Episode 94

Erin - "Whatever it is that you want to do in the world, Bitcoin will help you actually do that thing."

Yoga Teacher to Death Doula and Bitcoin Enthusiast

Erin, a certified Death Doula and a Bitcoin enthusiast, shares her journey of personal transformation and pursuit of purpose. Starting her journey as a horse manager and restaurant worker, she underwent a significant mindset shift after her Yoga teacher training and the passing of her beloved pet, which spurred her interest in death and questioning the purpose of her life. This led her on a path to become a Death Doula, advocating for and supporting people through the process of dying. Erin's transition into the Bitcoin space happened amidst the pandemic when she decided to quit her job due to mandated vaccine passports. She was introduced to Bitcoin as a tool to peacefully move away from the system imposed by the government. Erin shared her experiences living in Bitcoin circular economies in places like El Salvador and Guatemala. She emphasizes the importance of a new monetary system in making the world a better place and believes Bitcoin can serve as a tool towards that end.

00:00 Introduction

00:37 Welcome to Orange Hatter

00:43 Introducing the Exclusive Retreat for Women in Bitcoin

01:38 Invitation to Join the Retreat

02:07 Guest Introduction: Erin

02:33 Erin's Background and Journey

04:44 Transition from Horse Training to Yoga

07:31 Erin's Life Changes and Discovery of Bitcoin

10:08 Erin's Horse Training Experience

12:12 Transition from Restaurants to Yoga

21:59 Erin's Journey to Becoming a Death Doula

37:05 Erin's Bitcoin Journey

41:15 Experiencing Bitcoin Circular Economies

45:01 Advice for Women Interested in Bitcoin

50:51 Conclusion and Farewell

*** Check out the Orange Hatter Women's Retreat at www.orangehatter.com/yucatan ***

To learn more about Bitcoin: Join the Orange Hatter Women's Reading Club.  Please email to Tali@orangehatter.com for the private telegram group and zoom link.

HODL UP is available at www.freemarketkids.com.

Remember: Knowledge is empowerment! 🍊🎩

Mentioned in this episode:

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Transcript
Erin:

I speak about the yoga space because that's what I'm familiar with.

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So as we all sit on the floor and

we all meditate for world peace.

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And I'm not saying that we shouldn't

do that, but what we really

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need is a new monetary system.

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Because the current system that we

have, it has completely twisted and

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corrupted and co-opted incentives.

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We're working harder, we're working

longer, we're donating more money

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to whatever non profit you donate

to, and yet not only are things

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not getting better, they actually

seem to be getting a lot worse.

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Tali: Hey everybody.

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Welcome to Orange Hatter.

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Aleia: Hello listeners.

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If you're a woman in the Bitcoin space,

looking for a transformative getaway,

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then today's feature is just for you.

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We've tailored an exclusive

retreat designed for rejuvenation

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connection and empowerment

specifically for women like you.

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Picture this mornings that

begin with yoga by the ocean.

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Days filled with the inspiring

beauty of nature and conversations

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with fellow Bitcoin enthusiasts that

turned into lasting friendships.

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This retreat is not just

a break from your routine.

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It's a leap forward for

your spirit and career.

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But it's more than

relaxation and networking.

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We're actively supporting local

Bitcoin circular economies.

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Your participation means contributing to

real world change, connecting you with

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the impact of Bitcoin beyond the screen.

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This is an opportunity to step

away from the daily grind to

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recharge and to return inspired.

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Whether you're deep into your Bitcoin

journey or just starting this retreat

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will offer you valuable insights,

support, and a renewed sense of purpose.

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Ready to be part of

this unique experience.

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Visit www.orange hatter.com

forge slash Yucatan.

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Now to learn more and reserve

your spot spaces are limited.

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As we aim to create an intimate and

impactful experience for each attendee.

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Don't miss this chance to

recharge, connect, and contribute.

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Join us.

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Let's make this retreat a

milestone in your Bitcoin journey.

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Thank you for tuning in and

here's to empowering your

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path in the world of Bitcoin.

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We can't wait to welcome you.

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Tali: Hey Erin.

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Thank you so much for

joining us on Orange Hatter.

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I can't wait to dive into your stories.

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You are an adventurer.

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It's gonna be so much fun.

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Thank you for coming on the show.

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Erin: Yeah, thanks for having me.

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I'm always happy to chat about

Bitcoin, of course, and anything

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else that might come up.

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I'm an open book, so we'll see

where the conversation takes us.

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Tali: Awesome.

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All right.

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Let's get started.

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Oh, if you could give us a

little bit about your background,

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that would be amazing.

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Erin: Sure, so I grew up in

Canada just outside of Toronto.

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I grew up in a small town and

gradually over the course of my life

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moved a little bit further out west.

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I moved out to Alberta, which is like the

Texas of Canada, some people may know.

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I spent 10 years out there.

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I used to be I was heavily involved with

horses, so I actually went to agriculture

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college, and I was managing the

equestrian facility at the agricultural

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college that I went to in Ontario.

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And then, so when I left that job, I was

living in Ottawa, which is the capital

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of Canada, and Ottawa is very bilingual,

so To get almost any job, you need to be

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able to speak French, which I do not, so

I had a decision to make at that point.

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I was, I could either stay in Ottawa and

learn French, or I could move out west.

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I chose the option to move out west.

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I packed up my car, packed up my

horse, and we moved out to Edmonton.

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And I had worked in

restaurants my whole life.

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That was my very first job.

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When I was 14, I was hired at Burger

King, and I was fired two months later,

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and so I took about a year off because

I had a little bit of PTSD from being

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fired from my very first job, but I

started working for a a counter service

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bagel, and, shop when I was 16 and ever

since then I've been in restaurants

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while doing other jobs a lot of the time.

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I just didn't find that anything

helped me pay the bills.

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as well as working in restaurants did.

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So I moved out to Edmonton to work for

a horse trainer, but I was working in

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a restaurant at the same time because

it's just nearly impossible to pay rent

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and do all of the things that you need

to do on a assistant trainer salary.

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So I was working in restaurants and

then the opportunity came up to start

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managing for this restaurant company.

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So I found myself in a management

position for seven years.

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And then I did my yoga teacher

training, and that completely

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flipped my life upside down.

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I just didn't see the purpose in

the work that I was doing anymore.

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I was working 50, 60 hours a week.

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Really weird schedules.

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It was always changing from four in

the morning if I had to do inventory,

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and then sometimes not going in till

four o'clock in the evening, but

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working all the way through till 1 a.

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m.

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So after I did my yoga teacher training,

I really did a big re evaluation of

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my life and what my priorities were.

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I went on a six month trip

down to South America.

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I quit my job right after I bought

a house, by the way, I think it was

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June of 2014, and then I quit my job

in October of:

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full on panic attack, but I wasn't too

worried about it, so then I jumped on

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a plane, went to South America for six

months, and came back to Alberta, started

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teaching yoga, and again, can't pay my

rent and buy my groceries and do all

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the things on a yoga teacher salary, so

I went back to working in restaurants.

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And then I bought an old Volkswagen

camper van an old Westfalia,

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baby blue with a pop top.

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This was when the whole van life trend

was getting quite big and something about

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that really resonated with me, so I rented

out my house and jumped in my camper

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van and took a job in British Columbia

for the summer just to pay some bills

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before I went to Mexico was the plan.

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And the place I was working at in

British Columbia, that was the first

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year of really bad forest fires, so we

got evacuated and, long story short, I

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ended up not going to Mexico, I ended

up on the Sunshine Coast in British

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Columbia, which is a ferry ride away

from Vancouver a really special place.

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Working in restaurants again, and

the most recent massive life change

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that happened for me happened during

the pandemic, which I'm sure a lot of

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people can relate to particularly in

Canada, things were difficult because

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the mandates that we had, all of the

rules and regulations that we had,

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Occurred mostly at a federal level, so

we didn't have a Texas or a Florida,

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we didn't have a different province or

a different state that we could go to

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if where we were living didn't resonate

with our values or what we wanted at

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the time, so I ended up quitting my job.

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In the restaurant and luckily

enough, I was in a position

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where I was able to do that.

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I had enough savings.

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I only have myself to support.

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I don't have children, so I was in

a unique position to be able to do

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that, so that's when I became a death

doula, and that's when I found Bitcoin.

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Both of those things happened

almost at the exact same time, so

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even sitting here and talking about

my life before Bitcoin and before

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becoming a death doula, it's wow.

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Was I even that person?

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I just, I feel like I've

been this person forever.

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But I think as with most things,

you can look back on your life and

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see, Oh yeah, everything I've done

has been leading up to this point.

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Oh, so I bought my second camper van.

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I sold the old Volkswagen camper

van a couple of years back.

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But when everything went down with

the trucker protests in Canada when

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people's bank accounts were getting

frozen, that was the last straw for me.

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I thought, I got to get out of here.

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I don't want to get trapped in

some kind of dystopian nightmare.

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So I bought another camper van

and I left and went down to the U.

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S.

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for a year.

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And then ended up going back

to Canada last summer to work.

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Which I did, and I just lived in my camper

van and saved all the money I was making.

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And now I've been in El Salvador, and

now I'm in Guatemala, and I've been

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here since the beginning of November.

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Tali: What a wild ride, a lot of

young people today think that they

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have to choose one thing to do,

especially if you're a college age.

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They put themselves in the peg and then

that's it But you literally just proved

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that life is a continual evolution

Going from one thing to another.

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I have so many questions for you.

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First one is where's your horse?

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What happens your horse?

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Erin: he's gone, unfortunately.

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He developed a condition in his feet

that's A lot of horses get, and it's very

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difficult for them to recover from that,

so I was actually at a point where I was

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paying more for him on a monthly basis, it

was costing me more in his board and vet

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bills than I was paying for myself living

in an apartment and supporting myself in

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all the ways I needed, so I found a really

nice This older retired couple who had

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performance horses their whole lives and

they were just looking for a really nice

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sweet horse that they could ride through

the mountains when he was feeling okay.

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Yeah, he ended up going to them

and I still dream about him

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often but I don't even know if

he's still alive to be honest.

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If he was, he would be, gosh,

he'd be almost 30 years old now

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which is pretty old for a horse.

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Tali: Yeah, so what kind of

horse training did you do?

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Erin: Growing up I rode English.

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I don't know if you're familiar with

horses at all, but it's like English is

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one style and Western is another style.

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So because I grew up on the East Coast

a lot of English riding happening there.

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So I grew up riding English, and then

when I moved out to Alberta, I discovered

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Western reining is the name of a sport.

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Essentially what reining is it takes

all of the maneuvers that you would do

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on a horse if you were actually working

cattle on a ranch, but it amps everything

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up a little bit, like everything is a

little bit faster, a little bit neater

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and you're not actually working with

a cow, so I was doing that, and then

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when I moved up to Edmonton, I was

working with a cutting horse trainer.

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Which is when you actually are working

cattle and that was a ton of fun.

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Tali: I Love horses.

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So I always am so jealous of people

who get to work a lot with horses but

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my daughter was taking riding lessons

and I would go with her sometimes and

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I would just listen to her trainer

talk about horses and it just surprised

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me so much that they're such massive,

majestic, beautiful animals, but their

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health maintenance is a really big deal.

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It's very tough.

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They're actually quite

fragile health wise.

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Erin: They are, yeah.

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And I'm not exactly sure why.

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Maybe it's because they're

living quite unnaturally, like

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in, in horses in the wild.

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They would never be living in

a padded stall with sawdust and

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all of these different things.

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So it's almost akin to what has happened

with people, you know We've gone from

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living in tribal communities small

communities And now we're all living in

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high rise condominium buildings in the

city and having all kinds of health issues

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and wondering why that is so I would yeah,

I'd be curious to know if maybe that's

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it's The way that we treat them in the

modern world that is causing them to be so

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darn expensive, because it is expensive.

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Tali: Yeah.

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So you went from horse training

to working in restaurants or

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sometimes actually simultaneously.

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And I'm very curious to, to hear from you.

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So why from those two things you

went into yoga teacher training?

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Erin: Ah, that's a good question.

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Well, Yeah, gosh, restaurants have

just been in my life, my whole life,

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and I'm very grateful for that, and

for a really long time, I was always

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looking for a way out of restaurants.

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Or the way that I looked at it

was, working in a restaurant

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was a means to an end.

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When I was in my 20s, I thought,

there's no way I'm going to be

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30 still working in restaurants.

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That is just not acceptable.

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And then I was in my 30s, and I

was thinking, okay, there's no

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way I'm going to be in my 40s.

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That is just a ridiculous idea.

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I find myself at 43 still

working in restaurants.

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And, I finally have reached a point

where I just have so much gratitude

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for restaurants, actually, because it's

provided me a really beautiful life.

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It's really enabled me

to do a lot of things.

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Like I said, I've been in

El Salvador and Guatemala.

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I'm going to Mexico next week.

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It's allowed me to travel.

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It's allowed me to pay my rent and

have a car and buy healthy food.

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And Really support myself in all of the

ways that I've needed to be supported.

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But, so after I sold my horse, Horses

are very expensive, as we were just

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saying, and I don't think I would

ever have another one unless I had

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a farm and had somewhere to keep it.

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After I left the horse world, I needed

something to do, I needed something

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physical to do, so I started running.

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And I had always hated running.

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When I was a kid, I used every excuse

in the book to get out of doing anything

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that involved running, like track and

field day at school was the worst day

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of my life, so it was horrible, but for

whatever reason, I was in a really bad

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relationship at the time, and I think

that had something to do with it, I just

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needed to Move some emotions through my

body and I don't think I was conscious

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of that at the time But something

was just pulling me towards running.

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So I started running like a maniac and

Became really imbalanced in my body

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because of that you know really tight

hamstring really sore back all of that

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kind of stuff and I just happen to be

living around the corner from a strip

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mall where a brand new yoga studio

opened and I thought, yeah, I probably

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need a little more balance in my life.

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I probably don't need to run seven

days a week, maybe I'll take a day

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off and do a little stretching.

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So I invited some of the girls from

work and we all went to a yoga class

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and this was over 10 years ago now.

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So I think yoga was really

starting to peak at that time.

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Everybody was starting to do yoga.

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And the first class I went

to, I absolutely hated it.

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I absolutely hated it.

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My runner's brain was just,

thought it was just ridiculous.

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I could not handle just laying there

and doing nothing but breathing.

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And for whatever reason,

that resistance that I felt.

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I just kept going back.

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I just kept on going back, and then I

became obsessed with yoga, just like

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I had been obsessed with running.

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I'm very much, when I find something that,

that I resonate with, I am all in 100%.

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Yeah, I went down the yoga

rabbit hole pretty quickly.

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I

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Tali: That's a familiar story.

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I've spoken to several people who started

yoga and hated it, but for whatever

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reason felt compelled to continue to

go and then becoming a yoga teacher.

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So what about yoga eventually after

you got over the, I hate yoga thing,

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drew you down the yoga rabbit hole?

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Erin: think I could answer that

question in a number of different ways.

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I think ultimately it's just the

path that I was meant to be on.

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Yoga helped me to redefine my

relationship with my physical body.

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I think most women can relate to

struggling with body issues, struggling

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with food, and that has certainly

been my story through most of my life.

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I had a really scrawny,

athletic older brother.

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And I was a really shy, chubby bookworm.

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We were just totally opposite

in that way, and so I was always

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very conscious of my body.

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My mom was always dieting.

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I grew up during the 80s and the 90s

when diet culture was just going crazy.

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I think I went on my first

diet when I was 9 years old.

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So I had always really struggled

with that and yoga really helped

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me to exist from the neck down.

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Because I've always been a very

cerebral person and I still have a lot

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of those tendencies but I just had no

relationship with my physical body.

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So yoga really helped me in that way and

through that I developed a relationship

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with Now I would call that thing God.

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I wouldn't have called

it God ten years ago.

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I would have said universe or source or

whatever word you want to put for it.

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But now because of Bitcoin,

I call it God, actually.

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Yeah, so I I found that spiritual aspect

to my life as well and just a whole wide

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array of Buddhist philosophy and a lot

of things that just really helped me to

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deal with life that I had never had before

and that actually now that I'm talking

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about it I always used alcohol to deal

with in the past and Particularly being in

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restaurants, the culture around drinking

and partying is it's more strange if you

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don't get hammered every night, if you

work in a restaurant now I'm the weird

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one because I don't drink anymore, and

everybody at my work still does, but,

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Yeah, it, it just, I was ready to evolve,

I was ready to evolve in all of the

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ways physically, mentally, emotionally,

spiritually and yoga helped me to do that,

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so how do you not get addicted to that or

how do you not go down that rabbit hole?

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Yeah

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Tali: Well,

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the listeners can't see you right now,

but you are so toned and fit and healthy.

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And you said you were 43,

but I thought you were 33.

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Honestly, you look so fabulous.

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And it's just wonderful to hear

where that transformation took place.

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I want to dig just a little bit deeper,

just out of my own personal curiosity.

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So you said the yoga helped you

deal with the neck down or at least

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realign your relationship with

what's going on below the neck.

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And then you touched a little

bit on the spirituality.

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So you said 10 years ago, you called

the higher power source, but now

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you call it the higher power of God.

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What's the difference and

what caused the change?

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Erin: I'm not sure if there is much

of a difference to be honest I think

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I don't I try not to get too caught up

in the dogma of different words for

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things, but I didn't grow up religious

in any sort of way It just wasn't and

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i've discovered this after spending

a year in the US versus growing up

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in Canada, there's just not a lot of

traditional, if you want to call it

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that, traditional religion in Canada.

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We're just more of a, I don't know if

we're atheists necessarily, but it's not

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as central to our culture as it seems

to be, at least in some areas of the U.

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S.

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Again, I don't really subscribe

to calling myself one thing or

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another, but if you would have asked

me before yoga, do you believe in

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God, I probably would have said no.

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But it's simply because I just didn't

have any connection with any of that.

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I'm not sure if there is a difference

between source, nature, universe,

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God, at least not in my opinion.

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And someone asked me this question

the other day, like, how did Bitcoin

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redefine your relationship to God?

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And I'm not even entirely sure.

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I'm still, digging through it.

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But I just think the

fact that Bitcoin exists.

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I think it's a divine gift to humanity.

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And even the creation of Bitcoin itself

has this kind of mysterious, immaculate

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conception magic just going on around it.

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Yeah, I I look at Bitcoin as proof

that God does love us and that God is

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here and in everything and all things.

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And I think I'm just more comfortable

now with using the word God.

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I think maybe it's something

that comes with age as well.

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I notice lots of things shifting at

midlife and I think you do start to

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reflect on life and death, and where

the heck did we come from, where are we

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going, and why are we even here at all?

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And, yeah, I just have a closer

relationship with God, I think,

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for a number of reasons, but

Bitcoin has definitely played

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a part in that, for sure.

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Tali: We'll dig into the Bitcoin

bit, but I want to circle back a

341

:

little bit, just a couple of years.

342

:

You mentioned that you ended

up becoming a death doula.

343

:

Somehow you went from being a

yoga teacher to a death doula.

344

:

What happened?

345

:

Erin: Again, I think, when you get

into yoga, there's a lot of exposure to

346

:

Hinduism and Buddhist philosophy, and a

big part of that Buddhist philosophy is

347

:

The truth of impermanence, how nothing

lasts forever, and how we cause our

348

:

own suffering by clinging to things,

expecting them to never change, and

349

:

just this constant practice of letting

go in every moment of everything, so

350

:

that was something that I had never

thought about before and then an actual

351

:

event that happened was my cat, like

my little soulmate I have a tattoo of

352

:

him on my arm here he died in my arms,

and he died a natural death And I had

353

:

worked with animals most of my life.

354

:

Also, I wanted to be a veterinarian

when I was younger, so I

355

:

worked in a lot of vet clinics.

356

:

I actually managed a vet clinic for a

short period of time when I thought I

357

:

would step away from restaurants, and

that didn't last very long, but so I had

358

:

been present at a lot of euthanasias.

359

:

But I had never witnessed a natural

death before, and it was one of the

360

:

most transformative spiritual moments

that I've ever had in my whole life.

361

:

And when I zoomed out of the

situation, I was in my mid

362

:

thirties, I think, at that point.

363

:

I couldn't help but think of how

strange it was that I was an adult.

364

:

I was 35, 36, but I had

never witnessed death before.

365

:

And that just really got me thinking

about death culture in general, in

366

:

particular in the Western world.

367

:

So It just planted that little seed for

me, and it it germinated, and it was

368

:

with me for a number of years, and then

randomly on Facebook, I started seeing

369

:

ads for an end of life doula certification

program through Douglas College in

370

:

Vancouver, and I think I saw that ad for

a year, two years, and then Like I said,

371

:

when the pandemic happened, I found myself

with a bunch of time on my hands, and

372

:

when that ad popped up again, I thought,

yeah, okay, this is the time to do that.

373

:

And it's interesting, because

when I told my friends that's what

374

:

I was doing, they all said, oh,

yeah, that totally makes sense.

375

:

This is what you're supposed to be doing.

376

:

That was an interesting response from

them, and an interesting feeling for

377

:

me, because I hadn't really felt That

aligned with, I don't want to say a

378

:

career path, just a path in general.

379

:

I hadn't felt that aligned with

something in a really long time.

380

:

Tali: You said something

that's very intriguing to me.

381

:

You said by the age of 35 or 36, as an

adult, you had never witnessed death.

382

:

As in you should have witnessed

death up to that point.

383

:

Why did you say that?

384

:

Erin: We used to die at home.

385

:

We, humans, used to die at home.

386

:

When we were living in small

communities, before, I mean in Canada

387

:

we have socialized healthcare, so

before we had universal healthcare.

388

:

Before we had mega hospitals to go to.

389

:

Death was a life event.

390

:

Just like giving birth, just like

everything else that, that would

391

:

happen over the span of a lifetime.

392

:

We would die at home.

393

:

That's actually what coffee tables

were made for initially, was to lay

394

:

a dead body on in a home so that

family and friends could come and

395

:

view the body and pay their respects.

396

:

It wasn't until like the 1940s,

:

397

:

Revolution started happening,

people started moving into cities.

398

:

We started to leave these smaller

communities and then, like I said, in

399

:

Canada, universal healthcare, I think

we got universal healthcare in the 50s.

400

:

It's just so closely tied with fiat

money and all of the ways in which

401

:

our monetary system is broken.

402

:

We were living in cities, but our

community was much smaller, we

403

:

only had the nuclear family.

404

:

And if both parents are working,

then there's nobody at home to

405

:

take care of grandma and grandpa

as they age and as they die.

406

:

So we started outsourcing death

to hospitals, nursing facilities,

407

:

paid professionals, people that

could step in and take that role.

408

:

Because of all of those reasons,

death has come out of the home, and

409

:

it's now more of a medicalized event.

410

:

And many of us don't

get to see it anymore.

411

:

We just, we simply don't get to see it.

412

:

And I think a lot of parents want to

protect their kids from the big, scary

413

:

reality of death, but Death is just a

truth, it's a universal truth, and I

414

:

think it's the one thing that really

connects us as humans, and not just

415

:

humans, but we can look to nature,

everything dies, nothing is permanent, so

416

:

we've really just become separated from

all of that, I think our natural human

417

:

tendency is the more we don't understand

something, the more afraid of it we

418

:

are, the bigger and scarier it becomes.

419

:

So there's an even bigger

motivation to avoid it, right?

420

:

Instead of leaning into it and going,

huh, what's happening over here?

421

:

We look at death as a negative

thing, but it's, in my mind, it's not

422

:

negative or positive, it simply is.

423

:

It just is a truth.

424

:

And I just don't think we're doing

ourselves any favors by avoiding it

425

:

or attempting to protect people from

the reality that's what happens.

426

:

I think it's the one thing we should

talk about the most, actually, because

427

:

out of everything in life, it is

the one thing that is guaranteed to

428

:

happen to every single one of us.

429

:

So the fact that we're not talking

about it all day, every day, I

430

:

think that's crazy, as opposed

to talking about it all the time.

431

:

Tali: I heard this lecture several

years ago, given by, I think it

432

:

was one of the spiritual teachers.

433

:

And she was saying, I think

everybody should go to the hospital

434

:

and witness someone passing away.

435

:

Cause she said, it's a beautiful thing.

436

:

And as I was listening to her lecture,

I thought, what a strange thing to say.

437

:

Why would you say everybody

needs to witness this?

438

:

So you became a doula.

439

:

for death.

440

:

You're calling it a truth

that none of us can escape.

441

:

Every single one of us will

one day have to face that.

442

:

She's seeing it as a beautiful thing.

443

:

You're saying it as a truth.

444

:

So how do you connect the two?

445

:

what is a death doula?

446

:

What does a death doula do?

447

:

Erin: Good questions.

448

:

I call it a truth because, I'll

circle back to what is a death doula,

449

:

but I call it a truth because I

think the truth contains all things.

450

:

I think it contains beauty, and pain.

451

:

I think it includes joy and grief.

452

:

I think truth just is.

453

:

I don't necessarily think that

it's one thing or the other.

454

:

So I do think it's beautiful.

455

:

I do think death is beautiful.

456

:

And, it's also horribly sad and

sometimes not beautiful, sometimes

457

:

ugly, but it's, it is the truth.

458

:

I guess I'll just I'll leave it there

and you can come back to that if you

459

:

want to, but A Death Doula is You can

also use the term end of life doula.

460

:

They're interchangeable.

461

:

Most people are more comfortable with

end of life as, even the word death, a

462

:

lot of people are not comfortable with.

463

:

I prefer death because I don't want to

sugarcoat anything, but that's just me.

464

:

But essentially what a doula

is a person of service.

465

:

Most people nowadays are

familiar with birth doulas.

466

:

A lot of women will have a birth doula.

467

:

Even if they're planning on giving

birth in a hospital they still

468

:

have a doula as a support person.

469

:

I like to say that birth

doulas help people in, and

470

:

death doulas help people out.

471

:

We function in a relatively similar way.

472

:

We help people prepare by helping

them come up with an end of life plan.

473

:

To whatever extent you can plan for

things there's oftentimes things that

474

:

are not in your plan, but if you at

least have an idea of what your ideal

475

:

end of life looks like then we can

navigate whatever comes to resemble

476

:

as much of your plan as you wanted.

477

:

Essentially we advocate for people.

478

:

We help people become clear on their

values, on what it is that they want,

479

:

and then we help to make sure that

those things happen for that person.

480

:

So end of life planning

is a big part of it.

481

:

Actually companioning people as

they die is another part of it.

482

:

Helping loved ones after

their person has died.

483

:

Helping them with the grieving process.

484

:

And also supporting caregivers.

485

:

And I think that's something that I'm

really going to focus on this year.

486

:

Especially with all of the baby

boomers now that are entering elderhood

487

:

and late elderhood, a lot of people

like myself at midlife are going

488

:

to sooner or later find themselves

in some sort of caregiving role.

489

:

And a lot of us don't know how to do that.

490

:

The idea of caring for an elder

parent feels really overwhelming and

491

:

really scary because we don't have

any of that experience with death.

492

:

What are we supposed to do?

493

:

What does death actually look like?

494

:

What's going to happen?

495

:

It's a really big, and I think maybe

that's part of the reason why we

496

:

outsource a lot of that process.

497

:

I just think that does

us a major disservice.

498

:

I think death is a really fertile time

for connection and healing and love.

499

:

But in order for those things

to happen, there needs to be

500

:

a support system in place.

501

:

And I think that's really where doulas

come into the picture in a big way.

502

:

So we can support the caregiver who is

supporting the parent or the friend or

503

:

whoever the person at end of life may be.

504

:

I would say the biggest thing is though

is that, this is the last thing I'll

505

:

say about it, a doula has no agenda.

506

:

So We don't go in there saying this is

the way that you should do it, because

507

:

nobody has ever died and come back with

the curriculum on how to do this properly

508

:

I think that's the biggest not challenge,

but it's definitely something that doulas

509

:

are most mindful of, is it's not my way.

510

:

We're not gonna die my way,

we're gonna do it your way.

511

:

And then it's up to me as a doula

to be really honest with myself.

512

:

Am I able to support that person in

the way that they need to be supported?

513

:

Because it's not my end of

life experience, it's theirs.

514

:

Tali: I have a lot of questions.

515

:

I'll start with . I'm just going to

go back to that lecture that I heard

516

:

cause that was the only time that

I've really thought about that issue.

517

:

She said that the moment when

the spirit leaves the body,

518

:

you really understand life.

519

:

And I want to ask you.

520

:

When you went, I don't know if you've

been there in person, I'm assuming

521

:

you have, so when that actual moment

comes, when they have exhaled their

522

:

last breath, what is that because

most of us are very afraid of that.

523

:

What you said, we don't know it.

524

:

We only see it in movies.

525

:

What is that moment like actually?

526

:

Erin: I will say, I became certified

as a death doula during the pandemic.

527

:

Because of some personal medical choices

that I made, it was not an easy time for

528

:

me to enter people's homes and companion

people through the actual dying process.

529

:

So my experience up to this point

has been working with people

530

:

on creating end of life plans.

531

:

Also, I travel a lot, and I haven't

been in one place for very long over

532

:

the past two to three years, so it's

difficult to be a traveling death doula.

533

:

I do what I can in having conversations

and working with people through

534

:

planning, so I haven't actually been

present at the passing of a person.

535

:

Like I said before, I have been present

at the passing of my cat, and some people

536

:

might think that's not the same thing.

537

:

To me, it was.

538

:

I was absolutely panicked.

539

:

I was calling every single vet clinic

that I could get a hold of because

540

:

I just, I didn't know what to do.

541

:

I was beside myself.

542

:

And then something just came

over me like, wait a second.

543

:

I'm not the one dying.

544

:

He's the one that's dying and he needs me

as his person to just to not panic, right?

545

:

To be this compassionate rock is

the way that I think about it.

546

:

So I just got really calm.

547

:

What I was afraid of was the unknown.

548

:

I didn't know what was going to happen.

549

:

When he died, I didn't know if he was

going to be in pain, I didn't know,

550

:

I just didn't know, but I just took a

moment to center myself and I thought,

551

:

this is my little soulmate, I love

him, I can handle whatever happens.

552

:

When he took his last

breath, his whole body shook.

553

:

And I felt from the bottoms of my toes

all the way up through my body to the

554

:

top of my head just this cold rush,

like this cold movement of energy,

555

:

and I knew that was him moving through

me, and I knew that he was gone.

556

:

And then it was just, that was it.

557

:

I know a lot of doulas that have been

with people that have passed, and

558

:

they say the same thing it's quite

peaceful by the time the end comes.

559

:

What freaks most people out is

there is a period of time Where

560

:

breathing sounds quite difficult.

561

:

It's called the death rattle, actually.

562

:

It sounds like the dying person

is drowning when, as they're

563

:

breathing, because their

lungs are filling with fluid.

564

:

But at that point, Most people are,

they're in the in between they're not

565

:

fully conscious and they're not quite

gone, and a lot of people at the end

566

:

are given pain medication as well.

567

:

There's a lot of really good ways

to help mitigate pain at the end.

568

:

So It's, it can be, hours long that

process can last, which gives the family

569

:

time to gather, and then the breathing

just stops, and there's just quiet

570

:

Tali: it's a difficult

subject to think about.

571

:

It really is.

572

:

Even I think for the most

spiritual people, it's still that

573

:

transition is very difficult.

574

:

Okay, let's move on to Bitcoin.

575

:

How did you come across

Bitcoin and what was it like?

576

:

Erin: It's a good story.

577

:

I had just started dating someone.

578

:

We'd been dating for a couple of weeks.

579

:

And it was the weekend in Canada that the

government announced vaccine passports

580

:

that you were going to need to show your

proof of vaccination to go to restaurants,

581

:

movie theatres, all that kind of stuff.

582

:

And I was working in a restaurant at the

time, as an unvaccinated person, I wasn't

583

:

one of the people that I had to become

vaccinated in order to keep my job, I

584

:

was actually free to continue to work as

an unvaccinated person, but I just, that

585

:

is where I drew the line, like I could

not, as an unvaccinated person, check

586

:

The papers of people and turn away people

that were not vaccinated like that is

587

:

where that was the final straw for me.

588

:

So I was talking to this guy I was

dating about this and I said I think

589

:

I'm going to have to quit my job.

590

:

I can't handle everything

that's happening anymore.

591

:

And he just looked at me and he

said, have you ever heard of Bitcoin?

592

:

And I had actually heard of Bitcoin.

593

:

So that was September of 2021 that

he asked me that and everything was

594

:

happening with the vaccine mandates.

595

:

I had actually heard of Bitcoin

because I had been listening to

596

:

Joe Rogan for a very long time.

597

:

And he had Andreas Antonopoulos

on his show, I think that

598

:

was back in 2015 or 2016.

599

:

And I remember thinking at the time,

Oh, this sounds like a really good idea.

600

:

This Bitcoin thing this

makes a lot of sense.

601

:

But back then I had no idea.

602

:

How do you get it?

603

:

Where do you keep it?

604

:

I didn't even know.

605

:

I thought it was an investment.

606

:

It was a stock.

607

:

I just, I didn't gather enough

from that three hour conversation

608

:

to, to really know what it was.

609

:

So when he said, have

you heard about Bitcoin?

610

:

I said, yeah, I have actually.

611

:

Tell me more about this.

612

:

And it took maybe half an hour for me

to know yeah, this is what I want to do.

613

:

And because I had quit my

job in that same weekend.

614

:

I had a lot of time on my hands so I

just went down the bitcoin rabbit hole.

615

:

I don't even I think I ordered a copy

of the Bitcoin Standard right away

616

:

I started watching youtube videos.

617

:

I started listening to What

Bitcoin Did with Peter Mccormick.

618

:

I was obsessed.

619

:

And then I found Bitcoin Twitter.

620

:

In Canada, Twitter's not a huge thing.

621

:

There's just not a lot

of people on Twitter.

622

:

But there was a day in October

of 21, when Instagram, Facebook,

623

:

and WhatsApp all went down.

624

:

And they were down for a whole day.

625

:

And I was thinking, What is going on here?

626

:

How do I find out what's happening

with Facebook and Instagram?

627

:

So I thought, oh, I'll go to Twitter.

628

:

Twitter's like this news platform.

629

:

And when I got onto Twitter,

I was just like, this is where

630

:

all the Bitcoin people are.

631

:

Yeah, I think within two weeks.

632

:

I had a hardware wallet and was buying

and putting Bitcoin into cold storage,

633

:

Tali: that's really fast.

634

:

What did your boyfriend say in those

30 minutes that got you so excited?

635

:

Erin: At the time, I was just

fed up with the government.

636

:

I just had enough.

637

:

I had enough with being told what to do.

638

:

I had enough with not being able to

live my life when everything around

639

:

me was seemingly, it was business

as usual, when I would go for a

640

:

run or go for a hike through the

forest, it was like, I don't know,

641

:

everything seems pretty normal to me.

642

:

And then you turn on the TV and it's

Death and destruction and you're

643

:

not allowed to eat at a restaurant.

644

:

So I just had enough I had enough of

the government So that was the big

645

:

thing for me and he said look Bitcoin

Separates money from state you can

646

:

peacefully remove yourself from that

whole System and you can exist inside

647

:

of a different reality from the one

that we think is our only option.

648

:

He basically positioned it as a way to

circumvent the government, and whatever

649

:

I could do at the time to stick it

to the government, I was all in on.

650

:

So that one, that was the

big thing for me, for sure.

651

:

Tali: So after you went into the

Bitcoin space, you actually started

652

:

traveling a lot and just spending

a lot of time in locations that

653

:

are Bitcoin circular economies.

654

:

Tell us about your experience.

655

:

How did you choose where to go?

656

:

And what did you experience

while you were there?

657

:

Erin: Yeah, it's so crazy.

658

:

September 21, I found Bitcoin.

659

:

I think by February or March of the

next year, so five months later,

660

:

I started my own Bitcoin podcast.

661

:

And then when I decided to leave

Canada and go to the States of course

662

:

I wanted to connect with Bitcoiners in

the US so I went to my first Bitcoin

663

:

event in Colorado the Beef Initiative,

and just met a whole bunch of people.

664

:

Colorado's got such an

incredible Bitcoin scene.

665

:

So I just spent a lot of time.

666

:

I ended up dating a guy who is a

Bitcoiner, that was really nice,

667

:

and I was just in this really juicy

little Bitcoin bubble for a while.

668

:

And then, yeah, I went back to Canada

last summer to work, and then I decided I

669

:

wanted to go to El Salvador the previous

winter, but because I had met this guy

670

:

and was living in Colorado, I didn't go.

671

:

So I knew this year was the year

to go to El Salvador and El Zante,

672

:

specifically Bitcoin Beach, so

I just love circular economies.

673

:

I think it's so important

for us as Bitcoiners to bring

674

:

Bitcoin into everyday life.

675

:

It's not just this imaginary magic

internet money that we can't hold, that we

676

:

can't see, that has no daily utility, so

I had actually started creating a little

677

:

circular economy where I was living on

the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.

678

:

I was talking to businesses and

doing presentations and I just think

679

:

circular economies are so important

for a number of different reasons.

680

:

I really wanted to do some traveling and

check out some other circular economies.

681

:

Of course, Bitcoin Beach is the big one.

682

:

El Salvador as the first country

to make Bitcoin legal tender.

683

:

And It's just, it's been so cool.

684

:

I spent two months there and it's

been so cool just to live on Bitcoin.

685

:

I haven't taken money out of a bank

machine in three months, like cash money.

686

:

Even now I'm here in Guatemala

in Panajachel, which is

687

:

also known as Bitcoin Lake.

688

:

I haven't gone to a bank machine.

689

:

There's not quite as big of a circular

economy here, but there are ways that you

690

:

can still transact in Bitcoin and get the

things that you need, even if what you're

691

:

giving on the other end is fiat currency.

692

:

And I'm going to Bitcoin Yucatan

next week., It's been great.

693

:

It's just, it's such a cool thing just to

see it be normalized, to walk around town

694

:

and see Bitcoin accepted here signs, just

like you would see Visa MasterCard signs

695

:

on the front of every single store in the

US and Canada Bitcoin signs everywhere

696

:

down here, so to all the people that Where

Bitcoin is still just an idea and it's not

697

:

something tangible, I would just encourage

people to come to these countries and see

698

:

that it's quite normal and it's way better

than the current system that we have.

699

:

Tali: I love that when we go to country

like El Salvador, you don't Have to go

700

:

through the exchange of the currencies.

701

:

They also use the US dollar So I

guess that's a unique situation, but

702

:

before Bitcoin before this time When

I traveled internationally you gotta

703

:

bring travelers check Because it was

at the safest and then you bring it

704

:

to a counter and then you exchange for

the locals currency, but with Bitcoin,

705

:

you don't have to do any of that.

706

:

But there are technical stuff that

you have to feel comfortable with, the

707

:

different wallets and the diff using the

QR code and transaction fees are now a

708

:

big thing versus just a few years back.

709

:

It wasn't a thing or as much of a thing.

710

:

What would you say to a woman who has

heard about Bitcoin and now is seeing

711

:

in the news that Bitcoin price is

going up, the ETFs have been approved,

712

:

but they're sitting there going,

how can I possibly get involved?

713

:

why should I get involved?

714

:

I don't have any extra money.

715

:

What would you say to that person?

716

:

Erin: Yeah, I actually just met with

a woman here yesterday for coffee.

717

:

Her and her husband own

a paragliding business.

718

:

And I went paragliding on Monday, and they

are actually on, there's an app called

719

:

BTC Map, and when you open it up when

you're in Panajachel, I think there's 60

720

:

locations that take Bitcoin, it's really

cool, and they were on there as one of

721

:

the locations, so I said, okay, that's

where I'm gonna go paragliding, so I

722

:

walked into their shop, and I met her,

and her husband are just wonderful people.

723

:

And I said, okay, I want

to fly with you guys.

724

:

Can I pay in Bitcoin?

725

:

And there was a little bit of hesitation.

726

:

Even though it's a circular economy

here, for whatever reason, they just

727

:

don't, not a lot of Bitcoiners come here.

728

:

And I'm still trying to figure

out why that is because I Love it.

729

:

This might be the most controversial

thing I'll say in this whole podcast, but

730

:

I like Guatemala more than El Salvador.

731

:

Anyway, it just took us a couple minutes.

732

:

I said, look, I'll help you.

733

:

I'll help you do the transaction.

734

:

And anyway, so she wanted to know

more about it because she said,

735

:

you've got really cool energy and Her

husband asked me why I was into it.

736

:

And I said it's changed everything

about my life mentally, emotionally,

737

:

physically, and spiritually.

738

:

And he looked at me like, what?

739

:

Like that wasn't the answer

that he was expecting to get.

740

:

So that piqued her curiosity.

741

:

So we met for coffee and I explained it

more to her from a social standpoint.

742

:

She's Guatemalan, but

she's also half German.

743

:

So they've lived in Guatemala and Germany.

744

:

And I think for most people in

North America and in Europe,

745

:

it's this number go up.

746

:

Like we're just focused on, okay,

is Bitcoin going to make me rich?

747

:

Am I going to be rich if I buy Bitcoin?

748

:

And I'm not saying that's not a

really awesome Side effects of

749

:

being in Bitcoin, it definitely is.

750

:

If you go spend 100 on paragliding

and then you open up your wallet

751

:

the next day and Bitcoin's gone

up a couple thousand bucks, it's

752

:

like you went paragliding for free.

753

:

Yeah, that part of it's really cool.

754

:

But we have the time to sit

and actually talk about, like,

755

:

why are third world countries?

756

:

Why are 75 percent of

Guatemalans unbanked?

757

:

Why does everybody here work

seven days a week from sunrise to

758

:

sunset and they still don't have

enough money to buy a dozen eggs?

759

:

Why is that happening?

760

:

I don't know if there's one thing

to say to all women, but I would say

761

:

that Whatever your biggest concern

is, or whatever you feel that your

762

:

purpose is, or whatever your cause is,

whatever it is that you're working on

763

:

making better in the world, whatever

you're doing to be of service, I truly

764

:

believe with every cell in my body.

765

:

I believe that Bitcoin is the tool

that is actually going to allow us

766

:

to build this better world that I

think we all want and that we've all

767

:

been envisioning for a long time now.

768

:

And I can say that coming

from the yoga world.

769

:

There's a lot of environmentalists in

yoga, a lot of people who want fair trade,

770

:

a lot of people who want to protect the

environment, a lot of people who want

771

:

world peace there's a lot of really

altruistic- meaning people in that space.

772

:

And I believe in all spaces, but I

speak about the yoga space because

773

:

that's what I'm familiar with.

774

:

So as we all sit on the floor and

we all meditate for world peace.

775

:

And I'm not saying that we shouldn't

do that, but what we really

776

:

need is a new monetary system.

777

:

Because the current system that we

have, it has completely twisted and

778

:

corrupted and co-opted incentives,

and are actually working just

779

:

to make things worse and worse.

780

:

And yet we are all out here as a global

collective wanting to make things better.

781

:

We're working harder, we're working

longer, we're donating more money

782

:

to whatever non profit you donate

to, and yet not only are things

783

:

not getting better, they actually

seem to be getting a lot worse.

784

:

And not just in my opinion, what I

actually believe to be true is that

785

:

it's the current monetary system that's

the problem and that is preventing

786

:

all of those things from happening.

787

:

So just to circle back and to tie it

all up, I would say whatever it is that

788

:

you want to do in the world, Bitcoin

will help you actually do that thing.

789

:

Tali: You presented that so well.

790

:

I need to memorize that speech

and be able to use it for myself.

791

:

Because when I try to answer that

question, I end up going all over

792

:

the place, but thank you so much.

793

:

I so enjoy our conversation.

794

:

I feel like I could ask you a zillion

more questions, but it'll take forever,

795

:

but I just want to thank you so much for

coming on and sharing your experiences.

796

:

I think it's so amazing.

797

:

yeah, I'm so glad that you're able

to come on today Thank you so much.

798

:

Erin: Thank you.

799

:

Very few things bring me more joy than

talking about death and bitcoins, so

800

:

any opportunity that I have to do that

and just connect with other people,

801

:

other women like you that are helping to

spread these conversations, I think it's

802

:

really important, so it was my pleasure.

803

:

Tali: Thank you for

listening to this episode.

804

:

Did you enjoy it?

805

:

Wasn't our guest absolutely fabulous.

806

:

I just love every woman's

story on this show.

807

:

Everybody has a unique perspective

and yet, we all come to the same

808

:

place, which is Bitcoin is an

important part of our lives.

809

:

If this story has inspired you

and you would like to know more,

810

:

go to www.orangehatter.com.

811

:

Get involved.

812

:

Join and our reading group, send

me an email and introduce yourself.

813

:

I will be so happy to hear from you.

814

:

The best way you can support this

show is to spread the word Tell

815

:

every woman, you know, to listen in.

816

:

You never know how they will

be impacted by these stories.

817

:

I appreciate you so much.

818

:

See you next time.

819

:

Bye.

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About the Podcast

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Orange Hatter
Woman-to-Woman Bitcoin Conversations

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About your host

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Tali Lindberg

"Hello everyone, I'm Tali! If you had met me a few years back, you'd have found me in the thick of homeschooling my four incredible kids. That was my world for two decades, filled with lesson plans, school projects, and a whole lot of beautiful chaos. But once they all graduated, a new and unexpected journey began for me - in the world of Bitcoin.

The spark was lit by my husband, nudging me towards this peculiar thing known as Bitcoin. At first, I resisted. After all, the complexity of Bitcoin was intimidating and my plate was already quite full. But he persisted, and even went as far as creating a bitcoin-mining board game, HODL UP, to teach me what it was. Before I knew it, I was orange-pilled, and my curiosity was piqued. What started as a casual dip of my toes soon turned into a fascinating dive into Bitcoin. Like my homeschooling journey, I took it slow, one baby step at a time, learning and adapting as I delved deeper.

Fast-forward to today, I am absolutely thrilled to share my Bitcoin adventures with all you amazing and busy women out there through this podcast. I've made sure the episodes are bite-sized and easy to follow, perfect for your coffee breaks or while running errands. My goal? To share my experiences and the experiences of other women in Bitcoin in an engaging, easily digestible way. Don't let time constraints or technical jargon stop you from diving into Bitcoin. As your friendly guide, I hope to provide a grounded, relatable perspective to help you navigate the Bitcoin rabbit hole. So, here's to us exploring this thrilling digital frontier together!