This is Carol Hasbrouck, author of the book 10,000 miles of dames Gone Wild. Summer Service Adventure Helping People, pets and planets that you can find on Amazon.com we are recording the Sun Leaders Podcast live from Naiman Creative Studios with Jordan Rosenberg, Audio Director for Naaman Creative. This podcast is called Conscious Connections because we help you learn how to follow your inner guidance system so you can live your most authentic and fantastic life and finally live the life you
desire and the life you deserve. Our mission is to help you learn how to differentiate between your ego thoughts and your true authentic higher self, which will lead you to your life of purpose and new adventures, even to new callings.

I am thrilled to share my guest, Zeta the Babe, AKA Z, with you today because she truly lives an out loud life. She first mesmerized me at one of her captivating live performances at the St. Pete Pierre. Using a loop pedal saxophone, creative beatboxing and her soulful, evocative voice, she crafts a unique R and B sound known as Build a Beat.

Her style blends saxophone melodies, hypnotic rhythms and emotionally resonant storytelling. With her soon to launch llc, Zeta the Babe and her saxophone Betty will be serenading audiences throughout Tampa and the Tampa Bay area. So help me welcome Zeta.

Hi Zeta. I call her Z. Hi Carol.

How are you today? I’m good. I’m really grateful to be here. Good.

Well, we’re going to talk about how your inner voice, your inner guidance system has led you to where you are today in your personal life as well as your music career. So what was your first calling to live the life you’re living today? Well, hmm. I think the best way to start out this conversation would is with a fun fact about me.

Okay, great. Yes, I play the saxophone, but I actually have a like desire to be a motivational speaker. And like I see myself as this 80 or 90 year old lady on a stage somewhere in front of thousands of people, kind of teaching them that it is possible to achieve anything through the power of self discipline, knowledge and taking action on that knowledge.

And I feel like, you know, you use the tools that you have at your disposal in order to achieve those things, you know, in order to achieve ultimate happiness. And so for me, that was building discipline through working out, you know, and once I kind of got to a point where I was doing what I loved, which was working out, you know, really investing into my music and following that path instead of engineering and, you know, the traditional jobs that I had before all of this, I realized, you know,
yeah, this is, I think I should just follow my heart. You know, I think that once I built that discipline and I learned, hey, I love playing the saxophone, I love singing, then I decided, yeah, you know, this is something that I should run with, you know.

Yes, good. So I heard you say, and I believe that God speaks to us through other people, places and things. And I heard you say you had a dream of being a motivational speaker, which is my dream.

And then you said you saw yourself as an 80 or 90 year old woman on stage. And, and so I have to tell you, at 68, I’m a little afraid to start a new career. So God was speaking to me that, no, you can do this and be 80 or 90 y, no, 100%, I still do this.

So thank you for sharing that with me. And so you, I did see on your website that you do the workout. Tell me a little bit about how that all evolved for you and what you offer other people with it.

Well, right now I’m a kickboxing instructor with MA Fitness out in, you know, in St. Pete. Working out was something that I started doing. I got up at 4:00 in the morning, I went to the gym and.

And it built discipline. It just built discipline in me. It taught me to fall in love with kind of a delayed gratification.

And so that’s kind of why, you know, I’m also a sober person. And when you, when you get sober, a lot of people kind of gravitate towards health and fitness. And so for me, both of those things together, that’s kind of why I became a certified personal trainer and a kickboxing instructor.

Because of the discipline that you build. You know, having to get up, go to the gym, workout, get through that last set, you know, and then seeing over time the growth, the delayed gratification that you get from it. Yeah.

And that’s interesting, the delayed gratification, because so much in our society and without discipline, it’s instant gratification. And most of us know where that leads us. Yeah, instant gratification is not usually rewarding in the long run.

No. Because it’s over as quickly as it began. Right.

Because it’s instant. Right. So it’s not long term.

Now you offer to the public. I saw on your website, tell me about what you offer with your workout program. So I do this thing called 30 days with ZTB, which is a 30 day workout.

Like it’s a. What is it? It’s a 30 day body transformation challenge. But really I want people, I want to inspire people to make fitness and exercise lifestyle.

And so I kind of build up this calendar for people, give them certain days that they should do like hiit exercises, leg day, arm day. And you do that for 30 days and you just post on your social media you doing this because it holds you accountable. So on my social media I have a broadcast channel called Accountability Buddies where I’ll go in, I’ll encourage people to get up and.

Yeah. Go and work out and follow that 30 day program because by the end of it you will be transformed. You may lose a few pounds, but it’s really about transforming your perspective and your mindset around fitness and how it can affect your life and turning it into a lifestyle thing and transforming your habits, right? Yes, 100%.

And I offer four free personal training sessions to anybody who does the 30 day challenge in its entirety and posts in the way that they need to. You follow the program and then I do a drawing of all the people who did it correctly and I offer them for free personal training session. So that’s really all I’m doing right now with my personal training certification.

Yes. But it’s a great way to share what you’ve learned and engage people to try it out for themselves. Because if we don’t, if we don’t commit and we don’t do it, then there’s no point in you getting involved at that point.

Right. We have to want to do it. Yes, right.

That’s the point. That’s why I have the different things that, that people have to do like post on social media. Because social media, to me it’s like, it’s a powerful thing.

But because a lot of people are afraid of judgment and all this stuff, it’s hard for people to post, it’s hard for people to put themselves out there to be judged. And I feel like if you can put it out there, people who will follow you most likely support you and they’re gonna wanna see you achieve your goals and everything. And but it’s also like a challenge.

Like you have to be dedicated to this transformation in order to overcome that fear of possibly posting. Hey, I worked out today, you know, hey, you know, this is me doing a crunch or this is me reading today. This is me building a healthy habit.

And I feel like you’re proving to me that you’re a, you’re dedicated to this lifestyle. And when I offer these four free personal training sessions, you’re going to show up because you have to want to. I can’t want it for you.

So that’s kind of Why I have them do these different things to prove to me and themselves, hey, I do truly want this, you know. Yes. Okay, wonderful.

And so I looked at your Instagram account and you have some. Like that one’s when I came up with the she lives life out loud like you are you and you’re not afraid to be you. But you talk about the challenge of who am I? Because you’ve got a couple of different races that you come from, and you have some different ideas about your identity and whether you want to dress up girly girl or more macho or whatever that is.

Yeah. Gender fluidity. Gender fluidity, yeah.

And so you’re not afraid to talk about that. And then I read the comments as well, because those are always interesting. And I know, because I’ve put myself out there as an author and sometimes the comments can sting a little bit.

And we have to remember that it’s never about us, it’s always about them. Yes. And that’s hard to do when you’re putting yourself out there and being vulnerable.

But tell me about however it was that you came to being okay with being whoever you are in the public eye. I mean, growing up, I grew up in a small country town in Georgia. Right.

As a mixed race young person from Flint, Michigan. Right. So we were very proper and different.

And so from that age, I was kind of subjected to kind of bullying and just being treated differently in a way that I didn’t understand. And as I got older, that didn’t really change. And then especially as I came into being pansexual, being part of the LGBTQIA community, I’ve just constantly dealt with being judged and criticized and oppressed in these different ways.

And you do build a thick skin over time. But also, you know, being a musician and kind of having to get out in front of crowds, it’s vulnerable. It’s vulnerable to put your art out there in the first place, but also to entertain people.

And even if you’re having a bad day, you still gotta put on a smile and you still have to make people feel good. So all of those things coupled, brought together, that’s probably why I have this ability to kind of go out and be vulnerable. I truly, truly, truly believe that we have to kind of take the things that we’ve gone through, put em on the table, look at em, and really analyze them and understand how that affects us and how the behaviors that we have due to those effects affect the people
around us.

Like, I think that’s important and it’s not easy, but Leading by example is the best way, in my opinion. Like going back to the motivational speaking thing. That’s how you change the world.

You know, you have to take the knowledge that you learn in your life and the experiences that you have and put yourself out there and start a conversation that may otherwise not have been started, you know? Exactly. And it’s one of the reasons I love this podcast. I had no.

When Josh asked me if I wanted to have my own podcast, my first answer was yes, because I thought, well, I’ve never done that. That would be fun to do. And then my second thought was, no, I can’t put myself.

Yes, no. And I went back and forth. And I’m so glad I decided to do this because I get to have conversations.

For instance, I’m getting to know you at a much different level than I did from basically watching you on stage. And we’ve had a couple of conversations outside of that as well. But the conversation in life to me is the richness of life, the connection.

And we’ve lost that connection so much with the texting and the social media. And that is a form of connection. And it’s not for me as personal and maybe not even as for many people.

Not as authentic. No, definitely. As we’re lacking in authenticity these days.

Yeah. Because everything’s beautiful on Facebook. Right.

Everything’s just lovely on Instagram. And that is not the case. No, that’s not real life.

That is not real life. And then we feel isolated and like maybe we’re the only ones with the problems and we’re not. And I know that it’s had a big impact on the younger people, younger generation as well.

And I do hope that there’ll be some kind of guidance in that area. Yeah. But you know, all we can do is tell the truth.

Right. And I mean, I look at it like, because social media, when I was younger, with Facebook first coming out and MySpace fizzling out, like it was social media, like we still had a lot of in person connections and stuff like that. But it’s grown to advertising.

It’s an advertising agency. They all are very transparent about that. You know, Instagram and all of them.

Because there’s money to be made. And that kind of makes people feel like, because the algorithm is in control, that makes people feel like they have to show up in a way that the social media wants you to. And they have to, you know, if you want your stuff to be seen, if you want the algorithm to push your stuff, then you’re going to have to show up in a certain way.

People are more reluctant to be authentic and genuine because it’s about the followers. It’s about how many likes you’re getting. It’s not really about the connection anymore.

It is about that kind of fake. I want to show you that this like the best version of me. And it’s like, you know, like when Facebook first came out, people were more candid, I think, and people were more raw and open.

And now they’re just reluctant to do that because maybe their stuff won’t be pushed out, maybe it won’t lead to getting all the followers and being seen as valuable. And that’s just not what it’s about. It’s about reclaiming the power back from that, using it as the platform of connection, connecting with other people, putting, asking these questions, you know, like what I asked in that post.

Like it is difficult for a non binary or for gender fluid and biracial people to brand themselves because you have to fit into a box, like, let’s have that conversation, you know, and that’s scary because you’re open up to criticism. So, you know, it’s tough. And the kids, the younger kids, if they’ve never seen a life outside of that, I get why it would be difficult.

So it’s up to us. It’s up to us to show them you can still do this. Absolutely.

And as a younger person, you’re so worried about what everybody else thinks. And as we age and have experience, then we get to realize that it’s more important that what I think about myself than what you think about me. Yes.

And what you think about me still affects me. Don’t get me wrong, I still take that in. And as long as I have enough of my own self love and validation and self worth, then you can think whatever you want of me.

It’s not going to change what I think of me. And one of the things I learned on this journey that I did with the 10,000 miles summer service adventure was that the most important relationship I have in this world is the one I have with myself. Yeah.

It’s just, it’s the foundation of everything else in my life is what do I think about myself. Okay, we’re going to take a short break for a quick message from our sponsor. It’s time to stop thinking about your website like a car.

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So tell me, what do you think about yourself? C. I am. I have a lot of self confidence. Like I totally believe in that.

Like everything you just said. I think that self care is probably the most important thing. And so I have, you know, I wake up every day and you know, I say positive affirmations and I do gratitude and I just remind myself of the good things that I do have because that’s really, it’s really important.

Like I think that I’m a good person who has a lot to offer to the world. But you know, I mean, I’m not perfect. You know, I like to be honest with myself about the struggles that I have and you know, because that’s the first step to working through them.

So I don’t know, I think that, you know, I’m a positive, kind person. You know, I of course want to people please, you know, but just keeping that in check is the most important thing that I can do for myself. So yeah, that’s hopeless, isn’t it? People facing.

Because we’re never going to. Right. And I have to tell you, I’m looking at Z and she has this beautiful tattoo on her chest and it says smile.

And so it reminds me to smile. And when I smile sitting here in this interview in this studio, it changes my whole being to smile. So thank you for reminding me of that.

Yeah. And then you smile and I smile. Right.

You know, so it’s contagious. And then they can hear it in our voice. Yeah, 100%.

And I bet you Jordan’s over there smiling right now too. He is. Look at it.

So I want to get to your music. You have a new album out, is that correct or new song or what is it? I have a couple of singles that I’ve been dropping because so when you introduced me, you know, we talked about the LLC that I’m starting. So I’m starting an entertainment business because I’m a gigging musician, you know, locally.

But that’s separate from being a studio artist as Zeta, the Babe. So I have a couple singles out. You know, one of them is kind of a rap song that goes.

That touches on those childhood situations that I dealt with in that young, that small kind of country town. And then I have another song that I released that outlines my struggles with alcoholism and like, sobriety and, you know, so those are singles. But I do have some saxophone instrumentation coming out because I play the saxophone quite well.

And when I’m at these gigs, people are like, well, where can we find your music? And they want to hear, you know, Betty, me and Betty playing. And I have many songs. So I’m getting ready to actually release that mixtape quite soon.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful. Now tell me about the llc. Well, it’s going to be called Z and Betty Entertainment.

And it’s just in its simplest form, it’s me. It’s a gigging business where I’m going to be servicing small to medium sized restaurant bars or private events. And I’ll come out for three hours and play music.

Either a gentle saxophone music in the background or something that’s a little bit more lively. But, you know, there’s a lot of that kind of going on, especially in this area. There’s a lot of guitarists or pianists that come out and sing and do their thing and they’re quite good.

It’s a traditional option, but I do provide something that’s a little bit more unique because I’m singing and playing the saxophone and also just my beliefs. You know, everything we’ve talked about today, having the desire to be a motivational speaker and, you know, so in my gigs I’m having conversations and talking about certain things that inspire people and building those connections with the audience. If it’s, if it, if it’s giving that.

You know what I mean, if the vibe is giving that. And I believe like heavily in women’s rights and LGBTQIA rights, and those are things that I’m really gonna kind of focus on, so kind of supporting nonprofits and doing like fundraising and benefit shows for those causes. So that’s kind of what the whole point in that is so that I can do it full time.

Wonderful, wonderful. And so you’re looking for venues to express yourself in that way? Yeah, I mean, currently I do have quite a few gigs I’m quite proud of, all listed on my website. What is your website? Zetothebabymusic.com.

you know, I’m trying to fill it out a little bit more obviously and I just feel like having a business plan and getting the LLC and, you know, getting Some funding and some marketing and everything behind it is probably the best way to go about it instead of how I’ve been doing it. You got to have something on paper. Correct.

You know, you got to have something that’s like, hey, you’re making money so that you can get a. Get an apartment and get all these different things, you know, and apply for a car loan or whatever. So that’s really where I’m at with it.

Just turning my dreams into like reality with, with this. Because I was in engineering before, you know, so in a sensible way. Yeah.

And that’s what I’m. I’m doing with, with the business that I’m starting for the motivational speaking. And we have a wonderful business coach, Eric Nutting, in our group.

And I’ve met with him and so. Yes. So it’s first time I’ve.

I’ve always flown by the seat of my pants and. And it’s actually served me quite well. Yeah.

And I thought maybe I’d try something different this time. It sounds like that’s what you’re doing. And we’re going to get a chance to hear some of your now.

Pain within some can conquer don’t be scared we hold out our end Pain within some can comprehend don’t be scared we hold out our hand Pain within some can convert don’t be scared we hold out our hands. Don’t be scared we hold out our name. We hold out our hands Pain with it sunk in power don’t be scared we hold out our hand Pain within.

Be scared we hold out our hand. Don’t be scared we hold out our name. Don’t be scared we hold out.

Don’t be scared we hold out. Don’t be scared we hold out. Don’t be scared we hold out our head Pain within.

Don’t be scared we hold out our hands Pain with it sunk in power don’t be scared we hold out our hands yeah. Oh, yeah to hear that again, you can follow me on Spotify or subscribe to my YouTube channel, Zeta the Babe. Okay, we’re back.

And wasn’t that amazing? I mean, the first time I saw Z, I was just in love. I was in love with her voice, her style. I could tell that she walked the walk, you know, and she talked the talk that her music really came from, as most musicians, that her music wasn’t commercial so much as it was from her heart and her life.

And so thank you for that and for enriching our world with that. Yeah, I mean, I’m actually, you Know, my mom played the saxophone and she was really good back in Michigan. And, you know, my aunt played the saxophone.

So all of it really is like a generational coming from the heart thing. So I really put my soul, my heart and soul in, you know, my music. So I’m glad you enjoy it.

Yes. And your family was at one of the events and you talk about Graham and so was. Was Graham a big influence in your life in general, or.

I mean, yeah, but I mean, it’s really my mom. Okay. Yeah.

When it comes to, like. Because she is really what? Like, she really took off with the music, you know, like my great grandma, her name was Betty, and that’s why my saxophone’s name is Betty, because we do have the family heirloom saxophone. But, like, it really didn’t set in, you know, the whole saxophone playing.

Cause, you know, my aunt played. My great aunt played it. My aunt played it in high school and it was like, it was a cool thing.

But then, like, my mom took it above and beyond, you know, and then here I am taking it to a whole nother level and she just. My mom is like my biggest inspiration. She’s like my biggest support.

She comes to all of my shows, actually. Oh, she does? Yes. She loves it.

And, you know, we actually had a conversation recently because her job is very demanding. So it’s like, at first it kind of seemed like, oh, you know, I’m supporting my daughter. But it’s also just like, it’s.

She really enjoys just coming to the shows and, you know, like, just as a true fan. So, yeah, I definitely feed off of that energy that I get from her and. Nice.

Yeah, nice. Okay, so music and personal fitness and what else? Anything motivational speaking you’d like to do that. Have you done any of that yet? No.

To me, I kind of look at it like a later in life thing only because I have this. Not everyone believes this, but I do kind of believe in specificity. And I kind of think that, you know, it’s worth it to focus on, you know, whatever your main focus is at that time, like kind of one thing at a time.

And so when I was training for personal training, that was my thing. Now that I’m certified and I’m kind of in with a gym, I’m really putting everything into building my llc. Hopefully I can make a decent living over the next three to five years and then I’ll really be able to kind of integrate or maybe even completely shift to the motivational speaking.

But to me, it’s something that you can incorporate into whatever you’re doing, Especially with social media. That’s the ultimate platform for. For that kind of thing in.

In the way that I’m going to present it, you know. Wonderful, fantastic. Okay, so I want to talk about how do you differentiate the voices in your head? So how do you know when spirit or inner guidance or higher self is talking versus ego? And what happens when you listen to one or the other? That’s a great question.

I meditate every morning. I think that that’s really important because I do believe in universal guidance. And I think that everything is as it should be in the universe at all times.

And sometimes I just feel like there’s a feeling that you get when you’re being resistant to what you should be doing. And I’m just really intuitive to that. So it’s like if I’m going to do something against kind of what universal guidance is, I’m aware of it, even if it’s really deep down.

And sometimes I just want to take control and I say, you know, I’m do it anyways, and I am able to see. Okay. Like, that didn’t work out too well.

Okay. The universe, either way, is going to guide me in the direction that is the right direction. And maybe I needed to learn this lesson or, you know, whatever.

Cause I’m a person. I’m not perfect. But to me it’s a just checking in every day, just being mindful of the fact that I don’t think that we’re in full control.

You know, like, you can’t be in control of absolutely everything in the way that you want to be. And sometimes you gotta learn through life experiences and constantly remind yourself of those, you know, experiences that maybe ended in a failure. Like, hmm, are you being resistant right now to, like, what you should be doing? You know, is this an ego thing? So that’s the only thing that I can really do, is just constantly be mindful.

Yes. Yes. And so when you feel that feeling, that of resistance, where do you feel it? In your body? Yeah.

Probably like my chest. Okay. You know, it’s like a.

Like a. Almost like a nervousness. It’s like a heavy feeling.

Yeah. So mine’s in my solar plexus. My gut.

It’s an instant, hollow, empty feeling. And I associate it with fear. And many people feel it usually in their chest or their gut.

Some people feel it in their throat, some people feel it in their head. And so it’s my guidance system, it’s my inner guidance system saying to me, careful, danger, danger. And if we still have self will, right.

We still have our own choices in life. And so if I choose to go ahead and act on and it happened to me yesterday, I’m not going to go into the details, but I knew I shouldn’t make this phone call and I made the phone call and it was not a good experience and. And I knew before I made it that I shouldn’t have made that phone call, but I did it anyway.

Now what, were there horrible ramifications? No, what it did for me is it solidified in my mind. Follow your gut, Carol. You know where your gut never lies? Your chest, your head, your heart, whatever it is that’s speaking to you from spirit.

Cause I believe we’re fully human and fully spirit at the same time and that everything is a lesson or a blessing. So a lesson is simply a blessing that has not appeared yet. And I believe the universe is so good that is going to keep giving me the same lesson over and over and over until I learn it.

And once I learn it, I can graduate from that class and move on to a higher level of peace and joy and freedom. It doesn’t mean I’m any better than anybody else. I just have more peace and joy and freedom because I’ve realized, oh, when your gut says, don’t make that phone call, Carol, don’t make that phone call.

Yeah. You know, and it’s not the first time that my gut has told me not to do something and I’ve done it, and it probably won’t be the last. But the nice thing is, is that the universe is always kind and good and teaches me in sometimes soft ways and sometimes not so soft ways.

So 100%. The my life changed completely when I took this journey 12 years ago to do volunteer work across the U.S.

that was a completely God inspired. It was totally nonsensical thing to do. I just did not make any sense to do this.

And my friend and I spent three and a half months traveling and doing volunteer work for the people that hosted us. We volunteered for their favorite charity and drove 10,000 miles doing it and had miracle after miracle after miracle. And had I not followed the guidance that I had received, that was all in my head, right? I mean, some people could say that’s crazy, Carol.

And there were times I thought it was, but it just turned out to be an amazing experience. And I hope to live my life in that energy of following my inner guidance system, my higher power, spirit, whatever you want to call it, the universe, God, it makes no difference. I 100% agree.

Yes, I 100% agree. And I think that’s why I connected with you so well in the beginning. I could just see that in your eyes and I could hear it in your music.

So I love everything about what you just said. I mean, it’s, you know, it’s definitely the best way to live life. Is it hard? Yes, it’s very hard to fight that resistance, you know, to just kind of.

We want to have control. We think, yeah, this is what we should do. I’m feeling this on the inside, but no, that can’t be.

This is what I need to do. And you need to learn those lessons, and you will be delivered those lessons constantly. Yes.

And so, Yeah, I agree 100% with everything you just said. Yeah. Yeah.

It’s miraculous when I finally realized that in life, like, I can’t just do what I want to do, what my mind tells me I want to do. It doesn’t work that way. No.

Well, it does, but I have to pay the consequences. Yeah, yeah, no. You know, when I got tired of the consequences, so.

All right, well, tell us, is there anything else you want to share with us before I ask you to tell the audience how they can find you on social media and otherwise? No, I think we covered. Yeah, all the important points. Good.

I really enjoyed it. Yeah. And tell us how we can find you.

Zeta, the baby, Z E T A the babe on everything. Instagram would be the best. That’s the best place to find me.

But also, like my website, zetothebabemusic.com, you know, that’s the best way to contact me. And is that the best way to book you if somebody’s interested is your website? Yeah, I have a contact form that goes straight to my email. So, yeah, if you want to book me, please feel free to reach out through Instagram, but I am pretty good with my emails, so.

Okay, wonderful. All right, great. Well, thank you so much for being with us.

And I just want to remind everybody that I am Carol Hasbrouck and I wrote a book called 10,000 Miles of Miracles that you can find on Amazon.com and it is my joy in life to help people live their life on purpose by following their inner guidance system. If I can help you in any way, please reach out to me. I also happen to sell real estate, which I love as well, and that email is based on my real estate.

Carolcell saint petemail.com C A R O L S E L L S S T P e t e mail.com and you can also find me on Facebook at Carol Jones Housebrook. So thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing your next gig. Yeah, thanks for having me, Carol.

You’re welcome, Sam.