9 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me...
Okay, friends, today we’re doing something a liiiiiiiiiittle different on the ol’ Foundation Blog. I’ve gotten A LOT of feedback from you that you’re interested in some more personal posts mixed in on occassion: everyday life, fun facts, just some insights into who I am ~behind the blog~.
Annnnnnd to be honest, I was a bit hesitant about this because my main goal for this blog is to be a tangible health resource— and ultimately I want The Foundation Blog to be about you (not me).
With all of that said, I also really respect your feedback— and I heard alllllll of your requests for the occasional personal post mixed in. SoooOOOOOooooo… let’s give it a whirl!
While most of the posts I continue to share are (of course) going to be more tangible resources about holistic health, self-care, science-backed natural remedies, etc., I HEARD YOUR FEEDBACK and when it comes to blog topics...if you want it, you got it (*cue Ariana Grande*).
So to kick us off, I’m going to share nine things you may not know about me. These are light-hearted, simple little fun facts that might just help you “get to know me” a little better :) Let’s jump in!
#1 Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are my best friends.
For as long as I could shop, I have LOOOOVED a good deal. However, once I got older, I began to appreciate thrifting not only for the bargains but for the sustainability aspect and the opportunity to score truuuly unique pieces, as well! Whether it’s clothes, home decor, furniture (I’ve furnished soooooo much of our house this way), camping gear, or even electronics (literally both my iPhone and laptop are secondhand from craigslist…). my love of getting deals online runs deep. In general, I like to think I am a friendly person— buuuuut I am a RUTHLESS SHARK when negotiating a price or entering a bidding war on ebay, hahahah.
Like…. even as a 15-year-old, I was bartering for my high school prom dress on eBay (…and then instantly resold it on ebay after the dance, ha!). TBH I think it’s genetic—my dad used to always surf Craigslist for old cars, equipment, tools, and fix them up so I would like to thank Tommy for the gene pool!
I think it’s soooooo much more exciting when you find something great on one of these sites than when you just buy it. It does take some digging and time to find the *chefs kiss* perfect piece, but it can be such an easy (and fun!) way to save money and have unique pieces in your life (and help the environment in the process!).
#2 I am a university instructor on the side!
During my doctorate, I served as a TA for multiple semesters, and after graduation I got offered a position as a formal instructor for the course! I absolutely love teaching—seeing students grow, reading their insights in discussions, teaching on topics I’m so passionate about… I really enjoy it, and I love that I’ve found a way to do it on the side and nurture that part of myself. I don’t usually mention this on Instagram (you know, boundaries…) but in the “real world” I teach at a big ol’ public university!
#3 My fave thing in the world is a “foodie” dinner date
There are a tonnnnn of fun options for a night out. Concerts, movies, being active with something like bowling...it’s all really fun. BUT. Mine and Adam’s favorite thing is investing into a fun, quality, delicious meal. Which is WILD for me— because growing up, my fam was definitely an everyone-get-water-as-their-drink, never-get-an-appetizer, share-a-meal kind of crew. However, Adam and his family have always been foodies, and they exposed me to delish meals that are more of an “experience”.
When Adam and I first got married, we spent some time budgeting and setting standards for what was financially important to us. We decided to do 1-2 “nicer” date nights per month that were a bit more elaborate, instead of more frequent (but less “special”) food options like takeout, pizza orders, casual dates out, buying lunch at work, etc. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to invest in things that bring me joy— and one of those things is delicious, unique, quality meals! Getting a drink, an appetizer, and an entree, and just being present and enjoying that quality time. It’s truuuuuuuly my happy place in this world.
There’s truly no right or wrong here (don’t get me wrong— yaaaa girl loves the occasional takeout sushi and Schitt’s Creek on the couch!) but my favorite thing in the WORLD is picking a restaurant, getting a lil dressed up, having a drink or two, lingering in the conversation, choosing each course with intention, and enjoyyyyying a beautiful meal. Mmmmmmm.
#4 I am way more introverted than people think.
Generally speaking, I’m quite outgoing and I have no issues showing up and being myself and making conversation. But it wasn’t until I heard the true definitions of introvert and extrovert (where you get your energy from vs. just being “outgoing” or “shy”), that I realized I’m actually more of an introvert!
While I enjoy time with others, I 100000% get my energy from myself and recharge with time alone. I loooooove connecting with people and being around friends, but after social time, I felt a little depleted and to recharge I need to be by myself. It took me a long time to realize this, and it surprises a lot of people—even close friends! But really a big part of my soul is introverted and I draw energy from time alone. I’ve been learning to honor this as I’ve gotten older and it’s made suuuuch a difference in my energy & mood!
lol, just me and one of my fav pairs of ebay pants hahahahahha
#5 Something I get self-conscious about is…
… people not taking me seriously. I’m naturally really bubbly and lighthearted, so I sometimes feel like I have to work harder for people to take my intelligence seriously?
While I don’t want to change who I am, I can get self-conscious about how I’m perceived. I think a lot of enneagram 7s can relate to this: internally you’re deep, responsible, hard-working, and intentional…. but just because you’re also optimistic and approach things with humor and levity people often take your credibility as less???? It could be in my head, but it is one of my most persistent self-doubts.
While this isn’t a big deal in my personal life, I do think about it a lot in my professional life— including this blog! For example, one of the reasons I was hesitant to write this “personal” post as I worried it could detract and “take away from” all of the science-backed, tangible blog posts I’ve written. I’ve worked really hard to build the credibility and trust on this site, and I worry if I bring too much ~PerSoNaLitY~ to it, it could downplay the credibility??? I don’t know… that’s just an honest peek in my mind!
But! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more comfortable and learned to embrace my “dual nature” and carving my own path. I think I’ve found a good balance of knowing when to be serious, “buttoned up”, and straight-forward and when & where I can let my freeeeak flag flyyyyy! Because I am not “one thing”. Yes, I am a jokster— but I am also incredibly organized and hard working. Yes, I have my doctorate and I am a social media ~blogger~. While a lot of these things are seen as opposites in society, none of these things negate the other. I don’t have to be “either-or”, I can be “both-and”… and EMBRACE IT :) Because I consistently hear that people like how I can deliver concrete, tangible information in a fun, lighthearted, easy-to-read manner… and that makes me so happy! …but, in the same breath, I get self-conscious that I should be writing more scholarly, APA-format style on my blog to “prove” my smarts and graduate education. But, the truth? No one wants to read that. And I don’t really want to write that way. So, here we are :)
Because I truly DO believe you can learn & grow & get $h!t done AND have fun along the way (cue one of my fav quotes, “whistle while you hustle”). I DO take my goals seriously, I DO work hard, I AM educated, I AM responsible *and* I will always, always, always approach life with a spirit of laughter, playfulness, and joy! (…but, I won’t lie, it is definitely still something I can get self-conscious about!)
#6 i was raised to be financially independent
As I just mentioned, I come across as lighthearted and “let’s just wing it!” in a lot of ways, but one of the places I am most structured is my finances. Money can be such a taboo topic, but I don’t think it has to be! I try to weave it into this blog because I know financial wellbeing can translate to soooo many other areas of life so I WILL talk about it!
And I think a big part of that is how I grew up. My family was verrrrry much a middle income household (my dad worked at a paper factory and my mom taught at a community college). Both of my parents are incredibly hard-working and insanely generous, but they made the decision to raise all of us kids to be financially independent from a young age. Even as a little kiddo, I learned the value of a dollar and “earning” my money through extra chores, odd jobs, etc, and spending responsibly. Every single birthday check we would get, we were expected to put 50% in our savings, 10% in charity, and then we could use our judgment on the remaining 40%. I distinctly remember taking the $20 I got from for my 6th birthday from my grandparents to the bank, and my mom helping me set up a savings account to put $10 into. Like, we started YOUNG.
And I don’t say this in a whiny way— it was just the way it was. I had a great childhood and was fully supported by my parents (they are literally theeee best humans). It was just expected that I would work in high school, pay for my own stuff (gas, car, clothes, prom dresses, haircuts, etc.), and that would pay my own way through college, grad school, etc. Truthfully, I remember feeling a weeee bit bitter about my situation when I saw friends who were more financially supported, but in reality… I’ve been earning and saving and budgeting for a loooooooong time and it ended up serving me well, I think! And it’s not like I’m rolling in the dough by any means! But it’s just that I have a really solid PLAN and sense of “where my money is going” and I think a large part of that is because I was forced to do that at a young age!
Having autonomy/responsibility around my money from my younger years has allowed me to grow up & evolve & find my personal money “sweet spot”— where it’s important to me to first prioritize saving, investing, planning for retirement, etc. AND then enjoy my hard-earned money and make intentional purchases (for example, travel, good food, home decor and clothes I LOVE, our “fancy” dinner date nights out!, etc.).
I feel really balanced and proud of where I am at— because I really did work on it by myself, for myself which was empowering as a woman! I won’t lie, I have really put the work in— by FORCING MYSELF to learn confusing financial jargon, feeling a sense of responsibility for my moolah from a young age, clarifying what is important to ME (and adjusting my budget accordingly), and *forcing* myself to be very detail-oriented and structured (even though that’s not normally my personality). Long story short— I’m thankful for how I was raised, I’m proud of the life I’ve built, and I will continue to be intentional & committed to my financial wellbeing.
#7 I am on my way to becoming a board-certified health coach.
I’m currently taking my certification through the Mayo Clinic, and becoming certified as a health coach is a long-term goal I really want to achieve. Actually, my post-doctorate job is working as a health coach for a large organization (again, keeping that private because… #boundaries :) ), but I truly couldn’t think of a better fit for me right now as I want to continue fostering this skillset.
Health coaching and motivational interviewing were my absolute FAVORITE parts of my doctorate, and truly what I think medicine should be: empowering the patient, helping them identify their health goals, barriers, motivations, and coming alongside them to develop a personalized, patient-focused action plan. It’s a beautiful field, and I can’t wait to work as a health coach and get board certified in the next year.
#8 I’m the youngest of three kids.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m always soooo interested in people’s “birth order” and how that can correlate with personality. i’m always so curious (ahem, nosey) and try to find out which order people were born in and compare that to their birth order “stereotype” (oldest, middle, youngest, only child, etc.). For me, I am the YOUNGEST. By quite a bit, actually.
My older brother, Joe, is eight years older than me, and my older sister, Jenna, is 6 years older. And then alooooooooong came Kate (surprise, mom and dad!). While I was 1000000% an accident (“but not a mistake” my mom assures me, ha!), I actually kind of loved being a lot younger because Joe and Jenna kind of raised me in a way! Even when I was a baby, they were old enough to help change my diapers, babysit, annnnd…. my brother even brought ME in for 2nd grade show and tell when I was born hahahahahha.
Personality-wise, I’d say as siblings we’re about 50% the same and 50% the complete opposite across the board. For the similarities, I would say we are 50% the same on “big picture” things and general ethos: we are all verrrrry optimistic (big shoutout to Mom & Dad for that trait), hard-working, entrepreneurial (both Joe and Jen are incredibly successful entrepreneurs!), curious, driven, flexible, and multi-passionate. But we differ on the WHAT we do— we all played different sports, had our own unique interests, verrry different college majors, business focuses, varying personalities, etc. So, while our work ethic & general “vibe” is similar in a lot of ways, we have all followed our own unique paths and interests!
I look up to them so much, and I am truly just so proud (and thankful) to call these two my sibs. Like, truly. They are brilliant, hard-working, but mainly just GOOD people.
#9 I love love love running (and actually ran DI track back in the day!)
You’ve probably seen on my Instagram that I love to run, but TRUUUUST ME, it used to be a much, much, much larger part of my life. Starting in junior high, I found relative success in track when I qualified for the state meet in 7th grade (…and it felt like SUCH a big deal at the time. I felt like it was the Olympics, hahahaha). Each year, I committed myself more and more to the sport, and eventually, I won a state title in the 800 meter, which attracted some college attention. I ultimately committed to the University of Minnesota, and I had THEE. BEST. EXPERIENCE. running for the Gophers. I can’t even describe how special it was to truly dedicate myself to the sport, travel the country racing, serve as team captain, clench the Big 10 title our senior year, AND meet some of the most badass, wonderful women I’ve ever known. Many of my teammates are my true LIFEMATES to this day. I look back SO fondly on that time. Go GOPPPPPHSSSS forevah!
While I no longer run competitively or train super seriously at all (I just hobby jog and sign up for the occasional fun race), my relationship with running is soooooo deeply intertwined into who I am and truly impacts every. single. area of my life. No matter if I am just getting an ordinary run in or chasing a PR, it essentially just boils down to the fact that running is the ultimate form of “me time”. It’s the most versatile activity– no matter what I’m needing that day: a time to clear my thoughts, a place to push my limits, a place to feel confident, feisty, driven, focused, humbled, reflective… I know whatever I need that particular day, I’ll find it when I lace up my shoes. Hobby jogger for liiiiife over here!
okay, now your turn…
Well, there you have it, the first edition of a more personal post! I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to do this at first because, as I said, I want The Foundation Blog to be about YOU and not me.
With that said, I want this to be a safe space on the Internet where you feel like you can be yourself—if you’re reading this, I’d love to hear a fun fact about YOU in the section below.
I can’t wait to read them! I truly view my blog as a place of connection, and moving forward I think I’ll mix in these personal posts every so often?? Maybe 1 out of every 8-10 posts??? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Okay, ENOUGH ABOUT ME— your turn! Jot me a fun fact below :) I’ll seriously be reading every single one!
Thanks for being here, friend.
xx,
Kate
but wait! there’s moooore…. :)
