Our guest today is, like any multipotentialite, full of talents, ideas, dreams, and motivations. However, she has also been through the type of experience that we usually only observe from a distance, involving celebrities and strangers, the kind of thing we would usually say, “It’ll never happen to me.”
Well, for Kylie it did: a workplace conflict that was dragged out into the local media, and she was publicly fired. She faced criticism, threats, and character attacks, which she was unable to respond to or share her side of the story; the kind of public degradation you would never want to go through.
Understandably, this had an impact on her mental health. Ironically, however, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has helped her find some comfort and optimism again.
Kylie is here to to share some insight into what this kind of trauma feels like, and how to summon the courage to believe in and have faith in who you are. We all seek validation from different sources, but at the end of the day, it has to start with yourself.
And we spend some time learning about her diverse projects, from podcasting to writing, web design, and especially music. Kylie is the new co-lead of the Music Makers group in the Puttyverse, and she shares with us some of their exciting ideas and plans.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS
Topics & Timestamps
- [4:27] – Kylie’s 2020, which started off with her being terminated from her public teaching job, and dealing with media exposure and public criticism.
- [7:16] – How the experience has shaped Kylie’s understanding of validation and believing in herself.
- [10:20] – “When you accept the people around you, that’s a great step towards accepting yourself.”
- [13:10] – Has the experience shaken Kylie’s faith or even interest in the career she was pursuing?
- [17:43] – Will the incident keep chasing after her in the years to come?
- [21:20] – How do we decide when to follow others and when not to.
- [22:34] – We chat about some of Kylie’s exciting projects coming out of this experience, starting with her new podcast, “Keepin’ It Real, with Kylie Pontius.”
- [25:32] – Preparing to be in a place where she can say “I’m gonna write a book,” and mean it!
- [27:04] – Kylie’s side-hustle, teaching people how to edit their own WordPress websites.
- [28:41] – …and helping with the Music Makers group in The Puttyverse.
- [31:49] – Maintaining a good routine, taking care of yourself, using your voice: great advice for dealing with uncertainty. “Using your voice and speaking your mind empowers you in a time where you feel really disempowered.”
- [34:04] – Some thoughts and ideas for revamping the Music group.