1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,160 Hello, and welcome to the Why Not Today podcast. 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,440 My name is Leslie, and I'm the host of the podcast. 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,640 And this podcast was started to celebrate people who have been courageous and said, 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:12,640 Why Not Today? 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,600 I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Kano, who often did say, Why Not Today? 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,840 I am based in Reston, Virginia, a planned community right outside of Washington, DC, and thanks 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,340 for joining us today. 8 00:00:23,340 --> 00:00:26,360 And I'm excited for my guest, Tara Wall. 9 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:27,760 She's done all these cool things. 10 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,200 And I love how we met. 11 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,080 And I always talk about connections. 12 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,640 And if you listen to any of the episodes, I spent a lot of time at Smith Mountain Lake, 13 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,880 and I was there having coffee with a friend, and she had a really cute bracelet on. 14 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:41,400 And I asked her where she got it. 15 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,200 She told me this cute little store called Consider the Field. 16 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:45,200 Never heard of it. 17 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,440 And it was one of those days that I need to take a break from work. 18 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:48,440 And I just went in there. 19 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:54,040 I met Tara and just started connecting with her and then met with her another day. 20 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,960 And I just love all the things you're doing to help women, support women, women. 21 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,960 So many causes that are dear to my heart and so many connections we had. 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,960 So I'm super excited to have you on here to partner with you. 23 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,640 And we'll talk about, as we go through the episode, some different ways you can give 24 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,600 back and help them. 25 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,480 As we're approaching the holiday season, it's always a good time to be able to make a difference. 26 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,320 So Tara, why don't you introduce yourself? 27 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:26,680 A little quick fact about you and a fun fact. 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,920 And the other kind of fun thing too is that we connected and figured out, if you know 29 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,800 me at all, that I have this connection to Buffalo, New York. 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,520 I was born there and I always meet people. 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:43,440 And Tara is from Batavia, New York, which is a planned community which my dad helped 32 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,320 redevelop and I have a good friend from there. 33 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:46,320 So small little world. 34 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:47,320 So go ahead. 35 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:48,320 Yeah, that was my fun fact. 36 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:49,320 Oh, no. 37 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:50,320 That's okay. 38 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:51,320 Me too. 39 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:52,320 Thank you so much for having me. 40 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,320 Yeah, that was my fun fact. 41 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:04,520 I have one of three girls raised in Western New York. 42 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:10,480 And so my husband and I down here 10 days after we got married and that was over 22 43 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:11,480 years ago. 44 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,600 And we thought we were only coming for like six months. 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,680 We were going to Bible school and I was going to get all straight and out and go back to 46 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:25,920 state college in New York and here I am finishing college at Liberty University online 22 years 47 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:26,920 later. 48 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:27,920 So yes. 49 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:34,680 So and I know you are a busy woman and have a lot going on and we can kind of talk about 50 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:36,400 that through the courage part. 51 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,240 But let's start with what does courage mean to you? 52 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,320 What's your definition of courage? 53 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:46,320 I thought about this while I was reading through your notes and all I can phrase it as is just 54 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,600 doing the next right thing that think that's the simplest easiest way to say just do the 55 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:51,600 next right thing. 56 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:57,400 I love that simple and easy and doesn't you don't have to think twice about it. 57 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:03,120 So you've had an interesting life the parts I've heard and you've got a nonprofit. 58 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:04,520 You have a store. 59 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,160 You have a ton of kids. 60 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,160 You've given back you. 61 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,720 You're going to school like you know they say if you need something done give it to 62 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:13,720 a busy person. 63 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,720 You sure as heck is that busy or that busy person. 64 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:22,400 So tell us you know some of the courage things you've done about the nonprofit the store how 65 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:27,040 that evolved and yeah sure story. 66 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:32,520 Well yeah I'll start from that part of our story in 2020 we ended up adopting two kids 67 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:39,480 from foster care and our journey had started in 2017 and there is I wrote a blog post about 68 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,920 it if you ever want to go back but I know this is only like a 30 minute podcast so I'll 69 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:44,920 save you the whole story. 70 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,480 What word do you find your blog post just so people know. 71 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:49,480 Consider the fields dot com. 72 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:50,480 Yep. 73 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:55,560 There's a whole list of like our foster care journey and what we went through and how we 74 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,400 experienced it really through. 75 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:05,240 Well well I wrote it in real time a lot of it and so I had four biological kids already 76 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,400 so we have seven all together. 77 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:13,040 My husband had a daughter she's my bonus baby and then we have four together and so when 78 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:18,120 we started down this foster care journey I had already felt in my heart there were two 79 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,160 kids that we needed to adopt. 80 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,840 I didn't know who they were I didn't know where they were and so we just needed to feel 81 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:30,680 safe and so we told the Lord will never foster and it'll never be local and within two weeks 82 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:36,840 we were signed up to be therapeutic foster parents and our yes was from the next closest 83 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:37,840 city Ronan. 84 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:38,840 Wow. 85 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:39,840 Of course. 86 00:04:39,840 --> 00:04:44,920 You know so it makes me say I'll never do that I usually laugh at. 87 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,320 That's exactly what happened and so going through the system and trying to get those 88 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:56,920 kids reunited and seeing addiction and abuse and a broken system it shattered our hearts 89 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:04,480 and that was our first experience hands on you know with that and so our kiddos that 90 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,800 we said well we said yes to our one little boy and he had a sister and she also needed 91 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:15,320 a home by the end of the two years we adopted both of them and that was 2020 and so we had 92 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,880 to close our home to foster care. 93 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:24,160 Our family was broken we were exhausted the trauma the pain that they we had all gone 94 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:30,040 through and so closing our home I knew it was the right thing to do but my heart was 95 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,560 broken because you can't unsee the problem right. 96 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:42,160 So my answer to that was well what can we do and so I literally had a dream that I had 97 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:49,040 twins and the reason yeah this is after six kids and so I knew it was the Lord because 98 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:56,680 in in the dream I was happy that I found out I was and so I knew that was impossible but 99 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,320 I kept trying to convince everybody that no this is a good thing this is a good thing 100 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:06,560 and I came to understand that consider the fields and project hope were my my next babies 101 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:11,520 you know and so consider the fields as our store and we started as just an online t-shirt 102 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:18,440 club and we said hey listen we want to create a long term a faith based home for women to 103 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:24,240 be able to recover from addiction and abuse with their children if we can get those kids 104 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,680 back to them then we will not see families you know if we can help them make better choices 105 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:34,960 if we can see them unite if we can reunify them and give them the tools that they need 106 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,680 and option to make a better choice that's going to be our invitation that's going to 107 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:44,440 be our goal and that's where project hope came from just healing opportunity purpose 108 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:52,120 and education and that's our goal for these women in the program to have those opportunities 109 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:57,200 and to and to get that start to have that safe place and get those kiddos back to them 110 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:04,600 whenever safely possible so those are my twins that's awesome well let's talk about consider 111 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:10,560 the fields it's such a fun store I really wish I lived more local come play there more 112 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:17,080 often and such a fun store that I actually have somebody on my team that was going through 113 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:23,120 a rough time and there was a devotion I got there I was able to connect with you you said 114 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,400 she picked up the book I paid for it and it was a great way to give something to somebody 115 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:34,800 local I know you probably send it to but so your store has shirts earrings devotional 116 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:44,000 stickers baby it's got it's just like so much fun lots of cool stuff a lot of it Christian 117 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,520 base so and I love your t-shirt club and your earring club so talk about those two things 118 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:55,160 that you've done right so that was the invitation that we gave I had no idea how people would 119 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,480 like it but I always was like the t-shirt girl I thought like if our family went on 120 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,360 a vacation I'd put my kids in t-shirts you know really so I could count them and find 121 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:09,480 them but even for like our extended family if we would go on a vacation I just wanted 122 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,080 to you know get that picture with everyone together and we have photos of our adoption 123 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:19,880 day we all have like matching t-shirts on you know and like it takes a bit so that's 124 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,920 where it started and I thought what if we just invite other people to partner with us 125 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:27,960 on this journey and so we started asking do you want to be a part of our t-shirt club 126 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:34,480 and so for $27 a month you get a new t-shirt is our t-shirt club always has a scripture 127 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:39,040 on it somewhere hidden in there or it might be the front it might be the whole thing like 128 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:44,360 it's different every month but then we unpack it in a Bible study online you could even 129 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:50,280 join that if you want and then we just added the earrings about 16 18 months ago so you 130 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:55,640 could pick one or all three you could pick one or the other and so people were saying 131 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:00,680 yes and that was our community that's our village you know the people that are supporting 132 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:04,960 us month after month they get a new package in the mail that has a t-shirt and earrings 133 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:09,480 there's your outfit you know you pair it with jeans or a jacket and a cardigan and you're 134 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:17,280 good to go and so it has really been our our sustainer as we got to store off the ground 135 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:22,000 and opening the brick and mortar that just happened last November we haven't even officially 136 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:29,120 a year yet so we're so grateful for the local support and having a home base location but 137 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:35,840 it's taking time to to to ramp that up especially in such a difficult economic and political 138 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:41,240 season so the support from the community is amazing but it's really the t-shirt club that 139 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:47,400 is in the earrings and our Bible study any one of those is sustaining us with that monthly 140 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,840 support and those people constantly coming in it's just really beautiful to watch we 141 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:57,040 have people from Texas and Pennsylvania and a huge New York showing because of our family 142 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,800 at home that just wants to help but they can't be there with us you know so my sister's been 143 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,640 in it since the beginning and you know she cuts her shirts every month and wears them 144 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:10,480 the volleyball and all the things like that and so it's just people showing up and doing 145 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:19,440 what they can and that's why we say everyone can do something and that's so true and just 146 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,360 a little bit and people want to help and people you know I have been involved with lots of 147 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,040 nonprofits and things and people always ask the question like how do I get involved how 148 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:33,600 do I help and so it's knowing and people may not have time you know especially those moms 149 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,160 like you that have all these kids and a lot's going on you don't physically have time but 150 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:46,160 you have funds and you have you know can I mean $27 a month and a cute t-shirt which 151 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:51,200 I love and the earrings and so yeah I definitely need to get involved in the t-shirt or the 152 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:58,000 month club and a full of fun facts just two months ago we actually have an option for 153 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,480 the guys because some of our mom has wanted to be a part you know but then either the 154 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:07,760 closet gets full or what if you're not a t-shirt person well you can buy for your kids now instead 155 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:13,520 so like you want to transfer yes and our guy shirts are phenomenal so hey I know you said 156 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:19,360 you're gonna help me with v-neck shirts because I prefer a v-neck so I know you do yes I've told 157 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:24,800 several people about that and I you know it's a great thing I was not a big t-shirt girl until 158 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,440 probably COVID happened and then it's like you know you can really express people are more casual 159 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,880 you can express things and I love you know we have t-shirts for why not today and so being able to 160 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,840 share that the other fun thing you did and I think you're doing it again next week and I'm so bummed 161 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,400 that I'm not there and I'm gonna beg you and twist your arm it's doing it when I'm gonna be there 162 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:51,760 it is your do-it-yourself t-shirt and earring event it's so much fun so you're not only selling stuff 163 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:58,560 supporting a cause but you're building community which I love yes in connections and you know what 164 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:06,160 I've really found especially women these days are just hurting they're lonely life is hard and we need 165 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:11,440 that community in connection so you've got the t-shirts the earrings and then the bible study 166 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:16,880 you can get involved with and go to your store it's like I loved going in there I felt like I was 167 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:22,560 just hanging out in the front oh I'm so glad our people are amazing I have some girls that work 168 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:28,080 for me and with me and they are just there to make it have my daughter Abby you know she's just 169 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:34,640 starting out and she's learning so many things and just to support and the the goal is to serve 170 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:39,440 our people they understand that we're building relationship with people that God is sending 171 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:45,280 the people to our store and our job is just to serve them and that's probably the highest compliment 172 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:50,800 that I can get is when a customer comes in saying they just love being with us and they feel like 173 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:57,920 they're home and their family yeah it's just a very welcoming store and you guys are all welcoming 174 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:03,120 I love your daughter got to meet her and yeah it's just all the things you do in there it's just 175 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:11,120 very fun and welcoming and so your project hope so where your store is is actually a house 176 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:17,120 which I know there's a whole story behind that but that is that where you envision the project 177 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:23,760 hope women to be okay so these are our first steps that's a great question thank you so much and 178 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:28,960 you know what project hope has a website it's called project hope is here dot com if anybody 179 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:34,240 does want to go check that out and I'll share all those things on show notes too yeah yeah thank you 180 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:40,400 and that shows a little bit about you know our vision for for project hope and so because we 181 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:47,280 don't have the long-term home right now we have our eye on some land um the the bottom line is we 182 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:53,600 have been finishing the store and renovating it so as we open those front rooms so for like Thursday 183 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:59,680 night we're practicing right we're opening those doors to the front rooms where people can come in 184 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:04,720 and have that coffee and they're designing their shirts and we're pressing them on site we're creating 185 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:11,040 earrings you can sit there with a friend you can come by yourself and make a friend um but the whole 186 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:18,240 point is we want to be getting those women in for because we don't have the the the home right now 187 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:24,320 we have connections with like Piedma and our local community where these women who are in the out 188 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:29,760 patient programs we want to be bringing them into the store at least one day a week and working with 189 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:35,680 them we want to be teaching them how to make the earrings how to make bath bombs how to 190 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,560 dress for a job you know it's got the full kitchen in there so we can be teaching them and 191 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:45,600 showing them how do you balance a checkbook how do you make macaroni and cheese for your kiddos 192 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:51,760 wherever the need is that's our intention of training these women and above all things letting 193 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:57,440 them know that they're not alone and somebody is rooting for them so our earring girl Christy 194 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:03,520 is phenomenal she just moved from Pennsylvania a couple years ago and her story is so beautiful 195 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:10,800 God just sent her here I'm so sure for me and so her job before COVID in Pennsylvania was 196 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:19,680 taking mops into the women's prison and her heart is for these women and so she is just chomping 197 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:27,280 at the bit to get these women in here just start talking because they have the mantra like busy 198 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:32,080 hands open heart you know if you can get somebody working on something their heart will open up I 199 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,880 know that really resonates with you and the way that you live and yeah so I love how we have all 200 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:42,640 these common connections but those are the people that God is bringing to us to say like let's all 201 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:49,760 pitch in and use our gifts and talents to bring healing into our community yeah and so many things 202 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:55,360 you can do and lift up women and you know in crisis but also just in general you know 203 00:15:55,360 --> 00:16:02,160 right lift up and help and teach women part of my mission is promote myself as a courage 204 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:08,000 hope coach you know through the podcast but also through my marik a business being able to help 205 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,680 women give them courage and confidence and yeah feel better about themselves just a new lipstick 206 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:18,080 or something just to make them feel good it makes a difference this is what God has been 207 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:24,640 sharing with me about how multi-purpose he really is that I used to think like okay t-shirts you 208 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:29,920 know you really want me to do t-shirts I mean how spiritual is that and now I'm seeing like the 209 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,640 difference that it makes t-shirts and earrings and Bible studies sure they encourage my heart 210 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:39,440 they encourage your heart you know so many of the women are like this is exactly what I needed to hear 211 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:44,800 or how do you get the same the right shirt month after month and I'm like only the Lord would come 212 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:51,280 up with something that blesses you and me and also has a bigger purpose and a vision that's 213 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:56,480 bringing hope and healing to community like that's the multi-purpose God that we serve and what it 214 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:01,280 and what it does is when you wear the shirt people notice it it's a conversation starter 215 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:07,200 yeah talk about the mission and I love that you have a sheet the talk about project hope that 216 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:13,840 the book that I bought it was the the bookmark bookmark for me yeah exactly and you have cool 217 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:20,480 stickers and different things so yeah lots of cool stuff you're doing I'm excited about that so 218 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:26,880 so any other courage stories you want to share things you've done or seen or and I definitely 219 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:31,200 need to connect with Christy to talk about her story for the podcast yeah that's going to be so 220 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:36,880 exciting um one thing I did want to encourage um anyone who's listening because I know that they 221 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:43,040 don't know me very well or anything like that so I just wanted to share really quick um it was just 222 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:47,680 over two years ago and I think we talked about this a little bit where I had gotten you know the 223 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:56,320 dreadful C word and then I got pneumonia from that and I um almost uh did not recover like I just 224 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:02,960 yeah and I have no no no issues no nothing and I'm 40 years old literally at this time with 225 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:09,680 six kids at home struggling to to survive and so um that's why I get short of breath sometimes 226 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,600 sorry I'm still working on that and notice it okay great look at it we're look how far we've come 227 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:22,880 but um two months after that happened I um I lost over 85 percent of my hair within uh 40 228 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:31,280 within within a month and um it was devastating so not only could I not breathe I could not um 229 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:38,000 uh walk out of the house like I lived in beanie's and you know I had to get a hair piece and you 230 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:44,560 know be brave for my kids and still try to recover when there were days I didn't even want to and so 231 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:50,640 coming out of the woods of that and um looking back and seeing what the last two years have done 232 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:59,840 I just felt in my heart to encourage who is ever listening that you can still do the next right 233 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:05,280 thing right there were days I I did not want to get out of bed and there are days that um it didn't 234 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:10,800 even seem like it was worth it and some sometimes I still struggle with that when when I can't breathe 235 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:18,160 and yes this is all my original hair now but it took me to grow it back right and so even in the 236 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:23,840 darkness you know a lot of times the best thing we can do is turn around and serve somebody else 237 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:29,840 and and get our eyes off of our own problems and do the thing that I couldn't fix my hair 238 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:36,480 and I couldn't fix my lungs but I could keep doing something and I could keep offering an invitation 239 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:42,880 and and trying to keep growing this for somebody else that is so so true and I know that you know 240 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:49,920 we don't always have uh days that are unicorn and roses and everything yes and we do even those of 241 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:55,440 us that are positive and have a lot going on we have bad days um and being able to give back to 242 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:02,400 somebody else and to serve and just little things I remember during that 2020 year that I had a really 243 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,960 bad day you know and it was scary for me running my own business and what was I going to do but I 244 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:11,600 remember one day in particular it was one of those days I got up and just wasn't feeling very good and 245 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:18,640 and I was purposeful during that whole process to get up and do my hair and do my makeup and shower 246 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,760 well this one day I just didn't feel like it wasn't feeling and so finally I was just in such a funk 247 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,320 and I finally took a shower did my hair did my makeup put on some fun jewelry and went to the 248 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:33,680 dollar store and it was in February so I remember I just went and bought a stack of valentine's cards 249 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,240 and I just came home and just sent them all the people I knew and I'm just like you know who can 250 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:44,000 I bless and you know what when you give back you feel better and you're gonna be blessed and you 251 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,320 get out of your funk and you're making a difference for somebody else I was talking to that about this 252 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:53,440 to somebody the other day that unfortunately it's just in a bad place I'm like who can you go give 253 00:20:53,440 --> 00:21:00,320 to who can you go what can you do you know and I think we need to be there you know for our friends 254 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:07,520 and be watching out for you know people that are going through stuff like with you you know to have 255 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:13,440 somebody to have dropped off food or just a little love or you know those little things we can do 256 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:19,840 that don't need to cost you money and yeah they may take some time but you can even do a simple 257 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:25,600 thing and send a card to someone you know in the mail with a fun sticker and a fun stamp and just 258 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:31,600 make a difference I love that and you're doing all those things so I love it so I always ask you 259 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:37,360 what would you say to encourage somebody anything other than just do the next best thing so yeah 260 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:44,480 what was your question sorry I wrote so that's okay just to encourage somebody to be courageous 261 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:51,920 yeah to me I thought about that story of where you know Jesus Jesus is out there with his disciples 262 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:57,520 and they're in the storm and the boat is rocking and Peter wants to get out of the boat you know 263 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:03,280 and he was like lord if this is you then that bid me to come to you and you know when we feel like 264 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:08,560 those storms are coming what did Jesus say like come on get out on the on the water you know in 265 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:14,720 the middle of the storm and Peter climbed out of that boat and so it's not going to be all it's 266 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:20,400 never going to be you know smooth sailing and that that boats there's never going to be a perfect 267 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:27,920 time but there always is this moment right you said why not today right that he climbed out of that 268 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:34,080 boat and so I think a lot of times we talk ourselves out of it before we get there and that's why we 269 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:38,720 say do the next great thing right and everyone can do some you don't have time okay fine join the 270 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:43,840 t-shirt club you don't have you know the the effort to put in sign up one time and then you can just 271 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:50,720 yeah and all do something yeah and it's just doing the thing just like and we're so bad it's like 272 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:55,760 all right should I do this and ask 20 people and we ask the opinions people we don't even care about 273 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:00,720 and yes we think about it and we pray about I'm like listen to the first voice that said do it 274 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:07,680 and just do it count five four three two one and just do it yes we overthink it until we talk 275 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:12,400 ourselves out of it and now what are we like going to do you know listen to the news a little bit 276 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:19,040 longer or you know some more hardship no we don't need that we need action on the things we know 277 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:25,120 that we should be doing absolutely well I always try to connect back to my dad and that was an easy 278 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:30,640 peasy one from the very beginning um butavia connection and you know you're the second person 279 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:36,880 I've met from butavia that's um and the other person I met who is a great friend of my now her 280 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,800 father-in-law worked with my dad when he did the redevelopment of butavia so you know going back 281 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:51,440 to that and yeah you've just got a big heart and my dad was an only child and hated it and so I am 282 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:59,120 one of six kids and every other kid in we didn't we didn't adopt any they're all six biologic but 283 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:04,720 every holiday if anybody didn't have a place to go they were always invited so our house 284 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:10,720 always the open place and sounds like kind of consider the fields and I'm probably your 285 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:16,960 personal home is the same way everybody can go and knock on the door and be there so well I'm 286 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:24,080 excited with this episode coming out um and I'm gonna time in and we'll share on social media 287 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:29,120 exactly I'm gonna come to the store and we are gonna have some why not today stuff so we've got 288 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:37,040 today's t-shirts with their signature teal color yes and the logo on here for those listening 289 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:42,160 and don't know this is my dad's logo he had an ipad on handlebar mustache so that's logoed with it 290 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:49,840 and then we have cups that I'm gonna have there and some t some stickers so we're gonna have some 291 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:54,560 cool things and one of the ideas I've had with why not today and I think this is a perfect time to 292 00:24:54,560 --> 00:25:00,800 kick it off is I am all about giving back and contributing so we are going to do anybody that 293 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:08,000 buys a why not today t-shirt or cup any why not today swag from the debut of this podcast 294 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:13,680 probably a month or maybe even through the holidays that a percentage is going to go back to 295 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:19,760 um project hope so anybody that buys a t-shirt buys a cup we're going to give back and we're 296 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:24,720 going to start a t-shirt club of our own with why not today t-shirts and every month have a new 297 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:29,840 charity to be able to share so we're going to kick it off with you and yeah we'll find out exactly 298 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:35,680 when I can be there because of course I'm not local um but then we will connect and we'll have some 299 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:40,160 stuff there and I'll be in the store if anybody wants to come in and meet me and just love to meet 300 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:47,200 some of your customers and friends and followers so yay all right well thank you for being my 301 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:52,080 guest any closing remarks anything we missed oh I'm so grateful to be here thanks for letting me 302 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:57,040 share my story are you welcome thank you for sharing it so you can find the why not today 303 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:02,800 podcast at our website which is why not today podcast.com we're on Spotify and iTunes and 304 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:09,440 Google and all the places so listen like it review it share it with a friend and as I always say just 305 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:33,360 say why not today just do it all right thanks a lot for being my guest.