1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Have you ever found yourself craving the insights and wisdom 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: of trailblazing female leaders who are reshaping the world as. 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 2: We know it? I sure do. 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 1: Don Andrews brings you the My Good Woman podcast. Grab 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: a seat at the table and enjoy candid conversations with 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: culture shifting, glass ceiling busting, and visionary women leading enterprises 7 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: that are making a difference. With guests ranging from innovative CEOs, 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: to influential activists to groundbreaking artists, My Good Woman dives 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: into what makes these extraordinary women tick, how they accomplish 10 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: their goals, and delivers actionable strategies for you to apply 11 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: in your own life and career. If you're listening to 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: this show, you're likely to be inspired and motivated by 13 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: the conversations on My Good Woman. So go listen and 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and embrace the power 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: of bold female leadership. 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: I think we're a lot of my need for doing 17 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 3: Chronicon comes from is that this is actually a fixable problem. 18 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 3: The fact that I went through so many decades of 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 3: tremendous physical and emotional suffering because of my health and 20 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 3: exacerbated because I felt so deeply alone. That doesn't have 21 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 3: to be that way. It is actually a solvable problem. 22 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk 23 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: with women who have dared to pivot out of one 24 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: career and into something new and explore how their personal 25 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: lives impacted these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. 26 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: If you don't know Nitika Chopra, it's time. She's a 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: true powerhouse and a source of light for so many. 28 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: Her work as a chronic illness advocate was born out 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: of her own experience seeing a gap in the chronic 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: illness community. So after nearly a decade in the lifestyle 31 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 1: and blogging space, she pivoted to create Chronicon, a conference 32 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: and community that elevates the visibility of more than the 33 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty three million Americans living with chronic illnesses, because, 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: let's be honest, this population deserves a lot more love 35 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: and support. I've known Nitka since about twenty ten, and 36 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: I've continued to be in awe of how much she gives. 37 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: Living with three chronic illnesses is something I'll never truly understand, 38 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: but I can see her work in motion. Her mission 39 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: to quote inspire radical self Love has developed into a 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: community of thousands. Every time I talk to Nitka, I 41 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: feel inspired, I feel motivated, and I just feel her light, 42 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: including in this conversation. 43 00:02:54,960 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: So I hope you enjoy it too. 44 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 3: I'm Nitka Choprah and I'm the founder of Chronicon. So 45 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 3: what did little. 46 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: Nitka think that she was going to be when she 47 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: grew up? 48 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 3: I really really really wanted to be a singer, especially 49 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: like a musical theater singer. Little Nitteka was just like 50 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 3: belting out at the top of her lungs as often 51 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: as she possibly could. Yeah, I took a voice lessons 52 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 3: for like fifteen years and really really went for it. 53 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 3: But yeah, I always wanted to be a singer. 54 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: How did that shape your experience growing up thinking you 55 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: were going to be a singer? 56 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, Well that's a really beautiful question. I 57 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 3: think because I loved like the act of singing so much, 58 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 3: I would just be sort of loud about it and 59 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 3: like you know what I mean, Like I wouldn't really 60 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 3: think about, oh, what is someone going to think of me? 61 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 3: Or like is this okay? Or whatever. I would just 62 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 3: want to sing, So I would just do that all 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 3: the time. And then I think over time, I got 64 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 3: some feedback. I got some feedback, especially as like a 65 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: brown girl, you know, living in a home that was 66 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 3: filled with lots of love, but definitely also a lot 67 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 3: of rules. It was not so encouraged or people were 68 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 3: so enthusiastic about my wanting to have the I guess, 69 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 3: the center of attention in those ways, you know. And 70 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 3: so yeah, I didn't really think of it that way. 71 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 3: I just loved singing, but there was this part of 72 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 3: it where I would, yeah, go out and just kind 73 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 3: of be myself. And then I found that, you know, 74 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 3: life can kind of teach you to go in your 75 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 3: shell a little bit. I think over time, and I 76 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 3: think that's kind of what happened with me after a while. 77 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: In fact, Nittika had to learn from a young age 78 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: how to come out of her shell. She was just 79 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: ten when she was first diagnosed with psoriasis. 80 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 3: I remember the very moment I was wearing these like 81 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 3: jean shorts. I was living in Ohio, and I was 82 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 3: wearing this like blue and white, like checkered sleeveless shirt, 83 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 3: and my mom and I were like in the bathroom 84 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 3: and I was looking in the mirror and I saw 85 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 3: this little spot on my left arm and I was like, Mom, 86 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 3: what is that? And she had had eggzema before, and 87 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 3: my dad had two, and it had always been pretty mild, 88 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 3: like they put a little cream on it and it 89 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 3: went away, and I think they both grew out of 90 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 3: it eventually. So we kind of thought that that's what 91 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: it would be and it wouldn't be a big deal, 92 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 3: but gout to going to the doctor them thinking it 93 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 3: might be something different, and then I ended up getting 94 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 3: a biopsy to confirm it, and we found out that 95 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 3: it was a skin condition called psoriasis, and soriasis is 96 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 3: an autoimmune disease. And within probably about a year, I 97 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: went from having like a dime sized spot on my 98 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 3: left arm to basically being covered from the tip of 99 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 3: my foot to the tip of my head. It was awful, 100 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 3: to be honest with you. I think it's important to 101 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 3: be honest about it because my story is not unique. Actually, 102 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: it just doesn't get told very often. So what soriasis 103 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 3: specifically is like, it's basically like having chicken pox all 104 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 3: the time. And what my form, because there's a few 105 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 3: different types of psoriasis, but what my form of psoriasis 106 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 3: is like is I basically got like thick scales of 107 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 3: skin on top of my regular skin, and they itch constantly, 108 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 3: and then if I did itch them, they would bleed 109 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 3: and they would flake like how dandriff flakes. But that 110 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 3: was happening from the tip of my foot to the 111 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 3: tip of my head. So I lived like that for 112 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 3: the better part of seventeen years of my life. I 113 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 3: ended up getting seriatic arthritis when I was nineteen as well, 114 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 3: and yeah, I mean it was Yeah, we could have 115 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: a whole episode of how painful it was. And I 116 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 3: think that's why when we started talking, I was like, 117 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 3: I feel so emotional because these conversations are so important 118 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: to me because I know I'm not the only one, 119 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 3: and there are hundreds of millions of people out there 120 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 3: who are living with a chronic illness, who are living 121 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 3: with multiple chronic illnesses, and there's so many people out 122 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: there who don't even know that what they are experiencing 123 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 3: is a chronic illness, which is something that I've just 124 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 3: I never even thought about until I started my company 125 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 3: because I had gotten my first condition so young. But 126 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 3: it's something that I hear a lot where, you know, 127 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 3: especially women will come to me and be like, oh, 128 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 3: I have PCOS. Is that a chronic illness? And I'm like, yes, 129 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 3: it is. The National Health Council says that anything with 130 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 3: persistent symptoms for three months or longer is considered a 131 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 3: chronic illness. And so that is that is so many things, 132 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 3: so many people, And it's not about over identifying. That's 133 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 3: not necessarily what I believe. But I think that there 134 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 3: is an opportunity for celebration around the amount of strength 135 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 3: and the amount of resourcefulness and the amount of emotional 136 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 3: empathy and all of these things that you really have 137 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 3: to develop when you are dealing with a chronic condition 138 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 3: that I think needs to be talked about more. 139 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: How do you think that played into the wanting to 140 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: be a singer? Did you want people to see you 141 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: on stage just for your voice? Do you think that 142 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: was part of it? 143 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 3: Now, you know the thing is with wanting to be 144 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: a singer, And I love that we're like talking about 145 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 3: this because I never talk about that. I think the 146 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 3: thing with that, you know, I'm very spiritual, and so 147 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 3: I always felt like I was holding God's hand when 148 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 3: I was singing, and it wasn't because I sound like 149 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 3: an angel, Like that's not. It wasn't because it was 150 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 3: like the most perfect performance or anything. It wasn't actually 151 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 3: about that. It was about the fact that I felt 152 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 3: like I didn't have to think about any of the 153 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 3: other things that were going on in my life. I 154 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 3: could just be a musician in that moment and I 155 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 3: could just connect to this, Like really, I felt really 156 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 3: divine part of me that was so much greater than me. 157 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 3: So yeah, so I think that it was like always 158 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 3: my respite. You know. It just felt like I could 159 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 3: just tuck away and I mean I was belting show tunes, 160 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 3: but still like, you know, my version of tucking away 161 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 3: and feeling like, yeah, it was just like me and 162 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 3: my voice. 163 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 4: The world didn't give it to me, this joy. The 164 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:30,959 Speaker 4: world didn't give it to me. Don't know that this joy. 165 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 4: The world didn't give it to me. Oh, the world 166 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 4: didn't give it. 167 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 3: The world can't take it over this. 168 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: Although it wasn't exactly what she envisioned, Nitiga still sings 169 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: to this day with the Resistance Revival Chorus. The group 170 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: has performed at the Grammys, Saturday Night Live, and the 171 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: forty six presidential inauguration, and has an album called This 172 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: Joy Her Dreams becoming a singer in some ways have 173 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: come true, but after high school it was clear that 174 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: her parents expected her to find a different career path. 175 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: The daughter of immigrants, Nitika recognized the expectations her parents 176 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: had for her. 177 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 3: So, you're supposed to be a doctor or a lawyer. 178 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 3: And I know so many people say that, and you know, 179 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 3: it's like such a cliche, but it's not even so 180 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 3: much that my parents were like, you have to be 181 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,599 Speaker 3: a doctor or a lawyer, but an artist was definitely 182 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: not on the table. And there's something about being an 183 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 3: artist that felt almost like sacrilegious or something. It was 184 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 3: like so wrong. And then to be an artist on 185 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 3: a stage where people are looking at you almost felt 186 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 3: like you were flaunting your body in some sort of 187 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: really extreme way, which of course was not like anything 188 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 3: about I wanted to sing like Disney princess songs, you 189 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 3: know what I mean. But yeah, that was a part 190 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 3: of it. And so those shoulds were really about how 191 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 3: it looks to others, like making sure that you look 192 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 3: at way in society, and then obviously like a lot 193 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 3: of intensity around making sure you have a certain amount 194 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 3: of money and income coming in, and especially like being 195 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 3: first generation you know, my parents immigrated from India, Like 196 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 3: that is so understandable that they would have those concerns 197 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 3: and have that be an important part of what they 198 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 3: wanted me to focus on. 199 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: You married so young. What prompted you to marry so young? 200 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: I was genuinely, like madly in love. And you know, 201 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: he was a. 202 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 3: Little bit older than me, and so it wasn't like 203 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 3: I was getting married and we would have like an 204 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 3: unstable life or anything like that. You know, he was 205 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: pretty well established and we had like the best relationship 206 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 3: at first. You know, obviously it didn't last to be 207 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 3: that way, but at first, that's what it was. And yeah, 208 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 3: and I just was genuinely so in love, and I 209 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 3: was like, this is my person. There was just something 210 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 3: I really really knew he was meant to be my husband. 211 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 3: And something I talk about a lot is I think 212 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 3: that one of the hard parts of going through a divorce. 213 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 3: We got divorced about four years later, is that people, 214 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 3: I think often can feel really betrayed by their intuition 215 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 3: and by their gut when they have feelings like that, Right, 216 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 3: I knew with every fiber of my being he was 217 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 3: meant to be my husband. So for us to not 218 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 3: be married anymore was really devastating, obviously for so many 219 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 3: obvious reasons, but then also that part that was like 220 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 3: how could I be so wrong? Like that doesn't make 221 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 3: any spiritual sense to me, And it took me a 222 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 3: very long time to understand I was not wrong. He 223 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 3: was meant to be my husband. The things I learned 224 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 3: in our relationship and through that experience, both positive, negative, good, hard, 225 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 3: all of that were exactly what I was meant to do. 226 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 2: Wow. 227 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 3: But it took me a very very long time. And 228 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 3: I think, especially when we're talking about pivoting, like it 229 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 3: can really feel like you're intuition betrayed you or something. 230 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 3: That was probably the hardest part of the divorce was 231 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 3: like really relearning that when I have that gut feeling, 232 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 3: even if it doesn't lead me where I think it's 233 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 3: going to lead me, it doesn't mean that I was wrong. Wow. 234 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: I've really never thought about it that way, And I 235 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: think that makes so much sense that because you do 236 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: question yourself. I think we hear people talk about it 237 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: all the time when they're going through the down part 238 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: and they're going through the pivot, and in this in 239 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: your case, this wasn't even really your pivoting moment. 240 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 2: It was just part of the journey. 241 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. And the thing I want to point to what 242 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 3: you just said too, is I think a lot of 243 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 3: people talk about it as it relates to like toxic 244 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 3: positivity a lot, you know, which is like everything happens 245 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 3: for a reason, and you know, like whatever all the 246 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 3: other things that people say that make you want to 247 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 3: like throw something at them, and I just that's not 248 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 3: what I mean, right, And so I want to be 249 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 3: really clear, like there was tremendous pain and suffering and 250 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 3: heartbreak and disappointment in what I went through. And that's 251 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 3: happened many times in my life, you know, especially through 252 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 3: my health and so many things that I've been through. 253 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 3: But with my marriage, I think, for one, it really 254 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 3: did teach me a lot about my value. To be honest, 255 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 3: my ex husband was a wonderful is a wonderful man, 256 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 3: and he really saw me in a way that was 257 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 3: incredibly healing for me. I was very different than everyone 258 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 3: in my family growing up, and so that was really hard, 259 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 3: even though there was a lot of love in my 260 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 3: household and my ex husband when we started dating, he 261 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 3: was sort of the first person that saw like the 262 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 3: woman that you see today. He saw her when I 263 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: was like nineteen, and I had no idea that she existed. 264 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 3: I didn't know where to look for her. I didn't 265 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 3: have any clue about her. And so like seeing yourself 266 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 3: through someone's eyes in that way is such a kind, loving, 267 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 3: bet beautiful thing. It's it's incredibly healing, and I know 268 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,239 Speaker 3: that him being in my life in that moment allowed 269 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 3: me to sort of keep moving forward. It also happened 270 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 3: to be one of the most devastating times in my 271 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 3: life for my health. It was when I was the 272 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 3: sickest I had ever been while we were married, and 273 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 3: so there was a big part of me that could 274 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 3: have just sort of, I guess like left it there, 275 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 3: just been like I'm sick, that's it. And he never 276 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 3: saw me that way. He never ever did. And so 277 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 3: to have that teacher in your life who loves you 278 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 3: so purely and in like your truest essence and for 279 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 3: the best parts of you, and of course also loves 280 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 3: you through the hardest moments as well, that is so 281 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 3: healing and so beautiful. And so I think now you know, 282 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 3: in looking for another partner, I really know, like when 283 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 3: I fall in love again, it will have to be 284 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 3: someone who who honors me at that level, and we'll 285 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 3: also have like a much healthier relationship and a lot 286 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 3: of other ways. You know. It obviously didn't work for reasons, 287 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 3: but that piece is so pure and so beautiful, and 288 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 3: it did teach me a lot about my value, which 289 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 3: I hadn't learned as a kid. 290 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: Having just graduated college and newly divorced, Nitka saw an 291 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: opportunity to dive into her calling. 292 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 3: Once I got divorced and you know, found a treatment 293 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 3: that worked in all these different things, I kind of 294 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 3: felt like I wanted to take my experience with my 295 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 3: health and figure out a way how to help people. 296 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 3: That was always my thing, So I decided to start 297 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 3: my own online magazine. I basically built my online magazine 298 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 3: to be like someone one day we'll see all the 299 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 3: elements of the website and like, want to make it 300 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 3: a show, And that's essentially what happened. I ended up 301 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 3: meeting the founder of the skincare company Fresh Love, Glasman, 302 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 3: and we became good friends. And yeah, we were literally 303 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 3: like out one night and he was talking about going 304 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 3: to QBC and just like his hectic schedule, and I 305 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 3: was like, you should just hire me to do it, 306 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 3: and he was like, well, that's a great idea. It 307 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 3: was really a beautiful marriage of talking about my skin 308 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 3: journey and also like how skincare can be a really 309 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,479 Speaker 3: beautiful access point to self love. And I had always 310 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 3: felt really left out of the skincare conversation because it 311 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 3: was always just like a means to an end for me. 312 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 3: It wasn't like a very nurturing experience while I was 313 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 3: dealing with my skin. So yeah, I just felt like 314 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 3: a really natural progression. 315 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 2: I guess what we were. 316 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 3: Talking before about. 317 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: Right when twenty five thirty hit, we. 318 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 3: Were like, where is dating that they can feel truly loved? Today? 319 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 3: Love is in the air because this is our wedding show. 320 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 3: From Flaala's hair and makeup tips to the perfect gown 321 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 3: and di y decor that won't break the bank, We've 322 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 3: got everything you need for the most beautiful wedding day, 323 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 3: naturally beautiful. It all starts right now. I was on 324 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 3: a South Asian television network called Sea Living. For those 325 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 3: out there who are listening, were brown. It's like z 326 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 3: TV is always on the background, in the background, It's 327 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 3: just always on, Like in my grandparents' place, my parents' place. 328 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 3: It was a show called Naturally Beautiful, and yeah it 329 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: was great. The day that I auditioned for the show, 330 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 3: I was going to a really bad flare, so my 331 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 3: psoriasis was all over And this is a show called 332 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 3: naturally Beautiful, okay, And I'm coming in there with like 333 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 3: flaky as flaky skin, red spots everywhere, and I'm just like, Hi, guys, yeah, 334 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,239 Speaker 3: don't worry about it. It's gonna be fine, like just 335 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 3: trying to not even trying, just really committed to like 336 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 3: I was born for the show and you're going to 337 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 3: hire me like that kind of energy. I ended up 338 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 3: getting the job because I was right for the job, 339 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 3: even though I had all this stuff happening with my skin, 340 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 3: and I ended up trying a new treatment that helped 341 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 3: me so that I could get clearer skin by the 342 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 3: time we started filming. But it was actually I'm super 343 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 3: proud of the fact that, like, even though I had 344 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 3: all that going on with my health, that they still 345 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 3: saw that I was the right person for it, you know. 346 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 3: And I think it's just like good to remember that, 347 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:10,959 Speaker 3: like when you're meant for something, it'll happen. 348 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: You were like an influencer before there were influencers. 349 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 2: I guess, So how did you navigate this space? 350 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 3: I mean, I kind of cringe at the word influencer 351 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 3: because I just feel like it's it has a lot 352 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 3: of you know, negative connotations now. But I would say 353 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 3: when I first was starting, you know, my company and 354 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 3: doing the KBC thing, and I would do a lot 355 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 3: of events that was like always something that I did. 356 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 3: I guess that was like my version of influencing because 357 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 3: I would have a bunch of brands that would come 358 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 3: on board. I would have a bunch of speakers who 359 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 3: like are amazing people that I thought were awesome and 360 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 3: I thought people needed to know. And I would do 361 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 3: these events, you know in New York City, and oh 362 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 3: my god, I would hustle, Okay, I would try to 363 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 3: get as much stuff as I could for free. I 364 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 3: would like barter partner, like doing so so many things 365 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 3: brick by brick. This was never ever anything that's been 366 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,919 Speaker 3: like funded in some fancy way or like any of that. 367 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 3: And yeah, I guess that was my version of influencing 368 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 3: where I felt like, you know, you should come to 369 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 3: this thing that I'm doing because I'm going to introduce 370 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 3: you to all these really amazing people and brands, and 371 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 3: that was like really pure. It wasn't about like some hierarchy. 372 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 3: It was really about this is like from my heart 373 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 3: and this is what I love. And if you like 374 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 3: want to get connected to that, great, If you want 375 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 3: to just come and like enjoy yourself, that's great too, 376 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 3: you know. But now it's become this like competition. How 377 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 3: many whatevers can you get? And you're not good enough 378 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 3: if you don't get a certain amount and all these 379 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 3: things that I'm sure people are aware of, and it 380 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 3: just doesn't feel pure to me. 381 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: For nearly ten years, Nittiga had been expanding her network 382 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: and working in the lifestyle and blog space, but still 383 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: it was a constant, uphill battle. When you started to 384 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 1: think about pivoting and launching Chronicon, it was a combination 385 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: of passion and need. 386 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 3: Okay, so professionally I was not in a great place. 387 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 3: I mean, we talked about, you know, oh god, I 388 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 3: have this talk show. I was like, GBC, everything's going great. Yeah, Well, 389 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 3: let me just tell you twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen, 390 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 3: and even like the beginning of twenty eighteen was just 391 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 3: not not It was just really hard. I think what 392 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 3: had happened Now looking back, I can see this, but 393 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 3: I didn't know this at the time. It was just 394 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 3: like very dark. I had spent the first part of 395 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 3: my career doing these conversations around beauty and lifestyle, and 396 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 3: I really genuinely loved the conversations I was having, but 397 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 3: I wasn't talking to the person that I was born 398 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 3: to talk to, right And I didn't even know that 399 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 3: I could talk to that person. There were so many 400 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 3: things I didn't understand, and so I feel like the universe, God, 401 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 3: whatever or things were just perfectly timed where stuff just 402 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 3: really didn't work for those two plus years. And what 403 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 3: I mean by that was I was doing like those 404 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 3: events or those like partnerships or media things or whatever 405 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 3: like that, We're coming very easily in some ways. Initially, 406 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 3: they just stopped in a major, major way. And whenever 407 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 3: I would go to a brand or a company that 408 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,719 Speaker 3: I had a great relationship with and I would say, Hey, like, 409 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 3: I'm finding this is happening a lot. Do you have 410 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 3: any advice for me? Is there something that I'm missing? 411 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 3: I love getting that kind of feedback, especially when you 412 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 3: know it's like someone who really wants you to win, 413 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,239 Speaker 3: and you know what I mean, Like, that's such a 414 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,199 Speaker 3: really wonderful gift you can give someone to let them know, 415 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 3: like this is what I see that you might not 416 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 3: be noticing. But everyone came back to me and was 417 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 3: just like, the market is just what it is, or 418 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 3: the political scene is so intense right now. People feel 419 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 3: like there's so much unrest and so much uncertainty. We're 420 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 3: cutting back on marketing budgets like things like that were 421 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 3: coming up, and I'm sure a lot of people are 422 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 3: probably hearing that right now because there's like another cycle 423 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,719 Speaker 3: of that right So it just kind of stopped, and 424 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 3: it made me have to really reevaluate. It made me 425 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 3: have to really ask, is this what you want to 426 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 3: keep doing? And I think the best thing that I 427 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 3: did was the year before I started chronic con, I 428 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 3: did this exercise where, because I felt so lost, every 429 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 3: time I would meet someone or do a talk or 430 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 3: an interview, I would say that I did something different 431 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 3: each time. And what I mean by that is I 432 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 3: wouldn't lie, but I would I would sort of try 433 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 3: on different parts of the things that I did. So 434 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 3: like with you, i might say I'm a talk show 435 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 3: host and then I'd go to an event and I'd say, oh, 436 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 3: I'm a chronic illness advocate, and then with someone else 437 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 3: I'd say, oh, I'm a blogger or whatever. Right, So 438 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 3: it's all true, but it was just different aspects of 439 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 3: what I was doing. And every time I said that 440 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 3: I was a chronic illness advocate, I had the most meaningful, important, 441 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:54,719 Speaker 3: and just the most moving connections with people. And I 442 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 3: had never experienced that in my entire career. It was 443 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 3: something that was so so new, and it was like 444 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 3: the thing I was looking for. It was why I 445 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 3: wanted to do this in the first place. I never 446 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 3: wanted to have a talk show because I just wanted 447 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 3: to look cute and outfits all the time. I mean, 448 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 3: that's fun, but I really wanted to like talk to 449 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 3: the person on the other side of the screen and 450 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,639 Speaker 3: see if I could help them, right, So that's what 451 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 3: I was having in my career was totally on the toilet. 452 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: So during this time, during this time, as you were 453 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: figuring it out, how were you floating it financially? 454 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,479 Speaker 3: Oh gosh, that was also a hot mess. Express let 455 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 3: me tell you. I mean I was basically I started 456 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 3: doing some consulting, so I do some marketing consulting. I 457 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 3: ended up consulting for a real estate app that was 458 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 3: coming out. But a lot of the time I was really, really, 459 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 3: really struggling financially. And yeah, I didn't have some like 460 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 3: fancy investor being like, we will give you three bajillion 461 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 3: dollars to build the next we work or something for instance. 462 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 3: I didn't have that. And then I would do I 463 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 3: called them self love celebrations, those events I was mentioning. 464 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,919 Speaker 3: I would do those. Sometimes I could only do a 465 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 3: couple of year to have them make sense, but that 466 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 3: would also help with some like financial you know, support 467 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 3: and stuff like that. I would make some good money 468 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 3: doing those. But yeah, I really felt like, you know, 469 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 3: I was hanging on. It's just hanging on. 470 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 2: Where were you when you'd made the decision to start chronicon? 471 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 3: Oh one of my favorite stories because it's the love 472 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 3: of my life. But yeah, I was actually walking around 473 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 3: Curvy Con and that was a conference that was for 474 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 3: you know, mostly curvy women, and it was here in 475 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 3: New York City, and I was walking around the event 476 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 3: and I had this experience where I was like, oh 477 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 3: my gosh, these brands and these people who are here, 478 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 3: they are here to celebrate the curvy woman. 479 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: Not there. 480 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 3: There were no brands in sight that were like, here's 481 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 3: how you not be curvy, or here's how you look smaller. 482 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,719 Speaker 3: It was like, come over here with your waist and 483 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 3: thighs exactly how they are, and let me put something 484 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 3: on you that is going to make you glow like 485 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 3: the queen that you are. Right, And I was walking 486 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 3: around and I was just like, oh my gosh, if I, 487 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 3: as a psoriasis covered kid, had gone to an event 488 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 3: that had said come over here with your flaky skin, 489 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 3: I'm going to put the best makeup on you and 490 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:21,679 Speaker 3: you were going to glow like the queen you are, 491 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 3: or I'm going to give you a peedicure. Even though 492 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 3: it's like getting a petticure was always really as something 493 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 3: I was really self conscious of as a kid because 494 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 3: of my skin. These small things that people don't think 495 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 3: about necessarily unless you've had to experience something like that. 496 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 3: And I was like, if I had had a place 497 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 3: to go where they celebrated me, oh my god, I 498 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 3: would have changed my whole life. It would have changed 499 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 3: everything about the way that I felt about myself, the 500 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 3: way I interacted with people. So many different things, and 501 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 3: I started walking around the event and I was like, oh, 502 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 3: what would that be called. I literally was just like 503 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 3: having this spiritual experience while I was walking around the event, 504 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,439 Speaker 3: and I thought I kept saying different names, and then 505 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 3: I was like, chronic con. I have to be honest. 506 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 3: I was terrified. For like the first six months that 507 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 3: I thought of the idea, I barely told anyone. I 508 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 3: told like one person who worked at a company that 509 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 3: ended up being like my main partner for the event 510 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,919 Speaker 3: that year. The first year, I told one person, and 511 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 3: like some close friends I started to kind of talk 512 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 3: about it with. But I was really afraid because it 513 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 3: kind of like why I was so emotional when I 514 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 3: got here, Like it felt like such a big responsibility, 515 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:28,479 Speaker 3: and not that I need to take it all on 516 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 3: myself or anything like that, or even that I would 517 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 3: be so arrogant to think that I am, but even 518 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 3: just to try, you know, and to try to unite 519 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 3: this population who's so often just like completely forgotten. And 520 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 3: learning that there are one hundred and thirty three million 521 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 3: Americans living with a chronic illness that we know of, 522 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 3: I was like, what, I'm sorry, how is this population 523 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 3: so huge? And how come every time I talk to 524 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 3: someone else who's chronically ill, we all feel like we 525 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 3: are the only people. So there was just all of 526 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 3: this emotion coming up for me around it, and I 527 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 3: was like, I don't know, I bootstrapping everything. I am 528 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 3: like doing this one crusty brick at a time. 529 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: Did you get investors for Chronicon or was it profitable? 530 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 3: So we did not. I did a small friends and 531 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 3: family round after the first year. We basically like kind 532 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 3: of broke even the first year, which like I wasn't 533 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 3: happy with, to be honest with you, And then we 534 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 3: did a small friends and family round and then the 535 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 3: pandemic happened. 536 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 1: Had you found community before this before Chronicon. 537 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 3: Well, I had tried. And this is part of why 538 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 3: I do things the way I do with Chronicicon, because 539 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 3: there are lots of support groups out there for those 540 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 3: who are living with chronic conditions, and I'm sure that 541 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 3: there are some that are wonderful, but the ones that 542 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 3: I had tried, specifically for my conditions, they were kind 543 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 3: of awful. And I've heard that from a lot of people. 544 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 3: You know, it tends to be a place where, first 545 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 3: of all, the chronic ellmless club is not a club 546 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:58,719 Speaker 3: that any of us want to be a part of. 547 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 3: So it's like, okay, we're all here, Okay, now what 548 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 3: And you know, it kind of was this experience of 549 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 3: like going to Facebook group or whatever and just having 550 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 3: a lot of trauma, dumping a lot of anxiety. People 551 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 3: would just talk about like their worst experiences or their 552 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 3: biggest fears, and I get it, like I have those 553 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 3: fears too, right, So it's not that that's wrong, It's 554 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 3: just that I'm already sick. I don't really need you 555 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 3: to remind me of that, right. And so there's this 556 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,959 Speaker 3: nuance and this kind of fine line that I've been 557 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 3: working on, even with what I'm building with chronicon of 558 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 3: like how do we talk to this population very specifically 559 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 3: because they are the ones that we want to shine 560 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 3: a light on without over identifying and over focusing on 561 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 3: our conditions and our illnesses all the time. It's like, 562 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 3: it's a very very fine line, and it's something I'm 563 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 3: working on honestly every day, and I think we do 564 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: a pretty good job of it. But yeah, and other communities, 565 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 3: I really hadn't ever found another community that I could 566 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 3: go to that I felt like resonated with my health. 567 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: In the midst of building chronicon and struggling financially, Nittika 568 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: still found ways to give to others. It was twenty 569 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: eighteen and I was at the beginning of my pivot, 570 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: the realization that my former self and career couldn't be 571 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: what I wanted it to be. And even though she 572 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: was in one of the hardest times of her life, 573 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: she did what she was called to do and she 574 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: reached out and offered support. So we're part of this 575 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: same group that we've been a part of for more 576 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: than ten years now, which is wild to people in 577 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: a variety of industries across the board. And I was 578 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: going through at that time the hardest thing I'd ever 579 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: been through, and I just felt so alone, and I 580 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: felt like nobody who knew me really knew me, nobody 581 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: could help, nobody could support me. 582 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 2: Basically, in that moment, I'm going to cry. 583 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: No, I'm going to cry because you send a note 584 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: out to the group and you said, for anybody who 585 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: needs love and support right now, I'm here for you. 586 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 1: And I'd never texted you before, I'd never called you before, 587 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: and I texted you and I said Nittka, I don't 588 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: really know you that well, but we're in this group. 589 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 2: I need love and support now. 590 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: And you wrote back to me and you said, I 591 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: know that you're a good person, and I know that 592 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: you have light and we'll make it through. 593 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 2: And that meant so much to me. I remember the moment, 594 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 2: like I remember feeling. 595 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: Like I barely knew you, but you were the only 596 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: person who saw that there was good and light in me. 597 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 1: So for me to hear you say that that was 598 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: a dark time for you is shocking to me, and 599 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: it makes me admire you so much. That it was 600 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: a hard time for you and that your response was 601 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: to go out to this group of people, some who 602 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: you knew, some who didn't know that well, and just 603 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: say I'm here to be your light. 604 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: And that just meant so much to me. 605 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 3: Made me crying, and like again, because I've already cried once. 606 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, Emily. You know that's a practice, though, 607 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 3: when we are going through that darkness, it is a 608 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 3: practice to focus on others. We all have that light 609 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 3: within us. And let me tell you, there are times 610 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 3: when you're going through the darkness that you need to 611 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 3: just triage and take care of yourself. So I'm not 612 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,040 Speaker 3: saying that, right, But there is also this moment I 613 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 3: find for myself where I could really wallow and it's fair, 614 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 3: it's honestly, it's justified a lot of the time, and 615 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 3: people probably would look at me wallowing and be like, yeah, 616 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 3: well that was a crabhand. So like, I totally get 617 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 3: it right, but I don't feel good when I do it, 618 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 3: you know, and my health suffers as a result. My 619 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 3: mental health really suffers as a result. So I've made 620 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 3: it a practice to focus on others. I mean, mother 621 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 3: Teresa talks about that, you know. I mean, she has 622 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 3: like a famous quote. I'm forgetting it in this moment, 623 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,719 Speaker 3: but like when you feel helpless, help someone, that's what 624 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 3: it is. And so I make that a practice because 625 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:59,239 Speaker 3: I honestly I see God and people the most I 626 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 3: see and that's light, right, like whatever you want to 627 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 3: call it. It's not a religious thing. 628 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 2: For me. 629 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 3: I had felt really, really really clear, very young, when 630 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 3: I was probably about fifteen, that I had gotten like 631 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 3: a very very clear message that like this everything that 632 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 3: was happening to me was not happening because I was 633 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 3: meant to suffer and I didn't understand that message. At 634 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 3: the time, I knew it was true, but it's not 635 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 3: like I knew what that would look like in life. 636 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 3: But it was an anchor for me. Every time I 637 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 3: wanted to give up, I would remember hearing that message 638 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 3: and being like, Okay, I'm not going to give up. 639 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 3: This is going to be worth it for some reason 640 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 3: to be able to help people Sunday. But I've had 641 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 3: to focus on the light and something greater than my 642 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 3: own suffering in order to get out of my suffering. 643 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 4: So it's a. 644 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 3: Privilege to do that in that moment. Yeah, and thank 645 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 3: you for sharing that with me. 646 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 2: Do you think that's part of what grove you into Chronicon? 647 00:33:58,080 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: Like, was it in that moment that you were like, 648 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: I just need to find the people to help. 649 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think in that moment. I think where a 650 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 3: lot of my need for doing Chronicon comes from is 651 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 3: that this is actually a fixable problem. The fact that 652 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 3: I went through so many decades of tremendous physical and 653 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 3: emotional suffering because of my health and exacerbated because I 654 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 3: felt so deeply alone. That doesn't have to be that way. 655 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 3: It is actually a solvable problem. So I think that's 656 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 3: a lot of where my drive comes from, of like 657 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 3: if I can help even one person, or hopefully lots 658 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 3: of people, to know that they are not alone in 659 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 3: their struggles, that those moments when they're like having an 660 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 3: endometriosis flare and they are in severe pain and they 661 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 3: feel like they can't even get one email out that 662 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 3: they have to do for work, or they're going to 663 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 3: a doctor and they're getting another MRI or another biopsy 664 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 3: and they are like, why am I the only one? 665 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 3: Even what you were saying, even though it wasn't a 666 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,600 Speaker 3: physical challenge, Like that feeling of no one really gets 667 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 3: what I'm going through, like that compounds so much. It's 668 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 3: already hard to go to the doctor and get a 669 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 3: biopsy or get an MRI, or get a blood test 670 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 3: or whatever right, or have to have a hysterectomy because 671 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 3: you have edinemiosis or whatever it might be. That's already 672 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,359 Speaker 3: really brutal. I'm not going to say that I can 673 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 3: take any of that away, because I can't. I'm not 674 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 3: a doctor. But this issue where we then also have 675 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 3: to do it in silence alone in our homes, even 676 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 3: sometimes with our partner right next to us, who doesn't 677 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 3: have the same condition who tries to be there for 678 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:47,399 Speaker 3: us but just couldn't possibly get what we're going through 679 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,760 Speaker 3: because they just don't know that is a fixable problem. 680 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 3: That does not have to be the case. And I 681 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 3: do think that if we start to really shine a 682 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 3: light again on celebrating how much we are able to 683 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 3: do and how much we are just freaking warriors in 684 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 3: the things that we do every single day. If people 685 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 3: only knew the stuff that chronically old folks have to 686 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,800 Speaker 3: do on a second to second basis, it is just wild. 687 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 3: I think the more that we can celebrate that and 688 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,359 Speaker 3: shine a light on it, I really do think that 689 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,799 Speaker 3: inherently that is healing, and maybe not in the end 690 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 3: result way that people typically talk about healing, like I'm 691 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 3: going to fix your soriasis or something, but in a deeper, cellular, 692 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:34,319 Speaker 3: spiritual emotional way that I think is really importantra I'm 693 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 3: the founder of Chronicicon, and what I hope that we 694 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 3: do with chronic con is help people feel less alone. 695 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 3: And today is for you. It's just it's a dream 696 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 3: come true to be here with. 697 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 2: All of you. Actually very honored to be here. 698 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: In Nitaka has done a wonderful job at bringing this 699 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: together and also we're actually. 700 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 2: Thrilled to be here. 701 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 5: Guys, we just need to take a second and talk 702 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 5: about the fact that my friend Nitica has spent a 703 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 5: year at least putting this amazing event together and I 704 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 5: have not stopped hearing about it for three hundred and. 705 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 2: Sixty five days. 706 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:14,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, but I'm so proud of you. It's the most 707 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 5: amazing thing. 708 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 1: Through Chronicon, Nittka has created a space that allows people 709 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: to do what's best for them. She uses Chronicon's core 710 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 1: values to advance this message integrity, inclusion, and inspiration. 711 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 3: So what we do and what I'm really passionate about 712 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 3: is really that specific thing, right, And I see this 713 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 3: in people who are members of our community and who 714 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 3: I interact with every day. They now know, through content 715 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 3: and conversations and events and all these things, that they 716 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 3: get to go out and have dates. They get to 717 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 3: go out and you know, quit their job that has 718 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 3: toxic hours and actually follow their dreams so that they 719 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 3: can have the hours that suit their needs. They get 720 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 3: to go out and maybe start a workout routine that 721 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,360 Speaker 3: makes them feel empowered. Isn't about something oppressive, but actually 722 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,200 Speaker 3: it's something that they can do while they're still living 723 00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:07,440 Speaker 3: with MS. You know, whatever it is, it's not about 724 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 3: we're going to fix it all. It's about empowering the 725 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 3: person to know they have dignity and they are worth 726 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 3: so much, even though there's so many systems, countless systems 727 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 3: trying to tell them that they're not. And the thing 728 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 3: that I've noticed in my work is that it's a 729 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 3: lot of what happens because of the cycle that I 730 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:31,400 Speaker 3: just explained, right of real deep loneliness and separation and isolation, 731 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:36,399 Speaker 3: we start to really believe that we aren't allowed the 732 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 3: things that we really want because we are sort of 733 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,800 Speaker 3: taken out of the equation in a lot of ways. 734 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 3: And that has been probably the most transformative thing for 735 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 3: me to know that even when I was mostly bedridden, 736 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 3: I could barely walk for the first half of my 737 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 3: twenties because of my seriatic arthritis, and I was told 738 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 3: that I would be completely immobile by the time I 739 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 3: was thirty if I hadn't started a medication that I needed, 740 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 3: And basically I had to fight for my right to 741 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 3: dream during that time, right because it would have been 742 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 3: so easy for me to lay in bed in pain 743 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 3: and assume that I didn't have any other value, but 744 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,840 Speaker 3: the pain that I was feeling in that moment, it 745 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 3: would have been totally understandable. 746 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: As a mom myself, I sometimes feel siloed into this 747 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: label of having kids, But at the same time, I 748 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,360 Speaker 1: love being a mom. Just like I couldn't imagine my 749 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 1: life with kids now, I can't imagine it without them. 750 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 1: So when I was talking to Nittika, I wanted to 751 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: understand her perspective as one of the growing number of 752 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: women who have made the decision not to have kids. 753 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,719 Speaker 3: I actually love talking about not having children. I think 754 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 3: it's really important and I think, you know, especially as 755 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 3: a woman of color, as a Brown woman, we are 756 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:53,759 Speaker 3: definitely told, you know, the shoulds from a very, very 757 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 3: very young age, and I think that there aren't a 758 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 3: lot of women, especially South Asian women, that I've seen 759 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,400 Speaker 3: talk about not having kids. I honestly went through like 760 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,359 Speaker 3: a nine year journey of trying to figure out if 761 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,319 Speaker 3: I was going to have kids or not, if I 762 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 3: even wanted to, And to be honest with you, I 763 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 3: think I probably knew deep down all along that I 764 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 3: didn't want to have kids, but I really questioned, what 765 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,799 Speaker 3: does that mean about me as a woman, What does 766 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 3: that mean about my worth and like, also how do 767 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 3: I fit into society? What do my relationships look like 768 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 3: even with other women and friends if I am not 769 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:34,879 Speaker 3: a mom, And that's something I'm still like always kind 770 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 3: of unraveling and you know, figuring out. But yeah, I 771 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 3: decided not to have kids, and I've been really vocal 772 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,000 Speaker 3: about it because I think it's really important. 773 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: You've been very open as well about the fact that 774 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,160 Speaker 1: you are still living with now not two, but three 775 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:50,239 Speaker 1: chronic illnesses, and so that affects your physicality. You are 776 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:54,240 Speaker 1: now a founder, a CEO. What tools have you figured 777 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 1: out to implement to help you get through to navigate 778 00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,839 Speaker 1: all of this work with the physicalities that you're dealing with. 779 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 3: So last year I was diagnosed with the third chronic illness, 780 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,319 Speaker 3: a rare neuromuscular disease. Yeah, I mean, I think the 781 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 3: biggest thing is I am very communicative about my needs 782 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 3: and my boundaries. So when I have to meet someone, 783 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 3: like coming to the studio today, it was like such 784 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:20,960 Speaker 3: a joy. And I also like told my team, like 785 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 3: I will not be available because I will be getting 786 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 3: zen and like making sure I have had enough protein 787 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 3: and like things like that in order to you know, 788 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 3: show up as my best self when I go places. 789 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:34,360 Speaker 3: And then yeah, I think the biggest thing also was 790 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:38,280 Speaker 3: like I started my entrepreneurial journey because I had tried 791 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,120 Speaker 3: to do things that were in like the typical workforce, 792 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 3: and just notice that, like my energy levels really varied 793 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 3: depending on how I feel in a certain day. I 794 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 3: work really really hard, but that might mean that I 795 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 3: work all day Sunday, but Tuesday I was having a 796 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 3: flair and I couldn't. So I think that's kind of 797 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 3: something that I've learned to just be okay with and 798 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 3: also untrust myself and those rhythms. And then yeah, I'm 799 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:04,840 Speaker 3: a big like here's my calendly link. This is the 800 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:07,640 Speaker 3: time that I'm available and I don't really have any 801 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 3: other time because I know that I'm probably going to 802 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:11,759 Speaker 3: have to be like dealing with health stuff or just 803 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 3: like need a lot of introverted me time too. 804 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 1: I'm really struggling with this, by the way, I'm like 805 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:20,239 Speaker 1: really going to Yeah, I'm really struggling with Well, I 806 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:21,800 Speaker 1: don't have chronic illness. 807 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,840 Speaker 2: But the physical toll that having three. 808 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:27,800 Speaker 1: Young kids who are very attached to me is taking 809 00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:31,279 Speaker 1: on me is I just couldn't have anticipated it. But 810 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 1: I'm really struggling with the energy right now, like the 811 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,320 Speaker 1: time commitment and the energy. Like I'm back to work, 812 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 1: you know, like I'm back to doing it, but it's 813 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: really burning me out, and then when I go home, 814 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 1: I'm like ten times worse for my kids. I'm really 815 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:44,719 Speaker 1: struggling with this and fit and trying to figure out, 816 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 1: like I know, the only way that I can create 817 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,920 Speaker 1: opportunities is to like throw myself at things, So I'm 818 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:53,640 Speaker 1: hesitant to say no to opportunities. So that's all of 819 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: the background of where this question is coming from, Like, 820 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 1: if these are the only times you have, if this 821 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,720 Speaker 1: is the only bandwidth that you have, do you feel 822 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: like you're missing opportunities? 823 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 3: Yes and no. For the most part, I love saying 824 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 3: no because you know what, Emily, and maybe there's your 825 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,439 Speaker 3: version of this, But I know if I said yes 826 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,319 Speaker 3: to a brand instead of saying no when I needed to, 827 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 3: that means I'm going to say no to myself. Okay, 828 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 3: let me say that one more time. So if I 829 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:26,440 Speaker 3: say yes to you insert whatever here, and I don't 830 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 3: actually want to say yes, and I don't actually have 831 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 3: the bandwidth to say yes, I am inherently saying no 832 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:38,359 Speaker 3: to myself. It is hard for especially for women. We're 833 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:40,839 Speaker 3: trying to do so many things, and like we we 834 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 3: want so much and you know, and it's all really 835 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,759 Speaker 3: beautiful and it's like for good reason and all of that. 836 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 3: But I think we have to kind of be our 837 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 3: own our own keeper in that way. 838 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:54,719 Speaker 1: What is something in your life that at the time 839 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,200 Speaker 1: you felt like was such a low and now in retrospect, 840 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,640 Speaker 1: really launched you to the place you are now. 841 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:05,480 Speaker 3: There's been so many, so many lows, so many lows. 842 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:08,680 Speaker 3: The first thing that comes up for me that I've 843 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:12,719 Speaker 3: been thinking about a lot actually was when I was younger, 844 00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 3: especially in my like nineteen twenty year old time, I 845 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 3: would be judged for how I looked a lot because 846 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 3: I was covered with these scales. But yeah, when I 847 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,960 Speaker 3: was in middle school, I mean I was called every name, 848 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:31,240 Speaker 3: I was teased, and it was also because I was brown. 849 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,240 Speaker 3: I was like the body hair was like next level, 850 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:37,320 Speaker 3: you know, and like my parents, I mean my mom, 851 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:40,320 Speaker 3: you know, she went to like an all girls school 852 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 3: in like the middle of India. She was like, you 853 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 3: can't shave and like all these things that like American 854 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,799 Speaker 3: kids do you know, when I was like ten and so, yeah, 855 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:50,919 Speaker 3: there was just a lot of things that I had 856 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:54,400 Speaker 3: to really understand and go through. You know, as a kid, 857 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 3: I didn't understand them. Actually, it taught me so much 858 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:03,280 Speaker 3: during that time because after I got better, I also 859 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:05,880 Speaker 3: was judged for how I looked, but in a very 860 00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:10,759 Speaker 3: different way. Right people found me to be quote unquote acceptable. 861 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:16,040 Speaker 3: And that was one of the greatest spiritual lessons I 862 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:20,480 Speaker 3: have ever learned in my life, seeing the difference of 863 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:23,319 Speaker 3: how people treated me and knowing that I was the 864 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,759 Speaker 3: exact same person on the inside the entire time. And 865 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:30,360 Speaker 3: I think what that has done for me today is 866 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:33,160 Speaker 3: I think in shaping the way that I want my 867 00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:35,920 Speaker 3: career to go to. I think it's just made me 868 00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:39,759 Speaker 3: less and less and less interested about things that have 869 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 3: to do with like the visual aspect of who I 870 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,480 Speaker 3: am as a person. Being able to be in front 871 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:46,239 Speaker 3: of people and talk to people is great, but I 872 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:49,719 Speaker 3: don't really want to have a career that's focused on 873 00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:51,840 Speaker 3: you have to look a certain way in order to 874 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 3: actually make a difference. And honestly, like, that's why I 875 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:57,640 Speaker 3: love chronicons so much, because even when I was going 876 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:00,719 Speaker 3: through like really really hard stuff with my diagnosed this 877 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 3: last year, and I didn't know what was going on 878 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 3: and all these different things. I could show up being 879 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 3: exactly who I am in one of the worst situations 880 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,319 Speaker 3: of you know, my life. And yeah, I don't know. 881 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 3: So I don't know if that answers your question, but 882 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 3: that's what came up for me, is like just this 883 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:18,920 Speaker 3: shedding and like remembering that it's just not it can't 884 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:22,799 Speaker 3: be about that. I literally look different every single day. Yeah, 885 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:25,000 Speaker 3: and I think as women we do, especially like when 886 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:28,320 Speaker 3: women are pregnant or I've been on a lot of medication, 887 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:30,600 Speaker 3: So now I look different than I did last year, 888 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 3: and it just can't be about that totally. 889 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,040 Speaker 1: I mean I went through something very similar that I 890 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: gained eighty pounds with my first pregnancy, then more weight 891 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:41,640 Speaker 1: with the second one, and I was on TV the 892 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 1: entire time, and I felt like the way that I 893 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 1: that I moved through the world, people treated me differently. 894 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:50,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, I totally get that. But I think the thing 895 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:54,400 Speaker 3: that's been interesting for me around, you know, my body 896 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:56,799 Speaker 3: changing like in a way that other people can see, 897 00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 3: because like, Okay, I gained like thirty pounds last year 898 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:01,359 Speaker 3: because I had to take all this medication, you know, 899 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,880 Speaker 3: and it's been like this really big understanding around like 900 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 3: a lack of control, you know. And it's also like 901 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:12,160 Speaker 3: had me deep in that practice of like, yeah, that's right, 902 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 3: you can control like really anything, and so okay, focus 903 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,120 Speaker 3: on the things that you can and I can. I 904 00:47:19,160 --> 00:47:23,000 Speaker 3: can show up. I can like create this content or 905 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:25,000 Speaker 3: this conference or whatever it might be. I can put 906 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:29,080 Speaker 3: my heart into things, right, but yeah, I can't change 907 00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:32,680 Speaker 3: if like I lose my hair or like I you know, 908 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,720 Speaker 3: like gain weight or gets the rise of scales or whatever. 909 00:47:36,760 --> 00:47:38,960 Speaker 3: And I just think it's like really been a toxic 910 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:41,480 Speaker 3: kind of pattern that a lot of people have been 911 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:44,520 Speaker 3: kind of thrust into in our society. I'm just like 912 00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:47,440 Speaker 3: very tired of it. So what do people need to 913 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:49,200 Speaker 3: know about chronicon in person? 914 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:50,000 Speaker 2: Yeah? 915 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:54,040 Speaker 3: So it's happening May nineteenth in Williams Burke, Brooklyn, and 916 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:58,480 Speaker 3: it is going to be so beautiful because that's like 917 00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 3: such an important aspect of chronicon that like so many 918 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:06,320 Speaker 3: conversations around health are sterile and just like not personal. 919 00:48:06,480 --> 00:48:11,239 Speaker 3: This is warm and colorful and kind and try to 920 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:15,080 Speaker 3: be very very thoughtful about everything that I possibly can be. Yeah, 921 00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 3: it's a day long conference, and basically we have live 922 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:21,360 Speaker 3: stream tickets available, so that's really great. If you, you know, 923 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:23,840 Speaker 3: can't get out of bed, if you like can't travel 924 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,600 Speaker 3: because of you know, your immune system or even whatever 925 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:30,400 Speaker 3: it might be, we have live streaming available. We also 926 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:33,200 Speaker 3: have scholarships available, which is like one of the things 927 00:48:33,239 --> 00:48:36,920 Speaker 3: I'm super super passionate about just making sure that it's 928 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 3: as accessible as possible. And I give a scholarship to 929 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:44,040 Speaker 3: anyone basically who fills out the scholarship form. So it's 930 00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:46,319 Speaker 3: really really really important to me that if you want 931 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:47,840 Speaker 3: to be a part of what we're doing, that you 932 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 3: find a place with us. And then yeah, we also 933 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:53,960 Speaker 3: have our community app so it kind of all goes together. 934 00:48:54,680 --> 00:48:57,040 Speaker 3: And yeah, I just I can't I can't wait, and 935 00:48:57,120 --> 00:49:00,600 Speaker 3: I'm so honored. And we have some amazing speakers that 936 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:04,000 Speaker 3: are coming for the in person concon like doctor Darien 937 00:49:04,120 --> 00:49:07,719 Speaker 3: Sutton who started a TikTok med school who was amazing, 938 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:11,840 Speaker 3: and also Mira Mariah who like is a disability advocate, 939 00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:15,880 Speaker 3: and also Ariana Grande's tattoo artist. You know, like Stacy London, 940 00:49:16,080 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 3: our dear friend. She's been one of my biggest supporters 941 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 3: since I started Chronicon since before I even started it. 942 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:25,560 Speaker 3: She was actually the last person I told because her 943 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:27,719 Speaker 3: opinion meant so much to me, and I was so 944 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:29,200 Speaker 3: afraid that she was going to be like, this is 945 00:49:29,239 --> 00:49:32,239 Speaker 3: a horrible idea. So I waited until the end and 946 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:35,799 Speaker 3: she has been so supportive. And yeah, the whole list 947 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:37,439 Speaker 3: is on our website. It's going to be really great. 948 00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:41,239 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. I feel like we've covered so much. Yeah, 949 00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:42,600 Speaker 2: can I give you a hug? 950 00:49:42,719 --> 00:49:44,879 Speaker 3: Okay, thank you everyone, Love you all. 951 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:53,759 Speaker 1: Nitica still lives in New York City and its continuing 952 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:57,040 Speaker 1: to work as a chronic illness advocate. She's a fellow 953 00:49:57,080 --> 00:50:01,800 Speaker 1: podcaster and hosts the amazing podcast Together, and is working 954 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:06,120 Speaker 1: hard on this year's Chronicon convention. It's happening May nineteenth 955 00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:08,279 Speaker 1: in New York, so if you are someone you know 956 00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:10,879 Speaker 1: would like to attend, you can find tickets and more 957 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:15,680 Speaker 1: information about the event at www dot Chronicon dot co 958 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:20,200 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also find Nittka on Instagram at 959 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:24,920 Speaker 1: Nitika Chopra and find all things Chronicon at Chronicon Official 960 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: she Pivots is an amazing community of women who understand 961 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 1: that personal is the professional. 962 00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 3: Join the community on Instagram at. 963 00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:38,120 Speaker 2: She pivots the podcast. 964 00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:41,799 Speaker 1: A special thank you to our partner Marie Clair and 965 00:50:41,880 --> 00:50:43,880 Speaker 1: the team that made this episode possible. 966 00:50:44,560 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 3: Talk to you next week. 967 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:52,400 Speaker 1: She Pivots is hosted by me Emily Tish Sussman, produced 968 00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:56,279 Speaker 1: by Emily eda Veloshik, with sound editing and mixing from 969 00:50:56,400 --> 00:51:00,120 Speaker 1: Nina Pollok and research and planning from Christine Dickson and 970 00:51:00,160 --> 00:51:00,960 Speaker 1: Hannah Cousins. 971 00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:09,919 Speaker 3: I endorse Cheap Pivots.