- 4 months ago
Have you ever felt like you had to shrink yourself just to fit in? Like the real you was too loud, too quiet, too different—or just too much?
Exactly You: Unleashing the Roar of Authenticity is your space to reclaim your voice, shed the masks, and finally feel seen. Hosted by Emily Rios—creator of the “A Voice Like Mine” blog—this podcast is born from a deeply personal journey of hiding, breaking, and finally becoming.
Raised in a conservative Midwest town, Emily spent years silencing her style, emotions, and truth. Everything changed when she found inspiration in the unapologetic artistry of Billie Eilish. Billie's rawness and the quote “I’ve always done whatever I want and always been exactly who I am” didn’t just resonate—they ignited a fire. That fire led Emily to the Victories Vibes movement and its life-altering mantra:
✨ “Always be exactly you.”
In every episode, Emily dives deep with creators, thinkers, outsiders, and quiet rebels who dared to be themselves—and found power in the process.
🎧 What to Expect:
Real stories of breaking free from the pressure to conform
Emotional honesty around anxiety, identity, and creativity
Love for dark aesthetics, bold styles, and weird passions
How art, poetry, music, and community become healing tools
Inspiration from icons like Billie Eilish and movements like Victories Vibes
Whether you’ve been the quiet one in the back or the loud one no one understood—this podcast is for you.
Because authenticity isn’t something you put on—
It’s who you are.
So turn up the volume on your truth.
It’s time to roar.
https://victories-vibes.com/collections/billie-eilish-always-be-exactly-you
Exactly You: Unleashing the Roar of Authenticity is your space to reclaim your voice, shed the masks, and finally feel seen. Hosted by Emily Rios—creator of the “A Voice Like Mine” blog—this podcast is born from a deeply personal journey of hiding, breaking, and finally becoming.
Raised in a conservative Midwest town, Emily spent years silencing her style, emotions, and truth. Everything changed when she found inspiration in the unapologetic artistry of Billie Eilish. Billie's rawness and the quote “I’ve always done whatever I want and always been exactly who I am” didn’t just resonate—they ignited a fire. That fire led Emily to the Victories Vibes movement and its life-altering mantra:
✨ “Always be exactly you.”
In every episode, Emily dives deep with creators, thinkers, outsiders, and quiet rebels who dared to be themselves—and found power in the process.
🎧 What to Expect:
Real stories of breaking free from the pressure to conform
Emotional honesty around anxiety, identity, and creativity
Love for dark aesthetics, bold styles, and weird passions
How art, poetry, music, and community become healing tools
Inspiration from icons like Billie Eilish and movements like Victories Vibes
Whether you’ve been the quiet one in the back or the loud one no one understood—this podcast is for you.
Because authenticity isn’t something you put on—
It’s who you are.
So turn up the volume on your truth.
It’s time to roar.
https://victories-vibes.com/collections/billie-eilish-always-be-exactly-you
Category
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FunTranscript
00:00Have you ever felt that nagging pressure to fit in, to maybe smooth over the edges of who you really are?
00:07Oh, definitely.
00:08It's like wearing a mask, isn't it? Day in, day out, just trying to get by.
00:11Yeah.
00:11And deep down, there's this yearning we all have, I think, to just be seen, really seen, for who we actually are.
00:19Mm-hmm. The authentic self.
00:21Exactly. So what happens when you finally just embrace that? No apologies.
00:26That's the big question.
00:27Well, today in the deep dive, we're looking into exactly that. We're exploring how a, well, a global music icon and a pretty powerful brand sort of came together.
00:36Right.
00:37And ended up empowering all these individuals to, like, shed their disguises and find their own voice. We've looked at a whole range of personal accounts, really raw, honest stories people shared about their transformations.
00:48What's really compelling, you know, is how these stories, they're so personal, obviously, but common threads just jump out.
00:56Yeah.
00:56Patterns emerge about the power of self-acceptance.
00:59So we'll be unpacking those specific moments, the messages that hit home, and those sort of subtle internal shifts that, well, they sparked an incredible lasting change, trying to understand not just what happened, but why it mattered so much.
01:12So our mission today, let's unpack this profound, often really quiet revolution, living by just one simple idea. Always be exactly you.
01:22Simple, but revolutionary.
01:23Right. That sense of universal yearning, it really resonates. So, okay, let's unpack how some of the people at our sources felt this pressure firsthand.
01:31Take Emily Rios. She described growing up in this conservative town where she said, conformity was an unwritten rule.
01:39Yeah. You hear that a lot.
01:40It wasn't just fitting in. It was almost disappearing. Marla talked about how she disappeared so quietly, you know, cutting her hair short, laughing at jokes she didn't even find funny, just blending in.
01:50Wow. Just fading into the background.
01:52Totally. And Tessa Romero, she proved perfectly, she said she molded herself to fit in, wearing what others wore, actively, like stifling her own artistic dreams.
02:02And this pressure, this need to conform, it's not just surface level, is it? It taps into something really deep, that human need for acceptance.
02:10Right.
02:10But often it comes at the cost of who we really are.
02:13And if we connect this to the bigger picture, the psychological impact, well, suppressing your true self creates this profound internal dissonance.
02:23It's stressful.
02:24Yeah. You could see that in the stories.
02:26Absolutely. Tessa, for instance, she talked about escalating anxiety, couldn't sleep, feeling isolated, even panic attacks.
02:32Oh, gosh.
02:33Marla described hitting a wall, a breakdown before breakthrough moment, she called it.
02:37Mm-hmm.
02:38Crying spells, burnout, and then this sudden jarring realization.
02:41I didn't know who I was anymore.
02:43That's heavy.
02:44It is. And Mara, another voice from a small town, she struggled with depression, felt totally disconnected.
02:49It really makes you ask, you know, what happens when that constant pressure to be someone else just becomes too much.
02:55That's such a powerful question. And interestingly, the sources point to a pivotal answer for many of them, a real shift.
03:03And that shift was Billie Eilish.
03:06Mm-hmm.
03:06It is.
03:07Exactly.
03:08Exactly. What really kicked things off for a remarkable number of these individuals was finding her music. Specifically, her song, I Don't Want to Be You Anymore.
03:16That song came up again and again.
03:18It really did. Emily said Billie's voice cracked open something inside me. For her, I felt like someone had read her diary.
03:25Wow. That personal.
03:27Yeah. And an unnamed narrator we looked at felt Billie just wasn't pretending. She was raw.
03:34Real.
03:34Exactly herself.
03:35And with authenticity.
03:36Right. And Jade Thompson, who called herself the quiet girl, she resonated so deeply. She said, those weren't just lyrics. They were confessions.
03:45And building on that, what seems to have made Billie's impact so unique based on these accounts wasn't just the sound. It was her, well, her unshakable authenticity.
03:55Yeah, that came through loud and clear.
03:57Emily noted that Billie didn't apologize for being herself. Marla picked up on how she didn't hide her shadows.
04:02Mm-hmm.
04:03But the quote, that quote, that just became this foundational mantra for so many.
04:07I've always done whatever I want and always been exactly who I am.
04:11That's the one. It wasn't just a passing phrase. It became like a declaration. People wrote it on bedroom walls, phone lock screens, in journals.
04:20Yeah.
04:21It gave them a framework almost for their own self-acceptance. Like a public figure embracing their truth gives others permission to do the same, doesn't it?
04:30Totally. It's like a permission slip, like he said. So, okay. They have this spark of inspiration from Billie. What happened next?
04:37Well, it moved beyond just internal inspiration.
04:39Right. It became something tangible, almost like a rallying cry. Many of these individuals just stumbled upon this brand, Vic Breeze Vibes, usually on social media.
04:47Okay.
04:48And they saw this simple but really powerful black t-shirt, bold white text echoing Billie's mantra, always be exactly you.
04:58Ah, the connection.
04:59Exactly. And crucially, the brand explicitly said the message was inspired by Billie Eilish's spirit of self-expression. It bridged that internal feeling with something they could actually, you know, wear, express outwardly.
05:12Which raises an important question then, doesn't it?
05:14Yeah.
05:14How did a brand, I mean, essentially a t-shirt with a quote, become so much more?
05:19Yeah, it wasn't just merch.
05:20No, exactly. It's fascinating because Vic Breeze Vibes wasn't just seen as clothes. It was like a visible statement.
05:26For so many, Emily, Tessa, Zoe, Jade, Mia, Mara, it represented a whole movement.
05:33A movement.
05:34It created this real sense of community, which people like Emily, Marla, Mia, and Mara really emphasized. Some even called it a lighthouse, you know, like Emily, Tessa, Zoe, a guiding light while they were figuring things out.
05:47A lighthouse, I like that.
05:49And for others, it was armor. That word came up a lot. Emily, Tessa, Zoe, Jade, Mara all used it.
05:55Armor. Wow.
05:57Yeah. A declaration of freedom. It gave them quiet courage, as Zoe Williams put it. Mara learned to actually believe in herself through it. She saw it as this passion project, a brand using quotes from inspiring figures to empower everyday people. Sort of motivation disguised as fashion.
06:13Motivation disguised as fashion. That's good.
06:14It shows the psychological power of the symbols, doesn't it? When it represents a shared belief. It's not just selling a t-shirt.
06:20Mm-hmm. Not at all. So, okay, armed with this, this armor and this growing belief, how did they actually start living differently? What were the actions?
06:29Right. The tangible changes.
06:31Well, Emily Rios, for example, she dyed her hair electric blue. Like, bam! A really visible statement.
06:38Old move.
06:38Totally. And she started sharing her poetry online, stuff she'd always kept hidden.
06:43Yeah.
06:43And even started volunteering at youth groups, connecting with others.
06:47Putting herself out there.
06:47Yeah. And Tessa Romero. She was literally trembling, she said, but she wore her Victories Vibes shirt to a Zoom art class, shared these really raw collages she'd made, then took the leap and posted her art online, letting that artistic side out.
07:03Wow. That takes courage.
07:05It really does. And Zoe, I remember her, felt invisible. Just burst out, creating these amazing portraits, neon greens, moody blacks, and ended up hosting her own virtual art show.
07:15Fantastic.
07:16And then there was Jade Thompson, started posting her drawings, experimenting with fashion chunky rings, bold makeup, and get this, started a TikTok account talking openly about mental health.
07:26Using her voice.
07:27Completely.
07:27Absolutely. And the unnamed narrator dyed their hair tips green, auditioned for the school talent show, Mia Williams dyed her hair blue just because she wanted to, and sent a poem to the school magazine.
07:39Love that. Just because she wanted to.
07:41Right. And Mara, who'd masked herself for so long, wore the shirt to open mic nights, reconnected with friends she'd drifted from, and, kind of full circle, dyed her hair blue again.
07:51It's amazing seeing those concrete steps. But what's truly fascinating, I think, is how this personal shift started to ripple outwards.
08:00Ah, yeah, the ripple effect.
08:01It extended far beyond just them. Emily's story, for instance, when she shared it, she started getting messages from strangers. Things like, your story reminded me I'm not alone.
08:11Oh, wow.
08:12Zoe's art show and a speech she gave at school were so inspiring, they actually led to students forming a creative support group called Exactly You.
08:19That's incredible.
08:20And Mia's club, also called Be Exactly You, became such a safe space that a freshman felt able to come out there.
08:27That's the real impact, isn't it?
08:29Absolutely. Mara started getting DMs after posting online. People saying things like, I was scared to come out to my parents, but seeing your post, I just did it.
08:40Goodness.
08:41And Jade summed it up so well, echoing Billie Eilish herself, really. She realized, if I can make someone feel less alone than I've done my job.
08:49It shows that this isn't just about individual change. It's like the social contagion of authenticity.
08:56When one person is brave, it inspires others.
08:59Yeah, definitely. Now, we should acknowledge it's not always a straight line, right? This kind of journey.
09:04Oh, absolutely not. Growth rarely is.
09:06There were setbacks, moments of doubt. That's part of any real change. But the tools, the mindset they developed seemed to provide this lasting strength.
09:14That resilience.
09:15Exactly. Tessa, for example, she still had anxiety, still got caught in social media spirals sometimes. But that, quote, always be exactly you, it became her reminder. Her, like, internal anchor.
09:25Mm-hmm. Something to return to.
09:27Yeah. And Jade, too. She still doubted herself sometimes, but she learned to lean on Billie's music, her art, that victory's vibes, shirt even, as these concrete tools to ground herself.
09:39Using her resources.
09:40Right. The unknown narrator said the anxiety didn't just vanish overnight, obviously, but the self-doubt felt softer now, less overwhelming.
09:49That's progress.
09:50It is. And Mara put it beautifully, I thought. She said, I'm still growing, still healing, still figuring things out, but I'm no longer hiding.
09:58Mm. That's powerful. And if we connect this to the bigger picture, look at where they are now, you see the lasting impact.
10:04Yeah.
10:05Authenticity really fuels aspiration, doesn't it?
10:07Seems so. What are they up to?
10:08Well, Emily, heading to art school.
10:11Yeah.
10:11Wants to design clothing that speaks to people, inspired by Victory's vibes.
10:15Full circle.
10:16Totally.
10:16Tessa's starting college with an art scholarship, and she runs this successful Instagram account for mental health advocacy.
10:23Marla's an art student, wrote a spoken word piece that actually went viral.
10:28Zoe's studying psychology and art therapy, and get this, she's collaborating with Victory's vibes on a youth support line.
10:34Wow. Turning her experience into helping others?
10:36Exactly.
10:38Jade runs her own digital art shop now.
10:40The unnamed narrator is in college, majoring in music production, working on an EP.
10:45He is applying to creative writing programs, and Mara is still journaling, celebrating those victories, big and small, and applying to art school herself.
10:55It's incredible.
10:55It really reiterates those core messages we heard.
10:58Yeah.
10:58Like Emily said, authenticity isn't a costume, it's your real skin.
11:01Ooh.
11:02Or Marla.
11:02Ooh.
11:03Victory isn't fitting in.
11:04Victory is being real.
11:05Yeah.
11:06Zoe's a reminder, you don't need permission to be you.
11:09You're already enough.
11:10And Tessa, summing it all up, that's where the magic is.
11:14That's where healing begins.
11:16What a journey.
11:17This deep dive, it really captures the essence of this quiet revolution, doesn't it?
11:23Yeah.
11:23The huge power in just being unapologetically real.
11:26It proves that just one authentic voice, one empowering quote that really lands, and finding your community.
11:34It can transform self-doubt into something really bold and inspiring.
11:38Absolutely.
11:39Your truth isn't a weakness.
11:41It really is your ultimate victory.
11:43In a world that's constantly pushing for conformity, being exactly who you are, well, that's the most victorious vibe of all, isn't it?
11:50It really is.
11:51So maybe something for you listening to think about.
11:53If you've ever felt unseen or maybe hesitated to really embrace your true self, just consider,
11:57how could your own unique whisper, your own truth, become a thunderous inspiration for someone else?
12:04What's maybe one small step you could take, even today, to kind of wear your truth and let your story roar,
12:09to contribute to this whole powerful movement?
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