It's Time For a Change

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:23:16
Nikki La Croce
Hey gang, I am really excited for this episode today. It's going to be a pretty quick one and I'm flying solo. That is because I am officially announcing that who the fuck is now? Can I just say. And while the name of the show had previously really come from a place of interest and a desire to know myself better.

00:00:23:18 - 00:00:39:06
Nikki La Croce
After doing this for almost five years, there has been so much growth and so much revelation from reflection that I do feel like I know myself pretty well now, and with that sense of self that I've grown through the conversations

00:00:39:06 - 00:00:54:16
Nikki La Croce
and having such a variety of experiences shared with me, I feel like there is an opportunity to shed the old name and to bring something that is more central to who I am to the surface.

00:00:54:16 - 00:01:26:20
Nikki La Croce
With the name, can I just say so? To give you a little bit of context, I was very inclined to keep the question mark part of my logo. If you are familiar with what that looks like, because I love the iconography from just a personal perspective, the way that I feel, it combines the idea of the podcast with this inquisitive nature that I have with the curiosity that I bring to the table, and with the questions that we have answered through the story shared by guests.

00:01:26:23 - 00:01:49:05
Nikki La Croce
The other thing that was really important to me was that I did feel like, who the fuck may have been alienating people very unintentionally. I had a few people tell me that they really liked the name and that I shouldn't really worry about it, but there's obvious censorship happening, which is its own sort of thing to deal with.

00:01:49:05 - 00:02:12:06
Nikki La Croce
But beyond that, what I was concerned about is that somebody might just completely bypass the show, knowing nothing about it, because there's profanity in the title. And the truth is that, it's not really reflective of what the show is about at all. Now, can I just say is still fairly vague, but it's something that is very rooted within who I am.

00:02:12:06 - 00:02:55:27
Nikki La Croce
In fact, my now wife, Nicole, said to me when we were first chatting as friends that she always knew that she was going to feel good about something that I said when I played with. Can I just say because there was an inevitable compliment or seemingly profound thought that came from it? And if I get to know you better, that can I just say becomes a I want you to know and because of this feeling of connection to that opening statement, I realized that it's an opportunity for me to lean into something that is much more authentically me.

00:02:55:29 - 00:03:45:26
Nikki La Croce
It's the way that I enter conversations. It's the way I inject, myself into conversations. And it is also a way for me to invite you in and invite guests in. Because if someone leads with, can I just say my answer is an emphatic yes, I want you to say it. So as the show is evolving, what I really want to make clear to you as listeners and for guests who will be coming on in the future, is that my desire with this show is to have conversations about the stories and the parts of our lives that don't get the airtime otherwise, there are a lot of shows out there that have guests sharing the

00:03:45:26 - 00:04:08:02
Nikki La Croce
hot tips for something, or really diving into the variety of, you know, holistic wellness topics that there are to discuss mental health, physical health, spiritual health, all of these things. And that information is so valuable and guests can come on and bring that information with them when it's part of their journey, when it's part of who they are.

00:04:08:02 - 00:04:39:07
Nikki La Croce
And I totally support that and want that and believe it's important to provide a platform for those dialogs. And beyond that, I want guests to feel safe and comfortable and excited to join me on the mic so that they can open up about the things that they never share, that they want to share, that they feel deserve attention, but just don't get it because the hosts not asking the questions or that's not what the show's about.

00:04:39:09 - 00:05:01:21
Nikki La Croce
This is what this show is about. This show is about going there. This show is about healing through reflection and sharing insights about our experiences as human beings that will help elevate other people on their growth journeys. I'm not a coach I don't claim to be. I don't want to be. I have a hard enough time being accountable to myself.

00:05:01:21 - 00:05:05:17
Nikki La Croce
So you're definitely looking at the wrong person if you think I would be a coach. But.

00:05:07:03 - 00:05:35:08
Nikki La Croce
There is so much to be learned from the stories that guests share, from the conversations that I'm having with them, from my own journey, that I want you to be able to embrace and have a feeling when you finish an episode that you're considering something maybe you'd never considered before, that you are opening your mind to something that maybe otherwise you might not have.

00:05:35:10 - 00:06:11:01
Nikki La Croce
Because what I see as the one of the most valuable things that comes from these discussions that I have with guests, is that you gain empathy when you are able to hear somebody's story and listen without judgment, that you're able to respond with curiosity, that you're able to have healthy debate, that you can admit that you didn't know something that that you want to challenge somebody on your own belief, and maybe you can change that belief.

00:06:11:01 - 00:06:30:17
Nikki La Croce
Maybe you can change their belief. And it's not coming from a desire to enforce the change, but to invite the opportunity to be introspective and to collect these conversations as a means to develop your own life course that feels right for you.

00:06:30:17 - 00:06:33:19
Nikki La Croce
Because in the last five years in doing this show,

00:06:33:19 - 00:06:42:26
Nikki La Croce
having conversations with over 100 people about their very unique life stories has been so unbelievably transformative for me.

00:06:42:28 - 00:07:05:17
Nikki La Croce
I would not be where I am without it. The combination of these conversations, plus therapy and my own very intentional growth journey, has given me the confidence that I never had to show up fully. The.

00:07:05:20 - 00:07:20:16
Nikki La Croce
The joy that I didn't know was possible because I was so trapped in these really lock mindsets and feeling stuck after I had spent over a decade in a relationship with a narcissist who really stifled my sense of self

00:07:20:16 - 00:07:41:21
Nikki La Croce
and when I stopped just sort of observing my life from the outside, miserable about how how it was going, and stepped into my life and asked the hard questions and observed my own behavior and took accountability for it.

00:07:41:23 - 00:08:16:24
Nikki La Croce
Everything changed. Everything changed because the ability that we have to adapt is incredible. If you are someone who is self-aware and someone who is curious and wants to change for the better, this show is for you. And that's what I need you to know. If the title of the show is holding you back because it says fucking it, that is the exact wrong message that I want to send to people.

00:08:16:26 - 00:08:44:21
Nikki La Croce
I am inviting you into this conversation, my friends. I'm inviting you in, and I want you to not only listen to the conversations and embrace the conversations and reflect on those conversations so you can evolve, but I want you to join the conversation. Come follow me on social media where I'm going to be sharing more of my own life and the things that I've learned and how I've navigated not just my own healing journey, but my own life journey through the beauty and the pain.

00:08:44:21 - 00:09:26:19
Nikki La Croce
Because we are whole human beings. Somebody. The other day I made the comment that we are full spectrum human beings and I absolutely love that. And it reminds me of part of a Walt Whitman quote, which is one of my favorites. And it is I am vast, I contain multitudes. It is so brief in the words that are used, but it is so abundant in the opportunity that it offers us to look inward, to challenge ourselves, to give ourselves grace, and to grow.

00:09:26:21 - 00:09:28:07
Nikki La Croce
So

00:09:28:07 - 00:09:53:09
Nikki La Croce
If you've been here since the beginning or somewhere in between then and now, I appreciate your support so much. It is what has allowed me to keep doing this and what inspires me to continue doing it. And for anybody who is new here, welcome. Welcome to the can I just say community. I am so excited to have you here and for you to become part of this conversation.

00:09:53:12 - 00:10:25:01
Nikki La Croce
As I'm diving deeper into what this evolution looks like, I'm going to be much more focused on sharing content that has been meaningful to me on my own journey. That might be memes, that might be resources of some sort, where you can do more self-reflection or ways to better communicate with people, ways to better connect with yourself. It's going to run the gamut, because what I realized on my own journey is that you need all of the parts to come together for you to really feel the growth that you desire.

00:10:25:03 - 00:10:55:15
Nikki La Croce
And as I'm navigating this new part of my journey and you're here with me, I want your feedback. I want to know what you think. I want to know what you want more of. What maybe you'd like less of, and for you to show up with the questions that you have so we can bring this conversation to a much broader audience of people like yourself, who have compassion and curiosity and are ready for the next step in your life.

00:10:55:17 - 00:11:20:11
Nikki La Croce
That said, I appreciate all of you. I am looking forward to what's to come, and I have quite a few amazing episodes coming out in the next few weeks that I have been anxious to share with you, so tune in if you haven't subscribed yet. I really appreciate that. Wherever you listen to your podcasts, you can also follow me on YouTube at Nikki La Crochet and.

00:11:21:22 - 00:11:41:16
Nikki La Croce
If I can leave you with one thing that isn't a plea to subscribe or like or share, which by the way, if you can share this with somebody because you believe that they will like the show and they will get something out of it, that is the biggest, biggest favor that you can do for me and for whoever is going to listen.

00:11:43:22 - 00:12:03:01
Nikki La Croce
I believe that we are capable of being better not only to ourselves, but to each other, and I am confident that. This is a community of people where you will find connection

00:12:03:01 - 00:12:22:05
Nikki La Croce
When I think about what matters the most every time I hit record, it's that you feel seen, heard and understood because no one is ever as alone as they might feel.

00:12:22:07 - 00:12:27:05
Nikki La Croce
And this is a place that will show that to you time and time again.

00:12:27:17 - 00:12:42:27
Nikki La Croce
So if you want to join a community of like minded, curious and compassionate people, head on over to can I just say podcast.com and you can share your email address to get updates about new episodes, collaborations and recommendations that will just overall make your life better.

00:12:42:29 - 00:12:47:18
Nikki La Croce
Thanks again for tuning in as always, and I will catch you. On the flip side.