Ep. 20: Fully Trusting Yourself & Santa Barbara Wines

Ep 20. Fully Trusting Yourself

Maria Mayes: [00:00:00] All right, welcome back Chakras and Chardonnay listeners. I'm so excited because today I have with me Chloe Redmond and Chloe's the founder of VVC Consulting and I'm really excited to have her here because not only is she a fellow teacher of meditation, Certified through Chopra, but she has this amazing energy and also I'm one of her newest clients.

So I'm really grateful to have her on. Thank you so much, Chloe, for joining me today. And if you could just share a little bit more about yourself to the listeners, that'd be amazing. 

Chloe Redmond: Sure, thank you so much, Maria. It's my honor to be here today. Hello, listeners. As Maria mentioned, my name is Chloe Redman, and I am the founder and CEO of Vino Vaquera Consulting, and we are a mindful digital marketing agency.

Mindful, of course, being highlighted and in all caps [00:01:00] and stamped on top of everything else. Um, we really are very, very small entrepreneurial team that put our heart and soul into every client that we have and strategically building, um, everything around their needs, their desires and helping them manifest at the same time that we're putting our expertise in our algorithms into play.

Um. So that's kind of where our specialty lies within the marketing spectrum, but we have such a plethora of clients this year. This year, 2023 has filled our cup immensely. We have professional comedians and influencers and artists and meditation instructors and wineries and the list goes on and on. And to have such a beautifully full and decorative plate.

With so many different offerings and components and completely different souls coming from completely different directions, it has been. [00:02:00] Overwhelmingly beautiful and exciting. And this has really been a year of growth and expansion for our team and our company. And Maria, we're so excited to have you on board because whenever we have the opportunity to work with a fellow Chopra instructor, it is just food for our soul.

Um, and it's just so fun to be able to synergetically share those teachings and be able to connect on that level moving forward and kind of dropping some of those. Um, predominant pieces into play with the line of work that we're going to create together. 

Maria Mayes: Absolutely. Oh, so amazing. So amazing. So share with our listeners, what wellbeing tip do you have to drop Adam today that they can put into action?

Chloe Redmond: You know, this is really fun because I was really thinking about what I was going to say for this. I have so many. I had so many wonderful things lined up. I have my journal here. I spent some [00:03:00] time journaling last night and then this morning I woke up with a totally different answer and I thought, oh, just holding a moment to thank the universe and spirit for providing this answer.

But it was absolutely what I wanted to share today. And I have been asked a couple of times. Um, as of recently, how I am able to juggle everything that I do with my company. I'm also a really proud mom of three boys. Three boys! Yeah, that's a big thing we left out of the introduction. That's a huge piece.

Yeah, who are six, four and one and a half. So some days feel like we're, you know, we're treading water and other days, you know, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and their own humans with their own personalities and form their own bonds, you know, with each other. And, um, it's always such a funny question and I think I've answered it so differently every single year.

And when I was asked this question, [00:04:00] By a community member a couple of weeks ago, my answer was very different. And so I think that's what I wanted to share today because I sat with that answer after I said it and I couldn't believe how good it felt and how true it really resonated. And I thought, wow, I'm going to write this down and I hope I get to share this with someone.

And so when I woke up this morning and I thought, Oh my gosh, Chloe, this is the time you get to share this little nugget with a group of folks that'll really appreciate it. So I love it. Yeah. When I was asked how I juggle everything and how I find a balance. And I think for me, the board standing out was balanced, right?

Because is there a balance? I don't think there's ever a balance, but I will tell you that I've been one of those individuals as an entrepreneur, as a mom who has searched for a balance for a long, long time. And I think what I did this year that was so different for me personally and professionally is [00:05:00] fully trust myself.

And by fully trusting myself, by fully trusting my intuition, by fully trusting my capabilities, my talents, my love. By not second guessing myself and fully trusting in myself and what feels good, because I know that my intuition is strong, that has made the world of difference for me. And that, with fully trusting myself, I have been able to feel a deeper sense of what balance might look like.

Oh, wow. Yeah. Even though, again, the spectrum of what balance is is so different for everybody else. But for me, what I'm doing feels manageable. Because I fully trust myself and as someone who has navigated a tremendous amount of loss in the last couple of years and obviously going through the wave of, uh, the universe and COVID as everybody else did.[00:06:00] 

My mindfulness practices have deepened quite a bit in the last five years. And so being able to share those pieces with folks that specifically are in the same exact circumstance right now that are working moms and, or not working moms, but have a whole plate of things to juggle. And I think what we forget is, especially as, as pleasers like myself.

We're so busy tailoring everything to our clients needs and to our children's needs and to our, our spouse's needs. And then there are days where we're not able to do that either. And we just feel totally lost and, Oh my gosh, are we failing everything? And then that self doubt plays in. So I think to be able to circle back and say, wait a minute, I fully trust myself for the first time.

And I'm going to feel and to exude and to speak and to listen. I'm going to be the best listener I can. I think it's made a huge difference for me. So I would [00:07:00] say to really going back always Marie, as you know, to those four Chopra soul questions, who am I, what do I want? What am I grateful for? And what is my Dharma?

What is my purpose? I think when you circle back to those four questions, time and time again, when I asked them to a new client. Those are really deep, impactful questions that people, some people have never asked themselves out loud. Some, some people haven't asked themselves in years. And so I think when I need to, again, feel that sense of balance or alignment, I always go back to those.

So questions for me, I think that that is such a powerful piece and it's something

that you can, you know, sit down with your partner and do and say, Hey, when you have a minute. Let's pour a glass of wine. Let's work on these four questions. Little, little in house team building exercise that really can bring out a lot of emotions and it can be really powerful if you sit in the present [00:08:00] and present yourself with questions and hold yourself accountable to answering those.

Um, I mean, I, I think it, it moves mountains in numerous ways to be able to, to do that. 

Maria Mayes: I love that. I mean, it's so amazing to take that piece. Of the meditation practice. Right. And bring it in like you do with your clients, but now bringing it in to help yourself stay centered and come back to your highest self so that you can operate from that for everybody you care for.

And most importantly, yourself, because if we're asking those questions. Then we're going to serve the self, which is going to then allow us to serve everybody that we love and care for better. That's 

Chloe Redmond: amazing. And it's that, it's that heart work. It's that soul searching heart work that when you realize that when your cup is full, what you're able to offer is on a whole different level than what you're able to offer when you feel depleted.

And, you know, as, as a mom, it's hard to [00:09:00] put yourself first. It just, and so that to me has always been something personally and professionally that I'm always trying to work on is I think everyone deserves everything. I also do. And so to have more of those self-love talks with myself has been really impactful this year.

Oh, 

Maria Mayes: that's so amazing. And so for any listener out there who have small children, especially, I feel like that's, you know, you're in the thick of it right now and I have to say, I, you really are , I so admire you for being at this space. Then I wish I would've been there then when my kids were that age. But I was a little bit more in survival mode.

At that point in my journey and now grateful that I can be there as they're in teenage years, which is also a little bit. Oh, yes. It continues to be thick it just in different ways. Right. So, um, but that's so amazing. So just really encourage anybody [00:10:00] listening that resonated with to, to really dive into that.

And so how would you suggest so for someone who this is completely new. Um, you know, you mentioned sitting down with a glass of wine and having the questions but to catch themselves maybe in the moment of chaos with the kids, where you know once crying over here this one's losing their mind over there and then you've got the dings from the phone with the work emails and got to get the to do list done.

How are you able to, in the moment, pause. And then respond rather than react. 

Chloe Redmond: Well, gosh, I think I am still someone who's working on that every day. But there are certain practices that we've put into play in our house to calm the everyday time frames of chaos. Okay. For example, um, Malika Chopra, Deepak's daughter, has written a series of beautiful books dedicated to [00:11:00] children in mindfulness practices during COVID.

And the first part of this isolation period, wherever there was still so much unknown, those books really came in handy in my life. In our family home, um, for little things that we could do, whether we were inside or we were going on a walk. And so one of the things that we still practice in our home is every night and again, my husband and I both work full time.

So it is, it is very hard for us to unplug, but we force ourselves to leave all of the devices upstairs. Down to the dinner table, there are no devices. Everything is shut off. Everyone's coming from a different place in their mind. And so what we do is when we sit down at the dinner table, we talk about all of the colors that are on our plates.

We talk about all of the textures of all of the food that we're touching on our plate. We talk about all of the smells that we smell in our kitchen [00:12:00] and to really kind of refocus our senses and to all get on the same page as it just, and we do it so quickly now we don't even realize we're doing it anymore, but it quickly gets everyone really in gear and on the same page and ready to enjoy their meal.

You know, whether you're my husband's coming in after it. 12 hour workday, and he just wants to sit and eat and have no one talk to him, whatever. Once we start eating, then we're all in our own zone. But it's something that we're collectively able to do together to get on the same page. So I think there are little bits like that that are super helpful.

I think another thing that my mother actually taught me, and she is a huge part of our tribe, we would not be able to do any of this without her. But another nugget that she presented to us was when the children's voices get louder, lower your voice. Because if you start speaking in a softer tone, or even in a whisper tone, eventually [00:13:00] their voices will also get to that level.

What stage wisdom is that? And that was like such an aha moment because I am the first person that's like, you know, I love you. I hear you. Let's talk about it. I'm always right here, right at the highest frequency, which you are too. I've got tons of energy coming. And so for me, it's a good reminder. If I'm going to have this conversation, I'm like, okay, I'm checking in with my child.

Obviously they're needing, they're needing you. Their parent right now. They're needing attention. They're hungry. How are we going to assess whatever they need right now? You know, are they ready for bed? Are they ready for their bath time? What is it that they need? What is the frustration that's pent up to causing them to raise their voice?

And so to really, you know, get down on your knees, sit there and really talk to them. What is, what is going on? What is the issue in lowering that voice? Lowering the voice. Calming your vibration. It really does help. And I have seen that because my kids, I mean, I think [00:14:00] all children operate on a really high frequency in general anyway.

So it that is super helpful. So that's another kind of mindful tip that we use at home. Um, but again, Oprah is a wealth of knowledge. Her series of children's books are really incredible. So any parents out there, that's something that, um, would be a wonderful investment for your home. So amazing. 

Maria Mayes: So You just dropped some bonus nuggets for sure.

And I want to, I want to just, I mean, to circle back through all of those, that leveraging those four soul questions to stay in that space of acting from trusting yourself, trusting your intuition, and then honoring that you need that care, consideration, that love, that support just as much as anybody else.

That you're serving is just so huge. So I love that. And then the mindful dinner with the family going through all the senses is just [00:15:00] amazing that you're starting so young, that's just mind blowing that you can, that you're adopting this at such early stages in their life. They're going to be able to continue.

And this is going to take them on a whole different journey when they're actually. Smelling and tasting and touching and feeling all the amazing things about the food and then that lowering the voice. So I got to just say that. That's amazing. Thank you so much for sharing all that. And when we talk aromas and we talk taste and we talk textures immediately, my mind goes to wine and mindfully tasting it.

So I'd love to know what's your favorite type of mind or wine. Excuse me, to 

Chloe Redmond: mindfully sip. Oh my gosh. Well, first excited to incorporate yo program here in santa bar We will gladly host a bea down here at some awesome programs running for you to make the journey becau [00:16:00] so huge with Santa Barbara County.

Um, we have a beautiful wellness community here and obviously we are not lacking in the wine department whatsoever. So that'll be something that will fall really nicely into play for me. Oh my gosh. I think You know, professionally speaking, our family has been in the wine industry for a long time. My husband is a general manager of Sunstone Winery, um, and I started my wine journey with Gallo Corporates, um, at Bridlewood Estate Winery in San Yanez, and then had the opportunity to work for some incredible husband and wife Garagis teams here.

And over that time period, over like a 10 year time period, 11 year time period. My palate has changed so much, but I'll tell you that because we are just in the thick of the heat right now, , um, I am really [00:17:00] enjoying obviously anything chilled. So Barbie Air, uh, wine company makes an incredible Berino, comfy wines.

His wife has a beautiful rose out right now. Um, and a wine company again, oh my gosh, they're known for their grenache. Uh, their haole, haole means house or home in Hawaiian, their haole blend, uh, actually a little bit chilled is perfect for summer right now, along with their beautiful grenache rosé. Um, Sunstone has a, Sunstone Winery has an arrows blend, which is not, you know, not too heavy, not too bold, but again really Fruit forward and flavorful and just enough to enjoy, um, with a nice summer salad or fish tacos down here.

We love our fish tacos in Santa Barbara. Um, so those are really some big ones here locally for me. I do love everything that family, or fully family, excuse me, wines is producing [00:18:00] here locally as well. Um, so we have some beautiful shards, beautiful pinots, um, coming from their properties here in Santa Barbara County.

So those are really my wine highlights, I think, for, for summer. I'm always, I'm always a rosé girl, so I can be a rosé girl year round. I'm like breakfast burrito rosé, bathtub rosé. I don't discriminate. I'm definitely a heavy Rosé fan. Um, but yeah, I mean, in general, I think, you know, Pino's really grow well here in Santa Barbara wine country, but we're not just also a really stand out here.

And Michael of a wine company is locally known as the King. So he is someone that is just, oh, my gosh, is really fine tune that program. Um, and again, I think it's just about for us, it's about the connection here in Santa Barbara wine country. So when we drink. It's about enjoying the story of the winemaker, right?

And their passion. And [00:19:00] so, you know, Paolo Barbieri is our only master sommelier here in Santa Barbara wine country and his wife is from Texas and she's a huge foodie. And so, you know, their palate preferences are very different, but they have the same appreciation for things. And so. We love to have that conversation, um, and are privy to it because we live in a small, you know, area where the community, the wine country community is really tight.

So we're able to, um, you know, call up the winemaker and have that conversation while we're sipping the wine. You know, and the kids are having a water balloon fight outside and we're like, holy moly, can we just have a moment and, and just talk about the breakdown of this wine and how it was made and, uh, what was this neutral barrel?

Like, was it all stainless steel? Did it go through any mallow? Like, what's happening here? This is delicious. And so, um, and I think just in general, it's been exciting to see the recognition that Santa Barbara Wine Country, um, has received in the last couple of years, especially we've really been put on the map.

Um, as a recognizable growing region [00:20:00] and production region. So that's really fun. A big win, big win for our team. For 

Maria Mayes: sure. Oh my gosh. I don't know if you saw me salivating as you were talking about Vermentillo, which is one of my favorites. Uh, Grenache, all of them. Oh, I think I just need to come to Santa Barbara very soon.

So I 

Chloe Redmond: agree. We are, we're going to set something up really special. 

Maria Mayes: Sounds good. Well, I can't wait and I just want to thank you again for coming on and sharing those amazing drops of wisdom that can resonate with anybody, whether you're a working mom or you're a single dude that's just juggling all the stuff.

These tips can work for everybody and I just love it. So I'm so excited to mindfully explore some wine with you soon. Thank you so much. And where can everybody find you? I'm going to put all this stuff in the show notes, but where can they find 

Chloe Redmond: you? Yeah, so we as a digital marketing company, of course, are always on our social platforms.

So the best way to reach us [00:21:00] is actually via DMM on Instagram. Feel free to dmm us. We're @Vinovaqueraconsulting. Um, you can also send us an email, the thevinovaquera@yahoo.com if you're interested in exploring, uh, our services or any kind of a, a collaboration in the future. 

Maria Mayes: Sounds good. Thank you so much. Those will all be in the show notes and.

I look forward to tasting with you very, very soon.