Join us for a revival of our podcasting efforts. Prompted by divine spirit. Supported by AI.
3 Fun facts about this episode
1. Matthew and Brooke took a leisurely drive along the Pacific Coast highway, making stops to enjoy the scenic views, and it was during this trip that the speaker felt a strong desire to live a simpler life closer to nature.
2. The couple now lives in little cabins in the central coast, closer to Big Sur, surrounded by redwood trees, oak trees, and the ocean, embodying the Big Sur vibes they had sought after.
3. The Lawler family mission, as discussed in a nighttime chat, is to bring families together, encourage slowing down, being in nature, and fostering community.
Episode Transcript:
Matthew [00:00:03]:
Yeah. Want to tell you a big Sur story?
Brooke [00:00:06]:
Okay. Well, it was more than ten years ago. Gosh, 17 years ago we were engaged. Yeah, 17 years ago would have been. We were driving home from San Jose, visiting Matt's parents. We decided to take the one, the Pacific Coast highway home to take the scenic route, what would have been a five hour drive. We decided to make a seven or eight hour leisurely drive with lots of stops along the coast. And at that point, I had never been to Monterey, Carmel, big Sur, not that I remembered.
Brooke [00:00:50]:
So it was a magical drive where we were just stopping at anything that was pretty and getting out, taking pictures, and I was feeling those Sunday blues like that. Just that building anxiety of going to work the next day and trying to just kind of push it away and enjoy the day as much as I could. At the time, I worked in downtown LA and had a very long train commute and just a big grind in advertising. Sort of psyching myself up for the work week was definitely a project. Anyways, we're heading down the one and stopping at all these spots, and then we get to Big Sur and we get to that classic gas station that's overpriced. It's two pumps near the little library there. And I remember thinking, I would rather pump gas at this gas station, work here, and live in, like, one of those little cabins across the highway, then go home to our apartment and my job and advertising. And I think that, gosh, that was such a defining moment.
Brooke [00:02:16]:
That was such a seed planted in my brain that took time to mature and grow for, oh, gosh, I guess it would have been another ten years until I did anything with that, knowing that I wanted to go live simple, near nature.
Matthew [00:02:39]:
Remember thinking it was a pretty bold statement, like, really sure you want to be a gas station attendant? Do you remember me challenging you?
Brooke [00:02:47]:
Yeah, I think I do. Anyways, just remembering that moment. And obviously I think we have greater purposes than pumping gas, but the key insight is life is short. Don't waste your time being busy. I think that's really what it is. It's not about, like, don't waste your time working for someone else or having this corporate job. It's more just don't waste your time just being busy and not being in nature with the people you love. I would rather just be with people I love in nature than have the fanciest job and the fanciest things.
Matthew [00:03:32]:
So do you feel like you've come closer to big sur now?
Brooke [00:03:36]:
Yeah, we do live in little cabins, two little tiny house cabins.
Matthew [00:03:45]:
We got some redwood trees.
Brooke [00:03:46]:
We're basically in central coast, closer to Big Sur than we've ever been. We have redwood trees near us and oak trees and ocean. We have definitely big sur vibes more than ever before. Yeah, not doing.
Matthew [00:04:04]:
We haven't been to big sur yet.
Brooke [00:04:06]:
Yeah, not since we've lived here. But I guess the need to escape isn't as great, right? When you're kind of living the big Sur energy more on the daily.
Matthew [00:04:19]:
It's true. Although I do see us escaping more in the future. Like regularly on weekends.
Brooke [00:04:29]:
We will. We should probably set some context that this is being recorded in our bedroom loft at I don't know what time it is. Is it midnight one?
Matthew [00:04:37]:
I think it's 1150. Almost midnight.
Brooke [00:04:42]:
Almost midnight. We got up for a feeding for our newest baby van and I could sense that Matt was also kind of awake and we just started talking. So this is how you get it done when you have four kids.
Matthew [00:04:59]:
And we're simultaneously feeding this podcast to AI to write a blog post for us and write up some social posts. Just fascinated by what you can do these days to get the word out by podcasting. Growth hack of 2024.
Brooke [00:05:21]:
I guess I'll take the help we could use. The help we could use to help.
Matthew [00:05:27]:
I think we're going to make sure.
Brooke [00:05:28]:
We mentioned we have four kids.
Matthew [00:05:31]:
I can never just let AI do all the work. I always feel the need to come in and do some editing, I guess.
Brooke [00:05:36]:
Just to put a bow on this conversation because I do need to go to bed is that the Lawler family mission has to take away that we had in our nighttime chat was like our family mission has to be the umbrella for all the endeavors we take, for all the brands we launch. It can't be the reverse. It's not about be here or any other business endeavor. It's our mission as a family to bring more families together more, slow down, be in nature and be in community. To manifest those camping vibes you get when you go on vacation and you get out in nature and you light a fire with your loved ones. That is what the world needs more of. We think that's our job here. Our earthly mission.
Brooke [00:06:32]:
Get families to slow down, get them to be together more, and find other families and community to do that with. It's simple, but I think it would have profound change on the planet. And so we're here to do that. Come sit by a fire with us sometime. More to come on that.
Matthew [00:06:55]:
More to come on that well, thanks for telling your story, bro. I think that's a great podcast for the night. Here. Seven minutes. Is that about right?
Brooke [00:07:04]:
Time was good.
Matthew [00:07:06]:
All right, Tata, for now. Bye.
Embracing our Big Sur calling