuff like get a private chef, a private charter. Okay. Rent a whole beautiful villa, have beach access. Okay, we did that. So I think that was one of the biggest things of feeling like, wow, I’m coming into this moment where this life of luxury, I’m getting snippets and pieces of it, and it’s feeling like it’s going to become part of my lifestyle. So I would say that was a really great introduction to. I mean, yes, we have been chasing luxury in other places, but I would say this was a really big one where I could kind of feel like I was embedded in that, like, living my best luxurious life.
[03:58] Telanna: Oh, yeah, I definitely agree. I mean, I think in terms of trips that we’ve been on, I feel like even when I look at our trip to Italy or our trip to think, you know, those were just like, they were great trips, but they had a different just. I can’t even explain the vibe that I want to say because I felt like a tourist, but I felt like a different type of tourist than being a tourist in Alaska or Italy or somewhere. So there is definitely something to be said from doing those things that you talked about, like the private chef and the charter and even the private transportation, things like that. It’s so much to be said about that. It makes a big difference in what you’re experiencing when you’re on vacation.
[04:58] Mercedes: Yes, I think it was kind of freeing because I legitimately think that was, like, the first trip that I’ve gone on that I wasn’t really worried about it. I don’t mean worried about it. I mean worried about the expenses. It didn’t feel like I was bawling on a budget. It felt like I was legitimately bawling.
[05:18] Telanna: Well, girl, that’s because it was just two of you.
[05:22] Mercedes: Okay. No, I don’t want to think that that’s why I’m keeping my womb to myself.
[05:29] Telanna: But, of course, it’s four of us, and it still didn’t feel bad. I think mostly because as a family, we’re foodies, and so we’re used to spending a lot of money on just good meals. And a big portion of that trip, the food was meals and then tacking on an additional 12% to that, so it wasn’t out of pocket.
[06:01] Mercedes: So I think coming out of that trip, I will say that I was definitely dealing with what we call upper limiting things from not only having last month one of the best business months or months in my business, which absolutely funded my extravagancies in Turks and Caicos. But I will also say one of these moments where I was like, oh, wow, I’m living what my dreams are. And so I would say there were a ton of things that I felt like were limiting beliefs that came up for me. Kind of like feeling like an imposter, feeling like these kind of experiences overall are unattainable to me. Also, those triggers that come up when you’re thinking about, like, okay, being rich is immoral, and we see all of the things that we have going on in the world from economics, inflation, Oprah out here doing crazy stuff, asking people to donate, and she didn’t. Also, I’m not Oprah, though. Okay, I’m not Oprah, but just kind of like all of these thoughts about what does it mean to live in luxury and really feeling like you can, given how much is going on in the world and given how much we really have to kind of work for a dollar in today’s economy.
[07:28] Telanna: Yeah, I mean, I can absolutely see how that might come up for you. I think for me, I didn’t really experience it that much because I’m older than you.
[07:39] Mercedes: Oh, really now? Oh, really now? How old, girl?
[07:44] Telanna: How older? Not wiser necessarily, but.
[07:52] Mercedes: I was waiting for you to talk about your birthday, girl. Come on. Come on.
[07:58] Telanna: No, you don’t go there.
[08:01] Mercedes: Okay, all right.
[08:05] Telanna: Stop making me lose my train of thought. I’m just joking. Anyway, so I feel like I’ve experienced those things already because I’m older than you, because I remember when you used to be little and you would be like, okay, you don’t have to buy your clothes at Walmart.
[08:28] Mercedes: Wait, what?
[08:30] Telanna: But it was just ingrained in me kind of, to do that because it’s this journey that you go through of all your different money stories. And of course, then that day came when I was like, you know what? I don’t even like their clothes. Although they’ve changed now, right? A lot. But I don’t go in Walmart for other reasons. But I think I didn’t think about that as much. I remember, especially your dad when we were dating. He has always had this thing with luxury. And so when we were dating, he used to take me to drive through these rich neighborhoods, and he used to take us to these five star hotels to walk around. And there was always this big level of discomfort for me, like thinking somebody was going to walk up behind you and just tell you that you don’t belong here and basically to get out. And so I didn’t feel that at all in Turks. I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be, doing exactly what I needed to do and just being present and enjoying it. And I honestly wasn’t thinking about what someone didn’t have. I wasn’t thinking about everything that is going on in the country with money. I was just in a place to just be and relax and enjoy it because I feel like that’s what God wants for me too.
[10:20] Mercedes: Period, period, period. So I think for me, it was kind of like when you talk about creating your ideal life or your best life, it’s kind of like this journey of like, I’m where I am now and I’m where my dream life should be or I want it to be. And you can kind of feel yourself, like, I don’t know, is it like teleporting between the two energies? Some Sci-Fi stuff. We always end up talking about Sci-Fi stuff where some of it definitely, I could say for sure I didn’t think about anything else but living my best life while I was on that charter. But I do feel like some of the times when I was walking around or like restaurants or things like that, I was kind of having this moment, like, does this feel comfortable to me? And I think in a lot of ways it didn’t. So I appreciate you sharing, like, you know what, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’ve worked on money mindset stuff, and here we are. And that kind of higher self aspect of who is a person that lives that life of luxury and how do you become her?
[11:35] Telanna: Yeah, exactly. And we had this conversation before about the fact that luxury is personal and what it means to me is something completely different than it is to you. And how it shows up for me is different from how it shows up for you. But I do want to ask you a question about what you said about feeling that you may not necessarily belong there or not really understanding the impact of what’s going on in the world and having to reconcile you being in this beautiful country, expensive, and then people in the US getting laid off and other types of economic things that are going here. How were you able to process know.
[12:34] Mercedes: I really think I’m still processing, like, to be honest. So the first thing about kind of. I think the part that felt unsettling is that I really felt like, again, like I said, this is one of the first times that I could really feel like I was in that dream. And when you were talking about the luxury part, luxury travel and how we define luxury is that goal for me. Right. Like, I want to be all over the place, on a plane, on a private jet, I don’t know. In a private car, whatever. I want to live a luxurious travel lifestyle. That is my goal in life personally. Right? And so I see these things as one, like, oh, man, okay, I traveled here, had all these private, luxurious experiences, but I also see in my head what that could potentially be like when I talk about, okay, I didn’t take a private jet there. I’m not there yet. And it’s a thought of, like, why isn’t it good enough for me to embrace and enjoy the level of luxury that I can live in in that point, at this point in life? And I think that’s one of the things that I was battling with of, like, why am I discounting where I currently am? Because it doesn’t look like this other standard that I have. And Also, am I kind of fronting in the level of luxury that I’m at right now? Because thinking about it holistically, this wouldn’t be sustainable every day of my life, which is also part of that goal. Right. It felt a little bit like imposter because I’m living my best life, Balin. But I feel like that right now with where I am, that’s actually not a sustainable piece. And when I think about the economic challenges, the future layoffs, and also just that people from an economic and basic need standpoint are suffering. And it’s all those things in my head all at the same time. So I just brought up Oprah to joke. But I also told you that I have a $31,000 Birkin in my Amazon cart as a joke, too. There’s levels to this. There’s a lot.
[14:54] Telanna: Definitely a $31,000 purse. I’m not mad at you.
[14:58] Mercedes: It makes me happy. Every time I look into Amazon, I’m like, you know what? One day, I’m going to click that button that Birkin is going to be.
[15:04] Telanna: Apparently have a watch on my wish list that is probably three times the amount of that purse.
[15:12] Mercedes: Okay, there it is.
[15:14] Telanna: I’m definitely not mad at you.
[15:18] Mercedes: And it’s really funny because I’m not even, like, a designer bag like person. I just love how those look. It’s wild, right? It’s okay.
[15:27] Telanna: No, and that’s why I’m saying how luxury is personal. I think a lot of times we get caught up in what it should look like is because what we’re looking at and basing it on are celebrities and not realizing that we can have a luxurious life, but we can also do what we’re called to do and still have impact. I think so much about what we learned about money is just rooted in old, wise tales and I guess biblical understanding, too, that money is the root of all evil. And I know for me, I’ve had to really unpack that, because I feel like if anything that we see in this time in society is that money makes a difference. Money has impact. Money speaks. Money allows you to do things that you would not be able to do to help people that you would not normally be able to help without that. And I think that is just such an important part of it. And I also think it’s what gives you the balance that you’re not just out here wilding out, paying for $30,000 purses, yet just joking and ignoring the things that you see, ignoring the opportunity to have that social impact. I definitely don’t think that that’s what you’re doing. And I think it’s easier to reconcile the two things when you know that you’re still doing the things that you feel called to do.
[17:23] Mercedes: Yeah, I guess when I think about it, I feel like even though that same concept is not about money, but every time I have this kind of conversation about the impact of work and, yes, the way that money can help you do that work, I always think about, there are starving children in Africa. Like, every time.
[17:54] Telanna: Oh, you think about it? I saw that my whole life. I saw my, whoa, why’d you pass.
[17:59] Mercedes: It on to me?
[18:00] Telanna: Infomercial with the little boy from Ethiopia with the big belly out. And, yes, that is, like, one of the most difficult things to see that. To think that other people on the other side of the world could be living like that. And here we are in the States with so much abundance.
[18:21] Mercedes: Well, I don’t even think that anymore, because those starving children are down the street, how I feel about that anymore. But anyway, so I’m saying, sometimes I think about it, it’s like, oh, my gosh, we paid $11,000 for this fella girl. How many people could I fee with?
[18:39] Telanna: Eleven.
[18:39] Mercedes: So I feel like that’s what you have or that’s what I think. But I also think it is very true. I think one of the most impactful comments that really helped me to address those money mindset challenges is while we were in the club with Rachel Rogers. Right. I said the club. One of the most powerful things that I was watching was just understanding there’s nothing more powerful than people of color and specifically black women, and our economic impact on the communities around us than when we are financially. Yeah, we’re coming from a place of financial abundance and how it impacts those around us. So I have to think about the idea that when we thrive, those things overflow and we can choose to use our money in the way that we want to see it impact the communities or the goals, missions, whatever that are important to us. So it is helpful, but it is still something that I constantly balance or kind of think about in my head when I’m looking at luxury. Right?
[19:51] Telanna: Yeah, I remember Rachel. I wish I had the statistic in front of me, but she always shares a statistic about how. I know you mentioned black women, but women in general take more of their money to have social impact. It was a really high percentage. And I wish I had the quote, but I don’t. But she shares that, that men don’t take their money to have impact in a lot of places, but women are doing it. And I feel like if you’re having the impact that you want to have, you should also be able to enjoy that fruit for yourself as well. I don’t think there’s anywhere in the Bible that I can remember. I mean, just speaking from me, I know everyone doesn’t identify as a Christian, but just speaking for me, I feel like there is nowhere in there that says that I have to be poor or I’m supposed to be poor. God said to multiply and have dominion, right? So that means multiplying in every area of my life. And if I’m able to multiply, I’m able to do that for other people too. I think the interesting part of it though is this statistics that you found online when we were doing some research.
[21:23] Mercedes: Ridiculous.
[21:26] Telanna: Fueling the luxury retail sales.
[21:29] Mercedes: It’s wild.
[21:30] Telanna: I’m going to let you share that.
[21:32] Mercedes: You’re going to let me share it? Girl, shut up. Okay.
[21:36] Telanna: Going into this conversation, they’re almost out of that bracket.
[21:49] Mercedes: Hey there, it’s Mercedes. If you’re listening to this podcast, you probably have some pretty big dreams and aspirations. Are you looking to break into your dream job? What about pivot into a new career that aligns with your purpose? Or maybe you want to advance your career as an amazing black woman. If any of this sounds like you, it’s time for us to have a chat. In the show notes, you’ll find a link to schedule a quick and free 15 minutes career clarity. Chat with me during our call. We’ll dive deep into your career goals and I’ll share some transformational career advice. If coaching with me could benefit you, we’ll discuss that too. If you’re feeling uncertain about your career? It can be tough, but it’s possible to find clarity and direction. So why not take a step to your breakthrough and schedule your free career clarity? Chat with me today. The link is awaiting for you in the show.
[22:39] Mercedes: Notes love.
[22:40] Mercedes: All right, let’s get back to the episode.
[22:54] Mercedes: It I can’t close. Brandon’s been messing with me. So you’re going to call out my age, but I can’t call out your age.
[23:04] Telanna: Of course you can call out my age. I have no shame over my age.
[23:07] Mercedes: All right, well, I think one of the things going into this, too, is that we did, like, for laughs and giggles. No, just kidding. We did go look up the definition of luxury because we were kind of looking at like, okay, what does luxury actually mean? Because we feel like it was kind of misconstrued of how people define that and that it does have a personal take on this. But luxury as a definition says a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort. The other one says something’s addition to pleasure or comfort. Okay. And then an indulgence of something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease, which I think these three definitions are kind of interesting when you take the following fact that says nearly half of all come.
[23:58] Telanna: Through soft life people.
[24:00] Mercedes: Okay, the soft life people have arrived. But anyway, soft life. Nearly half of all young adults, 48% between ages 18 to 29, reside at home with their parents, and their savings are fueling luxury retail sales, according to a report. Blah, blah, blah, US Census Bureau. And then the other one that said Americans with an income of less than 50,000 make up 27% of regular luxury.
[24:33] Telanna: Consumers, which is wild to me.
[24:35] Mercedes: That’s wild to me.
[24:37] Telanna: I mean, both of them. I mean, I got to say, though, I’ve never been just like you. I’ve never been a purse person or shoe person. I like a purse.
[24:49] Mercedes: Shout out To Vera Bradley, girlies.
[24:53] Telanna: But I mean, at the same time, it’s like, I like a purse. I buy the purse, I use the purse. I don’t need 16 luxury purses. And not only do I not need them, I don’t want them. So I can see how the definition that you gave, it makes sense for me. Right? I’m looking for things to offer me comfort, like a great coffee machine. That’s comfort, right?
[25:28] Mercedes: Are we posting this before your birthday? What? Are we posting this before your birthday? Put everybody on notice. Come on, Mommy, tell us what birthday we’re celebrating.
[25:43] Telanna: We are celebrating 50.
[25:49] Mercedes: And hopefully going into another luxury experience, right?
[25:53] Telanna: Yes. We’re going to spend some time in the keys. Because luxury to me is also being with my family in an environment that we can enjoy. And so I’m just looking to just be in chill mode, which is lovely for me. Another villa to rent.
[26:17] Mercedes: I know, girl. I was like, no, I’m just kidding. When we talk about repetition, I’m just proving it to myself, creating the evidence for my own mindset.
[26:28] Telanna: Exactly. Maybe I’ll even get to take that $900 coffee machine with me.
[26:35] Mercedes: Oh, my goodness. You’re wild.
[26:37] Telanna: I’ve been already told no, but you know how that goes. Yeah, but I think this is so wild. As someone who has a 19 year old and a 29 year old, and if you were living.
[26:50] Mercedes: 29 year old is on the call.
[26:55] Telanna: I know, but I’m just saying, if you were living in my house and then you’re using your savings to fuel luxury retail sales, it’s a no for me.
[27:06] Mercedes: Okay, but let’s be honest here. You’re 18. Wait, is turning 18 or 19? I’m sorry, it’s 19. Your 19 year old is part of that group.
[27:17] Telanna: Yes, but she is not living at home using her savings. I might be fueling some of those luxury purchases for her.
[27:30] Mercedes: I mean, okay, I feel like you consistently stay in denial about your middle child, but that’s okay.
[27:43] Telanna: Jesus, take the.
[27:46] Mercedes: Out there. I’m just saying, it’s not like she got it, honestly. But it’s okay. But, yeah, I feel like she fits in that category. It’s okay. It’s all right. No more about it. I agree.
[27:59] Telanna: She does fit in that category. The difference with me is whether or not these kids are using their money for luxury things. Are they also using their money for life, or are they literally just at home, not paying any bills at home, not doing anything at home, and just spending their money on luxury things? Because that, to me, is wild. But I also know a lot more younger. I don’t want to call them kids, but young adults are traveling, like, big time.
[28:41] Mercedes: Well, this says specifically luxury retail sales.
[28:46] Telanna: Yeah, I know that says that, but I’m just saying in general, too, I think this age bracket is traveling a lot, too. I don’t know how luxurious it is, but I remember growing up, for me, it just used to be luxurious just to get on a plane once a year, much less multiple times a year.
[29:06] Mercedes: That’s true.
[29:07] Telanna: It’s okay.
[29:08] Mercedes: I broke you all right into it very easily.
[29:11] Telanna: Just kidding. Come on.
[29:14] Mercedes: In Italy? Yeah, I guess. But in a way, if they are contributing to maybe whatever their parents expect them to contribute to, they have a job they’re paying their bills or whatever they need to pay for. Are we then demonizing how they choose to use their discretionary income? No.
[29:39] Telanna: And that’s what exactly I’m saying that I don’t know much this goes into that because this says they’re savings.
[29:48] Mercedes: I mean, I think they’re assuming that that’s where it’s coming from. They’re saving money in itself. I feel like it’s kind of like a purposely polarizing of, like, they’re using the savings from staying at home with their parents on these luxury sales, which is like, they’re using the money that they would have spent on rent had they not been able to live. Hopefully they have savings.
[30:12] Telanna: Yeah, I don’t see any problem with that. If, yes, they are doing the things that they’re supposed to be doing as an adult, because that’s what you are, young adults.
[30:25] Mercedes: I’m becoming an old adult very quickly.
[30:29] Telanna: What is the bracket? Is 29 the cut off for that? Are you officially old at 30?
[30:36] Mercedes: I don’t know.
[30:37] Telanna: I feel old.
[30:39] Mercedes: I feel kind of old. Yeah.
[30:41] Telanna: Your siblings think you’re old.
[30:43] Mercedes: Yeah. I feel like their dialogue around my oldness doesn’t help. And I also feel like I was just bored as an old soul. So I have lots of things fighting.
[31:01] Telanna: Against me and my ability to feel youthful. So in terms of luxury, what’s next on your list?
[31:10] Mercedes: What’s next on my list? I literally have what poor Brandon would call, like, tunnel vision. I know you already know what I’m going to say to an RV. Being able to afford a fully nomadic travel in an RV lifestyle is the dream for me right now. And we need to do, like, an RV trial run. So not next weekend because I’m coming home next weekend, but the weekend after that, I’m supposed to be going to RV show. And then we want to do, like, a trial run and rent a fifth wheel or maybe like something smaller. So two things. Either do a fifth wheel that’s stationary so we can get a sense of the space and then do a smaller vehicle that we won’t kill ourselves or others. Traveling a couple of places, like maybe up the state of Florida or something to get a sense of how does that up and go lifestyle kind of feel. But I have straight up tunnel vision to my dream of owning an RV and traveling across the United States for the next couple of years. Yeah. What’s your next luxury goal? I think you talked about some of them, but.
[32:32] Telanna: You know, other than right now, the coffee machine of my dream, every time I get a new coffee machine. It’s another level.
[32:49] Mercedes: Yeah, we’re aware.
[32:51] Telanna: Yes. I don’t know what comes after the $900 ones, but I’m at the $900 ones right now and that gives me a great joy. And I think really, other than that, my next big thing is probably going to be our trip to Hong Kong.
[33:11] Mercedes: And.
[33:14] Telanna: On my life list is also the Orient Express. So those are probably two of the luxury. And I could probably even do it up even a little bit more if I didn’t take my kids with me.
[33:35] Mercedes: Good try. Good try. You will literally have to plan it in secret. Okay. You will have to get the FBI, the CIA, whoever else. Okay, Doctor who to help you plan that in secret because. No. Good luck with that.
[34:01] Telanna: What, we’re just going to be out, send you a postcard and let you know we’re there?
[34:08] Mercedes: No, ma’am.
[34:09] Telanna: Yeah. Would definitely be luxury because I want to do first class for those flights and I just want it to be a great experience and a nice. Because our plan is to, of course, take a cruise out of Hong Kong, but we’ll save that for another time.
[34:32] Mercedes: Oh, my God. I don’t think so. I feel like that is very luxurious.
[34:35] Telanna: I think we got to.
[34:40] Mercedes: It’s a no for me, dog.
[34:49] Telanna: Hey, y’all. Mama Talana here.
[34:51] Telanna: Have you been feeling tired of feeling like you’re just stuck in a rut? Are you struggling to achieve your goals? No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to stick with it. Do you find yourself constantly self sabotaging and getting in your own way? Look, my mission here at Purpose minded woman is to help you take ownership of your life and begin to live with intention. And it starts with breaking free from the negative behavior patterns that are really holding you back.
[35:21] Telanna: Okay.
[35:22] Telanna: To help you get started, I created a free resource, six simple steps to stop sabotaging your success. It is a powerful tool to help you identify the obstacles that are really getting in the way of your dreams. It’s time to break free from your self sabotaging habits and behaviors. And with this guide, you’ll have the solutions you need and the implementation steps.
[35:47] Telanna: You can take to take action and.
[35:50] Telanna: Control your thoughts so that you can begin to exist at your highest level. Get it now while it’s available@purposemindawoman.com.
[36:14] Mercedes: Say, oh, my gosh. So I kind of have looked at this of like, okay, our concept is this idea of chasing luxury or chasing our goal, right? But in this case, we talked about how we’ve been chasing luxury. And of course, we’ve been intentional about creating those experiences and defining for ourselves what that luxury looks like. Like you just asked. So I guess my question to you is if you have people who are out there that are struggling in the same way that we are, and we, of course, have benefited from many professional development experiences, however you want to business, otherwise, mentors, mothers who are certified career coaches, however you want to look at it or not. Career coaches. Life coaches. So if you saw a woman who was really trying to get into living a more luxurious lifestyle, what would your advice be? That was a really long winded question, but we’re here two years later.
[37:25] Telanna: Need to take an intermission.
[37:28] Mercedes: Sorry.
[37:30] Telanna: I would really tell her the same thing, that I actually start with my coaching clients. The first thing that I do with them is just have them sit down and write out all of their desires, because I think a lot of times we have these desires, but we haven’t accepted them yet. But they’re actually what we want. But we’re so stuck in worrying about judgment from other people, judgment about spending that much money on something luxurious. I mean, I told you recently that I had joined a Black girls luxury group on Facebook, and of course, I’m not going to last there long. Actually, I’m on my way out. However, I joined it because I was looking for something special for my bestie since she turned 56 days after me. And the running narrative in that group is that these people post in that group because they feel like they can’t post on Facebook or they feel like they can’t share their excitement about their desires and their accomplishments with their family because of exactly what you said, judgment, and because other people in their family may not be doing as well as they are. And so it’s just this big narrative already around taking ownership for what you want and being okay with it. So that’s definitely the first thing that I would do. And then the second thing I would say is, look at your money stories. Look at your thoughts around money and how you grew up with it. We shared a little bit about that and how I grew up with people telling me money was the root of evil, or money doesn’t grow on trees and all these different things that were told about money. Look at those money stories, and how are they making you decide what you’re going to do with your money? I will say one of the money courses that I took was Denise Duttlefield. OR is it Thomas Dutterfield? I don’t know. Denise Dutterfield’s course about money and it was excellent because it helps you to understand where those money stories came from and to really understand that you’re able to have the impact that you want to. So that would be definitely the second thing that I would say that someone should do, and they have planned for it. You know what I mean? Not everything has to happen overnight. And stop looking at other people, celebrities, to define what luxury means to you. I’ve shared this with Mercedes, with you before, how luxury to some person is a Rolex. And when I look at a Rolex, I’m like, oh, that’s trash. Somebody go buy me a Patek Philippe. Because a Patek Philippe is a real watch, and a Rolex is trash.
[41:13] Mercedes: Oh, my. I’m Mommy. You said Paddock wrong.
[41:17] Telanna: I know, but it’s my accent. It’s how I’ve said it my whole life.
[41:24] Mercedes: No, it’s a joke, Mommy. I’m saying it wrong.
[41:26] Telanna: No, remember that guy? He said it wrong. Lord have mercy.
[41:31] Mercedes: Didn’t he say Paddock? Paddock on my wrist?
[41:33] Telanna: No, I think he said something worse than that.
[41:37] Mercedes: I feel like that’s what he said. We’ll have to go look at the correct way to pronounce it later.
[41:44] Telanna: Well, that’s the way I’ve always pronounced it my whole life.
[41:48] Mercedes: No, I think it’s a Patek Philippe, right? Yeah.
[41:52] Telanna: I don’t know how to. Anybody else would sound weird to me.
[41:57] Mercedes: No, it’s okay. I made a joke, and you didn’t get the joke, and now the joke is ruined. So.
[42:02] Telanna: It was a terrible joke.
[42:04] Mercedes: It was hilarious. I hope that somebody listening laughed at my joke.
[42:09] Telanna: The terrible joke for you.
[42:12] Mercedes: I’m going to have a Netflix comedy.
[42:13] Telanna: Special like your run on stories. But anyway, yeah. And so know, figure out what that looks like. For know, stop thinking that you have to have a million dollars to do this, or you have to wait until you have a million dollars to go on an amazing vacation, or you don’t have to. There’s probably somebody out there telling you that you have to, but you can do whatever you want to now at whatever you want to. There is luxury in every level of someone’s life. Someone a luxury may be getting a Starbucks once a week. I remember a time in my life when paying $12 for coffee was a luxury. So just remember that it’s whatever it is for you.
[43:11] Mercedes: I just had to say that there was a time in life when going to McDonald’s to get some McDoubles was a luxury for us.
[43:20] Telanna: Yeah.
[43:21] Mercedes: Every day.
[43:25] Telanna: McDonald’s is a luxury now.
[43:27] Mercedes: Oh, my gosh. Anyway, so a couple of days, well, like a week ago, Brandon and I went into the liquor store, because out here we got that drive through liquor store.
[43:43] Telanna: Okay, you live in the country when your liquor stores drive through, but go.
[43:47] Mercedes: Ahead, that’s a luxury. Okay, you got to get out of the car. He says, what do you need? I’ll bring it to the window for you. But anyway, so I was in there, and so they had, Mommy, oh, my gosh. I’ll probably get some when I come home.
[44:03] Telanna: Should I probably do that?
[44:04] Mercedes: Anyway, so they had like six different types of stellarosa in there. They had like a peach honey. Is it peach Honey or Honey pear? They had the Moscato one in there, which I can’t find in Windix anymore. And they had like, blueberry, a cherry. And anyway, so they basically had way more flavors than I was used to. And so I got all said. I said, oh, well, tell me what I owe you, because I picked up three bottles. He was like, oh, you could just get the McDonald’s. And I was like, oh, my God. I was like, not you being right that the three bottles of wine is comparable to getting McDonald’s now.
[44:44] Telanna: Hey.
[44:45] Mercedes: Oh, my gosh. You could tell me that you don’t feel comfortable sharing, but what is one of your money mindset or your money stories and how did you overcome that story?
[45:04] Telanna: I would say two. So the first one, as a faith based coach, I feel like that was a big money story for me, even in charging for coaching, was that I shouldn’t be able to do that because God gave me these gifts to help other people and contribute to society as a whole. So that was definitely a money story that I had. And how I came over that was just realizing that people don’t do things for free. They won’t do the work. So I’ve coached plenty of people for free in and out of ministry, and if there’s no skin in it, guess what? They’re not going to do it. So that one was pretty easy to come over. And I think one of the other big money stories that I really had was just that I was bad with money. I just think growing up and never having those conversations about money and how to make it work for you led to a lot of money trauma in my life. I would say lights turned off or having a car repoed or having had a garnishment, things like that. And so I think understanding that I’m not my stories and my past is not my future, and that with wisdom and knowledge, you can basically overcome anything. I think the big thing is not ignoring your money stories and not ignoring your money because a lot of times when we feel like we get into these situations with our money, we shut down and we don’t look at our money and it makes it worse. And so I think that’s a big part as well, that Denise teaches in her program and also Rachel, too, and we should all be millionaires, too, is really taking that time to look at your money. And so I’m intentional about having that weekly money date on Fridays. My alarm goes off at 07:00 p.m. Because you have to know where your money is so that you can do these things, so that you can have that life of luxury that you want, so that you can plan for it appropriately and create the life that you want.
[47:50] Mercedes: Are you going to ask me what my money mindset story is?
[47:54] Telanna: Well, if you were going to give me a.
[47:59] Mercedes: Okay, okay, I’ll let you go ahead.
[48:01] Telanna: And ask yourself since you’re already.
[48:03] Mercedes: No, no. You ask me.
[48:06] Telanna: So, Mercedes, would you like to share with our lovely audience your money mindset stories?
[48:13] Mercedes: Absolutely. Thank you. I feel like I have, at least in my brain of what I have unpacked as that defining you have that traumatic moment for you. You may remember my story of returning to college for my sophomore year. Do you remember that?
[48:33] Telanna: What year was that?
[48:35] Mercedes: I don’t know. 2014? So I feel like, I have this feeling that if I spend my money on things that are not like, Quote unquote, good decisions, then when I need it, I won’t have it.
[48:52] Telanna: Makes sense.
[48:53] Mercedes: And you like my dramatic pauses.
[48:58] Telanna: Yes. I wish I had a drum.
[49:02] Mercedes: And I think it’s because basically when I was moving back to college, right.
[49:07] Telanna: Now, let’s just tell everyone that I muted because I had to sneeze.
[49:11] Mercedes: You had to sneeze, so you muted. That’s so responsible of you for the.
[49:16] Telanna: Exactly. Not.
[49:19] Mercedes: Well, because I didn’t know if you could hear me talk about my money story. I think the interesting thing here is because of that, I think I have buyers remorse. So I was having this moment where I should feel very proud. It’s when I bought my first car. Then I was going back to college and I needed to pay for my deposit for my apartment. And I had somebody who was supposed to help me with that, who ended up not helping me with that. And I had a traumatizing day. So I shall say no names. We’ve all grown up. Have we? Anyway, all right. Have we?
[50:02] Telanna: Tell your story, girl.
[50:03] Mercedes: I am telling my story. Because anyway, I figured, anyway, Mommy, you know how people talk about you have root issues. I feel like that one day was a very defining moment in my life, and I have many root issues to unpack from that day. And this is one of them. And it is the fact that feeling like, if you are kind of like, you make a big purchase or you do something that is kind of helping you to see this goal, right? And it’s ridiculous for me to kind of have unpacked it that way of, man, I should have not bought my car. That’s ridiculous because I didn’t have this other bare need met of having an apartment because obviously I could have took the bus or whatever else. And so I unpacked that as saying, like, wow, if you are making these things that are not like a bare minimum need as an expense. And so often when I’m purchasing things that feel like luxury, I don’t enjoy it as much as I should because I feel like something could go wrong because I spent my money in the wrong place. And so sometimes that’s hard for me to feel like. And I think we were talking about it the other day when Brandon was like, let’s go on a cruise. And I was like, a cruise because I wasn’t mentally prepared for that. I’m thinking, like, I can’t make this big expense. I haven’t thought about. It’s not rational, blah, blah, blah. I can’t do. And, like, look at my bank account. Obviously I could, but it was like one of those things where I just had all those kind of feelings of not having enough, even though I know that I have enough. And so that’s been one of the things that I have had to really work through and ask myself when in the last couple of years have I not been able to cover all of my expenses that I needed to, like, wild, right. And kind of restructuring what that is. To look at it from finding the evidence of saying, like, you’re in a different place, you’re living a life of abundance and you have more money than you need at any time. Thank you for asking what my money mindset story was.
[52:01] Telanna: You’re welcome.
[52:02] Mercedes: So nice of you.
[52:03] Telanna: You’re welcome.
[52:06] Mercedes: Okay, so, Mommy, as we wrap up, because I think we’ve covered most of our big topics here in our pursuit of luxury. And I can say, like, we lived it up in Turks and Caicos, there will be more luxury in our life. And we are purposely working on our mindset every day, those limiting beliefs, our money stories, in order to live the life that we know we deserve, period. And is there anything else that Mama Talana would like to add to this discussion?
[52:37] Telanna: I don’t think so. That’s good.
[52:39] Mercedes: That’s a beautiful way to end.
[52:42] Telanna: Yeah.
[52:43] Mercedes: On that note, I’m going to bring up my Amazon cart and look at my $31,000 Birkin. I actually added a black one, so now it’s like 40,000.
[52:57] Telanna: Why are Birkin purses even on Amazon? I’m so confused.
[53:01] Mercedes: Okay, so the fact that Amazon has now identified that I have a problem. Okay. I’m getting Amazon luxury ads on Facebook. Yeah. And I think that they are like. So for instance, I don’t think you can buy a Birkin anywhere other than a store new. So these must all be like used Birkins because I’m not going to go play in somebody’s face. Like, I’m just going to have to.
[53:32] Telanna: Petty company that you have to be.
[53:34] Mercedes: Yes. You have to play in there. They play in your face. Okay, we’re not doing that.
[53:42] Telanna: But that alone would be just like, not something I want.
[53:45] Mercedes: No, I’m like, you’re not about to degrade me and make me work for a purse. Sorry. That’s probably not how they look at that, right?
[53:54] Telanna: I’m sure they don’t.
[53:56] Mercedes: I mean, people who purchase it, I feel like the sales associates have to thank that person.
[54:03] Telanna: So I can’t even understand.
[54:05] Mercedes: I mean, and I probably am just as many others are into the hype, but I do love that it’s very not, you know, like how you buy like a Louis Vuitton bag and the icons, like everywhere. I don’t so much. So I just like that. It’s just like this very classy, pretty bag.
[54:25] Telanna: That’s nice.
[54:26] Mercedes: Anywho, so, yeah, I’ll continue to get my Amazon luxury fine ads and add them to my cart. Like an absolute sociopath.
[54:39] Telanna: Yeah, well, I’m sure it must help with your motivation.
[54:45] Mercedes: I mean, every day I go check my RV fund and it makes me feel so much joy because it means I’m getting closer and closer to in many ways. Looking at my Amazon cart and checking my high yield savings account brings me great joy. Okay, Mommy, what brings you great joy and helps you pursue your luxury am.
[55:18] Telanna: I don’t want to say I’m a simple person because I like little things. Like, literally, I went to Turks and Caicos and I bought a stuffed dinosaur.
[55:34] Mercedes: I just bought it.
[55:37] Telanna: On the chair in my bedroom and that makes me happy.
[55:41] Mercedes: It’s so cute. Luxury in life is being able to buy whatever nonsensical.
[55:47] Telanna: Exactly.
[55:47] Mercedes: Whatever animal you want at any given time.
[55:51] Telanna: And now I don’t even tell people it’s for my son. I’m like, it’s mine.
[55:57] Mercedes: Was there a point in time when you were doing did so you’ve come a long way. I’m glad that you’re your authentic self because it’s great.
[56:09] Telanna: And I got to run now because here in the Jeffers household, we eat late, and my dinner at 09:00 is just ready.
[56:17] Mercedes: I thought you were going to say you have to pee. All right, well, that all being said. Bye, chasers. We’ll see you for the next episode. And we are glad to be back and can’t wait for our next Chasing 100 podcast episode. Bye.
[56:32] Telanna: See you next time. arrivederci!
[56:37] Mercedes: Go eat your dinner. Get off my podcast. Bye.

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