Welcome back to part two of this conversation with Amber Rae of Grow Wild & Co! In this continued conversation from that week, Amber and I discuss bodies, health, movement, and even post-pregnancy changes for her. Plus we’re diving into the three questions I ask every guest in regards to when her mindset shifted on how she viewed her body, some of the biggest influences that helped her with that shift, and her advice to her younger self.
Review the Show Notes:
Physical Appearance & Body Types (0:55)
Talking to Kids About How to Be An Ally (4:20)
Teenagers on Television / Euphoria (5:54)
Uniforms in Schools (6:50)
Post Pregnancy Clothing & Lifestyle (11:30)
Turning Point for Body Image (1:11:26)
Empathy in Relationships (20:19)
Turning Point in Body Positivity (21:08)
Influences (25:20)
My Mom
Ashley Graham
Working Moms
Birds Papaya
Panty Drop Me
Advice to Younger Self (28:45)
Connect with Amber:
instagram.com/brunettetahoette
Review the Transcript:
Carly Someplace
Hey y’all, we’re back with the second part of this episode. If you haven’t listened to the previous episode, episode number 25. I highly encourage you to listen to it before you start this episode so you can get the most out of this conversation that I had with Amber. Without further ado, I introduce you part two with Amber Ray. Welcome to some place for everybody where we talk about belonging and being a human in our bodies and living in and learning to love our bodies. I’m your host, Carly someplace. This podcast is brought to you by some place images. Good wall for everybody. You can see the full show notes at some place for everybody.com. Now, let’s change some self perspectives. Oh god, I was like such a dweeb. I was such a dweeb.
Amber Rae
Huge nerd. I was into sports but it’s also a nerd.
Carly Someplace
I was I mean, yeah, I’m also it’s funny because people are like, people now again, like back to the way that I look like I love my shaved head. I love my blue hair. I love my big tattoos. But people are like, Oh, you’re so cool. And I’m like, not really. I’m like, I mean, I guess like sort of but like I’m just I’m not trying to be cool. Which is what I think it’s funny now that people actually think I’m cool because in like middle school in high school people were like Carly, stop talking. Constantly stop talking. I was bullied. Like I said I was bullied for my body. I was bullied for wearing. Like, if I wore what I’m wearing. Today, I’m wearing a crop top and a pair of leggings. If I mean, one, my parents would have anever lived in middle school, but like, but I see middle schoolers wearing things that I’m wearing. And like, one I would have never had the confidence to wear what I’m wearing. And to like, it would have just been like an eye rocket and now because it’s what I’m comfortable in. But at that point, like I was so uncomfortable in my body, all I wanted to do was cover it up because anytime that I showed anything, people made fun of me for it and it was just like such a different thing. And it’s crazy because like when you’re talking about like athletics and stuff, so I grew up in Tahoe and Tahoe is like this crazy. Obviously you live there. Like I was crazy athletic community like you are. It’s like it’s unreal. Like it’s I like have been I’ve traveled a ton and I’ve been in a lot of like outdoorsy communities. Nothing is like Tahoe like there is just this like constant like calm if you don’t like Yeah, yeah. And if you don’t like doing those things, so like, I do not enjoy winter and or winter sports, period. That doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do them. It doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to do them but I freakin hate the cold. And I really don’t enjoy being cold and working out at the same time. It’s just not does not go well for me. But like, I can snowboard I’ve been I’ve I can ski and snowboard. I was on the cross country ski team. I have been snowboarding literally since I was five. Like I like all of these things. But people look at me and they’re like, Well, you’re not athletic. And I’m like you can’t judge me you don’t know that. Like, there’s just so much that comes into that and like so growing up in Tahoe in this like super athletic community. I did three sports a year as well. I played basketball. I did track I was into chocolate. I did cross country skiing in the winter. Like everybody just does sports all the time period. And then like your weekends, you’re like, Let’s go kayaking. Let’s go paddleboarding. Let’s go swimming. Let’s go wakeboarding. Let’s go waterskiing, like what like there’s no
Amber Rae
literally describing like every person I know, including me. I paid Exactly.
Carly Someplace
And that’s just like, that’s just the community that we’re in, which is fine. But it’s like it’s one of those things that like I was still super athletic in high school, and was way curvier than everybody else. Like when it comes down to it. I was like, it’s literally just biology, I’m just a different body than you. And it’s, it’s crazy that then those are the things that people are getting bullied over things that they have zero control over whatsoever. And honestly, like as kids, you don’t even have any control anyways, like your parents aren’t. You don’t get to choose what’s coming in to your household and your grocery store. Your income level affects those things, your everything, and those are at 10 and 12 years old. You don’t have any of that knowledge. Yeah, maybe you do. It’s true. Maybe you do. But it’s just like it’s such a like crazy thing.
Amber Rae
I think such a crazy teach my daughter that my mom taught me was obviously there needs to be a lot of work to make sure you don’t become that bully. And I feel like that was that was never you know going to get to possibly be a thing my parents taught taught me that daily. But what they also had to teach me was to like be an ally and stick up for people and that means that you can immediately go from the side of like, popular on their side to be made fun of you’re putting yourself on the other side. The second you stick up or the second you say something and now sticking up as cool and saying something is cool and you have to kind of take it to that next level I remember on a bus like defending my neighbor and and then you break relationships them but it really was like somebody out there and had to be my mom was enabling me and empowering me to like, do that because I was as pretty timid. Right. And I feel like that’s a whole other element because somebody has to stick up and say something. Oh, the bus. I just remembered what it was like, like sitting on a bus. Nobody knows what’s being said there. Right, right. Or the kids just out of control. How’s that? Wow, like one person driving? And then whatever’s happening in the rest of the bus.
Carly Someplace
It’s so true. I think so
Amber Rae
I’m not looking for a descending Middle School. But I also watch that show. Euphoria. Oh my gosh, okay, maybe? I don’t know. I don’t know man. I got sucked into it. My nanny is like Gen Z right for the baby. And I was like, I got to know what’s going on. I need to know what these what these names are? Who Zendaya I literally have no account I don’t have that. And I like binge watch the show at night. I don’t know nights when I have all this time I guess. And while I really don’t want to send my daughter to middle school in high school, I don’t know what he’s like today. But if that show has that is really accurate then we have a lot of work to do.
Carly Someplace
I haven’t watched it but I get I can I honestly like I can just only imagine if I know what like my middle school and high school experience was like like, I can’t I can’t I just can’t I can’t go to school with
Amber Rae
uniform. I didn’t go to school with uniform. But now I didn’t go to the school with the uniform. I really like I competent. I had
Carly Someplace
such like, Yeah, I had such feelings about uniform. They changed my elementary school to uniform. Oh, like six or seven years after I left. So Kings Beach Elementary is uniform now. And and a lot of it came in because they wanted to have everybody not be able to be judged for their clothes. Because it was a very different like income lottery different income bracket brackets are at that school.
Amber Rae
That yeah, how was even a factor? So what I think about them, do you think it’s a good thing?
Carly Someplace
I really think it’s a good thing. I really do. I think that there’s like, I mean, I was definitely the kid in high school, like I got in trouble for my wardrobe on a regular basis. So while I’m like oh, my parents would have never let me out of the house and a crop top like I wear strapless shirts to school in high school all the time. Like I remember Are you ready to senior year picture day, they made me wear like a terrible sweater over what I was wearing. Because so it was literally just pictures for ideas. Because as seniors, we got to have seen your portraits done right, right. That’s what was going in the yearbook. And I was wearing a strapless top and they literally would not let me take a photo because they were like, it’s gonna look like you’re naked. And I was like, it doesn’t matter. And they were like, you’re not even, you’re not even supposed to be wearing this. And I literally remember I was so divided. I remember looking at. I don’t remember, I think it was either one of my teachers who then became the principal or the principal was in the room. He did not like me. And I literally said then call my parents. Oh my gosh, they’re not they’re not going to tell me to change. My, my mom was like, do whatever you want. I don’t care. Like my parents were so I’m so lucky because my parents were super like, again, unless I was wearing something super age inappropriate. Who loved that you were like, Oh, God, I got in so much trouble. I was like, I got so much trouble. I like I did some shit. But like, but I was one of the things that I was super defiant on was my wardrobe. And like, again, it was like, Okay, you can’t wear a spaghetti strap because it has to be a two finger width and like your skirts need to be knee length and blah, blah, blah, blah. Oh,
Amber Rae
it had ours wasn’t knee length. Ours was Fingertip length. Everyone’s arms were different lengths. And I remember exactly that. Oh my God, those rules. Where did they come from?
Carly Someplace
Such rules. They came from a patriarchal society where women aren’t allowed to show skin and they’re like, Don’t distract these middle school boys from learning. Okay, well, what about my learning? And what about my self expression? I felt like I literally I got in trouble
Amber Rae
for the track practice because my midriff was showing coming back to school after taking my drive. My driving tests like to get my driver’s license. It was like oh my gosh, birthday. I don’t know what I was wearing. I was just shoveled. I guess I went through some shit and the driving course. My midriff must have been showing. And they were like I was also student body president and they’re like we are making an example of you today. I cried and cried and I was like, I’m not allowed to go to track They were like, no this is a violation and you need to think about this.
Carly Someplace
Yep, I got my my big one was that I would wear spaghetti spaghetti straps all the time or like strapless tops because that’s what I felt comfortable you know that’s what I enjoyed I was so scandalous right oh my god shoulders oh my god what oh my god, but like, like things like that so like I’m so pro uniforms because it takes it takes that out it takes out the entire like element of that even though like I won’t lie I really enjoyed being defiant during all of those times. And literally like my principal from high school literally hated me I was such a brat I like I ended up in the principal’s office semi often for the fact that like I was a really good student I was the treasurer of my class like I was still like a goody two shoes but like I pushed the envelope as much as I could. And anytime they’d be like this isn’t acceptable and like then call my parents call them because my parents aren’t going to tell you that I can’t do this and my parents aren’t going to tell you like my parents were just like yeah we’re what you want like be yourself do all of this other stuff like we believe in you and do any of this other stuff again, age appropriate like I definitely remember walking out and my dad being like no go change but for the most part like but what I was wearing wasn’t not age appropriate it was just literally take
Amber Rae
tops Yeah, take tops
Carly Someplace
I think that just happened to have thin straps. Oh
Amber Rae
my gosh, like obviously I think about clothes all day every day because it’s my business but also um the baby she grew she grows out of sizes like literally every three or four weeks we’re in Tahoe the season change right it’s extreme. I’m just constantly shopping for her and the one thing I keep thinking about same thing for me when I went no one realizes is like the whole pregnancy thing like she’s going through all these sizes so as I it was not just I was this size and then I’m in maternity clothes and then I’m back to this size i right through I think I started at a size six I don’t know what I am now. I’m sometimes uncomfortable in a 10 so maybe I should be at 12 sizes are different everywhere. Often 14 feels good and like bridesmaids dresses specifically that I’m ordering now. I want to feel good oh gosh
Carly Someplace
yeah those are bridal sizing though is its own
Amber Rae
I went from six to probably like 810 and then right then the pregnancy thing makes it weird so you I guess I had to go into the maternity like there’s this weird shape and you’re growing and it’s you don’t want anything touching you. So I went into the maternity and then I was like okay medium maternity like Am I an eight they’re like what size where are you? And I’m like well I was six but then I was eight and now at 10 Like what do you mean what size was I don’t know. So then in maternity I didn’t know what size the heck the heck I was there either. That makes sense. You’re growing you’re going through this but I wasn’t the size pre part I don’t know what happened. So you’re in this thing and then I had to keep going sizes all the seasons are changing. I’m going through all the clothes and all the sizes I should have done like a rental or I don’t have much family here that would have been great to have like that was cool but I went back down I don’t know what happened after I had her you you’re still look pregnant for a while and you still feel pregnant and like your whole body is a disaster
Carly Someplace
like changing and adjusting you know like the month nine you just gave birth
Amber Rae
say I came home my mom in disgust watch me eat an entire cookie cake day by just like slicing so and I was like Don’t talk to me like this is all I have is this cookie. And I went through it every time my friends had a baby I’m like get yourself a cookie cake you’re gonna really like it that next right after she was born was was way worse than like being nine months pregnant like you’re just trying to survive you’re tired so it’s all that plus more hormones like leaving your body breastfeeding was it is is nuts and all of that combined. You’re just a mess. So I went through I don’t even know what size is there. I can’t I was barely in public at that time because I was just always feeding her something and then trying to come back down. And then I have this pile this whole wardrobe that I went through and you know what I’m not gonna come back down to the pre wardrobe and you’re kind of stuck in this mess. But people were like really celebrating as I was going it’s like a bell curve as I was reaching my like 40 week max it was so cute. All these pictures people posted them everyone celebrating it and then I’m in this like super big downhill struggle on the other side of the bell curve. No one saw anything it then and I remember like the comment was made like oh my god like you’re in jeans again. I haven’t like I can’t believe it. And I was like, Well, of course, I was gonna Virgin’s again someday. Eventually, comments like, no one knew what to say to the postpartum mom, but the prefer, like my bunk look cute no matter how I work, or no matter how much my belly button sticking out, my belly button sticks out now. And and I don’t know, it’s it’s really different. So I’m still kind of like going through that and coping with it. But at the same time my social media is posting these beautiful body positivity things every day and great trying to like marry my feelings with what I preach was was off there for a little while. I’ll say that. Yeah, it was off for a few months. And my social media manager did it completely. And I didn’t want to touch it. And that’s what I had to decouple from it because I right, it’s not that it was toxic to me it was I felt that I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching, right, because this went on and I was just floundering around. Now I’m back to where I want to be the one to post and I want to be or the one to like drive what we should do for the week and create content. And I’m and I’m back. But I was definitely out of it. And I think people regardless of pregnancy, people kind of go through those mental states and mental changes. And yeah, that was like my form of taking a break. Because I had to I had to like get myself back together. I say I still not back together. I took a year off snowboarding obviously like, also right? Well pregnant or like, when you watch your baby, like there’s just no one. Everyone’s always like doing this or doing that. Like are you here? Do you want to watch a baby? Do you want to breastfeed or two like I really am attached to her. So when I finally like went back, there’s a lot of judgment to how quickly you go back to I was very slow six to 12 months, I went back not six weeks, right. And I’m not the same stoneware but I still feel strong. I still feel athletic, right? I’m different. I got new snowboard pants, obviously, I got funding over to put my bindings on was new. I’m not flexible, like right things. Things happened and things changed. And I know Yeah, I noticed that every time I strap into my snowboard like, well, it’s felt different the last time I did it, but that was a whole two years ago, and things do change. But once you’re writing and going down, like I still feel strong, and I still feel confident on the snowboard. And I and I do think like people would probably sit like look at me and say like, Oh, she there know what she’s good at snowboarding anymore or something. And it’s like, right, don’t really judge the athleticism. Yeah, that strength is still there. Maybe like mentally I was going through it. But it’s it’s still there. And I think that’s kind of important.
Carly Someplace
And we’re really, we’re really just taught as women, like, we’re just taught so much that like, your body will change and it’s okay. But also like, go back to things like you’re saying me, having a baby is like a crazy thing. You produced a human. You produced a human,
Amber Rae
do go back. And then this is a message to those people that go back. Please don’t say to your friends that didn’t go back. Like, why didn’t you or any any comment where you’re like, why went back right away? You might not realize how that hurts them, too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Like people who are new moms still remember that. But it’s almost like, after 12 months, maybe they forget. But any comment I’m so cautious of comments I make to moms that are younger than me or newer, newer moms that meet my little sister, I’m so so cautious. And when they asked me questions that I remember asking my other mom friends, and I’m like, oh, yeah, that answer, like triggered me in a certain way. I want to make sure not to answer like that. I really have to think about it. It’s not something natural to and even when I’m in. I’ve done I’ve said wrong things. I’ve posted wrong things on social media. I’m definitely not perfect. I find that I really have to like, think I have to stop and think
Carly Someplace
we’re all learning. Yeah, we’re all learning. And I think and I think that that’s honestly just like having this conversation with you and the amount of like consciousness you have over like things that other people have said to you and how you can improve yourself. It’s those, those are small changes. They really are. They’re small changes to have that consciousness. But those are the small changes that literally change the world. Those are the small changes that change within you and your group of friends the way that you speak to each other and the way that you do that. And then that in turn, is how you speak to strangers and how you like proceed. I don’t want to say with caution, but like being able to have those conversations is so incredibly important. And being able to I don’t want to say pick and choose your words because that makes it sound like oh I have to say the right thing but like Being able to be like, this is something that was said that hurt me. So I’m not gonna say something similar to that like that is being able to pick a consciousness of not just repeating, like,
Amber Rae
I’m fired up, I think I’m like highly empathetic and I didn’t know it maybe until I realized kind of person that was. And I think there is something to having more empathy and really stopping and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Yeah. And like we said, when I was younger, I was like, taught to do that and speak if I thought, if I thought something wasn’t right, and that’s something I still kind of have to have to do to this day, but I can so easily put myself into someone else’s shoes and think about that, because those words really do like, hurt. They really, they really still kind of hurt me or like, make me feel a certain way. And I never want someone else to feel a feel bad. I guess. So.
Carly Someplace
Yeah, no, I totally. I totally, totally agree. Yeah. Okay. So I have some questions for you. So tell me I love this conversation that we’ve been having. I feel like all of it feeds into these questions that I’m going to ask. Yeah, so the first one being like, what in your life was really like, a turning point or a catalyst for like you, I guess, like, I don’t want to say like being naive about your body and just being like, I was 40. And that was that. But like, and transforming yourself into this woman who is really, like, focused on body positivity, and being able to have these like conscious conversations with yourself of like, it’s okay that I’ve changed sides. And it’s okay that I’ve done these things. And even if we get in a funk, and we do this, this type of stuff, but like, what was a turning point for you in your own journey with your body of like, becoming more positive about it? And just accepting yourself? Where where you are at all points?
Amber Rae
Oh, that’s such a good question. I think what it was, was working with influencers in the every body collection around that time was the first time I mean, that was the first time in my life, how old am I I’m 31. Now I’m 32. I’m 32. I’ll be 33 this year. And it really wasn’t what it was, like 31, that I was no longer like small, medium, or large, small, medium or large, right? It’s varied by brand, but I was always, my size was always available. I was I was more, I was curvier, my body went through a ton of changes. And my size was increasing, too. And at the same time, the whole COVID thing was happening. And we were there was going on more, and we were in I was pregnant, and I was transitioning to the everybody collection, and I was hearing how they spoke about them selves, and how confident they were. And I was, I was I was really influenced by them myself. That’s why I wanted to break with them. They have a lot of powerful messaging Emma, Chelsea, Carly Hannah, who am I forgetting? But I’m forgetting somebody kind of was really interested in the messaging that they were creating and how they were empowering others. And that’s, that’s what I wanted to do with the brand. I didn’t want just everyone to be a badass i that that yeah, you know, that propelled us so far. Um, but I wanted something a bit bigger than that for the brand. And I think it’s what I needed personally. So right, all of that was a really pivotal moment that the company changed how I felt about myself change. It was like, everything pouring out of me into this space. And my mom is like our lead HR and lead customer service. Company, she works for me, it’s the best. And even she was like, she always, she always questions like decisions I make, which is great. I need that. Yeah, critical feedback, or what what did you consider this? Or do you think that she was kind of like, wow, we’re making a lot of these changes really quickly? Are you sure this is the right way to proceed? And are we still working on getting extra extra small on our shop for customers that need that? And I was like, No, this is the way we’re going. And I was just so focused on it. And, and I think that’s, she kind of saw that and realize that and was almost like, Are you sure like this doesn’t seem like you? So I knew I was going through like a pretty big change. And it was coming out in every aspect of my life. My personal life picked up on it. My whole business changed. And yeah, maybe it was just because of everything I was going through and at the same time, like starting to work with these influencers, and I was I really think that they’re doing amazing things and there’s so many more out there. So I don’t know if that’s a good answer, but It that’s no it is
Carly Someplace
it is a good answer. I mean, there’s no good or bad answer. It’s definitely it’s what you’ve experienced. And I think that that’s fantastic. So
Amber Rae
you’re right. Listen. I shut one down. Yes, yes.
Carly Someplace
Personal along those veins like what are so obviously the influencers that you’ve worked with for your brand, but are there other people who’ve like really influenced that change in you? I feel like you’re gonna say your mom because I think she sounds fantastic.
Amber Rae
Fantastic. I want to I should I really shouldn’t say her too. And she’s like, going to be in my daughter’s life so much. So it’s amazing. But I’ll say other like internet moms, Ashley Graham. She just had twins. Yeah, like, she’s a powerhouse like, these were these working moms. So working mom adds a whole other dimension to it, this whole other level of stress. And we all know what stress does to us. Yeah. Following her through her journey, and when she needed to take a break, I needed to take a break. I kind of feel like I mimicked her in that. Birds papaya, also justice Rivas and just laughs at like this stuff. I like how she laughs things off. Makes Yep. Nature, makes fun of herself in certain ways, and just downplays like things that are pretty big issues, like what are we? What are we supposed to do about it? Like, we still have to keep going. And we, we still have to move on. I kind of I really liked those attitudes. There’s other brands in the space that do it. Well, penny dropped me. She’s Fanny dropped. We were both on a panel, they do go up to eight XL and they had to influence their whole upstream supply chain to do that. And it was their design manager that had a giveaway with giveaway with my brand. And then we have a conversation too. And she taught me a lot about the design and how to influence those upstream markets. Again, I’m chemical engineering background, I did not go to Design School. I can usually figure things out. But I like to learn about it. And she taught me she knows more than I’ll ever know about that industry.
Carly Someplace
Julie is fantastic. I just love
Amber Rae
everything that they’re doing. Oh, for people that don’t know it’s on like the intimate were like, yeah,
Carly Someplace
yeah. And I’ve so I, when panty drop was just an actual panty, like underwear service like box that you could get. I modeled for Julie a couple different times. Yeah, like from humble beginnings. Yeah, yes. Yeah. Yeah, so I modeled for panty drop for a while and shot a couple of different campaigns with them as well which was super awesome to both be in front of the camera and behind the camera for them, which was amazing. And I just like I see the amazing things that Julia is doing and changing that industry. I like disrupting it and I’m like Go girl, go
Amber Rae
meet some women empowerment quotes on their on their behind.
Carly Someplace
Yes. Just just a little just a little bit like this badass is a badass
Amber Rae
badass. Oh, right. New collections new colors all the time. That really inspired us to do more collection focused and like that type of planning to Nanning reduces stress for me so that I’ve learned a lot Yeah. From them.
Carly Someplace
Yeah, no, I love Julie. Okay, and then my last question, which I’m very curious what your answer is going to be because I feel like we’ve had such a range of topics as well as like talking about like being middle schoolers. So what is like advice that you would give to your younger self and like and honestly like your younger self can be last year your younger self can be pre pregnancy your younger self can be middle school or camp counselor or any of them
Amber Rae
maybe I’ll do two examples younger self and then like my I’ll do I’ll do like a pre a teen self and then a 20 Something self
Carly Someplace
because those were two like that was very different. Yeah. Pretty.
Amber Rae
I mean, to both of those women. Were the damn bikini. That’s that’s the obvious quote there. I think I always was going to the younger younger self. I always was but I specifically remember in Hollister Oh, I pickiest experiences there so I don’t know yes with me there’s nothing there
Carly Someplace
ever fit me so I just never went
Amber Rae
why why in middle school was like rectangle me wearing wearing like their x out there something was something was wrong there. I look back. I haven’t six pack like Who was I? Did I well, I I was Did I know how hard it was to have the six pack? Like go back and be like, chill like you just enjoyed
Carly Someplace
what you were doing enjoy party,
Amber Rae
Pool Party and and you know show people I was literally like watching blockbuster like I wasn’t doing cool things and when I was doing those cool things I was never, I was never like showing more skin and I feel like I should have been because that’s expect was short lived man. And cool. I don’t know, I look back like that. Again. I was just going to every practice and I don’t even keeping my Tamagotchi alive. But if we go to like the 20, the 20 Something me, I’m very cognizant now. I was a farmer. So for that was a way that was a journey. Like I was a chemical engineer by day and a farmer by Night Slash weekend I had pigs, chickens, and a whole vineyard and every vegetable under the sun in Pennsylvania, before I moved out here. So yeah, talk about going through a big life change. I wasn’t in my head, I wasn’t the same athletic self, because I wasn’t doing these prescriptive sports practices and teams that everyone taught me. That’s how you become your best self or something. Right? That’s all I had known to become best self. I don’t know. They’re like a lot of high school is kind of focused around those sports. But anyways, instead, I was farming. And I was like, Oh man, like, if only I was as strong as I used to be. Bitch, I was carrying 250 pound bags of chicken feed, like for dry. And I look back at those pictures now again, and I’m like, it was a very different type of conditioning or just hard manual labor. And I associate that with like, that was really, that was labor. That’s that was exercise. And to me, it wasn’t. So I always had like this guilty feeling feeling like, and I look back now. And I’m like, how silly how terrible. I was carrying pigs like, I was literally out there at all hours, even just like the I was squatting to like plant corn, like the positions that you’re in. I couldn’t stand in those positions now. So now I know that there’s different ways to be strong. It’s like we hit on that a couple of times tonight. It doesn’t have to be running on a track field. And you don’t have to do you don’t have to do any of it. Why did I have in my head? I had to be this certain amount of strength? And I’m not sure. So maybe for me it wasn’t ever focused on like, a size thing. And it was always like, how strong am I? What’s my endurance? And then right for whatever reason, it mattered to me like how I measured those metrics. And honestly, today, it’s how strong do I feel? All look, I can carry my daughter up my two flights of stairs. And yeah, and we did it. Like, there’s so much like, am I Yeah. Am I running on my track field on my carrying chicken feed? Or am I just carrying my daughter to like, go get her changed when I’m just so happy. I’m so happy now. And I was like, Well, I just want to make sure that younger self was just as happy. I don’t know if she was, I don’t remember thinking this is the happiest I can ever be. So it’s interesting. That’s what I’ll say.
Carly Someplace
Yeah. Yeah, it’s definitely interesting. But I think that I think it’s valuable that like your advice to both of your younger selves is like one where the bikini to like you are strong. Like, just because I really liked that you said that like your strength isn’t necessarily really can’t always be measured by like the basketball team said I did the best like that is that is just like a very different measure of strength compared to like, again, carrying chicken feed or being able to grab a pig or, you know,
Amber Rae
or walking around all day like I watch Disney World or something like those things are so important that people don’t have to want to be strong either. But that was
Carly Someplace
important to me. Exactly. Yeah. I love that. Amber, thank you so much for being on with me. This has been honestly amazing. I’ve loved this entire conversation. I’ve learned so much about you. Which has just been great. You’re a chemical engineer with a farm life background who was a camp counselor for
Carly Someplace
girl you are fascinating in so many ways. And also like running this, this thriving company.
Amber Rae
Have you ever wanted to talk with Kylie Jenner’s camp counselor?
Carly Someplace
Right I just I love it. I really have enjoyed this conversation and I’m so excited and then just tell listeners where they can find you obviously grow wild and CO on Instagram where else what is your guys’s website different things like that and your Instagram as well?
Amber Rae
Yeah, thanks so the website is just grow wild and co.com Facebook stain growout and CO my personal Instagram is brunette Tahoe wet, like a lot. And yeah, it used to be brunette format. I changed it when
Carly Someplace
I love Okay, so are you telling me if I scroll way back on your Instagram, I’m gonna find pig
Amber Rae
picture. I think I archived a lot of it. But if you you’d have to go deep deep into the ground and you you would probably find it Yeah.
Carly Someplace
I will go deep into the ground. My pegs will totally be there. I love it so much. Thank you so much, Amber.
Amber Rae
Yeah. Thanks so much.
Carly Someplace
Thanks so much for listening to someplace for everybody. If you love this episode, would you mind leaving me a review in your favorite podcast app and subscribe to the show. If you’re looking for a community to love on you and support you and your self love Journey, come join our all gender Facebook group someplace for everybody which can be found in the show notes at someplace for everybody.com Until we meet again. Be kind to yourself.
