In this podcast episode, host Alexandra Vinceli interviews Christina Gantz, founder of Gantz Creations. Christina discusses her journey launching a podcast, emphasizing the vulnerability required and how it was inspired by Alexandra. She shares her personal focus for 2023: "less," rooted in a minimalist philosophy she adopted after reading Marie Kondo's book. Christina explains how decluttering physical spaces helps reduce mental distraction, allowing her to listen to her body and eliminate stressors. As an entrepreneur, she enjoys designing her life and choosing projects but highlights the pressures of extreme ownership and learning from burnout caused by unsustainable hustle culture. Christina now prioritizes self-care, including social activities as an extrovert, exercise, and sufficient sleep, recognizing that personal well-being is fundamental to her business success. The conversation underscores the importance of balance, intentional living, and self-compassion in entrepreneurship and mental health.
Welcome back to the Anxious Millennial Podcast where I, your host, Alexandra Vinceli, explore everything in mental health related and interview both millennials and non-millennials about their self-care and entrepreneurship journeys. There is a wonderful quote by none other than Pierce Brosnan that goes. Together we are stronger, our voice is louder, and the synergy of our actions more powerful. Well I think that's very fitting for my lovely guest on the podcast today, Christina Gantz. First of all, Christina, thank you for helping me launch my website. And let me tell you, launching a website where you have to compartmentalize basically, oh, I don't know, everything you do and your mission and who you are into one place is extremely difficult. So Christina was a wonderful partner in that journey. Christina, thank you so much. Christina Gantz is the founder and creative director of Gantz Creations, a design agency that prides itself as being, well, awesome, and a one-stop shop for everything graphic design, branding, print, digital marketing, and of course web design. As serial entrepreneur, however, Christina has struggled with issues such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, perfectionism, amongst other things. But what we really bonded on, Christina was podcasting. Christina just launched her say-your-thing podcast. It's so good. Please go check it out. And so, without further ado, please welcome my new friend, Christina Gantz to the podcast. Christina, welcome to the anxious millennial. First of all, I think I need to know how your podcasting journey is going because it's a really fickle journey for me some days. So how was it going for you? It's going absolutely amazing. I really had to push myself to do it. It's a project that has been in my mind for, I would say, at least a year. I wasn't sure if I was going to be writing a book or if I was going to be doing a podcast or a channel or I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to be doing. But I never had the courage to actually do it because I was just kind of always asking myself, like, is anyone even going to want to listen to me? Is anything that I'm going to say even important to other people? And then one day I just decided to just do it and just launch it and just put it out into the world. And the feedback so far has been amazing. And I think that people can just relate to it. So honestly, I'm super, super happy with the results so far. Kudos. I think behind the scenes as a fellow podcaster, I know the amount of number one vulnerability it takes to be able to be on a platform and talk openly about things like relationships and who you are in your life and some of the challenges that come up. So first of all, like kudos because that's not easy and that takes strength. And as we all know, Brunei Brown vulnerability is strength, right? Takes courage. Yes. Thank you. And you are definitely, I mean, one of the people that inspired me for sure because I actually don't know anybody else personally who has started a podcast and just listening to you and like just even our client meetings, like apart from the podcast and listening to you and understanding how you work, like really just inspired me to start the podcast. So yeah, thank you. Queen, thank you. That means so much. Okay. So I will have more love fest pieces for you later. But first, because we're getting to know you and I want to hear firstly on the personal level, what your word is, what Christina is your word for 2023 and why? So my word for 2023 is less. Yes. Because so I've been on this kind of minimalist journey now for a good two years where I've just been going through a process of elimination of everything in my life of the things that just do not serve me. And I think that by doing that, I am only less with the things that make me really happy and the things that fulfill me, whether that, you know, that be family, that be friends, that be the projects that I'm interested in working on. And I just want to continue that, like just removing all of the things that make me more stressed out or less fulfilled and all of that. So just less of the things that don't serve me and more of the things that's fulfilled me. So okay. So I'm just letting that sort of land as they're unpacking it because first of all, you give me goosebumps. And when like I know the words, all the words are awesome. Okay. But when the words give me goosebumps, that's what I know. This is going to resonate. I, I love that. And I, I end be the capacity to go the minimalist route. So I have to tell you like the, the, the, I, I wish I had that wherewithal to go there. Like what, what's the process like? Did it, was there a catalyst? Actually, would be my question for you. Did something bring this? Yeah. Definitely. So this minimalist journey that I've been on, it all started. I read the book and it's going to sound so cliche, but I have to say it. It was a life changing art of tidying up by Mary Condo. So I read that book and it completely changed my life. And I did like the cleaning marathon where I went through every single item that I had in my house. And so I did all of that. And then what's kind of amazing is that when you have gone through every single item in your house and you're only left with the things that you love, you realize that you can actually apply that to your life. Like what are all of the things that are occupying my time that don't serve me? It's like, why am I spending time doing things that make me unhappy? And it's like, we're kind of like race in the society to think that we need more, we need more things, we need to do more stuff, we need to be more of a person, all of these different kinds of things. But the key is actually removing things, not adding things, right? Like, okay, so again, like so much there to unpack, because I look at your space right now and I always love your space. So for those who don't have a visual account or lucky as I am, they can't see your beautiful library, organized absolutely perfectly. And I don't like using the word perfect, but it's organized so methodically is a better word. But to me, it's the antithesis, like more is the antithesis to having a sane mind. Because your mind is seen clutter. And when I see something as clean as just streamline as what you've got behind you, that to me just brings a lot of peace. So what's your thought on how that reflects in your sort of day to day, you know, mental state of, you know, being at work and being productive and all that? So it's an ongoing process. And that's why I think that being minimalist, there's no, it's like there's no finish line. I think that it's like you're just continuously trying to like apply it to your life every single day. And so it's, it's not always easy, especially being an entrepreneur and being so excited by so many different things. Like I, I love all kinds of design. And so it's like, you know, I have all kinds of projects that I can work on. But it's kind of just like narrowing down the projects that I can work on it. It's also like, hmm, I've really learned to listen to my body. And I feel like listening to my body is like almost the biggest indicator of whether I need to eliminate things from my life or not. So when I start to feel really tired or I get sick more easy or it's like, I feel more tension to my body. I'm like, oh, there's something that's just like misaligned in my life right now. It's like, what kind of, what kind of things do I have to remove and what kind of things do I need to add? You know, so it's just this constant, constant process. And there really is like no finish line. It's just listening to your body and listening, like sometimes we don't understand why certain things light us up. Like they just do and there's no reason, but it's like, we need to pay attention when it does, you know, and we also need to pay attention when we're not feeling like that as well. So ongoing process. Yeah. And what I'm hearing you say too is that by removing physical items that are excessive or abundant, it relieves room and space for you to go inward and really listen to yourself and listen to your body and then hear sort of the signals that you might not have heard had there been clutter in the way? Exactly. I feel like clutter in every way is the biggest distraction from what's actually going on inside. It really, really is. And it's like, that's why it's this idea of just having so many things and going out and just buying more and buying more and buying more and buying more and buying more. It's just, you know, pushing you further and further into this distraction. Basically, that's what it's doing. So yeah, 100%. I am face pulming right now because I'm still in the process of settling into my new place and the amount of consumption to fill the space has been really a push pull for me personally. So that's why all you're seeing is really resonating because I just couldn't, I still can't believe the amount of stuff that a home can hold my own space and being a couple. Yeah. Like where you're combining. Not only stuff you had, but you're adding new stuff. Yeah. So post wedding having had like, you know, new dishes and things that I also don't really need, but now feel bad about getting rid of because the gift was so well intention. But now my cabinets are cluttered up with so much stuff. And again, it's so generous and beautiful, but I feel like it's just over abundance of stuff that now I have no room to put stuff that I really want to put in. So I'm in that weird space too where I'm like, do I eliminate? But then again, all this stuff is brand new. So do I just, you know, do go and give it to charity, whatever. Like so space,
is really important to me as well. And we're both creative types, so that that matters. That really matters. Absolutely. Absolutely. For sure. That's a tough one as well as is when a lot of people give you gifts or you get a lot of stuff and you feel bad afterwards and you don't know. But I think that like I said sometimes we don't understand why certain things light us up. Like I have this old like Tootsie Roll thing that my dad bought me for Halloween in like the 90s when I was a kid. And you know that is worth way more to me than like a 200 dollar I don't know watch or something that somebody would get me. So it's really it's like sometimes we don't understand why certain things light us up and other things though. But it's just a question of trying to really listen and then kind of giving away the items with gratitude the ones that just don't serve us anymore. You know. Oh my god. Well just when you said give it away right now. So because I know music lights you up also as much as as me and we can talk more about music later. But you just put to mind the song give it away by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And if you like that song or whoever does know that song it's a big one. But I read Anthony Kedis's book from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he talked about how much you fill yourself up when you give away anything that feels excessive to you. And it's like it just fills you up with all of this energy to like just its generosity it's giving back it's everything you know. Absolutely. Just the right the irony and even the song like give it away give it away. And anyways like that it's just such beautiful context for what we're talking about. I can go on and on about this. So speaking of being an entrepreneur can you tell me what it's like in your day to day what are some of the huge rewarding pieces and by that same token what are some of the most challenging things that come up about being an entrepreneur. Oh wow. Being an entrepreneur I mean it's a life that I would never give up for anything I absolutely adore my entrepreneur life. And I think one of the biggest reasons it's because I've kind of always been a leader like my entire life like from the time that I was very young like going to school and just kind of always taking charge of projects and just like I like to lead and being a leader you know you like to manage your own stuff you like to manage your time you like to manage your projects and all of that. And so that's the part that I find absolutely rewarding is that I really do feel that I can design my life the way that I want to design my life. And you know I'm really you know blessed to be an endpoint of my life where I'm able to choose through kind of projects that I want to work on you know the kind of clients that I want to work with. And so that's just been absolutely amazing but by the same token you know being an entrepreneur it has it has its moments for sure and I think that one of the biggest I guess like struggles as an entrepreneur is this kind of extreme ownership of every single thing that happens in your business whether it be your fault or not your fault you have to be you know completely accountable for every single thing that happens in your business and I struggled with this a lot especially in the beginning where I you know I had to tackle things like accounting and bookkeeping and legal agreements all of these kinds of things that as a 22-year-old I wasn't even thinking about and so suddenly it's like you know I'm signing these contracts that I'm trying to figure out what this means and then I have to prepare an invoice and then I have to have these sales tax numbers and it's like all of this stuff that you know even if you make a mistake and something goes wrong well at the end of the day it's on your head and so that's that's the other part of being an entrepreneur for sure. Do you feel the need to be on all the time or is there are there moments where you give yourself permission not to be on at all times because let's be honest being on all the time will literally fatiguing and impossible. Yes that's a really great question because I feel like I used to be on all the time and in a weird way I used to take pride almost in this like hustle culture I'm like yeah I'm still working at like 2 a.m. and yes I'm proud of the fact that I'm working until 2 a.m. and you know and then it's like I burned out you know like I there was a time in 2020 I burned out solid and I started to realize I'm like wow like you know being on all the time can cause you like chronic pain can cause you like fatigue can cause you all of these things and now I make it a point that I'm like at the end of the day I am the business so if I'm not well like I got to take care of myself like it's super super super important and it is hard to not be on all the time because you know and you get all of these requests and you kind of work out your own schedule but you know before anything I make sure that I'm okay before I even take on any other projects before I keep working on stuff because I understand now today how important it is to take care of yourself process for sure that's so important and refreshing to hear it because it's it's I think we're moving away from that hustler mentality where you know you got to exhaust yourself and like the startup thing where yes you are going to be miserable for a very short term and then you know the payoff start coming through at a certain time and like I mean I just ate up all these you know articles and podcasts and blogs that you know talked about what it's like to be an entrepreneur and go through the ramifications of on your mind and body and spirit and you know and through a startup and I have to stop because it was becoming self-fulfilling and I was thinking okay well I have to be miserable right now this has to hurt it has to be kind of painful right now so if I'm having a good time it's kind of weird I don't think this should be fun so there's danger in absorbing that kind of information too because the the mind goes there it fulfills expectations that you you told yourself these stories so you know I love that you're giving yourself permission not to be on all the time you know and I don't even think that's sustainable it isn't and it's like you know you'll you'll find out you know just keep going and you'll find out and and that's the thing is like I you know I went for university and I survived you know with a ton of caffeine but I survived and then I started a business at 22 and you know all is good and I'm just going and I'm going I'm going and it's like no vacations working on weekends working evenings working all the time and I was like yeah I'm going I took I took pride in it for a very long time and until I burned out and it's you know at some point you will learn that it is unsustainable and now at the end of the day it's like you really got to take care of your health you got to take care of yourself because you as an entrepreneur you are the business you are the product the service and you have to be well you know preach preach that that really really thank you that's an important thing I think for all the entrepreneurs that are listening and everybody that's in some leadership position in a business or in a company it's impossible when your glass is empty to to be there and be on and lead a team successfully like you you have to fill your cup first it's putting the mask on first it's all of those cliché things but they're they're all true what are some of the self-care piece like I always love the self-care part because I feel like this is something that we all they're all bandwagon we fall off of we all get back on then we sustain for a little bit then we'll fall like things like events come up so in terms of self-care and I say that really loosely now I'm gonna also learn to let this year like self-care means what it means for everybody and it changes all the time but for right now the snapshot what's your self-care what do you do to fill your cup? Okay so I'm like a really big extravert I love people people give me energy like I just love socializing and as an entrepreneur who works from home alone all the time obviously it's it's great when I actually get to see people so one of the main things that I do is like going to see my family like it needs the world to me my family's everything to me and then seeing my friends organizing events with my friends going to events with my friends I absolutely love that so that to me it almost like refuels me it gives me the energy to keep going and it also kind of takes me away from from work once in a while to kind of like step out and just kind of see other people who do different things and you're not doing anything that has to do with work and so that's really nice and other than that I mean I'm a total like exercise workout running person I absolutely love that that to me is is a really like it's self-care it's almost like giving myself a gift of like at the end of the day when the day's over and I'm like okay now I'm gonna go for a run like for me that's like that's my my gift for having you know accomplish the day and that's the biggest self-care I do myself is you know working out eating well getting enough sleep oh my gosh those are like the pillars the pillars without those like they we don't amount to I'm sorry we don't amount to much like being on low sleep I like I had to really accept the fact that I I need it I couldn't be the four or five hours a night kind of a gal can't do it can't I really try I can't and there's no pride to take in like saying you don't sleep at night I don't unless
And I just find it odd when someone's like, "I genuinely don't need that much rest." Or, "Have you just tricked your body into being in crisis mode all the time now?" And that's your new baseline. Like that's what I just, I can't wrap my head around. People would genuinely say, "No, I genuinely don't need that much sleep. I know as we age, we need less." But in the interim, it like studies have shown we need a certain amount of sleep. - Absolutely. And it's like, I actually did enough set on this. And I called it things that you should do when you feel like not so good. You know? And I was like the first thing that you should start with. I'm like, did you get enough sleep? Did you eat? And did you move? Because a lot of the time, it's like, you know, we don't feel great. And then it's like we turn to other things or whatever external factor will make us feel better. But we forget that it's like we're human beings and we need the essentials to thrive. And that is having an absolute eating well and moving. So as long as you keep those three things, then after that you can move on to other things. But I think that they're so absolutely crucial. It's like, before anything else, that's what you should be doing, I think. - I completely agree. I completely agree. And speaking of, so you've mentioned being an extrovert. And so I'm total introvert. And I love that we have this sort of duality because I just think like there's a balance and it works. So that's why I love this. I love this moment for so many reasons actually. But like because we're also both Montreal ladies, proud, proudly, can you give a shout out to a spot you love going to in the city that makes you happy? Because we have to foster city. We have to like, we have to leverage this sucker. People have to come back. You know, we all have our love hate relationship with the city, but it's an awesome place to be. So where's your spot? Where do you go? - Oh, I absolutely love Montreal. Like it's the place that it doesn't matter how many cones that they will be on the street. I'm always, always going to be super proud of Montreal. And I mean, there's so many places in Montreal, but I think that one of the places that I find is just, it's so beautiful. It's a crew collective cafe. You go for it. It's like a coworking space. It's a space where you can go grab a coffee and just work. And it's an old bank. It's the oldest bank in Montreal turned into a coworking space. And it's just absolutely beautiful. Like there's weddings there. There's all sorts of stuff. And that's just one of the many places I adore. - Yes, I remember you telling me, it's all coming back to me now. - Yes. - And I had it on my bucket list to go. I never did, but so I'm gonna, I'm gonna go to Foodie Route and share with you that I, so I rediscovered a restaurant that I loved. I stopped going to restaurants because #Pandemic. So I'm making it a point to go back, but you know, just trying your foods, they don't have to be fancy or anything. But there's a spot that I forgot how much I love. And it's Nora Gray. It's so good, the Italian food. So good. And it's all of the season. It's all local. And I'm gonna try and be mindful to choose spots that foster that kind of stuff. There's local stuff because there is just so much at our disposal, like I think it's just something to be mindful also of going forward. 'Cause you know, our world's in a bit of a crisis at the moment. That's an understatement. But yeah, it's all local stuff, all like known as recipe, Z, multiple, but yeah, I definitely recommend. - Okay, noted. - Love it. So also, 'cause you mentioned family, who or what grounds you, like what brings you back, what we centers you or who we centers you in this life? - Hmm, so my mom is literally my everything. So my mom has been just like my number one fan from the beginning, from the time that I was making PowerPoint presentations in elementary school with like animation to today where it's like, you know, I have the business, I have everything. And my mom is like, she's just the kind of person that it doesn't matter what you have going on in your life, what time it is, what day it is, what you can call her up and rant to her and she will listen to you. And she's just, she's just so amazing. She really is like the true symbol of like unconditional love for me. And that's honestly like my safe space is my parents, my family, my parents' house, like absolutely. - I love that. I love that. I still find a safe haven in the parents as well. Like no matter married or not, it doesn't like that. There's something about that. And like I think we're really lucky, you know, there's, I don't think everybody has that, but they can find their safe spaces in other places. And you know, it's good to have that safe space, you know, it feels really warm and it feels like a blanket. Like a weighted blanket, even though I've never had a weighted blanket, to be honest with you, I don't know what the, I don't get why someone would want that, like I get a soft blanket or even a heated one, a weighted one, I might have to do more research. Do you know anything about this? - I just don't have a weighted blanket. (laughs) - Okay. So what happens? Like do you feel a weight on you? Do you feel enveloped? Talk to me? I need to know. It's actually kind of amazing. So I told you about this, like, this kind of burnout that I had in 2020, where I just wasn't, I wasn't doing well in my friends. Like I love them to death. Bought me from my birthday, a weighted blanket, 'cause they're like, oh, it'll help, like with your anxiety. And like your feeling of, you know, I don't know, like helplessness or whatever. And so they're like, yeah, we hear it's like this big thing. The weight of blanket, it's really gonna help you on a blanket. So they get me this weighted blanket. And it kind of like makes you feel grounded. Like it pushes you into the earth. If that makes any sense. - Yeah. - You know, like when you're meditating, like they often say like try to picture yourself kind of like being pushed into the ground, like really connect yourself with the ground. And I feel like this weighted blanket, it almost feels like you're in this like safe space where no one could really hurt you. So you're kind of being put back into the earth. I don't really know if that makes any sense, but it's good. I like it. I really like it. - I am going to run to the closest home sense to see. (laughing) Like I just didn't understand. Like I felt like, like okay, so I'm slightly claustrophobic, right? So like to me, anything that feels too closed in, but I gather that's not, that's not what you're describing. You're describing like something really beautiful. Like standing you back down to earth, reminding you, like and that's the other thing with anxiety as I've learned through a lot of work. Lots of work is that like tactile things, and anything to bring you back to your five senses is really key in remembering that your thoughts aren't, don't rule all, like you don't have to buy into your stuff. So I love that that's super tactile. Okay, noted, noted. Okay, so also because I'm fascinated by your creative process. So with your business, like how do you keep those creative juices flowing? Like creativity is not infinite. How do you foster that ongoing me? 'Cause that's something I definitely struggle with. - That's a great question. And it's definitely something that I've struggled with as well. I think that it's like, in a weird way, it's like, it's kind of going back to what I was saying before. It's like, in order to be creative, you have to be well. Like you have to be healthy, you have to be in a good mindset. If you're not and you're feeling burnt out, like that creativity is just not gonna come. And I've had periods where I felt like very, very tired. I'm like, I just can't think of any good idea right now. Like nothing's coming up. And so what I've learned to do is to kind of like, really take myself out sometimes of my element completely. Like if I'm stuck on something, I'm like, I'm gonna go for a walk, like put on some music and then just see like what, what, you know, what kind of thoughts are gonna come into my head? Or it's like, sometimes I take a bit of a break and then like, okay, let me go take a shower. Let me just reset. And then, you know, sometimes an idea will come. But lately, and I'm so happy that I could say this. We're kind of like this team, right? And in my company, I have like, I collaborate with another designer and together we have another designer. And balancing ideas off of them, like it's just, it's been extraordinary because we all have our own kind of skill set. And sometimes it's like, you're just stuck on this one thing and then the other person just thinks of something else. And you're like, oh, I should have a great idea. And I think that collaboration and just kind of is a great way to keep on top of that creativity. It's like sometimes we just get ideas that you just wouldn't have thought of if you had a mask, the specific person. So lately that's been amazing for me. - Oh, yeah. - Gant's creations. And that's where I feel like a community is so important. It really does take a village, to be honest. It takes a village. - Yes. - Yeah. And you nailed it, which is like working in isolation does not. Look, unless you're energetic beyond bounds and you're consistently doing research and staying connected to the, still got to stay connected to the community, it cannot be working in isolation. I tried it because I'm like, oh, again, introvert. I can feed my own self. And I still have to feed with people. I have to find ways where I'm honoring my energy and my boundaries. But like you get inspired. Someone says something and off the cuff that sort of plans to seed, which down the line, it's all a domino effect. So love that, love that.
So kind of looking towards the months to come and again, we're still beginning of the year. It's still really cold here. We're all feeling a little rusty, but what are you most excited for? What are you looking forward to, Christina? Oh, wow. I'm looking forward to so many things. I think that 2023 is a year where like I said, there's a lot of collaboration happening in the company. So that's something that I'm just really looking forward to seeing how that can kind of turn out in different ways of what kind of projects we could work on together and what kind of amazing results can come from that collaboration. So that's definitely one thing I'm looking forward to. Also, like my brother just recently got engaged, so he's probably going to be getting married soon. Super excited about that. So my best friend also got engaged. I'm going to be a bride's maid for a wedding also in September. So all of my friends, like everyone that I love, like amazing things are happening in their lives, and I'm involved in the process, which just makes me feel so full. So all of those things I am looking forward to 100%. Oh, that's really nice. Congratulations, Christina, that's so exciting. The pieces of unsolicited advice from a recent bride is if they can just remember to have fun with this because it's easy to not. Yes, I can imagine. It can get really enveloping to the point where you're like, the wedding was a person. Like and when your event is over, you're mourning the loss of this person. That is such a great way of putting it. Like it's not just like it became a person, it became a thing. And I think that's what it is when you're planning a wedding, when you're planning something of that scale. It's a one day thing, but it feels like it's a body, an actual person. Oh, yeah. No, it was not. It was not cute. It was not a good look. Even right now I'm making it my personality again, and I'm actually annoyed at myself. So I'm going to segue right out of it. Christina, tell me where can everybody find you and all the awesome work that you are doing because I need everybody to know how easy and fun it was to partner and collaborate with you. Again, website design is not easy and for those like myself who get overwhelmed by the scope of that kind of a project, you made it really fun. So thank you. So where can everybody find you? Oh my gosh. Thank you. I very much enjoyed our collaboration as well. You're such a great person. I love your podcast and super inspirational to me. So everyone can find me @sagerthing. So on YouTube, I have a channel. It's called @sagerthing. On Instagram, it's @sagerthing. Anywhere you listen to your podcast, it's @sagerthing except for TikTok. We're @sagerthingpodcast. We're not going to get into it, but I lost the @sagerthing name on TikTok. I'm still trying to get back. It's been an issue, but that's the only place where you need to add the podcast after @sagerthing. But I'm @sagerthing everywhere. Awesome. And Gens Creations, where can everybody find you if they need some branding help, some awesome websites for it and help? Yeah. So my graphic design business, where we offer anything from branding all the way up to web design, digital marketing, print, packaging, all of that is Gens Creations.co. You can also just find me on LinkedIn if it's going to get into all of my information if there's all of your interested. Awesome. And when I say she's a joy to work with, so please go check her out. Christina, this was so fun. Thank you so much for being open and vulnerable. Come back. I feel like we have so much more to unpack. I feel like just the minimalist podcast alone would be a fabulous episode. So I'm just saying part two. Thanks, Christina. Thank you so much for having me. My pleasure, my dear. Special thanks again to Christina Gens for being on the episode, for being so open and authentic and vulnerable with what it's like to be an entrepreneur. Listen, owning a business, being in business, period is difficult. So let's try and catch ourselves before we head the burnout route. I think these conversations are so important as part of the mental health community that we're building. I think we're getting there. I think there's still a lot of work to do. So check in on the friend that you think is just slaying and doing all the great things. I think they are the one that probably needs the most support. They're probably up early and hustling away. So check in on them and be kind to them and yourself. Go out there and conquer or don't. Whatever makes you feel good. So thank you again for tuning into the episode. It always honors me when you keep listening. So I can't wait for you to hear some of the awesome interviews that we have in store for the year. There's lots of good stuff coming. Christina, I meant it also when I said that you were the catalyst to get me back on track. Thank you so much. It was an amazing gift. So back with the podcasting guys. Thanks again and wishing you a great week ahead. Talk soon. [Music]
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Christina Gantz is a serial entrepreneur and founder of a design agency who recently launched her own podcast, overcoming initial self-doubt.
She advocates for a minimalist lifestyle, inspired by Marie Kondo, focusing on eliminating physical and mental clutter to improve well-being and productivity.
As an entrepreneur, she values the freedom and leadership but acknowledges challenges like total accountability and past burnout from hustle culture.
Self-care is essential for her, involving socializing with family and friends, regular exercise, and prioritizing adequate sleep to maintain health and business performance.
Summary:
In this podcast episode, host Alexandra Vinceli interviews Christina Gantz, founder of Gantz Creations. Christina discusses her journey launching a podcast, emphasizing the vulnerability required and how it was inspired by Alexandra. She shares her personal focus for 2023: "less," rooted in a minimalist philosophy she adopted after reading Marie Kondo's book.
Christina explains how decluttering physical spaces helps reduce mental distraction, allowing her to listen to her body and eliminate stressors. As an entrepreneur, she enjoys designing her life and choosing projects but highlights the pressures of extreme ownership and learning from burnout caused by unsustainable hustle culture. Christina now prioritizes self-care, including social activities as an extrovert, exercise, and sufficient sleep, recognizing that personal well-being is fundamental to her business success.
The conversation underscores the importance of balance, intentional living, and self-compassion in entrepreneurship and mental health.
FAQs
Christina's word for 2023 is 'less.' She is on a minimalist journey to eliminate things that don't serve her, focusing only on what brings happiness and fulfillment, like family, friends, and meaningful projects.
Christina began her minimalist journey after reading 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo. She conducted a cleaning marathon, keeping only items she loved, which she then applied to other areas of her life.
Minimalism reduces clutter, which Christina sees as a distraction, allowing more space to listen to your body and inner self. It helps identify and remove stressors, leading to greater peace and alignment in daily life.
Christina finds entrepreneurship rewarding because it allows her to design her life, choose projects and clients she's passionate about, and embrace her natural leadership in managing her time and work.
The biggest challenge is the extreme ownership and accountability for everything in the business, including tasks like accounting, legal agreements, and bookkeeping, which can be overwhelming, especially for young entrepreneurs.
After experiencing burnout, Christina now prioritizes self-care by not being 'on' all the time. She ensures she is well before taking on projects, emphasizing that her health is crucial since she is the business.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.