Everyday Courage To Change Your Life with Vanessa Castañeda

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In today's episode, we talk about everyday courage and the quiet moment when a long-held dream stops being “someday” and becomes a real choice. Vanessa Longoria shares how she left a successful medical path to open The Mac, a process-based arts and crafts studio in McAllen built on joy, alignment, and community. 

• noticing the “Is this it?” whisper and taking it seriously 
• carrying a creative dream for over a decade while raising a child 
• pausing a goal without abandoning it, then using the years as preparation 
• navigating the cultural and emotional weight of leaving a family business 
• moving fast once the match is lit, from idea to leases and an LLC 
• handling imposter syndrome, low attendance days, and the vulnerability of workshops 
• building self-concordance, where values and daily life finally match 
• holding boundaries around discounts, pricing, and the value of women’s work 
• leaning on a supportive partner and sharing the load at home and at work 
• creating a community table that helps kids and adults feel seen and connected 

Show Guest: Vanessa Castañeda Longoria

Vanessa is a mom, former medical professional, and creative entrepreneur who proves that it's never too late to pursue the dream that's been waiting on your heart. After more than 15 years in the medical field, she made the courageous decision to leave behind a successful career and step into a vision she had nurtured for over a decade.

Together with her husband, Vanessa recently opened The MAC: The Main Arts and Craft Studio in McAllen, Texas—a vibrant, process-based art studio where children are encouraged to explore, create, and engage their senses in a joyful, judgment-free environment. The MAC has quickly become a welcoming space for families seeking meaningful, creative experiences that foster imagination and connection.

Today, Vanessa joins us to share her inspiring journey of rewriting her career story, balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, and building a thriving community through the transformative power of art. Whether you're dreaming of a career change, looking for encouragement to take a leap of faith, or simply believe in the importance of creativity, this conversation is sure to inspire.

You can connect with her at: Facebook @theMACmcallen, Instagram @theMACmcallen , www.theMACmcallen.com

Transcript

Welcome And Everyday Courage

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to Couch Time with Cat, Mental Wellness with a Friendly Voice. I'm Cat, your friendly neighborhood marriage and family therapist, best-selling author, and TEDx speaker. But most of all, I'm a proud wife and mama, endurance athlete, and wholehearted coffee lover. And I'm truly delighted to be your host. Each week we gather for thoughtful conversations about relationships, resilience, healing, and yes, sometimes we laugh along the way. Let's begin. Today we're talking about courage, not the movie kind, not the dramatic kind, but the everyday kind. The kind of courage that whispers and shows up when you're standing at a crossroads wondering whether to stay safe or to trust yourself and maybe go in a different direction. Because I think many of us are carrying dreams we've quietly placed on a shelf. Dreams we've convinced ourselves are impractical, too risky, too late, too selfish, too complicated, or maybe simply impossible. But what happens when we stop waiting for permission? What happens when we decide to trust the thing that's been calling us for years? Today's conversation is exactly about that. Okay, let's imagine you're driving to work the same route you've driven a hundred times. You know every turn, every stoplight, every coffee shop, the routine is familiar and predictable and comfortable. And yet, there's a quiet voice inside that keeps asking, Is this it? Not because life is bad or because you're unhappy, but because there's something else calling you. Something creative and meaningful, something that's more like you. And the voice doesn't scream and it's very patient because it's called us over and over again. And we tell ourselves we're grateful, we're responsible, we're practical. We tell ourselves dreams are for later. But later has a funny way of becoming years. And years have a funny way of becoming decades. And today's guest listened to that whisper to that voice. After more than 15 years in a successful medical career, she chose something different. Not because it was easy or guaranteed, but because she couldn't ignore her dream anymore. And in doing so, she discovered something many of us are searching for. Not just success, but alignment. And not just achievement, but joy.

Meet Vanessa And The Mac

Speaker 1 2:50

My guest today is Vanessa Longoria. Vanessa is a mom, former medical professional, entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of The Mac, the main arts and crafts studio in McCallan, Texas. For more than 15 years, she's worked in the medical field while carrying a dream that quietly lived inside her for over a decade. Seven months ago, she and her husband turned that dream into reality and opened the Mac, a vibrant, process-based art and sensory exploration studio where children are invited to create, discover, and express themselves. What I love about Vanessa's story isn't simply that she started a business, it's that she trusted herself enough to begin. And I think that that's something so many of us need inspiration for. Also, she's my friend. I'm just so proud of her. I'm already crying. Vanessa, welcome to Couch Time with Cat.

Speaker 3:50

Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Oh my god. Remember back in the day when I like manifested that you would even know who I am? And now here we are uh talking about this amazing thing that has happened.

Speaker 1 4:08

Oh my god, I'm crying. This is too much.

Speaker 4:10

I didn't bring tissue.

Speaker 1 4:13

Oh, I just okay, listener, Vanessa and I have known each other, I don't know, more than 10 years for sure. Somewhere between 10 and 15. So we have, and we're from the same place, we're from the Rio Grande Valley. What's up? 95956. Yes. Uh, I won't say, I won't say it. Budo 956. So I won't say the other one. ALV ALB. So let's start at the beginning to give the listeners a little context.

The Dream That Started With Crafting

Speaker 1 4:41

Most people don't wake up in the morning and they're like, I'm gonna change careers. So when did this dream begin?

Speaker 4:50

Okay, so I have a 13-year-old daughter, and when I was a single parent when she was born, and um I was really very, very intentional with her on spending time trying to expose her to all different types of things. Um, I spent a lot of time crafting with her. My I grew up crafting with my aunt, and um I wanted a place for her to, I wanted a place for kids. I I had a dream of making a very small-scale children's museum that I had been to in bigger cities, but my city did not have anything like that. So when she was about one and a half or two years old, I went to the local university business center and met with an advisor and created a business plan. I had a business name, I had a logo. Friends of mine from all over um helped me create exhibits that I wanted to do. And it was like a year-long process that I worked on this. And at the end of that, it was just too big of a challenge for me as a single parent, working trying to raise a well-rounded good child, and um trying to create this to make this dream happen. So I put it on the back burner for years and years and years. Um, since then, she is now 13, and I am now married, and I have a wonderful partner who has given me a space where I suddenly felt that I had the right support to go after it. So one day in July, it was a Thursday morning.

Speaker 1 6:43

This is a year ago.

Speaker 6:45

Uh yes, a year ago.

Speaker 1 6:47

A year ago.

Speaker 6:47

Oh my gosh. So I woke up on a Thursday morning and I told my husband, I want to open up an arts and crafts studio. And he just said, Okay. I don't know if he really thought that I was going to move on it. Um, we had had on my um bucket list for 2025 that I wanted to start a business. So we had kind of explored different options. Um, but this was kind of I just said, I'm gonna do it. And then um that was a Thursday morning, and then by Friday, we were looking the very next day, we were looking at properties. Like gosh. Yes, it was crazy. We met with a woman who's a local successful business owner. Um, she had a property and we just happened to kind of stumble upon it, and we were talking to her, and I sold her on this stream the very next day, and she was like, I want you guys to be here. Uh, we ran into a couple of issues with commercial zoning, and we were trying to think out of the box because we thought everything is falling into place within 24 hours, like this is meant to be. And um, it ended up that we didn't get that property, which ended up working out really well because we found a space that actually uh is super conducive to what we offer here. So it happened very fast. Um, by August, the first week of August, we had formed our LLC, we had um created a business name and were working on a business plan, I guess. Um, but really it just kind of swelled, and we brainstormed and just started dreaming, and that's how it happened. Wow.

Speaker 1 8:41

Okay, so you're you were a mom for a decade. Yes. Okay, and you got re you were a single mom for a decade. That's what I really meant to say. Then you got married several years ago. Yes. Okay, what year was that?

Speaker 8:59

Um, 2022.

Speaker 1 9:01

Pop quiz. T C's listening. He's like, she better get the date.

Speaker 9:08

Yes, yes.

Leaving A Family Business Role

Speaker 1 9:10

Um what was your full-time job then?

Speaker 9:15

So I was I worked for my parents in an independent pharmacy. So I was in the back office. Um, I didn't really ever have a title, but I did all managerial, uh, administrative, a little bit of everything. I am a personal assistant to my parents in their business, in their life. Um, I did all lots of contracts, reconciliations, um, making sure payments were paid, received, all the types of things.

Speaker 1 9:46

Here's why I want to share that because it's trickier to leave a family business. That's a really tricky, very sticky thing. And you and I are Mexican, and my parents also in a family business. I still work with my parents in their family business because, well, for many reasons, because I want to help them, but also that's part of the culture, and it is very hard to come out of that kind of template. Um this is not like a personal story, you know. My parents were always like, do whatever you want, it was great. Um, so they always encouraged me, but inside it feels like, ooh, I should be helping this enterprise. Was that your experience?

Speaker 10:42

Yes, and no. Um, so yes, I can definitely relate to what you were saying. No, because my parents are older and I knew that we were coming to the end of their business. They were either they were either going to sell or close. At least that was the thought process. So um, that also gave me an extra boost to think like when they close, what is my next move? And I thought about the types of jobs that I could get, what I was qualified for, what my education was in, and what experience I had. And I just could not imagine a life that I was doing the same thing for somebody different. Uh, also, my daughter is, like I said, 13. And I feel like we're in this new stage of life where she's she's always been very busy, but now things are busy with more intentionality. We're now strategizing for how to help her through uh middle school and high school to get her ready for college. Oh my God. That was a good idea. I wanted to make sure. Yeah. So I wanted to be sure that I had the freedom and flexibility to be there for her and um also honor my dreams. And so that's kind of what gave me the extra boost to really take a moment to think truly for myself what is it that I want to do? Will I be okay working in an office at a different medical facility or what wherever it may be? Um, and when I really listened to myself, I didn't want to do that for anybody. I I wanted to take a chance on myself. Vanessa.

Speaker 1 12:39

Gosh, wow, that's incredible. That's just listener. I hope you are inspired as I am. It feels um so hopeful and brave. So you knew when I should say, please.

Speaker 12:53

I should say that this took over 10 years. Like uh everything happened very quickly uh once it started. Like once the I guess the match was lit, it burned quick. Um, but it took 10 years of preparation that I didn't even know that I was preparing for.

Ten Years Of Quiet Preparation

Speaker 13:18

So I am a creative person. I am a very reserved person. I don't like to take risks, but over the years, um, slowly I was gaining knowledge about kids because I spent so much time with my daughter and her friends. Over the years, I gained um knowledge on crafting with kids. Uh I would throw my daughter crafting parties. I my daughter made slime. It was so funny. We saw a like memory on my iPhone from five years ago or something, and it's the living room covered in slime. And every day here at the studio when we have camps, we make slime. So five years later, what I learned five years ago is what I'm applying now. So it's it was a very fast thing, but it was a very slow preparation that wasn't even intentional exactly.

Speaker 1 14:18

On a Thursday morning, you say, Okay, I want to do this. By Friday, you're looking at spaces. I can't imagine that in those 24 hours fears popped up because it's it's almost like momentum takes you. But after those 24 hours, did any fears start popping up like, oh, can I, should I, is this a good idea? Or was it just full speed ahead?

Speaker 14:48

Um the fear definitely does come, it did not happen immediately. I think the momentum, the excitement really propelled both my husband and I. Um, my excitement uh convinced him very, very quickly. And like I said, 24 hours later, we met a woman that we had never met who could be a potential landlord. And my excitement excited her. And she was on board with it and was like, this is amazing. I can't, this will do so well. Like uh, I was not necessarily just pulling things out of the air, but I didn't have a business plan. I didn't have, I hadn't put things to paper. But when we walked in that first property, I had given so much excitement to my husband that he was like, we could do this in this room and we could do, and he's not the creative one. He's not like the super artistic, but he was excited and wanted to put his input and was like this, we could do this on this wall, and we could paint this this color, and it would be an inviting, and it just became um, it was just so exciting in the very, very beginning. Uh, we moved forward, we found our space. We had lots of family and friends who were excited for us. Um, I know you can't really, this is a radio show, so you can't see, but everything hanging on the ceilings. We wanted it to be like a very crafty homemade space.

Speaker 1 16:24

Where's all the photos? Her space is gorgeous.

Speaker 16:30

Thank you. So we wanted when what we wanted was when people came in, they knew that they were going to be getting a crafty hands-on experience. It wasn't about perfection, it wasn't about museum quality art that children or adults had to feel the pressure to make something that was museum-worthy. This was something to get your hands in to release uh whatever it is that you had in your brain. Um, and so, like I was saying, everything that's hanging on the ceiling, we had family and friends come in and make these paper chains. Uh, it was a labor of love and just support that people came in to help us, um, which also was another huge thing because I think we kind of felt that we had spent um years building relationships and showing up for people. And it was a very amazing thing to see people show up for us in our time of need. It wasn't us asking, hey, can you come make these paper chains? It was people saying, I'm driving by and we saw you here. Let me hang out with for an hour and do what we need to be done. Um, we hired professional painters, but we had friends who were like, let's have a paint party. You we'll save the money. You guys save the money, it's gonna be hard. So we'll just order some pizzas, bring some beer, we will paint the place for you. Um, we ended up, like I said, doing professional painting uh painters, but it was just amazing to have people calling and showing up for us in so many ways. Um, and as you said about the fear, the fear came later when I start having the imposter syndrome of are people gonna show

Imposter Syndrome And Empty Seats

Speaker 18:22

up? Are what if I convince all these people that this is amazing? Yeah, or this is going to be amazing, and um and then I'm gonna have you know uh mud on my face that it wasn't as amazing as I thought it was gonna be.

Speaker 1 18:43

Yeah, it's vulnerable. I mean, as a business owner, I know that part of the way I protect myself is that I work one-on-one with people, and I love that. So if you know somebody wants to work with me, they choose to work with me and it's one-on-one. But I'm not, I'm never selling like a workshop. Workshops are my nightmare. That is just I can I would rather jump out of a plane than sell a workshop because there's no, it's just like I drop straight into insecurity if nobody shows up. It's like I forget, it's like I black out on the rest of my life and I can only see that nobody is here. So I'm like, I don't think so. So to guard against that, I do one-on-one and then jump out of planes, but no workshops. So your whole business is workshops. Gosh, this feels like honestly, it feels like to me like you're just free, like you're jump, you're cliff diving. Like that to my nervous system is horrifying.

Speaker 20:02

But for you, it works, yes. So yeah, it you're absolutely right. It is so scary and so so vulnerable, and you definitely have the what if, if nobody shows up. And there have been times that nobody shows up, or we have one person show up. Um, and those moments when it's one or two people that show up, we pour ourselves into those two people. Like they are the most important people to ever be. Yeah, uh totally.

Speaker 1 20:41

I've done the same.

Speaker 20:43

Yeah. And and and it's and it's fine. And what we ended up finding is that the more we get to know people, the more that we show up for them, uh, they feel special. And really, what I the studio has created a form of community, whether it's with a large group or just one-on-one. But people want to be seen, they want to be heard. And when you can give somebody one or one and a half hours of dedicated attention and listen to them and value who they are, that is way more than the craft that we can provide. That gives them a feeling of value or just they leave feeling like I feel really good leaving here.

Speaker 1 21:41

Absolutely.

Speaker 21:42

And it might not have been about the paint or the slime or whatever it is. It's just that you're valued here. Um, also, the other thing is that when it's just one or two people, what we have learned also is we give so much attention that those people. Um leave feeling great, and then they say, I want to come back for a birthday party or a camp or whatever it may be. And um we always kind of just say, We're just starting, we just got to keep showing up, we just gotta keep showing up. And we've thought about canceling some certain events, or like, we're not gonna do our Wednesdays anymore, whatever it may be. And it's just like, no, because you never know that one person, like, and um, and so it is very, very scary, and it is hard, but we try to turn it around to have a silver lining that we are making whoever is coming and whoever is willing to spend money to hang out with us to do something. Um, that I don't take lightly. I know money is um we're it's uh we're living in a difficult situation with people's budgets being a little tighter than usual. So I know that this is a super luxury to be able to come into a studio and spend um $25 for the hour or hour and a half to create something. Um, I know that it's not cheap or that this is for everyone, but if you are making that expense, I want to make sure that I'm showing up for you because it's so important that you're showing up for me.

Speaker 1 23:26

Oh, I mean, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. You're listening to Couch Time with Cat. I'm Cat, and today we're talking with Vanessa Castañeda Longoria, and she is the owner of the Mac in McCallan, Texas, and she has followed her dreams, and I am inspired times one million.

Values, Meaning, And Self-Concordance

Speaker 1 23:48

Listener, let's talk about something called self-concordance. Let's go to class for a second. So it's the idea that we experience greater well-being when our lives align with our deepest values and interests. So basically, that's saying our insides match our outsides. And culturally, I think we're seeing more people ask what actually makes a meaningful life, not just a productive life or a successful life, but a meaningful one. And maybe that stories um, maybe that's why stories, these stories like Vanessa's, resonate so deeply because it's proof that it's possible that in our 40s with motherhood on the table and being a wife and sister and a daughter and a friend, and with all these roles that we play in our life, that we can also value our own dreams. As you're listening right now, I'm gonna invite you to ask yourself what's something you've been putting off because you're waiting for certainty or what's a dream that you've been calling a someday dream? And just notice what comes up. There's no judgment. I never want you to judge yourself or to pressure yourself in any way, but just let that answer float to the top.

The Family Meeting Before The Leap

Speaker 1 25:13

Okay, let's talk about the leap because this is where a lot of people get stuck. So it's in July, it's a Thursday, you have the dream. By Friday, you're looking for a lease. What was the hardest part about making the actual leap? So for me, the actual leap would mean signing a lease and going all in.

Speaker 25:41

Well, I don't know if we had a major, major struggle for the leap. Um, I will say that it was really important to us to have a family meeting um to make sure all three of us were on board because life was going to change. Um our daughter Ellie um has always had both my husband and I at all her games. We had coached her teams, we were the PTO parents, we were the extra parents. And um we knew that if we started this studio, there might be, at least in the very beginning, um, some growing pains that we might not both be at her games, only one of us would be there, or we might have to miss, or we wouldn't be able to pick her up from every practice, and we'd have to get my our either one of our parents to help. So it needed to be all three of us on board for us to take to take a leap. Um, we really talked it out, gave the examples that I just gave to make sure that she understood. And it it seems kind of silly putting so much weight on what a 12-year-old is gonna say. Um, no, I don't want you to, or yes, I want you to, but it was very important for me to have her blessing because I did know that things were going to change. And she did agree, she was excited. Um, I think my excitement bled over to her as well, and um she gave us the go-ahead, and after that, it was just moving forward, it was finding the space, and even in our space right now, it we had to do some construction on it, and um even though construction is such a pain to do, and the getting the per working with the city for permits is not for the week, uh uh we that that wasn't enough to stop us to be excited, and I think the past version of me who wasn't ready would find one bump in the road and just be like, is this a sign that we shouldn't do it? Or oh, this is this worth it. And it just felt this burning desire of this dream was too strong to let those little bumps stop, um, stop us. And so there wasn't really any big leap that we had to do other than our family conversation. It was just keep going because we're gonna get there. Um, and it happened very quick, like I said. Uh, we signed a lease in at the end of August, and um we had until October 1st before we started paying rent. So we were like, let's get this free month and work really, really hard. Um, it didn't end up being uh as quick as pop as quick as we thought in the construction area because permitting is so difficult, but um we opened November 1st. So it was just a few months from zero to this.

Speaker 1 29:14

Oh um wow, wow, wow, wow. Yes, I felt that that same feeling in terms of writing or opening a business. It's just I set the goal and then that's it. There's there's no stopping. Like that's not the like I don't allow, I don't even I don't even factor in, oh, this is too difficult. I should maybe stop. Like, I'm like, that's besides the point. I want the goal, so it just it's just what comes with it, you know. If you want like pico de gallo, you have to cut onion. I don't like to cut onion, but I want pico de gallo, so that's just what you have to do.

Speaker 29:56

Yeah. Well, and I think what really set the difference is that this was a goal that was actually a dream. So, like I had said in 2025, I had made my 2025 bucket list and I had like cook the ultimate Brussels sprouts, and it was like have a girls' dinner and start a business. Um, so little by little we chipped away at things and the business, we kind of explored different things. Um, I had another business idea idea that had not been a 10-year dream. And once I kind of got information about it or how I would go about going, you know, creating this business, I ran into the little bumps in the road and thought, like, is this worth it? When it was the right goal.

Speaker 1 30:53

Oh, very interesting.

Speaker 30:55

Then it became so much easier. Because I think I don't want to say that if you set a goal, there's no stopping. Because if you're setting the wrong goal, you shouldn't go after something if you're not fully, fully in it. Sure. Like if you and that's what made the difference between this business idea versus the dream. And that made it so much easier.

Speaker 1 31:20

Yeah, very, very good distinction. Um, yeah, that's a great distinction. I the things that I set are so aligned, usually, you know, that it's you know, it's not, you know, I'm not gonna open up whatever a raspa stand or anything like that.

Speaker 31:40

Yeah, yeah, no, for sure.

Speaker 1 31:42

I guess let's talk about we all need a raspa stand. That's just not my dream. No, actually, a raspa stand would be so good inside your studio or like a little colorful truck. That's a I'm like, well, do we need a collab? Do we need a collab? If you've got a raspa business out there, hit up the Mac. All those rainbow shades would be so pretty. Vanessa, what's something you wish that women understood about starting a new dream or really going after it because you really had to take a turn from how your life was

Boundaries, Pricing, And Owning Value

Speaker 1 32:31

going. What do you wish that they understood about that?

Speaker 32:36

Well, um, number one, it's not easy. Um I had this dream, I had a lot of ideas, but translating the ideas into something tangible has been a lot more challenging than I um expected. Um, I have a creative studio, I wanted to be more creative, and now that I have to be more creative, sometimes I get a little mind fatigued, creative fatigue. Um, so that's something that I hadn't considered. Um, I hadn't considered all the things that I had to learn to start a business. I like I said, I was running the back office. I had a lot of business experience, but no one prepared me for figuring out how to get the website running, how to uh express myself and stand um and not cower because I didn't have experience. So um I we went with a website company and they're great, but I didn't in the very beginning, I didn't want to be too bossy or too demanding. So that was something I had to learn. Like, I am now in charge of this. So if I don't fight for this, no one else will. So I would send the emails like you need to change this and this font and this, and I would tell my husband, like, oh, it feels so bad, you know, because I just felt like I was kind of nitpicking, but that is something that you just kind of have to like grow the backbone to do. I've had to learn how to stand up and and fight for our business and not, you know, make it smaller than what it is. Um, we had this discussion yesterday. People call and ask us for discounts all the time, which is fine if we offer, we try to accommodate for different nonprofits or schools, and you know, we want to help the community as much as possible, but um I have to sometimes I need to be reminded. We are a valuable business, we create something, we create an experience um that has value. And if I don't value it, other people won't either. And so that is something that was kind of uncomfortable for me, like to also understand that people are paying to be here when it's I'm here all the time. So the colorful um studio, all the supplies, they become my normal. So then I'm always thinking, like, how else do I get what else do I need to do to make it better? When I need to remember that we are already have created a space that is not like many other spaces in our area. Um, so that's something I don't know what the word is exactly for that, but it's just really accepting the value that we've created.

Speaker 1 36:02

And that's just been kind of yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Standing firm and holding that boundary, and I have found well, standing har firm and holding that boundary really has so many ripple effects because you know, you're charging $25 per per class or whatever it is, um, per child, then the parent values it a little more, the child values it a little more, they become more intentional about the time there, then that parent who you maybe said, I'm sorry we cannot offer a discount this time. Maybe they say, You know, she didn't, I don't have to either. And so then maybe they are a nail tech and they feel then empowered to hold the boundary for their business and their value. And I think those we go out ripple affecting in that way. And in my work, I see for sure with the women, never with the men, always with the women. When we talk about finances, it starts to get weird and it starts to get like yeah, and they're like, Well, I don't wanna, I don't wanna they start to just get squirrely, and we work on that in session and work on not shying away, and money's neutral, and you have to put a value on your services, and if somebody has to walk away from that value, that's okay, yeah.

Speaker 37:44

And I think the I mentioned earlier that I had a really good supportive partner in this, and he um fills the gap that I sometimes have. So when people message and I'm the one who answers all of our messages, emails, all the types of things, and I formulate a response. And if I'm feeling a little too demanding or a little too uh whatever the feeling I feel because, and I hate to say it because I'm a woman, uh, when I'm saying, like, oh, should I let them have a discount? Should I give them this when I really don't want to, or whatever it may be, I ask him, like, hey, can you listen to my response? And and I'm like cringing and sweaty armpits, saying, like, I'm so sorry, we can't do this right now. And he's like, Yeah, send it. It's good, perfect. And he has no hesitation about it. And so he helps me give that extra little like gusto that I need when I am still learning how to sit in my value, if that's uh a thing.

Speaker 1 38:57

So yeah, oh, absolutely. I'm so glad that you've gotten there, and I'm glad that you have a supportive husband and partner, business partner to be able to really be the backstop for you. I think we all work with people in different ways, and I'm glad that you guys have each other to support each other in those particular ways.

Speaker 39:19

Yes, and also the other thing, too, is like uh the support is not always just a studio thing. Sometimes the support is going to do the pickup and the lunch the dinner so that I have the few free hours to really create or do all the things. It's not the support, doesn't have to be a 100% support in the business. The he takes items off my plate to free me up to um, I guess, really um explore or do whatever I need to get done. And that support, it's not always a 50-50 thing, it's sometimes um 75-25, sometimes what all the things, but filling each other's gaps is really what has made it so successful with us. Sometimes I'm prepping for a craft or and he's sweeping or mopping, or vice versa. He's cutting and I'm sweeping and mopping. It's just really figuring out how we can um complete the everything. Uh and it doesn't have to be, like I said, a 50-50 split.

Speaker 1 40:38

Right. How you can work as a team

Community, Loneliness, And New Connection

Speaker 1 40:40

best. Yes, yes, Vanessa, loneliness is one of the hidden struggles of adulthood, I think, and especially of busy adults. What has it meant to build a space where people gather, create, and connect? What has that been like for you to see and create?

Speaker 40:58

Well, um, number one, with the children that come in, sometimes we have kids that are very robust, and you can tell that they have lots of friends and that they're the ringleader of their groups, and those kids are fun and a handful, and they will let you know what is. But then we also have a handful of kids that come in very shy, very timid, um, maybe who struggle a little bit to make friends at school, and seeing those children come into our space very quiet without friends here, and then uh mingling with other children, and then you know, they're talking among amongst themselves on the table. Um, and then we play lots of game, board games here as well in our free time. Um, we also have a corner where they can go play if they need a little break from creating, and so sometimes seeing those kids who are very to themselves and loners kind of hang out by themselves, and then by the end of it laughing with other children. For me, I would I feel if my child was a shy child or had struggled making friends, and I got to see them having an area or a space where they were free to play, free to laugh, free to create, and very welcomed. Um, those kids have been really the heartwarming kids that come in. Granted, we love all the kids that have come and we really try to learn everyone's name and remember small details about each child. But those kids that you can really tell it's a struggle for them, and then them leaving super happy and like that they have friends has been a very, it feels like this is what we made this for. Also, um, as you mentioned about loneliness, um motherhood is sometimes lonely. Uh, you get kind of in your own world of trying to handle it all, whether it's bath times and bed times and potty training and all the things. And so one thing that I wanted to do for sure in this space was have a ladies' night. And the first one that I had, um, I don't even really remember, but I do remember that one of them, we only had three people. And it was a little awkward, but it was what it was. And I sat here for two hours with women and chatted, and we learned things about each other. And then the next one I had 16. And then the next one I had repeats, and then I had people saying, Whatever the crafter or whatever we're doing, we're gonna come back because they felt some type of community. Um, my last lady's night, it's one of my favorite stories, is that there was an older lady's group, and I think the lady was the oldest, she's she let us know that she was 71. So she was declaring herself the grandmother of the group. And we on the other side of the table, because I have I make one large table so that we're all sitting together. There's no little groups and clusters, it's literally a community table. And on the other side of the table, we had the 19, 20, and 21-year-olds. And they were chatting across the table, the 70-year-old ladies and the 20-year-old girls or ladies, and they made arrangements to meet the next day to bake together. Like, like they didn't know each other at all. They were talking about what they like and you know what they do, and they said, Oh, we do this on this day. And they said, Can I go? And they switched phone numbers, and I don't know if they're like become friends and that they hang out, but they made plans to bake together the very next day. So that is a reminder to me also that people are starting for connections, and you never know who you're going to connect with. Um, you might see somebody at a restaurant and you might not know, but they might be your super good friend. Like it just, you just need that one interaction to find the people that you connect with. And that has been something that we have also been able to create, which has been really, really fun and super rewarding to see.

Speaker 1 45:44

Listener, I have been crying my eyes out. I am silent and just my heart is so full. Oh my God. I am so, so inspired by you and so proud of you.

Speaker 45:58

Thank you.

Speaker 1 45:59

Oh my gosh. Wow. Wow. What a like what a gift you are, and what a gift it is to the community that you followed your dream. Thank

How To Find The Mac

Speaker 1 46:10

you. Wow. Okay, Vanessa. If listeners want to get in touch with you, go see what the Mac's about, where can they find you?

Speaker 46:20

So we are on all socials at the Mac McCallan. Um, and our website is www.themacallan.com. And you can see all of our uh 18 summer camps that we are hosting this summer. Uh yeah. And we have birthday parties, we do small group events. We're trying to um work our calendar and trying we grew quicker, quicker than we thought. So we're still we get a lot of requests. We get requests for sewing classes, we get requests for toddler time, we get requests, and we're still figuring it out. We are taking every email that we receive, every suggestion we receive, we do not forget about you. We put it in our book of ideas to come to fruition and they will happen, but it's taken a little bit of time for us to get settled. So um anything that you are interested in, please send it to us. We will definitely put it in our book. Um, but um, we like I said, we're everything's on our website and on our socials.

Speaker 1 47:34

Beautiful. And listener, I'll I'll add everything to the show notes. I'd love to hear from you this week. You can DM me at Couch Time with Cat on Instagram and Facebook and tell me what dream are you no longer willing to postpone. Tell me about maybe an arts and crafts idea or a little fun thing that you did this week. Maybe it was alone, maybe it was your partner with your partner, maybe it was with your kiddo, and I will share your responses. And if someone came to mind today while listening today, send them this episode, Courage is Contagious. And um, I know you can feel Vanessa's excitement through the speakers because I can too. I think one of the most powerful things about our stories is that we can rewrite them. We don't have to wait for permission or for perfect timing, but we can choose growth. Today's conversation really wasn't about changing careers, it was about something much bigger. It was about listening and listening to the voice inside that knows when it's time for something new, when it's time to go, when it's time for courage and creativity and community. If today's conversation inspired you, here's my challenge take one small step towards something you've been putting off. Not 10 steps, not the whole journey. Vanessa didn't know uh last year what today would look like. But I am literally talking to somebody who is living inside of her dream. I mean, listener, she is living the way it looks, like I can see her beautiful face. It's inside her arts and crafts studio. It's like you're living inside the bubble that you made for yourself, which is wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Listener, I hope you had a tissue while you listened to this episode. Our show airs every Sunday at 10 a.m. on KWH 94.3, and episodes are available Mondays on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio. You can subscribe there. Thank you so much for listening, Vanessa. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.

Speaker 49:53

Thank you for having me. It's such a joy. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 49:56

Listener, every time you listen to one of those episodes, you make my dreams come true. Thank you so much. Take good care of yourselves. I'll see you next time. Thank you for spending this time with me today. If this episode resonated, I'd love to stay connected with you. You can follow along on Instagram and Facebook at Couchtime with Cat and sign up for my newsletter at CouchTimewithCat.com for reflections and resources delivered straight to you. Listen to Couchtime with Cat on KWVH 94.3 and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Your support means so much to me. Thank you. Until next time, take good care of yourselves.