the opportunity cost of your 20s

Summary

In the debut episode of 'Soju with Sarah,' host Sarah discusses the concept of opportunity cost, particularly in one's 20s, using her own life experiences and reunion reflections as a backdrop. She candidly shares her struggles with balancing a full-time job, content creation, and personal life, while exploring the sacrifices involved in pursuing various passions. Sarah is joined by her boyfriend James, a fashion designer, for a deep dive into their shared experiences and the challenges of juggling multiple commitments. The podcast aims to be a safe space for open discussions on relationships, career growth, and the complexities of adult life.

Takeaways

• 🎥 Sarah introduces her new podcast 'Soju with Sarah' as a platform to discuss personal topics and create a community space for open discussions.
• 🛠️ The podcast's name and concept originated from a previous video series called 'So You With Sarah', which didn't continue due to feeling awkward and timing issues.
• 🚀 Sarah discusses the challenges of starting something new as an established content creator and the fear of judgment from the audience.
• 💡 The idea for the podcast was inspired by other creators' community sections and Reddit threads, aiming to foster a similar environment for her audience.
• 🥂 Sarah shares her current drink, a Soju Seltzer, and the story behind the Soju mug, hinting at a possible tradition of creating a new mug for each episode.
• 🗣️ She addresses the questions about guests and co-hosts, explaining that for now, she will be the sole host due to her schedule and the personal nature of the topics.
• 🤔 Sarah explores the concept of opportunity cost, especially in the context of life decisions in one's 20s, using her own life experiences and reunion reflections as examples.
• 💼 The script touches on the struggles of balancing a full-time job with personal projects like content creation and the impact on other areas of life.
• 💔 It highlights the sacrifices made in relationships and personal well-being due to the pursuit of career and side projects.
• 🎉 Sarah brings her boyfriend James on as a guest to discuss their shared experiences and the 'opportunity cost of your 20s', which he helped coin.
• 🔄 The conversation emphasizes the difficulty of context switching between a demanding job and a creative side hustle and the toll it can take on personal life.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Sarah's podcast 'Soju with Sarah'?

The main theme of 'Soju with Sarah' is to discuss topics related to relationships, career growth, and personal development, with a focus on adulting and the opportunity costs faced in one's 20s.

Why did Sarah decide to start a podcast separate from her main channel?

Sarah started the podcast to create a safe space for herself and her audience to explore topics that she was interested in, which she felt weren't as open for discussion on her main channel.

What beverage is featured in the first episode of 'Soju with Sarah'?

The beverage featured in the first episode is a UOB passion spirit, which Sarah refers to as Soju Seltzer.

What is the origin of the name 'Soju with Sarah'?

The name 'Soju with Sarah' comes from a previous video Sarah made on her main channel called 'So You with Sarah', where she answered 100 questions.

Why did Sarah feel it was challenging to start a new project like the podcast?

Sarah felt it was challenging to start a new project because as an existing creator, there is a lot of pressure and many eyes on her, and she had to overcome her fears and self-doubt to begin something from scratch.

What is the significance of the Soju mug in the podcast?

The Soju mug is a personal touch that Sarah created for the podcast, symbolizing the beverage of the day and adding a unique visual element to the show.

What was the main topic of discussion in the first episode of 'Soju with Sarah'?

The main topic of discussion in the first episode was the concept of opportunity cost in one's 20s, particularly in relation to career, relationships, and personal growth.

How does Sarah feel about the idea of having guests on her podcast?

Sarah is open to having guests on her podcast but has not yet lined up any specific individuals. She wants the podcast to remain personal for now, focusing on topics that are important to her.

What personal challenge does Sarah discuss in relation to her content creation?

Sarah discusses the challenge of balancing content creation with her full-time job and other life commitments, and how it affects her personal life, relationships, and well-being.

What is the 'intermission' segment in 'Soju with Sarah' and why is it included?

The 'intermission' segment is a part of the podcast where Sarah tries different snacks, like the jelly she purchased from a Japanese market. It's included to add variety and a personal touch to the show.

How does Sarah's boyfriend James contribute to the podcast?

James contributes to the podcast as a guest, discussing the topic of opportunity cost from his perspective, and providing insights into his own experiences balancing a full-time job with a side hustle.

What is the 'Jues with James' segment and why was it included in the podcast?

The 'Jues with James' segment is a part of the podcast where Sarah's boyfriend James joins the conversation. It was included to bring in a different perspective on the podcast's topic and to discuss the personal impact of opportunity costs.

What personal decision is Sarah currently grappling with in relation to her future?

Sarah is grappling with the decision of whether to continue with her full-time job or to become a full-time content creator, as well as the decision to undergo egg freezing.

What mindset changes is Sarah trying to implement to navigate the concept of opportunity cost?

Sarah is trying to implement mindset changes such as allowing herself time for things to develop, making decisions based on happiness rather than money or reputation, experimenting and exploring new things, and thinking in terms of mental and physical currency rather than opportunity cost.

What is Sarah's perspective on entering her 30s?

Sarah is excited about entering her 30s, as she has heard from friends that it is a time when people often stop worrying about certain things and start making decisions that are good for themselves.

How does Sarah plan to approach decision-making in her 30s?

Sarah plans to approach decision-making in her 30s by focusing on her well-being and happiness, setting herself up for the future, and not being paralyzed by the fear of opportunity costs.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 Launch of 'Soju with Sarah' Podcast

Sarah introduces her new podcast, 'Soju with Sarah,' sharing her journey from her main vlogging channel to this safe space for discussing personal topics. She reminisces about her initial attempt to start a series two years ago and her decision to delay it due to feeling awkward. Now, she's ready to explore topics like career, life challenges, and relationships, without the pressure of guests or a co-host, allowing for a genuine and personal connection with her audience.

05:01

🔄 The Paradox of Adulthood and Opportunity Costs

Sarah delves into the concept of opportunity cost, especially as it applies to life decisions in one's 20s and adulthood. She reflects on her own life choices, the paths her peers have taken, and the existential crises that come with realizing every decision comes with a trade-off. She talks about her shift from a linear path of education and career to grappling with the complexities of adult life, including the pursuit of passions like pottery and content creation, which don't always align with traditional success metrics.

10:01

🤔 Balancing Multiple Interests and the Weight of Choices

The podcast episode continues with Sarah discussing the challenges of balancing a full-time job, content creation, and personal hobbies. She candidly shares her struggle with decision paralysis and analysis paralysis, caused by the fear of missing out on other opportunities. Sarah evaluates her priorities, including her YouTube channel and pottery, against the backdrop of financial stability and personal fulfillment, questioning the value of money and the pursuit of happiness.

15:03

🎉 Reunion Reflections and the Pursuit of Creative Side Projects

Sarah and her boyfriend James discuss their experiences at their fifth-year college reunion, highlighting the differences they noticed in their peers and themselves. They talk about the pressure to donate to the alumni network and the realization that they are pursuing creative side projects, which is a different path from their corporate jobs. The conversation touches on the sacrifices made in terms of friendships and relationships due to their commitments to their side hustles.

20:04

💼 The Struggle of Juggling Full-Time Work with Creative Ambitions

In this segment, Sarah and James explore the difficulties of managing a full-time job while nurturing creative passions. They discuss the impact on their social lives, relationships, and personal well-being, acknowledging that the pursuit of their side projects often comes at the expense of these aspects. They also share the challenges of context switching between their corporate roles and creative endeavors, and how it affects their ability to excel in both areas.

25:04

🚀 Transitioning to Full-Time Content Creation and the Fear of Missing Out

Sarah addresses the frequent question about transitioning to full-time content creation, reflecting on her journey and the changes she's observed in her fellow content creators. She discusses the loneliness of the path she's chosen, as many of her peers have moved on to full-time content creation, leaving her to question her own choices. Sarah also talks about the sacrifices she's made for her content, including her social life, career, and family time, and how these decisions are often weighed against the potential rewards.

30:05

🤷‍♀️ Overcoming the Fear of Opportunity Cost in Life Decisions

Sarah shares her personal strategies for dealing with the fear of opportunity cost and the paralysis it can cause. She emphasizes the importance of allowing oneself time for things to develop, making decisions based on happiness rather than external measures of success, and embracing new experiences. She also talks about the concept of mental currency and the value of experiences that can benefit future decisions, using her own consideration of egg freezing as an example.

35:07

🥂 Closing Thoughts and Looking Forward to Future Episodes

In the conclusion of the episode, Sarah expresses her excitement for the future and the upcoming journey with her audience. She acknowledges the shared experiences of grappling with opportunity cost and reassures viewers that the choices they make are valid and will lead them to a place of happiness. She signs off with a promise of more episodes to come and a light-hearted blooper reel, showcasing the authentic and casual tone of the podcast.

Keywords

💡Opportunity Cost

Opportunity cost is an economic concept that refers to the potential benefit an individual, investor, or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another. In the context of the video, the host discusses the personal and professional decisions made in one's 20s and the trade-offs involved, such as choosing to focus on a career over personal life or vice versa. The script mentions the idea of opportunity cost in relation to the host's reunion experience and the changes she noticed in her peers' lives.

💡Content Creation

Content creation is the process of making original content, often for online platforms like blogs, YouTube, or social media. In the video, the host talks about her journey as a content creator and the challenges of balancing this with a full-time job. The term is used to describe her work on YouTube and the sacrifices she has made in other areas of life to pursue this passion.

💡Podcast Channel

A podcast channel refers to a platform or series where episodic content is published in an audio format. The host introduces her new podcast channel, 'Soju with Sarah,' as a space to discuss topics of personal interest and to create a community for open conversation. The channel is a new venture for her, separate from her main YouTube channel where she shares vlogs.

💡Adulting

Adulting is a colloquial term that refers to the act of behaving in a way that is characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. The host uses this term to describe the broader theme of her podcast, which includes discussions on relationships, career growth, and personal development. It encapsulates the various aspects of transitioning into adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it.

💡YouTube Channel

A YouTube channel is a user-generated platform on YouTube where individuals or entities can upload and share videos. The script mentions the host's main YouTube channel, where she shares vlogs and other content. It is contrasted with her new podcast channel, indicating her desire to explore different formats and topics outside of her usual content.

💡Career Growth

Career growth refers to the process of advancing in one's professional life, often through promotions, skill development, or increased responsibilities. The host discusses her career as a software engineer and the challenges of pursuing career growth while also dedicating time to content creation. It is part of the broader theme of adulting and making decisions in one's 20s.

💡Soju

Soju is a traditional Korean spirit made from rice and other grains. In the video, the host uses 'Soju' as a thematic element for her podcast, creating a drink called 'UOB passion spirit soju' and using a Soju mug as a prop. It adds a personal and cultural touch to the podcast's title and setting.

💡Pottery

Pottery is the craft of making objects from clay, which are then fired at high temperatures. The host mentions pottery as a hobby and a source of joy, which contrasts with her more professional pursuits. It is used as an example of an activity that, while not directly contributing to her career or income, enriches her life and contributes to her overall happiness.

💡Full-Time Job

A full-time job refers to employment that requires a person to work a minimum number of hours, typically around 35 to 40 hours per week. The script discusses the host's full-time job as a software engineer and the challenges of balancing this with her content creation and other interests. It is part of the discussion on opportunity cost and the sacrifices made in various areas of life.

💡Reunion

A reunion is an event where people who have been separated come together again, often to celebrate and reminisce. The host attended her fifth-year college reunion, which served as a catalyst for her reflections on the past five years, the changes in her life and her peers', and the concept of opportunity cost. It is a key event that frames the discussion in the video.

Highlights

Introduction of 'Soju with Sarah' podcast discussing opportunity cost in one's 20s.

Sarah's motivation for starting the podcast as a safe space for personal topics.

The idea of creating a community space for discussions through the podcast channel.

Sarah's experience of returning to her fifth-year reunion reflecting on life changes.

Discussion on the concept of opportunity cost beyond just economic terms.

Personal anecdotes on the impact of opportunity cost on Sarah's life choices.

James' perspective on opportunity cost and its influence on his career and personal life.

The challenge of balancing a full-time job with a passion project or side hustle.

Sarah's decision-making process focusing on happiness over money and reputation.

The importance of allowing time for endeavors to grow and succeed.

Sarah's approach to evaluating activities based on their long-term mental and physical currency.

James' insights on the sacrifices made in personal relationships due to side projects.

The dilemma of pursuing a traditional career versus a non-traditional path like content creation.

Sarah's reflections on the fear of failure and the pressure of making the right choices.

The idea of experimenting and exploring new things for their future value.

Sarah's personal journey with egg freezing as an example of weighing opportunity costs.

Encouraging listeners to embrace their choices and the paths they lead to.

Closing thoughts on navigating opportunity cost and embracing the journey ahead.

Transcripts

hello welcome

to the first episode of Soju with Sarah

on the menu today at Sarah Soju Cafe is

UOB passion sprit so grab your mugs and

let's talk about opportunity cost in

your 20s most of you guys are probably

coming from my main Channel where I Vlog

and share things about my life and

career but this is my podcast Channel

I'm starting this podcast because there

was a series I wanted to start

originally like 2 years ago when I first

hit 100K I did this video called so you

with Sarah it was intended to be a

series but in that video specifically I

answered 100 questions and there were

other topics that I kind of prefaced

like growing up Asian-American my career

and my life and different challenges

there my relationship and I actually

filmed the second episode with my

boyfriend James it was a boyfriend tag

but I never ended up releasing it

because we were so freaking awkward and

I just felt like it wasn't the right

time to also release it but now that we

were 2 years old and it's quite delayed

we are actually going to set up so with

Sarah so welcome to this channel also I

feel like as an existing Creator it's

always kind of scary to start something

new because there's a lot of eyes on you

and I kind of psyched myself out for the

longest time from starting something

from complete scratch but I want this to

be a safe space for myself to talk about

topics that I wanted to explore and just

things that have been on my mind but I

also have always admired different

creators like some of my favorite

creators they have Comon sections that

are actual discussion threads like

Reddit thread type discussion threads

where people will just use it to

springboard off of each other and talk

about random things like what peanut

butter is the best peanut butter ever

and I feel like in my main Channel

that's not really the case I wonder if

it's because people don't feel open

enough to share as much about their own

lives but I want this place I want this

podcast I want this channel to be a safe

space for you guys also to just talk

about topics that might pick your

interest and just kind of use it as a

community space to connect and talk

about different things so that's the

origin story of this podcast and

hopefully I keep it running I feel like

because I'm in Gemini I always start

things and I have a hard time continuing

and seeing it through because there's

just so many other things running

through my head all the time but anyways

if you're coming from YouTube You'll

also notice the Soju mug that I made in

the studio it's shrank a lot like it was

really big when I first made it but now

it's kind of tiny but it is holding the

drink of today which is yah Soju Seltzer

I kind of just made it up because I knew

I needed a drink for this I have it in

the Soju cup and I just came back for my

fifth year reunion and I promised myself

I wouldn't drink because I just it was a

long weekend of drinking it was my fifth

year reunion so I was seeing a lot of

people and there was just a lot of

alcohol consumption that I haven't had

as much since college but for the sake

of this episode we are drinking a lot

more alcohol also I had this crazy cra

crazy idea to make a new soji mug for

every episode but I feel like that's a

pretty big commitment so I don't know if

that's actually going to happen but I

have one other one in the Kil that's

going to be probably ready this week so

hopefully for the next episode there

will be another Soju mug so the two

things I get asked the most when I tell

people I'm starting a podcast is is am I

going to have guests and who my co-host

is and given my current schedule and

commitments it's actually pretty hard to

find someone who will drink SOI with me

at 11:00 p.m. after a workday so for the

time being it's just going to be me I

kind of wanted it to just be me for now

because I feel like a lot of the topics

I want to talk about are very personal

to me so it's just me but in terms of

guests I actually haven't lined up any

guests yet I do have a lot of friends

that I've kind of asked them if they

want to be on the channel a lot of

content creators some other friends who

are in other fields nothing is

solidified yet but there will hopefully

be guests coming on soon I did want my

first guess to be actually I'm going to

keep that a secret so last week I was

pretty distraught about what my first

episode would be because I have this

running notion list of different things

I want to talk about and the general

theme of this podcast is I want to talk

about relationships career growth as a

person and I feel like the larger term

that kind of encompasses all this is

adulting but adulting is a very very

broad term I feel like you could take it

different ways because I went to my

fifth year reunion over the weekend I

feel like the biggest topic that's been

on my head is opportunity cost of your

20s and that sounds very very like Broad

and lofty but basically I saw a lot of

my friends and peers and it's been 5

years which is insane for me to think

about because I still feel like my co

adjusted age which is 23 and I know I

don't look well maybe I do look 23 I

know okay but it's so interesting to see

how everyone slightly changed like

everyone still kind of has the same

Essence that they carry themselves with

but there's so many like minor

differences not just in like the

physical but also in the way that people

carry themselves the careers that

they're in like the Ambitions that they

have and it's been a recurring

three-year like existential crisis for

me thinking about opportunity cost in a

different way that's not just about

economics opportunity cost I feel like

is taught more so in like a business or

economics context where you basically

lose something to gain something there

is a cost to pretty much every

opportunity that you take on and I've

been thinking a lot more about how it

applies to life in your adulthood

because every decision I make now I have

this overwhelming sense that it's at the

expense of something else and I actually

got this phrasing from James cuz he's

the economics major in this household

but I just thought it was a perfect way

to describe the Paradox of growth in

your adulthood but I think up until my

adulthood everything's felt very linear

like there's a stepping stone to

something else and so when I was in high

school and when I was in primary school

the only thing that mattered to me or

one of the only things that mattered to

me there were a lot of things as a kid

but I just felt like as a kid the

clearest path to me was getting into a

good college and so everything that I

did was to get into a good college there

wasn't really a sense of I had to make

choices for myself or I had to decide

what to use my time doing to get to

where I wanted to go and then once I got

into college it was I need to get a good

job I need to provide for my family I

needed to set myself up well so that

once I enter adulthood I would have a

stable job stable income and then

everything would be great and I never

really thought in college about what

came after that like what do you do next

with your life do you just stay

incorporate forever do you just go on to

pursue a passion project do you build a

family and when do you build a family

and all that and I kind of felt like my

sense of Life After College would be get

a corporate job get married and have

kids and I wanted to have kids so early

like it freaked James out cuz we started

dating

when we were in junior year of college

and so after graduating the first thing

that I was talking about was getting

married and having kids and I wanted to

have kids by 25 which is long gone but

none of that happened and I think that's

kind of an opportunity cost that I've

lived through which is giving up the

desire to have kids and get married

early because I have now other things

that I'm interested in and other things

that take off my time and my mental

bandwidth and predominantly right now

that is like content creation but

through the years I've seen different

things enter my life but in the larger

sense maybe because I'm still young but

the weight of Everything feels more and

more as I get older so everything I do

and every step I make now feels so

important in a way that it's not as

forgiving as when I was younger and so

the reason I wanted this to be the first

topic of the podcast is because I feel

like this mindset has been very

debilitating for me recently and I'm so

curious if it is debilitating for other

people I now go through periods of

decision paralysis and Analysis

paralysis and I'll just weigh different

things in my life and their importance

based on different metrics that I used

to think was important I feel like the

three main things in my life right now

are my full-time job working as a

software engineer my content creation

and my YouTube channel and actually

predominantly my YouTube channel cuz I

really haven't had the time to extend

beyond YouTube and experiment with short

form but now the third thing is pottery

and when I think about Pottery I feel

very happy

a lot of my joy right now and hobbies

and passions revolve around creating

things with my hands this is like such a

bad way to think about it but I evaluate

Pottery sometimes in the sense of is

this something that is worth my time

because the time I give to Pottery is

the opportunity cost of some other

opportunity objectively Pottery is not

really a career choice for me it's just

something that I really love and enjoy

but it's not something that's going to

make me money and that's not the biggest

thing in life like now that I am 26

almost 27 money is has such a different

carry such a different weight for me

like money used to be everything for me

because my parents annual income when I

was growing up was like 10K a year and

it was not a lot of money and I used to

think that the only way that I could

have a happy life is having money and

the older I get and the further away I

am from that childhood that I had the

less that money affects me but I do have

this subconscious understanding that

things do still revolve around money so

when I think about the things that I've

decided to do for myself I've noticed

that I don't prioritize money as much I

don't know if that's a good thing or a

bad thing but I definitely know that

some people will take up other Hobbies

because it's more profitable or do other

things with their time that's more quote

unquote smart for with their times or

smart for themselves but I've been

really grappling with the fact that I

can't I I don't have as much time to

spread thin between more interests and

more commitments and more things and

this podcast even I feel like is adding

to that commitment obligation set and

because it's so lowkey right now and

it's just me talking to a camera ranking

Soju it's not making me any money and I

really thought about it too because I

did think to put this on my main Channel

where maybe I could get a little bit

more AdSense and I think for a while

this channel will not be making money

for me like the Soju with Sarah podcast

channel will not make money for me

because there are certain metrics you

need to hit on YouTube like 4,000 watch

hours 1,000 subscribers that will

probably take a little bit of time but I

feel like in the last couple of years

I've continuously made decisions that

don't seem very smart for myself from a

monetization profitability perspective

because I want to be more honest with

myself and genuine about the things that

I do and the things that I actually care

about from that standpoint too I've also

turned down a lot of sponsorship deals

in the last 2 years because I really

really thought about myself and who I

wanted to be who I wanted to represent

and different things on my channel and

sometimes if a brand is paying me money

but it doesn't align with like who I am

and what I want to convey to my audience

I'll just flat out turn down an offer

even if it's paying very well and I

that's actually the case a lot of the

times for me with tech brand deals

because Tech brand deals pay a lot but

there's different boot camps that have

offered to pay me quite a substantial

amount of money like two to three months

of rent but I just don't want to take it

on and so lately it's been weighing a

lot on me because I think all the

decisions kind of feel like they were

made out of love and not out of

practicality if that makes sense brief

intermission so I went into the Japanese

Mark today to get some snacks for the

intermission segment of soji with Sarah

so I got this Ley ly jelly unfortunately

I already unboxed it but we'll do like a

little ASMR segment the brand on this is

bamboo house I don't know where you can

get it unless you're at an Asian store

but I'm hoping this sounds like ASMR

because it might just sound

like and if my camera will focus you

will see the jello but let's try

this yeah I'm hoping this is a recurring

segment in the podcast so that I can try

more food but I'm going to give this a n

out of 10 nine because the packaging

isn't as easy to open all right this

next section is called jues with James

totally not cuz he's already in the same

apartment as me but I brought on Mr Jung

Gman that's James my wonderful lovely

boyfriend but also a very talented

fashion designer designer

creative stop great intro thank you hi

happy to be here I feel like we should

off your cups first oh yeah we should so

if you guys watch my Vlogs I make cups

I've been really into Pottery and so I

made these cups this one says Soju which

was actually for the intention of this

podcast there we go here we go Soju and

then he's using one that doesn't say

Soju because my other Soju cup is still

in the Kiln and it's not ready yet but

that's actually my favorite cup so you

should be honored that you're using it I

am honored but because you're my first

guest I'm going to give you that cup

permanently permanently it's now yours

wow thank you even though we live in the

same household I probably would have

used it anyways but thank you so much I

wanted to bring James on today because I

feel like this topic is very relevant

for the both of us because it's just a

struggle that we've been both going

through and also I feel like credit I'm

trying to give credit where credit is

due because you coined the term

opportunity cost of your 20s which is

what this podcast episode is about we

recently came back from our fifth year

School reunion and what school is this

again

it's a small school in New Jersey and

what school is that Princeton princ I

always feel so weird saying Princeton

and I feel like you also feel the same

way yeah but it's better than saying we

went to school in Jersey and then that

makes people have to ask where I went to

school but I don't feel like I'm 5 years

out of college and you look it no I'm

sorry I didn't mean to say that um

anyways I just think when you're older

as an adult there's this concept of you

got to lose something to gain something

and we've both been trying to pursue

this like creative side project you more

recently in the last couple of months

I've really really taken it more

aggressively and do want me to explain

the

opportunity I'm a little flustered right

now okay so reunions Princeton reunions

is this ridiculous whole thing that

happens every year it's more involved in

regular reunions for a lot of different

colleges and it's because the school

place places so much emphasis on

essentially they want us as alumni to

donate a lot of money and the way they

do that is to make us buy into like the

community at Princeton like we have a

strong Alumni network with a ton of

school pride and the way they do that is

they set up this ridiculous 3-day thing

where we have it's basically a bender

for everyone that goes there ton of

alcohol I think it's like Budweiser's

second biggest event or something like

that after NASCAR yeah it is oh dang

after NASCAR yeah after NASCAR oh dang

but yeah it's like a ridiculous thing

thousands of alumni come in from all

over the country and some from like all

over the world to just basically see all

their old classmates and drink and have

a good time well the way you describe it

sounds so degenerate it is degenerate

but it's very like it's also to foster a

sense of community and also just keep

the Princeton Community engaged and

going I mean obviously the undertone is

they want you to donate but they put so

much care into the whole event that it's

supposed to cater to our enjoyment and

our that's true it way too cynical to

say this for alumni donations but I

guess that is undertone a little bit

also he had more fun than I did so I'm

surprised you worded it that way I don't

know I was just being cynical but it is

true though that they put together such

a lavish event and I think Jeff Bezos

was there one year and I'm like so sad

that I didn't get to find him he's an

alumni by the way he is an alumni of the

school that's why do you think you

noticed a lot of differences with the

people that you saw and like your

friends and everyone else for sure I

mean definitely like you can see how

like working desk job can really like

for me too I'm like this a little more

and I feel like I saw that from a lot of

other people that I hadn't seen in a

while like the posture is a lot worse

now decisions make you

uglier that's the realest

topic maybe you should come on for the

episode called getting older and uglier

sucks am I the poster child for that I

guess for the the opportunity cost that

I felt that I had incurred 5 Years Ago

by the choices I made yeah I feel like I

felt that a lot this weekend just

comparing where my all my friends are at

versus like where I'm at and just trying

to understand like what did I give up by

not doing certain things at the age of

like 22 like a lot of our friends I feel

are doing really well they're at these

like top Business Schools like Stanford

Harvard and I think that's because they

were so laser focused on one career path

and just kept with it so it was like

Consulting they were really into

Consulting and like made sure they got

into the top firm they knew they were

going to go to business school

eventually they took the GMAT early they

did all the wrecks and all that stuff

and so it definitely made me think like

H if I had been as focused back then on

stuff like that where would I be in my

career I feel like I understand the

opportunity cost stuff now I'm like okay

let me try to actually be intentional

about what I'm focusing on did you feel

any of that well yeah but also I just

wanted to say one more thing is like

you're really discounting where you are

in life life because you're not yes

you're not doing like all the business

stuff and you're not doing you know

these you're not a hedge fund manager or

anything hge fund manager fund

manager but you're also doing something

that's so cool that I feel when we were

at school this year so many people were

asking us about our content creation and

especially your fashion stuff I feel

like so many people come up to me just

tell me that they watch your stuff and

you're such a huge inso yes it's not

non-traditional or wait it is

nontraditional it is

non-traditional but you are going down

your own path and you're making all

these micro decisions for yourself too

that in 5 years will come into fruition

and be so beneficial for you so you're

doing the same thing just in a different

flavor flavor flavor flavor did you feel

like that though in terms of like

comparison with like outcomes of people

so far yeah I really did because the one

thing that I don't really get to express

as much on my Vlogs is that I can't put

all my energy into my work and that's

one thing that when you're working two

jobs because content creation for me is

a second job you can't really really

hone in on working corporate like

climbing the corporate ladder does

happen and I am in the process of trying

to get promoted but it's a lot harder

because your attentions spread between

two different things and if you think

about how often you have to like turn

off one side of your brain to focus on

another side of your brain it just

really disrupts like the EB and flow of

your your personal workflow but also

your personal goals with everything that

you're doing context switching yeah like

context switching is hard and you I feel

like go through the same thing too

because you have a very

manually demanding side hustle what has

been the biggest opportunity cost of

what you're doing right now which is

trying to build up a fashion brand and

work a full-time

job that's a good question I guess like

for more context I work a tech job I'm

in my mid 20 mid to late 20s now and

then I also do content about clothing

and make clothes on the side so I think

the biggest opportunity cost to hustling

on that outside of work probably

friendships like I used to spend a lot

more time with friends and I really

prioritize that but as I'm doing more

outside of work I just don't have as

much time to be proactive with planning

Hangouts and things like that and so I'm

a lot more reactive to those things and

generally just feel like I'm A Little

Less close to my friends which is kind

of sad so I would say that's more

recently been my biggest opportunity

cost also I think our relationship

sometimes takes a told because I just

don't have as much time to give you as I

used to which is something that I didn't

fully fully appreciate about you when

you started doing content and like have

done that for the last four years I used

to just take it for granted that you

could just do all that without really

our relationship taking any sort of

decline so kudos to you I don't know how

you did that but I feel like you didn't

really let it show in our relationship

yeah I think it just when I was like

when I started doing content I was very

focused on maintaining social life and

also relationships because family it's a

big part of my life and also I factor in

my boyfriend usually as family usually

but I I I never I think for me I just

prioritize all those elements so much

and I also don't treat content as like a

job which is really bad because it does

take up the amount of time that a job

does but I feel like I treat it as a

hobby but the reason I think that you

like compromise on a lot of things is

because you treat it really seriously

and I see it in the way that you focus

in on your craft you don't allow

distractions in which is really good

when you're trying to like create

something for yourself but you treat it

as an actual serious business whereas I

think I've always seen it as just like a

creative Outlet which is like a hobby um

I think that's also done playing it

because if we think about the

opportunity cost that you have incurred

I think you gave up sleep is the main

thing you gave up because you used to

sleep like 4 hours a night or something

right yeah there were literally nights

that I would have to sleep 3 hours and

then wake up at 9:00 a.m. because

Saturdays and Sundays were the only days

that I could film but I also had coffee

and brunch lined up and so I would have

to wake up at like 8 9 a.m. try to film

a sponsorship or an integration and then

jump to like coffee with people and it

was just so much and my body took such a

toll in that time I feel like to give

more context she would go out at like

Friday and then come back 3:00 a.m. or

something drunk like really drunk but

then she would still get up at like 700

a.m. really hung over film for 2 or 3

hours then go to brunch and then come

back around like 1 and then just like

start editing that makes me sound really

really party girl but that is sometimes

what he used to do oh yeah it's not a

regular thing but it's just because I

really really wanted to keep friendship

so my whole thing was I never said no to

people that was like really bad like

even if I have two things at the same

time I would jump to both of them

because they didn't know how to say no

to people and that's just me being a

little bit yeah I just wanted to always

be there because I just never wanted my

friends to think that I was slacking I

think the biggest thing I've sacrificed

is wellness and well-being and that's

something that I'm really trying to fix

now but I think your your choice of

sacrifice is like in other things so

maybe more in the relationship side and

the friendship side and we've had a lot

of discussions on the relationship side

in the last couple of months cuz the

amount of effort you've been putting

into your your work on the side has been

like going exponentially for good reason

like this and then amount of

relationship effort is like wait like

this no I think it's a pretty straight

line he's he's making it go down

completely but I think it's a pretty

straight line for the people who aren't

watching the video oh okay all they he

is and like this and like this but

anyways on the wellness side though for

me I've noticed it effect I don't want

to get too much into the Super

superficial because I do want to make an

episode s about The Superficial but I

feel like it's affected my physique so

much in the last couple of years not

prioritizing it from a not exercising

not eating well perspective I just think

I noticed that a lot when we were at

reunions this year because this is our

fifth year reunion and 5 years is a lot

of time for your whole physique to

deteriorate and I don't know if it was

in my head but I was just like wow I've

aged the most out of everyone here that

was in your head no I I actually though

did look at some people and I was like

wow some people look great like some

people look amazing anyways not to cut

your segments short thank you so much I

would chare assist and use it in our

household thank you bye something that

I've constantly been asked especially

going back to school and seeing all my

peers who have been watching my YouTube

channel and following along for my

journey they all ask me if when I'm

going to do content full-time or if I'm

going to be a content creator full-time

but the reason that this question has

been a little harder for me lately is I

when I first started doing content I

made a very active effort to make

friends with other content creators who

also had full-time jobs and kind of

understood what my life was like because

it is very different from creators who

do operate full-time like all their head

space and their flow and energy flow can

go into content but as someone who has

to kind of switch your brain off to one

thing to do another thing and go back

and forth like that I think I just

needed a community of people that

understood that kind of hustle and that

kind of mentality but recently honestly

in the last couple of months uh so so

many of my content creator friends who

are full-time working are now full-time

content creators either by chance or by

choice and it's been a lot harder to

persuade myself that I'm going down the

right path just when I don't see anyone

else doing the same thing anymore like

on my this hand I can probably fill up

half of it with other friends who do

content creation and do a full-time job

and I get it because content creation

can be very lucrative for some people

for other people it's not as lucrative

right now for me I'm pretty much not

even making my rent with my content and

that's fine because I do enjoy the

process however not having people who

can I can relate to as much anymore does

make it a little bit harder to kind of

justify staying in a full-time job let

all to say that this is another example

of opportunity cost I feel like in the

last couple of years for me making

content has been at the expense

sometimes of my social life my career a

little bit and also my relationship and

the time I can give to my family and

then on the flip side um working a

full-time job is at the expense of my

content like I feel like I can't output

content as often I feel like I can't be

fully creative because I'm on certain

deadlines and timelines where I want to

post weekly or bi-weekly and I have to

kind of sacrifice on like adding unique

effects spending more time on thumbnails

spending more time on research but I

think that's a very common thing that a

lot of content creators go through and

experience and it's not just unique to

me but it is definitely something that

is more of a challenge the older you get

and the longer you do two things at once

but going back to why this mindset is

paralyzing I just think that most people

have a lot of things that they want to

do like so many of my friends and I want

to own a cafe one day create a small

business do things like that but because

of this whole idea of opportunity cost I

feel like it

paralyzes my own judgment and prevents

me from actually taking the leap to

start things because of the amount that

you need to put into it and the question

mark of whether or not you'll be

rewarded for all the effort you put into

it and all the things that you sacrific

to do a certain thing and then once you

throw money into this it makes it really

confusing when you try to decide what

you want to do with your life and then

you throw PR into it because going back

to my college campus coming from an Ivy

League I think Prestige and reputation

is such a heavy heavy heavy topic that

everyone at the back of their minds is

always thinking about and so actually

when I started my YouTube channel not a

lot of people understood what I was

doing and why I was doing it because

being a content creator SL influencer

feels like it's a fun hobby like it

doesn't feel like a career for some

people and not just people from my

school I felt just some sort of like

judgment from a lot of people when I was

still smaller as a Creator and I was

still coming up and trying to like

self-promote and put out videos and I

also made a lot of like fun videos very

girly videos dyeing my hair and doing

makeup but there's a level of prestige

and reputation that you don't really get

as a content creator unless you're

really really big and so all these

things kind of factor into the

opportunity and the ability to really

decide to go down a certain path and

then also in the last couple of years

I've really had the privilege of meeting

so many cool people and so many

impressive people too not just in work

and in my job but also in content

creation I have a lot of friends who are

really amazing content creators and it's

hard not to look at the path that

they've taken and want to kind of

emulate what they

do if you hear that crunch it is the

passion fruit seeds that are in the jati

and then lately I've also kind of been

grappling with my desire to be respected

and that's maybe a topic that requires

its own video but I feel like I've

always held myself a little bit lower

than I should in life and because of

that I have this desire to make sure

that people think highly of me and I

always fear what other people are saying

about me or thinking about me and that

just doesn't really help when it comes

to trying to figure out what I want to

do with my life and also how I feel

about myself because my confidence and

my ego and everything I've really had to

build up the last couple of years um

especially comparing myself to other

people and content creators and just

anyone in my life that I think is cool

so to tie this all together I kind of

wanted to talk about like the mindset

changes and things that I've been trying

to use to navigate this whole heaviness

of opportunity cost because I don't

always want to be debilitated by fear of

doing something new and fear of using up

my time to do something new um so the

first thing that I have been really

really trying to strive for is allowing

myself time because a lot of good things

don't happen instantaneously like

sometimes they do which in that case

it's really lucky but a lot of great

things take a lot of time and a lot of

work and that's just something that I

have to personally understand because

sometimes I'm a little impatient and

sometimes I want instant gratification a

I feel like these are all very like

human things to desire and crave I

haven't perfected the way of actually

telling myself to not rush and allow

myself time but that's the kind of

essence of the first bullet point the

second thing is I'm really trying to

make decisions off of Happiness now

rather than money and reputation or

Prestige because at the end of the day

none of those things have really allowed

me happiness I think I really valued

these things growing up because that was

just the way that I was raised and the

priorities that I had in life because of

where I came from but as I'm entering

almost 30 I'm still a couple of years

away from that but it feels very very

close I enter this state of incredible

sadness that I didn't have when I was

younger and for me I've now realized if

I don't prioritize one my well-being and

two my happiness no one else is going to

do that for me and those are the exact

things that will mentally just burden me

for the rest of my life if I don't

prioritize it now and so a lot of the

decisions I've been making for myself

recently have been based on happiness

and where I want to spend my time who I

want to spend it with but the next thing

is just experimenting and exploring and

trying out new things because there's

this whole concept of mental currency

and how valuable different experiences

are at different points in your life and

the gist is the earlier you experience

something new the more valuable and the

more mental currency it holds for later

down in your life because the more time

you have to actually apply different

experiences that you have so I'm really

trying to just experiment and do new

things this podcast is one way that I'm

experimenting so hopefully it's going

well and you guys are still listening if

you're still listening please comment a

matcha Emoji or a tea emoji I don't know

if there's a matcha Emoji but the third

thing which is kind of ironic to say is

to not think about things in terms of

opportunity cost but actually in terms

of mental and physical currency so

basically thinking of things in terms of

what can I experience now that will

benefit me later as opposed to what do I

need to sacrifice now to get to where I

want later in life and I think that's

been really helping me because there's

actually a lot of things I'm going

through right now which I feel like I

have to use this mentality to justify

and I didn't know if I wanted to share

this in the Vlogs because it is very

personal for me but I am going through

egg freezing and that's just one of the

things that I think right now for me

it's not necessary for me to do this and

a lot of my friends actually haven't

even though there's I feel like I talk

about this with my friends now more but

there is an opportunity cost because I'm

so scared of going through the egg

freezing process because apparently the

hormonal injections that you have to do

actually sometimes mess up with mess

with your mood for like a whole month

and I know that it's me giving up time

and mental bandwidth to do this one

thing that in the long run might be

actually pretty beneficial for me and I

won't see the reward of it until I

actually get to that point where I want

kids but I personally have just been

seeing it as an opportunity and an

experience that I'll go through that

might be beneficial for me later as

opposed to oh I'm going to be like

really sad and really emotional for a

whole month but the final thing is this

is how I'm taking it into my 30s is I'm

actually very excited for my 30s even

though I've been really scared for the

last couple of years getting older and

just hitting my 30s and so many people

that I've met and a lot of my friends

who are in their 30s just keep telling

me that the 30s are actually really fun

and you stop caring about different

things that you used to worry about all

the time and you start making decisions

that are good for yourself and so I'm

kind of excited for that but I'm also

just trying to set myself up for the

future in ways that I didn't used to

think to do so anyways if you are in

your teens your 20s your 30s and you're

grappling with this idea of opportunity

cost and sacrificing time and things to

do new

things just know that we are all in the

same boat and the choices that you're

going to make are worth it we are all

picking a route that will inevitably

lead us to somewhere that we are happy

with and enjoy that is the first episode

of soji with Sarah thank you for

watching if you've made it this far the

one complaint that I got from my first

ever episode of soji with Sarah was that

I didn't finish even my first drink and

lo and behold I also didn't finish my

drink I will chug it off camera but

anyways we are all in this together and

thank you for watching the first episode

or listening to the first episode and I

will see you guys for the next episode

of soj with Sarah bye bloopers it's

bloopers how's the lighting look at it

is it too red might be too red it's a

little hostage vibes

okay it's a little like um anonymous

mask yeah we are coming for your family

also you can use the bathroom it's

pretty decent you know you you like

f when you choose a thing you choose

I so different what you're doing on the

side right yeah that's true

yeah just any silence we just start

making up this is so funny we're clearly

not podcast people home home video this

is a home

[Laughter]

video very crunchy it was very crunchy