WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.480 I heard communities. Thank you so much for listening. We love it when 2 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:09.320 people in Connecticut go viral for fun things on social media, and one lady 3 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:14.480 in our podcast studio did just that. So please welcome Aaron McMurray from I 4 00:00:14.519 --> 00:00:20.239 Can't Get My Together, your Instagram, your TikTok, your social media. 5 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:23.239 Aaron, It's fantastic. We love you. Welcome, thank you. I'm 6 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:27.559 so excited to be here. So we can't say the full title of your 7 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:32.000 program, because this podcast interview is going to go both on air and on 8 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:35.600 social media. If it was just on social media, we could say the 9 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:40.679 full name of your show, which is I Can't Get My Together. However, 10 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:45.880 you can follow me on ICG, MST. That's right. And now 11 00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:50.200 is that what you use for both TikTok Ian for Instagram, Yes, that's 12 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:56.200 TikTok and Instagram. On Facebook, it's I Can't get My Together kind of 13 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:02.640 you know the period where I is. I found you during COVID and I 14 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:04.840 have to say thank you to you because I had no idea you were from 15 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:10.719 Connecticut, and your brand of humor really got me through because I never had 16 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:14.560 a day off. I came into work every single day. I was alone, 17 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:15.879 you know, my husband was at home. But then I was here 18 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:19.359 and I was alone. There was a few of us here the garage. 19 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.319 I had the best parking spot ever. I never had a day off. 20 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:23.879 I still haven't really taken any time off, and I needed a release. 21 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:30.079 And I honestly, I don't think you even realize that you provided just humor 22 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.959 at the end of my stressful day. And I've shared you with so many 23 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.680 people here and they feel the same. You're whatever you want to call what 24 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:41.000 you do, which I don't even know how to label it. You made 25 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:44.879 me laugh and you made me feel bad so much. I hear that a 26 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:49.040 lot, which I think that's one of the reasons I'm keeping on, you 27 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:56.200 know, but I think that this, in this world of perfection, I'm 28 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.280 normalizing being normal, you know. I'm tired of keep it up with the 29 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:05.760 Joneses. So that's kind of how this came to be. I made fun 30 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:10.800 of myself one day with my mom's and they were sitting probably for three weeks, 31 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.159 next to the planters that they should go in, and so I made 32 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:20.439 fun of myself and I went viral on TikTok, and then I made fun 33 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:25.000 of myself again on Instagram, and here we are and you're beautiful. You're 34 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.840 a family woman, you know, married with kids. How have they re 35 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:35.240 been with all of this? Well, no one thinks I'm cool. I 36 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:38.039 have two teenage boys. No one thinks I'm cool, which is okay. 37 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:42.719 Maybe the younger one, maybe his friends think I'm cooler than he thinks. 38 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:46.000 But you know, they're having fun. I think going along for the ride 39 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:53.240 because this could maybe turn into something bigger one day. So we're excited. 40 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:57.719 We are. You even have a peril and you have your your classic wine 41 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:00.919 glass which I absolutely love, and you brought us here today. You can 42 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:04.280 go to my community access dot com and check it out there. And again 43 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:07.560 it's I can't get my together. We're not, I told her. I'm 44 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:08.680 like, I can't have time to edit out all of this, so we're 45 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:12.120 just gonna you know, you can figure it out from there. But tell 46 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.439 me your story and tell me how this came to because a lot of people 47 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:20.360 were in your position during the pandemic. You pivot adjust. I hate I 48 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.599 absolutely hate that phrase pivot and edges. I hate saying it, but we 49 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.960 all had to do that. So wherever your comfort level is, tell me 50 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.240 how you got to the point of going viral. Well, I am an 51 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:38.439 event planner by trade, and when the pandemic hit, there were no events 52 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:43.439 anymore. So in the midst of that, we were kind of reinventing ourselves 53 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:50.560 at our company and I was helping a friend actually on a weekend, moved 54 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.080 from one home to another and I was lift. I lifted a coffee table, 55 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:58.120 went backwards down a stairway the wrong way, Oh my gosh, and 56 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.199 ripped my hamstring off. My story, this is like a final destination mode. 57 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:08.120 Yeah, I feel like my threshold of pain is like a thirty because 58 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:10.639 I could handle that. Like, I don't know if I needed the epidural, 59 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:15.159 but the boys right that I could have used an epidural. It was 60 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:19.279 very painful. I had surgery and then I couldn't sit. So I took 61 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:23.040 a leave of absence from where I was and it kind of gave me a 62 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:27.879 chance to step away and think about my life because I am a kind of 63 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:33.720 midlife crisis. I guess midlife crisis mode. I started redesigning furniture. I 64 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:40.360 left my job, started redesigning furniture. I became a fitness coach, and 65 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:45.959 then as I was networking with friends on all were that was the talk how 66 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.720 can we reinvent to ourselves during this pandemic? Because it was so sad people 67 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:54.720 losing their jobs left and right, But it did give you the chance to 68 00:04:54.839 --> 00:05:01.639 rise up. And so I started videotaping silly video and here I am talking 69 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.560 to you, which is amazing, you know, and I love that. 70 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:09.160 Now you're kind of a face for other organizations. I so you do a 71 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:13.399 fundraiser and now people kind of depend on you for content, and so you've 72 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:15.120 got to weave that into your day job and to do all of this, 73 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.839 and you know, maybe even some brand sponsorship. And it's just you never 74 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:26.120 know what's going to affect the algorithm of social media, right You never know 75 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:30.120 what it's going to be. But you had something that everyone could resonate with, 76 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.720 which is, you know, one of your your skits or real life 77 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:38.279 bits, which I tend to believe they're actual things, they're actually not. 78 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.720 Like that could be a good video right right, you know, but your 79 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:47.800 plastic cutting board once is just so relatable because I have three that really should 80 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:51.199 be thrown away. Thrown now, people listening right now? If you own 81 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:54.639 plastic cutting boards, you know, when their time is up, and we 82 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:58.680 continue to put them in the dishwasher or not wash them properly and use them 83 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:00.600 and go, oh, well, you know, but you brought it to 84 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.600 the forefront, you know. But tell me about you wake up in the 85 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:08.240 morning. You don't have anything planned? Is it just something that you see 86 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:13.439 when I say, I literally do these things and then I make a video. 87 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.439 That's kind of how I create. And it is kind of disruptive in 88 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:24.000 my work life because when it's time, it's time to film, or I'll 89 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:27.199 write a script and then do it later if I have things going on. 90 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:31.759 But that's kind of been the method to my madness. And I try not 91 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:36.920 to do a gazillion takes because those aren't They get unauthentic after a while, 92 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:43.240 and then sometimes I even ditch them. So yeah, it's been quite a 93 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:46.360 ride though. And I don't know if you know, but I've been approached 94 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:54.399 by a Hollywood screenwriter, Susan Bright Bill my Goods, and we have a 95 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:59.319 show in the works. She's developing a show. I literally cannot wait for 96 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:00.040 this. I don't know I can watch it. I don't know. If 97 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:04.240 you need a live TV audience, whatever you want. Interview I'll promote it, 98 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:08.000 But you are magnificent, and I don't think and I think the beauty 99 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:12.439 about you is that you don't realize it. And I think that's the gift 100 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.399 of a true talent or a true creative creative person is that sometimes you're just 101 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:19.600 doing what you think is, you know whatever. Like you, I think 102 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:24.519 it's funny, might ten more people might think it's funny, or two hundred 103 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:28.120 thousand or a million, I don't know. You know, they some videos 104 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:32.079 bomb and some do resonate, they really like. That's probably the one thing 105 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:36.079 I hear the most is I can really I want to be your best friend. 106 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:41.720 I want to be your neighbor, because it's it's literally a show at 107 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:46.120 my house. By I can get my life together and by way of my 108 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.800 business life, but my home life is a disaster. Although I try not 109 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:54.720 to forget my children. If they need to ride, right, that's well. 110 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:59.560 And I also love that you don't try to sugarcoat what you're You know, 111 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.319 house looks like if it hasn't been picked up or whatever. Like your 112 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:07.480 house is really what everyone's house is, except for the corner they clean for 113 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.600 social media. Right, So, right now I have a current and maybe 114 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:13.600 by the time this airs, it will still be where it's at, which 115 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:22.480 is nowhere. I have purchased in march containers to organize my shoes, and 116 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.879 they're still sitting in where they came in out of the rain. So it's 117 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.279 a problem. I seriously have a problem. But this is every like I've 118 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.120 I've missed the return window. It's not happening, but so now I actually 119 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.159 have to do it, so it might be a good girls night or something. 120 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.039 Now a day in the life of you, you know, with your 121 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.879 job and balancing your family life and things like that. Are you learning now 122 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:52.440 how to plug that into your social media persona as well? I try to 123 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.120 put on a little makeup before I go to the grocery store. Yes, 124 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:03.159 now, I'm What has been actually nice is that I don't get recognized. 125 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:07.919 And that's it's nice because you know, I didn't really know that this was 126 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:13.039 going to happen, and I didn't want it in a sense, you know, 127 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:16.039 I just wanted to be picked up by like Windex or something, and 128 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:20.480 you know, that's all I wanted to do. But now it's turned into 129 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:26.200 something much bigger and um and I do have a sense of you know, 130 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.360 I have to keep this going, not only because this is probably the biggest 131 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:33.039 opportunity of my life, but it makes a lot of people happy and and 132 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:37.200 I like to be funny and goof on myself, and so I hope that 133 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:41.600 it resonates with people. I really do talk a little bit about your day 134 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:43.799 job. So so the fitness coach, if you will tell me a little 135 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:48.919 bit about that. UM, I am a fitness accountability coach and so it's 136 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:56.360 online fitness program and I have probably it's a small clientele, probably seventy people 137 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:01.559 or something like that UM, and we do group fitness every month and it's 138 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:05.799 really they're very, very inspiring and so as much as they say I inspire 139 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:11.639 and motivate them, I mean it's like it comes back tenfolds. They're wonderful 140 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:15.360 and they're helping others. So when new people come in, they're kind of, 141 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:18.879 you know, bring them under their wing and kind of, you know, 142 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:24.039 encouraging. So it's been wonderful. So I have that currently. I 143 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:26.279 do have a furniture redesigne. I want to ask you about that. So 144 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:28.320 what does that means? You just take a chair and make it better? 145 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:33.720 I mean, I'm tell me try so because I got a couch that needs 146 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:37.759 help. Yes, well, I don't do au pholstery. Oh no, 147 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:39.279 sorry, I was going to learn, but then I was like, oh, 148 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:43.639 I don't have the patience for this. Painting is bad enough. But 149 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:50.320 I do custom pieces or I do I bring in furniture from an interior designer 150 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:54.840 that's doing work for someone. So I don't do my own furniture and then 151 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:58.159 sell it. I actually bring people's furniture in and redesign it. So if 152 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:03.399 it's an heirloom piece, you know, make it something. If it's Grandma's 153 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.480 piece and you don't want to get rid of it, well, then make 154 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.600 it something that you want to live with and because it can be reversed kind 155 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:13.559 of. So I do have that. But my main job during the day 156 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.600 is as an event planner, so I have my own event planning company. 157 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:22.600 Now I do contract work with corporations around the globe. So it's been pretty 158 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:24.600 fun and travel and I love to travel. Oh and that's great. And 159 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:28.679 then adding this to the mix, I mean, you know, and now, 160 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.000 where how did you come up with the concept of that door open? 161 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:35.840 Like, oh, hey, you know, like where did that even? 162 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:43.399 What inspired you? I think my fans did, because my first video that 163 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:48.919 went viral on TikTok was me sitting in front of my yellow door with my 164 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.480 yellow moms, making fun of myself and they're like, oh, you know, 165 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:54.799 I love that colored door. Which don't ask me what color the door 166 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.639 is because I can't find the paint so I have to color match it. 167 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:03.919 But I think that was, you know, the door started to become the 168 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:07.360 focal point of everything, and then people I said, oh, hey, 169 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:11.720 once I'm coming out the door, and then that stuck. So things just 170 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:16.240 keep sticking and it kind of gets old to me, but people seem to 171 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:18.200 like it, so it's a part of you. I'm trying to switch it 172 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:22.600 up, and you know those don't don't always bode well with people. But 173 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.519 um, and then the wine, of course the wine. Yeah. So 174 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:33.000 I have a merchandise store online at icgmst dot com and you can get all 175 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:39.639 of that apparel there as well as wine, glasses, hats, t shirts, 176 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:45.200 longsleeve shirts, hoodies, aprons, Christmas ornaments. Listen, tell you 177 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:48.480 something. This is the perfect gift to be real, to give your girlfriends, 178 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:52.279 to give your moms, to give to people who literally are just normal 179 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:56.799 human beings trying to get through the day without taking off as many people as 180 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:58.559 possible. That's that's how I live my life. I do the best I 181 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.360 can, yea. I try not to tick off too many people. I 182 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:07.759 think perfection is non existent, and people strut, you know, especially women. 183 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:13.000 So so one thing, it's kind of my disclaimer is I love Martha 184 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.759 Stewart, I love Juanna Gaines, I love I love what they do. 185 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.600 I think it's beautiful. It's just not going to happen in my house unless 186 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.200 their team comes over and does it for me. I'd love it. I 187 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:30.600 would love that, but it's not happening. So um, you know, 188 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.559 I'm not slighting them in the least, but more trying just to be myself. 189 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:41.519 And I think I resonate with so many people because it's exactly what everybody 190 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:45.960 else is doing. There are so many people it, you know, with 191 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:52.000 their Christmas trees still up, you know in May or June or August. 192 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:54.960 So I have a summer tree. It's I put some flowers on it, 193 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:58.039 throw some eggs on it at Easter, whatever you want. You know, 194 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:03.879 my decor for Easter is Eminem's Pastel, Eminem's. I want you all to 195 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:09.799 check out Aaron and her pages and also the apparel and if you want to 196 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.120 get any I know I'm going to be getting some gifts. So where can 197 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.159 we find you online to first and for us to order some of the apparel. 198 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:20.799 That's at I cg mst dot com. So it's the acronym for I 199 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:30.440 can't get my Together On Instagram, same iicg MST. Same on TikTok and 200 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:35.440 on Facebook, I'm at I can't get my Together with a period in there. 201 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:37.399 Yeah, you have to spell it all out, you got to sell 202 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.279 it all out. You'll find me, You'll find her, look at look 203 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:43.399 for the girl in front of the yellow door. Oh hey, oh hey. 204 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.639 And I love that you brought in actual glasses and wine. And at 205 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.639 the time of this recording, it is it may or may not be five 206 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.200 o'clock somewhere, but cheers, oh cheers, cheers. You are fantastic. 207 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:56.840 Thanks for being in I heart communities. Oh, thank you, thank you 208 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:58.440 for having me.