Welcome To The Real Us.
We’re Elizabeth Kraus and Sheila Lamont. We met as neighbors in Boulder, Colorado in 2010, and our friendship grew during frequent hikes in the foothills. We were great friends until…..we weren’t. Our friendship “paused” for eight years until we reconnected in a meaningful way when Sheila picked up the phone to have an eight-year-overdue honest conversation.
Although we now live thousands of miles from each other, we stay close with our imperfectly honest phone calls and written thoughts. We learn something from each other every time.
We welcome you to eavesdrop on our conversations and read about what we’re thinking. We hope that when you do, you learn a little about us and a lot about yourself.
Candid Conversations
How Taking Five Minutes to Give First Rippled into a 5x Financial Return
My friend, investor, and longtime mentor, Brad Feld, recently released his new book: Give First, the Power of Mentorship. Give First means simply trying to help anyone, especially entrepreneurs, without expecting financial compensation or anything specific in return.
How Do We Talk About Mental Health?
Elizabeth and Sheila invite Brad Feld to join them in a candid conversation about destigmatizing mental health. In the spirit of Brad’s new book, Give First: The Power of Mentorship, Elizabeth shares some of the lessons she’s learned from her decade-long relationship with Brad as a mentor and investor.
Traveler’s Lament
Does upcoming travel create a fair amount of apprehension, in addition to anticipation? Sheila explores her own feelings on this subject, including personal daydreams involving easier options, as well as possible ways of coping with the actual reality of the experience.
Coping with Uncertainty Anxiety
One of my 2025 goals is to welcome change and uncertainty, but despite feeling grateful for this rare opportunity to explore new possibilities, the unpredictability of my future often gives me anxiety.
Letting Today Be Enough
Elizabeth and Sheila explore the tension between living fully in the present and planning for an uncertain future, particularly involving where we may live in the future and who we care about. Together, they ponder whether leaning into experiences that will inevitably end is brave, foolish, or simply human.
Am I Oversharing? The Benefits and Drawbacks of Honesty
I am an oversharer. It feels totally natural to me to share deeply personal details and self-reflections with store checkout clerks, Uber drivers, and nearly everyone else I randomly encounter.