Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Rise up at work. I'm Dr. Deepak Bhutra and today we are unlocking the work life you were meant to live. You're watching now Media Television.
Hey everyone. Welcome to Rise up at work. I am Dr. Deepak Bhutra and today's show is very unique. Now, usually I explore how real professionals grow, lead, create impact through the challenges, decisions and turning points that shape their careers. And all of us agree that's important.
Today I want to talk about something very different. It's about reinvention in a changing workplace and a changing world. Success is not only about titles or accomplishments. It is also about the courage to reconnect with who you are and build from that space. So I came across my guest today, Anya Filewa. She's founder and creative Claw and Paw Apparel. Now, when I see the name Claw and Paw, I first prayed that I don't have to say it out loud on air, which I just had to do. But this is very interesting. I went, I did some research. It's a boutique cat inspired apparel brand. Apparel brand for women who love comfort, self expression and a little catitude. Now what's interesting is that I was very tempted to buy one for my wife and for myself. But the wife is overseas right now, so I had to defer that. Anya's journey starts from Ukraine. She is rooted in reinvention, resilience and rebuilding confidence. And this is from the inside out. I think she's going to do a great job enlightening us and sharing with us her discussion, her journey and her understanding of the world. Anya, welcome to Rise up at Work.
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Thank you so much, Deepak. It's such a pleasure to be here. Can't wait to have this conversation.
[00:01:33] Speaker A: Absolutely. I'm super excited because I also have a inbuilt catitude. I ignore the world until it's my time for food. Then. I love you a lot.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: I love.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: Somehow I would explain it.
I was really thrilled to actually meet a couple of things that were happening with you. Right. First, a female entrepreneur.
You can argue that that's gender based comment to make. It's not. I think it's hard work. Right. Becoming an entrepreneur is not easy. When I became one, I was in a comfort zone. Anya, 30 years in the corporate world, right.
VP of this, senior director of that. And within the first five months, I had to change myself my own thinking because there was no one behind me.
My own family did not understand my ambition or my discussion. Right. So it was really interesting. So I want to dip into that A bit. Then, of course, Ukraine, always in the news, huge conversations. Now you build something, which is so cool.
I just wanted to ask a simple question. You've gone through this journey, geographical change, right? You're building it. What is that single point that happened, that shaped you, the person and the entrepreneur you are today? What story would my listeners want to get out of you? Share that with us?
[00:02:39] Speaker B: Oh, most definitely. Thank you so much. And I can definitely relate to this corporate journey.
I would say in my journey, I didn't have that really powerful redefining moment of transformation that sometimes we hear about people have.
In my experience, it was more of a redefining moment happening all over again.
Right. And that being said is who was I becoming when I was coming here from Ukraine?
I just planned to live in my life. I didn't have any expectations.
And what I learned very soon, the expectations of me was to build a successful corporate career.
And throughout that, the redefining moments for me were going for another job and another job and another job and repeating the cycle again, where I felt so unfulfilled. But when I realized my leather was leaning against the wrong wall.
So that was the moment when I finally started to asking myself, who am I and what do I want to do? Because I started to live somebody else's life, somebody else's expectations.
[00:03:53] Speaker A: Okay, so so much to unpack there. First of all, to my listeners, I want you to lean in. There's a specific phrase that she used which I really thought was cool.
I felt like I was climbing someone else's ladder.
Here's a funny thing. I can also assure you I've met people who were climbing their own ladder but suddenly found themselves on the wrong floor where the fire was when they were trying to get to the floor where there was no fire. So the metaphor for a ladder can be so powerful for people to understand. Right. Then some people tell me, deepak, I actually climbed the ladder only to find that it was on the wrong building.
There you go. So I like that, and I think a lot of people relate to it. I specifically started this show, Rise up at Work for people whose stories resonate like yours, right? You, job to job, hop, hop, hop. And there's something that is unfulfilled inside us right now. Personally, you did a lot. Correct. But I want to understand here. When I looked at your brand and when I looked at the cat themes and everything, and now that I meet you face to face in person, I just get this warm feeling. I've met this person before.
Were you how how were you thinking about when you were thinking about your brand story, right? And then how. How much of the reinvention you did came through that, or was this like a calling that just had to happen?
[00:05:07] Speaker B: You know, at some point? Like, I felt it had to happen, right? So there was always that voice.
There's always the voice that says, hey, try something new. Try being true to yourself. I. I have a fashion design degree, and I was a fashion designer back in New York, and I always want to have a fashion brand. And then for the last 15 years, I wanted to create T shirts that inspire women, but there was always that next job and, you know, fitting in and being accepted. So eventually I, you know, came to the point that I couldn't ignore that voice anymore. For me to take that courage and bring that into reality, and I wanted to bring it with a little bit of catitude, which I love that you said that word. And a little bit playfulness and fun, because let's just be real in the corporate.
It's a lot of seriousness, not so much fun for, you know, time for playfulness.
[00:06:05] Speaker A: It's really interesting. I also believe that, you know, even when you're in the corporate world, we tend to bend ourselves to fit into that space. Right. And I've always been very entrepreneur because a lot of people used to get confused at the pace I would work at. They would ask me, do you like, are you a shareholder in this organization or something? Or you're an owner, Are you the CEO? And I was just like, no, I just a senior analyst to work here. But it's okay. And I want to dig into. Deep into this aspect of, you know, So I now meet you. I can now see the dots and I'm connecting it, right? You are a creative person. You come from the colors world, right? You know, because you've done creative design and stuff. Now how do you put this all together to rebuild confidence? I just want to understand it's not about your confidence, but the wearer of the T shirt, right? And when I looked at the way you've positioned your product, the way you position, in fact, some of the slogans were really fun. I really enjoyed reading the slogans as I was looking at it, doing some research on you, right? And I said, this is someone that it's not just about being creative, but it's also, I've always said this. And you. You'll agree, you can have the best ideas, Anya, but if you cannot give that idea the wings in terms of being able to commercialize it yet, that Idea will die. And I found a great balance there. So the simple question for you then is that, you know, so you took creativity, you got the color, you got these animals. And by the way, it's animal, not animals, right? You just seem to be fixated with cats. You took the cats, and now you weaved in storytelling, and they became tools for rebuilding confidence.
There's a personal journey there. But is there, like, a structure you put to this madness to put it all together?
[00:07:30] Speaker B: You know, what a great question.
I found that I have four pets. I have two cats and two dogs, and cats have been with me for 11.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: The dogs haven't left you yet? The dogs have not left because.
[00:07:51] Speaker B: Sometimes I separate them and it won't work.
And what I noticed, I've had my cats. I adopted them when I lived in Kentucky for the last 11 years. And they've seen me go through bad relationships, moves between states, career changes, job changes.
So when I started the brand, I felt like I wasn't starting by myself. I had a little team of this little creatures that love me unconditionally, and that kind of helped me keep going.
I love color. I used to be a colorist, which is someone I was told to put my resume. I had a perfect eye for color.
Now that it exists anymore, because AI took it over.
But playing with color, the warmth, creating designs, and using my cats as support, that helped me build confidence because I didn't feel like I was doing it alone. I had little creatures that loved me.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: Can I. Can I push you on that a little bit? Because something you said earlier, you said that, you know, my story is not one of those, you know, typically someone comes and says, I had a drug overdose. I was passed out on the floor, I woke up, and then I found God and I decided to change my life. What you said was I bounced from job to job. I went from. And to be honest, a job is a place of safety, if you think about it, right? It's not about not fitting in. It's about that you want something else. And I think that was a message that I heard coming out from you. Right? So now here's the funny thing. You ultimately had to choose yourself, right, Instead of trying to become someone else. But how did you know? I've heard you had dogs and cats, which you have learned to adore, and I think they shaped your personality. This has to be the first guest that has still not mentioned a human being's name as credit for anything. I will also assume that your mom found you in a field because you haven't spoken about your mom also, right? So. But I'm loving this. So my first guest that is saying that being with animals has given her a lot of, how do you say, energy, ambition, you know, colorist. One day you and I should sit down over a beer. Maybe you tell me what a colorist is because I'm, I'm just. That went right over me, but I'm liking the sound of that. We will talk about AI a bit because you mention it, but right now, if someone who is watching this show, right, and who feels that they have to start over, what would you want them to understand about taking the first step? Because in your case, seems like you've been thinking about this step for not just years, maybe decades, right?
[00:10:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a wonderful question. What I would say, it's the phrase of starting over is overwhelming, right? Because you feel like everything you've done up to this point has to be discarded. And it's not. We never start over. We start from experience.
We just start in a different area.
And it's not that you have to reinvent your life overnight.
It's more about taking that first step and figuring out who you are underneath all of the masks, right. That we put out on daily basis. So it's like peeling the onion, right? Because sometimes we do so much of what others want us to do that we forget what it is that we want to do. So it just starts a little bit with that self discovery.
[00:11:02] Speaker A: I like that. I really like that. Catwoman. Sorry, I meant Anya. I love that. So, Anya, what I want to do is. There's so much you've said there, right? Reinvention. You also mentioned it's not something that happens with a bank or a whimper. It's just whatever you wanted to be, it happens, right? You reinvented yourself. I love that. And then the decision that you're talking about, I hear a lot of honesty in that, right. I hear, I see a lot of confidence in what you're also doing and I love that. After the break, we'll talk about building a brand around comfort, identity and self expression. And why feeling and seen, being seen by others, right, can be powerful part of professional and personal growth. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with real stories, fresh insights and action steps to help you rise up at work without losing yourself. You're watching Rise up at work on Now Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Deepak Bhutra and you're watching Rise up at Work on now Media Television. Let's keep reclaiming your career and learning how to trust truly rise up at work.
Hey, welcome back. So to stay connected to the show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like, just Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish. And if you're on the move, don't worry, we got your back. Catch the podcast version at www.nowmedia tv. From Workplace Growth and leadership to business, culture, wellness and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
So before the break, Anja and I were talking about reinvention and rebuilding confidence. We figured out that she gives credit to her journey to her four animals, two cats and two dogs. The dogs hopefully will get their own line one day. But claw and paw apparel is not just about apparel, clearly. It's also about comfort. She mentioned, she spoke about playfulness. And I, when I was looking at, I could clearly see that she's actually very focused on giving women identity, a way to feel cozy, seen and be authentic. And I like that. In the workplace, in life, what we create often reflects what we have to reclaim within ourselves. Is something I was hearing her say again and again and again. She spoke about her, her journey, her own inspiration. Now, I'm going to pivot this a bit, right? Did you know from day one itself that when you were inspired to create claw and paw apparel, that it would be cat inspired, that it would be apparel, that it would be brand for women? Or was this something that all came about afterwards because he had to pivot from the original idea? I have to ask, because many founders on this call, right, they think that, you know, Anya is brilliant. Anya is great. Anya knew exactly what she wanted for the book. I'm confused. I don't have all the answers. My suspicion is that you also didn't have all the answers, did you, Anya? But you got going, give me a bit of a sense of how much you knew, how much you changed, how much did you pivot? That is seen in the Anya today a lot, right?
[00:13:50] Speaker B: So nothing you see on that site, on my brand is an original idea, right? I just wanted to create something I originally wanted to create, like some inspirational saying for women, you know, to keep going, believe in yourself. And there's actually a wait, there's a T shirt behind me. It says discover the diamond within.
That was an original idea back in 2023, which I got scared to launch, right? Because it was another job. I was afraid to be judged like you said earlier by your own families. And most of the time.
[00:14:25] Speaker A: Right, most of the time, Yes, I know what you mean.
[00:14:30] Speaker B: And the thing I. I got scared. So when I launched Claw and Paw, I named it Claw and Plo because I wanted to bring my dogs eventually into the mix.
I just reinvented, right? Like I brought the cats in. Then I found that one of my customers love floral or some customer love like sarcastic saying. Oh, maybe I wanted to go back to corporate. You know, angry sayings about something about corporate. Right? So you redefine itself and it is still redefining itself.
Like I keep reshaping it. Reshaping and trying different ideas. And some wonderful customers that I have who come back, they really give me that idea of what can I do next Because I'm learning who they are and what makes them happy.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: So let's talk about this a bit. So I looked at your T shirts and it did hit me that, you know, maybe when I'm in a mood I should try them on and, you know, make fun with the wife. But I have a question for you. What do you want people to feel when they are wearing your designs? Right. What's that? Emotional experience. Was there like a few words you put down on a piece of paper and looked at it over a cup of coffee and says, can I achieve this or is this again one of those? I don't know. Deepaki just happened. What? Tell me more.
[00:15:50] Speaker B: I'd like them to feel joy, right? I like them to feel like they are expressing themselves.
You know, like sometimes you might wear.
I don't know, I don't know how it is for men.
I just tell you for women, sometimes you wear a dress and it's beautiful dress and yet you don't feel confident, comfortable or confident in it. So you just keep twitching.
What I want women to feel is that comfort. Because when you're comfortable, you naturally express yourself better.
[00:16:22] Speaker A: Yeah, it's really interesting. But when I go shopping with my wife, it's the worst day, worst hour or two. I typically show women's patient only two because at that point I pass out or I go to bed or I sleep somewhere or I just, I see the, the section for the mattresses. Finally there.
But these are things that you write most men won't understand. A man will buy a pair of shoes and he will literally say, the left toe pinches a bit. But you know what? Darn, it looks good. I'm going to just pick it up. And yes, a lot of men have this thing that women do that as well, the way these high heels are painful. Leave that. But in general, I've noticed that the serious shoppers are the serious people who look for comfort. They'll just look for something that kind of like feels great on me, just gives me that. So I kind of relate to it. But now, so you got these words, and I like the use of the word joy. A lot of people underestimate joy, right?
Some of the happiest people on the planet are the people without money in their lives. And I've always wondered, you know, this is so cool because as an Indian being born and raised, you come from a community that literally has got what I call this duality to it. Extremely spiritual, speak about essence, but at the same time extremely focused on the value of money. Where your money decides your character or your standing in society. It's really interesting. Now I want to switch gears because I'm getting really. So we spoke about comfort, right? And you have made it into a very important part of confidence and self expression. Do you do like discussions? Do you talk to your customers when you need ideas? How exactly do you confirm that people are still getting joy from it, that people are still saying or using those words that you gave them or you want them to feel? How do you keep yourself honest and you know, course correction?
[00:18:01] Speaker B: Great question. You know, I also have to say sometimes it's, it's a two way street, right? Because my customers will give me feedback in the form of an email or a review or I can see what they buying, right? So I can see what speaks to them, right? And I recently found out that my customer really like feminine and I didn't think that was the case because I thought it was going to be harsh. In the beginning I thought it was going to be harsh making fun of corporate kind of line.
And then I realized that my customers prefer feminine and soft and they just like taking joy in life.
So they give me the ideas by providing me with some feedback of what they bought, how they felt about it, and also, you know, it kind of. They keep me going when I get a positive email and I have some doubts. I'm tired. They give me that inspiration that they actually really enjoy that I'm with you.
[00:19:10] Speaker A: So this is interesting. We need to talk about customers, right? Typically people are scared to receive feedback. And in your case, where you were and where you ultimately ended up is a, I would say course correction or a pivot based on customer feedback.
So today when I was like looking at some of your products right now, looking at the slogans and stuff on it. I felt that. I think it's. You are listening to people, you are talking to people to see what do people want to hear, what do people want to read. Now, yes, you are a brand that talks about joy right now. Where do you see the road going forward, though? Do you have any ideas in terms of how you see things going and what exactly is AI going to do to your business? Is something that popped up because in the first segment we spoke about it and AI Now, I'm not saying that AI is going to impact T shirts or comfort wear or your femininity, but I do know that in the creative process, you use AI for a lot of designs, experimentation from the bottom of your heart. Are you threatened by AI in your profession, or do you feel that AI is going to give you wings that you never had? How would you kind of help me understand that?
[00:20:10] Speaker B: Oh, great question. I think AI is going to. I think AI is our best partner. You know, a lot of times when we don't understand what that is, and even that happens in corporate world, that people get threatened by it because they think they're going to take their jobs. What AI helps me do not just create designs because I pull different images from different places, from some photos from, you know, mid journey. I pull the images and I work to create my own. So that's kind of like having my own graphic designer. And sometimes it takes hours and arguing, believe me, just like with a human.
[00:20:48] Speaker A: Yeah, I can. I can relate to that.
My, My. My experience started about two years ago when I finished writing one of my books. And it's a book that I based on the life of my mother. And I said, you know what, Deepak, you got to do it differently. Let's find pictures that'll make my mom happy. So I wanted to create an image of her holding me as a baby, standing in one of the markets of the town where I was raised in India.
Now, to achieve that, today it's easier, but two years ago, it wasn't. So I kid you not. I still have that directory. 632 iterations I had to do to get an image that my mom looked at and says, that's me. That is me. 55 years ago. Deepak, you nailed it, son. This is. That is the image that I'm using in the dedication of my book. Now, today, I'm sure people with the right prompts will get to it fast, but that iteration, I think, was a godsend. It actually allowed me to understand how AI works. It sharpened my understanding and Also made me understand that there's a lot of work that goes on with AI as well. A lot of people don't understand that.
I want to ask you a simple question. I see that you are very plugged into your customers. Right. If there's one thing that you do and you feel that your customers have taught you about the need to feel seen and represented in small personal ways, what would that be?
[00:22:08] Speaker B: I would say always evolving.
My customers have taught me to open my mind because when I originally, and it kind of goes back to the early questions, how many times I've pivoted, I thought that my customer had the certain identity.
A single cat lady who lives in New York City with a corporate career.
And what my customers have taught me that they are none of that, some of that.
And it's just I think they teaching me to open my mind to be seeing people from many different walks of life, many different experiences and different life stories.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: I think that's a great message there for creatives, for marketing people out there. Right. You walk in with a certain notion and now you have to get rid of those biases that you brought in, all those stereotypes. Ana, we're going to pivot now. We're going to get ready for segment three. Coming up next, we'll explore the challenges behind building a creative business, from self doubt to resilience to the discipline required to keep moving forward. And maybe a couple of tips on pet management from Yanya. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with real stories, fresh insights and action steps to help you rise up at work without losing yourself. You're watching Rise up at work on Now Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Deepak Bhutra and you're watching Rise up at Work on NOW Media Television. Let's keep reclaiming your career and learning how to truly rise up at work.
Hey, everyone. Welcome back. I'm Dr. Deepak Bhutra and I'm here with Anya Filewa. She is the founder and creator of Claw and Paw apparel. Now, we spoke a lot of stuff. We spoke about pivoting. We spoke about family. We spoke about reinvention, confidence and building a brand that helps women feel seen because it gives them comfort and joy. Now I want to talk about some of the inner engineering that goes on behind this entrepreneurial spirit that she has. Right. Entrepreneurship is not an easy cup of something to drink. It's difficult.
And now every creative business has a public side. Yes. She has a website. She's on Instagram. She publishes and because the work she does, it's in the creative spirit, you can actually see what she does. It's not like someone saying that I'm a coach and I'm going to help you make a change in your life. I can't touch that. I can't feel that. Right. I have to trust it. In her case, she's telling you, look at what you see. What does that do to you emotionally? And I really like that about it. Now we're going to dial it up a bit here. Right now. I'm going to pull upon some of those entrepreneurial strings.
Anna, what has been one of the biggest internal challenges you have faced while building your brand?
[00:24:46] Speaker B: I. I think it's something that very common.
It's self worth.
You know, it's dealing with self doubts, wondering if I'm good enough.
Right. And just persevering through all of that internal dialogue that pops up.
[00:25:06] Speaker A: Can I push you on that a little bit?
We speak about self doubt. You just threw it out. Self worth, self doubt, imposter syndrome. If you got it to extreme level, right. The question that always comes to my mind is, well, yeah, okay, so you've got all that, but here you are, you're on my show. Question I need to ask you then is how are you handling self doubt then? Right. And how do you then put on this face despite.
Look, I also have these challenges, right? Self esteem, self doubt, these things come. I have worked very hard to make sure that these don't become, how do you say this? Anchors on my feet or you know, the ball and chain holding you back. I'm sure you're very conscious about it. And self awareness.
How? Give me one tip to my listener right now that tells them how you are making sure that your own self doubt, self worth does not come in the way of your ambition and give. And how do you overcome it?
[00:26:01] Speaker B: That's a great question. Because I know there could be. There is. A lot of people can relate to that, I think what I. What works for me.
And I finally learned that this voice of self doubt is not going away. It's been a part of my identity for a very long time. So for it to go away overnight, like I got struck by inspiration and confidence. Angel, probably not going to happen. So I learned that how to distinguish between that voice of criticism, perfectionism, self doubt and what I really want.
So sometimes I'll have an internal conversation with it. And even though some days are worse than others and I have to push myself a little harder, I recognize that's Only a part of myself, but not my whole self.
[00:26:57] Speaker A: You know what, Anya, I think we need to just slow down a bit here because people need to understand that there's a habit that people have which is they will self diagnose, usually get the diagnosis wrong, but then instead of moving forward, they're going to tell me, I, you know what, I need to go lie down, I'm not feeling well, I need to just disassociate with things. I want to just disappear.
And on a very personal level, I've gone through phases in my own life where I was in sales and in sales, every second deal is a no, right? As we say, sometimes it gets to you and it's knocked me off my feet a couple of times where I was literally sleeping for 16 hours completely in a day's trying to figure out what to do.
Now here is where people look at that and say, oh, Deepak was depressed. Deepak was oh, deep. No, I think what you and I are cut from a cloth is simply stating, we acknowledge we have a challenge, we acknowledge we have a crutch. And I think the learning for everyone listening in is as follows. Self awareness is the starting point. Now that you're aware of it, what's the point of being aware of something, not doing something about it? If I know that when I eat food my mouth remains open and people can see the food that I'm chewing clearly, if I don't want to see it, why would I want people to see it for myself? Right? And I think you and I would argue that this is ultimately about you calibrating what you need to do to get over it. The word that I'm looking for in my mind is resilience. And clearly I see that you have used it. Right? Is there any ways or any tip or trick that you use? I'll give an example of my use of resilience and I'll give that to you so you can see whatever answer I'm looking for. Phone.
My wife tells me that when you get a bad situation, I've noticed something about you. You will stand up, you will come, you'll get a glass of water, you will stand at the window and you'll drink cold water always. Ana and I and one of the tips I got from a doctor was to actually hold it under your tongue and just chill. It works great for me. And then an I turn around and I call my dog and I take him for a walk.
You'll be gone for only 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes, I'm actually not solutioning.
I'm simply calming down. I'm stabilizing, reclaiming what I need to do. I do when I come back.
Initially, people ask me, wow, it sounds very scientific. I'm like, no, it's personal.
I just figured it out. It's like figuring out that if I missed lunch, it was okay until age 40. But at age 14, beyond my blood sugar levels, when they go down, I do cranky stuff. My wife told me, when you want enough carbs, when you're dieting, I can tell you're. You're cranky.
I figured it out today. I will always have carbs in any lunch or any meal I take. I will not go into the Paleo diet or whatever they call it. Any question to you. When it comes to resilience, what has worked for you? What magical pill are you using? What technique do you use? Something simple that my listeners can listen and say, you know what? Let me try that.
[00:29:37] Speaker B: Oh, that's a great question.
I'm still trying to find my own magical recipe for it.
I think resilience is one of my core values, right? Because it's always, to me, in my life journey, it's always been about reinventing, trying something new.
It's not about the saying never give up. It's more about trying something new. Let's say, if something's not working right now, but it's trying something new and different, that may work.
And sometimes I go. I do go through the moments when, you know, anxiety spikes up. I'm cranky. So I do appreciate you saying something about cold water.
I use cold water on my face to kind of calm down my nervous system if, you know, I'm really nervous. So that does work. I go outside, you know, I try to stay on the ground to get the grounding because I've been told I need to ground myself. Not sure if it's working, but I try to sit on the ground.
And, you know, now I live in Colorado, so it's a lot of sunshine. I try to get as much sunshine as I can.
But resilience is just that thing is always trying to find something.
Something different, not just beating the same thing that you're gonna, like, try to get it done, no matter what cost, but trying to get it done in a different way or something similar that is so powerful.
[00:31:12] Speaker A: You just did something very magical there.
You know, you just explained to me what is hustle culture, if you think about it, right? Hustle culture is, we are told, break a leg, but keep walking. Hustle culture tells us Lack of sleep. No one died from lack of sleep.
Yes, people have.
There you go. There you go. Sleep. When you. And you're actually saying that, you know, we recognize, and I get all that, but we also know what we need to do to come back. I am brilliant. Now, here's a message I want to. Here's a question I want to ask you. Here you are. You are in the attitude adjustment business, for lack of better word. Hear me out for a second here, right? Not just of your own, but by the product you make and the product you take to market, there's some message you're sending to people. Right? Question for you. If I have a female entrepreneur listening right now, and if you were to share with me what you've learned about confidence that you wish more women understood, what would that message be?
[00:32:04] Speaker B: You know, I would say confidence is not something that happens overnight. At least was not for me.
I was called out on this years ago. Somebody said to me, like, anya, are you waiting to feel self, love and confidence before you start acting? I said, absolutely.
It doesn't happen that way. You start acting and then it comes.
So it's just like everything else. It's a habit that we built. Kind of like going to the gym, for the lack of a better word, we learned a skill.
So confidence not going to happen overnight.
It's trying a different thing. And then your brain says, oh, my gosh, I survived it, right? So now it goes like, okay, I can try something else. So throughout trying different things, we build confidence as a muscle. I just think of it as another muscle that we have to work.
[00:33:03] Speaker A: I like that. I actually like that because I would like to kind of dig into that with you when we talk about. So you use an example of gym, right? And yes, you're going to pick up a weight and you do repetitions with it because you want to build muscle in the same way. There's certain things now when we speak about confidence. Right. One of the things that I've learned from people is that people typically go to gym. As an example, a few reps, then this soreness comes in.
[00:33:26] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:33:27] Speaker A: When I first started doing squats, I assure you, Anya, oh, my God. I couldn't sit on the toilet. I just could not. I could not get up.
My getting up, for me was like. I was like, what is happening over here? But this went back, felt the pain.
I knew when people complain about that pain and, you know we're not talking about a physical pain anymore, right. That they know that. No, Anya, you are different. I cannot I cannot do it.
What's that one motto that you have, Ani, that keeps it going? What do you think about at that moment that says, you know what? This is a Deepak, I have my own way of thinking about things. Right. What are you thinking about?
[00:34:02] Speaker B: You know, it's great.
I usually say to myself, it's an affirmation. I say I do hard things easily.
I keep trying to train my brain to do the hard things first.
Sometimes I think a lot of us procrastinate because it's unfamiliar.
And then we leave those hard moments, the last possible moments if we ever
[00:34:27] Speaker A: get to them, because we. Yeah, fair, fair.
My mom used to always laugh. She would tell me, you know, Deepak, I used to ask her, where do you get all your strength? From us. She says, I give birth to someone with your size of a head. After that, everything is easy. And I'm like, but I think that's the point you're also making here, right? It's at the end of the day, you are testing. You keep testing, you keep learning. Use every loss as a data point and you recover from it. And I enjoyed that conversation. We're going to move into the next segment. When we return, we will talk about practical things, right? We're going to talk about forward momentum. That's very practical. Makes sense. We're going to talk about Anj and how she's still building, what does she want women to feel and what her journey can teach viewers about authentic success and this word, authentic. Let's see how we can get to it. Anya, we'll be right back. Love that. We'll be right back with real stories, fresh insights and action steps to help you rise up at work without losing yourself. You're watching Rise up at work on Now Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Deepak Bhutra and you're watching Rise up at Work on NOW Media Television. Let's keep reclaiming your career and learning how to truly rise up at work. Work.
Welcome back, everyone. So NOW Media. It's everywhere. Live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish. If you're on the move, catch the podcast version at www.nowmedia.tv. from Workplace Growth and leadership to business, culture, wellness and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
Okay, so I am a bit breathless. We have heard Anya talk to us in the first few segments. We've spoken about reinvention, confidence her journey as an entrepreneur. In this final segment, I really want to dial it up a little bit. I want to talk to her about where is she going with this? What's the forward momentum? I want to talk to her as a fellow entrepreneur. I want to understand from her in the entrepreneurial journey, what were the biggest hiccups? How did growth happen? What did she learn from. And there's going to be some bit of a scratching beyond the surface. Right. I want to ask her about the honest choices she had to make. Right. And now let me start off by asking you. Very simple. I know you spoke about confidence. Right. And we agree. It's not about being perfect. It's about choosing yourself honestly. Let me just pause for a second there, because I don't want to get very eclectic. I gotta ask you a question. When you were choosing the entrepreneurial pathway, right, and there were certain plans and certain things in your mind, what was the first biggest surprise you got as a founder entrepreneur in your journey that actually made you stop and think about the whole thing?
What was that one moment of truth for you?
[00:37:09] Speaker B: You know, it's not the first entrepreneurial venture I've been building.
And it's always that same concept.
You know, it's. There's no stability.
Right. There's no, like, stability in terms of, like, with the job, you get a paycheck, you create your own stability, you create a product, you stick to your schedule and you hold yourself accountable because you need to achieve certain deadlines, you need to achieve goals.
And while my brand really is geared toward joyful feelings and creativity, it still needs to bring the money, right? Yeah. So I have to focus on those tactical things as well and not just being playful all the time. So it's that balance.
[00:38:05] Speaker A: And here's the fun part. Remember I mentioned earlier in the show that it took me five months to realize that I had to reinvent myself completely from scratch because everything that I had learned in the corporate world, I had to unlearn. There is no backup. There is no support. There's.
How do you say this? If my company cannot give me my pay, I'm thinking now, in 30 years, I said, I've had two situations where my pay didn't come into my bank account on time. And now as an entrepreneur, here's the first thing that happens. I actually have received more calls telling me that, hey, by the way, you know, the check or that amount, it bounced, the total count of bounces I had in my 30 years in the corporate world was whatever that number was. I have achieved that in just two years as an entrepreneur.
And in my mind, but I thought I had enough money. Then I go check. I realized I missed that $500 there. I missed that $700 there. I missed a thousand bucks there. It's surprisingly that all these small amounts sometimes are things that you miss out on. So I appreciate that response. Anya, if I were to push you right, and I want to ask you a very simple question. Anya is now 21 years old.
Anya has figured out a time machine. Let me rephrase this. Anya has figured out a time machine that takes her back to when she's 21 year old.
Anya is sitting somewhere having a tall, thick milkshake and in walks today's anya. She sees 21 year old Anya and for some reason, Anya recognizes Anya. Anya looks up and says, are you me? And you say, yes. And Anya says, how did I turn out?
Do you feel that you built your life the way that that 21 year Arna foresaw it, or did something else happen? Totally.
[00:39:43] Speaker B: I love that mental picture.
Something totally different happened.
You know, I, I think if you were my future self now, self was meeting me at 21, I was going with the flow. Whatever people tell me I should go.
If I was meaning that I was going anywhere where I would feel approved and accepted.
If I was meeting that 21, was meeting myself now, I would teach myself discipline, setting goals, going for something that I'm good, figuring out what it is that I'm good at and building on it.
Right? So there will be a lot of skill set building.
Again, like you mentioned, the balance and the checks. Well, guess what this teaches you Financial discipline.
I would also teach myself that instead of just floating with the air and going whatever. People tell me, teach a lot of skills.
[00:40:40] Speaker A: Any advice on that milkshake that she's slurping at 21? I don't know. Because I'm very sure that at 21, if I were to see myself, I would tell them, dude, don't. Because this becomes a habit and you ultimately can't lose the £40 you're going to put on at my age. I'm telling you right now, stop. Okay, Nazi.
[00:40:57] Speaker B: I would say enjoy it while you can, because after 40, it's not as good.
[00:41:03] Speaker A: I know what you mean. I have a question for you. Yeah. So what are you going to tell that 21 year old now at that point that looking at what you did with your life, you just said learn these basic things.
But is there anything good that came out of it that you Want to tell that person stay the course.
What that would, what would that.
Sorry, go ahead.
[00:41:27] Speaker B: Well, first I will say to put the blinders on just so there is no outside input. You know people, there are so many well wishes and some wishers and sometimes they put us on the wrong track.
So number one, I would say focus on what you're good at, what you want to do.
Because doing something that you don't want to do for the next 20, 30 years is only going to hurt you. Right. And then I would teach myself the basic again, I come from ussr, there is government that provides for us. There's no such thing as money management, financial education. You just spend money that you don't have. Right. I would also teach myself how to budget, you know, how to set goals, how to take one step at a time to achieve where I'm going.
So not just like big and fluffy picture, but also the tactical steps.
[00:42:20] Speaker A: So I'm happy about that right now.
Let me ask you a question. Anyone entering entrepreneurship, what's a single piece of advice you would give them that you feel is something that is underrated, underestimated and can actually become a big headache for you? I heard a lot of stuff there, but I just want to get something very specific from you for not your 21 year old self. Anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur, what's that one thing that you going to give tell them shout out on
[00:42:46] Speaker B: it's it's gonna be journey. You know, you have to believe in yourself, you have to persevere because things went out. It's not going to be easy.
You know, there's going to be a lot of discipline. You have to know where you're going and you have to discipline yourself. Sometimes when people want to go from W2 employee to entrepreneurship, sometimes they have to keep the W2 employee or contract and whatever that is until they build something on the side.
Yeah, entrepreneurship doesn't happen overnight sometimes.
[00:43:26] Speaker A: Yeah. You know what's amazing when you said that, that's exactly what my first advice to anyone who calls themselves I love it that you left the corporate world. I see you on LinkedIn, I see you on a TV show. Are you doing everything that I would dream to do? And I'm like, slow down.
If you were to exit, do you have enough money to survive for the next. Let's say and this is a true number I'm going to throw at you in India, when someone says I want to do a business, the elders used to look at us and tell us, can you survive for a Thousand days.
A thousand days, if you think about it, is roughly two and a half to two, three years maybe. And if you tell them that no, then they say, then don't rush into it or keep a job on the side because you are going to find, despite all the nice stories that are told to us and all the startup guys becoming unicorns and this and that, they were doing it because they're getting other people's money. As an entrepreneur at the scale that you and I had ambitions for, potentially, you're not going to use other people's money using your own effort and your own money. So this is a big one there. I just wanted to throw that in. Any question for you? Where are you taking cats and paws claw and paw apparel into the battery? I'm too caught up with the animals, the cats claw and apparel. What's the next thing that we should keep an eye out on? Are you ever going to give me T shirts for my dog with my dog's photos on it? Or is you going to remain a cat lady as you said it in New York?
[00:44:43] Speaker B: Well, there's a. There's a part of me that's always going to be a cat lady. And I love that you become a cat person too. Yes, definitely, Definitely grow. And I do have people asking me when I'm going to create dogs line. So the plan is not to stop where I am creating. You know, I started mapping out my months to see what it is that I want to achieve. Right. Kind of like looking forward, but definitely building on my current cat line, creating dogline, creating gift packages, improving different structure of my business to create more sales. That works both for the customer and myself.
And as much as I love focusing on the creativity and beauty of things, also have the business mindset to see where I'm at.
Right. Because like you said, I love that you said a thousand days.
The entrepreneurial journey is a journey.
It's not that you quit your job and you become successful overnight, it's sometimes you just do both until you solid enough to get to that other end of the spectrum.
[00:45:56] Speaker A: Bravo. So as we wrap up, tell me about where people can find you, Anya.
[00:46:01] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great question. Where can they find me? Can find me in Colorado.
[00:46:08] Speaker A: That is a big answer. Hello?
[00:46:13] Speaker B: Hello?
[00:46:13] Speaker A: Hello? Hello? Hello. Can you hear me? Hear me, hear me, hear me? Are you there, there, there, there. This is just deeper going.
[00:46:18] Speaker B: That's great.
[00:46:20] Speaker A: I practice this a lot. Go ahead, tell me. Website. Do we have a website that people could go to?
[00:46:25] Speaker B: I have the website where you know, I sell my T shirts and again I'm expanding my brand to put like we talked about putting different products. It's clawandpawco.com so that's my website so they can see the products, they can contact me through the store. I also have presence as myself which is a fellow on Instagram, that's my handle and Facebook as well as I have Instagram and Facebook for claw and
[00:46:59] Speaker A: pop and do you ship in the US only? Do you ship outside of the US Just so far.
[00:47:05] Speaker B: Again that's a great question about business growing.
So far I ship in US only and that's, you know, I'm looking into different products.
[00:47:14] Speaker A: Got it.
[00:47:15] Speaker B: To ship outside and create because I
[00:47:17] Speaker A: have a sister who's a cat lover sitting in South Africa and I would love so worst case is I buy one I'm going to meet in October. I'm traveling to India. She lives in South Africa. I'm definitely going to get one of your T shirts and hand it over to her. Then I'm going to tell her to send a picture to you so that you can see cat lovers all over the world. So Anya, we're going to call it a wrap. I really enjoyed this conversation. I just want to make a few closing comments here.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have met an individual that has put in heart soul has learned along life's ups and downs. Right. We've heard some words on resilience. I want you to focus on that entrepreneurial journey is not for the light minded.
It will leave you like minded as well at times or not for the faint hearted. It can make you faint at times. But Anya, thank you for sharing your journey. I really enjoyed this conversation. Take care.
[00:48:01] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I love this conversation. Thanks for having me.
[00:48:05] Speaker A: Absolutely.
