
Klyn Elsbury is a 2x Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and Sales Trainer. She authored I AM __ The Untold Story of Success and writes weekly articles appearing on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Success Magazine, and Forbes, along with over 150+ other publications. She was selected as a finalist for Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year in 2019 but decided to stop the interview process when she was hospitalized for her 67th time battling the genetic disease, cystic fibrosis.
Klyn’s podcast (The Motivated Mind), online courses, corporate training, and keynotes motivate and teach high-performance tactics for an estimated 200,000 minds a month. One of the leading experts blending motivation and inspiration using neuroscience for corporate America, Klyn’s audiences have been sales heavy organizations, Fortune 1000 companies, and progressive associations looking to improve their competitive edge.
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Klyn Elsbury Secret on How to “Unstuck” Yourself and Rock Your Life Despite Having Chronic Illness and Constant Rejection
Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Underdog. Today, I have a super awesome, full of energy guests here with me, Klyn. How you doing?
Klyn E.
I’m good. I’m good.
Pamela Bardhi
I want to thank you so much for coming on today. And I’m so excited to hear your story, your journey and all the amazingness about you. You’ve got two best sellers books, and you’ve got some amazing things that you do. So, I can’t wait to get into all of that. But I guess the opening question would be what motivated your journey to where you are sort of today?
Klyn E.
Yeah, so we’re gonna step actually back a little bit. Because the elephant in the room is cystic fibrosis and if I say what motivated me without shedding context. I think everybody’s just gonna be like. Okay, that’s weird. Like, who’s this white blonde girl, and what does she know about adversity? Because it is kind of hard to be like, no, I’ve struggled when you’re in a house apartment in San Diego. Like it just doesn’t click, so you know the thing is, is and it’s so funny. I was actually pregnant listening, I was late to the call because I was doing a couple keynotes back to back which don’t do. And actually have the copy of my book, which I never do. Um. But it was used for that. So go team, we’re winning.
And really what motivated me to write the book, I have a condition called cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease. So I was born with it and I’m 33 this year, November also, so Cheers. I have been hospitalized at least 67 times, ranging in nights from two nights to the longest hospital stay with six months. And that was what motivated me. As I was told I was gonna die and when you’ve had six, seven hospitalizations. Like it’s not just lip service like there’s actually some truth to that and awhile ago like I did the math for my performance this morning and it’s like. If you’re born today with CF and you’re gonna live to be 37. That’s the life expectancy 33 divided by 37. Like I’ve lived 89 percent of my life.
So what motivates me is not death. I’m not necessarily afraid of dying. I mean, nothing wrong, says suck. But, you know, it’s how did I do as much as I could possibly squeeze into this little itty bitty life, and did it matter? That was the big thing, did it matter and, you know. We look back in history, 2000, 5000 years, I like know one name from 5000 years ago. So the reality is, is probably none of our names are ever going to be big enough to matter. And that’s not a limiting belief, but that says. We’ve got to own our moment and our purpose in life now and make enough of a difference, that it becomes ancestral, not egotistical. And so that would be the motivation and the longest response you’ve probably got.
Pamela Bardhi
No, I love that. Wow. And oh my gosh, is that diagnosed when you’re born, right? Because I have a friend from college who actually has cystic fibrosis as well. She’s doing some work here in Boston, there’s a pharmaceutical company, Vertex. She’s doing work with vertex and she’s tried their medicines and everything like that. And so it’s actually enhanced her lifespan as well and like she’s a huge advocate. So right when you were speaking, I just her name a Lauren Bombadier. But actually, her last name is Wicks. Now she’s married, but her maiden name is Lauren Bombadier. Wicks, this should be with her name.
Klyn E.
I swear like normally Boston babes. Like let’s see if I might know of but yeah, her name eludes me and some people to be, to answer your question. Some people are diagnosed later, most except birth.
Pamela Bardhi
Gotcha. Cuz I remember her explaining because she, she has like a blog. But she speaks about all of this as well. She’s a huge advocate. Oh, I’m totally connecting you with her without a doubt. Because I think you both have such amazing energies and you would just kill it with one another. Honestly, so growing up knowing that you sort of had this like, what was it like for you in the beginning. Walk me through how that kind of was for you growing up. And sort of knowing this in the back of your mind, because you’re so positive and amazing. Like it just getting into your mind flow of like, how what that was like and how you overcame that? Would be really interesting to know. Because you just never know who’s listening. You might be dealing with it or God knows.
Klyn E.
Yeah. I mean, so it’s interesting. Because I didn’t know things differently, I had jerks for parents, I lovingly say. I’ve got a great relationship with my mom and dad, we talk like almost every day. But it was very much like, shut up. Like, what are you focusing on? If I’m sitting there focusing on how sick I am and how are the other kids could run faster without coughing. I’m gonna own that pain, like there’s a pain and benefits pay off. And so they never let me enjoy being a sucky situation and in fact they made it suckier because they didn’t care. And that sounds harsh. You know, in today’s world. If our kid falls, we’re like, oh my gosh, are you okay? Here’s the band-aid of sort, like my childhood is like, you fall it’s like, haha and it’s not necessarily fair.
I’ve got some traumatizing memories, but we all have traumatising childhood memories. So, what’s the difference? I think that’s kind of what led it and I was very fortunate in that. I grew up in rural Iowa, I’ve moved a lot. So I got to experience a lot of different cultures, a lot of different experiences while being hospitalised too. And you know, I look at what my superpowers are and I hate this. Because it sounds so egotistical, but as a woman, as a successful woman. There’s a fine line between being like, look how great I am and like, Oh. She’s full of herself, so we’re gonna dance on that line today. I think my superpowers were all the lessons I learned, not only from how my parents didn’t let me own my pain. But from being alone in hospitals.
And those were my teachers, those nurses and those doctors and the artist and the janitors, housekeepers, the foodservice, ladies. I say ladies because there wasn’t a man. I’m thinking particularly of a girl named Sandy. You know, that day, you get an extra frickin thing of mashed potatoes that you didn’t ask for. Because Sandy’s got to learn compassion, you know. And so it’s like, I didn’t know differently, but I knew I wasn’t normal.
I’ll tell you a story. Because I’ve got I feel like I’m vibing with you and I don’t think I’ve ever told this. You get some juice, got a party and I’ve met my fiance. He and I’ve been together five years. And Fowler in case I need to meet now. I’m just kidding and I was at a party. When like parties, everybody talks right here in this circle. One person starts to talk to just tell stories. One Time went to the hospital and this guy who didn’t know was like, are you nurse? Like, why do you? Why are all your stories about hospitals? And I’m like. Oh, I grew up in line. Like, I didn’t know how to explain it. None of the stuff I talked about makes sense. So yeah, hospital life. I didn’t know any different and my parents certainly didn’t cuddle me.
Pamela Bardhi
So when you met him, and he said, How do you know so much about hospitals? You just told me you grew up in one and then how’d that conversation go after that?
Klyn E.
We were like two kilos, deep at that point. Right. So like, I don’t remember. But yeah, it was interesting, so as women we like to be curvaceous, right, like I’m not gonna wear a blazer every day. I was wearing someone was slinky. Right now I’m with my fiance and like, so he appreciates a woman’s body, right look a little slinky. And the same guy looks at you guys and can see if you’re watching the video. The port and a port is essentially a marble like a device that they jam with a three quarter inch needle, for media IV antibiotic vein access. Because if you’ve had too many IVs, your veins are shot. So like you can’t you can’t get needle in these veins, so you got to get an extension of your vein. You can kind of see it like working up there.
So anyway, so I was in the slinkier a little, little number. The same guy who was like, did you grew up in hospitals points at me, girl and he’s like. What is that? And I was just like, I got nothing. And then I just walked away, I was kind of cool,was like somebody if they just pulled him aside, and then he comes back because we consume. Sorry, I didn’t know. I don’t know how my network figured out my back in that moment. But he said it kind of like condescending, like. Who’s this hot blonde without like, I don’t know where the story is coming from. That’s adversity, right?
Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. It’s part of your story and that’s what’s unique about it. You know what I mean? Everyone in their life, at some point in time has gone through an underdog moment, right? Like, we just overcome that challenge and it translates differently for everyone. And that’s the beautiful thing. You know, everything is different. So your experience is different. But it’s beautiful because it’s molded you to sort of where you’re at now and like you’ve had an incredible journey. I mean, and you have such an awesome free spirit and energy, which I love. And so for you, you had mentioned that hospitals were kind of like your teacher, you had some mentors and some teachers and some people who helped you there. So who was the most inspirational person in your life? Sort of growing up and going through those hospitalizations that inspired you?
Klyn E.
There’s the one question I never get, right. I never get the way to answer it. Because that’s not a fair question for the hundreds of health care workers who had my back, so my dad was a travelling salesman, so I’ve actually lived in 23 cities. So if it’s like who’s the one I mean. That’s got to be mom and dad and God, right? So like those three, I’m good. But that’s not giving credit to my brother who had a really rough childhood, because there’s the sick kid and he’s just trying to audition for a wrestling championships in high school.
And so it’s like if my brother wasn’t. You know, he went down to her value stream, thank God that he’s great. Now he’s studying architecture, I don’t even know how to pronounce what he does. And he’s in Germany doing like smart German thanks, I don’t even understand it. Because Adidas, Adidas like some of us are not loving now and so of course. My brother, my mom, my dad. You know, my relationship with God, there was a story that came out where this so beautiful. This guy was on life support and spent like three months in the hospital from COVID and he went on a mission, to track down everybody. Who helped him survive and he had to stop thanking 116 health care workers.
So like, Who’s that one row connected? It’s the podcast hosts who, when you’re frantically late. And you’re trying to run a sales call, who’s patiently here for you and giving you support, It’s the doctor who says, hey, you’re on stage. But I’m not giving up on you, until you give up on you, It’s the attorney who helps you find the Social Security paperwork, knowing that you have entrepreneurial potential. You just got to focus on your house for three years, like suck it up. It’s the landlord who, when you have no money, because you’ve spent it on hospital bills, looks the other way and loves to live on their property.
You know, it’s the people who, when you’re on government assistance. You can’t make money and you’re in San Diego, and you got 1400 a month, and you’re couchsurfing. It’s the guy who goes. Hey, do you want to dog sit for me. Which basically means I have a free place to stay while he’s out in town. And I don’t have to catch up. So it’s like, there’s not one person? And that’s why that question. I’m going to respectfully disagree. Yes, if it was one person like I was gonna say, I’d marry him. But
Pamela Bardhi
I love it and I love that you offered, that insight in that perspective, I guess. When you had mentioned Sandy earlier, I thought that that was maybe one person that really rang through your head when you were in the hospitals. But I love how you just beautifully laid all of that out that every single person in your life has had a positive impact. And has shaped you in some way shape or form. Which I think is absolutely beautiful and it’s been part of your journey. You know, absolutely remarkable and like, being in this crazy world, right? You just wonder like, for me on the other side, I just wonder I’m like, geez, like, She’s so awesome.
Like, how did she make it through that? And it’s like, it’s clear to me that it’s been the people around you. It’s been God, it’s been your parents, it’s been all this, which I think is so inspiring and awesome. And like, I have to ask. Because you have such an incredible career, both in the speaking world and then also in recruitment, right? Like it, I think you started off in HR, and then kind of branched off into doing your own thing, which is awesome and writing two books, which one I think you have with you. So like what inspired that path for you to sort of get into the recruitment world, and then sort of shift off on your own.
Klyn E.
That’s a joy ride. So when you’re hospitalized for a month out of the year, you’re what they call unemployable. The only thing I know how to do is swap myself into a company long enough to get hospitalized to pay the medical bills. Then get fired for performance or whatever they want to call it. And then their conscious says, Give her a good testimonial and review for the next place. So I leveraged that into just getting hired anyway, that would take me. And what I found in that after like 40 jobs is you know what? That’s called recruiting, that’s not HR, there’s a difference, big difference. He charges the systems to policies like employee benefits.
Recruiting says, Hey, Pamela, you like your job right now. But should anything happen? I want to tell you why you’re not on the right career path? And why there’s options available that maybe you don’t even know about. Should you have an extra five minutes? You want to have a conversation with me. I’m happy to explain why what you’re currently doing may not be the best fit for your life path. Hmm. And then I sell you on working for me and then, I get a cut from my boss. I fix your resume up and if you don’t make it now, I have a network of referrals that I can send you out too and I get a commission on that into that my life is recruiting, which is sales. That’s all it is recruiting and sales.
So if you’re posting an ad and hoping the right person shows up. You’re not recruiting, you’re not, you’re barely HR, you’re pushing paper in a circle hoping for results. And so from years of not being employable, when I was at what I called the end of my rope, and I was permanently on hireable. I just had to do it myself and I had to do it on LinkedIn. And I had to do remote living in hospitals and I just needed enough money. Pay medical bills under the table, because I was on Social Security Disability at that point and what I found was, it’s a lot of fun. You make a lot of money doing it like it was great. It’s not about the money. But like, it is, right, we’re businesswomen and I had fun.
When everything went awry in my house, I was literally. This is everything you need to know about. When I was drinking martinis on a beach. To happen to be hanging out with a millionaire, cuz why wouldn’t you? And he goes. Hey, do you want a keynote for one of our conferences? And I’m like, Yeah, sure. I can’t legally accept money. So I’m not going to ask for money and plus, I’ve never really done a keynote to agents were in that conference. My free keynote went viral, racking up over 10,000 hits. I got signed to speakers bureaus at a minimum fee of $10,000. That was what started the keynote business, I got lucky. There are people working and grinding every day for the kind of success I had in that one moment and what’s funny is I legally couldn’t make any money.
So I was trying to lie to the Bureau’s and I’m like, no pay. Now I’ll do for free for you. Because like legally, and then I started getting so successful. That I was like, I gotta get off social security and build a business, but I didn’t know how, because I will have skills. Guess I’m gonna learn about recruiting wasn’t a passion at that point. It was fun, It got me through some really tough times. But I wanted more and I wanted more in a lot to go with the great storytelling capabilities that I had. And that was when I fell in love with sales.
But I didn’t think it was good enough to be in sales. I know, It’s ironic. I think it’s good enough and so I took that and decided to start writing sales playbooks for companies, and like I charge like minimum wage for good stuff. And now I’m just blessed that I serve the clients, I serve really well writing their sales playbooks and teaching their teams. That now you’ve got a full business. Just hopping around, right and sales playbooks for companies and acting like an interim sales manager. Like a VP of sales for companies. Who have no idea what they’re doing. That’s actually a lot of fun.
Pamela Bardhi
That’s so cool. And thank you for explaining the HR and the recruitment thing. I probably sounded like a silly question. But honestly, I thought that that was like the same thing as ridiculous sounds. But I think it’s so awesome that you were able to sort of, like, I didn’t even know there was a difference. I had no clue.
Klyn E.
Recruiters don’t even know there’s a difference. That’s why so many of them suck at their jobs, right? So and I’m not trying to be rude, but the legitimate is. When I look to hire, I want that person that’s cunningly intelligent, to be able to say, let’s talk about your career path. Because right or wrong, we all know, change is inevitable. I want to learn what it is about that change. That could make you want to sit next to me in a meeting instead of very quickly setting, that’s a recruiter and they make fake. Because they’re not just posting an ad and hoping for success. And very few people know that difference. But the ones who do they’re what’s called Big pillars, and big pillars, like you know, million-dollar round table, etc.
So that’s kind of that linguistics accident because I’m a hireable girl like, so when you’re in that, like, I had to learn that skill. And what I learned is, that’s actually sales, no difference, like whatever product you’re selling. Whatever product let’s say you’re selling podcast subscriptions for like 100 bucks a month. Great. I know you love your podcast subscription base. You know, however, should that artists fail to deliver something consistent, you should at least learn about what I got going on that underdog? Because it shouldn’t be a fit. I just want you to be ready, that’s sales.
Pamela Bardhi
it’s really fascinating. I just think it’s super awesome and I love that you took something that a lot of people would just seem as negative Oh. I’m on hireable most people would sulk in a hole and kind of just like not come out. But like you’re like, Oh, I’m gonna find a way to make this. Like you found a way to make the unmarketable marketable.
Klyn E.
It was fun. No, mind you, I’m painting the happy moments. Let’s be real. It got to a point. Where I knew it’d be roughly four months after a company hired me that they’d fire me like four months. Like I didn’t even bring my stuff to the office after that. Because I was like, I’m just gonna clean it. I don’t have to carry a cardboard box. Like literally the last time I got fired. So funny and I love this company. By the way, I love this company. When he fired me I remember so clearly, I got the knock on my door and I had a corner office. Which I should not have had, I was what they call over skilled. And I was like a 20 something anyways and so, I remember very clearly there and I’m like, Yeah, hi, Mr. CEO.
I’m not gonna say the name. What can I do for you? And he was gonna talk to you for a minute and I literally I was like, here it comes and he’s like, see, you have a choice. You can finish the day but you’re just not a fit here. I was like, cool. Do I get paid for the whole day like that was really because I knew and I was like. Can I get a rep A LinkedIn testimonial and he’s like. I’ll give you any testimonial you want and they say that. Because they don’t want you to sue him, I was like, I’m gonna take out, I guess. Just send me my last check and that testimonial.
And if I can use you as a reference to get my next job, like, I’d be happy to do that. You just, you’re not a fit here. Now mind you, I still to this day, have a book of the accolades. That one in my short time with that company and all the awards and records I broke. But that’s how we do it now and it was Florida. So there’s different laws and I took that into a VP job of recruitment for another company. And I got fired roughly four months. So it just kept going. That’s kind of where it’s funny. It’s like, yeah, it’s never good. But like there’s things in your mind for all that. You know, you’re like, I don’t belong here, but I’m gonna ride it out. Because it’s good.
Pamela Bardhi
Yeah. And then you got to try the things that you don’t like to be able to figure out what you do. It just kind of happens in sequence, you know what I mean? But like, how did you deal with that first rejection, like when they like the first time it happened? Like, how did you pivot? And so you were just like, CEO, but
Klyn E.
You’re 20 something, you’re uneducated, you live in hospitals, you’re playing a different game. Now, when you’re trying to play by society’s rules. So let me ask you, without knowing you that well. Let’s play this game full out as if we’re in an actual client, coach, whatever thing. Tell me real quick, Are you married? You got spouse? What’s your deal?
Pamela Bardhi
I’m engaged. We were supposed to get married this year. But thanks to COVID
Klyn E.
COVID. It’s great. And how many relationships? Did you go through?
Pamela Bardhi
Three
Klyn E.
three? Well,
Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, this is my third one.
Klyn E.
Third one. Great. So the first time price down a little bit, the second time you’re like, bend down this road. Next. Eventually, it’ll make sense. No dating and recruiting are the exact same thing. Exact same thing. Think of your dating profile. Right? If you’re doing it online, all you’re doing is putting up your life resume. Hoping they find you from a keyword search. Same thing we could go on forever because it’s actually fun to talk about.
Pamela Bardhi
It’s fascinating stuff. Because I you know, it’s an area that I don’t really know much about, but I love people. So that just intrigued me even more. I think that’s so fascinating. Wow. So with the keynote, I don’t think it was an accident for you to be honest. Like, I feel like you were meant to do that and I think everything gets manifested and at one point in time, you had that going on in your mind. I think that you sharing your story, and like your storytelling.
And your energy is so powerful, that sort of attracted that to you. So I’m really not surprised that you are where you are these days. Because you’re so awesome and then it seems like the keynote really took off and with your books. So was that inspired mostly by what you were doing in the recruitment world? And also in Keynote world? What sort of inspired the books and which one’s your favorite. Because you’ve got two now I know you got a third one coming.
Klyn E.
So the first one is basically my life story, matching entrepreneurial success habits. I wrote it in the hospital. There’s spelling errors, so I recorded an audible because enough people can play and so if you like it, reader, leave me a five star review on Amazon to count out some of that negativity. And then I recorded it on Audible and I honestly just thought my mom would read it. So thanks, mom. But it did take off and I was like, Oh, shit, okay. We’re doing this and so it was kind of cool. Second one was about recruiting and we just threw that up on Amazon. Not nearly as successful as the first one, the third one is called unstuck yourself and I have to sneeze.
So if that happens, bear with me. But then stop yourself is a 30-day action plan for salespeople to basically get this unstuck themselves. So it’s like an entire neuro technically called neuro-linguistic programming. But I don’t leave with that because it could be kind of cultish, especially after Nexium and it’s basically how to leverage your mind and get you past your shortcomings. Because we all got them at some point, so when you say. What is your favorite one, they’ve all served different points. And if I’m being real, I don’t think my favorite ones happened yet.
And I think that’s where my concern when I write, I spent days prepping for this keynote. That I gave this morning, one of them and my fiance asked me last night, he’s like, you ready? And we call it game day. Because on game day, I get to be a diva. Which means we’re taking our melatonin at 830 we’re asleep by nine I want the same dinner every night. I get sushi. There’s no lip, you can’t you can’t talk to me about workouts. I’m in the head game. That morning. You got 10 minutes to leave the house, take the dog and I’m in my zone. So on game day, like you don’t mess with me. By the way. That’s why they canceled yesterday because I had game day today and they, did not look that into the calendar sheets.
So they said an emergency, but it is an emergency. You’re not gonna interrupt Brady, on the practice before the Super Bowl, right? Not that I’m not that level, but like we’re heading there. And you know, so he goes he asked me the question. Are you happy with what you’re going to do tomorrow? I wanted to say yes. But I knew it wasn’t my best work. Now, sure enough, it was the best work in the history of their chapter. Right? So it was like the highest-rated keynote they’ve ever done. I’ve already got the results back, so we win, right? We win.
But it’s not enough to win. If you know, deep down wasn’t your best work. And even though my books right now, three out of three, they’re great. You’re gonna love them. If you listen to the audible of I Am, you will cry, you will laugh. It’s a performance, but is it my best? I don’t think so. Hmm. I don’t know what you’re gonna do with that. But yeah, I don’t I don’t think my best friend’s written yet. that’s gonna happen.
Klyn Biggest Piece of Advice and Lesson Learned
Pamela Bardhi
That’s awesome, as they all served a purpose in your life, which I think is really powerful. And I think you know, and even just like artists, right. When they release albums, they always talk about. This is the stage I went through in life and it almost feels like the books is almost like the same thing for you. And I have to ask you, what is your biggest piece of advice to anyone out there? Like the biggest lesson that you’ve learned?
Klyn E.
Can we curse on the show? Yeah, you don’t buy the fucking courses online. Tell you what’s gonna happen? Who doesn’t know what the heck they’re talking about? Created a great ideological $2,000 course. And you’re gonna sink roughly 15 grand into them, and realize you had it all along? Don’t buy the fucking course.
Pamela Bardhi
Invest it
Klyn E.
Just me talking about, where I’ve messed up the fucking course you’ve got to shut up.
Pamela Bardhi
I love it. So you’re basically saying stand in your power? Because you’ve got all the answers within? Right?
Klyn E.
You really do. You just may not know how to connect with that voice? In which case I have, of course. But yeah, I mean, spend some time learning how to connect with your higher self, or your God or your hierarchal viewpoint of life. And then listen to it. Every keynote. Literally, I gave one. I just give him all the time, like possible stories and Keynote a fit and I watched Joel Osteen or one of my churches, they have an app where you can download the servants.
I clear my mind, listen to it. And then I pray over like God was the direction you want us to go, knowing what I know, from the client. And I trust that intuition. Because the few times I haven’t, and I thought I knew better than my intuition. To meet everybody liked it, but like I know, and then chances are. That as we all look at our businesses and our lives. The decisions that our gut spoke out against that we thought we were too good to listen to. Those are the ones that stick with eight years later. You know, don’t buy the fucking course.
Pamela Bardhi
You know, cuz it’s interesting that you say that cuz I mean, it feels like everyone is sort of seeking the answer and seeking the answer and like looking everywhere, but themselves. Right. And it’s like, at the end, like, I just sit down for a minute and just like, like you said, thing. Yeah, and just breathe and write it down and just keep it flowing. And then my next question for you is, what would your older self tell, your younger self based on what you know now? Besides don’t buy the course.
Klyn E.
Any ages? Give me ages. Like, Is this me as 50 talking to me at 33? Wait, where’s my age?
Pamela Bardhi
Your age currently talking to early teen when you like don’t know what’s going on in life. At the stage where you’re kind of like, I want to be a singer when I grew up. But you know, like, if the development phase. This is me speaking on my own. I wanted to be a singer. But that would be a disaster for absolutely everybody.
Klyn E.
You know, you have to sing a line for us now. Right?
Pamela Bardhi
See, I used to DJ. So when I used to DJ in college, that’s when my music side musical side came out. But I’m like, I cannot. I cannot sing, I used to sing when I was little. And then I grew up.
Klyn E.
So you ain’t giving me anything? You’re gonna put on MC at the end of this podcast for your listeners, right?
Pamela Bardhi
Yes, totally. Okay. I’ll say one line started from the bottom now. I love Drake. That’s him right there.
Klyn E.
You’re hilarious. Let’s be besties now my 18-year-old self because think of it I’d moved a lot and I thought, I was gonna die. So what do you do when you’re a hot 18-year-old dancer living on your own? With that kind of mindset? Like I’d love for all the listeners to be like, No, I was driven then I was driven. Yeah. But by boys. Shiny cars. Coast of Florida. You know what I mean? Like, right. 18 year old. So, looking back, that’s good, because it was fun, maybe learn to sing now, but now?
Pamela Bardhi
It’s a tough question. I know.
Klyn E.
Yeah, yeah. Cuz 18 was an interesting experience for me, I was engaged to a lovely human being. And then I said, broke offset engagement and got engaged like a week later to a different human being. Not a week, like a month on, but we hit it. Because you know, that guy was he was an interesting creature. But thank God, that did not work either. And I thought I was gonna die. So I wanted everything immediately and I don’t change my sense of urgency.
I still want everything like yesterday and I’m proud of them. So that’s never gonna change. I know, sometimes the sales teams I consult for are driven absolutely nuts and complain about the CEO that brought me in. Because I’m forcing them to do more in one week, than what they’ve done the entire last year. So that hasn’t changed. But, you know, that’s 18 was tough, because I loved it. I loved it, so I would say something I maybe still struggle with. We’re having some fun camaraderie. Don’t get me wrong, but like, you’re worth it. Stop it. You know, as women, we compare ourselves to every other woman. That’s gotta end and I still do.
I have a friend who was Miss Nevada, like, when we’re hanging out, don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty but miss Nevada pretty. But what’s the matter? Why do I care still to this day, and I remember making a lot of choices. There was a game that they played. That was in my early 20s and so there were four of us girls. And then there’s my hot girlfriend who looked like Marilyn Monroe, love her, In fact, we called her Maryland and they called me Barbie. Then we had the athletic girl who’s like qualified for the Olympics in track and field and then, we had another girl who was like the brainy hot librarian. How we’re walking down the street, and I’m a little curvier. You can see my face but, you don’t see my lovely dairy, whatever you get it.
And there were some guys outside the Bern, Florida and they had signs and when you walked by. They held up your number and I was the lowest number every time consistently. I took that as my rallying cry, to go as nuts as I could just to prove, I was okay. Because it sucks to be the ugly one in a group of hot women. It sucks to be the least successful one in a group of millionaire women. It sucks to be the only employee in a group of CEO women.
And I wish, I would have learned that comparing myself. What I should have been doing has been like, I’m in the greatest room. Look at these beautiful role model women, I have on how to take care of yourself and your health. No, look at these incredible business owner women that I have. Who can teach me about KPIs and systems and process and scalability. As opposed to being like, I’m just a dumb employee who’s gonna get fired. I wish I believed in myself a little bit more and why I was privileged enough, to be in that room versus compare myself to everyone in that room.
Pamela Bardhi
Right?
Klyn E.
Get deep.
Pamela Bardhi
Say that’s so deep. And thank you for sharing that. Because like, we’ve all gone through that, you know what I mean? Everybody has doubted themselves. second guess themselves. You’re like, Oh, am I worthy of my work? Am I worth it? Like, kind of how it works.
Klyn E.
I just hang down. Oh, I got you.
Pamela Bardhi
I got you singing though, I love it. But it’s so true. You know, you go through the moments. And you’re just like, Oh and I totally get it. I totally get it. But I love it. You’ve empowered yourself. And you’ve continued to just keep breaking more and more glass ceilings in what you’ve been doing. Which is amazing, Two keynotes in one day. That’s badass. That’s pretty amazing.
Klyn E.
And a sales meeting and two podcasts like I’m out.
Pamela Bardhi
Oh, there you go. But you’re amazing. And now like, you got to let the audience know where to find you. Tell us a little bit about your book so we can support you and all that.
Klyn E.
I mean, I used to have a text opt-in number. If you want to follow me, I’d love for you to join, give me your email address, I’ll hook you up. But you can find everything on Miss kaylyn.com. And then literally, you type in KL YN on Google and like Google knows what to do. You can’t find me if you genuinely want to connect. It’s possible. Like I try to be you know, it’s interesting. I hit like 50, 60,000 followers organic this year, somewhere in that range around a couple 100 drop off couple 100 add-on.
And I’d like to think that you know, right now. I’m micro, I’m like z list celebrity, right. But like, I’d like to think that when I’ve got millions, I’m still accessible to like the cool people, right? Like if you’re an idiot and you’re just asking me to like, slide in your DMS like it didn’t happen in bro. But if you’re a good human, I’m gonna be an accessible human for you. Right? That’s just life code. Just type in klyn and Google. And Google knows what to do.
Tune in to the episode to hear the rest of my incredible interview with Klyn E.
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The Underdog Podcast host is none other than Pamela Bardhi. She’s rocking the Real Estate Realm and has dedicated her life as a Life Coach. She is also Forbes Real Estate Council. To know more about Pam, check out the following: