Brett: Well welcome everybody to our very first podcast. What are we even going to call our podcast? The Keeping It Kissel podcast?

Cece: That’s a good question. Yeah. And I felt fine – And then he said everything’s live and it was like and then everything went.

Brett: You actually seem nervous right now.

Cece: I know yeah it was weird, it went from like feeling totally fine and I’m pumped to like Holy Shit.

Brett: We’ve been thinking about this for a long time obviously for everybody that’s listening I would actually say this is a lot more, um – The entire keeping kissel brand was all Cecilia’s idea. This is something you’ve wanted to do forever – At least like two – three solid years of planning.

Cece: Yeah, you’re right actually.

Brett: And for me all I wanted to do out of this. Whole deal was podcast. The reason why I wanted to podcast is because for those who don’t know Cecilia. – I mean you know her on instagram. But she is wise beyond her years and Cece like you are, You are so magnetic. I don’t know what it is but people tell you all their shit he pulled tell you all their secrets if they get to know you and actually become in your inner circle or allow you into their inner circle they open up to you. I’m all bullshit – you’re all real and it’s a a really really cool thing.

Cece: It’s a good balance – it’s a good balance.

Brett: Yeah so for this first episode. I think would be great for people to get to know us. I’ve got an episode in mind for us to talk about how he met. But more people to get to know you and your story. My goal is to kind of interview and keep the train on the tracks but that was my thought. Are you comfortable with that?

Cece: Yeah, I think that’s a great idea.

Brett: Well I guess maybe start from the beginning. Everybody always asks what your heritage is because you look so unique. So who are you Cecilia Kissel?

Cece: So my dad is German and my mom is Bolivian – so I’m, I would say fifty fifty and my dad is actually a Mennonite so I would probably say he’s 100% German.

Brett: You said something funny about mennonite women and how they dress right now. Or how they dressed forever and now it’s coming back.

Cece: Oh yeah so when we were in school and all of the mennonite girls – which my dad and my whole family left the mennonite colony so they’re not practicing mennonites – But my dad grew up that way so it was a deeply ingrained. But at school all of the mennonite girls would wear their dresses with their runners. And that’s trendy now.

Brett: Yeah

Cece: And we didn’t make fun of people then. It wasn’t like that but it was like an obvious difference. An Obvious difference.

Brett: A floral print dress.

Cece: And they would show up and wear that for sports days. The only the only sports they were really allowed to do was track and field because their lives were to pre committed to their lifestyle and working the farm and in the kitchen and those kinds of things so they wouldn’t be able to commit to sports.

Brett: true

Cece: But they could do track and field so you would see all of these young ladies in their dresses and their runners running track and field and they usually beat everybody

Brett: And now everybody in New York – No we were in Toronto – And everybody’s literally wearing floral print dresses and those white Feela or Nike shoes.

Cece: My cousins were ahead of their time.

Brett: Yeah they really were. And you grew up in northern Alberta. I mean a lot of people know I’m from Flat Lake just outside of Saint Paul – Bonnyville area.

Cece: Yes

Brett: You and I met in Bonnyville

Cece: Yup

Brett: But you grew up in Hines Creek.

Cece: Yes. I was born in Fairview, Alberta but my my dad’s family all settled in Worsley, Alberta – Which is even further from Grande Prairie but then I grew up in Hines Creek.

Brett: Yup and what are some of your fondest memories of growing up in the country.

Cece: In the country – just like being in the dirt all the time.

Brett: You do say that a lot. You just want earth for our kids.

Cece: Oh yeah having your bare feet in like garden soil or your hands like picking out carrots or potatoes fresh for supper. There’s nothing like that. You know it’s funny because there are a lot of kids that think that fruit or vegetables literally come from the grocery store.

Brett: Yeah

Cece: But it’s like I feel so blessed to be able to teach the girls like that food comes from the planet and it’s our job to care for the planet

Brett: for sure. I remember vividly as a kid watching one of our neighbors when she was when she was on the combine and going around our acreage. For a snack, she would actually go into our garden – Which we had a huge garden – like this wasn’t like she was stealing or anything but she would go into our garden. She break off a piece of rhubarb and wash it in the rain barrel. And then eat it.

Cece: Did you ever dip it in sugar?

Brett: No because I never liked rhubarb unless it was in rhubarb crisp.

Cece: Such a good treat. Just snap it off and dip it into a little cup of sugar. So good.

Brett: Mema and Grandpa always had a great garden. Grandma Betty had an incredible garden.

Cece: Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. Did you know that?

Brett: I thought that was point seta leaves?

Cece: Double check that. But I’m pretty sure.

Brett: I wonder how much you’d have to eat to Croak.

Cece: I’m not sure I’m not sure. Can you google that?

Brett: Is it actually really poisonous?

Cece: Pretty sure. Rhubarb leaves.

Brett: Cause pointseta leaves are bad for the cats.

Cece: It’ll kill cats. Which is crazy that cats like the moment they see them. I saw Eagor up on there. And he’s like – you know like he’s chewing it and you’re like why. Why is that even thought?

Brett: Well you know me and how much I care for those cats but…

Cece: I know you’re super passionate over the moon over the stars world series kind of thing

Brett: so then you go from Hines Creek into Bonnyville and what grade did you come to Bonnyville?

Cece: It’s confirmed. They are poisonous.

Becky: 140lb person would need to eat about ten pounds of rhubarb leaves.

Cece: Laughs

Brett: 140lb person would need to eat 10lbs of rhubarb leaves.

Cece: But I think like you can’t feed it to animals or horses or things like that. It affect them differently.

Brett: Interesting. Well if you ever need to kill me.

Cece: Random knowledge up here.

Brett: When you moved to Bonnyville it was for High School. What grade was that?

Cece: grade eleven

Brett: And were you happy about the move?

Cece: I was pumped. It was a choice. I made a choice. I didn’t move when I was in grade 10, I chose to stay and finish my year. My family moved and I stayed. Yeah.

Brett: Yeah and I guess I don’t know if you want to reveal this about how many siblings you’ve got and kind of where everybody is?

Cece: I’m the oldest of five. And we’re each two years apart. Yeah.I’m excited to see them over the holidays.

Brett: Yeah of course. Yeah I’ve never been more nervous ever – not that I had many many girlfriends and I maybe only had like two serious girlfriends before but meeting your family especially just knowing your family background and now actually spending time with Yvonne and Reko – Getting they’re buy in was… and especially Yvonne’s was everything that I needed. Cause like your dad at the time wasn’t that I wasn’t as concerned but a super concerned about Yvonne. He’s my buddy now.

Cece: I think I had such a deep respect for my siblings so it was like really important to me that whoever I chose to spend my life with could integrate into my family somehow Just because I think a lot of families can split up over that if it’s not… or distance I mean… our lives puts a lot of distance between our family – between your family – my family just because it doesn’t allow as much space for us to give the time that relationships need to grow. We love our families endlessly. We spend as much time with them as we can but we sacrificed a lot for your career.

Brett: Yeah well of course. I’m obviously thankful that you do that but I miss them a lot. Especially.

Cece: My family?

Brett: Yeah

Cece: Yeah, me too.

Brett: Some of my favorite memories were when we first started dating and I would come and we would just watching movies at the house. It was so interesting because my family from maybe an outsider looking seemed to be very together. Now in your family coming into that house was such a special thing because everybody cared for each other.

Cece: We would die for each other.

Brett: Absolutely you would.

Cece: yeah and I don’t know if that’s like super common but…

Brett: It is in Mafia movies.

Cece: I would like to say we don’t fight or have like our disagreements. You know. We might be confrontational and go at it head on but we don’t avoid the issue and flow through it pretty quickly and then there’s just like we all kind of just enjoy each other’s company.

Brett: for sure

Cece: at least that’s how I feel

Brett: so when I when I came into the picture did you tell your family about me before I’d kind of met everybody or did…

Cece: you know what, if I remember back, I’m pretty sure we were friends and my dad told me about you as an artist. Like he had saw – you know – that this guy was going to be playing in town and he loves country music so I think he was sold. I knew he was like an easy sell ’cause he just loves country music but for me…Yeah… I would not make that association first for them because it didn’t matter to me. I just liked who you are as a person.

Brett: It kind still doesn’t matter to you now.

Cece: It really doesn’t. I just love that you love what you do. That you’re passionate about it.

Brett: So, I think people would find this interesting is that I thought you and I were dating a lot sooner

Cece: like a year? No

Brett: like months and months. I mean. Well some of the things that we were doing I thought you wouldn’t do the with me if we weren’t dating.

Cece: Yeah but we’re two years apart so I’m two years older so you would have been seventeen, I would have been nineteen. My friends were in university. You were exiting highschool so…

Brett: which, I never told you that. You didn’t know that right?

Cece: that you thought we were dating?

Brett: No no no well yeah. I know you didn’t know that. I thought that you didn’t know that. I thought we were dating when we definitely weren’t dating because I was telling everybody in my circle that you’re my girlfriend.

Cece: Yeah you were. And I was not doing that. I thought we were just like… I wasn’t seeing anybody else necessarily by the time you thought that, it just wasn’t.. I think a conversation and then when you’re nineteen. I don’t think people… your slightly jaded and I don’t think once you’re out of high school that you’re quick to commit to a relationship and so for me, It was like, Oh Yeah it’s just a fling. We’re just doing this.

Brett: I wanted to marry you the minute I saw you.

Cece: This was more like fun. I just wasn’t a future person. I wasn’t like in that mindset. I wasn’t eager to settle down. I was nineteen. And then you were like… soulmates…

Brett: 100% I was. Well shit, it was like love at first sight. I’ve said that a million times.

Cece: I do get it because if somebody if somebody was behaving in highschool the way that we were that would have been dating one hundred percent.

Brett: right

Cece: but when you’re like the at the age of University, people are playing the field more. They’re getting around. They’re getting out. It’s like nobody wants to label anything you know. So those two years difference. Although they make no difference now they did make a difference then.

Brett: Do you remember some of the things that you had said like? You had your own checklist of things that you needed for someone to be…

Cece: Oh Yeah

Brett: …like your husband.

Brett: Yeah so when I was a little girl, I remember reading this magazine article and it was about basically now how we would word it is like manifesting your dream man but at the time it was like prayer work I would say like a religious aspect or connection about like dreaming to fill those you know to fill that. And so yeah it said to make list like a detailed list of like what you want your future spouse. I was probably like twelve and I wrote it out like in detail. It was like I want a man who plays the piano.

Brett: Yes so you said that to me…

Cece: which is funny

Brett: …and I and I bought a piano.

Cece: Yeah and you do play the piano. Not many people know that And you do it beautifully

Brett: Thank you

I wanted a man who had blue eyes and light hair and who was kind and gentle and obviously respectful and it went on and on. I don’t think I added the height in there but like had I. I’m sure you know… like obviously manifestation works.

Brett: had you asked about height you definitely would have wanted somebody taller than me.

Cece: Nope! You’re perfect kissing height.

Brett: Oh thank you. I mean for me and my dream girl although I never really thought about it. I didn’t expect to my wildest dreams that you being as exotic as you are would be somebody in my league.

Cece: You mean like a scrawny white man?

Brett: Yup.I thought I’d wind up with somebody very normal.

Cece: So I’m not normal?!

Brett: No not even close. I would wind up with somebody very normal. And I mean if I if I describe this person anybody who looks this way is going to get very offended because their plain.

Cece: Yeah so maybe tread lightly.

Brett: I just thought I’d get somebody very plain.

Cece: But do you know what, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder is such a real real thing. It really comes down to like your own preferences and who you found attractive as a kid or who is kind to you how they… We put attachments to those things.

Brett: Oh yeah, you’re very very personality based.

Cece: oh my gosh yeah.

Brett: Anyways, for everybody watching because this is a youtube series as well – we’ve got some really killer stuff that Cecilia designed.

Cece: Some merchandise.

Brett: Yeah, some ‘be kind’ – it’s just an important thing to read every morning

Cece: Do you want some water in there?

Brett: We’re gonna probably switch to wine and maybe some whiskey a little bit later.

Cece: I wonder how much wine you could fit in one of these.

Brett: I wonder. probably two and a half glasses.

Cece: Two thirds of a bottle maybe? That’s pretty decent.

Brett: Who got you the cup that said ‘this might be wine’.

Cece: Ummm Kaitlyn Bristowe’s sister.

Brett: We gotta have her and Jason on our podcast actually.

Cece: All couples.

Brett: We’re gonna get… well depends on how many people we get listening to this thing.

Cece: Yeah

Brett: But back to manifesting my dream girl your dream guy so we finally do get together and a lot of people kind of… how do I say it?… there was a lot of negativity around how fast I fell for you and the fact that I asked you to marry when I was 19 years old.

Cece: You know what. I think people really struggle remembering what puppy love was and when that transitions into like true love and then I think people forget what it was like to be young. I think that’s one thing I’ve really committed to myself in this process of parenting is that I won’t forget. Like I remember my first break up. And how like downright brutal that was and so when the kids go through their experiences I wanna remember that and hold onto it and hold space for them to feel all the feelings because nobody did that for me and from my experience with you, I don’t know that anyone did that for you.

Brett: Like to hold space for my feelings?

Cece: Yeah Yeah

Brett: I never felt feelings (sarcastically)

Cece: but your feelings of love for me. It was very – like the attitude that it could be squashed – that it could be removed – that it could be taken away like that. Like it wasn’t real and it’s like I don’t care how old you are, your feelings are so … I wanna swear…but they’re so fucking real.

Brett: of course

Cece: And like not only are they so real but I would almost say the younger you are the less jaded you are the more raw it is.

Brett: Oh absolutely. Because you’ve you’re feeling these things for the very first time.

Cece: Yeah I just think future generations don’t respect children or their feelings and It’s like you are just as much human as a child as you are as a forty year old fifty year old person. That’s not okay.

Brett: Yeah well I know that you’re gonna do great job. We’re both going to do the best that we can.

Cece: All we can do is our best.

Brett: We are going to do the best that we can for our kids.

Cece: Yeah but anyways to move back to people not being in support of our relationship. Nobody got it. We got it. I mean we’ve been together…we’ve been married for eight years…eight and a half years going on nine. We’ve been together for nine years.

Brett: Shit. Nine almost. After nine comes ten. What are we gonna do for our tenth?

Cece: I have no idea… but it’s going to be good.

Brett: What do you want to do?

Cece: I don’t know, but it’s going to be good. So how long have we been together total?

Brett: Well we met March 15th, 2008. So yeah I mean we’ve been together… that summer’s when we really got together.

Cece: Yeah so is that twelve years?

Brett: By that summer I was telling everybody you we’re my girlfriend … but by the winter, I think we enjoyed Christmas together. I did come to your Christmas that year.

Cece: Right

Brett: of oh eight

Cece: okay. Yeah Yeah and so there was a lot of pushback… I mean…I don’t know if you had ever been so serious about someone… I have no idea like… I don’t know your history.

Brett: No. I had 2 girlfriends in high school. I broke up with a one of them. One of them broke up with me and then that was it.

Cece: But you weren’t like super attached. We’re you? I don’t know.

Brett: Well no, because I know what love is so I never said I love you

Cece: yeah because I should probably mention that the first time I met you…And you don’t remember meeting me… this is like a funny story because…

Brett: which I was going to do actually do in episode eight. But that’s okay. Let’s tell everybody know.

Cece: Oh whatever. It just came up. So I met you. You don’t remember meeting me. We have a short story in a long story of it. It’s funny …

Brett: People are listening to the podcast. You tell the long version of it.

Cece: We sat out in the grass and like I went to…What was it centennial?

Brett: Bonnyville was hosting a centennial for the province of Alberta.

Cece: And you were performing right? I didn’t know that you were performing. I was just there with friends and you were friends with my friends so we just all sat and hung out and I thought you were so sweet but that was like it. There wasn’t like instant connection clearly. Not for you because you don’t remember and We were just with a group of friends and then you performed.

Brett: Reason why I don’t like this story is because I remember everything.

Cece: Brett has a… he’s a steel trap. But I have a feeling that if we were to go back and that like if you fell in love if you’re smitten then…You were fifteen. I was seventeen. What would that have done? What would that have accomplished? We definitely wouldn’t… I don’t think we would have been together in highschool.

Brett: Sorry, like if you and I had a relationship then?

Cece: Yeah. Like if you had…

Brett: Yeah, It would have never worked.

Cece: I know so if you had like connected to me then. What would that have done other?…

Brett: Nothing. Everything happens for a reason.

Cece: Exactly.

Brett: So I don’t remember you at all from that moment.

Cece: But we went backstage after you had invited us all backstage but you were like really good friends with one of the girls that I was really good friends with. And so that’s how that worked out and we came back and hung out and I remember you talking about your current girlfriend at the time right and you were like smitten like it was like the sun and moon rose and set on her behind. It was like wow and it resonated with me because I had been dating guys that were like maybe jocks or jerks or whatever and I just thought they would never like… when they talked about women it was like the ball and chain, the old lady, like it was very negative and you stood out to me in such a big way and I remember thinking… I didn’t think to myself like Oh I wanna be with that guy… It was like I want someone like that. I want someone to talk about me that way when I’m not in the room. I want someone to swoon over me that way and here we are.

Brett: Well I remember meeting you…

Cece: Your first time.

Brett: I guess your second time. My first time. March 15, 2008. The Bonnyville Ag Society or pro Rodeo was bringing the chuck wagons into town. I know that you’ve got the last pair of tickets

Cece: and I went with the same friend.

Brett: Yeah so Yeah I remember when you came in… Is this on TV? Can you see what I’m doing right now?

Cece: You’re rubbing my feet.

Brett: So 2008 – Bonnyville and they’re bringing the chuck wagons into town and so I did the dance. Yeah and Clint was in the band, and Tony on bass.

Cece: Yeah, and I went with a friend to support her actually. I didn’t know you were playing. I didn’t really like…

Brett: I remember you were wearing black dress pants and like a slaight silver grey metallic almost like a tube top.

Cece: Yup strapless top.

Brett: Just unbelievable. You were tanned as could be. Your beautiful green eyes. I literally it was like it was like Like a Tom and jerry or a looney toon episodes like (motions) with my eyes.

Cece: Aruga Aruga

Brett: So, I’ll tell everybody so. During the dance I played peaceful easy feeling by the eagles and I sing the first part “I like the way your sparkling earrings lay – against your skin so brown” – and then I walked off the stage and I asked if Cecilia would dance with me

Cece: and he had his band continue playing

Brett: and so at that point – It was a big risk. I talked to the guys about it. That I was going to do it.

Cece: Before intermission or something.

Brett: and because they kind of all dared me. And they’re like yeah. It’ll never happen because your way out of my league. I mean I wasn’t 18 yet and so but you said yes and I’m really thankful that you did

Cece: I mean can’t leave guy hanging. I did have a boyfriend at the time.

Brett: Oh I know.

Cece: He was super nice so like I knew that he wasn’t like a jealous type. I knew that it wasn’t going to be like gossip. This or that. Like he was a very chill person. To chill. That’s how it ended. He didn’t care enough… but you know…

Brett: but it was that moment… That was a huge turning point for me because then we started facebooking after that and I just couldn’t get enough of you. So one of the greatest gifts that you ever gave me, I think it was for maybe our five year anniversary. It might have been my birthday. I don’t remember when I got it but you had printed off all of our facebook letters.

Cece: I did that?

Brett: Yeah, it’s in my office right now.

Cece: Are you kidding me?

Brett: There’s probably three hundred pages.

Cece: Oh my God – did I staple it together? Is it in a book? Tell me. What did I do?

Brett: You wrapped it all with like a burlap string. Yeah like those kind of string things and then you put it in a box with tissue paper all around it and it was just like every single one of our basically like our love letters.

Cece: I did not know that I did that

Brett: what?!

Cece: I don’t remember doing that.

Brett: I was so happy that you did it.

Cece: That’s so sweet. Did I give it to you when I did that scrapbook?

Brett: No that scrapbook was way earlier way earlier.

Cece: We should bring that on here.

Brett: We should. It’s so good. It’s still in Nashville.

Cece: Yeah

Brett: But fast forward over the last ten – twelve years. We’ve been together now doing this podcast. As we kind of wrap up this episode and how you grew up in Hines Creek in Bonnyville you and I met. I think over the course of these episodes we will let people know more of our journey. But what are some of the key things that you want people to get out of our story and the things that we’re going to share. Is it just get to know us better? Because we’ve developed you know I guess a fan base of people who care about us and our journey or is there something deeper that you hope people will get out of this.

Cece: I think the biggest thing is like we all want to inspire others. Maybe we don’t all but I feel like our generation is like to initiate change and growth and you know to just inspire someone would be such a blessing but furthermore to connect. To connect with people in a way that if you’re like drawn int and want to know more or you have questions or things that we can shed light on or things that worked for us in our relationship or are currently working. As parents – as just human beings sharing this experience.

Brett: I hope that anybody who listens to this…Even though this is our very first one out of the gate… more of an introduction. I hope that we can find some topics – we can talk with everybody obviously on instagram – @KeepingitKissel or on yours @CeciliaKissel – or mine @Brettkissel – and say if you want us to talk about something. You really want to know how we do this. We don’t like to should on anybody. I know Lynette says that to us all the time – not tell you what we think you should do. But just say this is what we do. If it’s going to help you, great! If it doesn’t help you that’s fine but I think that we could really help out a lot of other couples with some of the shit that we’ve been through – the struggles.

Cece: I love the saying that sharing is caring and I think that if you have time and energy to share with people. One of my favorite things about social media is people telling me their stories. I find it so moving and when people comment I do my best to at minimum like the comment once I’ve read it. So I do read every single one and the ones that really moved me I respond back but.

Brett: As we end Cece, I just want to let everyone know what our mission statement is here. So Keeping It Kissel is a lifestyle brand focused on supporting and celebrating Family, Equality and Unity. Why those three pillars?

Cece: So obviously family is the most important thing to us. Obviously before we had children family was like … meant a lot to both of us but now that we have children – holy shit – like next level, next level stuff. So anything we can do to support them and to teach them how to love and share and care and all those things. The second point you said was equality. That’s a big one. That’s a huge one for me which I’m sure we’ll dive into furthermore – to be equal to your partner – to be equal as human beings. I don’t care who you are. I don’t care if you are the richest person on the planet – the most successful person on the planet. We all have the same heartbeat. We all have the same blood running through our veins and we are all just people and if we could just treat each other like we are equal – because we are – nothing makes you better than me and nothing makes you less than me. If we can do that, I think we’ll all be better off.

Brett: I agree and then last is unity. Why is that so important?

Cece: Together we’re stronger.

Brett: Well, everybody. I really hope that you’re going to enjoy these conversations back and forth over. We have no idea how many were going to do. We have no idea where this is going to go.

Cece: I’ll even share – I was super resistant to do a podcast. This is all very new to me. This is very fresh. This is exciting. I’m in a different head space because I’m like why not. Why not me? Let’s just wing it and give it a shot and see what happens. Go with the flow and see where we end up.

Brett: Well thanks for tuning in everybody. Make sure you follow us @KeepingitKissel @ceciliakissel and @BrettKissel on instagram and visit our website. Keepingitkissel.com that Cece designed. Also shout out to …what should we call her …I don’t know … what what should we call becky? What should she be in this whole ensemble of Keeping it Kissel?

Cece: Ah the glue?

Brett: The executive producer? She’s our assistant, she’s our great friend, She does all things branding. But we gotta… you know it’s episode…we haven’t figured it out yet. But all the big podcasts have a have a big producer and stuff like that so shout out to Ethan – Thank you very much – Ethan Burke for piecing it together. Thank you Becky for everything. And we hope you enjoy the next one.

Cece: We have to come up with a cool sign off I think.

cricket sounds

Brett: Can you insert crickets in post?

Cece: Until next time

Brett: keepingitkissel.com. We’ll see you there. Well that sucked.

Cece: Until next time!

Brett: Until next time! That sucks.

Cece: What is it? I’ll see you on the first.

Brett: I’ll see you on the first. The first chance I get.

Cece: The first chance to see ya.

Brett: None of it was good.

Cece: No no we’ll work on that guys.

Faiiiiillllurreeeeee

Brett: K we love you. Bye.

End Credits.