What If...with Holly Pilcavage

"I don’t have to wake up in 35 years and wonder, ‘What if…?’"-Holly Pilcavage

Will you have a “What if” moment 35 years from now?

Holly Pilcavage spent her 20s and early 30s making decisions with two things in mind:

1. Life is short.

2. If it’s not a full-body yes, it’s a no.

   
   

That mindset led her to being appointed CEO by 30, becoming a co-owner of a small business (Evergreen), finishing a marathon, making a film, and visiting all 50 states by the time she turned 33.

Holly lives without regret. Can you say the same? Honestly, I can't.

In this episode of The Orange Butterfly Effect, I had the privilege of sitting down with Holly, an authentic human, community advocate, and lover of plants. Or, as I like to say (in the words of Alicia Keys): This girl is on fire!

Holly shares her nonlinear path, like changing her major five times and starting her career in medical billing, and how she learned to trust her gut and ultimately, live without regret.

Okay, but what does this have to do with you?

It’s cliché, I know. But what if you changed your mindset to: What if it all works out? What would keep you up 35 years from now, thinking, “What if I had…?”

So here’s my invitation for you this week:

I invite you to reflect on this: What is one thing you’ll regret not doing 35 years from now? What if it all works out?And if it doesn’t, so what? What is the worst thing that could happen?

Behind the Mic:

I described Holly as a storyteller, and she is.

Her episode made me think about the stories we make up about ourselves. The ones that either lead us to take action… or to live with regret. We all make up stories about everything in our lives, whether they’re accurate or not.

Total throwback, but this reminded me of a 2015 Super Soul Sunday episode with Brené Brown. During the interview, Brené said the most dangerous stories we tell ourselves are the ones we create about our lovability, our divinity, and our creativity. Why? Because we believe those stories, even when they’re not true.

If Holly had told herself, “I could never open a plant shop with my best friend because of XYZ,” she never would’ve co-founded Evergreen. But she didn’t tell that story. She chose a different one.

So, how do we know if the stories we’re telling ourselves are actually aligned with the truth? Oprah asked Brené that exact question. Her answer? Acknowledge the emotion and get curious. Get curious about the story you're telling. Why are you telling it that way? Why do you believe you can’t do X because of YZ? Then, use real evidence to validate (or challenge) the story.

Easier said than done? Totally. But you can start here: “The story I’m telling myself is…”

Holly’s story is that she can (and will) make decisions that help her live without regret. And I admire that. Big time!

Tune in. Take what you need. Pass it on. ✨