Meet Monica Walls: Founder of Keca's Usna, a Croatian Heritage Beauty Brand

Monica Walls spent years as an HR executive in Silicon Valley, leading with purpose in the boardroom and showing up just as much outside of it, volunteering at food drives and walk-a-thons along the way. Her Croatian roots and love of travel eventually pulled her in a new direction, and she founded Keca's Usna, a lip color line built on heritage, storytelling, and the idea that beauty should feel personal rather than manufactured. Every shade tells a story, and every tube reflects the values she built her second act on.

Connect with Monica Walls

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kecasusna/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kecasusna

LinkedIn (Monica): https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicawalls/

LinkedIn (Keca's Usna): https://www.linkedin.com/company/keca-s-usna/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kecasusna

Website: https://kecasusna.com/

About Your Host, Sandy

Sandy is a luxury travel advisor, author, and podcast host who has traveled to 40 countries, speaks three languages, and has made it her mission to help women 50+ travel the world without the overwhelm. From leading small group tours through the Christmas markets of Germany and France to sharing hard-won travel wisdom in her book The Travel Lounge Life, Sandy specializes in confidence-building travel experiences for women in midlife.

Christmas Markets Germany and France, December 2026. Just 8 spots available, now flash sale - $2,200 off! https://justtravelwithsandy.com/christmas-markets-2026

Just Travel with Sandy Facebook Community. The go-to space for women who want real travel experiences, destination guides, luxury travel tips, and first access to small group trips around the world. Upcoming trips include China, Southern France, Tanzania, Greece and more!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy

Book a Virtual Coffee with Sandy

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/workwithsandy

Follow Sandy:

Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy

Facebook: facebook.com/sandyjcolling

Instagram: @justtravelwithsandyllc

TikTok: @justtravelwithsandy

YouTube: @sandystravelounge

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandyjcolling

Learn how to travel with confidence and ease with luxury travel advisor Sandy. Get practical inspiration for your next trip.

Ever come home from a trip needing a vacation from your vacation? In this episode I sit down with California licensed psychotherapist Kim McLaughlin, author of Feed Your Soul, Nourish Your Life, to talk about why so many of us can't actually relax when we get away, and what to do about it.

We get into setting real boundaries with work while you travel, why food routines matter more than people think, how living in an Airbnb instead of a hotel changes the way you experience a place, and why letting go of expectations is the fastest way to actually enjoy your trip. Kim also shares her own process for managing travel anxiety before every trip, even after years of traveling.

If you've ever put travel on the back burner or come home more drained than when you left, this conversation will shift how you think about your next trip.

About Kim Kim McLaughlin, MA, LMFT, is a California licensed psychotherapist, speaker, author, and host of the Feed Your Soul with Kim podcast. In her psychotherapy work she helps individuals, particularly high achieving women, navigate anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, relationships, emotional eating, and the challenges that can get in the way of truly enjoying life. She is the author of Feed Your Soul Nourish Your Life: A Six Step System to Peace with Food and is passionate about helping people stop putting themselves last and start creating lives that feel more fulfilling.

Therapy Website: https://feedyoursoultherapy.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMcLaughlinLMFT/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedyoursoulunlimited/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-mclaughlin/

About Your Host, Sandy Sandy is a luxury travel advisor, author, and podcast host who has traveled to 39 countries, speaks three languages, and has made it her mission to help women 50+ travel the world without the overwhelm. From leading small group tours through the Christmas markets of Germany and France to sharing hard-won travel wisdom in her book The Travel Lounge Life, Sandy specializes in curated, confidence-building travel experiences for women in midlife.

👉 Christmas Markets Germany and France, December 2026, just 8 spots available, currently $600 off in honor of my 60th! https://justtravelwithsandy.com/christmas-markets-2026

👉 Just Travel with Sandy Facebook Community. The go-to space for women who want hidden gems, real travel experiences, destination guides, luxury travel tips, and first access to small group trips around the world. https://www.facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy

👉 Book a Virtual Coffee with Sandy https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/workwithsandy

Follow Sandy: Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy Facebook: facebook.com/sandyjcolling Instagram: @justtravelwithsandyllc TikTok: @justtravelwithsandy YouTube: @sandystravelounge LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandyjcolling

Learn how to travel with confidence and ease with luxury travel advisor Sandy. Get practical inspiration for your next trip.

What happens when your family history spans Russia, China, Japan, Hawaii, and the United States?

In this personal episode of Just Travel with Sandy, Sandy shares the fascinating global story of her family and the discoveries she has made while exploring her roots. Her Russian grandmother, her father Solomon Raphael Colling—born in Shanghai in 1919 and raised in Tientsin (now Tianjin), China—and his years in the Merchant Marine reveal a family history shaped by migration, travel, multiple cultures, and a rapidly changing world.

Sandy explores what it means to grow up with a family story that crosses borders and cultures, and how old photographs, postcards, documents, and memories can reveal connections between generations.

From Russia to China and beyond, this is more than a genealogy story. It's a conversation about cultural identity, family history, migration, travel, and the ways our ancestors' journeys can shape our own understanding of the world.

If you've ever wondered where your family came from, how cultural heritage shapes identity, or what old family photographs and documents can reveal, this episode will give you plenty to think about.

About Your Host Sandy

Sandy is a luxury travel advisor, author, and podcast host who has traveled to 39 countries, speaks three languages, and has made it her mission to help women 50+ travel the world without the overwhelm. From leading small group tours through the Christmas markets of Germany and France to sharing hard-won travel wisdom in her book The Travel Lounge Life, Sandy specializes in curated, confidence-building travel experiences for women in midlife.

👉 Christmas Markets Germany and France, December 2026, just 8 spots available, currently $600 off in honor of my 60th!

https://justtravelwithsandy.com/christmas-markets-2026

👉 Just Travel with Sandy Facebook Community. The go-to space for women who want hidden gems, real travel experiences, destination guides, luxury travel tips, and first access to small group trips around the world. https://www.facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy

👉 Book a Virtual Coffee with Sandy

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/workwithsandy

Follow Sandy:

Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/luxurytraveladvisorsandy

Facebook: facebook.com/sandyjcolling

Instagram: @justtravelwithsandyllc

TikTok: @justtravelwithsandy

YouTube: @sandystravelounge

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandyjcolling

Learn how to travel with confidence and ease with luxury travel advisor Sandy. Get practical inspiration for your next trip.

Topics include: Russian heritage, family history, genealogy, Shanghai, Tientsin/Tianjin, China in the 1930s, the Merchant Marine, multicultural families, cultural identity, migration, travel, and bridging cultural gaps.