J.R.: [00:00:00] Hello, my lovely listeners, and welcome back to another episode of One Thousand Gurus, where we share the stories and lessons from people of all walks of life, and I'm your host, J.R. Yonocruz.

Today on the podcast, we continue the informal Kaba Modern guest series, where I reconnect with some of the people I met through KM who are most formative to me, reminisce about the past, and share what amazing human beings they are.

And today's guest is one of my dance moms when I was a newbie and first year on the team, and we go into that a bit near the beginning.

But I will say, of all the formative dance parents I've had, Juli's by far one of the most impactful to me, so I was happy to finally have her on the show.

Juli Yamanaka Bondoc is a dance educator and assistant director at Carlsbad Dance Center with nearly 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring dancers. Throughout her dance career, she has danced with Kaba Modern, KM Legacy, and Style 2 Kill, and has been part of projects including Surreal and People Say I Move Funny.

Her choreography credits include dance teams at the University of Tennessee, UC Santa Barbara, and various high schools and dance studios. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers and helping them grow in confidence, artistry, and technique. [00:01:00] Outside of dance, Julie is a wife and a proud mom to her son, Jace.

We dig into her career as a dance instructor and director, and the challenges and changes that have happened in the field over time, such as teaching through the pandemic and also teaching while she was pregnant. We also chat about the challenges of being a parent, and specifically how motherhood has been like for her, and whether or not they would wanna have another kid.

It was a fantastic conversation that I'll personally cherish, and hopefully you guys will like it too. So without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Juli Yamanaka Bondoc.

Hello, and welcome back to One Thousand Gurus. Juli, welcome to the show. 

Juli: Yay. 

J.R.: Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it for we finally got to find some time. I know you're really busy, but this is the benefit of doing this virtually. We get a little bit of flexibility, right? 

Juli: Mm-hmm. 

J.R.: So, it's been quite a while since we jumped on.

I would have already read your bio, but let's see. How long has it been since we [00:02:00] last talked? I'm sure it's been- 

Juli: Well, we got- ... a long time ... to see each other recently- 

J.R.: We 

Juli: did, yeah ... at Science. So that was fun. Mm-hmm. I mean, we did get to, like, hang out, hang out, but I think before that... Oh, a 

J.R.: really long time.

Yeah, see, exactly. Yeah. Because what was it? One of the KM anniversary things- 

Juli: Yeah, the 30th ... that we saw each other, but- Yeah. But again, probably- Mm-hmm ... didn't get to spend a lot, 'cause I also had brought Jace, and he was, like- 

J.R.: Mm-hmm ... 

Juli: maybe a year old, maybe. 

J.R.: Yeah. And,

Juli: So, and he's about to turn five, so that was, like, four-ish years ago.

J.R.: Yeah. So I think the last time we probably talked talk was when we were both on the team, if I'm not mistaken. 

Juli: God, that was, like, so long ago now. Yeah. 

J.R.: Like 15 years. It was, like, 15. It's 15. 'Cause I'm going through my cycle of my super oldies when I, when I'm a team, so, I just, we just I just interviewed Deyo, and then Shaun is up in November.

And so I'm like, "Well, I need Juli for the [00:03:00] trifecta." So c- so nice that- Mm ... we know we got to schedule that in. Yeah, and even Simbol. Simbol just came. His episode just launched, and then Deyo's is next week, so. 

Juli: Nice. 

J.R.: Yeah, just going through all the, the oldies. One thing that before we kind of get into how I know you, but remember during COVID, and then everyone was on TikTok, and I remember that was one of the times where we were interacting a lot on social media because you were- Mm-hmm

posting a bunch of dance videos. And then my girlfriend and I were building up our TikTok channel, and I'm like, "Oh my God, that's Juli." She's like- ... my dance mom, and she just, she's, like, probably the be- my favorite dancer on TikTok. Just doing all your, the random dance trends. And she's like, "Oh, okay."

And I think she eventually met you in person. Uh-huh ... but, but it was kind of one of those things where she, because, I think because our account followed you, she would see your dance videos, but she obviously didn't know who you were. And then finally when she met you in person, she's like, "Oh yeah, that's cool."

... It's kind of, like, a surreal experience, you know? 

Juli: Yeah. 

Let's see. Social media's weird like that, where you, like- Yeah ... feel like you kind of know someone through a [00:04:00] screen- Mm ... and they're like, "Oh, oh wait, I actually have never met them." Just kidding. 

J.R.: Yeah, no, we, we've met some people who followed us as well in real life, and it's such an interesting experience.

Like, when we went to the Philippines a few years back, and you could tell there's just people staring as we're just walking through, and then her cousins would be like, "Oh yeah, there's people who kept saying your name" in the corner. We're like, "That's so, like, embarrassing." We're literally in another country.

But yeah. 

Juli: That's so fun. Well, you guys had a big following. Do you still use that account much or not as much? 

J.R.: So yeah, we don't, we're not, it's not really active, but it's still there. And then s- once in a while, Blessie will post just a funny video. But yeah, definitely not as active as the, the one and a half years when we were posting at least twice a day.

'Cause we're like, "Okay. This is a, this is a thing. Let's try this out." So yeah, it's been a lot of fun. So let's see. So I, I guess I'll go into how we know each other, and I think it's straightforward. So we met on Kaba Modern when I- Mm-hmm ... joined the team in 2010. That was my newbie year, [00:05:00] and you were already a super oldie, or a fourth year on the team.

Mm-hmm. Yeah I don't know what your experience was like, but mine was, was very interesting in the sense of... Well, I went over this with Deyo, and I talked to Shawn a little bit at the wedding about how it was very formative for me. I mean, I look back fondly, obviously. I'm talking to a bunch of Kaba Modern people recently.

But I guess my, my impressions of you... Well, okay, I also said this to Deyo, but in my brain, there's like this sort of hierarchy of skill where if, if I, if I didn't know anyone on the team and I saw them doing run-throughs, I feel like I could pinpoint who were the newbies, returners, oldies, super oldies just based on how good they were.

And that, to me, was always really amazing because, as Deyo told me you know, he gave me some dance advice that I followed, and it really helped out. But I think it was a, to me, the way I, what I believed was it was a function of how much hard work you put in over a long period of time. And so therefore, theoretically, by math, if I stayed on the team-

if I put in the hard work and [00:06:00] I stay for like three, four years, I'll probably be as good if not similar to like my oldies and super oldies, and just believing in that sort of system. And I think it turned out well. I, a lot of what I learned directly from you guys, from my oldies and super oldies, and of course returners too, translated to the rest of my dance career for the next 15 years.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm very appreciative of you guys, especially you, Juli, included, since you were one of my like older parents, siblings on the team that I looked up to a lot. And yeah, just seeing you guys dance was always really inspiring, so.

Yay. That's, that's what I remember.

Juli: It wa- it, well, my super oldie year was just weird. I didn't know if I was gonna come back that last year. There was obviously like always the drama of like relationships and stuff like that. Mm-hmm. And I was like, "Nah, F it. I'm gonna come back. I'm gonna dance for me." Yeah. And then of course I like was in and out a bunch that year.

I also felt like I was in a weird space personally, so I don't think I was always the nicest. Mm. I think I was... I was talking to my husband the other day- What? You [00:07:00] were so 

J.R.: nice. What are you talking about? See, she laughs because she knows. 

Juli: I was telling my husband, who also was on Kaba Modern like way before you 'cause he was only on the team one year in '06, and I joined in '07.

But I was telling him I was doing this podcast with you, and he was like, "Oh, yeah, like h- what's the relationship? How'd it go?" I was like, "I was kind of a hard ass." I wanted things to look a certain way, be a certain way, and I expected them to do it. And they either got with it or I rode their ass.

J.R.: Yeah. 

Juli: But I mean, I had a great time. I really did love fucking with you guys, much to be honest. Because most of the time you're like, "Okay," and did it anyway. 

J.R.: Yeah. Yeah, I totally got that vibe. But it's just funny because, like, I don't know if it's just personality types, but I really resonated with that.

I think I told you that a while ago, where I was like, "Yeah, I actually respect Juli the most because she's so hard on us," and I think [00:08:00] that's what I, what I was looking for, or maybe just my personality type resonates with that. And so that's why by the end of the year, I was like, I, I really looked up to the people who took...

Well, from the outside, looks like it, it looks like you guys took it seriously, and that kind of, I feel like that rubbed off on me, and I took it a lot more seriously afterwards. And then bringing that into the other dance spaces I've, I was in, they're just like, "Dang, you're, you're always going full out."

I'm like, "Yeah, that's what we do on Kaba Modern, is we're full out all the time. Like, oh, you're just gonna rest on the sides?" So being on other, like- ... more chill teams, it's kind of like that sort of difference in culture that I, I guess, appreciated. But yeah. 

Juli: All right. Well, at least it wasn't detrimental.

J.R.: Yeah, at least not for me. I'm sure for other people, and- ... and in the subsequent years. I guess I- Sure, I, yeah ... just reacted positively. 

Juli: Yeah. I don't- Yeah ... I don't think I would've meshed as well with many of the people who joined years later. 

J.R.: Mm. 

Juli: 'Cause I, yeah, I was like, "They, that's not the same." The work ethic- Mm

the, like, [00:09:00] drive, I guess, was just not quite the same. But that was then, this is now, I guess. 

J.R.: Yeah. Do you have any interesting stories, experiences, or lessons from your time on the team that you remember? 

Juli: I mean, I have plenty of stories. Not all of them are appropriate, but- 

J.R.: Sure Yeah 

Juli: But- 

J.R.: Even, even Deyo and I were kind of skirting that line.

We're like, "Hmm- And you're like ... what should we talk about?" There's a lot of, a lot of my formative experiences were on Kaba Modern, 'cause I was 18, so I just like- Yeah ... okay, new stuff. 

Juli: Yeah. There, I mean, dancing-wise, because I r- really wasn't much of a hip hop dancer before Modern, I kind of was just, like learning a lot.

So I think with the, like kinda being a hard-ass and always going full out, like I, I didn't know any different, and I, I really just tried to engross myself in it, and it was so cool to like learn all these different styles where I was like, oh, hip hop is not just like a one and two and [00:10:00] three and four, and just, you know?

Like, it was very different. So I just loved that. You know, like coming early and breaking with Darren, or, I don't know, it was just like me and Chris Baklig. And you know, or like newbie year I'd be clean by myself with Cindy Manoa. Terrifying. Terrifying. But you know, it made me better.

J.R.: Mm-hmm

Juli: just like the relationships like family that we all became. I mean, after I left the team, like I was like still going, like obviously support, and then for a while Saaya lived with me because of drama. But like she probably wouldn't have if we didn't have that close relationship, you know? But I don't know.

It was just fun. I really enjoyed it. Mm-hmm. Just like something to look forward to after like a long day of work or a long day of school. Be like, "I have to go dance with my fams. Just leave it on the dance floor." You know? Mm-hmm. I think that was my favorite. It was like always still say it, like leave it on the floor.

Just, it's just gonna live there. All the mistakes, all of the, whatever it happens, it's just gonna live there. Leave it on the [00:11:00] floor. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. 

Juli: So, yeah. 

J.R.: Yeah, definitely. I was talking to, when I had my K10 class on the show, it was like a group episode, and June was saying this. She was like, "Do you guy- Y- you know the feeling of being on a team like Kaba Modern.

You have this camaraderie that you build through the pain and suffering of working together through the long hours, blood, sweat, and tears to create something, right?" And she was like, "You know that e- experience obviously bonds you," but also I think she was trying to say would we... Do you guys feel like you would ever find that in something else, right?

Mm. And I think, let's say if you are in the military, maybe that's like a similar sort of experience, or some sort of event where it's like your life's on the line, or even just a big monumental thing of putting a team together, like being an athlete, right, where it's a team sport. I don't know if you have had, had that experience, but I mean, you're, you've been a dancer for a long time.

Is there something that... I don't know what I'm trying to ask. Something similar to that? [00:12:00] 

Juli: I mean, mine's- 

J.R.: Or did you feel like it was like that? 

Juli: Yes. I feel like especially my newbie year, I think it kind of lessened as the years went on, just because obviously generations and, and people change, but it was very much a break you down to build you back up.

Mm-hmm. Like, I, I don't know why. That's kind of mean, but it was kind of a, like, let's strip you down to the core- Mm ... of you and now we're gonna make you a better dancer. I, I don't know. But there was a lot of like a- not necessarily negativity. I don't necessarily want to say negativity, but it was a lot of no, you're kind of like having to, okay, I, I kind of relate it to learning off of YouTube or off of TikTok these days, where like, as dancers all, you're just, like, picking up whatever it is, and then, like, for the kids that come into the studio, I'm like, "That, no. Whatever you're doing, no, you're gonna injure yourself." Like, you're like, let's, let's break down the fundamentals, start from the basics, and build you back up.

And I guess that's kind of what Modern did, and I guess we also just kind of trauma bonded, to be honest. Mm. There was a lot of trauma there.

J.R.: Of course ... 

Juli: but there was also a lot of joy. You know? We also got to meet, like, [00:13:00] Kobe Bryant and, you know, he was there at Bren Events area. Saw him twice.

I literally just had this whole reminiscing with my husband the other day. I was like, "Yeah." It was a whole wild. Also saw the sunrise way too many times. Should we be dancing on concrete that many hours? No. But These kids will never know. They dance in studios. They're so blessed. They've got mirrors. 

J.R.: Oh, yeah.

No. Oh Yeah, mirrors and what? What? Like, you get to be inside? That's crazy. 

Juli: Yeah. Mirrors, air conditioning sprung floors. What? Mm-hmm. We literally learned how to shablam on concrete, just Jonah pulling your leg. A, just go. 

J.R.: No, that's true. Yeah. And also, the, I know this was, like, a KASA Dance Off thing too because it was always during that winter season- Mm-hmm

like in Thanksgiving. But long hours plus falling asleep and then sleeping on the cold concrete is just- Yeah ... a recipe for not only getting sick, but also- Yes ... hurting yourself. 

Juli: Yes. 

J.R.: And so I'm like, how did we... why did we not just rest? Mm ... but I know that's, that's just, that was just [00:14:00] tradition, right? We just- Yeah

sleep deprive ourselves, and that's the whole point. But then now- Yes ... you're like, well, in performance, you do, you should, you should prioritize recovery and sleep. Yes. But, you know- Yes ... who knows, right? Yeah. Yeah. Good times. I do look fondly on- Good times. Yeah, ex- I do look fondly on all those sort of experiences 'cause they were so...

I- in retrospect, it's nice to go back and be like, "Wow, that was really hard." But in the moment, you're like, "Okay, what? Why am I here?" 

Juli: Yeah. Yeah. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. I wanted to ask before we move on is were there any specific regrets that you had on, while you were on the team? And you were on for f- four years. I- Mm-hmm

I was, like, about two and a half. And I can start with mine. I think it was more, now that I look back on it, and I was talking to, maybe it was K10, or maybe it was Ramy. But I think one thing that I would redo if I, let's say, could go back to that experience, was being more present and connecting with people.

I think it was hard, and I give myself grace that I was [00:15:00] 18 to 20-something. And so it's kind of hard as you're figuring yourself out and being in these new experiences with a lot of people, and there's a lot of just things. It's like being in an ocean where there's a lot of currents all around you.

And so, you know, trying my best to navigate that was all good and well. But I think now with my frame of mind, I really wish I slowed down and really connected with people because that, those are the things where I wonder, what would life be like if, if this person and I were deeper friends, or we spent more time, or if I stayed for another year, or joined, or became a coordinator or something like that.

So, that's just one thing that I think about, but I don't know if anything comes to mind for you. 

Juli: Mine is I, I wish I had taken it a little less seriously. I think it kind of became like the end-all be-all. Mm-hmm. And I would get so butt hurt if I wasn't put in specific pieces or, I mean, they had the drama with my own class, and then they were like, you know, and I was like, Joan, and I'd be [00:16:00] like, "Corner crew in the back corner."

Just like, I'm like, "Whatever, I know I'm gonna fuck it up anyways, so I'm just gonna do my thing back here." But I like took it personally, and I'm like, at the end of the day, it was just dance. 

J.R.: Mm. 

Juli: Just dance. Like, it was for the love, right? For the love of dance, for the love of each other. Should've been, but I took it personally.

I think what sort of changed that for me was my last year. I had Josh as a buddy, and he just fucks around all the time, and he just has a good time, and I think that made me ease up a little bit more. I was like, "It can be fun. It doesn't have to be so serious," you know? It's not always about like... I mean, granted, we didn't win all the time, but it was like, it wasn't about the winning, you know?

It can just be fun and enjoy it, and I think I had so much more fun my last year just because I had no choice. He like was just like always poking me it felt like, and I was like, "All right, here we go." So towards the end I think I really did just enjoy myself and, [00:17:00] and then I think once I transitioned on to Legacy, it was like, "All right, cool But, 

J.R.: mm, I like...

You know, and now that you bring that up with Josh, now I'm, like, thinking of specific people. So formative years for me on my, my newbie year was, like, Shaun and DJ messing around with Josh and maybe Deyo, and it's so like Shaun farting and then going through the formation. Just things like that, right?

Or just, like, giggling, and they're just messing around in the back. But then, so we're like, "Well, what's going on?" And but they're also killing it on stage. Yes. And then they would... And then everyone's yelling at us to work on the side. So it's just- Yeah ... like this whole what ... So, so then when we became returners and oldies, we're like- Yeah

"Okay, so I think that's what we do now, is we just mess around." I, we were still taking it seriously, but I think that was another thing that carried over to me, was that sort of partial or at least there's a side of unseriousness to it, that I think it was like, okay, take your shit seriously and work [00:18:00] hard, and when you work hard and you look good, then you can deserve to mess around and- Yeah

just be that sort of and have fun. Yeah ... so I, I know they're... So that in itself I think really rubbed off on me for, for better 

Juli: or worse, I guess. Yeah. I mean, 'cause like for me, at least for my class, like our chords were Lawrence and Mike. Mm-hmm. And I love them dearly, but the two of them together were like, all, like, this...

I mean, granted, they could lock in for sure. And then you had- Yeah ... like Sidney Minot, who was like, "We have to get stuff done." But then you just had, like Lawrence, and you're like, he's gonna wear the same shirt with holes. Like, he's probably still wearing that same shirt today. And you know, he doesn't know half his choreo either.

But then when he gets on stage, totally killing it. So I mean, that kind of also, I think that's where, where we got it from. And like when I did Danceathon the year before, I had like Eric Calvario and like Carlin, and they were just like... I had no idea what was happening. I was just like... So I mean, I think that's what makes it more fun, is like when you have those moments of like- 

J.R.: Mm

Juli: just [00:19:00] doing whatever, and then all of a sudden, "Okay, sorry, gotta lock back in." And then you're like off doing whatever again. It just keeps it entertaining. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. Yeah, definitely. It's that weird sort of, I don't know, dichotomy or that just, that splitness where it's not all just one thing, which I think keeps it fun.

Juli: Yeah. Yeah. 

J.R.: Agreed. Keeps you on your toes. Okay, cool. All right. So I think, mm, if there's no other stories, we can jump right in into who you are, Juli, as a person. So usually what I like to start off with is origin story, main influences. We can take that anywhere you want, but just to humanize you as a person before we jump into all these other topics.

So like where'd you grow up? What were your main influences? What do you think has shaped you to who you are today? 

Juli: Well, I grew up in Carlsbad, California, and it- it's a, mainly a white town. So I, I grew up being, like, I feel like in elementary school I was, like, one of 40 Asians, [00:20:00] and I ... I mean, I got bullied a lot as a kid.

I ended up doing martial arts because of it. I now have my second-degree black belt, and my dad still teaches classes. We go with him every Tuesday, and now my son and my niece go, so that's, like, a big part of who I am. And then I've been dancing since as long as I can remember, and I'm back now teaching at that same studio, and I'm the assistant director now, too.

So it's kind of been a whole lot of I grew up dancing, I did, I did every sport you could probably think of until I realized I needed glasses when I got hit in the face with a softball because they were like, "Julia, keep your eye on the ball." And I was like- Oof ... "Yeah." And then it hit, hit me in the face.

And they were like, "Okay, maybe no ball sports." So we stuck with dance, gymnastics, we did swim team over the summer. We did all the things, but mostly I ended up focusing on judo and dance. And I was really into judo. Went to high school nationals. I got to travel to Japan as a foreign exchange sort of student, like a cultural exchange, because I was so good at it and I was trying, they were trying to recruit me to a, a college.

I wanna say it was San [00:21:00] Jose State. But then I said, "Just kidding, I want to dance." And so I pretty much- ... stopped competing in judo which my dad was, like, so sad. But then I went to UCI, you know? But yeah, that was my origin story, I guess. But yeah, went to UCI, joined Kaba Modern, met my husband, who I actually, we were just, like, friends forever and then, you know, full circle later, like, so many years later, and now we have a small child.

I mean, he's not really that small, but he is that small. 

J.R.: Nice. Okay, so you did a lot of things, judo and dance specifically, and then leaned into dance in college. And so I guess after college, what was your life career trajectory? I know you mentioned marriage and then having your son. I guess career-wise, what did that look like?

Was it just dance, heads down, and that's pretty much what you've been doing or is there anything else? 

Juli: It's most of what I'm doing. So I started assisting classes. At our studio we have an assistant program. It starts at the age of 12. It's, like, unpaid, but, like, you just assist your teacher, and [00:22:00] you are like a, an extra pair of hands, an extra pair of eyes in the class.

You kind of learn the warmups, and I allow my assistants to lead warmups most times, unless they're, like, totally going off track, then I'm like, "Come back." So I did that until I was 18, and when I graduated, I had also been on the high school, the varsity dance team, and we had won all these awards, so, I was doing private lessons with kids in the area.

And then when I went to UCI, I didn't really have time for that. But then 2009 came, and my dad is like, "You need a job. You need to pay for things on your own." And I was like, "Yeah." He's like, "So you have to pay for your own gas." And I was like, "Damn, that sucks." So I found a job. Funnily enough, I, like, had applied to all these different studios, never heard back, and I had posted something on my Facebook, like my status, like, looking for a job, and my old dance teacher was teaching in Orange County, and she was like, "What?

Come apply." And so I applied to the studio she was working at, and I got hired. I, like, went in, taught a couple [00:23:00] classes, and then I started working there. And I started with their comp team. I taught two to three hours or two to three days a week, probably three to five hours. And then I got pretty heavily ingrained in their competition team.

I became the assistant competition director and which was, like, helping register and stuff, and then drama happened, and our comp team director just left. And they were like, "So Juli, you wanna take this on?" I was like, "Okay." So this is, like, now 2014. And so I run that, and I'd already become... by then I was already our, like, whole recreational program director, and I took on the whole planning of recital.

So I basically after that, I became the entire dance director at this program, and so I ran the entire, like, all of the curriculums and all of the stuff and did a bunch of hiring, which was, like, really crazy. Me interviewing people, I was like what am I asking you?" But it, it went fine. I had, I had great mentors.

Love them, still talk to them today. And I ran that until 2018. And then Eric and I just got [00:24:00] married in 2017, so I was, like, finishing out that next season. And I was like, "I, I can't stay here forever." I want to eventually be in Carlsbad where, like, my family and everyone is 'cause we, like, thinking forward to family and having kids.

And so I messaged my old, my old dance teacher who owns Carlsbad Dance Center, 

J.R.: Let's see. So now I'm at Carlsbad Dance Center. I'm now on my ninth season, and I came in and I, like, automatically kind of just jumped in, joined the competition team. At the same time, I joined one of our studio managers in our front office left, so I ended up kind of just jumping in and helping with, like, all the registrations for competitions and such, and then have kind of just sort of integrated myself throughout it.

Juli: And then I think last year, so I think I just came up my one-year anniversary, I got promoted to assistant director of the studio. And now I just work a lot. I help manage a lot. Yeah. It's so much fun. Yes. But yeah, that's kind of where I am now. 

J.R.: So you do management [00:25:00] and still teaching actually as an instructor?

Juli: Yes. Mm-hmm. I, I think administratively I do a minimum of 20 hours a week. Mm-hmm. Tends to be a lot more, 'cause, you know, they'll be like I'm sick, I need a sub," and I'm like, "Cool." And then you're texting and emailing and trying to get yourself covered, 'cause it's not like you can just be like, "I'm out today," and you're like, "Okay, cool."

No, like, you need a physical body in those classrooms, and somebody who can actually teach a class. And then currently I teach 10 regular classes, and my youngest class is a pre-hip hop, which my son and my niece are in, so it's, like, four and a half to six years old. And my oldest class is, like, high school seniors.

So I teach the whole- Mm-hmm ... gambit. I don't teach the baby babies, 'cause they honestly scare me, and yeah, they scare me. But I teach all styles. 

J.R.: How, how do they scare you? 

Juli: They are a lot. I'm sure you could take them. Yeah, okay. So in the combo or preschooler age, they need a very specific type of personality, I [00:26:00] think.

In order for me to teach those, I can't be the hardass that I tend to be in the older classes. Yeah. I have to kind of be, like, this princess version of myself. Because I'm very small and they see me as one of them, I need to, like, create a boundary. You know what I mean? No, but, like, honestly, like, some of these kids are just the same height as me.

I'm 5'0. It doesn't really work to my advantage here. Yeah. So, like, where, like, my, our boss my, my boss is, like, 6'3 or something like that. She's very tall. So, like, she walks in the room and you're like, "Teacher." I walk in the room, they're like, "One of us," and I'm like, "No." I- so I end up turning into this Disney Princess version of me, and it's exhausting.

I probably s- like, exert three times the amount of energy in one of those classes than I do an entire five hours of teaching my other classes. 

J.R.: Mm. 

Juli: So it's just a- So- Yeah, it's a lot. 

J.R.: I see. So it's more of because you have to put on this different persona or energy, it just is more draining. 

Juli: Yes. Yes.

Wow. And [00:27:00] then to go home with a almost five-year-old at home, you're like I already have to do that at home too. I don't, I don't want to do that right now. Maybe when he's older, sure, I'll, maybe I'll go back. I, actually, I don't think I want that. I, I take it back. I take it back. In case my boss is watching, I take it back.

I don't wanna do that. Nice. Yeah. But yeah, all the classes, like hip hop, jazz, contemporary, leaps and turns. I will teach ballet if I have to. I do not enjoy teaching tap. It's too loud. I get overstimulated- 

J.R.: Mm ... 

Juli: so fast. But 

J.R.: Mm. Dang, so much. Okay, so I know I asked you this off camera, but I think from an audience non-dancer perspective, was there a point in time where you felt like, "Oh, dance is like my life.

I wanna make it a career," or was it kind of a slow burn into real- realizing that's what you wanted to do? And then the second part to that is longevity. So I'm always curious about different people's [00:28:00] careers and how they evolve through it, and I know being in dance is such a physical career. It's a physical thing, and those considerations of like our bodies need to kind of slow down or readjust, and we can't just go at 100 miles per hour all the time like we were doing in college.

So I don't know if you have thoughts on either of those two. 

Juli: So longevity is teaching styles. When I was in my teens and 20s, I would demonstrate everything, and it was a monkey see, monkey do kind of thing. I do it, you do it. Ready, set, go. They have questions, I just demonstrate it over and over and over again.

As I got older, and especially when I became pregnant, you can't do certain things. Like, I, I love floor work. I love rolling on the floor. I love breaking. I loved throwing myself on the floor, let's be honest, and the kids know that. And after a while, it's like, okay, when you have a bump, you literally can't do that.

It's not safe. So I had to learn how to explain, which took me a while. I'd be like, "You're [00:29:00] gonna use your right arm, and your left is..." Like, I had to... It took me a while. Like, it was not pretty the first couple of months. I got better at it, but then there's literally a point in time where like I can't even turn my body 'cause I'm so big.

So explaining and then getting assistants who know you and your style really well, which obviously is hard 'cause as the kids get older, and then they graduate, then you have to get new ones and kind of- Mm ... explain. But as the years go on, you kind of just get better and better at it. But as for your other question, I was one of those kids who was not naturally gifted at dance, which sounds weird if you know me now.

Like, I- Mm-hmm ... people don't believe me when I tell this story. Yeah, I don't believe you. When I was about seven... Yeah. When I was seven, I had a teacher, and maybe she was having an off day, and maybe I was just frustrating her. I give her grace now. But as a seven-year-old, she told my mom I should try a different sport.

And yeah, seven-year-old me, I'm also very empathetic. I'm a [00:30:00] very emotional and sensitive person. You say something like that, I am, like, devastated. But in that moment, for whatever reason, I got pissed, and I said, "I'll show you." And so I stuck to it, and I was like, "I'm gonna show you." And I will say, I have a young- so I'm the oldest of four kids, and I'm, like, a true eldest daughter.

Like, very, not n- I wouldn't say type A, but I'm very put together. I like things to do this. I like to take care of everyone. I like to nurture everyone. I wanna make sure everyone f- feels taken care of and, and everything is, you know, right with the world. So that was hard. And then my sister, my little sister, the second one, she was just a spitfire, like a ball of energy, so much sass and personality, and literally had a solo at the age of five.

Two solos. Dang. And poor Juli got maybe a trio and a small group, and it was like, "Here you go." And so I was kind of, like, not necessarily in her shadow, but kind of in her shadow. And, like, I'd go and support her, and, like, you know, we danced on teams. But it took me a long time to kind of figure it out.

And for me, it was, [00:31:00] I didn't have the performance quality. I didn't have that natural like, I don't know, like, star power, I guess, that she had. But what I did have was technique. I love technique. I'm that person, I'll be like, "Well, where is your hand supposed to be? Like, is it to the side, or is, like, to the diagonal?"

Like, you know me, I'll ask all those questions. And I thrived in that. So I ended up thriving in ballet, and then I got into point, and I had all these different solos for that sort of realm. And so I remember my first solo when I was little, and I was like, "I did it. I showed her." But after I sort of, kind of got into the comp team and stuff like that, and when I turned, I think it was about 13 or so, my parents started separating, and it was awful.

And Long story short, my mom and I did not get along. I eventually moved out of her house and lived solely with my dad. But it was a very dark, a very dark time in my life. I was very depressed. I tried to do things to myself, [00:32:00] and I used dance as my outlet. So dance became the one place I felt like I could release all of those emotions, and it was a safe place.

And I had a solo teacher, choreographer, who kind of went into it with me and was like, "Oh, you're feeling this way? Let's, let's, let's keep going." So one of my solos, very dark, honestly, it was like Breathe Me by Sia, which is... It was a very dark song, if you think about it. It was basically everything I was feeling, and I did really well with that solo because that was everything I was feeling in that time.

So it became my safe space. It became everything to me. And so then I was like, "This is what I'm doing." And that's when I kind of dropped judo, and I just dove into it. And, and then I was like, "Okay, well now I'm gonna go to a school for dance." And then I was like, "Well, maybe I'll go into kinesiology or something."

And then I was like, "Oh, I hate bio. Absolutely not." So then I went into dance, and I minored in education, and then I found Kaba Modern, and my entire trajectory sort of evolved. 

J.R.: Hmm. 

Juli: But- [00:33:00] 

J.R.: Okay. So then Kaba Modern, you're in college. Was, was it at that point you knew you wanted to do dance full-time as a career, or was there another turning point for you?

Juli: I kind of always thought dance was gonna be, like, my fallback, and- So also, okay, I forgot this part of the story, but when I was going through my dark times, I also basically started failing in high school, like failing classes. I stopped, like, caring. I think I was, like, 16, 'cause we had this coach... Or almost 16.

I was a sophomore, and I had this coach be like, "You need to pull your head out of your ass." I was like, "Oh." And she was like, "I know you don't talk to your mom, but I think you need to go see a therapist." And I was like, "Cool." So she, on her break, in her free period, would take me to therapy. Mm. Which I was like, it's probably not done now, but back then, different times, you know?

But she saved my life for sure. It was, like, kind of one of those things where, like, you [00:34:00] almost forget about because it was such a dark time in your life, but it was a turning point, and I think I, I wanted to be that person for other people. And I think once- Mm ... I started teaching, which kind of was like, "Oh, I'm just gonna teach dance.

Like, it's decent money, and I get to do something I love," and I started teaching these kids, and you, you meet such a gambit of people. You know? Like, I mean, granted I taught in Orange County, and so, it's a very different breed up there. They're scary. Sometimes Orange County moms can be a little scary, but-

you have kids who ha- don't have a great home life. You have kids who do have a great home life. You have kids who don't have a great school life. You have kids who have, like, no friends and dance is their entire life and personality. And I wanted to be the teacher that I needed, and for each kid that's something different.

And so obviously you can't treat every single kid like a very special case, but you can approach the way you teach them or approach the way you give them corrections a [00:35:00] little bit differently. You know, some kids do need the, "Hey, let's go. Pull it together." And you, you do have kids who you need to coddle and hug, like, hug a little bit more, and that, that kind of became my why, to be the person that I needed at that pivotal time in my life 

J.R.: Hmm.

I like that. I feel like that's something, something I learned from my pastor at my church, where it's like sometimes our, our biggest challenge or lowest point is also our biggest ministry in that sense- Mm-hmm ... where it's how we can help the most people out. And so, it's very, it's very thought-provoking, I guess, is obviously we don't wanna go through those tough times, but at the same time, the silver lining, so to speak, is that you are now able to help other people out- Mm-hmm

with that same issue, which I really love. I know you mentioned why, and it, so I guess you might have covered that question already, which is your why for teaching. Do you think that your why has changed? Do you think whys typically do change? I'm [00:36:00] curious if you had any thoughts on that. 

Juli: Hmm. I don't think my why necessarily has changed.

I think it's kind of like evolved, like, you know, like Charizard go, like, you know, Charmander going all the way up to Charizard. It's- It's something that I feel like with each generation of kids changes, because each generation of kids and each kid honestly they need something a little bit different.

Mm-hmm. And I have also developed some of these relationships where I... When I started teaching up in Orange County, some of these kids were, like, eight or nine, and I'm still very close with them, and they're 26 now. Mm-hmm. They were at my wedding, and they're now getting engaged, and they're like, "Send me your address, because guess what?"

And I'm like, "It's wild." Yeah. And, like, one of them, she's my assistant, and I will take her and do choreography projects. We're gonna go choreograph for a high school in a couple of weeks, and I'm like, "Okay, drive down to me. We're gonna choreograph together, and I'm gonna pay you, and we're gonna work together."

And I'm like, she's also one of those kids where she was so squirrely. [00:37:00] She was so crazy. She drove me bananas, and I drove her bananas, and she's now the one I talk to on the regular. And so, like, those relationships- It's funny how that works out ... just evolve, right? I know. I just want to- Yeah ... like, you're such a knucklehead.

And I'm like, oh, I was like, "Just need you to..." And now I love her. I mean, I always loved her so much, but, like, now I'm like, I don't, I could never imagine my life without her. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. 

Juli: But yeah. And you know, like I, I also feel like I've gone through so many things in my life, that I feel like in some way I feel like I'm able to relate to each person's sort of, like, struggle.

And so I feel like I can really empathize and put myself in their situation and help them through it. A lot of, you know, sometimes a little bit of a therapist besides a dancing theory, but- 

J.R.: Yeah Comes with the territory, right? 

Juli: It really does. 

J.R.: So, and you mentioned this briefly, and it's on our list of questions, but teaching in different generations and how each generation might require something different, or as the [00:38:00] times change, teaching styles change.

And so as someone who's taught for such a long time or has been in dance for such a long time, do you have any overarching thoughts about how it has evolved in the however many decades you've been in dance? 

Juli: Yeah, 'cause I remember as a kid, it was a like, you come in, you shut up, and you just dance. It's not like that anymore.

Also, the kids have such short attention spans. I, I used to say about how old they are is about however many seconds you have to keep their attention. Seconds, wow. I would say it's closer than... Yeah, seconds. That's crazy. I would say it's a little bit less, like even like the 15-year-olds, I think you still only got like five.

It's like, it's like watching like Instagram or a TikTok and like those like three to five seconds, if you're not like catching them, they're like, "Uh-huh," and they like zone out and like... And the hard part with dance is like you need that repetition. Like you, you gotta get that muscle [00:39:00] memory, you gotta make sure they're doing it properly.

And so sometimes it is so boring and I like, I, like I understand, it's like your vegetables, you gotta do it. And so it's always like coming up with like new and creative ways to make their brain work. And back when I was dancing as like a student, there was a lot of hands-on physical corrections, like your arm is in the wrong place, we grab it, we move it.

Mm-hmm. And then it got really weird around COVID times where people were like, you have to... Like maybe it was before COVID times, but like you have to ask for consent about everything, which, yeah, absolutely. But sometimes when like a kid is physically falling over, you don't have to be like, "Can I touch you?

Can I touch you?" Like before you grab them. Like they're falling over. So there's like this weird fine line of like doing a physical sport, but then it's also like a visual art that you're like toeing the line. So it's been strange. Like you have some kids where like, I, I usually do a blanket statement at the beginning of the year.

Yeah. If you don't want me to touch you, you just let me know. I will do hands-on [00:40:00] corrections. I will typically be like, "Hey, I'm gonna touch you, and you can give me a please don't," or if you're like, "Please never touch me." I have had kids who are like, "I prefer not to." And I'm like, "Okay, cool." And then you have kids that like have learning disabilities.

Like I have a kid with an audio processing disorder, so when I talk to her, she just stares at me like this, and be like, "What are we doing?" And I'm like- Let's physically go through it together. And I have to not only demonstrate, but make sure she's doing it with me. So then different teaching styles, too.

Some kids are very visual, they wanna watch you. Some kids can hear you, they want you to say the whole thing. Some things, like, need you to count it out. Some kids need you to sing it out, which I don't have the best voice, but, and I make up my own lyrics always. Like, the kids know. I'm like, "I think it says mind."

They're like, "It says, it says heart." I'm like, "Yes, in around this area, it's fine." But yeah, you just kind of have to adjust. But yeah, I try and, I, I think kids learn best when they're having a little bit of fun. Mm. So I tend to be a little bit of a jokester. And also kids, especially [00:41:00] little kids, they love to be rage baited.

I'll be like, yeah- Really? ... put your hand on, put your hand on your shoulders. And they'll be like- ... "Miss Juli, those are not your shoulders." I'm like, "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure this is my shoulder." Like, and then- Yeah ... then you're able to be like, "No," and they put their hands on their shoulders. So little kids- Ah

especially, and it kind of goes, it depends on the age grouping, and like, some kids, they'll have like, they'll be like, "Are you dumb?" And I'm like, "Can't use it anymore. Dang it." And we have to change it. And then sometimes- ... you have to use TikTok or whatever those, like, weird trends are, and be annoying with them.

And then you have to be so cringe that they're like, "I no longer wanna do that." I'm like, "Thank God. We're moving on finally." So you just kind of figure out which works for each class, and sometimes it can be, like, three different classes of the same age group, but they're different kids, and you have to do completely three different styles.

But it also depends on the class. Like, hip hop is different. I feel like for the kids who are, like, come in to do hip hop, their want for different sort of things are different than the kids who come in [00:42:00] wanting for contemporary. They want the drama- Mm ... and be ooey gooey. I don't know. It's strange. Or sometimes- Huh

just their thought process changes depending on the class 

J.R.: Yeah. Okay. I love that... I, I never thought about that. I mean, so rage baiting, right? But essentially, it's like breaking, what's it called? Breaking your thought pattern or sort of subverting expectations just to get more focus and engagement I guess if you were to say it, like, technically.

But no, I think rage baiting is a great way to say it. It's like, "Hey," just getting their attention, and then now they're adversarially like, "No, that's wrong." Mm-hmm. And you're like, "Okay. Well, all right, show me then." 

Juli: Yeah. It's so funny ... I love that I'll be like, "Can you turn yourself into a pencil?" And they're like, "What?"

I'm like, "We're pencils. We're pencils." I was like, "I'm a sharpened pencil. Are you a sharpened pencil?" "Oh, no. Sorry." But- ... I, I think I, I will say I have the most fun doing that with, like, the younger ki- kids, like my son's age. Yeah, yeah. It's not... You can't really do that with the high schoolers. They're a lot harder to get their attention because their phones and- [00:43:00] 

J.R.: Yeah

Juli: I don't know, boys. Ugh. 

J.R.: Yeah, gross.

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: You know, ah, I had, I had a few thoughts, and now they, they kind of escaped me. Okay. Dance, teaching, all very fascinating. I think one of the things... So I've, I've also recently danced on a team again for the last seven years, and s- I, I mean, you, you dance with a lot of, a huge range of your students, obviously, from the little babies all the way up to high school.

I found that, like, dancing with people who are, like, 15 years younger than me, that age gap... 'Cause it's different. I'm not teaching them. Mm-hmm. They're on my team. Mm-hmm. And we come from such different contexts. They're not competitive dancers. They're K-pop cover dancers, and I have various different backgrounds and, and experiences, and then now I'm on, or have been on leadership for a little bit.

But it's, it's always that disconnect that I feel like I admire people who can really relate to kids and people of different ages, and then I'm talking to, like, a college student, and they have their college [00:44:00] student lingo and mannerisms, and I'm just like, "What, what, what am I doing here?" Yeah. Like, I don't understand what you guys are saying.

I don't get any of these inside... I don't know these memes. I don't really watch TikTok or all these videos that are trending now. But I always find that disconnect always interesting. I don't know if you've had- Right ... felt that, or I guess it might be different because you're a teacher.

Juli: Some- I don't know

sometimes, yes. I, I think I'm truly a kid at heart, and I have no problem goofing off and making a fool of myself sometimes. And I think they appreciate that I'm not taking it too serious. I mean, I can get serious, and they know when, like, it's time to lock in, it's time to lock in, 'cause I will yell at them for sure.

But we'll have moments and they'll, like, show me, and I'm like, "Okay, what is this? I don't understand. Like, explain to me so that I can be in the know." And usually they're like, "Okay, okay, okay," and they, like, have s- they're so excited that I actually care. Sometimes I don't- Mm ... actually care that much, but I just want them- Right

to, like, let it go so we can focus again. But I, I do agree. It is weird. But now I have, I would say my, my closest [00:45:00] coworker, she's 10 years younger than me. And I mean, obviously there's, like, a little bit of, like, she knows that I'm older and I'm a parent and I'm technically kind of her boss, so there's, like, this respect stuff.

And, like, I respect her as a teacher and a choreographer. I think she is wonderful. And it has been interesting where, like, she'll say something, I'm like, "You're a baby." And then I'm like, "Okay, moving on." Now I just feel old. Great. But I've 

J.R.: been- Just, 

Juli: you just 

J.R.: outed yourself. You're like, "No, I'm not your generation."

Juli: Yeah. Yeah. She's like, "Yeah, and I was in, like, elementary school." And I was like- We're, we're moving on to a completely different topic. Thank you so much. 

J.R.: Oh, yeah, relatable content for sure. 

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: Okay. I don't know if you had anything else on dancing or teaching. I've, I've, I've exhausted my curiosities.

I, I was- Thank you for sharing that. That was v- it, it was interesting 'cause I don't think I've had, like, a dance instructor, teacher, coordinator, director on, so it's always nice to kind of dig into people's careers. You've... So you mentioned being old, and so [00:46:00] we'll go off of that- Yeah. ... as a segue, and, and obviously a parent as well.

And so- So soon ... motherhood. This is I think you're probably only one of a small handful of people who have been, who are parents on the show. So the, the, the obvious question is What has your journey been like with motherhood? And I guess I'm just mostly curious going in, was it different from what you expected?

Was it the same? If at all. 

Juli: It's been different, for sure. Again, being the oldest of four, I was like, "I've got this in the bag," because when my baby sister came... Granted there's four of us, but I was five turning six when my baby sister was born, so we are very close in age. But there are so many photos of me just carrying her around, like she was my baby.

And I potty-trained my youngest two siblings. Like, I was very, very proud of that fact. We found out my brother was color blind because he could not aim for certain colors of the, the Froot Loops. I would, like, throw them in [00:47:00] the toilet, like, "Aim for that one." He's like... I'm like, "Do you, can you see? Can you t-" "No."

So we found out he was color blind then. But yeah, I thought I had it in the bag. So I wasn't stressed, and obviously I'd been teaching kids, like, forever. And my pregnancy, I was very nauseous. And it was like I got pregnant January-ish of 2021, so, like, still very fresh out of COVID. I taught wearing a mask the entire pregnancy.

It was awful. I also was gagging all the time. Oh, man. So it was, like, a nice way to kind of, like, not be gagging in front of the kids, 'cause they would've known so early, like, so early- Mm ... had I not. And then we had moved in with my dad because we had, like, sold our house in Orange County. We wanted to be down here, but we just, like, were kind of in the in between, so he was like, "Move in with me."

And I was like, "Okay, great." We had Jace. My labor was awful. It was- Oh ... almost six hours of pushing. He was coming out, like, diagonally. He had, like, he had a conehead. It was [00:48:00] nuts. ... I ended up getting two epidurals because the first one failed. Oh my gosh. Awful experience. Awful experience. Yeah, it was not, not, not my favorite.

But yeah, once he arrived, I was like, "Okay, okay." Like, the whole, like, breastfeeding thing, it like, like I was pretty good at it from the get-go. The sleep has never been good for Jace. Like, he's just n- now he's a better sleeper, but we still, like, co-sleep. We have his room is technically mine and his room.

He calls it- Mm ... Mommy and Jace's room, and we have a king-size bed in his, like, small room. It's, like, basically a king-size bed and, like, a little bit of a walk-around. Yeah. Because the bed takes up the whole space. But I was like, I, I need to be able to, like, have my space. But I did not realize until almost three years in that I had pretty bad postpartum anxiety.

And- Huh ... looking back, I, like, I'm also a little bit type A in moments. Like, I'm kind of like the prepare for everything, like prepare for the worst and hope for the best kind [00:49:00] of thing. So, even leaving the house to go for a walk, I was like, "Okay, we need a change of clothes. We need, like, 40 diapers.

We need extra, like, food. We n- like, we..." That was not normal. It wasn't, it w- I don't think it's normal. I also barely slept if he wasn't touching me, and i- yeah, it was just rough. But I also, he, I was also breastfeeding him until he was almost three, and then he, we finally put him in school, 'cause I was like, "I, we need some separation here."

Mm. And that was really hard. He had never been away from me pretty much ever. I mean, I went back to work when he was, like- four to six months, but it was like four hours a week total, so it wasn't a lot. And I lived, my dad lived seven miles from the stu- like seven minutes from the studio, so it was like very close.

But yeah, we spent most of the time together, minus the few hours I would teach, and he would like come with me to dance competitions and all this sort of stuff. And so that, that was a lot. I didn't realize how much of my self became being [00:50:00] Jayce's mom. And it wasn't until he like went to school, and like once he...

It took him a while to get settled. He is a very, he is a Scorpio, if that tells you anything, if you're into that, but he's very sensitive, very emotional, and he is a total mama's boy. 

J.R.: Mm. 

Juli: He's, like I'm his best friend. I mean, he'll say now he has school best friends, but like I'm his best friend. He just now will like say he wants to play with Daddy, but for the most part he'll be like, "Daddy, go away," which, right?

Luckily Eric is like, "Okay, I get it." Like, luckily like Mom's your best friend kind of thing, but it was a rough time. But in, I would say like a f- maybe three or four months after he started going to school, I was like, oh, I wasn't okay. And then I was like, there's a whole world outside of my child- Mm ... that I can still have a life and do things, and that was eye-opening.

'Cause he only went to school two days a week for the first year, and then we moved him to three [00:51:00] days a week, and now he is full time. And that was like a big step, but I was... It, it was, it was a lot. So learning how to like navigate everyday life was a battle. Mm-hmm. And like obviously things are like chill now, but like he wasn't an easy baby.

I mean, I love him, I wouldn't change him, but he wasn't an easy baby, and trying to do things where like where I, I look at some people, like some of our friends, where they are out with their child and like chilling and whatever, I, I could, one, I could never because my anxiety of like all the things that could happen or go wrong or what if this happened, and if he cried, oh my God, I would like start sweating.

I would just start sweating. And like I would also wanna cry, which is not a great thing to out in company, you know? I just couldn't. So like there's a lot of things where like we just, I didn't go to things because I was like, I, I can't, or I don't wanna leave him, or there have been things where I attend by myself and then Eric's at home with him, or vice versa.

Mm ... but navigating that has been interesting, and I would say [00:52:00] maybe in the last year I f- truly feel like myself again, which is kind of crazy 'cause he's almost five. Mm-hmm ... but like you're kind of in the trenches for a while. And depending on your child's temperament and what you can handle, it, everybody's journey is so different.

J.R.: Hmm. That's, yeah, that's crazy. Thanks for sharing. So for... I've never heard of postpartum anxie- I've heard of depression. So anxiety is, you felt like, and correct me if I'm wrong, it kind of flew under the radar, so to speak, because you just felt like you were type A, and so it just kind of felt like a magnified version of that.

But in reality, it was postpartum anxiety? 

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: Hmm. 

Juli: I see. Yeah, I wasn't, I wouldn't say I was depressed. I mean, granted, I would have moments where I would just sit there and cry. Right. But I was anxious about every little decision. Anything that would- Wow ... like, normally, like, okay, we're, we're gonna go outside and go for a walk.

I was like, "Okay, well, what about [00:53:00] all of these things that are gonna happen?" Or like- Hmm ... leaving for work, because I had all of these thoughts of like, okay, well, he needs to eat, and he needs to do this. Like, I would... Okay, also, I know I'm a, a little bit of a psycho, and I'm learning how to, like, not be. I would prep all of these things.

Not that Eric needed me to. Like, he's a parent. He knows how to do it. He can fully handle it, and each person has their own way of handling each child and each situation. But I would, like, have to make sure, like, he had all of the things set up for success because I'm like, "God forbid something happen." It just, yeah, it wa- it was a lot.

I mean, I eventually got a lot better at it, and I, like, learned how to manage it, I guess. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. 

Juli: But it wasn't... It's, like, kind of like when you, like, leave a situation and you're like, "Wow, that, that wasn't normal." Hmm. It was kind of one of those things. 

J.R.: So is it something that, ugh... So you manage it, but does it improve, or, or like, if it's a physiological [00:54:00] thing or, like, a chemical thing, like, how does that...

I don't know. How does that work? 

Juli: I think mine was hormonal because I was still breastfeeding. 

J.R.: Okay. 

Juli: And once you stop, it's like your hormones ha- like, shift. 

J.R.: Oh, I see. Okay. 

Juli: Yeah, like when, yeah, like when you're breastfeeding, like also, like I had so much hair loss. Like the postpartum hair loss is wild. Like you'll see like- Wow

memes where like people look like little Chia Pets. It, it's wild. Like full on- Wow ... like bald spots. Like I had like... It was a lot. But like your body just goes through so much in order to take care of your child. 

J.R.: I see. 

Juli: And then because I did that for so long, granted people do it for longer, and like more power to them.

I, in hindsight, I wish I had stopped a lot earlier, and we've talked, like if we decide to have a second kid, like we will not be doing that again. Mm. Like I will, I will breastfeed, but like I won't be rely- like I just solely breastfed for a really long time until we were able to introduce solids and such, [00:55:00] but I won't do that again.

That was too much. It was too much. Mm. And, and he would never take a bottle, so when I did go to work, sometimes he would just starve himself 'cause he was a psycho. Yeah. So also- Nice ... I had anxiety because I knew that if I was gone- 

J.R.: Yeah ... 

Juli: he was gonna starve himself, and he is, he is a hangry child. If he's a little...

Oh, God. It's not good. 

J.R.: Dang. So that's like it's such a negative spiral feedback loop, huh? 

Juli: Exactly. So. 

J.R.: Man. I think I think you touched on a few things I wanted to ask, but one of them was if you could give yourself advice or advice for parents, maybe that, I know that it's general, right? It could be for specifically each parent might need something different.

But maybe for you, if you could redo it or give yourself advice at that time, what would it be? And then I guess if you're saying... Or do you guys know if you wanna have any more kids? 

Juli: We're like on the fence, because I'm- Okay ... like nearing my 40s [00:56:00] now, which- 

J.R.: Mm ... 

Juli: is so awful to say out loud, but it's reality, and I, I mean, grant- granted people do it, and they're like in their 40s with a newborn.

I just don't want to be, because I obviously like with my very physical career in teaching, I still want to do that. I want, I don't wanna- Mm ... be like so old and not able to do anything like that. So we're like kind of on the fence right now. But I think more if I had a- advice for myself, like my younger self or for future is don't compare so much.

Like comparison is the thief of joy. The hard part is my younger sister had a daughter almost six months before, and so they're very close in age, but she's a girl and he's a boy, and girls and boys at that a- at like really young, very different. The way that they- Yeah ... develop is not parallel. It is like- all over the place.

And she's so smart. And not that Jaece isn't, but, like, she [00:57:00] was talking early, she did all these things early. Like, she's, she's five and a half and she can already read. Like, that's not normal, and I know that. And I think a lot of early childhood, we were seeing that she was doing all these things and we were like, "He's behind."

But also six months is a long time in, like, an infant's life. And so we're looking at someone who's six months older constantly, and it was like, "Oh my God, he's, like, behind. Oh my God, he's not doing this." And it was, it was so hard. And, like, honestly, I look back and I'm like, "Why did we do that? That was so dumb."

Like, why did we just stress ourselves out? Because I've kind of been like, it's weird, like everybody learns how to wipe their own butt eventually. I mean, unless they physically are not able to, right? They may learn how to do it at the age of a year and a half, and they may figure it out at three, just like how most people figure out how to walk.

Or maybe you have to relearn how to walk because you were walking on your tippy-toes forever, but, like, they all figure it out. It doesn't matter if they're doing it at 12 months or if they're doing it at 15 months. Like, eventually they'll get there, and just kind [00:58:00] of- Yeah ... enjoy the process. I mean, it's so much easier said than done.

Like, anytime my friends are, like, having babies and they're like, "I'm so tired and sleep-deprived," and I'm like, "Enjoy the cuddles." Like, ugh. I, I mean, 'cause, like, I now call, like, the newborn phase, like, the larva stage, where they, like, literally can't go anywhere. Like, you can put them down, they might cry and scream, but they can't go anywhere.

Mm. Jaece, running. He's gone. When they started running into the street, oh my God, I almost had a heart attack the first time. I imagine. Just terrifying. Terrifying. Doesn't help, doesn't help 

J.R.: the anxiety, huh? 

Juli: Nope. Granted, I was fine by then. I was like, "Yeah, there's cars. There, okay, bye. Fuck around, you're gonna find out."

J.R.: Yeah, yeah. 

Juli: But I don't want that. We talk about safety all the time, about all the things, but there are some things that, like, in life you just have to figure it out on your own, unfortunately. Yeah. But I don't know. And the sleep thing. Like, there's, like, all of these, like, weird different sleep [00:59:00] methods, and I'm, I could never cry...

Like, we never did the cry it out. I can't handle it. My poor heart. I, I was like, "I can't do it." And I know they're- my sister had to, 'cause she was working full time. She had no choice. Mm. And it worked out fine for them. We were still co-sleeping, so I don't know if it worked out in my favor, but it's fine. I get, I get a cuddle buddy every day, and I wake up to sometimes he'll be licking my face to wake me up.

Nice. Sometimes, sometimes I get kisses all over. Sometimes it's like a WWE moment first thing in the morning. You never know. Keeps me on my toes. 

J.R.: Nice. I like it. Hmm. Okay. Do you think we left anything else out in terms of motherhood? 

Juli: I don't know. I don't know that it sounded very positive. I do love being a mom, in case I didn't say that.

I think 

J.R.: it comes across. I do love it. It, it comes across. It's been a run. I think it was, it was a, it, it was a fair slice of what you were explaining, I think, in context. 

Juli: I know. Just trying to be [01:00:00] real. 

J.R.: Yeah. '

Juli: Cause I feel like there's a lot of people out there like, "Motherhood is amazing." Yeah. "It's so beautiful."

I'm like, it's not always so beautiful. A lot of it is just poop. 

J.R.: Yeah. No, I think that's a lot more, a lot more helpful to give that side of it. Plus, I don't know sometimes my my Instagram algorithm would just give me, like, baby... you know, parents with little babies, and like, oh, that's so cute, and it's like, okay, I think there's an abundance of, what's, what's that, what's that term? I don't know. Like, rage bait, but for being a parent- Oh ... and wanting to have kids. Like, baby bait or something. I don't know. Yeah. There's plenty of that, so I think it's, it's nice to talk about, like, okay, well, here's what was hard, and just so you know. Actually, I had a friend who had...

Her baby's, like, one, and she was like, "I didn't know that I'd be so sleep-deprived." And I'm like, "Isn't that a known thing for parents, that you just don't get good sleep for a while?" 

Juli: Like, you, you know you're gonna be sleep-deprived, but it's a, like, you don't know what you don't [01:01:00] know. 

J.R.: Yeah, like experiencing it is a lot 

Juli: different- Yes

than 

J.R.: hearing about 

Juli: it. Yes. Yeah, exa- And, like- Some people react to being sleep deprived so differently. Oh yeah, for sure. Like I found that I'm like, I get like delirious, like slap happy giggly. Yeah. That is not how my husband is. Like- 

J.R.: That's called being cracked out. That's what we did in college. 

Juli: Yeah, y- yeah, yeah, a little bit.

Yeah, that... We already knew that Juli would be like that, but Eric gets like grumpy. Mm-hmm. He like will, like I would be giggling and he'd be like, "Why?" I'm like, "I'm sorry." And then it'll make me laugh harder. I can see that. It was not a great recipe. Like it was, it was, it was bad sometimes and, but yeah.

There you go. So now, now we're good, but yeah, there were some times where I was like, "I don't think I've s- " And they'll be like, "Sleep when the baby sleeps." And you're like, "Yeah, but I also wanna shower, I also wanna eat, I also- Mm-hmm ... I also wanna just like have a moment." But then in the beginning, you just sleep whenever they can sleep, 'cause you're so effing tired.

J.R.: Right. It's like- But- ... you can only choose one [01:02:00] really, and so... 

Juli: Yeah. So it's like what are those, like, you know what I'm talking about? The, those diagrams of the circles- Yeah, the Venn diagrams ... if I can choose. There you go. I was like, "What's the word?" Or 

J.R.: like the, or like those triangles where it's like- 

Juli: Yes

J.R.: choose two, right? And there's- Yes ... there's three options, and you're like- Yes ... "But all three sound nice." Yes. "I want all three." And you're like, "No, choose two max." No, you 

Juli: can only 

J.R.: choose, yep. Sometimes one. 

Juli: Yeah. Yes. 

J.R.: Oh, man. 

Juli: Yes. 

J.R.: But yeah, I think, I think what I was surprised at was it seemed like she didn't even know that she would not get sleep at all because- 

Juli: Mm

J.R.: I thought that that was like prevailing, but I think she literally thought, "Oh yeah, I can just sleep whenever." So I guess there are people who just don't hear about that, and I guess that's what I learned. 

Juli: Yeah. Well, there's also like so many... I mean, anybody can technically be an author and write a book, and there's so many random- For sure

things out there. And like same thing- Mm ... with like social media these days, like anybody can put their opinion and like call it, like be an expert or whatever, you know? And I- Yeah ... so I think there's a lot of people that are like, "Oh, well I'll just do what they said." And [01:03:00] you're like- 

J.R.: Yeah ... 

Juli: okay. You know?

Like there's, I don't know, there are some books that like people either like, "Oh, you should read this," or, "You should follow this," and I'm like that's a no for me." Like- Mm ... also like you have to know your own kid, 'cause again, every kid- Right ... is different. And- Right ... my child did best, like contact, always touching me, and like he sl- literally slept on my chest- I wanna say it was like almost three years.

Dear God, it was rough. There, it got to a point where I was like, "You are too heavy. I think you are bruising me." And now he likes to fall asleep on my shoulder. I'm pretty sure I have a permanent bruise right here. Oh my gosh. To the point where like some days... Yeah, no, some days I'm like, "Jace, I love you so much, but my shoulder hurts."

He goes, "Sorry, Mommy." And he'll, like, roll over. And I'm like, "You're so cute, though." But I'm gonna, I'm gonna hold it against him when he's like 18 and too big to do that. I'm like, "Can you just come back? I need the bruise back. Just-" 

J.R.: That's what it'll be like, for sure. 

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: Okay, cool. [01:04:00] Thank you for that.

That was, that was amazing. That was great. I want to know if there's nothing else, those are all the questions that I have planned, if we didn't leave anything out. So I would like to move to rapid fire, if you're cool with that. 

Juli: Okay. 

J.R.: Sweet. Okay, so name of the game, rapid fire questions. You can take as long as you need to to answer them.

And I'll probably jump around, but we'll start off with the first one. So billboard question, if you could put up a sign for millions of people to see, what would it say?

Juli: I guess it would be something like similar to like be the change you want to see, but like more like be who you needed. Mm-hmm. Something along those sort of lines, you know? 

J.R.: I like that. 

Juli: 'Cause everyone needed somebody. Like, you know when you're like younger and you're like, "Ugh, I wish I had somebody who did these sort of things."

Be that somebody for someone else. 

J.R.: I love that. I really resonate with that a lot. I think about that a lot too. I'm like, my desire to give or serve or help others comes from maybe it's like that [01:05:00] you- healing that inner child sort of thing, where it's like, "Okay, this is... I think I really needed this, so let me just, just be this person for someone else."

Juli: Yeah ... 

J.R.: so I really like that.

A self-inflicted wound? Do you have a story about something that's gone wrong in your life and you can't blame anyone 'cause you did it to yourself? 

Juli: It would probably be Jace's sleep. I did it to myself. He's a, a poor sleeper or was a poor sleeper because I just wanted to snuggle him, and he still sleeps with me- 

J.R.: Mm

Juli: in my bed, in his bed. And some days I'm like, you know, like most parents are like, "Yeah, my kid goes to bed whenever, and they at least stay in their room." Like, that doesn't happen. They're like, "Yeah, we get some time to hang out like a couple." I'm like, we don't do that. But not yet. We get there. 

J.R.: Nice. If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?

Something we haven't touched on?

Juli: It's okay to look like a fool. It's okay to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. We are all [01:06:00] humans, and we cannot be robots. It would be real boring if so. 

J.R.: Mm-hmm. See, that's not what Juli told me when I was on Kaba Modern, but, you know- ... we'll move past that. Just kidding. 

Juli: You said my younger self, not your younger self.

J.R.: I know, but the Juli I know was like, "No, you have to be a robot and don't make mistakes," so- Mm-hmm ... not in 

Juli: those words I mean, you kind of already... Wait, you kind of already were a robot. Let's be real. 

J.R.: Okay, you're not wrong. I know. Yeah, I made it on the team because I was a robot. 

Juli: It's true. 

J.R.: Okay, next one.

Juli: In the last few years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has improved your life? 

Better done than perfect Because I have always been a perfectionist. I don't like to do things until I have all of the pieces that I feel like are necessary. And stepping into especially, like, this more director role, there are things that, like, I just have to get done.

It won't [01:07:00] necessarily always be perfect or to what I think is the caliber I'd like it to be. I mean, not just work, but, like, in life in general. Like, sometimes you just have to, like, send the text or make the phone call or do the damn thing. It's not always gonna be perfect. Or have that messy conversation.

You're not gonna have the perfect words for it, but just do it. Better done than perfect. 

J.R.: How do you define success?

Juli: I guess it's a feeling lately especially. Okay. It's not always gonna be like first place or A+ or whatever. I think it's how you feel. I guess like similar to coming off the stage, like you put it all on the floor. You might have messed up, maybe you could have practiced more, but like you did it

Yeah, I think it's a feeling, how I feel afterwards- Mm ... the accomplishment. 

J.R.: Okay. So what factors contribute to that feeling? So let's say it- I'm a person who's [01:08:00] just always just hard on myself, right? How do I get to success if I, it's hard for me to feel successful? I don't know if that- Hmm ... makes sense. 

Juli: It does.

Sometimes I think sometimes success can be just taking one step forward. Sometimes success can look like you did a little bit more than you thought you could. Sometimes I think it's n- like, it's like progress, not perfection. I don't think that... I think with everything there can always be a little bit more, right?

So maybe, maybe I'm also one of those people that's like, "It's, it's about the journey, not the destination." My dad hates that saying. Yeah. But I am truly like it's the journey, not the destination. So I think- Right ... for me, success is that feeling of like, oh, did we continue to keep moving along or are we stuck in one spot?

'Cause I don't think you can be successful just standing in one spot. 

J.R.: If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you try or what would you be doing right now? 

Juli: Oh, if I knew I couldn't fail. I mean, I'd go on auditions for sure.

I [01:09:00] wanna be like, I don't know, a backup dancer for like Rihanna or something. That- Okay ... but those auditions look scary as fuck. ... Or skydiving would be cool. I wouldn't now- Yeah ... because I have a child, but if I knew there was like no risk, heck yeah, in Hawaii- Oh ... or like New Zealand or something, you know what I mean?

J.R.: Yeah. So, so the opportunity's never presented itself before you had a kid? 

Juli: No. I think we've talked about it, and then, like, my youngest two siblings, they did go skydiving in Hawaii. Oh. And I was like, "Well, I'm not gonna just go do it." I know there's one down the street in Oceanside, but it's like- 

J.R.: Right

what? 

Juli: No. I wanna- Yeah ... look at the water, something beautiful. I don't know. 

J.R.: Okay. 

Juli: Or, like, I don't- 

J.R.: So you've been... You've, you've always been open to it. You just- Mm-hmm ... haven't had the opportunity. Okay, gotcha. Yeah. And then now there's like- And now 

Juli: it's never, never. 

J.R.: Oh, I see. Interesting. No. I f- I feel like I thought that conceptually people were usually either for or against it.

Maybe something might kind of lean them the other way. Mm-hmm. But you're just saying that [01:10:00] now y- there's more stakes for in case something goes wrong. You're like, "No- Mm-hmm ... I can't leave my child alone in this world." 

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: Makes sense. What is something you've been pondering recently or you think about often deeply?

Juli: I think it's, like, getting old. N- like, my dad is in his early 70s now, and, like, he still works full time. He still teaches judo. He works out daily. Damn ... but, like, obviously he's not... Yeah, you know, he's, he's wild. He also still looks like he could be in his, like, 50s. Like, he, he looks great, takes care of himself for sure.

Yes ... but what that really will be for like, me, 'cause like, I guess, as a kid, I remember you know, you're like, obviously you play those, like, first-person driver whatever ones. But I remember, like, really thinking about it. That literally is, like... But, like, no one else sees what you see, and then, like, what happens, like, when you get old, and I think that always has been, like, something that I've, like, have always just thought about.

And then obviously now having a child and, like, thinking about, okay, so, like, I have to [01:11:00] set my life up so, like, he's successful for the future and making sure we set him up for f- success, and it's a lot of things. So I think just, like, getting old and what that could be like. Obviously a possibility of having another child because obviously you want more people around your Thanksgiving dinner table, you know- Mm

and, like, get to share the love and whatever, you know? But so I think those sort of things of what I want my life to continue to look like and be fully enriched and fulfilled and have all my people around me something I think about pretty often. But also there's this it's unknown. It could change.

I don't know. I've never been, like, one of those people that like, "This is what it has to be." I'm always like, "It would be cool," but there's, like- Yeah ... all of these different pathways that we can go to. So I guess the unknown. There's, like, so much unknown that I'm always like, "What happens if this? What happens if that?"

'Cause, you know, I use, like, the red or the blue pill. It's like, which one do you take? What happens if you go either way? 

J.R.: [01:12:00] Hmm. So, like, you, you're pondering how life could unfold and the different paths and opportunities and options. 

Juli: Yeah, while I'm getting old- Yeah ... '

J.R.: cause 

Juli: I would like time to stop, but it's not going to.

J.R.: second to last one.

Favorite recent purchase in the 50 to $100 range that has impacted your life in the last six months? Basically something that you've purchased that's relatively cheap that had more bang for its buck. 

Juli: My Ringo. It's a water bottle 

J.R.: Yeah. Oh, with the... It's, like, the holder, right? So convenient. I've seen ads for that.

It looks so convenient. 

Juli: So obviously being a dance teacher, I have very self-conscious kids all the time, and it's so easy for me to be like...

And half the time they don't notice. Now they've gotten a little smarter because I've had it for, like, a year or two now. Mm-hmm. This is, like, my second one, third [01:13:00] one. 

J.R.: Yeah. 

Juli: Wait, so you're- I don't know. I've had it for a while now ... 

J.R.: you're trying to, like, sneak film them for what? Just to show them? 

Juli: Have it.

Because, okay, so I also... Again, I teach 10 classes. This year I'm doing nine competition routines, and then those 10 classes also have recital routines, so they get, like, random combos throughout the week, and then I'm also teaching choreography all week long. Like, it's just a lot in my brain, along with mom, mom brain is a real thing where it's just so full and you just forget- Mm

so much. Yeah ... so I, I like... I typically have to choreograph even across the floor combos, I'm like, "What did we do last week?" And so it's a lot easier for me to just, like, set it up, hit record, and be like, "Great, I know I did this last week. I used that song." I can kind of keep the flow. And then sometimes I like to use it, like, I'll throw choreography at them, and I'm like, how well do they do?

Or if it's, like, I'm auditioning them for a section, then I can go back and be like, "Oh, well, Susie Q over here looks spectacular, and Freddy Joe over here looks so scary. He doesn't get to be in this section." Things like that where I can kind of [01:14:00] give myself some notes, so. Mm-hmm. And sometimes it's just to mess with their brains.

J.R.: Yeah. Wait, so why do you need to sneak film them then for those things? 

Juli: Because a lot of kids freak out, and then they do awful. I don't know what it is about- 

J.R.: Oh ... 

Juli: filming. 

J.R.: Them knowing that you're filming- 

Juli: Correct ... 

J.R.: and then them performing not as... Okay, interesting. 

Juli: Yes. 

J.R.: Hmm. Next question. So how much is that, and where'd you get it from?

Juli: Ringo.com probably. Okay. And I, I wanna say it's, like, 50-ish with baby 

J.R.: shipping. 50-ish? Okay. 

Juli: Yeah. 

J.R.: All right. I will, I will put a link, so people are so curious, and they need to be like you. They'll, they'll start with that purchase. Cool. Last rapid fire questions. Favorite books, movies, videos, articles, media, or anything that you share or recommend the most?

Juli: Currently reading the whole... rereading the whole ACOTAR series because it's supposed... the new [01:15:00] books are coming out- Ah ... this month. So I just reread all six of the ACOTAR ones. I'm currently on the last book of the Throne of Glass series, and I'm... then I'm gonna start the Crescent series again, hopefully in the next 11 days before the next book comes out.

But I, I really just love the whole romantasy, like, all those, like, Fourth Wing, all those things. They're just such a nice escape. from life. 

J.R.: Hmm. Sorry, what is the series called, and what's, who's the author? 

Juli: Sarah J. Maas, and it's- Sarah J. Maas ... the, I think original series is A Court of Thornes and Roses.

And then there's, like, other series that kind of... The worlds just, like, interlink. So A Court of Thornes and Roses is the first book of the first series, and then there's- Mm-hmm ... A Throne of Grass A Throne of Glass, while words are hard, and then Crescent City. And so there's like three different sort of like, series that kind of intermix.

J.R.: Oh, 

Juli: I see. It's pretty fun. Yeah. 

J.R.: Ah, okay. 

Juli: But- Cool ... [01:16:00] yeah. I will link- Fairies- I will link that ... magic, all that sort of fuzz. But yeah, that and like- Hmm ... obviously Fourth Wing, but dragons. Everyone wants a dragon. 

J.R.: Yeah, yeah. I will note to my future editor self to link those. Cool. I think that is it.

Juli, you made it to the end of rapid fire. Congratulations. Woo-hoo. We just have ending questions now. So we always end with gratitude. Shout out to my mom. So Juli, what are you grateful for? 

Juli: My family, Eric and Jace, and my, my puppy Lucy. 

J.R.: Do you have any final asks from the audience or any final takeaways you'd like them to have from this conversation?

Juli: Just, just be the good. Put a little bit more good out into the world, and I don't know Try something new 

J.R.: Try something new? Yeah, that's fair. 

Juli: Try something new. 

J.R.: Try something new, don't be too hard on yourself. Yeah. Take life easy. Don't be a perfectionist. There's a lot of good takeaways- Yeah ... from this conversation.

Well, 

Juli: there's- I like it ... so... Yeah, h- hopefully. 

J.R.: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So I will link your [01:17:00] Instagram, but is that where people can find you if they wanna see what you're up to and/or connect? 

Juli: Mm-hmm. Instagram, TikTok. Pretty much almost everything is @yamanaks. 

J.R.: Nice. 

 All right. I think that is it. So Juli, thank you so much for spending the time and reconnecting a little bit and sharing your wisdom and whatnot. It was, it, really a pleasure to have you on the show. Always nice to see you as well. Yeah, I think that's, that's pretty much it.

I'm, I'm excited to go through this gambit of, of revisiting all of the people who were formative in my Kaba Modern years. Yeah. Obviously, I had Arnelle on twice, but then... And then some of my class, but just going through these people. I don't know if you've ever had this experience, but meeting people or talking to people that you haven't seen in a while is almost like revisiting a version of yourself from a long time ago, right?

Because they... You kind of see yourself through their eyes again, and then also meeting that person again or speaking with them reminds you of your former self. Like, seeing you just gives me [01:18:00] flashbacks of my, like, first year, so... In, in all of the good ways, right? So nothing, nothing bad. But, so yeah I just wanted to leave you with that, so thank you so much for being here.

Juli: Oh. Well, thank you for having me. It was fun, even though I was a little stressed and probably a little rambly, but- 

J.R.: No, it's 

Juli: all good ... thank you for having me. It was kinda fun. 

J.R.: Yeah. 

All right, so let me do my final sign-off before I stop the recording. So thank you guys for being here. I really appreciate it. Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, all that cool stuff. Leave Juli love in the comments below. We'd really appreciate it. And remember to always be kind to other people, especially yourself, and remember that you can always learn something from someone if you take the time to listen. So thank you guys for being here.