Just Women Talking Shit
Just Women Talking Shit is your go-to self-help podcast for real talk on personal & spiritual growth. Hosted by Jacquelynn Cotten, personal evolution mentor & founder of Spiritual Support System, this podcast features juicy interviews with badass, one-of-a-kind women. We dive deep into the good 💩, bad 💩, weird 💩, & life 💩, offering insights & inspiration to help you live a more authentic, fulfilled life. Join us for relatable stories, expert advice, & practical tips on overcoming challenges, building resilience, & embracing your true self. Tune in & start your journey towards personal evolution today!
Just Women Talking Shit
Ep 81: Embracing Authenticity: Personal & Spiritual Growth with Amanda Yoa
In this episode of Just Women Talking Shit, we explore the true essence of authenticity in the realm of spiritual & personal growth. Join us as we delve into the challenges of finding genuine facilitators amidst a sea of ego-driven titles, & emphasize the importance of living life on our own terms, rather than through societal or familial expectations.
Through candid & relatable stories, we encourage listeners to reflect on their own lives—are they living a life that truly fulfills them, or merely trying to please others? We share our own experiences of navigating these pressures, providing inspiring insights into the value of being true to oneself.
Our conversation takes a turn into the complexities of city life & the resilience developed from living in places like Philadelphia. We discuss the cultural contrasts between different regions, the impact of significant life events such as the loss of loved ones, & the joys & tribulations of running a restaurant.
Special guest Amanda Yoa shares her dreams of stepping away from the restaurant business into real estate investment, & the ongoing balance between work & family life. This episode is a blend of authenticity, real-life anecdotes, & practical insights for anyone seeking to live a more genuine & fulfilled life.
Guest Bio: Amanda Yoa
Amanda Yoa is a dynamic Speaker, Podcaster, & HYPE WOMAN from Philadelphia, PA. As a Mompreneur, wife, & founder of STAYIN' INSPIRED, Amanda brings humor, authenticity, & motivation to everything she does. After overcoming significant personal challenges, Amanda now helps women build community, confidence, & live their passion & purpose. Tune in to her podcast, Stayin’ Inspired with Amanda Yoa, for a mix of entertainment, inspiration, & practical wisdom designed to help Millennial Goalfriends thrive.
Tune in to this episode of Just Women Talking Shit for an enriching conversation that will inspire you to embrace authenticity & pursue a life that truly fulfills you.
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Ladies and gentlemen, you're listening to Just Women Talking Shit with your host, Jacqueline Cotton. Jacqueline Cotton.
Speaker 1:Hi. Oh my God, I love your setup so much.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. I'm actually changing it soon. I hence the hole in the wall right there. I ripped the wallpaper, I ripped my logo down. I'm going to redo the wall, so it's kind of like a little in between at the moment, but we make it work.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I'm operating out of my closet.
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm in my pantry, it's fine. Yeah, the other side, the other side of this is my pantry. And then this side is like so we like split this one room that we had that was labeled like when we moved in it was labeled a, uh, a dining room, and I'm like what, who's dining in here? It's so tiny. So we did like a pantry on one side and like my office on the other side. It works, who's dining in here? Little elves, exactly. I'm like what kind of table, dining room table? We fit in here for four people. Like, why would you have a dining room for just you know, a small amount of people makes no sense. But you know, so we, we uh made other use for it, so it works I love it.
Speaker 1:I love it so much anywho. So as I don't know I guess we've never gotten to chat before I was gonna say I look hot, mess express. And I I thought about like get like trying to rummage through and do the whole like, oh, let me put some makeup on half ass. And then I was like no, I'm talking to amanda today and I'm pretty sure she's like the queen of authenticity and would probably tell me bitch, no, get it together. So I'm going on like I don't know. I just couldn't fucking sleep last night, I think I put my head down at like 5 am Central Standard Time and you're what? In Philly, I think An hour ahead.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, is that an hour now? I always mix up the time zones. I know Sometimes we're two hours apart, so I don't know what time of year, what, we are now, but it's it's 1035 here where I am. Yeah, you're an hour ahead. Yeah, yeah, okay. So you didn't sleep. I didn't fucking sleep. Oh my God, that's horrible. That's horrible. I had the weirdest dream last night.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, Can you?
Speaker 2:share what the fuck happened and what took place. So I I will preface this by saying that I was very close I still am very close to my grandparents. My grandfather passed away back in 2020. And I was like raised by my grandparents. Essentially, I lived in a house, like my mom had me young, so I lived, you know, with them until I was like five and then I was still always at the door, so, glued at the hip. My grandfather was like my, my rock, my end, all be all, my best friend. So he passed away and I, my girlfriend's, I, are having a psychic medium night, which I'm super excited for because we usually do it every year.
Speaker 2:But the guy that we used to get to come move to Arizona, so we've kind of been like, well, the guy that we used to get to come move to Arizona, so we've kind of been like, well, who do we get you know? So I found this lady who was going to be coming in May. So ever since I booked her and we planned this night with the psychic, I've been having these really off the wall dreams about my grandfather. So I'm like I really hope you're not doing this and coming to me in my dreams because you're not going to come to me, when I just paid this woman for you to come to me, Like we're having a conversation, like stop doing weird shit.
Speaker 2:In my dreams, I don't know, he was like in my dream, um, sending me like pictures of his family and the and the part of it which I'm so like. You know how you have a dream and there's something in it and you just you can't remember. And the more you try, the further it slips away. That's like there was something underneath the pictures that he was showing me and it was like written and I can't remember what it was saying, but it was like something he really wanted me to know and I'm like sitting here trying to remember what it is and the more I try, the further it just slips from my mind. So yeah, it's been really weird the past couple of, but we've had all kinds of like astrological shit, so maybe that's has to do with it. I don't know.
Speaker 1:So I mean, in case you can't tell I like stuff like that, yeah, same with it.
Speaker 2:I don't know. So I mean, in case you can't tell, I like stuff like that. Yeah, same me too. I'm not like. Astrology's not my thing, it's not my like I'm. I always look for the experts to let me know what's going on.
Speaker 2:Like is mercury and gatorade you know, like all the things we've had like nine eclipse, I'm like if we have one more fucking eclipse, I mean look at my cop, see, I'm all into the woo. Um, but yeah, I'm not. I don't study it. So I just kind of like look for the experts to tell me like what I need to look out for oh shit you got me girl, you got me with the gatorade joke.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, I love you so much already. Oh shit, okay, I love that. I didn't know you were into all the woo. I've, like, I've watched some, like, not some.
Speaker 1:I've watched several of your shorts, but I I didn't know that when collecting data, and so yeah I love that you even are into that kind of stuff, because I am too, and I have a friend who I run an annual retreat with now and nice. Yeah, she, her name is Stephanie and she is a psychic medium, and so, as you were talking about that, that's all I could think about was like some of my experiences with her and I'll oh, my God, it's just such a beautiful thing to to have somebody like that that can give you that comfort and reassurance. Anywho, it's fun. Yeah, I love it. But what I was going to say was I almost feel like, because I am so into that woo, that the dreams I'd be super interested in seeing how this all plays out, but the dreams are probably coming, so that when she does communicate with you, It'll be like so obvious He'll be like look, this was like I was already giving that yeah.
Speaker 1:And then she'll probably tell you the answers that you've been looking for is what I think is going to happen, but yeah.
Speaker 2:I haven't. So he died in 2020 and I haven't really, like, had any type of like communication and I used to do all that Like. So I started out on my journey like I was a Reiki practitioner. I mean, I still do all those things. I used to do readings and you know, honestly, I got really sick and tired of the people that I worked with. It's probably going to sound horrible, but it's the truth and it really turned me off to wanting to help people in that avenue. Right, and I'll say this we're all gifted. We all have a gift. Right, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Not to get totally woo-woo right now, but I think this is important to tell everyone we all have that gift of that other sense that we don't use and it's, if you want to do the work to tap into that like, that's your thing. So, like, I did the work because it was a part of my healing journey and I started, like reading and doing all these things for people and I seen, like, the people that I was working with, you know, I'm like this is how I want to have them improve their lives. This is for me. This is great. Finally found my thing. Good to go.
Speaker 2:All the people that I worked with that wanted those readings. It was like they just wanted the razzle dazzle. They didn't really want to have to take what I was giving them and put the work in to change their lives. So these people would show up week after week Wanting like a reading and I'm like well, you didn't do what I told you, they were telling you to do last week, so what do you think is going to change this week? You know what I mean? Nobody wanted to really take accountability for their lives. They just wanted that reassurance that they were going to get the end result without having to put the work in to get the end result for themselves. So I was like you know what? It was just a vicious cycle and I'm like this is not the avenue for me. I can use my gifts in other ways and this is the way that I do it. So just a little sidebar.
Speaker 1:Dude, that was pretty deep, that was kind of heavy and I'm totally fucking here for it. I love it, I do. I can understand that completely and how that would be a huge turnoff, and that is that's something I, as a coach, can come into contact with too, based on other people's success stories and that's something you share is testimonials and whatnot that they're going to get these, these great results. But it's like, like you said, the fucking work is work, like yeah, it's actual work, not a snap of the fingers, magician shit, which is a, I think, what they're expecting yeah, and it and it's really honestly.
Speaker 2:It's really hard to find somebody who is really like and this is just my experience in the spiritual world and you know working with other quote unquote facilitators of healing and you know there's a lot of titles that people add on and for me and the people that I came into contact with, the communities that I came across, it was very ego based and everybody just wants to slap on a title I'm this, I'm that, I'm the other and it just got very ego driven, I felt. So it's really hard to find nowadays a facilitator of of healing that is not, you know, in their ego. Um, and I didn't want to be associated with that. So that was just a personal choice that I made to kind of like steer in a different direction and to each their own.
Speaker 1:But you know, that was my experience. Yeah, no, totally. You're making so many valid points so that I personally see, especially like in the world of, I mean, marketing and whatnot, it's just there are a lot. Yeah, that could be a whole episode, yeah. But oh, this fucking brings me to my point. You know what I'm saying. You're talking about like looking over here, like hot mess express and whatnot, but I wanted to hop in here and just be like I feel like based on because you have one of those personalities that it speaks through the screen.
Speaker 1:No, I'm saying I was like, oh, I love her, I love her so much. You just are so real and you have this really great energy about you, and the thing that comes to mind is authenticity. So I was like I feel like if I were to show up trying to appear to be perfect right now, that would be so inauthentic and then it would put like the self-imposed pressure on me because I'm not fucking perfect right. So, with saying that, I want to talk about just authenticity in general, and I think that you have a really great understanding on that, everything that you just talked about up to this point was like the kind of stuff that people think but don't fucking say you know, and I think that you kind of give a lot of things that we all want to say the voice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is probably how you figured out, I mean, if you didn't want to be associated with that world and the ego of coaching and whatnot, because that's kind of what it is is coaching and personal development. I think it's really cool that you found your voice in this way. So what are your thoughts on? Because it seems like a very buzzword authenticity, you know, and it seems like a very um, buzzword authenticity, you know, and it seems like a lot of people talk on authenticity, but like, what does that actually mean to you?
Speaker 2:I know there's some people are like I hate that word, I hate authenticity I'm like. Well, mother, where do you want me to use? I don't know I'm just being real being myself it's.
Speaker 2:For me it means just putting yourself first, and I feel like a lot of us can relate to not doing that and living our lives through the eyes of other people's expectations of what we think they want us to be. And by they I refer to maybe you know people that you grow up with, your family, your parentals. You know people that you grow up with, your family, your parentals. You know the people who raised you, the people that you look up to, the people that you're kind of like looking for that permission from or that pat on the back like great job, you're doing life right. You know we somehow get stuck in that and it can come from a lot of things and I don't want to like dive into the whole trauma aspect of that. But I will say, you know, there comes a point when you kind of have to shit or get off the pot, as they say, and kind of just, you know, think to yourself and I feel like there's always like a moment in our lives where we realize that life is not uh, it's. We shouldn't take it for granted. You know, uh, we could be here today and gone tomorrow.
Speaker 2:So what are you doing with your life? Are you going to be when your life is complete? When you are, I hope we all have a a full life where we're old and wrinkly and on our deathbeds and you know, we say to ourselves I lived a full life for myself. You know, are you going to be saying that to yourself? Or are you going to be saying, oh, thank God, I lived my life through the eyes of trying to please my mother or my father or my uncle or my aunt or my grandparents or whoever it may be? You know, I'm so glad I did everything they wanted me to do and I made them proud. But what about you? You know, what have you dove into? What makes you happy? What lights you up, what makes you feel alive? Oh, look at you. I love Elmo. Hello, la la, la, la, la la la la. Elmo's world.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, she even sounds like him. This is my little co-host.
Speaker 1:Oh hello, we're talking about being real yeah, and this is kind of this is real right I love, I love how, and you coming from like a spiritual aspect of life, I love how you said where spiritual beings live in human experiences. Is that what you said? Yeah, yeah, yes, I've heard that a couple times here recently and then, like hopping on here and just kind of, you know, owning the fact that I'm I'm not fucking on my game today, this little booger did not want me to sleep. Do you remember that? All the times you woke up and you were yelling at me, do you remember that? Was you?
Speaker 2:keeping mommy up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so I'm like it's better to talk about authentic. Let's what? Oh, do you want to play with that?
Speaker 2:Here. Why don't you go play with it in there, okay, anywho?
Speaker 1:um, yeah, I just he, he kind of threw me off track. Oh, it's fine what were we, where were we?
Speaker 1:authenticity, yeah, back on authenticity, fuck. And then you add squirrel brain to the mix, like, anyway, I love everything you're saying. It's, it's, it's squirrel brain for sure, I love everything you're saying and it what I was. Oh, what I was getting at was like you know, whenever you are, some people would say like finding alignment, or you're just in the right place at the right time. Some people describe it as like deja vu, or I'm on the right path, whatever. But whenever you're like doing the work and I call them like little winks from the universe- the little synchronicities and like the little coincidences and how everything lines up.
Speaker 1:Everything you're saying I literally, over the past few days, have been thinking about because there was somebody or there is somebody who has passed away like pretty suddenly and it's affecting the family member of mine and it just freaking breaks my heart. But at the same time it's kind of like that I'm I'm wondering if here you can have all of this here. Um, look, you got all these things you can play with. This is gardening stuff. Yeah, take it over there, though.
Speaker 1:Okay yeah yeah, it is like for uncle brooks, can you take it in there? Anyway, back to authenticity. Um, I'm just wondering if this could be that moment for her where she's like, yeah, I gotta. Because that was one of my really big spiritual awakenings was when my daughter's dad he passed away a few years ago and it's just like you have this whole. It's like reimagining life in a sense and what it means and how important it is. And I love how you're talking about how living your life for you. I think that's so freaking important and I don't know about you, but okay, you're talking about how living your life for you. I think that's so freaking important, and I don't know about you, but okay, you're in Philly, so I feel like culture is a lot different there than here. I'm in Mississippi but I used to live in Philly and so I know.
Speaker 2:Oh, did you.
Speaker 1:I did Nice, yeah, baby, but you got to stay. You got to go play in the other room. Okay, that's fine, stay in there though, um, but yeah, so living in philly was completely different than living here, and so there's like a lot of pressure to to people, please, here, like there's the church and there's that we dress like this and you know, like everything's yes ma'am, no ma'am, like gotta be on a timeline type thing, and I found myself falling so victim to live in my life for everybody else, and when I moved away and moved to New York, I moved to New York and then after that I lived in Pennsylvania for a little bit and I noticed such a difference in like who I was there versus who I was here, and so when I came, when I moved back down South, I was like I fell victim to it again. I was people pleasing and all the things Right, and it I just came out of this bubble, I would say probably when I started this podcast, and that was like in the middle of the pandemic, and ever since then I've kind of just been slowly finding my own authenticity.
Speaker 1:Um, but I think it probably took really big moments, like you know, losing somebody like way too soon to kind of shake me up out of that. Um, and I'm not trying to get deep with all this shit, but I just love how it's kind of coming full circle. Everything you said is like shit, this this stuff is actually playing out in front of me in real life right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like slap, gives you like a slap of reality because we get so stuck in like our everyday thought patterns and you know we can spiral down into like a black hole and it takes something like that sometimes you know, not listening to like the little hints, sometimes it takes something big to happen to really be like Whoa, wait a minute, what's happening here?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, yeah, you, you're mighty good with your words, woman.
Speaker 2:Well, I am a speaker, you know, and then there's times where I'm horrible with my words, so I I'm horrible with my words, so I it's you know hashtag balance, Okay.
Speaker 1:So with all that, all that heaviness, let's lighten it up a little bit. Yeah, I never even introduced you again, squirrel brain. But, Amanda, can you tell all of the beautiful listeners of Just Women Talking Shit who you are, what you do and I personally know you got a podcast, but tell us a little bit about your podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my name is Amanda Yoa. I am a speaker, a podcast host of the show Staying Inspired. That's in its third season. I call myself the hype woman from Philly and, yes, that's the accent that you will be hearing. So I hope you guys all have captions in case there's something that I'm saying that you totally like. What the hell is this chick saying? Just put your captions on.
Speaker 2:I don't know what else to tell you, but I'm a mom of two. I'm married to my husband. We own our own business in Philly. We're just diving into a new chapter in our lives where we're heading into the real estate investment world. We have some properties in Philly that we're super excited to create, some amazing, expansive, you know, ways of financial abundance and life and things that we've. You know, growing up in a row home that if you tripped you would fall right out of, you know. I'm just grateful that us two Philly kids, you know, from a blue collar neighborhood in Philly, we're able to really get ourselves to where we are today, super excited, and I've been with my husband longer than I've known him, longer than we haven't known each other, if that makes sense. We've we've been together since we were in grade school and, like I said, we have two beautiful children. So yeah, I'm just out here living the dream, living life, keeping it real, sharing my experiences and, above all, having fun while doing so, dude just two Philly kids.
Speaker 1:The little time I lived in Philly I remember housing. Housing was insane Like finding somewhere to live, much less like owning somewhere. And yeah, that's a huge accomplishment, Congratulations.
Speaker 2:It's crazy. Philly's on the up and on. I mean, it's still crazy down there, you know, crime-wise, and the whole drug thing is out of control, which is why, technically, I do not live in Philly anymore. We live right over the bridge in Jersey. We moved here in like 2018 because we had kids and I thought to myself you know, I don't want them growing up in this environment. Our neighborhood changed a lot from when we were kids growing up. So I thought, you know, I want to be able to give them that big backyard experience and not have to worry about my kids playing outside. And you know, our car was getting broken into multiple times during the week to where, like you know, you're just desensitized to your car being rummaged through, which is like, not normal. So we live right over the bridge and still see the Philly skyline, so whenever I miss her, I just gaze out my window like there you are, my beautiful baby.
Speaker 2:I love you, but I had to leave you. But we're always in the city. Our families, there are businesses there. So yeah, it's, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:Well, that's super cool. Well, I don't remember. It was probably a lot different, though. Then I was like 2009, when I lived there. It's been a minute and I feel like I mean, I'm sure there was a lot of shit going on that I didn't know about. You know, because there always is in the city. But, like, based on what I've seen, like on television, that and New York City are just like what the fuck is going on? Yeah, insane. I never thought I'd see it that bad, like I'd always heard stories, especially about new york city. Um, my mom would talk about whenever she went, like whenever she first went to new york, like when, I guess whenever, maybe before she had me, right before she had me, and she was talking about how fucking just I mean like I'm just gonna be real, but hookers on every corner and I don't know what they're supposed to be called, but you could correct me.
Speaker 1:Or like what do I want to be called prostitutes?
Speaker 1:I don't know ex-workers I'm not trying to disrespect anybody, yeah, um, but so I never I mean it. Just it seems to be like going back that way and that makes me so sad, because we're talking about like two super amazing cities with so much character and I think that both those cities like really helped me become like the strong woman I am, because you got to, I got street smarts real quick. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I had to be tough and I learned a lot in both those cities and so it kind of hurts my heart, not kind of it does hurt my heart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, there are some. I mean, you do have to be tough, I a lot of times. You know, there's sometimes a disconnect between me and people that I meet from like the Midwest, because they're so laid back and they're so, you know, and I and I this could be said for the South as well. You know, it goes back to like what you said the people pleasing and the city life is just not like that. You know, we, we kind of have to like we've, we've grown up with this Like you got to be like tough as nails in order to survive out in these, this concrete jungle, you know.
Speaker 2:So sometimes we come off very like we say it, it is, and you can come off like sometimes people think you're being rude and you're being obnoxious, but you know, and trust me when I say there have been periods in my life where I was rude to people and I thought you know, but that was just me having to find that balance between speaking my mind Right and wanting to share and putting myself first but also saying that with like love and compassion for other people.
Speaker 2:So there is like a fine line and a balance with that and it goes back to like what you were saying about, like the people pleasing and all that like are you being rude or are you just setting a boundary for yourself, you know, and not falling into that people pleasing Sometimes people that kind of gets like muddled and people need to understand. Like you're not being rude, You're standing up for what you believe in, You're putting yourself first and you're not falling into that people pleasing. You know I can't share my voice, so you know the city gives you those rough edges, but I've kind of softened them out a little bit as I've gotten older. I've kind of softened them out a little bit as I've gotten older.
Speaker 2:But I'm like a fuck around and find out type of girl too. So if you fuck around, you will find out oh, my god, I love it so much.
Speaker 1:I love it so much. Oh, I hope to go back one day. Just, I was, I was like a, a baby, you know. I was like just in college and didn't I don't think I appreciated it as much as I would now and just to like be able to walk, walk the streets. I lived, um. So back when there was the art institute, I was what was that chestnut like right in center city and so I got like the. I felt like a royal experience. If I'm gonna live in in Philly for the first time, you know, yeah, but I fucking missed it. It's such a beautiful city and many good times many good times.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love my city. It's on the up and up, like I said. There's a new mayor, I think, and she's trying to clean up the streets and you know it's just sad it's. You know, like you were were saying the prostitutes and the homelessness it's it's all encompassing. Majority of those people are on drugs and it's like an epidemic it's. It's horrible.
Speaker 2:Philly is like one of the worst in the united states for for drug abuse and it's like the police. Now they're just starting to crack down, but before it was kind of like the police patrolled certain areas and it was. They weren't trying to stop anything or prevent. Before it was kind of like the police patrolled certain areas and it was. They weren't trying to stop anything or prevent anything. They were kind of just corralling them all in and keeping them in like like animals in a pen kind of, and it was. It's such a difference.
Speaker 2:Like where we lived in Philly, if you go like five blocks down it turns into like a third world country. It's horrible. There's homelessness, there's drug abuse out in the open, everything it's just it's beyond what you could ever imagine unless you've actually seen it for yourself. So I'm glad the mayor that is in office now. She's cleaning up the streets and I'm kind of proud that there's a female mayor in the city of Philadelphia. So shout out, shout out. And I can't think of her name off the top of my head, but shout out, hey girl.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh man. Yeah, I'm just like trying to imagine it. I've seen like some stuff I'm not a, I'm not a news watcher. People hate on me for that. They're like well, how do you know what's going on in the world? I'm like I don't really Sometimes you don't want to know, sometimes I don't want to know. If I watched and listened to the news as much as my husband, I would be terrified to leave my house. Oh my God, I got to eat, if there were some.
Speaker 2:I literally wondered if you could hear that stomach, no stomach, that's how loud it was, I was like, oh shit, you'd be surprised what your mic can pick up and what it can't, like there's times where I'm like my dog will be like rolling around and I'm like looking at him like will you stop? Like you can't even hear it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so funny anyway, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. But yeah, like I wouldn't. I would never even fucking leave the house, you know so. But oh my god, all I can think about is the good experiences I had there.
Speaker 1:And speaking of homelessness, uh, and again, I'm like a southern naive trying to be southern. I mean, I was southern belle through and through up until I moved to up north, and I still had this in this, this person in me, that I couldn't not stop and talk to these people. But it was before it got real bad. You know, like I remember there was this one woman and she I think her name was, no, I don't remember her name, but she was, um, russian, and she was the sweetest thing and all she ever wanted was leftovers, and so I worked at a restaurant and I'd bring them to her what do you think?
Speaker 1:And then there was this dude over by 7-eleven and he was like a war vet and he too, he was just like give me some chips, or he just wanted some food. So, like to think about that times a million. And, and from my experience, people on drugs, um, yeah, I just, it just hurts my heart to even think about it, because I know how you become not a person anymore because of the drugs and like that's just, it's just fucking sucks. It's a good city, but if you say that there's a good mayor there and I let me, I guess, let me know whenever I should come back because I've yeah I mean it's good you could.
Speaker 2:There's, my friend was just here from hoboken and we had a great time. I took her to all the. You know I recommended places that she went to. We met up a day. We went to the franklin institute, we went to um. Where else did we go? I took her to my business. We own a restaurant in Philly, so she had some like real Philly food and I'm like, listen, I know you're probably going to want to go to the Pat's and Gino's, but I will tell you it is just a tourist trap like their cheesesteaks suck. Sorry, thank you, I have to say it.
Speaker 1:Can we say that everybody pats and g knows sucks? Yeah, I tried them. I mean, in comparison, I literally had like at the what was it the fortune or I don't remember the name of the mall, but across from the art institute they had a fucking more amazing cheesesteak than pats and genos.
Speaker 2:It's so expensive and it's like so shitty and but it just goes to show like what reputation and marketing will do for you. But if you want a real philly cheesesteak first I got a shout out get, take yourself to the fresh works of port richmond. That's my business. But my personal favorite, my personal favorite is Angelou's, which is down in like South Philly. I believe that's where you will get a real genuine. That's where the people of Philadelphia go for their cheesesteaks. Places like that. We don't go to Pat's and Gino's. But I said to her I'm like listen, I get it. Like if you want to go and like I'll take your picture out front of Gino's, we can just say you got one. Or like you know, if you want to buy one for like 1516 bucks and take a bite out of it just to say you had it, you're probably going to spit it out, but I mean I'll support you in that and then we'll go and we'll get like a real cheesesteak.
Speaker 1:A real cheesesteak, I'm sorry I'm sorry to knock it y'all, but it's not. Listen, I'm saving you time and money time and money take yourself to angelo's. Yeah, the line was long. I remember being expensive and I remember not tasting very good. So anyway, yeah, save yourself, yeah, save yourself that. So wait, tell me about your business.
Speaker 2:You, you guys, make cheesesteaks because I'm like yeah, so immediately turned on yes we make your typical like food that you should not have on the daily um. You know, your typical sunday football. Let's have wings. Let's have uh cheesesteaks. Let's have hoagies. Yes, we call them hoagies. You probably call them subs or sandwiches in philly, we call them hoagies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, down south it's usually like a sub or a sandwich, yeah, but what killed me was in new york, whenever people were like I'll take a hero, I'm like looking over the sky, like, yeah, like a superman flying in.
Speaker 2:What are we ordering with my lunch? With my ham and cheese on a roll? Where are you at? Yeah, we call them hoagies don't ask me why, but um, so yeah, we serve all that type of food and, uh, we've been, we've been down there for about, oh my gosh, like 15 some years. I'm getting old girl. Oh my gosh. Yeah, we've been down there for a while. It started my husband and his brother and then he sold the business, so I think we've owned it for maybe 13 years, I believe.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, Dude, somebody who's worked in the restaurant industry, like you know, those are like the first jobs. And then like there's also the jobs when you're a single mom and you gotta put food on the table jobs Mm-hmm, that's a huge accomplishment, man. Like most people, don't make it past like their first or second year in the restaurant business.
Speaker 2:So it's a lot. It's a lot especially, you know, I'm grateful that we have like a great staff and it enables my husband to be off more because he works so much. Especially when my daughter was younger was like, you know, three, four, like he missed a lot of things because he had to be at work. So I was just talking to a girl who is already doing like what me and my husband are stepping into, like real estate investment, and she was telling me that she just bought a property that used to be a restaurant. She's going to open up the restaurant and I'm like, girl, we're investing so that we can get out of the restaurant business eventually one day, because it's not something that you can do forever.
Speaker 2:You know it's hard to find like a great staff that will run a business the way that you run a business. There's nobody's going to run your business like you do. It's just point blank, no matter who you have and that's not trying to knock anybody and their work ethic. It's just when you own something yourself, nobody's going to put that all that you put into your business. So, that being said, you know I said to her I'm like, well, I was like I'm not trying to deter you from doing anything, but I'll keep it real. Because she asked, I'm like it's a lot. It's a lot, it's can. You're always there when something happens. You got to answer the phone, you know.
Speaker 1:So it's a, it's a big responsibility yeah, like the financials and the fact that that I mean just it's hard in general, but also people are buttholes, true that I like. I find that whenever it comes to food not like people can be really mean. I remember, did you? Oh, I wonder if you uh knew about this place. So and I think it was 2009 is when I lived there and it was um on like oh, don't get me wrong, I don't know somewhere on chestnut, but there was a good burger. They opened a Good Burger. Did you ever hear about that place?
Speaker 2:No, I know we had a wall. I think we still do have a Wall Burgers, but I never heard of Good Burger.
Speaker 1:Okay, and there was like a Five Guys somewhere down. Oh yeah, we have Five Guys, we have the Five Guys. Okay, well, okay, well, good burger didn't last that long, okay. But I remember because you gotta remember, I'm originally from the south and so my feelings were like I would get my feelings hurt. I had to toughen up real, real, real quick. Don't say what, don't, don't repeat everything you hear, uh. But um, I remember like just being so fragile and people coming in and like if the kitchen was taking too long dude, like people would take stuff out on me.
Speaker 1:I will never forget a woman took her receipt and after yelling at me like vigorously, I'm like crying in front of all these people like probably a step away from snot bubbles and, after chewing me out, gets the rise out of me that she wants because I'm like crying at this point takes her receipt, crumbles it up and throws it in my face and it's like what Now, me today would not put up with that. There's no way in this world. But all I'm saying is, yeah, I, I joke about like one day, maybe that'll be my retirement plan, like, okay, you know, I'll get that little cafe, something by the beach, and like you know, I'll be like that sexy white foxy lady. Well, that's where you want to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you want it like that. You have to strategically place yourself, so like, if you're going to have, like, a restaurant in the city, you're going to have to deal with city people, whereas if you're, you know, a restaurant on the beach where everyone's on vacation and in a great mood, then that's probably going to you're going to have a better time, right. You're going to have better like customer interaction. Right, you're gonna be better like customer interaction, yeah so okay, that beach idea, I dig that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it's still on the list then. But no, there's no way in the world I just I don't think I could survive it. So I either way. It's a huge accomplishment. What I wanted to just congratulate you.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that. Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 1:But what else? What else you got going on in your world before we, before we hop off here, what's what's in the world of Amanda? Got new episodes coming up, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:I do. Yeah, all my episodes come out on Thursdays, 7 am Eastern standard, so you can check them out. I'm actually rebranding after this, after this season, this will probably be my let me think third rebrand, and you know I some people might look at that and be like, oh my God, she's so not put together. You're exactly right. Okay, karen, I'm not put together.
Speaker 2:Um, because there's an evolution to everything that we do, right, like we're always growing, we're always. I always say, like you have to, in everything that you do, you have the doing over here and you have who you are over here and along that way, like you kind of like, meet in the middle and then that's where, like you explode and you find your success and you find your rhythm and you find, like your, your niche right. So that's been my ongoing journey is, you know, getting out of my own way, overcoming things that would make me hold myself back instead of just fully expressing who I am and what I, what it is that I really want to do. And the more you work on yourself, the more you find that clarity in in what it is that you're doing. So, you know, I just I attributed to the evolution which is me in my podcasting journey. So I'm super excited. I don't want to give it away because it's um, I'm, I'm, I'm leaving it, you know, as like a unveiling, if you will, for my community and my audience. So you'll have to follow me on Amanda Yoadat official on Instagram. That's usually where I hang out.
Speaker 2:I have been trying the TikTok thing. Listen, I'm an elder millennial, okay, with a lot of Gen X influence, so TikTok was just it's just not my thing and I just couldn't, for reason, get on to TikTok's more of like my guilty pleasure, like the end of the night, I'm doom scrolling until I pass out sometimes because I just don't watch TV, but showing up professionally, I've just been like God, do I have to do that? Because? So I just I'm doing it. So follow me on TikTok as well.
Speaker 2:I think it's it's Amanda Yoa. So you can find all the crazy shit that I'm doing and then you know what I got going on. But that's that's the biggest thing in my life as well, as you know, my husband and I stepping into the real estate world and all the craziness that comes with that, and you know, being a sports mom, my kids, my daughter's, in softball. So we're going crazy right now with games and all that, which is a lot of fun, you know. It gives the family a reason to get out into the nice weather and watch a good game and cheer her on. And what is it? Take your child to work. Days coming up, so I'm going to do a bonus episode with my daughter.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh Are they still doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, apparently.
Speaker 1:What grade is she in? She's in fifth grade. She's in fifth grade. Well damn, my kid's in fifth grade and they've mentioned nothing about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't know it was a thing until they sent home a form, you know, saying like, yes, they're going to go to work, which you know I guess they have to do that, so they know they're not just home sitting doing nothing. So I thought, well, you can stay home and and stay at home with me and we'll. I'll show you what I do throughout the day and we'll record a podcast together so we'll see how this goes. She's probably going to bust on me the whole time. I actually thought about doing like what she thinks about, like my heart throbs from back in the day, like Devin Sawa and who else? Oh my gosh, what is his name? Rufio russo. The, the guy who played daniel from karate kid, I knew you're my biggest crush ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had yeah, I had it hot for him too. No, not so much. Now that I'm older, I'm like yeah, he's not my type your taste has changed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's not my type. Um, oh my god changed. Yeah, he's not my type, but yeah so it'll be fun.
Speaker 1:It'll be a fun time. That'd be so funny because my daughter and I have such different tastes she's 11. Oh my gosh. Anyway, if they don't do that whole take your daughter to work day or take your kid I just made we should just do it on our own. I'm jealous. I'm kind of jealous because I always wanted to like go on one of those work days.
Speaker 2:I never got to, and so that's going to be fun for her, I bet yeah, I remember always going into the office with my mom and being like this is not what I want to do in life. Thanks for showing me this, because it's like this isn't what I don't want to do. Um, but I always enjoyed going at the same time, because there's always something fun. But at the same time, I'm like God. I do this. How does she do this every day? Yeah, so, appreciation for your parents Right.
Speaker 1:Right. So I know we got to wrap it up, but that makes me think about how can we give the ladies at the school some shout outs, because every time I go in there, I know what you're talking about. I go in there and I'm like these ladies deal with this shit every day. I'm not somebody that can just like have the same thing happening every single day, like that routine, like I was meant to be an entrepreneur through and through, like I got it, you know what I mean, like same these ladies.
Speaker 1:I feel like they. It takes a special person to like be in a school. I guess this is what I'm getting at, because I don't think I could do it. The paperwork, the announcements, the just, oh, just just. Anybody stresses me out, it just seems like it would get boring your kids times 22 yeah again special thank y'all for doing what you do so we don't have to do it because I ain't home, I ain't homeschooling my kids.
Speaker 2:You know, you hear about the crazy shit people are doing. They're like I'm gonna homeschool my kids because I'm tired of these schools teaching this stuff. I'm like you want out of your mind, like I can't.
Speaker 1:I give them props because I could never I'm like I try, like I am kind of conspiracy theorist, but then I'm like, yeah, but I also, I love, I want my sanity. Like there's no way I'm dreading I yes, I said it I'm gonna be the mom who said I'm dreading that summer break is coming up and I'm gonna be stuck with these little. Yeah, I just am, because it's like we do there. They need structure, they need routine, but and I I mean I'm not saying I'm like I'll pro everything that the schools believe in or right anyway I've heard all these TikToks and stuff here recently and it's just like the schools are doing this and schools are doing that, and the schools are out to get our kids and I'm like, oh, but my head sure does hurt a lot less when they're not here right, and here's the thing too, like schools are going to teach what they teach.
Speaker 2:but then that's where you step in as a parent and you do your job, that, despite what they're you know, pay attention to what your kids are learning and give your opinion, you know, on on the subject matter. Now, all the things that you see going on and I've never seen them in my kids schools. But you know, some people talk about some radical shit that is being taught and to that I just say you know, have a conversation with your kids. So if you know homeschooling is not your thing, maybe homeschooling is your thing. To that I say God gave you the patience of a saint.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I like to think I could do it, but and then then this one starts going crazy and I'm just sitting here thinking about I don't even know how to do this math. Well, I'm girl, what did happen? Like I they have, I go to teach my kids and they're like. They look at me like I'm stupid. They're like you're such a dumb bitch, like I'm just like I, my daughter.
Speaker 2:Math was never my forte. Um, my husband did my math, like especially in high school. He did all my homework and stuff. But uh, the stuff that she brings home, I'm like I don't even remember of all the school system over here. I went to Catholic school so we were always like I realized that when we went into college, like how behind Catholic school systems are compared to some public school systems, especially over here, where my kids are the things that they learn at an early age. I'm like I didn't learn this till like second grade. They're doing it in early age. I'm like I didn't learn this till like second grade. They're doing it in like kindergarten. I'm like what, my five-year-old can speak Spanish. What is happening? I feel like an influence, I don't know. But yeah, I'm like don't ask me, ask your father Math question. Go to daddy.
Speaker 1:I thought I was good at math until they brought me through homework.
Speaker 2:I'm like, well, what do you think? The answer is yeah, and she'll explain it. I'm like, yep, that's then. She'll come home like mom, that answer was not right. And I'm like, well, you know, then she had the both of us fooled, because I checked it and swore it was right oh my gosh, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Oh well, this has been wonderful.
Speaker 2:You are amazing and thank you for having me?
Speaker 1:yeah for sure. Um you talking about your rebrand? Thank like thanks for normalizing that, because I have been struggling with this whole. Do I do it? Do I because it'll be my either second or third time. I've been in and out trying to figure out what this beast is. Now it's hard to put a label on it and I love that you were like it's evolving.
Speaker 1:That's my whole thing if you follow my account very long evolving and I just love it, yeah. So I can't wait to see what the rebrand is going to look like. What all is that going to tell Like you look, like you do the photo shoots and all the things like it looks like so much fun it is.
Speaker 2:That last photo shoot that I had was so much fun and it was just expressing like the fun part of getting to do what I do, like dressing up and expressing my you know my message through my clothing on stage when I speak in front of people and it the rebrand has that feel, but it's more so, you know, when I speak. My audience is a lot of women and moms and I just want to provide a space where we can kind of just unwind, unclip, unzip and just let everything out. You know, like give that like Saturday morning bowl of cereal type of feel that we've all been looking for, because adulting is hard, it really is hard, and it's evolved because when I first started my podcast it was strictly just inspirational. You know, like having a guest on who's a coach, this coach, that coach, this coach, this mindset coach, confidence coach, success coach, and they would come on talk about what it is that they did.
Speaker 2:Where can people find you Wrap it up and I thought you know what I want people to bring, who they are too. I want them to be able to comment on relatable shit that goes on in our lives. Like you know, should Beyonce be doing country music, was Taylor Swift's song about Kim Kardashian. You know, oj died. Why did he have people sign a DNA before coming in and saying their goodbyes? That's a little sketchy. So, you know, bringing all these things up and having a real conversation that you would with your girlfriends, while getting some inspiration as well, you know. So that's how it's evolved over time and I thought well, here I am and staying inspired was kind of giving like not the energy that I'm putting out nowadays, so it's time to break out of the cocoon.
Speaker 1:I love it so much. I love it. I love the show. I love your energy. You're just awesome.
Speaker 2:You're so awesome.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for your time. I can't wait to see, like, what the rebrand looks like, and it was going to be a whole thing. Yes, um, and yeah, it's been great, thank you. I'm glad we finally got to do this because I know, like our schedules between kids and whatnot we're like anyway, so we finally got to meet. I'm so happy, happy.
Speaker 2:No problem, yeah, thank you for having me. This was fun. I enjoyed it so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so much fun and I'll talk to you soon. All right, sounds good.
Speaker 2:Have a great day you too Bye. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
