Speaker 1: 0:00

Cut the tie to anything holding you back from success. Welcome to the Cut the Tie podcast. Hi, I'm your host, thomas Helfrich, and in each episode, we bring you real entrepreneurs that really overcame challenges on their journey to become successful. We look at the impact, the moment, how it affected everything in their lives. Follow us on Apple, spotify and YouTube. Now let's meet our guest on Cut the Tie podcast Today. I'm joined by Juno Lux Amazing name, by the way. Juno, thank you for coming on the show.

Speaker 2: 0:31

Thank you so much for having me. It's been. It's a joy. I'm very excited to be here.

Speaker 1: 0:35

Juno, why don't you introduce yourself and your company and tell us what you do?

Speaker 2: 0:39

Hi, I'm Juno. I am the progenitor or founder of the House of H. The House of H is a nonprofit organization that I started two years ago and it is to give queer people access to spirituality in a judgment free and holistic space. Nice.

Speaker 1: 0:58

Well, I mean, there is competition, even in as a non-for-profit in your space, for coaches and books and everything else that's available. You know the power statement why do people pick you? Why do they work with you?

Speaker 2: 1:09

they work with me, because there's even though there are plenty of retreats happening right now and stuff like that, a lot of the treats that are retreats, that are geared towards queer people uh tend to be a little like dialed up on the sex, and I think like there's nothing wrong with that. But I certainly want to make that a secondary part of the conversation, not a primary part of the conversation, and so I uh I decided that I would make that happen.

Speaker 1: 1:41

Very nice. Well, in your own journey, talk a little about your journey and what the tie was, so to speak, that you had to cut to kind of found what you did and get to where you are today.

Speaker 2: 1:53

Yeah, well, I have had a really illustrious career of like many different careers. Actually, I was in hospitality, I was in uh it doing computer stuff. I was in social work and, like all of the themes have always been like helping somebody, which, I mean, that's what all jobs are, I guess. But I got to a point where I was tired of working for other people and I was tired of like being able to create systems better than what I was being given. And then usually I would be like, hey, this is a new way to do it. And they'd be like we don't do it that way. And I'd be like, well, why Is there a reason? And they were like it's just not how it's done. And I don't respond well to that answer. I'm like that's not an answer. I'm an adult, you're going to speak to me like one and a lot's just. I eventually realized I'm not an employee and that was what. That was one of the big ties that held me back. But I was like I'm just going to start my own thing.

Speaker 1: 2:50

What you're right and getting getting treated like like that's the indicator. If someone goes, we've just always done it that way, that means no thought has really gone into improvement and oftentimes there's no interest in anyone questioning it. It creates an environment of just do what you're told and go home right, like. That's not. A healthy environment in me is, even if it's the best process ever, someone should at least say well, I'd like to hear your idea of why you think this is better. And then they, you can have an mature conversation of we've tried that. Hey, that's a great idea. However, here's one thing you may not realize, or whatever it is. The point is have a conversation, as opposed to shut someone down, like just go to your job and be quiet, like that's the worst. Um, so I, I get that. And do you remember the moment, the aha moment, where you're like oh, this is it, I'm done.

Speaker 2: 3:35

So it's funny, cause it I? I've had a moment like similar to that at all of my jobs that I've ever had and I used to just think like well, maybe I'm not meant to be here and then I realized no, I'm not meant to work for someone else, but I mean I could give you. I guess it was. It was literally just always that conversation in different settings of me being like how about this way?

Speaker 1: 4:00

I like it. You don't have a recall of one of like that's it last straw.

Speaker 2: 4:06

I feel like if I say it, I'm going to out some of my previous employers. So that's why, yeah, we love that.

Speaker 1: 4:11

We like, unless they're customers, but if well, you don't have to out their employers but, like you can give the situation. I think it's healthy to understand the situation, because if you don't feel here was a situation and I think lots of people have been in that situation that's healthy because you're helping people who don't realize maybe they can do something different and you took the leap of faith to do it.

Speaker 2: 4:34

I'll give you an example of something that happened when I was in social work, because that was like long enough ago now that I can use that freely and the organization that I stopped working for there also the department that I worked for closed, so it's okay I worked for this social work organization in New York City and in the social work field is predominantly women, for if you don't know that, it's predominantly women.

Speaker 2: 4:59

And it was I was the only person, I was the only male presenting person on my floor, and it was, I was the only person, I was the only male presenting person on my floor and I would wear casual clothes like the girls would, because I was going into like really rough neighborhoods. So wearing a suit wasn't necessarily the best approach, and also part of social work, or part of the how you function within the world of social work, is meeting your client where they're at, so that they feel safe with you, and that's like one of the primary things. And so my boss was like you need to wear a suit when you go out. And I was like but none of the girls were like women's suits, why? Why should I wear a suit? And they were basically like, well, they're girls type thing. And I was like, oh OK, I was like, well, I didn't know, you loved assuming my gender, whatever.

Speaker 2: 5:47

So then I went out with one of the girls who I was friends with and we went to the gap or something and we got exact matching outfits and we wore them the next day together. And so then the executive director, who would always give me crap, was like um, she just walked up to me and she saw what I was wearing and I said, do you have anything to say? And she was like no, and I was like okay, good, and then I wore whatever I wanted the whole time. So, like, like moments like that where people think they're gonna like can I swear on this? Of course, yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:22

When people think they're gonna like out big dick energy me that doesn't't happen and I'm going to use that today at some point Don't out big dick energy, me falling into that, really like competitive side of myself. But people have said to me before you have such a competitive energy and I go, no, I don't, because I don't compete, I win, and so like there's a very uh, when you engage with that part of me, it's, it's not a good place for you to be.

Speaker 1: 6:58

It's not really where you want to be either, Cause it puts you down a path you don't want to be. Since you've cut the tie and you've kind of realized the moment, what's been the impact on your life friends, family, business.

Speaker 2: 7:11

So it's interesting I've been doing the House of H for two years now and it's been really rewarding and all that. But only like yesterday did I realize that I'm an entrepreneur and it finally like set in and I was like, oh wait, this is a whole new way to relate to life. And so like it took two years, but there was definitely a moment of clarity literally yesterday.

Speaker 1: 7:36

Well, talk about that. That's a that's a great moment.

Speaker 2: 7:38

Yeah, it was like this sense of so being a nonprofit, you kind of have to operate differently than a standard business. And I was in the middle of filling out these like donation form pages and like explaining what we were going to do with all this money and stuff like that, and I was like, oh wow, I, this is, this is all me. It kind of hit me all at once that I was like I'm the only one doing this, like I mean not to be like overly hyperbolic or maybe a little bit morbid, but I was like if I died right now, this would end, like this would just stop, and like the realization that I am the thing propelling something was really powerful for me.

Speaker 1: 8:22

Yeah, yeah, it's well. It's when you realize that there's no safety net. There's, it's you and you have to succeed, or, you know, drown or swim or something in between. So that's actually when you go to the next level of of kind of entrepreneurship, when you realize, hey, it's up, it's up for me to decide. There's no magical doors or keys or locks. I it all, I can do it yeah or not.

Speaker 2: 8:46

And that's weird because I've always been so accustomed, like I've worked in very high-end establishments when I was in hospitality, like I worked for walt disney world, I worked for the w like those starwood resorts when they were still starwood. Um, I've always been like I started in my it company as like an intern and ended up their lead technician. So it's, I've always been like I started in my IT company as like an intern and ended up their lead technician. So I've always been like if I'm somewhere, I'm going to do my best. But also, along with that, I've always had people who I had to check in with and like verify with. So I think I just took that behavior with me and like I would always bounce ideas off my friends and sometimes my parents, and like just like other stuff. I mean, of course I have a board of directors and I run everything by them, but like just to to realize that like that's not necessary, I don't need to run everything by someone is like it was like kind of like a moment.

Speaker 1: 9:43

You know what I mean, mm hmm, and that's I mean, that's fantastic.

Speaker 2: 9:46

What's, what's the advice you'd give to maybe an entrepreneur where you were a couple of years ago, like you know, if you look back and you say, hey, here's what I would do or not do, oh, I would say One, don't like I'm an over planner. But don't over plan, just do it, because ultimately you're not prepared, you'll never be fully prepared until you immerse yourself in it, and the longer you sit thinking about it, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of it. So just full, jump in the deep end, you'll swim, you won't sink. And just, I mean to be kind of trite and use an overused statement like think like Nike, just do it, just do it.

Speaker 1: 10:35

It is. It's a great thing. And listen, I, it is great advice. And you continually face it in entrepreneurial journey. I've never done a course and I'm sitting here month after month like what do I do in it? And every time I do it I'm like, oh, it's not big enough and I know I should just record the most basic version and give it away to the initial people in my group and just get feedback and redo it. And I struggle with that and your advice is spot on and one of the hardest ones to take. It's like just go do it and at some point you get forced into doing it.

Speaker 2: 11:19

And that's, um, uh, I'm not there yet, so but I, uh, I, I appreciate that. So I think that's sound advice. Just get out there and do it and learn from the experience and don't look at it as a failure. You will suck first and no matter what you do, and then, no matter how great you are, you'll realize later you sucked at it.

Speaker 2: 11:26

This just occurred to me about something else that kind of triggered my knowingness of being an entrepreneur. So like when I was I started this two years ago and I was still working at an IT company at the time and it wasn't until just like six months ago or something they had to downsize because they lost three of their big clients and I was salaried, so they couldn't cut my hours or like they couldn't change what they were paying me. So, um, when I stopped, when they were like we have to downsize you because we, we don't have the money to pay you, basically I was like, oh, okay, and then I took like a week to process that. But then that was kind of the beginning of like, oh well, I, I work for myself. That was kind of the beginning of like, oh well, I, I work for myself. So it kind of doesn't matter, and then, like that was kind of, I think, where it started to set in.

Speaker 1: 12:15

I mean, yes, you're right, and you also, at some point you'll realize too that you know working for someone's no more stable than working for yourself. So once you kind of sort out what you do, uh, some it's just some rapid fire questions who gives you inspiration?

Speaker 2: 12:31

Um, like Martin Luther King. I mean, it's not a bad one to get it from that's, yeah, I love how he used his voice to advocate for minority people, and he was a spiritual person and he was willing to, like, lay down his life for what he believed in, and that's what I aspire to be every day.

Speaker 1: 12:51

Yeah, that's a good one, Solid answer. I'm going to give you an A plus on that one. What's the best business advice you've ever received?

Speaker 2: 12:57

Um, the best business receipt advice I've received was um, you're going to fail, but try it anyway and then refine it. Who gave you that advice? Um, that was actually one of the coaches I work with.

Speaker 1: 13:15

Yeah, and they're uh like a current coach you're working with now or someone in the past someone in the past.

Speaker 2: 13:20

Um, do you want his name? It's up to you. Yeah, his name is Ben Holt. He works, he works with he uh. He actually has a his own company called awakened breath. It's a breathworks uh certification and he's just like a really excellent coach. I would recommend him to pretty much anyone. I like him.

Speaker 1: 13:38

Maybe I'm going to work with me but you know, of course you can bring him on the show, you can. You can make the intro. Yeah, absolutely, I would love to. I really think, really think people should read and learn from others, even if they hate reading. That being said, what book's a must read?

Speaker 2: 13:56

Okay, so you're asking someone that reads a lot of books. What topic are we in?

Speaker 1: 14:01

Because I Well, the fact that I read a lot of books, I will narrow it For an entrepreneur that maybe they know, maybe they're, they're just wanting to start or they're hit a plateau, they just can't figure. Like, what's the entrepreneurial book? You think someone at least like table stakes. You got to read this one.

Speaker 2: 14:15

So I found that one of the challenges I experienced most with entrepreneurship was branding, because I didn't understand the difference between the brand that is my, my vision, and the brand that is myself and not to say that I'm like a personal brand, because that's not what I mean, but like writing the story of your company can be a real challenge to wrap your head around, because so much of it is in you and so you have to kind of create that distance from yourself in you. And so you have to kind of create that distance from yourself. And I really loved it was an audio book, it was like story brand marketing was great. And then I also really liked the book, which is a film book actually Save the Cat and they both really helped me understand the art of storytelling for the sake of something else and always remember that no matter what you are in your or like no matter what your organization is, you're always the guide. You're never the hero. That's what it comes down to, that like little will save you every time.

Speaker 1: 15:18

I love that. I believe I've listened to that book, the storytelling one. That was a. It was good. It was good storytelling by them doing it. They walked the walk in their own book, which I thought was important yeah, yeah, it was great.

Speaker 2: 15:30

And halfway through the book I was like wait a minute, they're tricking me, they're doing this right, they're doing the thing to you right, exactly yeah, and I was like hey, but at the same time I was like this is great, because it I it showed me that it worked Right exactly.

Speaker 1: 15:43

Do you have a favorite tech you're using right now, something you like to be reliant?

Speaker 2: 15:47

on. I'm going to be like, I'm going to admit to using ChatGPT. You can do everyone else's. I love ChatGPT and I love AI and I know that that's controversial, especially in, like, my spiritual wellness space. A lot of people are like freaked out by it, are like freaked out by it.

Speaker 2: 16:09

But growing up I've had, I had a processing disability where, like, it was hard, I can speak just great, like I'm well, I'm well spoken. I always happen. But getting it to process from like here to written out has always been a challenge for me and it was just a matter of, like, organizing the thoughts. You know what I mean, not so much 100% what you mean.

Speaker 2: 16:24

Yes, what I would do with chat GPT is I was, I would write all of my thoughts down like stream of consciousness just flowing, and then I would be like at the bottom I would say, like this is what I want it to sound, like, this is the general feel I wanted to have, this is the audience I'm talking to, this is the purpose of this form. Or like this is where I'm replying, like if I've had to message someone on LinkedIn. Sometimes I'm like this feels a little casual. Maybe I should dress it up a little bit so like, and then I just hit enter and it always produces in my voice which is the wildest thing the response that I should be sending Right.

Speaker 1: 17:02

I mean it's a great tool.

Speaker 2: 17:05

Yeah, it's fantastic.

Speaker 1: 17:08

I'll even give you a shorter step Use the audio version and just talk to it. You know the the ADHD and most entrepreneurs and all of us makes the from the brain to the written very difficult. So even typing it in gets like you start losing interest about 30, 30 words into it and talking to it you can rant.

Speaker 1: 17:28

Okay, here's the things I want you to go do with this GPT, this, this, and I'm concerned about that. Oh, by the way, I forgot this other fact I just talk to it and then send it, and it is way faster and easier on me.

Speaker 2: 17:40

I'm going to have to try that, then I will definitely it's great.

Speaker 1: 17:43

You can have a conversation with it. It's really. I would definitely recommend anyone listening. Talk to it. If you have a tough time writing pen to paper, just talk to it. It's great Does it talk back to you.

Speaker 2: 17:53

Yeah, oh, my God.

Speaker 1: 17:59

I mean. So this is from your spiritual side. I'll just make a small tangent here. It can be, it could become something that's very good for you, to help you with clarity of thought and understand you and understand what it might and it should be. It should be very good at saying the right words. Based on all the books and information that's out there on the topic of how to get you to think differently, it would be a very, very valuable tool to use. There's the conference. Who comes in? What's the data? What methodology? What's the motive? Can people mess with that? Maybe, but it's still better than not talking to anybody.

Speaker 2: 18:29

I mean this is going to sound kind of callous, but is it bad that I kind of don't care who has no?

Speaker 1: 18:36

it isn't. No, listen you, you, you shouldn't. I'm telling the people out there who maybe don't want to talk to somebody, but want to get through something in their life or find something. It's a place to start because it at least allow you to talk basically to yourself, out of your head.

Speaker 2: 18:50

Yeah, absolutely my.

Speaker 1: 18:52

my one of my best friends uses chat GPT as a therapist, like full scale A hundred percent, could I mean like that is a really good use case. Uh, without bias. For the most part I mean the bias comes from the content that comes into it. But if it's looking at, if you say, listen, restrict this to books and latest and respected articles or journals, it can give you some pretty pretty good advice.

Speaker 2: 19:14

Ooh, I should, can. I should try that Like only look at scholarly articles.

Speaker 1: 19:19

Yeah, Like we'll publish journals or uh, uh, what is it? Peer reviewed things like that and and based on like clinicaled things like that and based on clinical data. But even that could be. We're on a tangent. But you can be leveraged. I think ChatGPT and all the other ones are very they're great answers, because the truth is you should be using them to some degree, At least know what it is, so no one fears it. If you had to start over not your whole life, let's go into your career, or you can pick the frame if it makes more sense. But if you pick a time frame and you had to start that over, you know when would that be, why and what would you?

Speaker 2: 19:53

do different.

Speaker 2: 19:54

I'm going to give you a very like Miss America answer, but I really think that everything that I've done to this point has made me exactly who I am, because I was thinking about this last night.

Speaker 2: 20:10

I was like you know, although I've been through some really rough, rough things, I would not trade my life experience for anything in the world, because I think that had I not had the exact collection of experiences that I have had, I might not be able to help people in the same way that I can and like. For a long time I regretted going to school for social work because it didn't offer me the financial stability that I wanted and it didn't offer me things that, like I was looking for in that moment. But my social work degree has helped me relate to the world around me more than anything else that I've done ever, and it also helps to solidify validity for the organization that I'm creating currently, because, although there are many coaches out there, not all of them have master's degrees in social work and not not all of them are going for PhDs.

Speaker 1: 20:58

So I mean that's that's. I mean that's fair right, you have to account for your own experience into your. You know your profession. So you know, and I see when people sometimes ask that question they go oh, I'd go back to nine years old. But, like you know, you wouldn't have maybe your wife then or your kids or this person in your life. But you could go back to certain moments like, oh man, I would still leave, I would do these 10 things differently, and I love the fact that I'm drawing upon that. I can't go, I can't leave, that I got to draw upon my own experience and I think that's the mature way to think about it. What I tell people to do sometimes is you know, I just went to a 30 year high school reunion last summer. It dawned on me that I'm, you know, I'm pretty fit, healthy. I don't smoke, don't drink.

Speaker 2: 21:58

I'm like I have 30 more years, I just got here. So the idea is always look back of, hey, if I do things different, I would have the change. And so, like I've always taken that very seriously, like my role as an advocate, or like someone who who views themselves as like a forward moving thinker. Um, like that started in high school for me, like in the nineties, it wasn't really cute to be gay, um, and so, by the way, surprise, no, I'm just kidding Um, but it wasn't really cute to be gay then. Like um, it was.

Speaker 1: 22:30

I'm changing that's it.

Speaker 2: 22:31

That's it. I want to be cute converting Um but it's a choice, you know. Yeah, it's absolutely a choice.

Speaker 1: 22:39

They think it's they think it's our agenda to convert you people. So, absolutely Right. No, you didn't go to camp and get the G, get Jesus to get it out of here, or anything like that.

Speaker 2: 22:47

No, unfortunately he didn't do the job.

Speaker 1: 22:52

See, this podcast is gone. It's gone down.

Speaker 2: 22:56

It has gone down but apparently that works with my name, so that's okay.

Speaker 1: 23:00

It works, you get anything. But if we had miss miss USA on here like Elisa Christie two time, we had miss miss usa on here like elisa christie, two-time winner, oh that's wild. She did not give miss america answers, she. But, by the way, she gave some pretty pretty hard fought, like was talking about cosby and all the anyway. So anyway she. That's why she, she reasoned she won. I met her on the beta blocks, by the way, as well, on blocks. Um, didn't realize that was that she was who that was, until like after the whole thing was done, I'm like oh, you were just nice, anyway, uh. Final question yeah, if there was a question I was supposed to ask you or should have asked you, and I didn't, what is that question?

Speaker 2: 23:38

And uh, how would you answer it? Um, I think you could have asked me like how does, how does my like? Why is my organization so important today? And I would say that my organization is so important today because queer people are actively being asked to be quiet, and the most important thing that queer people can do right now is use their voice and not be silent. And I think the best way we can do that is through things like starting nonprofits, starting businesses and getting involved and getting out there and being in community. And that's why I think that my organization's voice is so important right now.

Speaker 1: 24:22

I like that. That's a really good. I mean, that's a. That's a very well thought out reason why you exist. Most people can't answer that question If you ask like why do you exist? I don't know, make money. This one is like the help and support. I love that. I love that you've come on here, juno. I absolutely love your name. It's one of those names like Juno Lux I'm going to just say it randomly today Like Lux, what are you?

Speaker 2: 24:47

talking about. I feel like I'm going to get a voice note in the middle of the night. Just your voice doing my name.

Speaker 1: 24:53

There's a thing from Sephora called Laneige and I will have conversations with my kids and I'll be like, no matter what they answer, I'm like Laneige. I'm like Laneige. No, like, stop it. I'm like Linage, like.

Speaker 2: 25:05

Linage? Am I the new Linage? Are you going to just start?

Speaker 1: 25:07

plugging it in with your kids Starring in Linage gone wrong.

Speaker 2: 25:12

Yes.

Speaker 1: 25:13

Yeah, that's hilarious.

Speaker 2: 25:14

By the way.

Speaker 1: 25:14

Sephora is not a sponsor. But goddamn, linage is good. I love that. It's like a Stanley water cup in the form of lymphoma. Yeah, how do people get ahold of you who? How do people get a hold of you who?

Speaker 2: 25:25

should get a hold of you. If you are a queer person or an ally to queer people, you can find me at thehouseofhorg, and house is spelled H-A-U-S because fashion and gay and if you are looking to get in touch with a deeper part of yourself in a judgment-free place, you should also get in touch with me. I host four to six retreats a year. We have two coming up this year because we had to like move some stuff around. We're getting Yoga Alliance approved right now, but in October we have a retreat called which camp, which is gonna be a super fun. So if you've ever been curious about, like tarot or astrology or any of that stuff, that's, it's gonna be a great time. And it's on Halloween weekend and we're doing a full scale um deity dance party where you show up as your favorite deity and dance the night away.

Speaker 1: 26:12

I love that. Dungeons and dragons, full Wicca. It's going to be great.

Speaker 2: 26:15

Yes, yes, yes, yes, Dungeons and dragons come to life.

Speaker 1: 26:20

Let your dragon balls show. Yes, a hundred percent. I'm so funny at myself. Thank you for coming on. I appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2: 26:30

It's been a joy.

Speaker 1: 26:32

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Cut the Tie. Let's stay connected. Please hit that follow button on Apple, spotify or YouTube and, if you're ready to advance your entrepreneurial journey even further, join our free community at facebookcom. Slash groups, slash cut the tie. Cut the tie to everything holding you back from success.