Chasing your dreams is an adventurous journey that includes beautiful moments of pure bliss and deep heartache. Our guest today has creatively shared her own unique and beautiful story and turned it into a powerful tool to encourage connection and inspire her community to go after their own dreams.
In this episode, I am talking to Casey Wiegand, mama to four, artist, dreamer, and owner of Casey Leigh Essentials and The CaseyLeigh Collection. Today, Casey is sharing her incredible story of dream chasing, storytelling, and creating businesses that work with the season of life she is currently living. She’s sharing her best tips on how to see the story through a different lens, inviting your children into your business, doing what makes you light up inside, and understanding that your dreams matter.
What we covered:
- How social media became a place to share her story
- Leaving a legacy and love letters to our children
- How to believe in yourself even when your dreams aren’t realized yet
- Making affirmations a part of your success
- Why every story has struggles, heartaches, failures, and new beginnings
“Just remember that we each are so uniquely gifted and your gift absolutely matters. No matter what has been spoken over you or what you’ve believed about yourself, to release that and just really, truly try to see everything with new eyes. Because as we see ourselves for who we were created to be, we’ll be able to really step into those goals and those dreams and what it is that you can run towards.” – Casey Wiegand
Connect with Casey:
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Chasing your dreams and sharing your story along the way is anything but glamorous – although it can certainly seem perfectly put together on social media. Our guest, Casey Wiegand is sharing her beautiful story of how she’s turned struggle and hardship into relatable stories that inspire her community and her children to never give up on their dreams.
Meg: Well, guys, we have Casey Wiegand on the podcast today. I’m so excited to welcome you.
Casey: So glad to be here. Thank you so much. It means so much.
Meg: Yes, of course. So, a fun fact for people, I’m actually a member in Casey’s oil community. And I grabbed my oils in 2017, under one of my friends, and she added me into all the oily community groups and resources. And I was so anxious for my oils to arrive. But I was just binge watching every video. And you were pregnant at the time. And I was blown away, Oh my gosh, my leader, I was so inspired both by essential oils and using plant based products, but also the business side. I just couldn’t get enough of your videos.
I feel like you pull the dreamer out of people. And so I’m really excited to have you on here. Because I feel like that’s such a huge gifting to you, and I think you’ll pull the inner dreamer out of some of our listeners. So I’m really excited.
Casey: Oh, I hope so. For some reason, I feel like I’m about to tear up already. But yeah, it is. It’s like such a piece of my heart. So that makes me happy.
Meg: Good. Okay, so you’re a dreamer. And you’re also like such a storyteller. And you guys, if you don’t follow Casey, on Instagram, oh my goodness, her beautiful photos and everything is so well told through photos and your words on your blog. And now, your art. So figuratively, and literally, you’re such a great storyteller. It’s such a gift. And so what I would love to do to start is to kind of go back to your childhood.
If that works, Joanna Gaines, fangirl over, you’re gonna say me too. She came out with a children’s book recently. And she wrote on Instagram. She said, I really believe when we go back to ourselves as children, we find the truest versions of who we were made to be. And I was just like, Oh, my gosh, that’s so true. So I just am curious, would you agree with that for yourself? And like, Have you always been a dreamer and a creator? How has that looked as you were?
Becoming A Dreamer & Creator
Casey: Oh, absolutely. I could not agree with that more. And I didn’t know that she had shared that. But I love it so much. It’s funny, because if I look back on my childhood, I mean, as pretty much as early as I can remember, I can remember being in like, first or second grade. And I would gather acorns and paint them and do different things with them and then go out and sell them in front of our house. It was like lemonade stand style.
But my mom says that for as long as she can remember, I’ve always been that way and done that. And for whatever reason, I feel this like belief in myself even. And I know, we’ll get to this even with all the times that we failed. And we have failed so many times. I think that the ribbon that really connected it is like – I always still believed in the dreams. It was just like a matter of how to get there. And so I think that that is such an important piece because it can be so easy to get knocked down, but I think part of a piece of success is family. And getting back up and finding the way to that dream. So anyways, I guess as long as I can remember that was just in me and so yeah, I definitely agree.
Meg: I love that so much. I was just like, Wow, that is so true. So were your parents dreamers and creators or where do you think it came from?
Casey: Both of my parents are super creative. Oftentimes I’ll share my parent’s house on Instagram. Like especially in stories. They actually live across the street in the house that I grew up in. So it’s really sweet. It’s really precious, my kids will just ride their bikes right across the street. And we’re able to spend a lot of time with them. But anytime anyone sees our house, or their home, the house that I grew up in, they say, Oh, I know exactly how you are the way you are by the way my mom decorates and the way she celebrates holidays. So as long as I can remember, that was my childhood. Holidays are so special and memories together and little moments and celebrating the beauty in all the little things. And so it’s something that’s always been important to me to carry on with my kids. Because it’s always meant so much to me.
Meg: Yeah, that is so that’s so sweet. And you really do do that. So just hearing that, yep, makes so much sense. So you’ve been a dreamer and a creator from the start. And so at what point did you kind of start blogging?
A Place To Share Her Story
Casey: So it’s a funny story. I had never seen a blog in the way that we all know of blogs today, right? I had never seen anything like that before. And so I had my son Aiden, and he was in the NICU and so we had started just a small family blog, really just to update family and friends. Again, I hadn’t seen blogs with beautiful pictures and sponsorships or anything like that. It was just kind of like a home to share information.
And so I guess it was about the time I was pregnant with our second, our sweet Ainsley. I was up really late one night, and my office used to be up in our attic in our home. And I was up there. And I found, I think on Facebook, somebody shared this beautiful DIY wreath. And so I clicked it, and it clicked over to the just the most beautiful blog I’ve ever seen. And I just remember just being so captivated. I was sitting there thinking there is this woman in New York. I’m completely connecting with her stories and her words and her family and her photos. And I’m inspired and I literally emailed her, in the middle of the night, don’t know her at all. And it’s so funny, because now she’s one of my very best friends in the entire world.
So, it was just a funny thing. And from that moment on, I was like, this is something that I want to do. I want to tell our stories. And my husband’s a filmmaker, photographer, and it just was such a creative outlet in such a natural piece to us. We were already capturing our life. We just hadn’t put it out in a space like that before.
Meg: Wow, that is so cool. I didn’t know that. So what about Little Artsy, your art studio? So you had this art studio called Little Artsy, when was that? Tell me all the things about that?
The Season of Running An Art Studio
Casey: Yes. Okay, so I was an art teacher at this precious elementary school. And that is when my husband and I were dating and fell in love. We actually got engaged in my classroom with little first graders, it was super sweet. And he is such an entrepreneur and he is such a dreamer. And honestly, I’m gonna try to not tear up, but I really don’t know that I would have leaped on some of my dreams, like the scary dreams had it not been for him.
He does not let fear or the what ifs? Or all the things that can really hinder you. He doesn’t let them stop him or stop us. And so, he was like you’re doing this incredible thing with all these kids. We should start an art studio for kids. And there’s that feeling like will it work? Just all the things, all the whispers that can creep in. And so anyways, we went for it. We created this interactive space, it wound up being for kids and adults, we did classes and birthday parties. And we sold my art in the front. And then he had his film photography studio in the back. And it was just like a really beautiful season.
But with that, it was also really hard. The first class would start at 8 AM, the last class would end at 630 or 7pm. And birthday parties would be Friday night, all day, Saturday, Sunday afternoon. So there was never a moment of breaks. And really, we had built the studio around us. And so I was teaching everything. He was running everything. And so while it was just this incredible dream come true, and such a beautiful season. I also always want people to know, there was so much hard work and so much sacrifice in that. Which I think comes with so many of our dreams, right? I think it’s easy to see the glamour of so many incredible dreams. But those behind the scenes moments, those things that nobody sees. It’s just it’s so important to tell that part of the story too,
Meg: Yeah, for sure. So you shared when it shut down, right?
Closing The Door To A Dream
Casey: Yes, yes. So we had our sweet Aiden. And then while I was pregnant with Ainsley, we decided, just my heart was to be home with them. Yes, they were there at the studio with me. But like I said, I was teaching every class all day. So, it wasn’t the same as me being home with them. That was my heart in that season. And so we decided to close it.
We had, for a time, thought about keeping it open. We had gone back and forth and just decided the right thing to do would be to close it. It’s hard to walk away from a dream and say, yeah, is this me saying goodbye forever to this? Or is this me failing? All those questions that we ask ourselves.
Something that I think – especially recently with, which I know we’ll get to it, but with this new art launch – has been just wanting to speak over women and families and people that just because we walk away from a dream or close the door to a dream, it may just not be the right season, and I think that’s so important. Especially as mamas because I think a lot of us do pause our dreams, right when we have tons of little ones, and our focus is there. And just that reminder that that doesn’t mean that those dreams aren’t there for a reason. It just means Hey, they might just be paused for this bit of time. Right?
Meg: Yeah, that’s so true. And you literally read my mind. Because that was one of my questions. So you answered it. Let’s talk about some of the unglamorous parts because I know your story from just stalking your blog. And watching videos, but I think some people probably go to your Instagram quickly and think like, Oh, it’s all braids and cupcakes, when there is definitely heartache and loss and tough decisions. And all of that as a part of this beautiful story. And so I think it’s so easy for people to assume that a beautiful story has always been the case. So can you talk about how heartache and loss is part of your story and why you share these beautiful moments online? And just all of that.
The Struggles And Heartache Behind Pretty Instagram Photos
Casey: Well, I think when you and I talked before, something you asked me was something that people get wrong about me. And I think exactly what you just said, is my struggle or I don’t know if that’s the right word, but that would be something that I run into often online.
I have so many people that have been with me from the beginning. And it’s so precious because they’ve really watched the story unfold. But for people that find me, somebody clicked over there today. They see my profile and then click away. I just want to be like, wait, wait, there’s such a story here. Stay a bit.
But yeah, I mean, so we have walked through multiple miscarriages. We had three losses and just like a four year journey of just a lot of pain and heartache. And, of course, my voice is gonna tear up. But it was just lonely. Even though so many people have been so kind, it’s just, it’s a hard, hard season, you know?
And then we had so many struggles, just financially, as far as the struggling artist. Month after month, it just was tough. And I was super open about it on the blog. If you google weekends, blog, family news, there’s all kinds of posts just sharing my heart and what we are walking through. And I think the beauty in that is that it can feel so scary and so vulnerable to share those kinds of moments.
But what I’ve realized is, one, you get so much more back when you share those things. You invite people in and you let other people know they’re not alone. But now as my story really has unfolded, people are able to go back and read that and see what all we have walked through. I think in some ways it makes my feelings towards them, and being able to connect with them and relate with them. I’m mostly thinking like, if somebody DMs me, and we start talking back and forth, they know and I know what it feels like, right? And of course, empathy is important in any way it comes. But there is something really special when someone knows okay, you really hear me right now, and what this feels like to be walking through this.
Love Letters To Her Babies
Meg: Yeah, for sure. And I think I heard you say somewhere that you view your Instagram and your blog is like a love letter to your babies, right?
Casey: Yes, absolutely. I cannot tell you like, sometimes I think about years. Now, if they could just go through and read all these posts and feelings and thoughts. So many moments in the quote unquote throes of motherhood, that if I hadn’t written them down in that moment, we move on to the next season.
I’m so happy they’re written out, and that they can read them. And I even think about, especially my girls, like when they’re new mamas, and they can read those posts, and just hear my heart, my heart for them, and for just how I see them. It’s really sweet. And it’s really sweet. Because so many people have connected over time with different stories. Each of my kiddos have different personalities, and so different things about them. And it always just takes my breath away when I run into someone and they say like, Oh, this thing about Aiden just really moved my heart. Like, thank you for sharing that. It’s really sweet. So it’s a gift in so many ways.
Meg: Yeah, no, that I love that. And I think about that all the time. This is our legacy that we’re passing down with social media. My son is seven months old. Sometimes I’ll get caught up in like, Oh, my gosh, I’m literally only posting pictures of him right now. But I want him to look back and have it be this like a scrapbook of him and know what we thought and so I agree with that isn’t it just us sharing these beautiful moments? It’s not that there aren’t struggles.
Casey: Well, there’s powerful things that happen. I can think back on specific stories I’ve written about or told, and my kids, they have been so wonderful. We’ve always had an open conversation. Are you okay with me sharing this? Especially if they’ve gotten older. My oldest two are in sixth grade and fourth grade. And so, are you okay with me sharing this? We have those conversations and having them understand sometimes like, Hey, this is a powerful story here. And you never know who it’s going to reach or touch. And so it’s been really sweet to include them in those conversations as they’ve gotten older too.
Meg: Yeah, know for sure. So how has heartache and loss like not only made you into the person you are today, but also the creator and dreamer?
Why Your Dreams Matter
Casey: I mean, I know what it feels like to be standing at the cash register and be like, okay, please let the credit card go through. I just know struggle. On the dreamer side, I think it’s what drives me to say like, I’m going to show up every day. So everybody can hear this message over and over again, that their dreams matter.
Getting to these goals and these businesses and these dreams, and whatever it is. I think there’s power in stories. And so if I can share mine, and it can help one person or touch one person, it’s worth it to me. And it drives me to show up every day and share that. I think going through a lot has kept me just, I don’t know if the right way to say it, just where I’m able to really connect with people. My heart is just so soft, I guess it is the right way to say it. Just from all that struggle and pain. And so even as we’ve seen success and done well, it just really hasn’t changed my heart for people and dreamers and families and all those things that drove me to begin with.
Meg: Right? Yeah, that’s so I think soft is the perfect word. Because now you’re open to others. I think what’s similar with your story, and the Whimsy and Wellness owner, Haylee’s story is she created Whimsy and Wellness, after her second miscarriage to just distract herself from getting pregnant again. And so she turned to creating as well. And I think, even for me, creating can be such a healing process, no matter what you’re doing.
Casey: Absolutely agree. I mean, I’ve always been a creator, it’s a part of me, I can’t not. And it’s funny, because there have been different points in my online journey where people say, your pictures are not relatable, it’s too perfect. And I’m like, I literally don’t know how to see the world any other way. Me showing up here authentically is me showing my creativity through photography, or in our home. And so I think just like you said that with healing. I think it comes out in so many ways. And it’s such a beautiful thing to press into that through the seasons, and I think it looks different in every season. But I love that so much.
Meg: Wow. Yeah. And I like what you just said, with how you see things and your page. I think that’s so important and worth repeating. Because your page is you creating, and I think sometimes people don’t think about that. They think, Oh, it’s this perfect life, but like those pictures are a part of you creating.
Casey: It’s so important to know. Social media is such a tiny sliver, it can seem like it’s the whole picture, but it never is. And so just knowing anywhere on social media, there’s always so much more to the story there.
Meg: Yeah, for sure. So how do you think people can get to that place? They’re hurting, they’re in heartache, grief, and loss, and they want to create. But they don’t know what their thing is. We hear all the time. I can’t, I’m not an artist. But human beings – we are creative beings. And I think everyone, like maybe someone would argue with me, but I think whether it’s like breadmaking or painting, or whatever. So how do you recommend people find their creative thing?
Casey: Well, I would say – I’m imagining I was talking to one of my kiddos – what is it that makes you feel alive? What is it when you get up in the morning that makes you feel like a breath of hope or lights you up inside? Because whatever that thing is, do more of that and then see where it leads?
Meg: Oh, yes. So good. Okay, so Casey, your art is incredible.Tell me about the idea to start this new business and just what it’s all about?
Saying Yes When It Feels Right
Casey: Well, it really started about a year ago. The sweet publisher, I love them so much, approached me about affirmation cards. And so it just so aligned with my heart. And, in full transparency, I have people reach out with things. And it’s not always the right season, or it just doesn’t always align. Or maybe it’s something that I think, oh, someday I’ll love to do that. But not yet. But in this instance, I just was like, no hesitation, like, absolutely, yes.
And so I began creating these, and really just like pressing back into that piece. Because really, for so long, I’ve been using my creative outlet in photography, or in storytelling just in different ways. And so I really kind of allowed myself to just fall head over heels back in love with painting, and all the things that I really started doing. I was an artist first before any kind of blog or social media. I don’t know how to explain it. My heart just completely opened up to this whole new vision and excitement towards this next business. And that’s next season.
I have so many dreams for it, but I have to also just remember, one thing at a time. We launched the cards, and that has just been such a gift. And so much of my heart is in those cards, because there’s the words, there’s the heart, there’s the belief. When women speak for themselves and their babies, and even my little girls, when I have these conversations with them, I mean, this is something I’m so proud to get in lots of people’s hands.
Then we launched other things, art canvases and printables. And we have a little membership. My heart is not only for everything I’ve shared, but the intentional home and creativity in your homes. I just have so many ideas, and I’m so happy for the opportunity to share them. It’s been such a wonderful journey so far in this new venture.
Meg: Yeah, I was so excited when I saw that you launched. It was beautiful. I feel proud of you, even though I don’t even know you in real life. So how did you know it was time to come back to creating art again?
Casey: I think when my kiddos are so little – back to the life giving – sometimes the thought of getting out all my paints and my canvases and everything. Like it just wasn’t the right season. And there were definitely moments where I loved doing that, but it just wasn’t like this. Every moment all I could think about, inspiring thing in that season, when you’re just so tired. It’s been something I was unlocking as I began to make those cards where I just like when I’d wake up in the morning, I’d be like, I cannot wait to get this idea out. And so that is just really where it started back up again for me.
Meg: You know, that makes so much sense. Especially, I have, like I said, a seven month old and I’m like, yep, I walk around the house. Like what can I do with one hand?
Casey: Yes, yes. And my first three were three under three. So it was just three babies all at once. And then, like I said, we went through that season of just heartache. And then we had another newborn. She’s just turned four and so it’s really been the first time I haven’t had like a tiny baby.
Finding Balance Between Work And Home
Meg: Right? Okay, we’re gonna circle back to the cards and the art but I love where this is going and it’s so fun to get dreamy. But practically speaking, how do you do it all? Like, can we pull back the curtain on it? When do you get time to work?
Casey: Yes. So I mean that has changed a lot over the years. When I was still building my living bees business. In the beginning it was just waking up in the morning, don’t imagine building of the business. My husband was working full time. I had a bunch of little kids, I had a newborn. And so it was a lot of hard work. I would tell these stories that sometimes I would be putting Adelaide in her crib, I’d be in the crib with her until she fell asleep. I would climb out and I’d be so tired. And I would just be like, I’m gonna keep walking into my computer.
I knew it wasn’t forever. But it was just truly a Season of Sacrifice to say, I believe in this and I know where I’m going. So I’m gonna pour every ounce into it. So there were three years of that. And then now what has been really cool is it’s been a new season, and my husband is working from home now. Now he can take Adelaide, she’s my littlest one. The three older ones are in school. And so my heart is still my why, and everything that drives me is my kids. And so, I’m going a little all over the place, but like, when they walk in the door at 3:15, I want to be done for the day. I want them to have my focus, I want to take two hours of bedtime and not be rushed or scattered.
And then when I put it away, I’m gonna put it away. Which obviously, with a job like social media, there’s definitely ups and downs, but that is my heart. And so on weekdays, I try to get so much of it done in those time periods. So if my husband is able to help, then I can knock out some stuff, and then we switch. And so that way, it’s just kind of this beautiful ebb and flow. But I also have been able to hire out so much, which has been such a gift. Beautiful graphic designers and an assistant. ‘ve been able to take that dream and really bring in other creatives that I love and look up to so much and have them run beside me, I guess is the best way to say that.
Why It’s Important To Hire Help
Meg: Yeah, hiring help, I think is so important to talk about. Because I think it is easy to look to someone whether it’s in the essential oil business to look at a leader and think, oh, they’re doing all of this. I can barely keep up with my little happy place. Could you kind of talk about that? Do you have help with your kids? I know you said your husband helps and all of that. But I would just love to hear more about hiring help.
Casey: Totally. So I was gonna say our oils team has this. I can’t even believe it’s just the most beautiful thing to watch all these families say yes. With a team that size, to run the groups and send out the team aims and the mentorship and product education and everything where, I believe when members come onto our team, I want them to feel taken care of.
So there’s no way I could do that by myself. So it was super important to bring in an admin and an assistant. With welcome packages, have somebody send out giveaways and happy meals and just really look at my list of tasks and say, Okay, what can I hire out to free up myself so I can do what I feel like I am really gifted at, which is connecting with people and creating?
So if it didn’t really fall in those two categories, as our business grew, if I could hire it out, that was absolutely the goal. Again, there’s an ebb and a flow with that, but a lot of that has been so important. And really just to share that because as these teams grow, it would be so hard to do that all by yourself. I really dare to say impossible to do it all by yourself.
Meg: Right. So does it ever feel like okay, this is the perfect time to hire help? Or is it always gonna feel a little nerve wracking?
Casey: Well, it’s funny because even as I’ve hired things out and as our team has grown, new things come up. Things like, wow, I have more and more time. But as you bring in more people and you see more success, you grow more than 30 more needs. And so that is something to remember. I probably waited too long to start hiring things out. I think for so long I tried to do everything myself, and it just felt like balls were starting to drop.
To align my heart, which is really to be intentional, I had to allow myself to hand things over and open up my hands and say, okay, Casey, I cannot do it all. And I need to ask for help in some of these ways. And then it does free you up to be more creative or focus on what you really thrive at doing.
Meg: Right? Yeah, that’s so good. Because it does feel nervous hiring help. But it does launch you and your business forward when you can free up that time. So that’s so good. So I’m sure we’ve all seen the quote about like, Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end.
For the listeners who may be in that place where they have this big dream or goal, and they just don’t see how it can happen – you talked earlier about having this dream of being an artist and all the things and you close down your art studio, and you set that dream aside for a minute – and so what can people who have this dream, but it’s not going to happen right now do?
How To Believe In Yourself Even When Your Dreams Aren’t Being Realized Yet
Casey: I honestly think as long as I’ve done this, and just as many women that I’ve worked closely with, especially through our oils business, it comes down to belief. Because if you looked at my story in different parts, you would think, Wow, she’s really failing. But, I think it’s so important to share that and to just remember that.
Even people that have said to me, what are you doing? Or that is not a good idea or that is not going to happen for you. I mean, I’ve heard all of it. It was literally just noise to me. I know this feeling in my heart and where I’m going. And it may look to everyone like I’m failing right now. But I know where I’m going and I believe in myself. And that really I just think is what has kept me getting to where we are now, is just that constant belief. And it helps to surround yourself with cheerleaders. I mean, yes, it is like the sweetest encouragement in the world. And him believing in me, just listening to your people and not all the outside noise is so important.
Meg: Yes, for sure. I agree with that so much. Okay, so let’s talk motherhood a little bit. So, you have four kids, I was gonna say babies, but I’m in denial. It’s okay.
So what kind of encouragement do you speak about to your kids and their dreams? So many of our listeners are mama’s, so I’m sure there are little dreamers and backseats or corners of the living room listening. So what do you wish all dreamers could hear?
Seeing The Story Through A Different Lens
Casey: So I have a story. My Adelaide, when she was born, I had never had a newborn with big kids before. My first three were all babies together. And so I had this like, Mama guilt hit me so hard because you know what it’s like you’re in that season where you’re constantly rocking and feeding and just so much time is being poured into this precious little baby.
And I have three big kids that want to go do all these things and it was just so hard for me. And I just had this complete perspective shift. I was like, Casey, you have to see it through these eyes. This is such a gift that my kids get to see me be a mama to a baby. I’m going to invite them in, I’m going to invite them into rocking the baby and caring for the baby.
So I see that story the same way through a business lens, because I think as moms, that mom guilt runs through us in so many ways. And it can creep in and it can whisper. But what I have done through my journey, with all the things we’ve done, is invite my kids into it. There are so many powerful moments. And I’ll probably cry saying this, but I’ve had my kids teachers, tell me stories where they stand up and tell stories of things that I’ve talked to them about or moments I’ve had with them. And so I know it’s impacted them.
For example, it’s always been really hard for me to leave them. It’s scary for me, and I just love being home with them. And so there have been business trips over the years where I’ve needed to go. So really just getting down on their level and saying, I just want you to know this is scary for me. This is hard for me. And just inviting them into those feelings and conversations. It just stirs in them creativity and dreaming and fears and all those conversations with being an entrepreneur. So every step has just been important for me all along the way to make sure that they felt a part of it, because they are a part of it.
Meg: I love that. It’s so special. And yeah, having them watch. I think that analogy of watching you be a mama to a newborn. That’s such a good example. And I also think it’s so important for our babies to watch us dream, so that they know that they can dream. So I’ve heard you share the story before and it makes me cry. But can you share about like when you were leaving for the Young Living convention in that moment with Aiden?
Inviting Your Children Into Your Business
Casey: Yes. So I was just gonna say, I want my babies to be dreamers and hard workers. And how beautiful that they get to watch me do that. It gives them permission in their hearts to do that, even if it’s someday.
So yes, I literally got down and looked Aiden in the eye in his little eyes and just told him like, baby, it is so hard for me to leave you. I’m scared to get on this airplane. I’m scared to leave you guys for a week and talk in front of all these people. I want you to see me do this scared. I’m saying yes, scared. I could have just not said anything and just left, but it’s so powerful. And you never know those moments that will just move mountains in their hearts. Or years later if he’s scared and remembers, my mom was scared. And she did that anyways. I just think it’s so important that they see us struggle and fail, and all those things, just to invite them into that.
Meg: Yeah, no, I think that’s so, so special and important. And I think sometimes as moms – I’ll feel guilty if I’m on my phone or on my computer, and my son’s there. And I’ll be like, Oh my gosh, especially with screen time. But then I’m like, No, this is so special that he can watch me work. And he can, especially with working from home on your phone isn’t exactly like conventional on what kids are seeing on TV. And so I really have to let go of that and instead be like, no, he gets to be here. I know, there are mamas who would love that. So it is so important for them to watch us work and chase dreams and I agree with that.
Casey: Yeah. And I think the power to like comes in those conversations. So they know, hey, if mom’s on her phone, she’s busy. And also Hey, come look at what I’m doing right now. And inviting them into that. Obviously yours is a little guy. But as they get older, they totally understand. I think the beauty really comes in those conversations.
Meg: It does. Yeah. And having them be a part of it. So I still remember a video of Apple unboxing an essential rewards order. I was showing my mom. I’m like, you have to see this little girl. She’s the cutest thing. And that was you working? But she was having so much fun.
Casey: Yeah, they think, Wow, I’m so honored, I get to be a part of this too. Just inviting them into it. I think it’s just so sweet. And it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. So I love that you saw that.
Meg: Okay, so let’s go back to the art. Sorry, guys that were like jumping over. So you have launched this new art, and you have these beautiful affirmation card decks. I’m holding them right now and they’re gorgeous, breathtaking. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago. And still I walk into my office. And I’m just like, Oh, my gosh, like the art and the words are just incredible and sweet.
I had briefly shared this with Casey before we hopped on here, but I just want to share again. So when I was about to record one of my first episodes for the podcast, I had like an awkward amount of time. And I had the affirmation card deck sitting on my desk. So I’m like, oh, I’ll just draw a card. And maybe it will tell me what I need to hear at this moment. I was feeling so nervous and like this imposter syndrome, and like, Who am I hosting a podcast? I pulled, “I love myself and trust who I was made to be.” And it made me cry. I had to pull myself together. It was just what I needed. I had to share that because that’s what these are. And there’s 62, right? Mm hmm. 62 so beautiful.
Casey: Well, I think about my kids. I know it says affirmation cards for women, but I say the same things over my son and to my girls and myself. These are the words that I want them to believe about themselves. So why would I not want to say them those same words to my own self or to friends that I love? I just think it’s so important. As women who are juggling so many things, if we can pour more into ourselves, we’ll have more to pour out.
Meg: Yes, yes. So true. Okay, I thought it would be kind of fun if we each pulled one just to see what we came up with. Because now that I pulled that one on that day, I’m just like, this is incredible. So you go first and then I’ll pull one.
Casey: Okay. “I will create beauty in the lives of others today.”
Meg: And look at you in a privacy what, what in the world. You guys, you have to get them. Okay, mine is, “When I close my eyes and breathe, peace washes over me.” I love that so much. And the colors are incredible on all of these.
Let’s talk about affirmations and the benefits of reading and saying affirmations. Not only in that moment are we so touched, but there’s true benefits to saying affirmations. Can you kind of talk about that a little bit?
The Power Of Words
Casey: Well, we started working on this a year ago. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined what this year would look like and just the timing of the release, and the messages that I’ve received. Just talking about how it’s been a hard year and hearing women saying, like, how much this meant to them, being able to speak these words over themselves. It’s so humbling. It’s gonna make me tear up.
Words are so powerful. And if we can just get in the daily routine. Even if it feels like you don’t believe it at first. You’re like, I’m just gonna say it. Over time, speaking it over yourself, you’re just gonna see a shift. I think it’s so powerful. Words are so powerful. It’s so important and I think truly when we can say the words to ourself and look ourselves in the mirror and just start our day with this beautiful truth. We’re gonna have those flowing out of us and want to speak them to other people that we love.
Meg: Right? Yeah. They’ve done studies on affirmations and the power of our words. When we say things that might not even be true, we can convince our brain that it has happened already. So whether your dream is to be a royal crown diamond, if you’re in the oil business, and you’re saying, as a star, I’m a royal crown diamond, or if you are still at your nine to five, but you’re waking up every day, like, I work for myself – that has so much power. I think hanging these in your mirror is so powerful.
Okay, so were affirmations like a part of your success?
How To Make Affirmations A Part of Your Success
Casey: So I think it’s funny, because I had never really intentionally said affirmations every day. But there’s just this part of me that’s always had this strong belief. I’ll use an example in the oil business. So I started in August. Years ago, the month was August, and I forget the year.
Following year’s convention. I was there in my gold lanyard, and I seriously in my heart was like, I know I’m a golden. I see my lanyard, but I’m actually a royal crown. When I’m going for something, I believe in it with all my heart. I’ve already owned it. I’ve spoken it over myself. So while it wasn’t daily, like what we’re doing now, I do think that was such a huge part. Because every business, every person is going to have ups and downs. And that belief is what’s going to get you to the next part.
Meg: Yeah. So it’s so true. belief, belief, belief, and just like clarity of what that dream is. Because when you get clarity and then Believe in yourself and have those people that can echo it back to you. Your husband and just a community of supportive people. Okay, so, I have to ask, since you’re Casey Wiegand, what oils do you recommend using alongside of your affirmation cards?
Casey: Okay, so every morning, I take Balor and lavender.
If you’re new to oils, let me tell you valor is incredible for supporting courage and bravery and maybe like worry and overwhelm. So everybody needs valor. So I put a drop on each wrist, and the other thing I do is I’ll put a drop in the palms of my hands, rub my hands together at my nose and take 10 deep breaths and you can literally read your affirmations while you do this.
The other thing I do is I grab my lavender. Lavender is just amazing. For calm, it’s just a really beautiful way to start your day. I’ll put a drop on each shoulder, which people always asked me why do you do that? And I’m like, well, it’s like right by my face. So especially at night, I love to smell amazing lavender.
But I’m telling you, back to intentional living. I’ll put my Christmas spirit and my diffuser, I’ll put my oils on, I’ll read my affirmations and I’m like how do people not do this? I just feel so supported as I start my day.
I’m up early making lunches and the first thing I do while I’m putting away the dishes and getting out everything to make lunches is put on a good playlist, get my twinkle lights going, get my diffuser going, my oils, and it just will set your day. It will set the tone right?
Meg: Yeah, I love that. So we’re talking about belief and believing in your dreams and all of that. If you’re struggling with that, if you’re listening thinking, well, I don’t have belief with the affirmation cards being written in the present time, and with – what was the one I had, I’m worthy. I can’t remember now, but those will help you with that belief.
As I was prepping for this, I love doing this. Every once in a while, I’ll just pick like a couple of oils and do a protocol for like, a month or two. And I was thinking it would be so cool to come up with a protocol. There’s 62 cards. So you could do like two months of this protocol and pick a couple of oils, KCTS, valor and lavender, but it could be such a good oil.
Casey: Yeah and to quickly piggyback on that, I think if you look at our lives, throughout our lives, probably all of us at some point have spoken something over that shouldn’t have been spoken over us. Or maybe we whispered something to ourself or something that we can just intentionally, release and let go of and just say, that was not meant for me, that is not true about me. I believe that I am worthy and loved and special. And each one of us, I believe this with all my heart. Each one of us has a gift. And it’s meant to be shared. It may look different for each of us. But when we can really start to believe that about ourselves and own it. I mean, goodness, it’s just that will open up so many things.
Meg: So true. Okay, so before we go to rapid fire questions to wrap up, I’d love if you have any, like, last words for dreamers listening while they have you here.
Casey: I mean, really, truly, it would just be back to the quote you said about comparison, I think it’s harder than ever now on social media. It just can be so easy to think, well, this person’s already doing this well or I don’t have a spot at the table or just whatever it is. And just to remember that we each were so uniquely gifted and your gift absolutely matters.
No matter what has been spoken over you or what you’ve believed about yourself, to release that and just really, truly try to see everything with new eyes. Because as we see ourselves for who we were created to be, we’ll be able to really step into those goals and those dreams and what it is that you can run towards.
Meg: Yeah, so good. Okay, rapid fire. I picked these before, but we totally answered a couple of them through our conversation, but something people get wrong about you was that your life is as beautiful as your feed.
But let’s do failure that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Failures That Turned Into Blessing In Disguise
Casey: Chris and I, my husband and I had quite a few failures leading up to saying yes to oils. And we often say like, man, if that had worked out or something maybe we wouldn’t have given the business a shot.
I feel like all my failures really have such value because my heart is that they’ve made me who I am. But you never want to celebrate pain or sadness. But truly, I am grateful for everything we’ve walked because it’s just helped me really see everything through new eyes and also have such a passion and heart for the entrepreneur or the dreamer, just this person struggling. So I’m thankful.
Meg: Yeah, that’s so good. Okay. This one’s a little lighter. What’s your guilty pleasure, late night snack food?
Casey: Okay, I’m such a sweet tooth. So pretty much anything sweet. But they have these cookies at Central Market and they’re dark chocolate covered marshmallows with a cookie on the bottom. So it’s amazing.
Meg: I have this peanut butter cup stashed by my chair in our living room. My boyfriend does not know about and I’m like, Don’t tell him. And a couple weeks ago, I had to go in with the baby and he would not let me get up and I had been dreaming of my peanut butter cup for like hours. And so I had to toast my stash. I was like, Okay, I have the stash.
It’s so funny. What’s your go to essential oil roller or diffuser blend?
Casey: Okay, if you have not diffused valor with Christmas spirit. Today, it is so good.
Meg: Oh, I haven’t done that. That’s a good one. Christmas spirit is good. Oh, well, I use it all year. Yeah, I love it.
Okay, and where can people find you and follow along with you and your art oils? Everything?
Casey: Yes. Okay, so I have three Instagram accounts. My main account is just my name Casey Leigh Wiegand. My new art account is the Casey Leigh Co. And then my oils account is Casey Leigh Essentials.
And what’s your blog again?
Casey: ItsTheWiegand.com.
Meg: Your breath will be taken away if you haven’t followed along yet. Thank you so much for being here. You exceeded my expectations. Oh, I feel inspired. And I know our listeners will too. So thank you so much.
Casey: Thank you so much for having me. Truly. It’s an honor and I love you guys and everything you do. So it means a lot.
