Francesca Johnson 00:00:00  You don’t have to take what’s expected of you. You can take a more creative role and really make your own path. It’s okay to say I’m going to go in a different direction. I’m going to go with the trade, or I’m going to go with something I’m passionate about. I think we have to make it okay for people to say that and to follow their passion.

Katy Ripp 00:00:22  Hey there, fellow rebels, welcome to #ActuallyICan, the podcast where we say a hearty hell yes to designing life on our own terms. I’m Katy Ripp, a lifestyle coach, business mentor, and serial entrepreneur here to guide you through the wild ride, defying what society expects of us and embracing our authenticity. On this show, we dive deep into taboo topics like death, money, spirituality, entrepreneurship, unapologetic self-care, and personal development, all while swearing and laughing along the way. Expect down and dirty conversations, plenty of humor, and a whole lot of exploration, leaving you feeling empowered to be your truest self.

Katy Ripp 00:01:01  Whether you’re craving a good laugh, seeking unconventional self-care tips, or simply looking for some camaraderie. You’ve come to the right place. We only get this one short life, so buckle up and let’s design yours on our own terms. Ready to dive in? Let’s go. Hey listeners, thank you for joining us again today. I have with me one of my dear friends and esteemed colleagues, Fran Johnson, who is the owner and solopreneur now of makeup by Francesca.

Francesca Johnson 00:01:36  Thanks for having me, Katy. Yes.

Katy Ripp 00:01:38  So Fran and I met I think we think it’s about ten years ago now. You know how you meet those people and, like, immediately you connect. But also you’re like. I do not remember where I met you. I remember where I met you because you put red lipstick on me. And I was like, what the fuck? But I think you don’t remember where you met me. And that’s totally fine. We were at like, a wellness weekend, whatever. At Harbor Athletic Club, Courtney had you come in and do people’s makeup and like, how could we make you look beautiful very simply and that kind of thing? And you did my makeup and I walked out of there and I was like, damn, I look good.

Katy Ripp 00:02:13  Also, this was ten years ago. I was 36, not 46, and I did look good anyway. So Fran and I have kind of followed each other along for the last ten years. I’ve certainly followed you for ten years. And then we opened in 1909. You reached out. We brought bingo in right before the pandemic. You brought a bunch of friends out. It was so great to see you. And then I think we just sort of, like, organically following along and then have these amazing little chit chats here and there. So very recently, only a couple of weeks ago or a few weeks ago now, Dale and I were asked by Fran to be models for an apparel company for Polaris called Goats Trail. It was one of the funniest and most amazing experiences of my life. To watch my husband model and also become like the favorite of that entire group. So welcome Fran! It’s been a long time coming, but I think that your story is really just what this podcast is meant to stand for, right? Like #Actually, I can. Right? Like sometimes we don’t think we can do something or we think it’s too late, or we think it’s this or that or the other thing, and we give ourself all these excuses and then all of a sudden we do it and turn around one day and say, actually, I can do this and nothing really can hold me back here. And this is how I did it. So you’ve been in business for ten years, which is in the land of Instagram, I barely scratched the surface. Right. So I would love to get into your story because I think that, well, first of all, tell us how old you are.

Francesca Johnson 00:04:02  I am 56.

Katy Ripp 00:04:04  Which is like when you see Fran, when you see her on this reel, on this and all this marketing. You look ten years younger than me, so I love that so much. But like, talk about always.

Francesca Johnson 00:04:16  Be friends, Katy. Obviously you know that.

Katy Ripp 00:04:19  But like the aging gracefully part, I really want to get into that because I think that there’s so much around that, and we have a whole new generation of people coming into their 30s and 40s that were raised differently than our mothers.

Katy Ripp 00:04:32  But you came sort of the roundabout way to Madison, Wisconsin from via New York. Also, quite a culture shock, I’m guessing, for you. So tell me a little bit about your story. I’d love to know, like, can you take us back to when you got here, how you got here, maybe family, kids, how you ended up before you started your makeup business?

Francesca Johnson 00:04:55  Sure, absolutely. So I moved from New York. I lived in Manhattan at the time, and I started working for Laura mercier. So I lived in New York, and I had the opportunity to move to Chicago, and I was an important role model to bring Laura mercier to the Midwest. So I was responsible for bringing Laura mercier to the Midwest.

Katy Ripp 00:05:18  Laura mercier is for those who don’t know, like, yeah.

Francesca Johnson 00:05:20  Laura mercier is a French makeup artist who came on in the 90s, and she was just an amazing makeup artist who was really starting to grow. And we brought her to the Midwest.

Katy Ripp 00:05:36  How long ago was this?

Francesca Johnson 00:05:37  This was let’s see, we’re in the 90s, right? So decades ago.

Francesca Johnson 00:05:42  Right. I know.

Katy Ripp 00:05:43  You say 1990 to me and I’m like, oh yeah, ten years ago, but it’s actually more like 30.

Francesca Johnson 00:05:47  Right? Right. So I had to take the trust that I earn from New York and build it into the Midwest. It was hard earned because the community was clearly so important here. Everybody knows everyone, and the clientele that I was used to in New York were the trends that kind of like stuck out. And so obviously I was able to come here and educate those who wanted to learn more about makeup.

Katy Ripp 00:06:15  Yeah. Were you always a makeup artist? Right. Like this is something you did as a, you know, early 20s on up. This was like what you did as a job, a career forever.

Francesca Johnson 00:06:26  No, no, I mean, I’ve been in the business now over 30 years, but originally it’s what I wanted to do. And when I told my parents they had other plans for me. So, you know, like.

Katy Ripp 00:06:37  So many of us do.

Francesca Johnson 00:06:38  Yes, yes. So they had other plans for me. But I am so glad that I was able to circle back to do what I really love to do and I’m passionate about. So. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:06:49  So tell me what like did your family bring you to the Midwest like your husband or you know that kind of thing. Did that bring you to the Midwest the Chicagoland. Yeah.

Francesca Johnson 00:06:59  No I strictly moved to the Midwest to work for Laura mercier. So I worked with Estee Lauder. That was my very first company that I worked for. I started from the bottom up, so I basically worked at Macy’s and Herald Square, Seventh Avenue, 34th Street, and one of the account business managers then took on Laura mercier and asked me to join her and come on to the Midwest. So I took the opportunity to grow and just moved on a whim. I love.

Katy Ripp 00:07:31  It. What made you decide to go out on your own? Right. Because we have these like, hey, can I do this on my own? Was there anything that precipitated that move? Like a bad experience, a good experience, a great mentor that said you could do it.

Katy Ripp 00:07:48  What was the reason behind ten years ago taking that leap?

Francesca Johnson 00:07:51  Yeah, it was a couple of things. You know, my kids were becoming more independent, which gave me, you know, more time to focus on my own career. You know, my husband had a lot of success with his own career, and I just I never had the opportunity. So it was really for being a way to jumpstart that. And I did have mentors. So, for example, Hal Jones from The Purple Goose has been in business for over 25 years, and I shared my dreams with her, and she made me realize that I could bring them to a reality as well as my husband. I was always doing makeup weddings when I could here and there, and I would, for example, give the clients a face chart and they would then take that face chart and buy all the products. Then my husband said, you know, wouldn’t it be great if you could just do like a one stop shop where, you know, your client could buy everything from you and, you know, have a greater experience in a more personal experience.

Francesca Johnson 00:08:51  And that’s how that came about.

Katy Ripp 00:08:54  So amazing support, because not all of us have the support of our husbands, right?

Francesca Johnson 00:08:58  Yes I did. I had, you know, amazing support. And yes, it took some time for our family to get used to, you know, the fact that I was trying to balance both, but it’s paid off and it’s been amazing.

Katy Ripp 00:09:09  Yeah. What kind of fierce did you have in the beginning?

Francesca Johnson 00:09:12  So I definitely had imposter syndrome for sure. I just thought, you know, who do I think I am to be able to start my own business? I had some people telling me, oh, my gosh, she doesn’t even know how to work a computer. How’s that going to work? And they were right, right. But I took a chance on myself and I just thought, you know, let’s see what happens with this. I grew up with my mom, who had her own business as well. So I watched her grow with her clients, and she was a designer, so I would handle the pins.

Francesca Johnson 00:09:44  And I just thought, you know, someday I’m going to have my own business and I’m going to call it my own.

Katy Ripp 00:09:50  Yeah. So you took the leap. Did you side hustle for a while? You said you did like, you know, weddings and that kind of thing on the side. Did you side hustle for a while and then take a leap, or was it like a slow migration into makeup by Fran?

Francesca Johnson 00:10:04  Yeah, I’m the ultimate, ultimate hustler. So I had I had, you know, side hustles. You know, I did some work with other cosmetic companies to just freelance. I did weddings when I could, that kind of thing. And then, you know, I also did so many other things to just, you know, make it happen. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:10:23  What was the part about getting in? Well, now you’re sort of in a different role, right? Like you were doing makeup and solely makeup, right? That’s how we met. It was through makeup. And, you know, I got married 400 years ago, so I wouldn’t have had to do my wedding makeup, but I have had you do my branding photo makeup.

Katy Ripp 00:10:43  I have had my mother in law just had her wedding makeup done. I’ve known hundreds, probably of people that you’ve done makeup for. I’ve seen you on commercial shoots. I follow along on Instagram and tell me about, like the progression. Like, how has this all come together? Was it things that you expected or goals that you’ve achieved, or have we sort of like organically let it flow?

Francesca Johnson 00:11:10  Yeah. I mean it’s nothing that I think I always had a vision of what I wanted and what I hoped for, and I think that I, you know, I manifested it in my mind and it ultimately it just came to be, which was amazing. So doing makeup for weddings and so forth, I had the opportunity to do photoshoots and I was contacted. And so I thought, you know, why not? Like, I know this is something that I could do and that I wanted to do. So I’ll take a leap of faith now doing that. And it was really well received. And I love the variety of doing all different types of things like doing weddings, doing photoshoots, doing special occasions, all that stuff.

Francesca Johnson 00:11:52  I like the fact that my week is different.

Katy Ripp 00:11:54  Yeah, day to day is different, right?

Francesca Johnson 00:11:56  Exactly. Day to day.

Katy Ripp 00:11:57  And you’ve mostly done this by yourself, right?

Francesca Johnson 00:12:00  Yes. I was a one trick pony for, for, a jack of all trades. Yes, yes. And I think, you know, ultimately the first year of being in business, saying yes to everything, no to nothing, I was definitely burnt out. So, you know, I had to learn how to balance that. But yes, I was pretty much alone in starting this business on my own.

Katy Ripp 00:12:21  And you do have some team members now I.

Francesca Johnson 00:12:23  Do, I have quite the team now, which is is amazing.

Katy Ripp 00:12:27  Tell me about how you got the courage or the necessity to hire right to look, because I think that’s one of the things that I talk with my clients about all the time is one of the biggest fears is I cannot do this alone, but I have to do this alone because I can’t get myself out there to look.

Katy Ripp 00:12:47  I don’t have time to look for somebody. I don’t know what I’m looking for. I don’t know what I want them to do. I’m not good managing people. Right. Like there’s this litany of excuses.

Francesca Johnson 00:12:58  Yeah, absolutely.

Katy Ripp 00:12:59  And and almost all of us have it. So it’s not exclusive to certain people. All of us have it. I think after you get the first one under your belt and it’s a good experience, it makes it a lot easier. But that first one is like, oh shit, am I a business? Am I legitimate? Well, and who am I to have a staff? That’s right. You’ve got responsibility and that kind of thing. So can you walk me through that? What that felt like? Yeah.

Francesca Johnson 00:13:24  I mean, what.

Katy Ripp 00:13:25  Was the precipice of that? Like what made you take the leap there.

Francesca Johnson 00:13:28  Yeah, I mean definitely like sheer exhaustion. Like, I definitely could use a hand because it just kind of it really blew up the business and, you know, just, you know, giving up that control too.

Francesca Johnson 00:13:40  Of having to do it all. When I first started, I thought, you know, I’m going to do my taxes and I’m going to do this and I’m going to do that. And I just thought, you know what? I’m going to do what I’m good at, and then I’m going to leave the rest to Hallelujah. I’m going to leave the rest to the experts that you know that are better than me. So I also have a lot of women that reach out and they’re, you know, they’re looking for mentorship too. So they just they’re either really passionate about the industry and they want to learn like how to join on. And I can give them my experience. And then kind of, you know, show them the ropes and teach them the way.

Katy Ripp 00:14:16  Yeah. You’ve got your first hire under your belt, right? And now you’ve got this team. Tell me what that looks like, managing people and managing schedules and all of that. You know, it’s.

Francesca Johnson 00:14:26  A lot because you’re dealing with the clients themselves.

Francesca Johnson 00:14:29  So you’re going back and forth with them and then you’re dealing with your freelance team too. so you’re getting them to be at a certain place at a certain time and actually, you know, making the connection between the client and the person you’re sending, like, is it going to vibe? Is it going to work? Is it going to flow, that kind of thing. So it’s pretty amazing to be able to blend it all together and come up with a finished product.

Katy Ripp 00:14:53  Yeah, it’s almost like when you say it out loud to somebody, when do we get to say it out loud to anybody? Like, hey, I coordinate all the shit.

Francesca Johnson 00:15:03  That’s right.

Katy Ripp 00:15:03  I have, I have a hundred weddings a year. What? How many? Do you know? How many weddings a year you do or events?

Francesca Johnson 00:15:10  Yeah. It’s just it grows every year, to be honest with you. So it’s amazing. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:15:15  So also just to say out loud, like I have so many events a year that I have to hire out, there’s something really great about that.

Katy Ripp 00:15:25  And when you’re hiring out, that person that you hire out for should be making you money.

Francesca Johnson 00:15:31  That’s right.

Katy Ripp 00:15:32  They should be paying for themselves. That’s the idea behind hiring for a business tip for anybody looking to hire. They should be paying for themselves. You shouldn’t have to pay them anything more than what you expect them to make for you here nor there. Okay, so woman’s world, man’s world. So the makeup industry, man’s world, woman’s world. Has it changed?

Francesca Johnson 00:15:55  You know it has changed. Definitely. You know it has changed in time for sure. And I love it. I welcome that change. It’s been really nice just because I’ve been in the business for so long. I’ve seen it go full circle.

Katy Ripp 00:16:08  Yeah. Was it a lot of men that were CEOs and running the show, you know, in the 90s? And have you seen a shift that way of women at the top kind of thing.

Francesca Johnson 00:16:17  You know, there weren’t as many as there are now. Like, for example, I work for Mac cosmetics, and at the time it was a company that was owned by two gay men.

Francesca Johnson 00:16:26  One was the creative part of the business and the other one was the more business end. And so you really didn’t see a lot of that. And that’s where I learned the most, like creatively with all the companies I work for. And they were in the forefront of really like creating makeup colors for women of color recycling, you know, all the things that we took for granted, they brought to life.

Katy Ripp 00:16:51  Yeah, I love that. So I know you as a connector and really a builder of relationships, right. Like that’s I think that’s one of the things that I love so much about you is that every time I walk in, I am blown away by who you’re helping that day, who you’re connecting to, who I am, and I love to connect people to. So I love that about you. Tell me about how important that is in your business.

Francesca Johnson 00:17:18  Katy connection is just the number one. And I repeat the number one thing for me in my business. And I think that, you know, all of us want to connect.

Francesca Johnson 00:17:29  And so it is just it’s something that’s so important. And I am like a walking like concierge service. Right. You know, it’s like, you know, all I know this person. I know that person. I could hook you up here, I could hook you up. They’re connecting people to their dreams or what they’re looking for. It gives you so much satisfaction and it gives the other person so much joy. Tell me about.

Katy Ripp 00:17:50  What does that look like for women in my world? Well, to me it looks like collaboration, like collaboration over competition. 100% of the time there’s enough to go around. It’s all about abundance for me. If Starbucks came right next to crossroads, I still have faith that we would have customers, right? Like there is enough for everybody. There’s two gas stations on every corner. There’s a Culver’s in a McDonald’s, there’s a Starbucks and a Dunkin Donuts. Right? Yeah, there’s I don’t know how many makeup brands there are. Right. So like, that’s a perfect example, right? Like there’s enough to go around.

Katy Ripp 00:18:24  So if you had like a piece of advice for a younger entrepreneur, a female entrepreneur. Maybe somebody in the makeup business. What is that, a cutthroat industry? Is it collaboration? Is it competition? What does that look like?

Francesca Johnson 00:18:38  My theory is the same as yours, right? There’s enough love to go around. There is, and I love that. But I would say for anyone, you know, interested, it’s like, trust your gut, right? Align yourself with people that you know, share your belief system or your philosophy. And that’s just the way that you will grow ultimately, and that you will learn for sure.

Katy Ripp 00:18:59  As we get older. Right. Tell me about, well, what’s your favorite thing at this point, like at this point, what is your favorite thing about your job? I know that’s evolved over the years. Right now as friends sitting there, you know, kids off to college, right? They’re both in.

Francesca Johnson 00:19:14  College. Yeah, yeah. Empty nesting.

Katy Ripp 00:19:15  Yeah, yeah. Empty nesting. What does that look like for you? What is a day in the life look like for you?

Francesca Johnson 00:19:20  You know, again, it’s always different depending on the week. But I love working with women who are maturing and kind of just don’t know their way around now that things have shifted or changed. You know, I always say we have to pass the baton, right, Katy? We can’t hold on to it forever. So we pass the baton on to the next generation. But then we have to learn, you know, how to work with what we have. And it’s still beautiful. It really is. But it’s just giving women the confidence to learn how to use the techniques with the skin that they’re in now. Right. So I’m 50, as I said, I’m 57 years old. So I work with women, you know, in their 40s, 50s and 60s. And my last client was in her 80s and.

Katy Ripp 00:20:07  Oh my God, I love that so much in her.

Francesca Johnson 00:20:09  80s, in her 80s. And you think to yourself, and this is what I learned from my own client is like, you know, you get to the point in your life where you’re like, I know that, I know that. What else do I have to learn at this point? But my client has learned so much. She really. She will text me and share with me what she tried, what works. You know how amazing she feels. It’s a perfect example that we keep learning at every single stage, at every single age. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:20:38  If you had a chance to give a workshop or like, show people a technique that is maybe under utilized, what would that be?

Francesca Johnson 00:20:48  You know how to deal with your eyes when they’re just they’re not the way they used to be. Maybe they’re sagging a little or they’re, you know, uneven or. Yeah, you know, I think I.

Katy Ripp 00:20:57  Have all of those things right now, like this hood lid. That’s right. What is it? Lid.

Katy Ripp 00:21:01  Hood.

Francesca Johnson 00:21:01  Yes.

Katy Ripp 00:21:03  I’m just like, where did that come from?

Francesca Johnson 00:21:05  Yes, exactly. I mean.

Katy Ripp 00:21:06  I know like, I’m not ashamed of it or anything, but I look in the mirror and I’m like.

Francesca Johnson 00:21:10  Oh, that wasn’t there. Nothing. It happens, it happens. It’s natural. So yeah, it’s just teaching those techniques, you know? Also, they’re game changers, right? For these women that, you know, really want to learn something new like contouring. It can be really simple. It doesn’t have to be, you know, where you’re spending all this time doing your makeup. It’s just simple tips that really you take with you. So it’s for me, it’s seeing the client come in, walking in one way, maybe feeling defeated or not knowing exactly what to do, and then walking out a little bit taller, a little bit brighter, you know, a little bit happier. And then, you know, walking into a client that you haven’t seen in so long or running into them, for example.

Francesca Johnson 00:21:50  And you can’t believe it. Like, I’m like, she’s got it. She’s doing it. Like, look at her. That’s amazing to me.

Katy Ripp 00:21:57  You are the reason I wear red lipstick, by the way. I love it. Yes. The reason. Like, I wouldn’t have dreamed of ever putting on red lipstick in my 30s, right? Like I don’t even know why not. It just like I didn’t think it was for me. Or like, where would I ever have the reason to.

Francesca Johnson 00:22:14  Like, wear red lipstick?

Katy Ripp 00:22:16  Yeah, I wear it all the time. Like, I love it.

Francesca Johnson 00:22:18  I like, I.

Katy Ripp 00:22:19  Wear it all the time. My mom has a little sign in her house. It says, put on a little lipstick. You’ll be fine.

Francesca Johnson 00:22:24  That’s right.

Katy Ripp 00:22:25  Truer words have never been spoken.

Francesca Johnson 00:22:27  Yes. For sure. Lipstick changes everything. And I love you in red lipstick. I love myself in red lipstick. But when you choose to wear red lipstick, right, you have to own it like I’m wearing it today.

Francesca Johnson 00:22:39  I’m bringing it today, and here I am. And I love it. I love, love, love it.

Katy Ripp 00:22:43  This is sort of interesting because I’m going maybe down a different rabbit hole here, but what would you say to people that are like, I’m too old for this. I don’t want to like, learn a new makeup routine, I am done, I like, I’m on the last half of my life, I am, I don’t want to say like admitting defeat, but sort of like I’m just I’m not going to work on my image anymore. Who am I trying to impress? Like all that kind of lip service we here?

Francesca Johnson 00:23:11  Yeah, I think that everybody wants to feel good. I think that sometimes women that say that are just. They’re just afraid. I mean, really, it’s like stepping out of the box, you know, it can be the smallest change in your daily routine that you know makes the biggest difference. It really, really does. So don’t be afraid to make that change.

Francesca Johnson 00:23:30  That one change can make the difference.

Katy Ripp 00:23:33  I love it. Also the confidence piece.

Francesca Johnson 00:23:35  Yeah. Oh it’s just you just.

Katy Ripp 00:23:37  Don’t know what kind of confidence it gives you until you have it on it.

Francesca Johnson 00:23:41  And just in.

Katy Ripp 00:23:41  A way that’s comfortable for you. Like I don’t wear a ton of makeup, but I put on eyeliner in lipstick, which also I didn’t ever wear eyeliner in my entire life. And you also gave me the tip of never putting lower mascara on, which I did all my life. And I shouldn’t say never, but you were like, you don’t need it. It’s fine. Just put a lot on the top. It makes its way to.

Francesca Johnson 00:24:04  Heaven, right?

Katy Ripp 00:24:04  What do you think? Ten year from ten years, I never, ever put mascara on the bottom again. Yeah, but it’s these little sort of, like, tips and tricks of just, like, little confidence hacks. It’s not a big deal. And everybody wants to say it’s not your looks. Sure, fine.

Katy Ripp 00:24:22  It’s not your looks. That’s fine. However, we want to feel good and we feel good. Like on the outside, both of them reflect. How you carry yourself on the outside sometimes reflects how you feel on the inside and vice versa.

Francesca Johnson 00:24:37  Absolutely. I always say look good, feel better for sure. And you know, working with clients, seeing them kind of coming in one way, you know, sitting in their chair, just kind of like defeated. And then, you know, you hand them the mirror and they’re looking and they’re saying, you know, I can do this like this. This is something I can do. And all of a sudden they’re standing up, you know, a little bit taller. And it’s just an amazing feeling and an amazing transformation for them as well. Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. Yeah. And I just feel like for me personally, you know, just doing this for ten years I’ve had the opportunity to do girls, let’s say their senior photos and then move on to their weddings, and then from there, weddings.

Francesca Johnson 00:25:18  We do maternity photos. You know, I’ve had family portraits to, you know, women come to me for their their mother’s funeral or whatever. So every woman has a story. Every woman has like a time in their life. And I absolutely love being every part of that journey. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:25:37  What would you say right now you’re moving kind of into this creative direction, right? Like you had done the entire front to back the photo shoot that we did a few weeks ago, which was an amazing experience. And I think every model that was there and the photographers and all of your crew would agree that it was also an amazing experience. Yeah. Tell me about that. Like, what does that look like in the next ten years?

Francesca Johnson 00:26:03  Yeah, I mean, it’s just it’s an amazing new piece of the business that I really love. And it was just it was an amazing feeling to bring a bunch of talent together. You know, I was in charge of the talent. And so I knew, you know, the people that I handpicked as well as the CEO of goats, I knew that it would just it would gel really well.

Francesca Johnson 00:26:25  So just bringing all the parts together. And I’ve been a part of so many productions that I, you know, I know how they work. But actually putting it into play myself was amazing. And then having your clients put all the trust in you, every time I would ask my client about this, she’s she would say, I trust you. Just do it, do it, do it, do it. And I was like, here I go. And it was amazing. I felt like I was on a high for at least two weeks afterwards.

Katy Ripp 00:26:56  It was pretty awesome. And we had the most amazing weather except for the bugs.

Francesca Johnson 00:27:01  That’s right.

Katy Ripp 00:27:02  But you never really know. I mean, the layperson does not get into a photo shoot a production like that on a regular basis, right? Like that’s sort of an inner working inside design, marketing, advertising, you know, that kind of thing. So to be an inside of it as the talent. Yes. Say so myself. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:27:24  As the talent. It was shocking how many pieces had to come together. That’s right. On so many levels, though. I mean, like the makeup and the hair. Yes, but all of the other stuff, right? Like, first of all, you made food. That’s crazy. And the best lasagna I’ve ever had in my life. But also like the food, the accommodation, like the logistics of all of that. And then you hope that everybody shows. It’s so much pressure. It is, it is.

Francesca Johnson 00:27:57  And it’s a lot more than people think. So the fact that you were able to recognize all the pieces that needed to come together.

Katy Ripp 00:28:03  Well, there were a ton of photos taken. There’s not going to be like thousands, right? It’s going to be a few social media, maybe a catalog. Right? Like it’s not thousands. We spent two. Was it two full days or three full days?

Francesca Johnson 00:28:19  Two days, two.

Katy Ripp 00:28:20  Days, full days. Getting enough content for like a season’s worth.

Katy Ripp 00:28:25  Yeah. Correct. That is it’s so much work. And I’m not saying anything about that except that it’s so much work. Yeah, but it’s not worth it. It’s just nobody actually realizes what goes into that. It’s not just like a one trick pony hair and makeup and one photographer. There were people everywhere and moving vehicles, and you had to have props. And how many people were wearing this and which hat? I mean, it was.

Francesca Johnson 00:28:54  You have to be you have to be quick on your feet to think about, you know, everything and anything that could happen. And, you know, you just have to be flexible and open to keep moving and, you know, keep trying different things. But yeah, it’s an amazing experience.

Katy Ripp 00:29:09  Of the commercial and personal, right? You’ve got, you know, weddings, maternity, you know, that kind of the personal side of this. And then there’s the production commercial side of this. Is there a favorite right now? Do you are they kind of even have they ebbed and flowed between the two of them? You know, I’m.

Francesca Johnson 00:29:25  Ending the wedding season, so by November you’re kind of taking a deep breath and going, okay, this is good, but let’s put this to bed for a little bit, right?

Katy Ripp 00:29:34  I think every wedding professional in November is like, fuck this job.

Francesca Johnson 00:29:40  Yeah, yeah, but I have so many different companies that I work with right now that, you know, I love what they all bring to the table. And again, I just if you put me at a desk sitting somewhere every day, I would shrivel up and die. Probably. So the variety of all the companies and just, you know, I’ve worked with companies for ten years. I built those relationships with those companies and they’ve stuck by me for ten years. And those people just they hold a special place in my heart because they’ve been with me since the beginning, and they believe in me, you know, and vice versa.

Katy Ripp 00:30:17  I’m sure they feel the same way about you.

Francesca Johnson 00:30:19  Yeah, yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:30:20  What does retirement look like? I always like to ask people like, what does retirement look like? You know, I.

Francesca Johnson 00:30:27  Don’t see myself retired. I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon. But my husband asks me, you know, I feel like I just got started, right? Because I spent so much time, you know, raising my kids, supporting my husband’s career that I finally feel like, you know, it’s my turn. Right? So I don’t feel like I’m going to be retiring anytime soon. You know, I think I will be like the crazy old lady in the wild lipstick and the funky glasses, right? That, you know, will always be like, come on, sit in my chair. Let me tell you something. You know what I mean? That’ll be me.

Katy Ripp 00:30:57  Yeah, yeah. I also think there’s a difference between working for somebody else and working for yourself and what retirement looks like. Very true. Ben and I are both self-employed and both love our jobs. Yes. Retirement looks very different for us than it did for his parents, who worked for, you know, his mom worked for Zem, his dad worked for TDs.

Katy Ripp 00:31:18  Retirement from them was like, no more work. I want more work. As I get older, I don’t think that I’ll ever get into a space where if you give me nothing to do, I will do nothing.

Francesca Johnson 00:31:30  Yeah, that’s very true.

Katy Ripp 00:31:31  And I will shrivel up and die.

Francesca Johnson 00:31:33  Right. And I think I.

Katy Ripp 00:31:34  Cannot look at it that way. Yeah.

Francesca Johnson 00:31:37  No, I think you’re right. I think part of, like building a team for me anyway, is when you, you know, you build those relationships with the people that work for you. You gain trust with them. So you know that, you know, I can pull back a little bit and, you know, pass this on to this person or that person, and then you just you feel more refreshed and, you know, like this is just the flow of it, right?

Katy Ripp 00:32:00  You mentioned earlier in the conversation that at the beginning you were like, yes to everything. No to nothing. Yeah. Do you feel differently ten years in?

Francesca Johnson 00:32:09  I absolutely do.

Katy Ripp 00:32:10  I absolutely do think you’d ever be here.

Francesca Johnson 00:32:12  No, I don’t like I know now that like so you know, doing that major production that we just came, you know, off of, like you just mentioned. I know that I need at least, you know, two days of recovery. I’ve got, like, a production hangover. And I need, you know, I need to recover or, like what? I’m doing a wedding and my friends want to talk, or my husband and I just say I need to be charged. I’ve been charming all day, and I need a minute. Give me a couple of hours and I’ll be back.

Katy Ripp 00:32:40  And I’ll also be charming. But not now.

Francesca Johnson 00:32:43  Exactly, exactly.

Katy Ripp 00:32:45  I love that so much. I’m going to start using that. I’ve been charming all day long.

Francesca Johnson 00:32:48  I’ve been charming all day. I’ve been blowing sunshine up your ass. So let’s, you know. Yeah, let’s have it. We. Give me a.

Katy Ripp 00:32:56  Minute. If you don’t want me to blow something else up your house.

Katy Ripp 00:32:58  That’s right.

Francesca Johnson 00:33:00  That’s right. Absolutely, yes.

Katy Ripp 00:33:02  The reason I ask is I also work with a lot of new entrepreneurs that are like, I have to say yes to this. I need the money. I have to say, I think it’s so natural. And the reason I ask is, I kind of knew you were going to answer it that way, because it doesn’t feel like that in the beginning. It feels like you are going to have to work yourself to the bone forever, and you’re going to have to take shitty clients, and you’re going to have to say yes. You can’t put up any boundaries, right? I mean, ten years in is a long time. Yeah. Especially in this. You know, I’m going to sound old here, but like, especially in this day and age when everything is such an immediate gratification, we’re right. We’re not seeing the path, we’re seeing the fruits. And so the journey is not documented. The fruits of the labor are documented. And so people are thinking that it only takes a year to get to a six figure, whatever.

Katy Ripp 00:33:58  That is just not true.

Francesca Johnson 00:34:00  Right.

Katy Ripp 00:34:00  I might be for some people, but it is not the norm. And you do have to say yes. And you do have to grind and you do have to hustle. There will come a day that you can say, no, that’s right.

Francesca Johnson 00:34:14  And, you know, and just having having a mentor, like for example, I mentioned the purple Goose Valley, you know, I was working so much and we would do these like photo shoot Fridays. But then between the weddings and the appointments and everything else, I was just feeling really burnt out. And, you know, I mentioned that to her and she just said to me, you know, you don’t have to say yes. You can say no and you don’t have to give me an explanation. Like she gave me permission to say, no, you don’t have to give an explanation for anything.

Katy Ripp 00:34:44  No is a complete sentence, right?

Francesca Johnson 00:34:46  Right. So just having permission to say no is amazing, and it only benefits you in the end.

Francesca Johnson 00:34:52  And just I feel gratitude for everything. Because everything, whether I’ve done an event, you know, I think I don’t even know if that was the event that you were at at the Harbor Athletic Club. But, you know, at the time I would bring all of my products, lipsticks, foundation, whatever it is. And, you know, if a client wants it, it’s there and it can mean for them. But I think, you know, one of these events, I think I sold one lipstick. And you know what? Like I I’m still grateful for that lipstick. I don’t walk away sad or upset because for me, I’m like, I got my name out there. If nothing else, I came out there and, you know, at that specific event, I met a woman whose daughter was getting married and literally it was like a 20 person bridal party that she hired me for. And I employ, you know, hairstylists, makeup artists. And at the end of the wedding, you know, they all applauded us and, you know, appreciated us.

Francesca Johnson 00:35:48  So, you know, don’t Pooh Pooh when you don’t get something because, you know, something else always follows. So you always have to have gratitude, even in the small things like a lipstick. Put on a little lipstick. You’ll be. That’s it. Lipstick changes everything.

Katy Ripp 00:36:02  It is really so true. My mantra when we opened 1909, it was always, I just need feet in the door because once they’re here, it’s going to sell itself. That’s how I framed it in my head that I just need to get them in here once they will come back. So I just need feet in the door. So it really didn’t matter if I was throwing free events or I was giving away free whatever. I just needed feet in the door. That’s right. Things have changed a little bit. Obviously I still feel that way about Crossroads and Creekside, right? Like the space itself should sell itself and our service and our product and that kind of thing. But from a coaching standpoint, I never really worry about like, how much information I’m giving away for free because it will always come back to me.

Francesca Johnson 00:36:55  That’s right.

Katy Ripp 00:36:56  In whatever way. I have no idea how it will come back. I said something somewhere, and all of a sudden I got hired by the, like, American Family dream bank. Yeah. Yeah. I have no idea how that came to be.

Francesca Johnson 00:37:11  Yeah. And I thought.

Katy Ripp 00:37:13  I made a connection with someone or something. Probably with free content. And it always comes back to me. I just really believe that. I believe that if what I’m putting out I’m going to get back ten x.

Francesca Johnson 00:37:27  You’re absolutely.

Katy Ripp 00:37:28  Right. Good and bad. Yes. Absolutely good and bad. If I put something that I’m not really into out there it will come back to me ten x. I learned quite a few lessons that way.

Francesca Johnson 00:37:40  That’s okay.

Katy Ripp 00:37:41  Yeah I mean that is really how I’ve gotten here is I’ve failed. I’ve done a bunch of shitty stuff, I’ve done a bunch of great stuff, and I feel really good about where I’m at, and and I’m super thankful. Yeah, there is a spot in here that I do want to touch on.

Katy Ripp 00:37:56  If you don’t want to touch on it, it’s totally fine. People look at you maybe and really see. And after people hear this and go out and search around for you and that kind of thing, they’re going to look at you and probably look like, man, she looks so confident. She looks like she’s never going to have an issue. Like nothing really bothers her. Right? Like, this is great. She’s grateful for everything. It’s great. And you told me that you once had an anxiety attack. Yeah. Way to a job. Yeah. Can you tell me about that? Sure.

Francesca Johnson 00:38:24  Yeah, I can share that. Definitely. I mean, you know, in growing with the business and everything else, there was opportunity to be on the local news to be, you know, on, on certain shows or whatever else. And I always would start with, you know, anxiety, like, how am I going to do this? How am I going to pull it off? Like, you know, again, like I’m an imposter, everyone’s going to know that kind of thing.

Francesca Johnson 00:38:47  So it was a photo shoot I remember in Milwaukee. And the first day was fine. And then the second day I was, you know, traveling to the shoots and for whatever reason, I felt like I was lost. I wasn’t I was just anxious. And I’m usually a person who’s always early just because, like, you know, I like to be on time, a little bit of a time freak. And I was panicking and I got a call from the producer of the shoot and she’s like, hey, are you are you here? Like, where are you? And I’m just a firm believer and just being honest, you know, and authentic just as much as you can be. And I just said, you know, I’m here. I know that I’m like probably a minute or two away, but I’m having a, you know, an anxiety panic attack, and I just I can’t find my way. But I’m here. She’s like, oh, okay. And she’s like, well, you know, what do you see? And so I’m like, well, you know, I’m here in front of Walgreens and oh yeah, make a right, go left.

Francesca Johnson 00:39:44  And then before you know it, I was there. And, you know, she was wonderful. She, you know, once I’m there and it’s business as usual, it’s like it’s almost like a bell goes off, you know, like when you’re in the boxing ring and you’re like, here I come. Yeah. And she was amazing. Like, she gave me grace. Like she knew that, you know, it wasn’t something I planned on. And I’m happy to say I still work for them ten years later. Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:40:09  If you would have tried to hide it. You know, there’s lots of scenarios that could have gone the other way. But I think the thing you say about authenticity and being honest and not having to figure out what story you are trying to navigate at the time, just tell the truth.

Francesca Johnson 00:40:28  Yeah, yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:40:29  And if they can’t give you grace, you probably don’t want to be working for them.

Francesca Johnson 00:40:34  That’s very no, that’s very true. But I’m just very honest about it.

Francesca Johnson 00:40:38  I think when you’re honest about it, it’s like the cat’s out of the bag and you don’t have to pretend and that kind of thing. And, you know, it’s kind of like, yes, I’m geographically challenged. Don’t tell me to go north southeast. They just give me target, Starbucks and you know, and I’m go left. I’m totally golden. Right. And so, you know, when Apple Maps came out, I it was like I hit the goldmine, you know, it was just it was just amazing. Right? But, you know, it was made for you. It was made for me. But like, for example, to, like, when I’m doing the creative part of my work, like I’m doing, you know, a makeup lesson with someone, let’s say. And at the end of the lesson, they want to buy the products from me, you know, that I’ve put on them that I sell. There’s never any obligation. But if they want to, they’re here.

Francesca Johnson 00:41:21  Right. So, you know, some women buy quite a few products. And that’s the part where I get nervous because, you know, it’s math, right? I’m sitting there, someone’s standing over me. And it’s again, math is not my strong suit. I’m just more creative. So I will say to them, you know, okay, this is the part I hate. It’s, you know, this is why I do makeup, you know, and I’m not, you know, you know what I mean? And so it’s kind of like a joke. And they’ll be like, I’ll take your time. You know, I get it. And so it’s just like, okay, we’ve established that now let’s move on.

Katy Ripp 00:41:49  Yeah. It’s really admitting of the and they’re not even really weaknesses. It’s not a weakness not to know everything. Right. Like we go into entrepreneurship as especially women on $0. Right. Like all of a sudden, oh we’re going to start this business with zero fucking dollars.

Katy Ripp 00:42:10  That’s a story for another day. But we do it, and many of us do it very successfully. I have done it 4 or 5 times. But to go into a business and then realize that you are the marketing director, that’s all the CFO, the CEO, then all of a sudden you’re also doing the job. So in your case makeup. In my case it was a number of things. But like in my case right now it’s coaching and podcast hosting right. Like I can’t do the production. And I’m not an accountant. I’m not a podcast producer. I’m not 100 different things. That’s right. Staying in our zone of genius is where all the money is. That’s right. Right. You building relationships and sometimes doing makeup? That’s gold for you. Yes it is. That’s where all the money is. It’s not doing the math and selling the product. Right. It’s not that you can’t do that, obviously. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. But like, also if you’re going to hire somebody, don’t hire somebody to do the makeup.

Katy Ripp 00:43:15  Hire somebody to do the math. That’s right. Right. So you can stay in your zone of genius. It’s one of the mistakes that most of us make is we hire out for the thing that seems to be taking the most time, but that also is the fun part. Yeah. All of a sudden we hire out like another makeup artist instead of hiring out an accountant or a social media manager or something else. And then we have to do that, that we don’t really like to do. And that person, all she gets to do is fucking makeup.

Francesca Johnson 00:43:44  That’s right. And you know, it’s funny, you talk about accounting. It’s like when I first started, you know, I thought, I’ll do I can do my own accounting, like I can figure it out. And then I was like, who am I kidding? Like, I can’t do this. So it’s also like being mature enough to know, like what you’re good at and you know what you can pass on to the experts.

Francesca Johnson 00:44:02  So like, for example, my accountant, she knows me, bless her heart. Right. And she’s just it’s like every time I have to do my tax and it’s like I have a, you know, anxiety attack. And she just will talk me through it. And that’s one thing I love about her, like, hey, we got this and stuff. But then one day she decided to come to me for a service, and I was obviously thrilled that she was coming to me. And then she said, my chair. And she said, okay, now get ready for me, because this isn’t my area of expertise and I’m really nervous about it. And so I had to make her feel comfortable, you know, in she was in, you know, she was in my ring now, right? Yes. And so it was just it was kind of cool to finally I mean, of course, you know, I make everyone feel as comfortable as they can and everything like that. But it was neat to see that it came full circle.

Francesca Johnson 00:44:52  Yes, I get stressed about my taxes and you get stressed about, you know, makeup and just doing it, you know, in the right order or whatever.

Katy Ripp 00:45:00  Forget sometimes that some of our best customers are people that we hire. That’s right. It does happen quite a bit. Yeah. Like I’ve been your client and here you are. Right. And I have felt very uncomfortable in your chair. You probably feel somewhat I hope you feel much more comfortable now, but you might have been nervous when you came on here. Yeah. There is something to be said about being in each other’s ring in, like, such a beautiful way, in such a, like, supportive like, oh, you don’t think I’m a dumbass and I don’t think you’re a dumbass. This is amazing. No.

Francesca Johnson 00:45:38  Judgment zone. No judgment.

Katy Ripp 00:45:40  No judgment zone. We’re all together. We know what he’s making out of it. Out of this alive. It’s great. I think to myself. Oh, who was it? I was talking to a customer of mine.

Katy Ripp 00:45:51  A friend, like a fellow business owner. He turned 32 the other day. I said, oh, man, 32. I said, the next 14 years of your life are going to be amazing because I’m 46. And he was like, oh man, I love to hear that. He was like, I was really happy to get into my 30s. He was like, but I think 40 is going to be cool. I’m like, 40 is so fucking cool and I cannot wait to get to 50. I mean, I’m not like my life away, but like every start. Yeah, you just.

Francesca Johnson 00:46:20  You know who you are you’re not worried about. It’s just amazing.

Katy Ripp 00:46:24  I just have so many less fucks to give. Just like every year. I’m just like, oh, I don’t care about that. I care a lot about this, but I don’t care at all about that anymore. So things that used to like take up my time and energy and money, I just like have shifted away from the things that don’t serve me into the things that do.

Katy Ripp 00:46:46  And it is such a beautiful place to be. And every time I see somebody, I don’t know if it’s like turn up their nose, but like, oh, I don’t want to get a year older or like all of the birthday, you know, like, oh, I just like, I can’t I love to age. I think it’s just like such, it’s such a gift. So I have us do not get this gift opportunity.

Francesca Johnson 00:47:09  And I agree with you. Like wholeheartedly. I love being in my 50s. I threw myself the biggest 50th bash. I’m going to do it when I turn 60 and so on and so forth. Yeah, I just live every day as if it’s just a celebration, just feeling good in the skin that you’re in. That’s all we can do.

Katy Ripp 00:47:27  And that doesn’t come without its challenges, right? Like, like I love all of me. Do I wake up every single morning Like jumping out of bed. Yeah, of course I’m really sore. And I’m like, oh, this is h.

Katy Ripp 00:47:41  Yeah, absolutely, I don’t understand. I didn’t or like, I pull my neck tying my shoe or. Yeah, I used to just like things that didn’t happen before are happening now. Right. I had this was such an interesting conversation. We’re thinking about building a house. Right. And my thought process has always been we’re building a house that’s one level. No more stairs and building in case, right? Like why doorways? No curbs, you know, blah, blah blah. And I’ve always heard my parents say it like when I was younger, I heard my parents say all the time, I don’t want to go up and down stairs anymore. And I thought, that’s weird. Like they’re just stairs. And now I’m like, I fucking hate these stairs. Down, up and down. Now we’ll get it. Yes. Yeah, right. Like I don’t understand why are we doing this to ourselves? But at the same time, I was talking to my friend Larissa, and she is an interior designer, and she’s helped me with my office.

Katy Ripp 00:48:42  She’s helping me with the house and that kind of thing. And she said, why do you want a one story like a ranch or a one story? And I said, well, I really just like, don’t want to go up and down stairs anymore. And she’s like, oh, that’s interesting. She was like, yeah. And really off the cuff and not like judgmental at all. She said, I just really don’t want to build for a time that I’m not going to be able to do stairs. I want to be able to like, do stairs for the rest of my life. And I thought, shit, I do too. Like I want to be able to do them. And then, you know, if you take it away, all of a sudden you can’t do any stairs anymore. Yeah. Because you have like no practice at stairs. So I don’t know, it was one of those things that I was like, God, some of the things that our parents said or people older than us in a different generation.

Katy Ripp 00:49:32  I think we’re kind of like sandwiched in this like 35 to 55 generation right now that, you know, our parents said one thing and then all of a sudden we’re like, oh, is that true? Right, right. And I think the older we get also were like, I think we have the permission to ask, like, is that a true story? We do feel like that was told to me, but I’m wondering if I should really believe it anymore. And coming up with our own opinions and the ways to do things right, like you were my age when you started your business?

Francesca Johnson 00:50:05  Yes it was.

Katy Ripp 00:50:06  Yeah. And people are like, I can’t start a business at 46. Yeah. Actually you can.

Francesca Johnson 00:50:15  Yeah.

Katy Ripp 00:50:15  But like, we didn’t design her first dress until she was 40. Morgan Freeman didn’t have his first movie until he was like 45. That’s insane to me because I’ve grown up with Morgan Freeman. Who else? Oh, the Harry Potter author. Whatever her name is, she didn’t publish Harry Potter until she was 46.

Francesca Johnson 00:50:35  Oh, yeah, I mean, I just I love it, I love, you know, you can be anything you want at any age.

Katy Ripp 00:50:41  You can do it for a little while and then change.

Francesca Johnson 00:50:44  Right? That’s the beauty of it. That’s it.

Katy Ripp 00:50:46  You could give up makeup and go into, like, full on creative production. Yeah, and then that could turn into something else.

Francesca Johnson 00:50:53  Yeah, it’s the land of opportunity. That’s what I love about it.

Katy Ripp 00:50:56  Yeah. It’s amazing. I cannot wait to see what the next ten years look like for you. I think that there’s so much on the horizon for you. I really would love to have you tell us, like where people can find you, what kind of services they can get from you, like in person and or if there’s, like, tips or tricks or, you know, I don’t know, do you have YouTube channels or like.

Francesca Johnson 00:51:25  No, I don’t, but I do like private lessons where, you know, the client can take away what we’ve done, you know, on a one on one basis with them.

Francesca Johnson 00:51:33  So that’s a really nice thing for them to have and to follow on, you know.

Katy Ripp 00:51:38  Yeah. Where can they find you? How can they book a service with you. So, you know.

Francesca Johnson 00:51:42  Yeah. You can find me on Instagram or on Facebook. Make it by Francesca. And then I have my website, you know, make it by Francesca JD.com, where you can book anything from lessons to styling, makeup lessons to styling, wardrobe, that sort of thing. So yeah, we’ve just we’ve totally broaden our horizons where we do make up lessons for groups, private lessons, wardrobe. I have a lot of women that come and we go shopping for, you know, eyeglass frames or, you know, really whatever that is. I also go into salons and teach makeup to local salons or, you know, in and out of the area. So that’s always a lot of fun. And, you know, branching into production and all those other things.

Katy Ripp 00:52:33  Amazing. We’re going to leave all of Francesca’s information in our show notes for sure, and we will definitely take you on Instagram.

Katy Ripp 00:52:41  Any thoughts you’d like to leave us with us and our listeners?

Francesca Johnson 00:52:46  Yes. I mean, for those, you know, we talked about our careers as we get mature and as we get older and stuff. But I also would like to leave just talking to the generation that feels like maybe they have to go to a four year college or anything like that. I want those people to know that sometimes you don’t have to take what’s expected of you. You can take a more creative role and really make your own path. It’s okay to say, I’m going to go in a different direction. I’m going to go with the trade or I’m going to go with something I’m passionate about. It doesn’t have to be a four year plan. I think we have to make it okay for people to say that and to follow their passion.

Katy Ripp 00:53:29  I love that both from me and Fran. We will write you permission slips. That’s right. You need to know for your parents. We’re happy to write it.

Francesca Johnson 00:53:37  Yeah. And my.

Katy Ripp 00:53:38  You know, I didn’t go to college and I struggled with, like, no Yellow Brick road for most of my adult life. I just, like, I thought I should have gone. I thought I was never going to make it doing anything else. I just, I felt like I had no skills. And then I was just like, well, fuck it, let’s try this.

Francesca Johnson 00:53:56  Yeah. I mean, and that’s what I was told. Like, I, you know, I knew what I wanted to do at a very young age. And, you know, my parents said, no, you’ll go to college. And so I tried I felt so, so lost. Like, I just I knew I didn’t belong there, I felt lost. I’m so glad that I came back to it. And my mom, who you know is a stubborn Italian, finally says to me, I should have. I should have really encouraged you to do what you were born to do. And I know she wanted the best for me because, you know, she wanted me to go to school and take a certain avenue.

Francesca Johnson 00:54:33  But this is my destiny and this is my passion. My dad would always say, you know, find your passion. And it’s like. It’s like you’re not working a day in your life, and. And then you don’t.

Katy Ripp 00:54:43  Want to retire.

Francesca Johnson 00:54:44  Right? And that’s exactly how I feel, I really do. You know, you.

Katy Ripp 00:54:49  Are such an amazing mentor and have such great stories and your connection ability with people in the area and, you know, just everywhere, you just exude confidence and connection and just kindness. And I love everything that you’re doing. But most of all, I just love our friendship and that we’ve been able to connect over the years. And I hope to collaborate.

Francesca Johnson 00:55:18  Thank you for sure. I’m a huge fan and always will be.

Katy Ripp 00:55:21  Oh, thanks. Yeah. Our tens of listeners.

Francesca Johnson 00:55:27  I love it.

Katy Ripp 00:55:28  I love it. Thank you so much for coming on again. We will leave all of the information in the show notes. Please reach out to Fran if you have any questions.

Katy Ripp 00:55:37  She’s got a ton of services for the mature lady. Yeah, so if you’ve got daughters getting married or you are getting married, she’s definitely the gal for that. And she’s got connections all over the place. So one stop shop for sure.

Francesca Johnson 00:55:53  To pick up.

Katy Ripp 00:55:55  All the things.

Francesca Johnson 00:55:56  And remember, Katy, lipstick changes everything.

Katy Ripp 00:56:00  Mic drop. Goodbye. Boom. Oh, I love it, I love it. Thank you Fran, thank you. And that’s a wrap on today’s episode. I hope you enjoyed diving deep into the world of living authentically with me. Before you go, don’t forget to connect with me on Instagram. Shoot me a message at Katy Ripp. I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode and connect with you further. And remember, if you want more details on today’s episode, or just want to explore more about designing your life unapologetically, head on over to my website at Katy Ripp dot com. There you’ll find all the juicy details and resources you need to keep the inspiration flowing.

Katy Ripp 00:56:38  Lastly, if you’d like to join me on the show, whether it’s to tell about your experience of designing your own life, to share your expertise, or if you’d like to participate in lifestyle coaching live on air, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your story could inspire countless others on their own path to living authentically. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, keep living boldly designing your life. And remember, #ActuallyICan