Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: The breakthrough edge. I'm Dr. Raquel. And now Media Television.
Welcome to Be the Breakthrough Edge. I'm Dr. Raquel Yarrell. Today we are talking about what it really means to truly break through when life invites you to start again.
My guest is Anya Faleva, founder and creator of Claw and Paw apparel, a boutique cat inspired apparel brand created for women who, who love, comfort, self expression, and a little catitude. Anya Faleva, welcome to Be the Breakthrough Edge.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: Thank you so much, Dr. Raquel. It's such a pleasure to be here.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: So, Anya, your story begins with reinvention and rebuilding confidence from the inside out. What part of your journey most shaped the woman and founder you are today?
[00:00:54] Speaker B: You know, that's, that's a beautiful question.
I feel like life never stops giving you surprises.
So I, I think staying resilient throughout changes is the one that keeps you going the most.
And I think coming from Ukraine to United States, learning the language, figuring out who you are, and just following the little voice that tells you what you need to do next is probably one of my most powerful things for me.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: So tell us more about that little voice, about what you should do next. Expand on that. Like, what did you feel like you heard? What was the gut instincts? What were your steps that led you to? I mean, because you came from Ukraine. So talk to us a little bit about your journey over here. Talk to us a little bit about who you are.
What's the story behind you?
[00:01:47] Speaker B: You know, you bring it up some great memories.
My mom immigrated here to United States when, when we were teenagers. And I never thought that we would end up in the United States.
But I remember it was happening. And here we are on a plane flying from Kiev to New York, and I had this thing that I said, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna change the world. I'm gonna make a difference. I'm gonna do something special, right? And at that point, everything just seemed so easy.
And then you get to a completely different environment.
You don't speak the language, the people seem different. Everything seemed different. Everything first of all seems so huge, right? So I came from a place where everything was small, family oriented, and nobody had houses, nobody had cars, to a place where everything was so different, including the language, of course.
So that started like the journey of transformation. Questioning myself, listening to that little voice, and, you know, also fighting against what your parents tell you to do.
Right?
I was, I was told to be only three professions. Doctor or nurse, engineer or teacher.
You know, doing something creative was not even on the list. Of things I could do. And before I got to that creative journey, it took you many years of transformation.
[00:03:31] Speaker A: Well, I. I love how you said, like. Like you were expected to do something in particular. And I think even a lot of people who are already live in the United States or even in other parts of the world probably have those same expectations. Like, sometimes family says, like, you should do this, you should do that.
And when your heart says you need to do something different, that's a huge different than things. So when you think about the word breakthrough, what does that mean to you personally? Because I would assume that there's something in there about you with your having to choose you over what everybody else expected of you.
[00:04:08] Speaker B: That's a great question. I love. First of all, I really love the breakthrough.
The breakthrough. I. I think it took many years for me to figure out what it really meant to me.
And I think at this point, I realized that breakthrough for me means breaking through my own conditioning, limitation, and breaking through that hold the culturally or family, you know, had had on me. You know, always believed because of how I was brought up, conditioned, that my life needs to look a certain way.
And when I made it look a certain way, a corporate career, a house, a.
You know, it never felt right. There was never a satisfaction point.
So breaking through. I've taken a lot of workshops where breakthrough was a common word. And I'm like, what does that really mean to me? And I think breaking through. I thought you breaking through some wall, whether it's, you know, like hitting the brick and breaking it, But I recognize that the. At the ends, breaking through is from my own beliefs, my own jail that put myself in.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: Yeah, your own chains.
[00:05:21] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: So, I mean, and everybody's breakthrough is a little bit different. Sometimes it's those aha moments, but irregardless, like you said, it's breaking through those things that have held you back, keeping you playing small or keeping you playing from what you really, truly want in life. And so many of us, women, men. But I see it a lot in women are, you know, we're starting to come into our own life and our own story, and we don't know how to break through those holes that society has put on women. How we're expected to do certain things, and a lot of us don't really necessarily want to be what society wants us to be. And then when we step out, it's just kind of like there's a whole different Persona around us and what we have to go through.
So you are in the corporate World as we speak. Correct. You got a couple corporate gigs that you're working on, so I know you have a lot of that. But then you also have talked to me about, like, this store of yours, you developing your creativity and allow your increase your creative side to develop. This is your joy, this is your passion.
So what was the moment when the idea for the claw and paw apparel began to feel more like an ID than an idea? Like something that you actually needed to bring into the world. And I know you're just kind of doing it yet on the side, and eventually it's going to transform the world. Like what you want, it's going to bring that in. But I'm. I'm really curious. We're seeing you in the beginning stages, which is a miracle for a lot of people because there's so many people out there in the corporate world and they have these ideas and they're like, how do I break free? How do I get to do what Anya is doing? So talk to us. Tell us about that.
[00:06:56] Speaker B: Ah, yeah. Lots of memories.
So I, I think the moment I was able to make that change is when, you know, I know a lot of people would be familiar with that feeling, is when the pain of staying the same became greater than taking a risk.
Right. I, for the longest time, I would change jobs, you know, corporate jobs, because I'm not happy, something's not right. I change the job, it gets worse. And change another one, it gets worse because that voice of, like, you're not meant for this is not going away.
So eventually, you know, I've had. I've had this idea as a family journal back in my 30s, like 15 years ago, and I never acted on it. I got very close in 2023, but then I got another corporate job. So the pool of staying the same sometimes is so strong that it takes us a while to break through and break free. Right. So for me, when it just this need to create something of my own and the pain of staying the same, when the pain became greater, that's when I actually had the courage to truly pursue it.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: Well, I love that you chose that. And you know what, what's kind of funny is you made a comment about this is about something you wrote when you were a teen, right? And you had these dreams and these visions when you were coming over here of what you wanted to create.
I mean, and granted, it's taken you probably a few decades to get there, right?
But we have to learn our lessons along the way. So we have to realize that whatever we went through was also part of our journey as to who we are today.
And that's also sometimes part of that breakthrough, that edge of where you're about to jump off when you know that this has brought you to where you are.
So I'm curious for other viewers who are feeling stuck or unsecure or unsure of themselves, what is the one small internal shift that helps you begin choosing yourself more? Honestly,
[00:09:05] Speaker B: that's a great question. And I've played with different ideas. I think the number one what helped me is to realize we all have our own timeline.
Just because one person can jump from one place to super successful overnight, it doesn't mean that everybody else has the same timeline. Right. Like one is being gentle with yourself and recognize that your timeline is different from everybody else else's.
And two is start listening to this internal voice.
Because when I start listening, when I I'm on automatic. Yes, to help people, you know, recovering people pleaser is just hearing that voice. Does it feel good? Does it not feel good? You know, what's nudging me? And I think in the beginning I thought it has to be go big or go home.
And then I recognize that is just, you know, sometimes this is the perception is. And if you just take one little small step at a time, whether it's doing some self care or saying no, just doing little steps, you know, and figuring out how you feel, that compile, you know, composited interest will actually pay dividends because it all takes with a little small step to hearing how you feel and what it is that you truly desire.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Yeah, I love this. So I'm curious real quick also because I mean there's so many little nuggets that you've had in this. And so we're going to be going on to our next segment, but however, right before that I would like you to just kind of like talk about for just a few seconds like what life experiences led you to help you see courage, creativity and self expression. Was it from being in Ukraine? What did that influence it? Or from coming over here? Where, where did your, your creativity come from? Where did that self expression where the genius of you?
[00:11:13] Speaker B: I think self expression was always my core value. From the beginning. I always wanted to be my own self.
Even though culturally I was told that I'm nothing without a husband.
Right. So expressing myself and who I am, just who I am, that was always the core value that drove me. But to have courage, and I always want to create, but to have courage, what it took is beating the dead horse and doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
[00:11:45] Speaker A: The definition of insanity, Right.
Well, coming up next, we will explore how creativity, color, animals and storytelling become part of Anya Faleva's journey.
And how self expression can become a breakthrough tool for anyone ready to step into a fuller version of themselves. So if you're looking to shift and change, stay listening to hear. We'll be right back with more insights to help you break through barriers and move forward with confidence.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Raquel and this is Be the Breakthrough Edge on Now Media Television. Let's continue.
Welcome back to Be the Breakthrough Edge. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish on the move. No problem. Catch the podcast version at NowMedia TV or. From business and news to lifestyle, culture, wellness and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
So before the break, Anya Fileva shared the personal journey behind her reinvention.
Now we are looking at how creativity became a vehicle for confidence and how claw and paw apparel uses apparel design and storytelling to help women feel seen playful and authentically themselves.
So why was it important for claw and paw apparel to be more than clothing to become a form of self expression?
[00:13:29] Speaker B: You know, that's a little story goes behind it and I'm happy you asked.
So a few years back I created a line that was strictly geared towards women's self expression.
And I actually have a T shirt in the back that says discover a diamond within because I really truly wanted to start with every woman has this beautiful diamond within her. She just needs to discover it.
What idea was with claw and paw is I actually helped. I have two dogs to cats.
My cats have been me with with me for about 11 years and they have been my, you know, best friends to go through breakups, multiple relationships, multiple moves, multiple jobs.
So I kind of use that as a support that we're doing this together and behind the scenes, you know, it's, it's a team. Me, my cats. Right. Like the invisible force of my friends that helping me to create designs that are could be geared towards, you know, self expression and moods that a woman can have versus something feminine.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: I love that and I love that the diamond within.
Oh my God, that is so amazing. And here's the one thing some people may not know is you and I know each other from doing some classes together.
And one thing about that, you because I had I was always kind of like wearing certain things or whatever. And I'd made a comment about not being able to step into how I wanted to look or how I wanted to, what I wanted to wear. And you gave me some amazing advice on just like finding my own basically my own diamond within and discovering like who and what style I wanted to be that expressed it, who I am. And then it was all about like me going shopping and finding out who I was. So I mean, you get to do this for women all the time, which then allows me to step into my genius and feel good about myself. So you get to do this for other people. And I love how you know, because that's true. The animals that are with us, they're part of our story, right? I mean, I have a dog and I used to have a cat. My poor cat passed away. But you know, my dog is coming with me. She's always with me. She's even with me here and sleeping. So that is a. So, so huge. So I just love this. So how do comfort, playfulness, personal style help people reconnect with confidence in everyday life?
[00:16:09] Speaker B: Oh, what a great question. So back when I lived in New
[00:16:13] Speaker A: York,
[00:16:15] Speaker B: I had high heels that are up to here and mini dresses and you know, all of this pretty clothes are supposed to attract a guy.
And sometimes I would wear it and I would spend the rest, the rest of the evening just kind of fidgeting because I didn't feel good comfortable in my own skin.
So the idea with claw and pore or clothing in general is to find something that feels good for you to feel good on your skin.
You know, whether it's a T shirt, whether it's like a gown, but just really embrace something that feels good in your body because it naturally going to connect you feeling good and confidence.
Because even the other day I went to the wedding and I bought a dress that everybody told me I need to buy.
And I couldn't even dance because all I did is fixing my dress. Because I listen again. I listen to an outside voice that find a beautiful dress. But what I didn't listen to, what felt good for me. And when something feels good wearing on me, I'm naturally don't have to worry about how I'm seen. I'm already feeling good. So it's just that feeling good from my inside out.
[00:17:41] Speaker A: Oh, I love that. So if you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you were going and making that, that dress decision? What would you have shifted or changed? What would you tell Yourself. So just out of curiosity, I would
[00:17:55] Speaker B: just say, don't even try the second dress, because I had an idea in my mind and what I wanted.
But everybody loved the second dress, right? So I wouldn't even try the second dress. I would just take.
When I go shopping for clothes, I don't really try it on. I usually just.
I mean, I hate to say this, but I do speak to the clothes, and if, you know, if I feel that pool, then I'll just take it.
So I would just again, listen to my inner guidance, inner voice. Will. Felt good.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: I love it. You're the clothes whisperer.
That's awesome. I know.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: We tried. It's too much work. And, you know, like, I know if something speaks to me, I just get it.
[00:18:44] Speaker A: That's really cool.
So that kind of leads into, like. So I'm assuming that when you speak to your clothes or you're speaking to who you want to be, this is giving you that confidence and you're being able to choose yourself honestly rather than trying to be perfect.
How did you learn that lesson?
[00:19:03] Speaker B: Trying to be perfect for too many times.
Right?
It's.
I took a workshop long time ago, and it was one of the ideas of wearing what you want.
So I kind of figured. Figured out that I would go to a closet and say, what is it that would make me feel good wearing today?
And whatever, you know, what I'll come to come pops to mind to my eyes. Like, I'll grab and I'll wear it. Because in the past, not just with clothes, but I was like, what would people approve me wearing? Or what would people approve me saying? Will people approve me acting?
So it's just this constant practice of listening to myself and a. You know, just picking what comes up first without my logical mind interfering.
[00:19:58] Speaker A: Well, that kind of leads me to a question, you know, like, I don't know a lot of females. And then again, I know there's some men that have lots of clothes, too, but when it comes to, like, cleaning out your closet, because you talked about picking clothes that make you feel good. And so many times you go to your closet and you're like, 80 of the stuff you don't even, like, and there's only, like, 20, you do. But how would you even suggest, like, for people who might be, like, overwhelmed when they even go to their closet to find what feels good, how would you suggest they even clear that out? Because, I mean, you've got, you know, taking that class and doing, you know, like, how to find what really feels good to you. Like, how do they just decide to let stuff go that no longer feels good to them? How would you suggest that?
[00:20:39] Speaker B: Yeah, gosh, it was a journey, right? Because I would go to my closet and I'm like, I only wear this, but I have this, right?
And I felt so bad getting rid of it because it has memories attached to, has maybe good experiences.
Perhaps at one point in my life, it just made me look beautiful or feel beautiful.
And it's there in my closet, but I don't wear it.
So it was hard for me to get rid of it. What I would do is take the clothes that I don't wear and move it to a different closet and I can stay there for a while until I figure out, like, do I even miss it?
And the way that I learn how to deal with, you know, not wanting to let go again, it doesn't just represent clothes. It could be not wanting let go of events, experiences past.
I figured out that what works for me is saying, this was beautiful on me once before. I bless it and I hope it brings joy to another person who will wear it.
Right. So it's kind of like passing on the good times, the good vibes, the blessings to another person because to them will be something new.
[00:21:58] Speaker A: Oh, I love that. And that makes you want to kind of like share your clothes and. And, you know, donate them or sell them because you want other people to have that amazing experience that you did too.
So. Yeah, that's so cool.
I love it. Okay, so we talked about, like, how especially cats were a part of your life and how they were part of this journey with you.
How did they also play in your creative voice and your connection with your audience?
[00:22:31] Speaker B: Well, thank you for asking that. I.
So my cats is when look at my cats or dogs.
But because the brand is more.
I think I have a more of a catty personality.
Right. So I think when I look at them, when they sit next to me, when I cuddle with them, it brings out the softness and the joy that I don't always generate for myself.
You know, sometimes we heard, sometimes in many exercises through self development programs, we hear, imagine the little child, you know, and feel that compassion.
In my case, I couldn't. So I had to connect to my animals to generate the joy, to generate compassion, to generate love for people who would potentially buy.
Right.
It's through connection to my animals that I'm able to connect with kindness and joy and compassion.
[00:23:37] Speaker A: Wow, that's huge.
So real quick.
For someone who has muted their personality to fit expectations, what practical step can help them begin expressing themselves again.
[00:23:51] Speaker B: Yeah, sometimes it's a journey.
Right.
I think the first step is it's never too late because I thought it was too late for me to start to start over. It's never too late. It's just, you know, improving one percent or half percent every single day. And that could look by, you know, look like, hey, what cup of coffee do you want to have? Do I want to have tea today? Just asking yourself a question. What would I, what would make me happy today? What would I want to do today instead of going on automatic?
Right. So it's just like building that connection with yourself and not just running automatic, but just starting to trust yourself, your inner guidance and that voice that says, hey, I like that versus I don't like that.
[00:24:40] Speaker A: Oh, that's so good. So after the break, we will talk about building new habits, moving through fear, and turning a personal idea into a brand with meaning, heart and momentum.
We'll be right back with more insights to help you break through barriers and move forward with confidence.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Raquel and this is Be the Breakthrough Edge on Now Media Television. Let's continue.
So we have been discussing creativity, confidence and authentic expression with Anya Faleva, founder and creator of Claw and paw apparel.
Now we are moving into action the habits, decisions, and mindset shifts that turn an idea into real forward motion.
So Anya, what limiting belief did you have to challenge in order to move from dreaming about your brand to actually building it?
[00:25:38] Speaker B: Probably the same one as a lot of women and men struggle with is not enough not being good enough. Why would anybody listen to me buy from me?
I'm just an ordinary person. Right. It's just that not enoughness, that's probably, you know, that not enoughness is number one. And the second one is life is a struggle. Right. We grew up in communism and no water, no heat, no electricity, you know, food is scarce. So life is a struggle.
And I've struggled plenty.
So those two beliefs really shaped all of my choices to do what I've been told to do.
[00:26:22] Speaker A: Wow. So that had to not be very easy to go through. I mean, you've come a long way to from where you were. No wonder you had such big dreams and now you're stepping into them. So I just love it.
So how do you keep going when progress is slow or feedback is uncertain or your self doubt starts getting loud? Like when you start, do you ever start to keep feeling those like unworthy feelings again or there's like that limitation? Do you still feel that now?
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I just feel like they don't go away.
You know, what I noticed is when the time, you know, times get tough and I also do consulting for a corporate company and when the progress is not going as fast as I want it, I hit roadblocks. Somebody, you know, even sometimes somebody leaves a bad comment, you know, it just. That gets triggered, right? And I think as much as I have worked on myself and I have worked on myself for 20 years now in different workshops, that default, I bring in the default negative talk gets triggered. The one thing that I do differently now is I catch it faster so it doesn't run so much on automatic. And I can actually say, no, you're doing your best, right? So I can have that self conversation. But the one thing I would, I really want to mention is that self talk for me has been very crucial because I recognize by default I'm on a very negative self talk. It's my fault, I did something wrong.
So having that reverse of, you know, sometimes you can go back when the negative self talk is harsh, you can go back and say, I'm amazing. Everything's great. I'm the best. So you have to build that bridge. No, you're doing your best.
You've done well today.
You know, just like taking those gentle steps because the gap between where we've been conditionally to where we want to be is too huge. So building the little steps really helped.
[00:28:37] Speaker A: I think that's huge because I think so many people out there feel exactly the way you feel. And there may be times when you're feeling, like, really good and you're really good at, like, that self talk. But then there's other times you slip back and guess what? We're all human beings, right?
And like you said, it's about catching it faster. It's like the more you practice it, the more you're going to catch it faster. So you can shift that thought so you can start saying and like breaking the pattern. I usually tell tell people like, you know, like clap or something or do something to like shift it so that they can reframe it. So it's like, it's like it's a disruptor. You want to do something that's a major disruptor. So you're like, whoa, that's right. So it makes you catch things faster.
So going with that, how was building a boutique brand taught you about patience, consistency, and trusting your own voice?
[00:29:29] Speaker B: Luckily, I have plenty of patience. I think naturally I have plenty of patience.
I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, because it also leaves me beating the dead horse for a long time, not comparing myself to everybody.
The thing is, my progress could be going great one week, and the next couple weeks, it feels like I'm on square one. Right? So that, remember that that's a journey, and as long as I'm making incremental progress, that's all that matters, right? And it's, you know, some days it goes faster, some days just, you know, it's a struggle.
[00:30:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I totally get that because it's like, it's called the roller coaster, right. Of entrepreneurship. It's like you're constantly, like, sometimes you hit the high, and then you hit the low, and then you hit the high, and you hit the low, and you just. You don't want your. Your roller coaster to be really high and low dip. So as you start to reframe yourself, you can maybe get those dips to be a little bit less. You can have a little bit less of the intensity of that roller coaster.
But, yeah, so, I mean, that's so true because, I mean, a lot of people expect that, like, when you go in for business for yourself or that entrepreneurship or when you take that leap to go from corporate to entrepreneurship or to do the things that make your heart sing, that it's always going to be that way, that it's going to be easy. But as you're saying, I mean, every. A lot of us all know this is not easy. You got your ups and downs.
So how do you balance creative intuition with the practical decisions required to run a business?
[00:31:09] Speaker B: I plan out my week. And I love that, you know, I love that you said, you know, about those curves getting the, you know, peaks and Wallace get a little bit more evened out.
And also sometimes, you know, for some reason, people feel or think entrepreneurship is, like, so easy. You just, good, you're your own boss, but the money tree doesn't go on trees, right?
So it's like, again, it's journey. Every day is reminding myself that I'm making progress continuously.
[00:31:53] Speaker A: And
[00:31:58] Speaker B: it's a lot more different than being an employee.
Right. Which I have been for 25 years.
And in a way, you know, it was easier, right.
But then it wasn't as fulfilling.
So it's just that journey that we have to take with entrepreneurship.
[00:32:20] Speaker A: Yeah. So true. I mean, like, and some people in corporate jobs, they feel fulfilled, but I think there's. There's a certain unique amount of people out there that just have these ideas, these heart things. That you want to do that really make your heart sing. And it's about grabbing the ability to do it. So I mean, like, you're doing it still in the corporate world. So you're. We're seeing you like where. So sometimes what you're taught is to do a little bit while you're in the corporate world, build your brand up before anything else can shift or change. And we're seeing you in that phase, which is really cool. So eventually we're going to see you in the phase of you get to let go of corporate world, possibly if that makes your heart sing and really totally jump into this amazing thing that you're building. And in our next episode, you're gonna. Are gonna get to see our shirts. We're going to display those. You're going to get to see that funness. But what would you say to someone who is waiting to feel fully ready before starting the next chapter of their life? Like, ready to step into their career, step into their. There's what makes it hard seeing.
[00:33:29] Speaker B: So I would say it's a journey. And I, I was waiting until I was ready.
I had somebody say to me one time, are you waiting to love yourself until you start acting like that? I said, yeah. She was like, that's never going to happen. You have to act before the feeling will follow.
So in my experience, and again, it could be different for some other people.
It just. You never fully ready, hardly ever, that a sign will come from the universe and hit you over the head and says you're ready. That's it. That's your sign. We just have to follow that nudge, right? And we don't have to quit a corporate job because in the past I used to think you have to quit your corporate job to become an entrepreneur. Is it this or that?
But what if and. And can exist and maybe you like what you do in the corporate job, but you really want to do something creative on the side or healing, coaching. Right? So it's again like just, you know, really questioning those limitations and knowing that you'll never be fully ready. You just take. Have to take a step at a time.
[00:34:40] Speaker A: I completely agree. That is, that's, that's huge for people to understand that it's just one step at a time, one idea at a time and just listening and following your belief. Like, write down what it is that makes your heart sing. Right.
So when we come back, we will bring the conversation home with what it means to live more authentically, build a brand with heart and choose a breakthrough one. Honest step at a time.
And we're back. I'm Dr. Raquel and this is Be the Breakthrough Edge on Now Media Television. Let's continue.
And we're back. I's Dr. Raquel and this is be the Breakthrough Edge on Now Media television. Let's continue.
Welcome back to Be the Breakthrough Edge. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. You can download the NOW Media TV app on Roku or IS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish on the move. No problem. Catch it on NowMedia TV. From business and news to lifestyle, culture, wellness and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
So before the break, Anya shared how self belief becomes action.
Now we are closing with the deeper message behind her work. Confident is not about perfection. It is about choosing yourself honestly, expressing who you are and creating momentum through small courageous decisions.
So Ani, before we start, I would love for you to share the names of your cats with us and maybe a little bit about their personality.
[00:36:21] Speaker B: Oh my gosh, I love that. Thank you.
I have two cats. I adopted both of them when I lived in Kentucky and my black cat is Dexter. I named him after the show because at that time it was my favorite show texter and he is a creature of the night.
He is very loving and he is my lab cat. You know, when I'm working and I have Rosie, she's very soft, mellow girl.
She's very different from Dexter.
They both very sweet, very loving.
[00:37:03] Speaker A: A I love it.
So why and what do you hope women feel when they wear something from your brand?
[00:37:15] Speaker B: I would love for them to feel self expressive.
I would love for them to feel comfortable in their own skin wearing the T shirt and I would love to create T shirts that feel like a piece of art.
That when a woman wears it, she feels proud and happy and confident and gets compliments and she's able to receive it because you know, as women we not very good with compliments.
So I just want them to feel good in their own skin.
[00:37:54] Speaker A: Oh yeah. And that is so, so important for people to feel good in your own skin and to accept your compliments, just, you know, say thank you.
[00:38:04] Speaker B: I mean simple, but it's hard.
[00:38:06] Speaker A: Oh, thank you.
[00:38:07] Speaker B: On sale, right?
[00:38:08] Speaker A: Yeah, we have some excuse.
So how can people use everyday choices, what they wear, how they speak, what they create as reminders of who they are becoming?
[00:38:23] Speaker B: I think it's just pausing for a moment.
At least for me, our confidence and who we are sometimes is buried. So Deep down under all the conditioning and rules and expectation and people pleasing.
So sometimes it's really challenging to get to who you are through all of the layers.
It's not as easy as to say, hey, what do you want to be?
Right. If the money was not an object, which is a popular question, sometimes who we are buried so deep down that we have to take the small steps to get to who we are. And it will take time.
So I would really just would encourage is like really pausing for a moment and ask yourself, does it feel good to me?
Am I saying yes because I'm obligated to, or am I saying yes because I want to? Right. Just like really catching yourself when being on automatic and making hopefully a different choice. The one that feels good.
[00:39:31] Speaker A: Right?
Right.
Yeah. Yeah, that is. That's huge. Just taking that time to get quiet with yourself because I mean, as you evolve, everything shifts and changes and it changes fast sometimes and the world is always constantly changing. And what you thought, like what I thought I was going to do when I was a kid and what I'm doing now, or I believe not the same thing, but I think the feeling of it is still similar. What that feeling of expansion, that feeling of freedom, that feeling of being a difference in someone's life. Like the feeling is there, it's just maybe the how it happens might change.
So what has entrepreneurship taught you about resilience and identity?
[00:40:18] Speaker B: Never given up.
It's not, you know, it's really. I've started businesses before. You know, one of them was real estate business that I started when I was in my early 30s, long time ago.
And I loved making my own decisions. I loved working.
What I didn't love is that it was a wrong business.
I think what it taught me with entrepreneurship is that being in the corporate world for so long and not wanting to be in it and wanting to do something that makes me feel good.
It took a lot, a lot of soul searching and digging.
So what entrepreneurship taught me is that it has to feel good.
Otherwise it's going to become like a second job and it's not going to be sustainable.
[00:41:10] Speaker A: I agree.
I 100 agree.
So what advice would you give to someone who wants to reinvent themselves but feels afraid of being judged?
[00:41:22] Speaker B: People will judge no matter what.
Whether you do everything that they want you to do versus everything. The opposite they will always judge is just figuring out how to filter that information and not taking personally and just taking small steps. Sometimes when we, you know, just begin and not ready and we tried for a giant leap that could feel scary or will backfire, but just taking little small steps and knowing that people will always.
How do I say it? Haters are gonna hate. Right. Is that the expression? But so you know, people, even if they our families a lot, they wish us the best, they want us to be happy. It's just their way of happiness looks very different from ours.
Yeah. So not to take that personally.
[00:42:16] Speaker A: Right. And I know like some people, they'll talk about, like it doesn't matter if you're doing something. Like if you're being quiet enough doing anything, people are going to talk about that. If you're doing something major, people are going to talk about that. And if you do something that doesn't. Isn't good or whatever, people are going to talk about that. So I think no matter what people are going to talk.
And to be honest, I think I've read a couple books and they say, well, whatever people say about you is really none of your business.
You got to stay in your own lane and keep your thoughts to yourself and know where you're going and don't get derailed by what other people say or think about you because it's truly none of your business. Because it is still a reflection of who they are and what they are going through. And it's. Is this part of that kind of story?
So, you know, if people are going to talk, make them, let them talk
[00:43:06] Speaker B: to talk about. That's right.
[00:43:12] Speaker A: So what I want to do real quick before we continue on, I want us to stand up because you sent me some of your shirts. And so I'm going to show the shirt I am currently wearing. And then I'm going to show the other shirt that you sent me. And then I want you to stand up and show off your shirt. And if you want to pull any of your other ones up. And then we're going to tell people how to get these amazing shirts and how they can step into confidence and step into who they are so when they wear it, they know why they're becoming who they are becoming.
So I'm going to do my best here without.
It is so cute. This looks like Dexter in a way.
[00:43:45] Speaker B: In a way, yes. It is inspired by Dexter, My animals.
[00:43:50] Speaker A: I love it. And then we have this one. Is this also kind of a Dexter famous shirt?
[00:43:57] Speaker B: Yes, as you can see.
Yes. Dexter's outline with flowers. A little femininity.
[00:44:03] Speaker A: There you go. He had to mix a little bit of Rosie with them. All right, now you got to show me yours and then show me. And then it looks like I want to see if you have any shirts with your diamonds in there or anything like that. Yeah, I have.
[00:44:14] Speaker B: Oops. I have this one, you know, with the cat kind of like oops. What you have. Yep.
[00:44:21] Speaker A: Is that. That's white. So what color is Rosie?
[00:44:24] Speaker B: What'd you say?
[00:44:25] Speaker A: What color is Rosie?
[00:44:27] Speaker B: Rosie is an orange kitty. But I actually did this once, you know, just like a sleeping cat. Ah.
And this one is for August and flowers because sunflowers are, you know, leos are very powerful. So the subtle message behind it is women are waking up to their lioness, right?
[00:44:51] Speaker A: Oh yes. And we got the, the lion port or the line, the Lionsgate portal that's opening up for eight. Eight. So that's huge. Granted people once they watch this, it's going to be like a month or so from now. But that's besides.
[00:45:01] Speaker B: Yeah. And this one was the original part of the original line. Now that you can see it. I don't know how.
[00:45:06] Speaker A: Oh, and that looks like almost like in a diamond shape in a way.
[00:45:09] Speaker B: Yes, it's.
[00:45:10] Speaker A: Yeah, it was diamond. Within. Yeah.
[00:45:12] Speaker B: Discovered that within which eventually coming perhaps. You know, I was feeling a little, a little nervous, really going, you know, really going with everything about 100% self expression feminine and I felt like having cats included gave me some comfort. So now I'm incorporating both and we'll be creating more designs where you know, again my, my goal is for women to feel good and also have very good quality product so they can keep for years.
[00:45:56] Speaker A: I love it. So you want to tell them where they can get these amazing shirts.
[00:46:01] Speaker B: Oh yes, I forgot about that. Thank you.
I have a site, it's claw and poco.com and also on Instagram or Facebook and as well as Pinterest. I'm trying to build love Pinterest but never used it for business before.
So just that's the site where keep and you can see Dexter and Rosie so you can little of them as well.
But yeah, the goal is to truly, you know, create more designs whether it's a mood or you know, femininity and floral. And I've noticed that a lot of ladies like that feminine aspect. So I'm adding some floors into that.
This is where again I wish I was moving faster but I'm not. And this is where that patience, resilience and making 1 incremental percent per day is really essential.
[00:47:05] Speaker A: That is so true. And what advice would you give someone who wants to reinvent themselves but feels afraid of being judged
[00:47:16] Speaker B: Listen first is listening to their voice, the inner voice, inner guidance. And remembering that the timeline, like we talked before, is very unique. They don't have to jump from point A to point B overnight, even though sometimes our society makes us feel that way. That success just has to happen overnight. Success is never a straight line, just never giving up on that dream. Taking little steps at a time, listening to their voice and, you know, discovering who they are one layer at a time.
Because if you spend 40, 50, 60 years being one way, the change is not going to happen overnight. It's going to take time and it's okay to be patient and it's going to take as much as it takes. But as long as we're making progress, we move into the right direction.
[00:48:12] Speaker A: I love that. And honestly, that is the breakthrough. Just one step at a time. It doesn't even have to be anything dramatic. It's just you choosing you, right?
Absolutely.
So as we close, Anya Faleva, thank you for reminding us that confidence is built with honest choices and creative courage and the willingness to begin before everything feels perfect again. One step at a time. And patience.
Your work through a claw and paw apparel shows selfless expression can be both joyful and deeply meaningful. And I love how you bring in Dexter and Rosie into this. And I love the pictures on your website and I love that you have them on your shirts, too. So that is. This is bringing a little bit of them into their your life. So thank you for watching Be the breakthrough edge. I'm Dr. Raquel Yarrow and I'll see you next time as we continue helping people break through limitations and step into higher levels of clarity, confidence and purpose.
[00:49:15] Speaker B: Thank you. Dr. Raquel, what a pleasure. Thank you for having me.
[00:49:18] Speaker A: Oh, you're welcome.
