After a year away from dating while building two businesses and rebranding a podcast, Krysta jumped back into the apps with fresh energy and clearer standards. What followed were two first dates that taught more about trusting your gut than any relationship ever could. When a guy texted "I'll let you decide where we sit" after failing to secure a spot at the bar he knew about in advance, she clocked the red flag but stayed for the drink anyway. What happened next—and the date that followed with someone else—revealed something crucial about standards, nervous system regulation, and why "being too picky" early on is actually just paying attention.

In this episode we dive into:

• Why your married friends might be giving you terrible dating advice (and what they're missing about modern dating)

• The exact moment your gut is screaming at you—and why being in a rush makes you ignore it

• How the standards you accept on a first date show up everywhere else in your life

• The nervous system regulation technique that helps you make aligned decisions in dating, food choices, and business

When Your Gut Starts Screaming (But You're Too Rushed to Listen)

• You're running late, texting fast, physically hurrying—and simultaneously asking friends "should I feel some type of way about this?"

• The same energy that makes you ignore fullness cues or push through obvious burnout is what keeps you walking toward a date your intuition is rejecting

• Your grandmother's five-minute rule before getting seconds applies to every decision: pause, breathe, drop your shoulders, plant your feet, and regulate before you decide

• When you're in fight-or-flight while texting, you override the exact instinct that would protect you from wasting your evening

The "Let You Decide" Text That Changed Everything

• He asks you to text when you're two minutes away, then admits he's been waiting in his car instead of securing a table at the crowded bar you picked (at his request)

• "I'll let you decide where we sit" immediately pushes you out of feminine energy and into masculine—you've now planned the date, picked the spot, AND have to find the table

• This is information, not overthinking: if this is his best foot forward on a first date, what does month three look like?

• The universe has your back—people will see themselves out without you needing to explicitly call them out (spoiler: he did)

What Your Married Friends Get Wrong About "Being Too Picky"

• When married people say "I could never date today," they think they're validating your strength but they're actually making dating feel like a punishment you have to endure

• Every person who voted "think nothing of it and enjoy the date" was married—and when pressed, admitted they'd been out of the game for 10+ years

• Leading with the assumption that dating is bad guarantees bad dating experiences—your words are spells, and you're casting the wrong ones

• A "bad date" is actually a win because it gets you clearer on what you don't want, and removing yourself quickly is how you weed through to what you do want

This conversation reminds us that standards aren't pickiness—they're self-trust in action. Whether you're navigating dating apps, deciding if you're actually still hungry, or evaluating a potential business partnership, the ability to pause and regulate your nervous system before making decisions is what separates aligned choices from rushed reactions. The person you're meant to build a life with won't make you question your gut on date one.

Follow Krysta:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thekrystahuber⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thespreadmktg⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠

When tragic events unfold and your feed erupts with takes, counter-takes, and performance activism, the pressure to say something—or explain why you're not saying anything—becomes suffocating. But what if the entire premise is flawed?

In this episode, we examine the messy intersection of social media, influence, and responsibility during times of crisis, unpacking:

• Why influence is a byproduct of visibility, not a moral badge you earn

• The difference between being loud and being effective (and why one rarely creates the change we think it does)

• How algorithms weaponize our emotions to keep us divided, distracted, and smaller

• The litmus tests every business owner and consumer needs before posting—or reacting

The Construct We're Living In

• Social media isn't reality, yet it rules our worlds in ways we're only beginning to understand

• We've expanded who counts as "public," but the mechanism of influence hasn't changed since Hollywood award shows

• Information overload has given us more access than ever with somehow less clarity than ever

• Polarizing content drives engagement, creating a constant stream of emotionally charged information designed to keep us activated

The Business Owner's Dilemma

• The pressure to address current events versus the fear of saying the wrong thing (or nothing at all)

• Why announcing "it feels weird to post" is often a cop-out masquerading as awareness

• The slippery slope of tying your business values to political stances—and when it's worth it

• Three critical questions to ask before you post: Are you informed or dysregulated? Can you hold a boundary when someone disagrees? Does this align with how you want to be perceived long-term?

The Consumer's Responsibility

• Unfollowing someone is your right—announcing it aggressively serves no one

• The grocery store apple test: Would you do this in real life, or only behind a screen?

• How engaging with one piece of content flips your entire algorithm, creating echo chambers that feel like reality

• Why keyboard warrioring keeps us distracted from the actual work of creating change

This conversation reminds us that posting your opinion isn't the same as taking action. Whether you're a business owner wrestling with what to share or a consumer deciding where your attention goes, this episode offers the framework to move through these decisions with intention rather than reactivity. Being loud is not the same as being effective. Nuance dies in 60 seconds. And we're all being manipulated by systems designed to keep us fighting with each other instead of seeing the full picture.

Follow Krysta:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thekrystahuber⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thespreadmktg⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠

I recently sat down with a client launching a new business, and one word kept showing up in every single decision they made: intention. Not convenience. Not "that's how it's always been done." Pure, deliberate intention. In a world obsessed with speed, optimization, and AI-generated everything, this conversation stopped me in my tracks.

In this episode we dive into:

• Why the hustle-to-soft-girl overcorrection made trying feel embarrassing

• How confusing efficiency with ease is stealing your satisfaction

• The one word that will differentiate you in 2025 and beyond

• Why clarity is actually less exhausting than being wishy-washy

The Convenience Trap

• You're being sold "easy" at every turn, but easy often means less satisfaction when you actually accomplish the goal

• AI and technology promise speed, but everyone's starting to sound the same—and it's boring

• We've confused efficiency with ease in a way that removes effort, and therefore removes intention

• The real issue was never effort—it was effort without clear direction

The Overcorrection Nobody's Talking About

• Pre-COVID hustle culture burned us out, so we swung hard into "soft girl era" territory

• Suddenly caring too much became a red flag and trying became embarrassing

• Wanting something badly meant you were "too attached" and needed to let it go

• But here's the truth: if you didn't care, nothing would happen—no results, no relationships, no life you actually want

Why Intention Is Your Competitive Advantage

• Being intentional means knowing your purpose, which actually helps you make decisions faster

• When you know what inspires you to move, it's easier to throw out what doesn't align

• Intention shows up as infectious energy—people can feel when something's been thought through

• In dating, business, fitness, and life: clarity isn't asking too much, it should be the bare minimum

This conversation reminds us that slowing down to speed up isn't just a cute saying—it's how you actually build a life worth living. Whether you're overwhelmed by too many fitness rules or exhausted from saying yes to everything in your business, this episode offers permission to pick two things, commit to them intentionally, and stop apologizing for caring.

Looking for more on moving with purpose? Check out previous episodes where we explore building capacity over chasing goals.

Follow Krysta:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thekrystahuber⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thespreadmktg⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠