Beaver Tales Coffee LLC

10/06/2026

DAY 2 — THE MIRROR 🪞
10 Days of Discomfort

Discomfort isn’t the same thing as shame.

Mrs. Cladusbid, CEO of Colonizer Discomfort, isn’t here to convince people they’re terrible human beings. I’m much more interested in what happens when we’re willing to look honestly at our own words, assumptions, behaviors and the systems we participate in.

Sometimes what we see is uncomfortable.

Good.

Discomfort is an opportunity for growth.

The question is what we do once we see it.

Don’t like what you see? Change it.

This is another glimpse of the podcast that doesn’t exist… yet.

If you want six episodes of conversations like this, vote for Mrs. Cladusbid, CEO of Colonizer Discomfort, for Top Host 2026. You can cast one free vote every 24 hours, and sharing this helps too.

VOTE:
https://tophost.org/2026/michelle-cladusbid

10/05/2026

Well.. apparently I’m doing this. 😂

I entered the Top Host competition for a chance to win $25,000 and host a six-episode podcast with iHeartRadio.

And I know exactly what I want to do with the microphone.

Mrs. Cladusbid, CEO of Colonizer Discomfort.

And yes—the discomfort is intentional.

I want to hold up the mirror.

To look honestly at what we say, how we behave, the systems we participate in, and how our individual actions affect other people.

Who decided how things are supposed to work?

What have we normalized?

Who benefits?

Who gets left out?

And what happens when someone else’s lived experience challenges what we thought we understood?

Real systems. Real behaviors. Real consequences. Real lived experiences.

Housing. Belonging. Community. History. Money. Identity. Power.

I don’t use shame or guilt as tools. But sometimes those feelings surface when we're confronted with the mirror and realize we don't particularly like what we see.

That's okay.

Discomfort is an opportunity for growth.

Don't like what you see?

Change it.

I want honest conversations with real people about the stories beneath the stories—with curiosity, humor, uncomfortable questions, and probably some swearing. Because you have met me. 😂

This work grew here, in this community, through years of conversations around coffee tables, community tables, classrooms, boardrooms, and some pretty uncomfortable rooms.

Now I have a shot at taking those conversations to a much bigger table.

Voting is open, and I’d love your help getting me there.

https://tophost.org/2026/michelle-cladusbid

Please vote. Please share.

Let’s make some people uncomfortable. ❤️

09/03/2026

Here we go, causing "trouble" and making people uncomfortable, again!

Photo credit: Marcus Badgley

https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/2026/09/02/take-a-breath-cladusbids-continue-to-share-truth/

08/20/2026

One of our favorite places to visit. Price Sculpture Forest. A must see!

This installment is brought to you by one of our favorite podcasts - Local Whidbey Podcast 🤩

08/18/2026

More than 10,000 copies of the Tribal Cultural Roadmap have been sent to museums, libraries, schools and other organizations across the state.

08/18/2026

🙌🏽

Upcoming opportunity for native youth and environmental partners!

2nd Annual Tribal Partnerships Gathering: Youth Eco Warriors: Coast Salish Environmental Connections is coming up on Thursday, August 20th 11AM - 4:30PM at Woodstock Farm. Hosted by North Sound ACH, Whatcom Coalition of Environmental Educators, and Nooksack Indian Tribe.

The goal of this gathering is to cultivate authentic partnerships between Native Youth Leaders and outdoor connection organizations, fostering mutual respect, shared knowledge, and a deep appreciation for the land.

This gathering will connect Native youth leaders and outdoor community partners across Whatcom County to build inter-tribal and cross-cultural relationships, strengthen environmental priorities, and deepen connection on Nooksack and Lummi homelands. Free Event!

08/14/2026

She’s here!!!!

The Maiden started as an entry I submitted to a local art contest for an event.

She wasn’t selected.

And sometimes, that turns out to be the better outcome.

Because instead of adapting her to someone else’s specifications, I got to keep working on her until she looked like I was feeling when I sketched her out originally.

I’ve created a lot of pieces for merchandise for our shop before, but nothing quite like this. This time I had the time and the energy to put into her what I wanted—to change the things that weren’t quite right, work through the details, (re)learn an absurd amount about Illustrator along the way, and let the piece become what I had originally envisioned.

Another pretty fortuitous benefit of changing our business model.

So here she is.

Finished on my terms.

The Maiden is now available on shirts, hoodies, mugs, tumblers, journals, totes, playing cards, greeting cards, stickers and more.

Sometimes “not selected” is just another way of being given the freedom to finish the work exactly the way you wanted to in the first place.

And I really love how she turned out.

I hope you do too!!!