Why you’re still Burnt Out with Empowerment Coach Cass Cruz | ep 13
Burnout Recovery: Why rest isn’t enough
If you’ve ever felt like you were doing all the "right" things—resting, slowing down, switching jobs, even quitting altogether—and yet somehow still waking up exhausted and disconnected... this one’s for you.
This week on a life differently, I sat down with Empowerment Coach and Founder of Nova Coaching, Cass Cruz, for a conversation that stayed with me long after we stopped recording.
We talked about burnout—not the surface-level version that says "you just need a bubble bath," but the deep, identity-level burnout that happens when you’ve been taught to shrink, overextend, and perform your way into being worthy.
Especially for those of us navigating:
First-gen expectations
Racialized systems
Corporate spaces never built for us
The High-Achiever’s Breaking Point
Cass knows the burnout cycle intimately. With 15+ years in corporate marketing, working with brands like Liberty Mutual and Bose, she built a resume many would envy—but she was barely surviving. When depression hit in 2023, she realized: this life I’ve built isn’t mine.
"The path I was on was paved by other people’s expectations."
That moment of reckoning became the start of her bloom.
What Real Empowerment Looks Like
Cass doesn’t coach from a textbook. She coaches from experience, from heart, from survival. Through Nova Coaching, she now helps others:
Reclaim their power after burnout
Navigate identity and career transitions
Bridge the gap between personal healing and professional life
And what sets her apart? She brings music, creativity, and soul into every step.
"Music has always been a lifeline. It helps us feel what we can’t always say."
If you're exploring what it means to reclaim your voice, you might also enjoy The Power of Your Voice, Your Story, + Truly Listening with Bethany Hawkins.
The Roots of Burnout Go Deeper Than You Think
One of the most powerful realizations in my conversation with Cass was this: burnout doesn’t just come from overworking. It comes from internalized pressure to constantly prove your worth—especially when you’ve been socialized to believe that rest is laziness, that softness is weakness, or that your value is tied to your productivity.
We talked about how so many of us—particularly those navigating racialized systems or first-gen pressure—are expected to carry more while asking for less. Even when we take breaks or step away, we can still find ourselves drained because the mental, emotional, and generational load hasn’t shifted.
Cass calls this the burnout beneath the burnout—and it hit me like a truth bomb. It’s not just that we’re tired. It’s that we’ve been operating from survival for far too long.
Reclaiming Power, One Choice at a Time
Cass reminded me that empowerment isn’t some massive transformation you have to earn. It’s a series of small, consistent decisions to choose yourself—over and over again.
Whether it’s saying no without guilt, setting boundaries without apology, or giving yourself permission to feel joy in a system that wants you to perform and endure, every choice to return to yourself is a reclamation.
We also explored how her coaching approach is deeply holistic—it’s not about fixing you; it’s about remembering who you are underneath all the conditioning. That’s the work. And that’s the gift.
If you're exploring what it looks like to reclaim your softness, power, and pleasure, don't miss Reclaiming Pleasure + the Power of Shadow Work with Latoya Dixon Smith.
Connect with Cass Cruz
Founder + Empowerment Coach, Nova Coaching
Cass Cruz is the founder of Nova Coaching, a transformative practice dedicated to empowering growth through guided self-discovery.
With experience working with hundreds of individuals, Cass helps clients define success on their own terms, overcome limitations, and navigate life’s transitions with clarity and confidence.
Through 1:1 coaching, group programs, and tailored workshops for organizations, Cass combines her award-winning corporate leadership background, personal experience, and compassionate guidance to inspire meaningful transformation. Whether working with individuals seeking personal and professional growth, or organizations striving to build stronger, more connected teams, Cass is committed to helping clients thrive authentically.
Cass earned her holistic coach training through Wholehearted Coaching, a program rooted in decolonizing wellness and expanding accessibility. Her certification included training in somatics, mindfulness, parts work, trauma-informed care, and inclusive space holding—tools that form the foundation of her practice.
Resources + Links
Connect with Cass Cruz:
Website: novacoaching.com
Instagram: @_novacoaching
LinkedIn: Cass Cruz
Substack: casscruz.substack.com
Quote to Hold Onto
"Prepare for the bloom."
If you’ve been in the winter of burnout, this is your reminder: spring always comes.
💬 Ready to Explore This More?
Listen to this episode of a life differently to hear the full conversation and personal stories on this topic. And if this resonated with you, let’s continue the conversation—share your thoughts with me on Instagram @alifedifferently.
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Read the Transcript
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (00:00.11)
Ugh.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (00:02.464)
But I'm one step closer to doing my own podcast with a mic here.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (00:05.676)
Yeah, you are. So congratulations on that one step closer. Yeah, yeah, of course. Do you feel like you need a moment to maybe take a deep breath or anything? Go for it.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (00:09.088)
Thank you.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (00:13.515)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (00:41.856)
Thank you for that. Girl, even unbuckle my pants so can get the full breath out.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (00:43.104)
Absolutely, anytime.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (00:47.758)
Yes, yes, I love that. I love it. man, thank you for sharing that with me. So, we have talked about, you know, kind of what we'd like to talk about today. I'm aware that was repetitive. Anyways, so the topics are pretty much there. Usually what I'll do is that I'll kind of...
Cass Cruz (she/her) (00:55.048)
my goodness. Yes.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:12.64)
start off doing like a little brief introduction and then I'll ask you to introduce yourself in your own words, you however you like. And then we'll pretty much just kind of like transition on into the conversation. If you ever need a moment, you're more than welcome to do so. If we need to pause, if we need to redo something, always can do any of those things. Oops, how does that feel? Okay, good. All right, so can you hear my dishwasher?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:18.38)
Hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:33.024)
That sounds good.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:39.574)
There's a subtle hum in the background.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:41.004)
Okay, that's probably what it is. Okay, it'll be fine. It'll be fine to post as long as it's not distracting to you. Okay, cool. All right. All right. So all right, y'all, I am so excited for today's conversation. This one feels a little different than the interviews that I've done before. And in the best way, today's guest with us today is Cass Cruz and
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:46.432)
Yeah. No, not at all.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (02:07.126)
I actually went through the, we both went through the same coaching certification program, the Whole Hearted Life coaching program. But we haven't gotten to know each other deeply in that program, surprisingly. So this is going to be one of those really beautiful real time moments where I get to know more about Cass in the same way that you all are. And I'm super, super excited about that. So Cass, welcome. Thank you for being here.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (02:30.636)
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here, Ronnie.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (02:33.322)
Absolutely, I appreciate that. So I would really love to kind of start things off by inviting you to introduce yourself to everyone in whatever way that feels best for you.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (02:44.428)
Thank you. So my name is Cass Cruz. I am an empowerment coach and founder of Nova Coaching. I started Nova Coaching because I realized just how many people were feeling disempowered in their lives, also in their corporate experience, which I'll talk a little bit more about in a moment. And my role is to help people reconnect with the power that they've always had within them, whether that's in life, in work, and everywhere in between.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (03:12.174)
That's so beautiful. And that's such a powerful, not to repeat the word, but that's such a powerful mission. And I just feel like you may be one of the first coaches I've come across who is operating and moving in this world through that mission. So I would really love to kind of just go ahead and dive into that work that you do this empowerment coaching. What exactly is that? Like, what does it mean? How would you describe it to you? I guess a newbie like me.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (03:38.58)
Yeah. So what I witnessed and I feel like a lot of us have become more aware of this is that society seeks to strip us of our power in order to keep us being productive and contributing to a capitalistic society. Right. And in order to keep us working, they strip us of who we are. They strip us of the innate power that we've always had within us. Did you hear my dog? I'm sorry. Okay. I'll start that part over again.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (03:54.52)
Right.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (04:03.384)
Mm-hmm. Just find it.
Go ahead.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (04:11.212)
So throughout my experience, I observed and accepted is that society is constantly trying to strip us of our power. Once I came to that realization, I knew that I wanted to be part of the people who were shifting that narrative and re-empowering people, connecting them to the power that they've always had within them.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (04:35.63)
That sounds so amazing. So I know that you said that you, when you made this realization, like, can you tell us more about maybe your experience? Like, how did that come into your knowing? Like, how did you become aware of that? Maybe like personally, or was it something that you observed in others? How did we get here?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (04:54.196)
Yeah, great question. I want to say that for me, it actually started in childhood. I'll share a little bit more personal story. I've always been one of those people who's extremely curious and wonders about, you know, things like, why do people act the way that they do? Why are they attracted to certain things in a particular way? Why does the moon shine the way that it does? I've always just been this really curious person and wondered about
the power beyond what we can see. And even as a child, when I would be in settings where, you know, I actually come from a Haitian family, I'm a first generation American, and I would see how my parents in their strive to assimilate to American culture would even sort of start to put down other blackness. And I don't judge them for that. It's something that a lot of people do, particularly immigrants, when they wanna
know, assimilate into a particular culture, but I often found myself asking why, like, why would you say that about other people? What if they're just as amazing as you are and you're just not able to see it? And so that curiosity always grew and actually became my superpower, I would say, throughout my life. And particularly when I started working in corporate, I realized that that became my superpowers, my ability to help people sort of pause and question.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (05:57.518)
Thank
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (06:04.366)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (06:22.048)
but also to express this deep sense of compassion. And what I realized through that is how it actually helped people to be the best versions of themselves, to feel the most empowered. But I also recognized how certain systems that were in place tried to shrink those people, myself included. As a black woman who worked in corporate America, who was striving for this goal that...
you know, always felt like it continued to move further and further away from me no matter what I was doing. I really came to understand that this overall strategy is to keep me from feeling as empowered as possible because that is how I stay committed to their goals and their values and their drive for money and power.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (07:14.382)
Mm-hmm, yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (07:16.684)
And no matter what I did within the corporate world, I realized that...
Let me take a step back. Because this has been something that has been ingrained in me ever since I was young and it continued to grow within my career, I realized that what I really want to focus on was to help people to push away those expectations of others, whether it's in their family life or in their careers, and to actually dig deeper into who they are.
and see the light that they've always had within them. It became clear to me over my time that that was my life's mission. And so that's what I became committed to. And that's why I went through my coaching certification program and founded Nova Coaching.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (07:57.122)
Thank
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (08:08.974)
I that. Okay, so I'm over here and I just feel so giddy because everything you're saying just it reminds me of myself. Just because like I've always been this person who just asks I'm like always like why I always ask questions. And like I know for me, I, I called myself like a natural born rebel, because I couldn't take stuff as it was given to me. I'd be like, okay, well why?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (08:26.741)
Mmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (08:30.446)
Why do you want me to do it? Why do you want me do it that way? Like, why do we do it that way? Why do we have to do it that way? Like, so you talking about asking questions and wondering why, why does the moon shine that way? It's really lighting me up. I feel like my little inner child is just like so happy, like, ooh, I like her, I like her, I like her. But thank you so much for sharing it, because every single thing that you shared is, you know, just so amazing, powerful, and necessary. How do you feel like?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (08:45.909)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (08:58.732)
this particular approach to coaching this type of work really empowers people to live life differently, to live in a way that is more aligned with their truest selves.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (09:09.066)
Yeah, so it's really interesting when I work with clients, particularly in the one-on-one setting, sometimes they'll come to me for career specific goals that they want to achieve. Sometimes they're coming to me for more personal goals that they want to navigate. What I help them to recognize is the overlap between all of that, right? There's this myth that work and life are these two separate things, but that's impossible.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (09:35.352)
Right.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (09:35.392)
We have one life and work is a part of that. It tends to be a big part of that, but work is just one part of life. And so what I help my clients to realize is the areas in their jobs where they might be feeling disempowered may actually have sources in their personal lives that they may not be exploring and vice versa. And so we look at them as a whole human being and help them to explore where those challenges are showing up overall in their lives, but also what are the tools that are gonna help them navigate it?
throughout their lives. So it sort of expands their lens on how they see themselves and how they start to apply the tools and practices that we develop through our work together.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (10:15.65)
Yeah, that's such a great point. I, it really, what you just said, like really takes me back to what we hear all the time of where we're often thinking about how to keep our personal lives and our professional lives separate. But you're absolutely right. Work takes up a pretty big chunk of our lives, especially our daily lives. So this is so important. I think that although it makes sense hearing you say it, I don't think I've ever really thought about it thinking that if I'm having these issues at work.
I'm probably having similar issues. There's probably some overlap that's, you know, also being present in my own personal life as well. I think that's such a great perspective. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (10:55.168)
Yeah, yeah. And I've actually seen it come to life in one particular client who came to me again for a career-specific goal. And through our work together, we recognized like, hey, this actually is affecting your family too. It's also affecting how you're seeing yourself in your personal life. So how do we start to break that down and understand where it comes from, but also very importantly, give you tools to pause and navigate it when it comes up?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (11:25.218)
Yeah. Do you feel that when you are working with clients who maybe when you're starting to notice that overlap, is there resistance from the client to kind of maybe acknowledge that?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (11:36.84)
haven't met much resistance. It's actually been more of like a, my God, like an aha moment for them where they realize like, I thought it was just this one thing, but it sounds like it's bigger than that. They don't, they don't get overwhelmed. They feel like they understand themselves more and it gives them a greater lens to evaluate how they move forward.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (11:41.068)
Yeah. Okay.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (11:48.003)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (11:56.44)
that makes sense and that feels like a great example of empowerment.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (12:00.764)
Exactly, exactly. To recognize that it's not just contained in one space, but to see its full impact on you and how you can navigate it holistically absolutely is a way to achieve empowerment.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (12:12.75)
Right, right. So we are talking about this overlap in the personal and professional. I really love hearing about people's transitions, their transition stories, the real pivot points that really just changed the trajectory of their lives. You haven't always done this kind of work, this empowerment, this holistic coaching. You actually really come from a corporate career and now you're doing...
this, you're doing this work. What led you to making the change or how did you navigate this shift and transition?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (12:44.734)
Yeah, thank you for asking that. Yes, I used to work in corporate. I worked in marketing and advertising for over 15 years. I worked with multi-billion dollar brands, some that you might know, like Liberty Mutual, Harvard, Bose, the audio brand. I am an award-winning strategist. I sat on stages like South by Southwest. So I had a really successful career, successful career, quote unquote, in marketing. And all the while, I
was sure to maintain my sense of compassion in an industry where that characteristic doesn't usually get you very far. But for me, my compassion became my superpower. And because I was able to truly see and connect with people, I was able to create trusted relationships, which ultimately led to transformative work that actually made an impact. And it's still having an impact even after I've left my previous roles.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (13:41.634)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (13:41.996)
So, but why I made the transition is that while I was successful in my official role, you know, as a marketer, I also always did my best to make pockets of like, of the corporate world feel equitable, to make pockets of the corporate world feel equitable and accessible and to help people feel seen within them. So from the time I started my career, I led efforts.
to help historically marginalized people to feel seen and supported within the corporate landscape. And I thought that was enough for me. I thought, you know, I could keep climbing the corporate ladder, become a chief marketing officer someday, all the while making room for other people who deserve a seat at the table but aren't often invited. And then the universe woke me up. You know how the universe can do that sometimes. Yes.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (14:33.326)
I was about say it has a tendency to do that.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (14:39.116)
So in May, 2023, I experienced my darkest battle with depression. And through that shedding period, I realized that the path that I was on was actually paved by other people's expectations. The path of me pursuing becoming a chief marketing officer and being this corporate leader was not something that actually aligned with me. At this point, I'd already known that I wanted to transition careers, right?
To be, this became clear to me a few years prior, thanks to a lot of self work that I had been doing on my own, through therapy, through spiritual mentorship, through coaching, shout out to Sharon and wholehearted coaching. My depressive state really expedited this timeline of my career transition. And I'm grateful for it. That period of rebirth really helped me to rededicate to my life.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (15:29.315)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (15:36.576)
work, which is guiding others to reconnect with the truest versions of themselves, particularly people again in historically marginalized communities. So I pursued my coaching certification and left corporate and took the plunge and launched Nova Coaching. And since then, Nova Coaching has impacted many lives and has been fortunate to work with some global brands in terms of partnership, such as Converse, which I can talk about a little bit more later.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (16:04.632)
Yeah, of course. And I mean, that's so exciting. That's one of the things that, you know, I get to see, you know, following you online on social is that I see you really as this mover, this impactful mover, because I see you in these spaces. I see you speaking and it's just so... I feel like I'm going to keep saying powerful, but it's just so... Your presence is there and it's undeniable. So it's like even from out here as just an observer.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (16:23.873)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (16:32.619)
I can just see the impact that you're making and it's inspiring.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (16:37.91)
Thank you so much, Ronni. You know, when you're in it every day, you just keep moving and you don't always pause to recognize the impact that you're having. And it's conversations like this and also hearing things from my clients in terms of how their lives have changed that reminds me.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (16:54.798)
Absolutely. So thank you so much for sharing, you know, that story of your transition, but also, you know, the dark period that you went through. I would imagine that there probably are people listening who may feel like they're going through something similar, maybe going through their own dark period in life. If you could say anything to someone in that space right now, what would you want them to hear?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (17:17.004)
Mmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (17:21.004)
I'm taking a, what I'm called to share is a lesson from nature. And it's a lesson that I also really integrated during my dark time. There's, there's, there are seasons for a reason. Winter tends to be the darker season, right? It's the time where we pause and slow down and integrate. And, and it sort of represents the, happens within a depressive state. As dark and as scary and as cold as it can feel, we know that the spring is coming and that the winter
leads into the spring, the rebirth, the knowing and the clarity and the bloom. And so that's what I would share with anyone who's sort of going through that right now is to trust in this process as hard as it can be and know that it ultimately is meant to lead to your greatest service, your greatest purpose, your highest self.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (18:13.39)
That's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that. Yeah, yeah, of course. So maybe kind of going back a little bit to how we talked about this overlap from the personal and the professional. Can you share with us, can you kind of go in a little bit more maybe in depth to how your coaching bridges that gap for your clients?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (18:15.754)
Yeah, thank you.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (18:34.932)
Yeah, absolutely. So can you ask the question one more time?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (18:38.23)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. So...
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (18:43.534)
So we talked about how the personal and professional, how there are overlaps between the two. You know, your work that you do doesn't just stay in the personal, it radiates out into professional work. How does the coaching that you do bridge the gap for your clients? Can you take us a little deeper into your work in that process?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (18:44.251)
and
Cass Cruz (she/her) (19:04.876)
Absolutely. So when my clients come to me, usually we'll try to select between two different paths of our work together. One path is more centered around life. One is more centered around career. I like to offer both because sometimes people, it's easier for them to see themselves in one of those two categories.
But as we do our work together and we start to hone in on what their goal is, we start to recognize some of the external factors that they weren't considering and how the goals that they have actually are not just about work or life, but they tend to have impact across both. I'll give you an example. One of my clients who again came to me for a career path.
was seeking to break particular patterns that they kept repeating no matter what job they were in. In our work together, we started to identify how those patterns not only existed within their work life, but also within their personal life. And it helped that person start to identify what the root of those behaviors actually was. And through that identification, we were able to have a broader view of the actual
pause and then to evaluate what are the tools that they need to navigate it overall. So we developed a couple of practices. Like one of them was to help this person, in order to break the pattern, one of them was to help this person to, you know, continuously identify their successes because that was something that they weren't allowing themselves to do and to recognize that those successes spanned life and work. So even when this person came to me for a career,
know, journey, they actually realized how they needed to expand their view in order to grow in their career.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (20:58.038)
Yeah, that's really amazing. Do you feel that with the clientele that you work with, I know you mentioned working with historically marginalized people, do you find that as a common struggle that we have a, that we, do you find that as a common struggle that we tend to have a hard time acknowledging our successes?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (21:20.036)
yes, I have found that. I have found that. I don't put the blame on us. I think it's because the standards continue to move every time we achieve something. It's like it's not enough. And that's due to the systems of oppression that we have to exist within. And so it's sort of ingrained and conditioned within us to not celebrate our successes, to not even acknowledge our successes. And part of the work that I do
I have recognized this pattern in some of my clients and part of the work that we do is to help them to pause and recognize it. And I'll be honest, myself as a coach who's doing this work, I sometimes don't pause to recognize my wins. So there are certain things that I'm practicing as well. It's so deeply ingrained.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (22:03.448)
Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It really is. I would share personal experience. I know this is one of things that I struggle with and that's been coming up a lot for me lately is taking time to pause and reflect. So I mentioned this earlier, but I went to a retreat over the weekend and one of our exercises, we actually had to write down what some of our skills and our talents and our abilities were. And I really struggled.
And then I just challenged myself to just kind of think like, okay, well, what, what do I do? What kind of work have I done? And I just wrote and wrote and wrote. And then I didn't know, but we had to share it with the people around the table. And you know, they shared a couple of things and I'm like, here I am. have this long list of all of these skills and capabilities that I've learned. And they're just like, oh my gosh. And to me, I'm like, I don't, it doesn't mean anything to me, you know, because like I realized how I've struggled with this.
reflection on what I'm capable of, what I've been successful at, what I've accomplished, you know? So that part right there like just really stood out to me. So thank you. Thank you for highlighting and answering that question for me.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (23:12.012)
You're welcome. It was a message from me too. It's for all of us. Celebrate the wins.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (23:14.092)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So you shared more about the work that you do, this empowerment coaching, your approach. Why do you personally feel that organizations need this kind of work?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (23:29.036)
So yeah, so I work not just with individuals. I also work with different organizations such as Converse that I mentioned earlier. Why these organizations need empowerment coaching is because people are stress rich and time poor. They're encouraged to keep pushing through and keep busy while they're navigating one global crisis after another, while they're navigating political stress, economic stress, personal stress.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (23:45.293)
Mm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (23:59.678)
And according to a 2024 study by Headspace about the of the workplace, people are overwhelmed and that impacts retention, performance, innovation and workplace culture. So really fostering emotional resilience among employees, it's not just the right thing to do. It's also really good for business. When employees feel emotionally supported at work, they're more engaged and that leads to greater performance.
And in today's really challenging climate, employees are really craving deeper, more human-centered support from their employers. And unfortunately, they're not really getting that. They're not getting it from their managers. For example, there's a gap in manager training. According to a study by Leenan and McKinsey, 68 % of managers say that they're responsible for employee well-being.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (24:39.384)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (24:52.3)
but only 24 % of managers are required to take training that will prepare them to support employees in this way. So there's clearly a need within the organizations. And we know again that it contributes to productivity, to the growth of the businesses. so that's why, sorry, and that's why organizations need empowerment coaching. That's why I come in and provide this.
this experience that helps the people to feel more resilient, to build team synergy so that they can go back to their jobs feeling more empowered as themselves and contribute more to the organization.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (25:31.438)
Wow, that's amazing. It's when you said that it really made me think people are definitely overwhelmed. These these last few years have been a lot. They have been a lot. And what really came up while you were saying that was this narrative that's been out that people just don't want to work anymore. And I personally have felt, you know, a lot of resistance to that narrative.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (25:41.524)
Hmm. A lot.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (25:59.69)
I guess if you're open to it, maybe how do you feel about that narrative or in what you just shared about us, what do you feel is really kind of the root behind this kind of narrative or this lack of ability by organizations to be more human centered, to be more focused on actually uplifting and providing the kind of support and care that their employees actually need?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (26:24.704)
Yeah, that's a great question. I'll say what felt like the biggest catalyst for from my perspective was COVID. When we were in the pandemic and the ways in which we worked were completely shattered, right? We all had to find a new way of collaborating and being good colleagues while again navigating a time of crisis.
That was the first time I would say in my career that I felt that an organization truly was being human centered. I mean, they had to, right? Because of what was happening. But it sort of showed you like all of the ways that we thought work has to happen. It actually doesn't have to happen that way. And that's also when a lot of folks, myself included, realized, wait, I'm not comfortable going into an office five days a week. I'm not...
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (27:05.176)
Right.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (27:23.308)
comfortable, you know, having to deal with these microaggressions in the workplace. I'm not comfortable having to sit in front of a computer for 10 hours, 12 hours, 14 hours, 15 hours a day. I need to get some space in my day so I'm most productive. It sort of opened up the aperture for the different ways we individually work best. And since the pandemic sort of slowed down, I'm not going say it ended, right?
Since it slowed down and what I recognized across organizations was almost like a, well, we got to go back to the way things were. Even though that didn't necessarily align with where most people were after the pandemic. I think it was more of a comfort going back to having people in the office certain number of days a week and expecting certain times of productivity throughout a day.
But I think a lot of us who were in that corporate landscape during and post, you know, the COVID transition realized, wait a minute, but that didn't, I realized that that didn't work for me. And this now doesn't feel right to me anymore. So how do I find a way to contribute and build this business and grow this business in a way that also aligns to me? And I feel like that's where we sort of are. Like we're still very much in that transitional period.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (28:46.894)
Right.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (28:51.82)
where organizations are like, it's like, will they, won't they, you know, like, will they offer hybrid? Will they require me to go into the office? I don't know. But overall, what I would say is like, COVID really opened up the aperture for how we work and what works best for us individually. And I know, unfortunately, it's sort of starting to see this effort from corporations to bring people back without necessarily acknowledging that during COVID.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (28:55.512)
Right.
Hehehehehe
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (29:09.026)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (29:19.798)
people not only were navigating crisis, were working, but they were also even more productive than they were before the pandemic. So there's something to learn from that period of time that I don't think we've fully integrated quite yet.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (29:31.916)
Yeah, that's such a great point and it's really amazing to think that something like that that could be so beneficial to people was able to come out of a time like that. Yeah, yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (29:40.296)
I know. Yeah, it kind of goes back to what I was sharing earlier about the seasons. Like sometimes you have to go through those dark seasons in order to learn and honor the bloom that comes afterwards.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (29:44.974)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (29:51.31)
Absolutely, absolutely. So I know you talked about this need for more like heart-centered support. What do you think or was something that you think needs to change in corporate culture for people, know, this heart of the company to actually thrive?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (30:06.794)
Yeah, I think there needs to be more training that allows for more self-awareness and emotional intelligence, not just for individual employees, but also for the leaders of the organizations. I mentioned earlier that a good portion of managers aren't required to take training that will help them to support employee well-being. Well, why is that? If they are seemingly responsible for employee well-being, why aren't we preparing them to do that?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (30:28.653)
Right.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (30:35.668)
Why also aren't we preparing managers to navigate their own emotional challenges? Because, hey, being a manager too, you can be affected, triggered, you can feel emotional fears while you're in your job. So how do you navigate that as a manager yourself and lead a team? These are some of the questions that I seek to address and help people to navigate within the organizational landscape and the corporate landscape. And they're very important.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (30:41.208)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (31:03.726)
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So thank you so much for sharing all of that and I just feel like you conveyed that in such a beautiful, clear way. So I would like to maybe shift gears just a little bit because I know there's something else about you that you really love. What really moved me is that you do have this beautiful relationship and admiration for music. You said music has been a lifeline for you. Now that feels like a huge shift, but you know,
Cass Cruz (she/her) (31:16.737)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (31:33.122)
We're talking about well-rounded people here, personal, professional. We're not just going to talk about the work that you do. Maybe we can get to know Cass a little bit more personally. Can you share more about music? Like what does music mean to you? What is this connection that you have with music?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (31:47.828)
Yeah, so music has always been a lifeline for me. It's played a pivotal role in my personal journey. I personally am not, I don't play an instrument. I did play piano when I was younger, but my love for music goes beyond my ability to play. It's really about opening up my heart to receive messages.
like clarity and to feel seen and supported. You know, I saw this clip of this amazing woman. Her name is Betty Dawson. She's the oldest living park ranger, a black woman who retired. She retired from service at 100 years old. And in this clip of her, she talked about her amazing life and how
She was married a couple of times and after both of her husbands died, she realized that she was no longer attached to a man and she was free. And throughout her story, music played an integral role in her life. she said about when speaking about music, she said, I could sing things I couldn't say. And for me, that perfectly describes the role that music has played in my life. It's...
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (32:59.79)
Hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (33:06.688)
It's been a love language of mine personally, but also a love language within my family of origin. was one of the few love languages that we had, but it really did help us to feel connected. you know, music throughout my darkest times and my most joyous times just really helped me to feel loved and seen and safe and empowered. Again, no matter what emotion I was moving through, I can remember
funny story sitting in my bedroom, my childhood bedroom, I was probably in middle school and had just had my first heartbreak. And I was playing Aaliyah's One in a Million album of my first CD. And I had a song called Heartbreak on repeat for hours laying in my bed in the dark. I had big feelings, so you know.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (33:46.968)
You
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (34:00.078)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (34:03.86)
I'm an empath. feel all the feels. But yeah, but you know, that like that's an example of how music just really speaks to a particular emotion and it holds you in such a loving way. It also helps you to feel connected to all the other people for whom that song or that artist or that message resonates. So not only do you feel seen and you get an articulation of the feelings that you have within you.
you also feel connected to this greater community. And that's just such a powerful thing to have.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (34:37.346)
Yeah, yeah, it really is. That's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that. Especially little middle school cast. Blasted with that first heartbreak blasted Aliyah. my gosh. I feel you. I feel you so much on that. you're right. It is absolutely beautiful because music does, it can allow us to feel things in a way that we feel like we can't, you know, personally express otherwise. So I absolutely get that. So I know that you have woven music into the work that you do.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (34:40.852)
Yeah. We're our first heartbreak.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (35:06.84)
Can you share a bit about that?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (35:08.618)
Yeah, I do. very intentional about infusing music into the experience. it actually is something that some folks will mention in my reviews when they submit their feedback. They'll say the music really helped to ground me or really helped me to be curious and open. And that's exactly why. I have a specific playlist for different experiences.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (35:14.626)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (35:34.08)
There are some that like there's one called for liberation. There's one called for transition. That for transition one is for when people are coming into workshop spaces. I'm trying to bring them into sort of the energy of the room and the experience that we're going to have. I have different ones for grief, for love making. Like there's just a variety of, of playlists that I have in my repertoire, but I'm very selective again in how I incorporate music and the experience overall because
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (35:49.058)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (36:02.238)
It sets the tone, it sets the energy for how willing people are to explore themselves and to grow from the experiences that I provide.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (36:11.758)
Wow, that's amazing. And I absolutely admire that skill because I love music, I love listening to it, but do not tell me to curate a playlist. kudos. And you seem so excited, like the way you lit up talking about those playlists. my gosh. I love that so much.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (36:19.689)
you
Cass Cruz (she/her) (36:25.174)
Yeah. Yeah, I'll be happy to share links with you. You can check them out.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (36:29.324)
Yes, yes please, I would love that. I would absolutely love that. I know that you mentioned that you don't particularly play any instruments on your own, but you have mentioned that you're an artist, that you're creator. Can you tell us about that? Tell us about this artistic side of CAS. What do you enjoy about it? What do you love about it? What are some of your aspirations for that?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (36:43.156)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (36:52.52)
I love this question, Ronnie. I believe that every person who is living is an artist.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (37:04.256)
because we have to create in so many ways just to get through our days. We have to envision a future that doesn't exist in our present state, right? For me, being an artist is being human. And I am a type of human who is so open to energy and to love and to just engaging with good people.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (37:15.874)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (37:34.858)
I want to be able to articulate that in a way that honors what I am experiencing and being an artist allows me to do so. And the way that that manifests for me is in a variety of ways. It could be a playlist that I curate, right? It could also be through my writing. I write a lot of poetry and essays, really personal experiences, but also things that a lot of us share that we're navigating through. Lately, a lot of my writing has been about connecting
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (38:00.782)
you
Cass Cruz (she/her) (38:05.196)
greater than what we can see in this world. But I think that's the role of the artist is to make the unseen feel more tangible and that unseen tends to be the emotions and the love that we are experiencing throughout our lives.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (38:24.264)
Mmm, that's amazing. That's wonderful. Is there a particular piece that you're working on right now?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (38:30.38)
Yes, actually. So this morning I went for a hike with my dog and I'm in the Boston area and we're starting to transition into spring. know, spring obviously happened, transitioned last week in Boston. It takes a little bit of time for that actually to come to fruition. But I was hiking with my dog this morning and through the woods could see, you know, the moss.
throwing in the crevices between the pond and the earth. I could see the buds of the leaves starting to show. And it got me really excited about spring and what spring and I will birth together because I see spring and I as partners who are honoring this new season and creating new life.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (39:18.094)
you
Cass Cruz (she/her) (39:23.84)
whether that's through my art, whether that's through my coaching. So a piece that I was inspired to start writing while I was on my hike is kind of about this seduction of spring. And what will that seduction and intimate exchange bring to life between me and spring?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (39:43.63)
I love how you put that the seduction of the spring just feel so I don't know. It's just resonating through my body I'd love that such a unique perspective Yeah, absolutely and I think I just want to say again how your I'm just really admiring your perspectives on all of these different things that you shared and I know that for me it's speaking to me a lot so I just know it's gonna resonate with people who are listening because
Cass Cruz (she/her) (39:49.556)
Yeah. Thank you.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (40:10.976)
A lot of people in my personal life know me as an artist. Like I used to draw a lot when I was younger. Like it was just a huge thing that I loved. I did. But as I got older, I kind of shifted out of that. So I remember I even recently just met up with a cousin I haven't seen in years and he asked me if I was still drawing. So when I get that question, I feel icky because I'm like, yeah, I'm not drawing. I'm not creating anymore. But when you said it, I'm like, I'm very much still creating. It just looks very different now and it's in all of these other ways.
Thank you for sharing that, because even just writing and creating and just even this podcast is creation as well. So you just helped me realize that in this moment. So I really appreciate you for that.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (40:51.058)
Yeah, it's my pleasure. And it does happen in those everyday moments. You cook a meal, that is being an artist, right? Like there's artistry all around us and within us.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (40:57.43)
It is.
Yeah, it really is. So guys, I have really, really loved this conversation. I'm so glad that you said yes to being here. I'm so glad that I've had this opportunity to sit with you and to learn more about you. Thank you so much for letting us into your world and being so open with us. Before we head into our final segment of our talk today, is there anything else that you would like to share with us or anything you'd like to touch on that we may not have gotten to?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (41:28.98)
Yeah, when I was thinking about, you know, why it's important for organizations to offer more human centered support to their employees. Beyond what I shared earlier there, the programs that I offer to organizations are intentionally designed to break down pretty complex topics and make it tangible to folks. For example, I have a workshop that
called My Whole Self that's really about authenticity and helping people to tap into all the different ways that they define themselves, how that shows up in their personal and professional lives, and then how does that actually align with who they want to be moving forward? What do they want to evolve? Another example is a workshop I have called Unstuck that's really about navigating limiting beliefs, which again is another complex topic, but I make it very tangible for folks and help them to identify
what limiting beliefs they have, how it shows up in their bodies when it's present, and then give them tools to move through it when it comes up. So these are really complex things that I make tangible to folks. And again, the reason why it's important to offer such offerings within organizations is so that people feel emotionally supported and therefore can contribute to the greater goals of an organization.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (42:48.918)
Yeah, that's amazing. And that's such a that's such an amazing skill to have, like you're taking this really complex topic and breaking it down so that it's actually a bit more, you know, adjustable for people. Curious, when you are going in and working with these organizations, is the work that you're doing focused on working directly with the employees, you know, kind of like bridging that gap with the you know, the lack of kind of heart center training that the managers have? Or are you?
Also working with like those managers in that position is to understand how to work with those people. Okay, gotcha.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (43:19.668)
It's both, it's both actually. So through my workshop offerings, I hit the employees directly, right? And then I have some more extended coaching programs that I offer to leaders and team leaders that are meant to target that audience. So kind of hitting it at two different ends and hoping to have the impact that way.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (43:41.792)
Okay, awesome. Thank you for clarifying that. Okay, yeah, that is that is really, amazing. I tend to have like a word and I stick with it throughout the whole show. So that's me like actively working on it. But Cass, thank you so much. Can you let folks know how they can work with you? How they can connect with you?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (43:54.828)
you
Cass Cruz (she/her) (44:03.658)
Yeah, absolutely. So I am currently taking on one-on-one clients for coaching and also looking to partner with more organizations. These organizations can be corporations like some of the ones I've mentioned before, but they can also be universities. I see a lot of value in supporting students as well. But where people can reach me is on Instagram. I'm at underscore Nova coaching and OVA coaching.
Also on my website, Novacoaching.com. And yeah, just follow me, check me out. I also mentioned, because I talked about my writing during this, I also mentioned I have a Substack. So, castruz.substack.com, think is what it is. But just look me up on Substack and you can find me there.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (44:40.28)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (44:49.39)
Okay, awesome. Yeah, and of course, all of these links will also be in the show notes. that all will be available to everyone. Cas, was there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (44:59.953)
Thank you for holding the space. I know we didn't have as much interaction. were in training together, but you were always a light and I'm so grateful to be here.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (45:09.544)
absolutely. And same to you as well. I mean, because definitely, like, I knew you were there. We just happened to never actually, like, really connect one-on-one. I know that we didn't get to do that with everybody, but, but yes, of course. And of course, thank you for being here. So before I let you go, Kas, totally optional, but with my guest, I like to do a rapid fire session. Would you be open to doing that? I love your reaction. Yes. Thank you so much. Okay. So.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (45:31.872)
Yes!
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (45:38.722)
Just random questions, hold on a second.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (45:41.814)
Mm-hmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (45:52.743)
I you, I got up this morning cleaning up and I started my dishwasher and then I was like, why did I start the dishwasher? I have an interview.
So, excuse me, it's doing like that really loud draining, but okay. So, so cash for rapid fire. I'll just give you some random questions, answer however you like, whatever comes to mind. If you don't wanna answer a question, you are more than welcome to skip it. So are you ready? Yay! Okay, what's your go-to family game?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (46:02.54)
It's okay.
So.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (46:17.918)
excited
Cass Cruz (she/her) (46:25.522)
Ooh, and we're a big family game here too. Ooh, it's a split between Trouble and Uno. I have two young kids, nine and six years old, and so that does well.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (46:34.19)
Oh yeah. Yeah, okay. If you could teleport to any beach right now, where would it be?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (46:44.592)
my god, a Costa Rican beach on the Pacific side. That was so easy. I've been envisioning it in my mind for months.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (46:53.358)
I saw you literally just teleport there just now. What's something you've created? You know, anything art, music, your work that you're really proud of.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (46:56.607)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (47:05.228)
my kids, that's the first thing that comes to my mind. And it's because of the work that I've done on myself and seeing how it's impacted their lives and how they're able to show up fully, be empowered, be curious, and just be. That is my greatest creation. That's my legacy.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (47:28.742)
Mmm. Yeah. that's amazing. If Nova Coaching had a playlist, what are three songs that must be on that playlist?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (47:43.628)
Okay, self-cleo soul.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (47:49.802)
Because by the Beatles.
and a song by a Cape Verdean artist. So some people may not be familiar, but Cape Verde is a country made up of a series of islands off the west coast of Africa. They were colonized by the Portuguese. So their language is a mix of Portuguese and an African dialect. My husband's family is originally from Cape Verde. And there's this legendary artist who's since passed, but her name is Cesaria Evra.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (48:12.088)
Mm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (48:22.098)
And she has a song called Sodadi. Sodadi means I miss you or I miss. And it's a song about home. She's talking about home and missing her island, but it's so much more than that. It's about missing the home within. So that would be my third song. think the song Self by Cleo Soul, Because by The Beatles, and Sodadi by Cesaria Evora.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (48:36.462)
you
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (48:43.288)
my gosh. tea or coffee? I usually start off with like much simpler questions and I was like, nah, just dove in.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (48:46.998)
Tea.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (48:53.164)
Those are good. I love them.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (48:55.47)
What does reclaiming power look like for you in your everyday life?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (49:07.048)
It's in the little decisions where I'm choosing me, like going for a walk with my dog this morning, even though I knew I had a lot of work I needed to get done, or snuggling with my son for a little bit in the morning when he says, mommy lay with me and like actually just being there and doing that. It's in those little moments where I choose myself that's reclaiming my
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (49:31.502)
Mm.
Um, if you could send a message to Cass in 2023, what would you say?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (49:45.014)
Prepare for the bloom.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (49:46.254)
that's so beautiful. Okay, that's all I have for you, I love to hear that. Thank you. Thank you so much. So thank you so much, Cass. Everyone listening, check out Cass. She's amazing, wonderful. All of her information will be in the show notes. And yeah. Anything else you'd like to say, Cass?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (49:55.948)
This was so much fun!
Cass Cruz (she/her) (50:14.399)
No, just thank you.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (50:16.014)
Absolutely. All right, so I'm gonna just stop that official recording. So I seriously thank you. That was really amazing. I'm really glad that I got to get to talk to you and learn those things about you. If you are open to it, I would just like to ask you a couple questions. Okay, is there anything that you can think of that from the interview that you might like me to leave out?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (50:20.3)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (50:33.772)
Sure.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (50:40.511)
Hmm.
I think maybe the thing about my parents judging, well, just see how it flows, like how it, when you hear it, cause like, I don't want it to come off like my, I'm, you know, saying anything bad about my parents.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (50:51.319)
Okay.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (50:56.62)
Gotcha. Any... Okay. I'll make a note of that. Okay. And I know you said this was so much fun. I do like to ask, you know, how was the experience for you? What did you think of the interview overall?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (50:58.934)
That's probably the only thing.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (51:11.614)
It was great. mean, from, from the time that you reached out to me, like it's just, everything is so organized, so clear what like I need to do. It's like, you really have a great system in place, which I'm not surprised because you seem to be just an amazing star. And I know you've been working with Sharon and her podcast is amazing. Right. and then during the interview, just like, it felt like an easy conversation with a friend. And I love that.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (51:37.72)
Okay, okay, awesome. Thank you so much. really, I really love to hear that. Okay, awesome. So that's all I have there. We still have a few more minutes. I'm open on time if you are. I know you wanted to ask some questions about podcasting. And I hope you don't mind us still recording. It's just, helps me because I promise you I'm not just gonna remember. Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (51:50.581)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (51:56.228)
it's fine. That's fine, that's fine. My brain's the same way, by the way.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (52:03.234)
I'm like, I need to see it and I'll be like, I'll be editing and be like, shoot, let me do this part.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (52:07.436)
Yeah, so, so yeah, so I am interested in doing a podcast. downloaded, I feel when I get things from Spirit, I call it a download. Okay. So I downloaded this concept, in 2023, actually it's the, podcast is called low key healing. And it's all about the ways that music helps you to heal, even when you don't realize it, how it helps you to feel the.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (52:19.021)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (52:35.392)
the sadness, the tears, the joy, the, you know, like all because of a song. And the intention is that at each episode would highlight one song, one song that has a personal meaning to me, but also has a meaning that I can share with the broader collective. And I would talk about what was happening when that song was created, culturally, what was going on in that artist's life when the song was created, when that song came to me and the impact that it had on my life.
I also intend to get like outside voices. So like, you know, this song means something to Ronnie and here's her little voice note about what it did for her in her life and incorporating that. But also breaking down the musicality of it. And this is where, when I originally concepted this, it was in partnership with a friend of mine who is a music producer. well, she's very successful in her own right too and deeply passionate about music.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (53:26.541)
Okay.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (53:33.022)
And so we want to like break down the musicality of it, the instrumentation, the lyrics, and you know, why all of that contributes to the message of the song, the healing message of the song. I even have like different categories that we could explore, like grief and depression, you know, love and heartbreak, like transformation and growth. and I have a bunch of songs in there. In fact, yeah.
Two out of the three songs that I mentioned for the Nova playlist are in my plans. So anyway, this is a podcast that I know I am meant to bring to life. Timing-wise, I don't know. I'm sort of like letting spirit guide me. One of the things that I've gotten a nudge on though is that I can bring this to life through substacks first, more through written pieces. And so that's gonna be my first step. But eventually, I see this becoming a podcast.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (54:04.782)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (54:12.098)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (54:32.078)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (54:32.368)
And, and a podcast where it will get big enough where I could invite artists on to talk about, you know, what was going on in their lives when they were creating the song and what it means to them.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (54:43.18)
Yeah, my gosh, absolutely. Listen, I was not expecting you to throw a fully hashed out podcast concept. Wow, that is amazing. I really agree. I know you don't need my confirmation, but I totally agree that this is something that Spirit literally is leading you to do. It sounds beautiful. It sounds so amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (54:49.164)
I got a deck and everything girl.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (54:59.436)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (55:03.126)
Thank you. So where we paused it, why do we pause? So we paused it because at the time when I originally pitched it to my potential partner, she was working on an album and so she was really focused and I was also just launching Nova. So we both sort of had things that we were doing separately. And now I guess like we're still building, like both of us are still building. what I'm getting from Spirit is that like bring it to life through Substack to make it yours.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (55:13.379)
Mm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (55:32.726)
Hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (55:32.756)
because once you turn it into a podcast, it'll still be yours, but there'll be certain limitations that the podcast channel might have, like music royalty and licensing and all that, right? But if I can bring it to life through my writing, maybe it makes it easier for a podcast provider who has access to music licensing, who might actually support it. Big dreams, but girl, I'm dreaming.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (55:39.532)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (55:54.574)
Yeah. No, I love it. And it's beautiful. And I love that you're dreaming big. Like, I love that too. I think too, the other thing I see with excuse me, I'm moving the monitor.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (56:08.693)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (56:08.742)
the other thing I see too with you hashing it out through Substack first is that, I mean, that essentially is kind of like what you would do at a podcast. You know, you kind of would like script it out first and I feel like you're already building that foundation. So that's already going to just benefit you in the long run when it comes to the show. yeah, yeah, it sounds, it sounds beautiful. Yeah. Did you have like specific questions you wanted to ask me or you just wanted to share that?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (56:17.738)
Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (56:30.314)
Well, I have no idea how to actually bring a broadcast to life. And like, even though I'm not, I'm not there yet. I guess I was just like, generally as a producer, like what, what are some of, like, how do you approach even creating a podcast?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (56:35.074)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (56:45.76)
Yeah, that's such a great question because I'm sitting here like girl, I don't know. But I, like I said, you know, I've learned a lot from the retreat I went to and like, we talked about how people will ask you how you do stuff and I'd like, I don't know, I just do it. you seem like you've already done like the big
Cass Cruz (she/her) (56:48.908)
You
Cass Cruz (she/her) (57:00.961)
What?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (57:05.47)
big chunk is making sure that you have this idea fully hashed out. Well not fully but you know have a really beautiful idea already mapped out and the other thing too is that you seem passionate about it which is so important because not to scare you off, I never try to scare people off about it, but you know podfade is a very real thing. Sometimes we will come in really excited but we get tired and exhausted very early on. As far as like creating it, you could either
try to find examples of anything remotely similar to kind of see how they already produce their show or you can really just allow your imagination to kind of just run free and figure out how you want it to maybe how you think it can be conveyed audibly and then just see like yeah you know you know I'm trying to say like kind of just
Cass Cruz (she/her) (57:48.118)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (57:52.833)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (57:53.492)
see if you can visualize it first and see how that's going to play out. When it comes to actually creating a podcast, you know, all of that technical logistics stuff in the background, it's really not, it's really not that difficult. I may be saying that having been in podcasting for like six years, but I would probably say to that.
If you're able to definitely maybe get someone who's experienced to help you with that just because of this. This is really like an advanced type of podcast. What I'm hearing, what I'm kind of picturing when you're saying it to me. So I would definitely recommend probably getting someone to help you as far as like at least creating the foundation and creating the launch. They can map out how the episodes will be laid out. They can create a template as far as like how you can record, how you can best create your scripts, how you can.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (58:34.859)
Mm-hmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (58:45.962)
organize like the different pieces in your editing software all of those things I feel like that would be really important if not
Cass Cruz (she/her) (58:53.482)
You know, it's funny you say that because where we where we ended in our conversations is like there was a slide where where can we find a podcast producer?
Because, I mean, yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (59:07.218)
Yeah, yeah, trust me, there are so many. know a few. I probably know more than a few. I used to be. I used to be. Not anymore. Yeah, yeah, I used to be.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (59:15.66)
you want to? Oh, okay, gotcha. Okay, so when you stopped working with Sharon, did you stop producing podcasts? Gotcha.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (59:24.93)
Yeah, yeah. So Sharim was actually, she was my last client that I held onto for the longest. I actually had stopped podcast producing, but I still worked with her. So yeah, when I stopped with her, that was my official, my official end. But simultaneously, you know, I am always open to, you know, talking to you like this, or even helping you and guiding you. I'm totally open to doing that as well. I, and I'm also open to giving you suggestions of people who are like,
Cass Cruz (she/her) (59:52.268)
Mm-hmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (59:52.364)
Really, really amazing. I know someone right now who I think would probably be really great for this type of thing. But yeah, I feel like I'm just kind of rambling at this point, because my podcast gears are running. Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:00:01.726)
Hmm. Well, that's good to know. Yeah, that's good to know. So when it comes time for low key healing to become a podcast, I definitely want to tap your knowledge and your network to help because I want to bring in people who are aligned and you people who I know are as passionate about this as I am.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:00:13.463)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:00:17.484)
Yeah.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:00:21.358)
Mm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:00:25.75)
Yeah, I totally understand that. Yeah, and I really have someone in mind who I think might be a really good fit for you. Yeah. Yeah, but yeah, whenever you want to talk, if you ever have questions, honestly, you can reach out anytime. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate you.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:00:32.926)
Okay, cool.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:00:40.778)
Okay, thank you so much. Ronnie, this was great.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:00:47.54)
Yeah, same. And I hope we can talk more.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:00:50.21)
Yeah, same. Absolutely. I'm always open. I'm always open. And I say that too, but I will also reach out to you. Alright, Kes. Well, thank you. I hope you have a beautiful day. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about? Yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:01:05.74)
Oh wait, sorry, do have another question. What happens from here in your process and when do you anticipate launching this and how do I also promote it when you do?
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:01:14.286)
Yeah.
Absolutely. Okay, so typically what I do is that, excuse me, I don't ever actually wear my headphones, so I'm getting distracted because I didn't realize my mic picks up so much noise. So I can tell you almost exactly, this episode is going to go out next month. And I can give you an idea of when, Cass, I have you for April 23rd. Okay, so I have this ideally planned to go out April 23rd.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:01:21.58)
Mm-hmm.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:01:27.925)
Hmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:01:43.436)
That might change, but anyways, sometime in April. And usually what I'll do is that when I have the date finalized and when I have your episode ready to go, I'll probably send you an email to let you know when the date is. I'll send you an email that lets you know when your episode officially goes live. And then I usually give you access to my folder that has, there are usually rules in there. And then for every guest, I create your own podcast cover. So your episode will have your picture on it.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:02:09.962)
Mmm.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:02:11.598)
That kind of thing will be in the folder. Any graphics, anything that I use to promote your episode will all be in there and you have access to that. You can do whatever you like. What I've done with some of the guests so far is that I'll post a reel on Instagram and then I'll add them as a collaborator. So it's up to you because I know that adds it to your profile. We can either do that or I can just tag you. Whatever you prefer. Okay, cool. Cool. So that's usually what I'll do. I'll usually almost always...
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:02:34.376)
I being a collaborator.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:02:40.046)
post a reel the day your episode goes out. And then I'll usually post like, I usually try to do at least like three reels from each episode. But all of that to say, everything will be in the folder. I'll email you and let you know all of the details and you have access to whatever you want to use in there. And I think you asked me about getting this video as well. Okay, yeah, yeah. So I'll make sure that you can have access to that too.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:02:59.413)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Okay, awesome. Thank you.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:04.834)
Yeah, is there anything in particular that you would like to have to promote this?
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:03:10.63)
nothing more than what you've already said. I think that'll all be, I'll be great. and I want to just give you a final shout just cause I've been listening to the podcast, obviously. And the, the grief episode I felt was, was really beautiful. yeah, I just wanted to tell you that.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:13.111)
Okay.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:20.792)
Thank you.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:30.326)
I really appreciate that. It means a lot. Thank you.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:03:34.319)
Thank you for sharing it.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:35.918)
Yeah, of course. Thank you for listening. And thank you for sharing that with me. Yeah, I'm gonna go cry now for obvious reasons, but yeah.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:03:39.628)
Celebrate the wins, Ronnie.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:45.29)
Absolutely, thank you and thank you so much for sharing them with me because I need to hear it. Yeah, I appreciate you Cass. Thank you so much.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:03:48.244)
Yes, yeah, you're doing a great job.
Cass Cruz (she/her) (01:03:54.892)
All right, so we'll be in touch then, yeah? Okay, have a good rest of your day. All right, bye.
Ronni (she/her) ☀️ (01:03:56.738)
We definitely will.
Hey there, I’m Ronni
I help people unlearn, heal, and step into a life that’s actually theirs. Around here, we question the rules, embrace the magic, and just see what happens.
When I’m not talking manifestation, you’ll find me lost in a new oracle deck, junk journaling, crocheting, or crafting miniatures for my dollhouse.