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  • Marie Forleo: This is Marie Forleo and you are watching MarieTV, the place to be to have

  • a business and life you love. And I am so excited today, you have the best treat ever.

  • Almost as good as my dress. Actually, it’s even better than my dress. And I love my dress.

  • So, you probably know this, one of my dearest, closest friends in the world happens to be

  • a global brand in and of herself. And she’s a New York Times bestselling author, she’s

  • changed millions of lives around the world and continues to, and she is just at the tip

  • of her career in my opinion. It’s no other than the amazing Kris Carr. Kris.

  • Kris Carr: Hi honey.

  • Marie Forleo: Hi! I love having you here, this is just like... like I could talk to

  • you forever and ever and were gonna obviously share some really good stuff. But what I wanna

  • talk to you about today, you know, I’ve heard you speak, youre one of my closest

  • friends, we have our matte meetings on Skype. When I’m wearing my glasses, I roll outta

  • bed, and, you know, when youre on stage and when youre in the public eye, 99.9

  • if not 100% of the time youre talking about, obviously green juice, healthy living, what

  • it takes to really have an amazing life from the inside out but focused in the health and

  • wellness area. And what I find fascinating about you is you are quite a savvy businesswoman.

  • So what I’d love to talk about on MarieTV today, if it’s cool, if we can like dive

  • back in time and talk a little bit about how Kris Carr got to be Kris Carr, and how you

  • built this thing. Because I know from the outside people say, “Oh she’s so beautiful

  • and oh she’s got this big brand and it seems like it’s happened so easily.” But one

  • thing I know about you is that this has been probably over a decade in the making. Right?

  • Kris Carr: Absolutely.

  • Marie Forleo: And I’m sure people look at you now and think that while youre very,

  • very good at revealing your own struggles, your own challenges, places in your life that

  • youre bumping up against and being gracious enough and vulnerable enough to let us all

  • see what youre going through, I think sometimes people don’t know really, like, the business

  • side of it. Right? Because youll reveal certain kinda challenges, but it’s just...

  • if business isn’t your topic to talk about, there’s no real reason to talk about it.

  • But were gonna talk about it today.

  • Kris Carr: Were gonna talk about it.

  • Marie Forleo: Let’s talk about it today. And one of the other things that I love and

  • just admire about you is your unique voice. So before we wrap up today, let’s like put

  • a little mental pin in for us that I wanna talk about why it’s so important to have

  • your own voice. Because, you know, I see a lot of people that love you and admire you,

  • and whether theyre aware of it or not I see them trying to be you a bit. And I think

  • that one of the reasons that youre so successful is because youre so unique and youre

  • so authentic.

  • Kris Carr: Thank you, baby!

  • Marie Forleo: Youre welcome, but it’s the truth though. And so a really big message

  • for me that I wanna get across and I’m sure, you know, well talk about this later, is

  • how important it is to have your own voice and to retain your own voice through your

  • message, whatever youre doing in the world.

  • Kris Carr: Oh girl, well you know what, you... you said something at the top. And for me

  • it wasn’t a business. It wasn’t a business until really the last 2 years. It was a soul

  • project, a heart project, it was eye on the prize, and the prize has always been helping

  • people. And that’s the currency that I received back. But I invested all of my time, all of

  • my own personal finances into this movement, if you wanna call it brand, and there was

  • no other choice for me. It’s... when I got the call I picked up the phone and I was like,

  • Alright. I’m ready, let’s go. Where do we start?” And it started with Crazy

  • Sexy Cancer, but at the time it was mass emails that I was sending to family and friends,

  • and they were just updates to see how I was doing.

  • Marie Forleo: Right, to make sure that the beloved Kris was still alive.

  • Kris Carr: Yeah. Alive and kicking and funny and a little raunchy. Ya know?

  • Marie Forleo: And that’s one of the things I love about you, is you love to get a little

  • raunchy. Especially with me. So... so basically, and I love hearing this, is it wasn’t started

  • as a business. It was started as a movement. It was started as a labor of love and a labor

  • of your soul...

  • Kris Carr: Absolutely.

  • Marie Forleo: ...and really to be of service. And I think what you said is really interesting,

  • and I wanna make sure that people really get it. Like, for you, from your point of view,

  • this really didn't turn into a business until 2 years ago.

  • Kris Carr: 2 years ago, and a lot of money invested. And invested with joy, because I

  • knew I was reaching so many people. And when it became more of a business, it was really

  • because first and foremost, you gotta... juice and cucumbers can be pricey when theyre

  • organic.

  • Marie Forleo: Oh my goodness they are. I sometimes look at my little juice, I’m like, “Holy

  • shizzle.” Like, it’s a lot. Yeah.

  • Kris Carr: And then also to get, you know, out there as far as I wanted to get out there.

  • I can’t do this alone. We have an amazing well oiled machine, and my team members are

  • my life. And so to make them happy and healthy and prosperous, I needed to turn the tide

  • and make it more of a business.

  • Marie Forleo: So, let me ask you this, so where did the money come from for you? Like,

  • how did you even have enough money to eat and to buy some cucumbers and to juice those

  • cucumbers when you first started out?

  • Kris Carr: Well in the... you know, I had a whole other business and a whole other career

  • prior. So...

  • Marie Forleo: I know that, but I don't know if everybody else knows a little bit about

  • your background. So let’s... it was...

  • Kris Carr: I was an actress.

  • Marie Forleo: Yep.

  • Kris Carr: And I did a lot of TV commercials.

  • Marie Forleo: Awesome.

  • Kris Carr: I taught at NYU.

  • Marie Forleo: And?

  • Kris Carr: I had a photography business.

  • Marie Forleo: And?

  • Kris Carr: And I was a dancer and a choreographer.

  • Marie Forleo: Ow!

  • Marie Forleo: So a little multi passionate nature happening.

  • Kris Carr: Amen.

  • Marie Forleo: Amen.

  • Kris Carr: And I always was a squirrel and saved my nuts. And when it was time for me

  • to really make an investment in, first and foremost, my health and well being and secondly

  • into, you know, my writing and having the space to be able to put my creativity out

  • there. I sold my apartment that I had, and I also sold everything else that I had. And

  • that’s how I started to...

  • Marie Forleo: Is that how you funded your movie?

  • Kris Carr: Yeah.

  • Marie Forleo: Was that, like, that was the funding of the movie?

  • Kris Carr: First it was credit cards, then it was the rest... then it was my apartment,

  • and then TLC bought it and gave me the finishing funds for it.

  • Marie Forleo: Amazing. And so that’s when, kind of, the engine star... the wheels really,

  • you know, started to take off.

  • Kris Carr: Yeah.

  • Marie Forleo: So there was something that coming in, and you had a product that was

  • starting to go out, and which, of course, sparked requests for speaking engagements

  • and things like that.

  • Kris Carr: Absolutely, and then I also... I sold the book at the same time. Because

  • I knew that I had to...

  • Marie Forleo: Which was Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips?

  • Kris Carr: Cancer Tips.

  • Marie Forleo: Right.

  • Kris Carr: And I knew that this was a perfect time to have a platform, it was gonna air,

  • I had a lot more to say, sort of like the how to manual.

  • Marie Forleo: Yup.

  • Kris Carr: The shizzle hits the fan, this is what you do ladies.

  • Marie Forleo: Yup.

  • Kris Carr: And...

  • Marie Forleo: Lemme ask you this, I know I’m interrupting you. Was there a point when you...

  • so you made Crazy... and did you come up with the name? So Crazy Sexy Cancer Updates, it

  • was kind of your updates to your friends and your family about you.

  • Kris Carr: Yes.

  • Marie Forleo: When you had that name, Crazy Sexy Cancer, did something in you... because

  • youre very good with language. Youre obviously a super talented writer, and you

  • know I always... I always compliment you on that because I love getting your emails. I

  • love getting your emails that you write to me personally, and I love getting the emails

  • that you send out to all of us, and I just... I savor every bite. Did you know when you

  • came across that name...

  • Kris Carr: Yes.

  • Marie Forleo: ...that’s, same thing with me with Make Every Man Want You, I was like,

  • Oh, that sh*t is good!” So did... oh! So you knew that, so something in you...

  • Kris Carr: I knew it. I knew that it was going to resonate with the people that I wanted

  • it to resonate with. Because when I was first diagnosed, everything was very heavy, it was

  • geared to a much older set of women, and I did not see myself in the media and in the

  • literature out there. So I said, “I need to make it for me, first and foremost. And

  • I bet there are a lot of ladies who would enjoy this material as well.” And I wanted

  • to bite the stigma, I wanted to shake it up and say crazy is empowering, it’s, you know,

  • it’s full... it’s full of life. And let’s go there.

  • Marie Forleo: It’s thinking outside of the box, which is I love one of your great little...

  • youre so good. One of the things I love about you too, is youre so good with your

  • media soundbites. I remember one of the first dinners that we had and I was like, “Girl

  • you got... your sh*t is tight!” Like you always, like when you talk about... like boom

  • bo boom bo boom. And I'm like that is awesome. It’s a true sign of a pro.

  • Kris Carr: Well thank you, I had a lot of media training actually.

  • Marie Forleo: Did you?

  • Kris Carr: For my first tour and all of the national media that I did. And...

  • Marie Forleo: What was like one nugget that you really, if you remember, one nugget from

  • media training?

  • Kris Carr: I’ll give you a really important one. When youre on a TV show, it doesn't

  • matter who’s interviewing you. You have one job. You have to bring it back to your

  • product and your mission. Even if it’s Oprah. You have to grab the material, grab the interview,

  • and bring it back. When youre out there trying to sell a book or when youre out

  • there marketing a movie and whatnot. If it’s a long form interview and you and I can sit

  • and talk, that’s great. But I think oftentimes you can get off track because the interviewer

  • might be like, “Oh you know what, I wanna talk about flowers now.” And youre like,

  • You know, it’s so funny. I talk about flowers on page 33 of my book.”

  • Marie Forleo: I love it. So it’s about always staying on message?

  • Kris Carr: Stay on message.

  • Marie Forleo: And you know, you notice that too with politicians. I love watching, you

  • know, politics and the presidential debates and stuff. And I just love kind of watching

  • what happens when theyre asked a question and theyre like, “Blah blah blah blah

  • blah.” And they bring it right back to whatever the hell they want to say.

  • Kris Carr: It’s your time, and you have to own it.

  • Marie Forleo: Very cool. Ok, so we talked about the startings and the beginnings. How

  • much doubt have you gone through as you are building this movement and, again, this brand?

  • Which now has become a brand, but in the midsts of actually building it, it’s just more

  • of your life’s work. It’s the thing that you have to get out into the world.

  • Kris Carr: A lot of doubt. Especially since my husband and I, who was my editor at the

  • time, decided to leave our careers and move up to upstate New York where we could no longer

  • be freelancers, and put everything into helping people. And it’s great until the bank account

  • starts to go tick tick tick tick tick. And, you know, I wasn't taking a paycheck. He wasn't

  • taking a paycheck. We were making money and paying the people that were working with us.

  • Marie Forleo: So anything that would come in, it would just basically go right back

  • out.

  • Kris Carr: Every speaking engagement, every book deal, everything went out. And we were...

  • we had many long conversations of, “Should we go back to Brooklyn?” And I wouldn't

  • go back, and he ultimately supported my desire.

  • Marie Forleo: Now I wanna talk about something that may be a little difficult, and I know

  • many, many people go through, many of my viewers go through. Did you have naysayers? Did you

  • have people that told you, “Kris, it’s real cute what youre trying to do.” Or,

  • you know, “This is real great, but you gotta go get a real job.” Or, “What the hell

  • are you doing?” Or, “Stop this.” Did you have that?

  • Kris Carr: Oh, absolutely. In fact, I had TV producers say, you know, “Hello sweet

  • girl who suffers, and I feel bad that youre a victim. But those words together are volatile

  • and they should never be. And cancers ugly. Ok? So...

  • Marie Forleo: Wait, they told you your Crazy Sexy Cancer, they said those words are volatile

  • together.

  • Kris Carr: Thatll never happen. Youll never see somebody like you on TV talking

  • about cancer the way you want to.

  • Marie Forleo: Meaning... so, ok, you went out and pitched and that’s what you got

  • back?

  • Kris Carr: From network after network after network. And, until TLC, which... you know

  • TLC’s a little frisky.

  • Marie Forleo: TLC’s awesome!

  • Kris Carr: Sometimes. And they were like, “That’s a really cool thing. Let’s check

  • this out.” And... but I also had family members who were very doubtful. And... and

  • actually a family member who disowned me after everything came out. And we still don't have

  • a relationship. But at the end of the day, I do what I do for a much bigger reason than

  • my ego or for... or relationships that don’t, you know, work.

  • Marie Forleo: You don't need. Yeah. Theyre obviously... wow. And do you have that thing,

  • I happen to be... like I’m a very sensitive person. My intuition is one of the things

  • that, I feel, drives my life and allows me to make really great decisions and also allows

  • me to really work with people in a way that’s effective. But it’s also my Achilles Heel.

  • You know what I mean? So I feel like I feel things much more and they can like, “Oh.”

  • You know, like hit me in the gut and almost take me out for like a day or two where momma

  • has to be like, “Alright, I need to go recover a little bit.” Do you have that or are you

  • a bit more resilient?

  • Kris Carr: I love the word resilience. That’s such a beautiful word. It’s my favorite

  • word actually. No, I feel very deeply. And I will get under my covers and rage and cry

  • and go into the field and scream at the trees like, “Trees! You tree!” You know? And

  • then I find a way to bring it back into the teaching.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah. Yeah. No that’s really, really good. So any other big struggles or

  • stumbles that people don't know about? Like, has there been some big meltdowns where you

  • guys in the back of Crazy Sexy are like, “Oh. Holy sh*t. It’s all coming down.” But

  • like, you know, you can’t really... it’s not necessary to bring it out to the public.

  • Kris Carr: Well, you know, there's always those things when youre launching something

  • where everyone thinks its great, but behind the scenes...

  • Marie Forleo: It’s mayhem.

  • Kris Carr: ...it’s falling apart and you have a very large hemorrhoid and you have

  • to sit on an ice pack. You know? Yes. So, yes. When diet came out we actually sold out

  • all of the books during launch week.

  • Marie Forleo: I remember that.

  • Kris Carr: So I was going all around the country, and I would literally be at a signing with

  • 3 or 400 people, and theyre sending out a tweet and there’s no books in bookstores,

  • there’s no books on Amazon. And we were very close to assuming that we were going

  • to get onto the New York Times Bestseller list, and...

  • Marie Forleo: Yes, the white unicorn of all white unicorns.

  • Kris Carr: The white unicorn with the golden horn. And I was like, “Are they at Costco?

  • I will rent a van.” You know, like, we need books. So that was really hard. But the meltdowns,

  • you know, you get through them.

  • Marie Forleo: We all have them.

  • Kris Carr: Absolutely.

  • Marie Forleo: But I think that there’s... I think that sometimes though, you know, anyone

  • who does anything somewhat publicly, you know, people see you and obviously youre not

  • gonna have a meltdown in public. But they have an assumption that nothing ever goes

  • wrong, or things must always be so easy or it’s easy for them. And I think one of the

  • beautiful things, you know, especially about our friendship is, you know, we always get

  • to hear from each other about the stuff that doesn't always go so right. Like running out

  • of books when Deepak’s about to tweet, and there’s lots of people that wanna buy them

  • and they just can't. And it can feel really frustrating. Youre like, “Gosh.”

  • Kris Carr: Absolutely. And then you just kinda take a breath and say, “I will get through

  • this.” And... and it works out.

  • Marie Forleo: Let’s talk about voice.

  • Kris Carr: Ok.

  • Marie Forleo: Because I know that’s something that youre really passionate about, something

  • that we talk a lot about, and authenticity in your voice. Has it been a journey for you

  • to find your own voice? Or do you find, like, even when you sent out those early Crazy Sexy

  • Cancer Updates. I know youre hil... youre probably one of the funniest people I know.

  • Has your voice been refined over time? Did you ever find yourself reading anyone else

  • and, like, morphing into their voice? Or even having the temptation to go there?

  • Kris Carr: That’s naughty. That’s naughty time. You gotta go sit in the corner when

  • you do that. I actually don't subscribe to very many newsletters. I only subscribe to

  • the people who actually teach me something, feed me something. When I look to other people

  • is when I completely lose myself.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah.

  • Kris Carr: And I think, to your point, the evolution was not about me finding my voice.

  • It was about me giving myself permission to use my voice.

  • Marie Forleo: Love that. Oh Kris Carr that was so good! Oh that was so good! I don't

  • know if we can make it a tweetable or do something with that. Were gonna put that below. I

  • wanna... I wanna make love to that statement.

  • Kris Carr: Spank.

  • Marie Forleo: So it’s not about finding your voice, it’s about giving yourself permission

  • to use your voice.

  • Kris Carr: Yes.

  • Marie Forleo: So did you censor yourself a little bit more in the beginning? Has it become

  • more you?

  • Kris Carr: Definitely more me. A lot more me now. And in the beginning, you know, I

  • don't think I really knew what I was doing. And there were a lot of typos too.

  • Marie Forleo: Did you do a lot of exclamation points?

  • Kris Carr: Oh, so many. And that is my number 1 pet peeve. Like, take it down. Just an exclamation

  • point when you really need it.

  • Marie Forleo: I was the... I was awful. My first ebook had so many exclamation points,

  • because, you know, I was a cheerleader in high school. So I am really freakinenthusiastic.

  • And it’s like my natural DNA. And I’m like, “You gotta listen to this!!!” Very

  • funny.

  • Kris Carr: Totally. Same. Exact same.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah.

  • Kris Carr: And then, you know, now it’s... it’s... honestly it’s very easy, because

  • I can do a blog post in 20 minutes. And send it to my editor and shell... I did one

  • this morning for our newsletter intro and I sent it to her and I said, “Does it need

  • anything else? Are you... do you like it?” She’s like, “I’m bawling, it’s so

  • good.”

  • Marie Forleo: Aww.

  • Kris Carr: And it’s... and I go, “Wow it was?” Because youre in that place

  • where youre just letting yourself flow and be real and vulnerable and... but not

  • vulnerable, “Oh my God, protect me. I’m a little dangerous. It’s... you can be vulnerable

  • but still come from a teaching point. And... and I think youre... nobody can ever be

  • me. I’m really good at that. I’ve got that sh*t nailed down. But you, you out there,

  • you are so much better as yourself. And I think that’s when you start to really build

  • a following, as opposed to I have copy editors who work for me who say, “It frustrates

  • me that clients come in and they say, ‘Just make me sound like Kris Carr. I know you work

  • with her.’” And... and that’s such a... it’s so bad for their businesses.

  • Marie Forleo: Yes. And that’s really the key point. It is bad for their businesses.

  • And I’ve had to... I’ve had some talks with people about the similar kind of thing.

  • I’m like, “God, you are so genius. And you, and the only you that is ever gonna be

  • on this planet. Like, let’s get that out. Because you trying to do anything else, your

  • business is gonna fall flat. Even though it seems like the easier thing to do,” people

  • never get the results that they expect, and theyre always feeling like a shadow of

  • someone. And no one needs to feel like that.

  • Kris Carr: And it’s so great that you teach that. Because... and I think it comes back

  • to the earlier point, which is, just give yourself permission. Just stop thinking that

  • youre not enough.

  • Marie Forleo: Yes.

  • Kris Carr: And that you have to be Marie or Kris or Danielle LaPorte. You don't. People

  • don't want that. We have that covered. But they want you, and they want you really badly.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah. And when I see people being fully them, like, it literally brings

  • me to tears. You know...

  • Kris Carr: It’s exciting.

  • Marie Forleo: ...it is. It’s really, really exciting. And you can hear just that original,

  • it’s like a snowflake, coming out. And just it’s really, really moving. Very cool. The

  • last thing I wanna ask you for today is, you know, youve been on this incredible journey

  • and there’s so many people in our audience who are just starting out. Just at the very

  • beginning. There’s something they believe in, there’s something that they wanna get

  • out into the world, there’s something that they really want to make real. And make it

  • sustainable and make an impact on the world. If you could either look back and tell yourself,

  • you know, 3 things. Or say something to them that would really make a difference when theyre

  • at the beginning of this journey, what would you say?

  • Kris Carr: Wow. That’s such a great question. You know, I think it’s really important

  • for us to dream big. And to see it and to let yourself journal and walk and think about

  • it and say, “Oh wouldn't it be neat if that happened?” And, “I can see myself in those

  • shoes doing that thing. Oh that feels good.” Because your cells start to vibrate and you

  • start to have that inner smile. So be in that place and then go home and get really clear

  • about what youre gonna do today. Like those little actionable steps, and not saying I

  • have to be everything to every person. Right? Like, what is the thing that I do and just

  • get really focused about doing that. As opposed to being like way up in the clouds and...

  • I think you and I were talking about, you know, wanting to have a brand that’s for

  • men and women and ponies and everybody.

  • Marie Forleo: Unicorns.

  • Kris Carr: Yeah, you know, it’s like. No, I work with women. And I work with women from

  • this age to that age, and teenagers? They don't wanna be with me. Over a certain age,

  • theyre like, “Good sweetheart.” You know what I mean? I have my demographic and

  • this is how we jam. And so get really clear about what you want, and then... I don't know

  • about you. And you teach me this all the time, because you keep me on the no train. I can't

  • metabolize more than 3 things a day. That’s it! 3 things!

  • Marie Forleo: Yep. Yeah, no that’s great. So have that big vision, get clear on exactly

  • what your thing is, and then take some small steps but not too many where youre overwhelming

  • them. Yeah, I love it. And I think it’s also about really having faith and keeping

  • the faith and doing what you need to do and to stay on your hustle as things grow. Because

  • people really, really, really overestimate... like they think they can build something huge

  • in like a hot minute. And for most of the successful people I know, there was like such

  • a long period of hustling and nobody knowing what theyre doing. And theyre just doing

  • the good work day in and day out before something pops. I think it’s a really important lesson.

  • I just adore you, thank you so much. So I can’t imagine that anyone in the MarieTV

  • audience doesn't know who you are. But if they want some more Kris Carr, what’s the

  • best place that they should go to?

  • Kris Carr: CrazySexyLife.com.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah, and definitely sign up for... definitely sign up for Kris’s newsletter,

  • because it’s awesome, if you're not on it. It is just such juicy soul vitamins. And you

  • guys publish about once a week, right?

  • Kris Carr: Yes, once a week.

  • Marie Forleo: Yeah, it’s beautiful. Really, really beautiful. So I’m gonna challenge

  • you, and I’m also gonna challenge myself to get my hair out of my lipgloss. Which you

  • know happens with us girls, we get hair in our lipgloss. So on MarieTV we always like

  • you to take action, because insight without action is worthless. And you know that, because

  • youre a loyal watcher. So here’s what I want you to do, in the comments below...

  • and by the way, when I say below I mean at MarieForleo.com, because that’s where all

  • the action happens after the episode. Tell me the one specific insight, I’m sure there’s

  • more than one, but one specific insight that you got out of this interview today, and how

  • it’s gonna impact you moving ahead in your business and your life. I wanna hear as much

  • specificity as possible. The reason I ask for that is it helps us all gain from your

  • genius, and put that action into play. Thank you so much for watching, if you like this

  • video like it and subscribe to the channel. And, of course, share it with all of your

  • friends. And that's what we got for you today on MarieTV. Stay on your game, keep going

  • for your dreams, and I’ll catch you next time. Thanks everybody.

Marie Forleo: This is Marie Forleo and you are watching MarieTV, the place to be to have

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