1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Why Not Today podcast where we celebrate courage, determination, and the 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,280 power of saying, Why Not Today? 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,240 I'm your host, Leslie Cain. 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:15,320 Each episode, we dive into inspiring stories of individuals who have taken bold steps, 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,640 faced their fears, and embraced the possibility of today. 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,880 For entrepreneurs, to artists, to dreamers, to doers, we explore the moments when they 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,440 said, Enough waiting, Why Not Today? 8 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,800 Join me as we uncover the heartwarming, the audacious, and the transformation. 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,360 Whether it's pursuing a lifelong passion, overcoming obstacles, or simply choosing joy, 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,160 our guests share their journeys and inspire us all. 11 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:44,600 This podcast is an honor of my father's legacy, Patrick Cain, who often did say, Why Not Today? 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,160 So remember, you're just one decision away from changing your life. 13 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:54,120 And I'm super excited about my guests today because I just met them five minutes ago. 14 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,200 And I always talk about the connections and where I meet people and how they connect. 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,520 And it's been such a fun journey with this podcast of how God is just putting people 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,520 on a path. 17 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,120 And I'm listening. 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,360 And I'm saying, Why Not Today? 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:06,880 And reaching out to the people. 20 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:12,920 So Kendra and Julie have a business called The Ruth Experience. 21 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,320 And I first found them on Christmas Eve. 22 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:21,320 I had brunch with a friend and treated myself to Barnes & Noble, which is one of my favorite 23 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:22,320 things. 24 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,520 I was reading a new devotional and I found one that they had written about friendship. 25 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,960 And I just spoke to my heart every day a devotional that you read about friendship. 26 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,360 And that's a lot about what the podcast is about, is friends and connections and community. 27 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,840 And then I was looking at their information and they wrote a book about daily acts of kindness. 28 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:46,600 And February, the kind of the theme we're having this month is, Why Not Today Love Yourself? 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,120 And so the Rind of Max of Kindness, I think goes hand in hands or acts of kindness. 30 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,760 And as I was looking at dates and holidays and stuff, it just popped up that the day 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:01,160 this episode will post is random acts of kindness day. 32 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,040 So I reached out to them and we made this happen quickly. 33 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,960 So thank you, Kendra and Julie, for being flexible and being ready spontaneous. 34 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,680 And I think this is the first episode we've had two guests. 35 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,480 So we're going to just have some fun. 36 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:18,040 So why don't you guys introduce yourself, which is a quick bio of who you are and a 37 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,280 fun fact, and then we'll talk about courage and the reef experience. 38 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:22,920 So I don't know who wants to go first. 39 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:23,920 Sure. 40 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:25,160 I can go first. 41 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:26,720 So my name is Kendra Reel. 42 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,400 I live in central Minnesota with my husband. 43 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,560 We have five kids, three of our five kids we adopted from foster care. 44 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,560 And so we have quite a span in ages. 45 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,520 That's kind of the fun fact about me. 46 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,320 Our oldest is 33. 47 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,360 Our youngest is 10. 48 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,240 And we have three in the middle. 49 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,240 So yeah, yeah. 50 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,440 So that's just a little bit about me. 51 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,720 Julie and I have actually been friends for many, many years. 52 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,520 And so that's how we started writing together, but we can talk more about that too. 53 00:02:58,520 --> 00:02:59,520 So yeah. 54 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:00,520 Yes. 55 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:06,640 So and I'm Julie, Julie Fisk, and I also live in central Minnesota, married to my husband 56 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:11,520 Aaron for almost 25 years. 57 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:12,520 We're getting close. 58 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:13,520 Wow. 59 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:18,720 So yeah, we have some pictures, I'm about to have a driver in my family, and then two 60 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:19,720 dogs. 61 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:20,720 Okay. 62 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,000 Fun fact about me, I grew up in a farm 30 minutes from where I live. 63 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,760 And when I was in sixth grade, I told my mother that I was going to move and never return. 64 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,600 And I am the only one still in the state of Minnesota in my immediate family. 65 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,120 So we joke about that sometimes. 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,360 You have to be really careful about my nevers. 67 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:37,360 Yes. 68 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:38,360 I have one of those. 69 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,880 I'm a sales director with Mary Kay, and I remember a friend of my mom started selling 70 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,600 Mary Kay, I'm like, do not ever talk to me. 71 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:44,640 I will never sell it. 72 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,040 I will never wear it. 73 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,360 And 29 years ago, I started my Mary Kay business. 74 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,520 So be careful with it ever. 75 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:53,880 Totally agree. 76 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,040 And I can relate, although I never, I don't think I said I was going to move, but I have 77 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:05,480 lived in the same town since I was two and about a five mile radius. 78 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:06,480 And it's interesting. 79 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:10,840 I'd go to people's houses that lived in small towns and say, gosh, how do you live here your 80 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:11,840 whole life? 81 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:13,600 And then one day I woke up, I'm like, wait, I'm the same place. 82 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,880 But the difference is I'm outside of 20 minutes outside of Washington, DC. 83 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,280 And the town I live in is actually not even a town. 84 00:04:20,280 --> 00:04:22,400 It's a planned community. 85 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,800 And it is about as old as me. 86 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:30,320 And so it has grown up from a dirt road to a huge metropolis with the metro and everything. 87 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,960 So it's grown up around me. 88 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:34,160 We both grown together. 89 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,160 So there you go. 90 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:36,160 All right. 91 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,160 So let's start with courage. 92 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,360 What is your definition of courage? 93 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,880 You know, I love this question. 94 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:49,520 I think my definition of courage is simply being willing to do it afraid, whatever that 95 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:50,520 thing is. 96 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:58,080 And that has been at least my theme for my life because I am someone who from a young 97 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,880 age, from childhood, has been kind of timid and felt scared about things. 98 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,240 And finally, and it's not even a quote from me, someone else said it, but I have adopted 99 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:14,840 it and made it my own, that idea of like, you don't have to wait until you feel great 100 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:16,880 or you're not afraid or whatever. 101 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:17,880 Just do it afraid. 102 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:18,880 Just do it afraid. 103 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,200 And so for me, that that's what courage is. 104 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:22,200 Yeah. 105 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:23,480 And how often, I mean, everything we do afraid. 106 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:24,480 Oh, yeah. 107 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:25,480 Yeah. 108 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:26,480 Especially the first time. 109 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:27,480 You're not living your life. 110 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:28,480 Right. 111 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:29,480 Exactly. 112 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,920 You're not trying maybe new things or yeah, for sure. 113 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:32,920 You're being comfortable. 114 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:33,920 Yeah. 115 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:34,920 Yeah. 116 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:35,920 How about you? 117 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,920 I was afraid to go second on this one because Kendra and I have been friends for so long 118 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:46,640 and we've done life together for so long that I don't know if I adapted yours Kendra or 119 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:51,320 you adapted mine, but I feel the same way about courage. 120 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:57,000 Learning to do something even though you're still trepidatious, even though it feels uncertain 121 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,720 and a little scary. 122 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:04,080 I don't think it's possible to do something new when it doesn't feel a little trepidatious 123 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:05,160 or a little scary. 124 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:11,160 So everything new that I've done, every big thing that I've done, I've been scared when 125 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:12,160 I did it. 126 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,160 Right. 127 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,360 Yeah, there's a book that I've quoted and taught and talked about for years called Feel 128 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,320 the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. 129 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,560 And I pulled it out recently and unfortunately, I guess she's passed away a couple of years 130 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,640 ago, but she talked about everything we do. 131 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,680 If you're growing, you're going to be fearful. 132 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:34,120 But you just got to lean into it and do it and think about what's the worst thing that's 133 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,200 going to happen. 134 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,200 And somebody I listened to the other day, they said there's two kind of decisions. 135 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,640 One's the closed door decision. 136 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,120 You make the decision, there is no going back. 137 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:46,800 And that you need to think a little bit about. 138 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,720 But the other one is that there's a possibility, if you're 51% sure, he's like, just do it. 139 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,680 And he said, those are the things that, you know, if it doesn't work, try again, do something 140 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:56,680 else you're going to learn. 141 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:58,240 Pick up the lesson. 142 00:06:58,240 --> 00:06:59,240 Right. 143 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:00,240 Right. 144 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,240 Yeah. 145 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:02,920 So, all right, to the Ruth experience. 146 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,480 So I know there's three of you. 147 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,160 So who is the third is? 148 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,920 So the third is actually my sister, Kristen, younger sister. 149 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,680 And we started the Ruth experience how long ago? 150 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,160 Was it now Julie, like 13 years ago? 151 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:19,160 At least. 152 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,360 So yeah, tell me the story. 153 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,240 How'd you guys get here? 154 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:28,360 Well, Julie and I have been friends for years, even prior to writing together. 155 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:33,160 We were going to women's conferences for a lot of years and speaking about having courage, 156 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:37,440 we had gone to a women's conference probably 15 years ago. 157 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:44,480 And Julie and I both have degrees and we're working in fields that we're not pertaining 158 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,040 to writing specifically. 159 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:51,440 And we left this conference feeling very inspired and Julie said to me, I think we should write 160 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,040 a book. 161 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,440 And we were like, I kind of felt that too. 162 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,560 But then we sat down and we couldn't really come up with an idea that. 163 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,880 So let me ask you a quick question before you go. 164 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,800 Women's conferences was what kind of were there because I know your books are devotional. 165 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,120 So there were women, spirit, Christian spirit. 166 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:14,000 So the spiritual a women's conference that was, but it was definitely, you know, kind 167 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,080 of along that same theme of like courage, like what do you want to do? 168 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,960 What is God speaking to you, you know, being willing to take steps and to do things and 169 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:22,960 to step out. 170 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,680 And so we were feeling really inspired, but just didn't go anywhere that first year. 171 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,880 We went back the next year. 172 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,240 And I can't remember what the theme was that year, Julie. 173 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,440 I don't know if you remember or not specifically. 174 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,960 I don't remember, but it was Suzy Larson who was speaking. 175 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:38,960 Yeah. 176 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:44,240 And immediately after, excuse me, immediately after she spoke Kendra and I sat down and 177 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,560 I think we wrote the table of contents in 30 minutes. 178 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:51,680 It just downloaded for us. 179 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:57,240 And yeah, and we had both independently prayed, you know, and said, if you actually want to 180 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,240 start a book, you're going to need to tell us what to write because we felt a little 181 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,000 bit like everything under the sun had been written. 182 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,920 And so had left it the year before kind of had gone through that summer and just left 183 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,720 it and thought, well, something's bubbling, but we don't know what. 184 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:14,840 And then yeah, that was our first book. 185 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,920 So which one was your first book? 186 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,760 So that was actually called the roof experience. 187 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:20,760 Okay. 188 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,720 So what's the story behind it? 189 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:28,720 So we, so Julie and I were part of a church launch many, many years ago. 190 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:35,400 And part of that group of people that got together was women and families that really 191 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,520 kind of came not really having a faith background. 192 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,000 And so Julie and I had both grown up in the church. 193 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,800 And so one of the things that had been one of my favorite things about that was we called 194 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,120 it a tea and testimony night where women would come and they would share, you know, something 195 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:50,800 that God had done in their lives. 196 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,160 Well, we wanted to have that sort of an event, but we didn't want to call it tea and testimony 197 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,760 because we wanted to attract younger people to come to it. 198 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:03,520 And so we, as we were thinking about what we could call it, we were actually reading 199 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,760 the book of Ruth at the time in the Bible. 200 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,360 And so we thought, let's call it the roof experience because that's really what it is. 201 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,400 It's this idea of women doing life together, journeying through life, encouraging one another 202 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:19,000 when someone is up, the other person is down and the other, you know, they come together. 203 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:25,440 And just how God kind of weaves our relationship with one another to build support and to chase 204 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,240 dreams and to all of that. 205 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,680 And so that's what we ended up calling that group when we would come together. 206 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:37,880 So as we started writing, we thought, you know, the Ruth experience, that idea is something 207 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,320 that we want to create. 208 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:45,000 Our first book is based on that, but then also this online community that we have is really 209 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:52,080 meant for women to come and to find support and to find other women who are, you know, 210 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:58,400 just coming together, doing life together, encouraging and supporting all while, you 211 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,160 know, being honest and real about where we are in life and the struggles that we have 212 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:03,160 and all of that. 213 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:08,040 So that's really kind of the how the Ruth experience came to be. 214 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:09,960 We do have to explain that all the time. 215 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,040 And we have honestly tried to come up with another name and we're like, we just can't 216 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,040 do it. 217 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:16,040 We can't do it. 218 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:20,760 And, you know, it's interesting not even knowing that story and God putting me in that Barnes 219 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,840 and Noble and grabbing that book, I mean, is not by accident. 220 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:30,360 And because as we talked about before we started, the podcast is women are looking for friends 221 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,720 and connections. 222 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:37,040 And I am not married and single and never been married and have lots of great friends 223 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:43,400 and a friend of mine a couple of years ago got divorced and we were talking about it. 224 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:50,160 And I've learned how to be single and thrive and not just survive because I've got such 225 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,880 a powerful tribe around me. 226 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,640 And a lot of women don't have that to lift you up and you need those because life is not 227 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,840 always perfect and to be encouraging. 228 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,960 So I've tried to be that encourager for a lot of people and surround myself with like-minded 229 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:05,960 people. 230 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,800 And where this podcast, I really feel like it's going is to build communities just like 231 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:15,760 you guys talked about to be around like-minded people to help support each other. 232 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:17,800 So what is the Ruth experience book? 233 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:18,800 Let's talk about that. 234 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,600 Is it a devotional or is it like the other ones? 235 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,680 Because I don't have that one yet. 236 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:29,320 I have so many books you guys are going to make me get more books. 237 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:30,640 It's a self-published book. 238 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,400 It's our very earliest. 239 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,120 So we just put a little caveat on there. 240 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:40,400 Like we love the girls we were when we were writing that first book, but that was our 241 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:42,240 first attempt. 242 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:47,200 And so I'm not always sure if I want to refer people to that book. 243 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:52,960 But it was what we did is we took that story, that friendship of Ruth and Naomi and we walked 244 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,200 through it in this book. 245 00:12:54,200 --> 00:13:01,960 But then we interspersed that journey that Ruth and Naomi went on with interviews of women 246 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,080 and facing similar situations. 247 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:11,400 And so really it's that we just teased apart what that entire relationship looked like 248 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:20,560 for those two women and then wove in current modern day women's stories because it transcends 249 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:23,080 age, it transcends culture. 250 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,000 These were women that were different generations. 251 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,280 It was a mother-in-law and her daughter, which we always love to pit mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws 252 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:31,280 against each other. 253 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:37,760 And so just all of these ways that God worked these lives around in this gorgeous redemption 254 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,880 arc because Ruth is listed in the lineage of Jesus. 255 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:46,440 She's one of very few women that was intentionally, scripturally included. 256 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,600 So there's just so much richness to that story. 257 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:51,600 So that's our first book. 258 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:56,320 I'm not a devotional, I'm only non-devotional and our very first book. 259 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:57,320 So I just put that little. 260 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:58,320 Okay, well, I definitely needed it. 261 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,320 Put it on, it was on, but you know. 262 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:05,200 Well, you know what I found too, and all the guests I've talked to, there's a story behind 263 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:06,200 the story. 264 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,760 Like I talked to, like one woman did a newspaper, I'm like, oh, okay, I want to talk to her. 265 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,640 It's a local newspaper. 266 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:17,560 And but found out that she has a seizure disorder and can't drive. 267 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:22,160 And the reason she can do the newspaper with three teenage active kids in Northern Virginia 268 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:23,520 is that she can't drive them. 269 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,280 She can't be a taxi driver. 270 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,040 And so she has the time to put into the paper because her husband is basically the Uber 271 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,080 driver in the family. 272 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,920 You know, in the past, she never would have ended up here if it wasn't for her disorder. 273 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,240 You know, so you just never know somebody's story behind the story. 274 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,400 So I definitely would love to read that. 275 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,800 And because I love hearing people's stories and then that how we relate. 276 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:50,520 And totally, you know, with the podcast, I've had people say that listening to this, it 277 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,640 gives them permission to say yes themselves and give them hope. 278 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,640 That's important. 279 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:57,640 Yeah. 280 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,920 So let's talk about your other books and then let's talk about other books and then let's 281 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:05,000 wrap it around with the daily acts of kindness last and we can talk about that. 282 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,000 Okay. 283 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:11,680 So after that, okay, you're going to ask us that. 284 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,360 What is the official count, Julie? 285 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:18,080 Nine on shelves. 286 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:19,720 We've got a couple under contract. 287 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,200 So that's really cool. 288 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,240 And you guys weren't book writers. 289 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:25,240 No idea what you're doing. 290 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:26,240 You're having to figure this out. 291 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:32,920 It's amazing how many people I've had on the podcast that are just figuring out and talking 292 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:39,320 to somebody that wrote a book that she was like, everybody keeps asking me and how to 293 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:40,320 do it. 294 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:41,760 And I'm like, there needs to be courses on that. 295 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,880 And I told her, I said, you need to work on helping other people and figure it out how 296 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:45,880 to launch it. 297 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:46,880 Yeah. 298 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,880 And all the things because it's definitely a science to it as well. 299 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:50,880 Yeah. 300 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:51,880 Absolutely. 301 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:52,880 We've learned a lot. 302 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,040 I mean, you don't always realize how much you've learned until you start to talk to somebody 303 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:59,160 and you're like, oh, there's a lot to learn. 304 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,240 And I think that's impressive that you're in a Barnes & Noble in right outside of DC. 305 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:04,240 Yeah. 306 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:05,240 That's exciting. 307 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:06,240 Yeah. 308 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:07,240 That's very exciting. 309 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:08,240 So, all right. 310 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:09,960 So nine books plus. 311 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:10,960 Yes. 312 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:11,960 So let's talk about some of the other books. 313 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:13,560 What are some of your favorites maybe? 314 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:14,560 Or. 315 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,760 So we have all your babies. 316 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:17,760 Yeah, they are. 317 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:20,640 That's, that's the trouble is like saying which one's our favorite. 318 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,760 But, you know, talking just generally the backstory on all of these books, we say we 319 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,280 write the resources that we need. 320 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:31,920 And so any of our books, even though there's varied on the topics, we have friendship, 321 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:33,800 like you said, we have kindness. 322 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,880 We have one called one good word and then gratitude daily acts of gratitude just came 323 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,040 out last October. 324 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,280 But we always start by kind of writing the things that we need that we're practicing 325 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:49,640 in our lives or that we're practicing within our families. 326 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:54,920 And so that's really kind of the heart behind any book that you pick up of ours. 327 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,640 Along, you know, you mentioned the friendship. 328 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:03,560 We also did a, when we started writing that book and started talking to women about their 329 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:09,080 stories, we found that so much of what happens around friendship. 330 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,880 And a lot of the really harder stories that women would share with us started in childhood 331 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,760 or as teenagers. 332 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,560 And so we actually went back to our publisher at that time and said, can we write a book 333 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:23,200 for girls because we really feel like this is kind of when a lot of this stuff comes 334 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,480 up and they, and they agreed. 335 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:30,120 And so we actually, you know, we have the 365 friendship was, which is for women, but 336 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:36,680 then we, we did write a hundred daily acts of friendship for girls as well because we 337 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:42,160 really thought goodness, this is, we have girls ourselves, but this is so important 338 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:48,240 for us to learn healthy friendship habits at a young age, at a young age. 339 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:49,240 So, absolutely. 340 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:54,720 So you need to go back and listen to the episode. 341 00:17:54,720 --> 00:18:02,600 Now I'm blanking on our first name, but she has a company called Brave Girl Tribe and 342 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:07,320 a community around working with teenagers. 343 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,040 And so, yeah, same kind of premise. 344 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:14,600 And with my Mary Kay business, I really work on courage and confidence with women, but 345 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,480 also young girls, they say in women's self-esteem is highest at age 10. 346 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,280 I would believe it. 347 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:22,280 Bad. 348 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:23,280 I would believe it. 349 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:28,600 I was with somebody yesterday and she's a 50-some-year-old woman and she wanted to put makeup on. 350 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:29,600 She never wears it. 351 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:30,720 She's like, I don't want anybody to look at me. 352 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,320 I don't want anybody to pay attention to me. 353 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:33,720 I don't want to notice me. 354 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:34,720 I don't want to wear lipstick. 355 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,200 I'm like, first of all, they don't pay that much attention to you. 356 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,200 Hate to say it. 357 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,120 But, you know, so sad. 358 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,760 You know, luckily she doesn't have a daughter, but she has a son. 359 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,840 But what we're passing on. 360 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:49,840 Yeah. 361 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,040 So, I love that. 362 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:53,040 Can't wait to. 363 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:54,520 So, is that written yet or? 364 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:55,520 Yep. 365 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:56,520 That one is out. 366 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:01,120 That one came out, goodness, a couple of years ago now. 367 00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:08,680 And then going on to kindness, this was actually, Daily Acts of Kindness was the first 365 devotional 368 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,760 that we wrote. 369 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,600 And so we... 370 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:13,600 That's a lot too. 371 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:14,600 It is. 372 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:19,880 It's funny because we had originally thought we were going to write a trade book around 373 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:20,880 kindness. 374 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:27,320 So just like a chapter book around this idea of kindness, but we did kind of acts amongst 375 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,720 our three families for an entire year. 376 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:30,720 Yeah. 377 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:31,720 Talk about that story. 378 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:32,720 That's really cool. 379 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:33,720 Yeah. 380 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:39,760 So we used to do when our kids were little, we started doing Daily Acts of Kindness around 381 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:45,640 Christmas time because for us, when our kids were small, it was like trying to find tangible 382 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:51,760 ways to bring in the idea of Christmas and the real meaning of Christmas. 383 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:56,600 And that is not just about me and what it is that I want, what's on my Christmas list. 384 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:01,200 And so we, as the three of us started doing Daily Acts of Kindness with our families at 385 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,120 Christmas time, we did that for a couple of years. 386 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:10,560 And then my sister, Kristen, said, why don't we do a year of kindness and just continue 387 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:11,560 this on? 388 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:12,560 And so we did. 389 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,280 We did an entire year of kindness. 390 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:18,120 We have a Google Doc to prove it. 391 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:22,960 And then we met with a publisher about our idea of writing on kindness because we're like, 392 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,320 we've been doing this enough that we feel like we have some experience that we could 393 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,840 share with other people. 394 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:33,760 And she was actually the one who suggested, she said, well, if you've done a year of kindness, 395 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:38,000 why don't we make this into a devotional? 396 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,120 And so Tyndale already has their one year line. 397 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:45,040 And she said, I really think that this would fit well within that. 398 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,880 We had never written a devotional like that before. 399 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,000 And so we thought, well, this, we'll try it for sure. 400 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:53,240 We'll try it. 401 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,640 And so that's really how that devotional came to be. 402 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,000 You talk about favorites. 403 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,200 This one might be my favorite just because it was our first. 404 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:08,560 And I feel like for us, it was that first really big step, not just within our writing, 405 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:14,400 but I feel like with our families as well to be practicing some of these things out. 406 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:15,960 So yeah. 407 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:22,480 And I love stories that you guys started as a family, as your family's doing this and 408 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,480 then passing it on. 409 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,880 And then may I share? 410 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:27,880 Yeah. 411 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:29,360 Sorry, Julie, interrupted you. 412 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:30,800 Oh, that's okay. 413 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:36,840 And when Kendra says that we write the books that we need, I mean, we are not, we always 414 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,120 are honest in saying we're not experts. 415 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:43,680 We're women on a journey and we're just inviting other people to journey along with us. 416 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,280 And I distinctly remember one day we were in the middle of that manuscript for kindness 417 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,040 and I came home and I don't remember what I had done. 418 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:56,080 I don't remember what the day had been, but I walked in the door and I said to my husband, 419 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,320 I am not kind. 420 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,280 Why am I writing a book on kindness? 421 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:07,480 And there's something about the practice or the attempt or the journey where there are 422 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:14,200 moments where you see your blind spots or you see your weaknesses or you see opportunities 423 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,960 for growth within yourself. 424 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:22,360 And so each of these books, we are never experts like telling people like, this is what you 425 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:23,360 need to do. 426 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:28,640 It really is this invitation to say, come and learn to do this with me. 427 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:34,240 And we are honest in sharing some of the ways in which we've struggled or we've fallen a 428 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:35,240 little bit short. 429 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:40,840 So it's always a gentle invitation because that's what life is about. 430 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,440 We're not going to get there. 431 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:44,440 We're on a journey. 432 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:50,320 And so just, I think maybe accepting that and then working towards growth. 433 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:51,760 I love that. 434 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,520 Like, and you could hear it in your voice, just the invitation. 435 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:56,520 And it's interesting. 436 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,080 I think I was ever done the one word. 437 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,120 Have you heard of that or my intent? 438 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:06,880 So my word this year, and it ties in just what you said. 439 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,640 What we do is what we need. 440 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,080 So my word this year is brave. 441 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,560 And you think, you know, I'm wrapped all and talking all the people about their courage 442 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:15,680 and everything. 443 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,400 But I had to be brave and turn the podcast into a business. 444 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,360 And I've been talking about it for a while. 445 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:24,760 And so finally, my word was brave in January 2nd. 446 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:29,560 I did the LLC, which took all of five minutes, but having to learn a whole new business and 447 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:34,920 how to set up a business and all the things that sometimes I hear myself saying, I don't 448 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:35,920 want to do that. 449 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,960 I'm like, okay, but how can you be talking about courage to everybody and encouraging 450 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,680 everybody else to be courageous and not doing it yourself? 451 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:43,680 Right. 452 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,960 Good to see you for taking that step, Leslie. 453 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:46,960 Yeah. 454 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:47,960 So it's a little scary sometimes. 455 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,640 It's like, what am I doing? 456 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,640 Leaving the comfort of a business. 457 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,440 I'm not that I'm leaving it, but putting tension here. 458 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,760 And you know, I did the same thing 24 years ago when I quit my full time job to pursue 459 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:01,080 Mary Kay. 460 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,720 And I'm like, look, and I talk about all the time. 461 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,760 I'm like, okay, it's time to have that brave step again. 462 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:06,760 All right. 463 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,400 So kindness. 464 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:16,000 What was your most impactful or most heartwarming kindness act that you guys did in those years? 465 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,800 Or you talked about what's the one that really stands out either you did or your kids or 466 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:22,600 that made a difference. 467 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:29,680 And I assume it's probably something super teeny, tiny and not big, but it could be. 468 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,160 Do you have one? 469 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:37,480 You know, I, I have just generally like you're right. 470 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,080 It has, it's not big ones. 471 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:45,400 It's ones that my kids have done that were things that I wasn't necessarily passionate 472 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,200 about myself, but they became very passionate about. 473 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,520 And it's not that I didn't think they were good things. 474 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:56,040 I mean, we're good things, but it's like, it, it was really kind of, for me, most impactful 475 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:03,840 to see that they had their own kind of internal like awareness and awakening like to a need 476 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:04,840 that someone had. 477 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:12,760 So for example, my son who was a teenager at the time and who was kind of going through 478 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,800 a really hard time himself, but he really, when we started doing kind acts, especially 479 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:23,000 at Christmas, he was so passionate about wanting to help people who were homeless. 480 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,160 And so one thing that we did was we would make packs that we could give out to people 481 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,000 who were homeless when we saw them on the street. 482 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,000 And so we would do that. 483 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:37,560 But then one day we saw someone, it was in, in December in Minnesota, which is usually 484 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,440 quite snow, quite cold in there with snow. 485 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,960 And we saw someone and he said, can we go get him a cup of coffee? 486 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:45,480 And so I thought, yeah, let's do it. 487 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:46,800 Cause we were just out running errands. 488 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:47,840 So we got a cup of coffee. 489 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,280 He picked out a muffin too that he thought this man would like. 490 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,320 And he walked over to, we went back to the parking lot where he was. 491 00:25:54,320 --> 00:26:00,160 My son got out and walked over to him and just had this, I kind of stayed back to allow 492 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,000 him to have that experience. 493 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,240 And this man just, he, my son had his Vikings jersey on. 494 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,320 And so he immediately was like, are you Vikings fan? 495 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:14,400 They had this beautiful interaction that really had nothing to do with me at that point, which 496 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,240 was good. 497 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:21,960 And that just watching that and observing that was like very impactful for me because 498 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:27,120 a lot of times we do things for ourselves and that's good and we can have growth. 499 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:31,080 But when you start to see the growth in the people around you as well and the things that 500 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:38,120 matter to them, I feel like that was something that was really meaningful and encouraged me 501 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:42,280 to be like, okay, this is, this is good, not just for me, but this is good to be doing 502 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:46,080 with our kids for them to have these experiences as well. 503 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,080 Yeah. 504 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:48,480 I mean, what we pass on is such a difference. 505 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:54,520 I remember one time my nephew and he was probably teenage, maybe beginning of college, something 506 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:59,680 he was somewhere and there was somebody on the corner or whatever and he gave him some 507 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,040 money and his friends like, what are you doing? 508 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,280 And Sam's like, my grandma always said, what if it's Jesus? 509 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:12,400 And he says, so like he's learning it from my mom and you know, passing it on. 510 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:13,400 Yeah. 511 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:14,920 All right, Jolie. 512 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:16,600 What's your favorite? 513 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:22,960 So there's many, but this is the story that always reminds me that those little things 514 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:23,960 matter intensely. 515 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:31,160 So when my daughter was an infant, she was at a daycare center with another little girl 516 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:32,520 who they shared the same name. 517 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,960 So they were very similar in age and they had the same name. 518 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,200 Mom and I also had the same name. 519 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,200 Oh wow. 520 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:44,160 And we knew, we knew of each other, but we did not, we weren't, we weren't even acquaintances. 521 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,680 We just knew of one another. 522 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:52,680 And so I found out that her little girl was facing some pretty serious, pretty scary surgery. 523 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,840 And so I wrote her a note. 524 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:02,320 And I mailed the note and I literally forgot about it for, I think, 10 years. 525 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:07,840 And I was on my way to a business luncheon and I was late and my shoes were like not 526 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:12,280 fitting and I was running in and they were setting up this table for all of us stragglers 527 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:17,440 at the very back of this luncheon and I was sad because I was supposed to be there to 528 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:22,200 network and here I am late and flustered and I'm on this table and the very, very back. 529 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:28,880 And I sit next to this other woman named Julie and I have forgotten that I ever wrote a note. 530 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,000 I have forgotten completely about the story. 531 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:37,280 And so we have lunch and we're visiting and we get to the very end of the lunch and she 532 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:43,280 says to me, I just have to tell you how much that note you wrote to me all those years 533 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,800 ago meant and I still have it. 534 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:46,800 I kept it. 535 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:47,800 Wow. 536 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:54,440 And I got out into my car and I just started crying because, you know, sometimes those 537 00:28:54,440 --> 00:29:00,760 nudges that we get to do something and it just feels little and it's a bit of an inconvenience 538 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:05,080 and we think to ourselves, it doesn't really matter. 539 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:06,080 Clearly mattered. 540 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:07,080 Clearly mattered. 541 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:12,200 So that reminded me to always be, I mean, not always, I'm not always great. 542 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,200 Always is a big word. 543 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:22,160 But to try when I get that nudge to send the text, make the call, send the email, send 544 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,000 the note, like do the thing because you just don't know. 545 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,000 Yeah. 546 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,000 Why not today? 547 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,000 Why not today? 548 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,000 That's right. 549 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,000 Yeah. 550 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,080 I totally agree and I try to follow that myself and just, you know, when that person pops 551 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,560 up in your mind, just send them a text, I have a friend that if she's in, she goes to 552 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,480 the drive-thru Starbucks purposely instead of going inside. 553 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,720 So while she's there as people and she has a ministry as well, as people pop up, she 554 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,640 sends them a note and it's just, you know, those little things you don't think make a 555 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:50,640 difference. 556 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:51,640 Right. 557 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:52,640 So make a difference. 558 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:54,520 I don't have it on today, but I normally wear a starfish necklace. 559 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,560 You guys know the story of the starfish? 560 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,440 Yes, I have heard that before. 561 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:00,440 You heard it, Julie. 562 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,240 I, it's tickling in the back of my mind. 563 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:11,560 I was walking on the beach and throwing starfish in the ocean and this older man comes up and 564 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:12,760 he goes, what are you doing? 565 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:14,360 He goes, I'm saving the starfish. 566 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,080 And he goes, there's thousands on this beach. 567 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:18,080 How can you make a difference? 568 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:19,520 And he picked one up and threw it in the ocean. 569 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,400 He says, I made a difference in that one. 570 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,320 And so I really try to live by that. 571 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:29,680 Like you just never know you're going to make a difference and that one person could make 572 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,000 a difference in your life and really follow like God's nudges. 573 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,280 Like you guys just saying, you know what? 574 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:37,280 I'm going to ask what's the worst thing I can say? 575 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:41,360 A friend of mine that I was just mentioning, she has a ministry and it's called Faithfully 576 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:46,400 Following and several years ago she had a challenge to share a scripture for a week 577 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:47,400 on social media. 578 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,720 And I started doing it when I do my devotionals. 579 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,000 I would Google because I'm very visual. 580 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:58,600 I would Google the scripture and come up with a picture that spoke to me and post it. 581 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,560 Well, this was years ago and I still do it almost every day. 582 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,400 And the reason I will never stop is when I did it, a friend of mine, son who's very 583 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:12,640 close to me, he calls me fake aunt Leslie, he said, I wake up when he was like 16. 584 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:17,360 He goes, I wake up in the morning and look at Instagram to see what you posted every 585 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:18,880 day to start my day. 586 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,880 And I have people all the time, kind of like you Julie, you never know that people walk 587 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:23,880 up to me. 588 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,920 Somebody yesterday is like, oh my gosh, I see everything you post on social media and it's 589 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,760 so inspiring and you think nobody's paying any attention to anything we're doing. 590 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:39,160 So now I have added inspirational posts every day along the why not today message. 591 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:45,040 And just something inspirational just to help people with their day because those little 592 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,280 things definitely make a difference. 593 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:52,960 You just never know whose life we've touched. 594 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:54,120 Yeah. 595 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:59,320 Yeah, and so this weekend, so I was this, I guess Saturday is random acts of kindness 596 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:00,320 day. 597 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,920 I distinctly remember when this movement came about. 598 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:03,920 Do you guys remember that? 599 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,800 It was actually, there was an article in the paper and I think I have it cut out somewhere 600 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,640 in my world. 601 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:15,160 And either I bought it or I had it made a stamp rubber stamp that said random acts practice 602 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,240 a random act of kindness today. 603 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,040 Yeah, something along that line. 604 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:25,560 So that has been spinning in my world and I know I was working and I left my job 24 years 605 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:26,560 ago. 606 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:27,880 So it is a long time ago. 607 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,480 I need to look, but it has always spoke to me. 608 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:34,760 So how we've come full circle to this, you know, to do a random act of kindness. 609 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:40,440 I think I mentioned to you guys when we started how perfect timing this is because lent started 610 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:41,440 yesterday. 611 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:49,280 So, you know, 40 days of, you know, if you're a Christian Catholic and celebrate lent and 612 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,000 celebrate practice, I don't know what the. 613 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Observe. 614 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000 Observe. 615 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:55,000 Observe. 616 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,880 That, you know, they always talk about give up chocolate or give up this and I always try 617 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:01,520 to, instead of giving up something, add something to my life. 618 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:06,320 Like what can I do to give back to somebody else or do something? 619 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:10,960 In the radio station, this local here, they do drive through Difference Thursday, where 620 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:16,400 they challenge everybody on Thursdays to pay for the person behind them in the drive through. 621 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:20,360 And so, you know, what are those little things as people are listening to this podcast, whether 622 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:25,280 it's when it's coming out during that or anytime you're listening to it, like think, really 623 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:31,680 think, challenge everybody to why not today do something kind for somebody else? 624 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:37,480 It's that little thing and it doesn't even have to be, you know, that people, you could 625 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:39,480 just do it anonymously. 626 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:40,480 Absolutely. 627 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,520 You don't have to do it, be big and boastful about it. 628 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,960 But just, you know, and even, you know, the world of social media, as we were talking 629 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:53,520 about young girls and how terrible it is and how hard it is, like social media for adults 630 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,200 is just as toxic. 631 00:33:55,200 --> 00:34:00,320 But what if you went every day and just sent a private message to somebody you're thinking 632 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,120 about them or, you know, I've been watching people on social media and you can really 633 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,680 see the people that are hurting. 634 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:09,960 They put things out on social, you know, they're really in bad shape. 635 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:16,160 Or sometimes you can, it looks all unicorn and amazing, but you can see, you know, pay 636 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:20,160 attention to what's going on behind the scenes. 637 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:21,160 Yeah. 638 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,240 Because, and reach out to those people because people are hurting. 639 00:34:24,240 --> 00:34:25,240 Oh yeah. 640 00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:29,880 Well, and I think, and I think too, I mean, even though it's, it's random acts, if you 641 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:37,040 start that day, like let's say, so Saturday's random acts of kindness day, just by thinking, 642 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:39,920 you know, who, who could I be a blessing to today? 643 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,400 And then keeping that in the forefront of your mind, I promise they'll be small little 644 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:44,400 opportunities. 645 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,440 It can be something as simple as holding the door open for somebody who's got their arms 646 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:53,600 full behind you or, you know, offering assistance in the grocery store. 647 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:54,600 Somebody's looking for something. 648 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,560 I mean, just simple little things. 649 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:02,160 If you, if you start your day by saying, I want to find ways to be a blessing to somebody 650 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:06,960 else today, I promise you you'll see them and they're just little things. 651 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:11,440 And like you said, like I'm the same way too, where if I hear of a friend who's having a 652 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:18,360 hard day, I'll quick send them a text, you know, I'm praying for you or, or, you know, 653 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:19,360 following up on something. 654 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:21,320 I know that they're having a hard day at work. 655 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:24,960 So, you know, maybe the next morning saying, Hey, how did yesterday go? 656 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:25,960 Is everything okay? 657 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:27,120 Like remembering those things. 658 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,000 Just remembering those things. 659 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:37,680 And, you know, it doesn't, it doesn't take any extra time for us really to do that. 660 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:38,680 Right. 661 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,520 One of my, oh, go ahead. 662 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:41,520 Go ahead. 663 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:42,520 No. 664 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:46,080 One of my favorite things, and it is again, just very easy. 665 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,240 We will think things in our head that are complimentary. 666 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:50,720 Like, Oh, I like that one's purse. 667 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,080 Or look at how cute your shoes are. 668 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,120 Or, and it doesn't have to be about appearance. 669 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:01,120 You can also, there's so many different ways to compliment a person, but I have learned 670 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:06,760 that if I think it, and it's lovely about somebody else, I try really hard to say it, 671 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:07,960 even when they are strangers. 672 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,640 So I have kind of chased somebody down, like in a parking lot, just a little bit, like 673 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:17,520 not in a weird, scary way, but to just say whatever it was, I don't remember if it was 674 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,680 shoes or purse or something. 675 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:28,040 It is incredible how people just light up when you compliment them in some way. 676 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,360 So absolutely. 677 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:33,880 And we all, you know, have insecurities and we, you know, we want to, and we want to hear 678 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:34,880 our name too. 679 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,280 If you know somebody's name, that makes a powerful thing. 680 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:43,480 So yeah, I was thinking, one thing I have acquired from my mother who acquired my grandmother 681 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:48,160 is sending notes, just a card, just some love. 682 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:52,080 And I remember one day, it was in February, several years ago, I was just having a bad 683 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:53,080 day. 684 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,360 I think it was during 20, no, 2021. 685 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:56,360 I don't know. 686 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:58,120 It was just a really bad day. 687 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,360 And almost to the point like almost get back in bed and get out the other side kind of 688 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:02,360 thing. 689 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,640 And so I went to dollar store and bought a whole bunch of Valentine's cards and I just 690 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,040 sent them out to a ton of people and just blessed them. 691 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,920 And so sometimes, you know, when you're having a bad day to bless somebody else, and I had 692 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,720 this thought, I've never thought this thought until yesterday. 693 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:18,360 You know, how much fun is it to get good mail? 694 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:22,520 You know, handwritten, a card, I tried to put a sticker on it. 695 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:28,320 I pay attention to the stamps I buy, not that anybody else does the pen I use. 696 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,280 And I was walking my dog yesterday and the mailman was dropping off mail to somebody 697 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:36,600 and the woman, I just heard from a distance, she said, oh, it's just probably bills and 698 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,480 junk. 699 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:42,560 And the thought hit my head like, and I was going to ask the mailman, but he was too far 700 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:50,720 ahead, I'm like, does it give male men, women joy to see fun mail come in the mail and not 701 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:53,760 just bills and junk? 702 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,120 Like, you know, I never had that thought, but I'm thinking, you know, if that if you're 703 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:03,480 delivering mail and I mean, they're delivering junk 90% of the time in my, I live in a condo 704 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:08,960 in my building, there's the mailroom and there's a trash can and you literally go and throw 705 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:14,400 your mail right in the trash and that's his job and that's their livelihood. 706 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,760 And hopefully they feel like they're making a difference. 707 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:17,760 Yeah. 708 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:22,080 But, you know, we need to spread some more love notes to people. 709 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:23,080 We do. 710 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,440 Just joy in giving back. 711 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,040 So that's what I'm going to be committed to now. 712 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,960 And I often go to the dollar store or Trader Joe's, I don't know if you guys have Trader 713 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,840 Joe's, they have the best cards now, don't ever go to Target and buy cards because they 714 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,720 cost you an arm and a leg, but I buy cards and just keep them. 715 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:43,320 And then when somebody pops in my head, I'll just send the cards. 716 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,720 Yes, such a good idea. 717 00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:46,720 Yeah. 718 00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:47,920 Oh my gosh, we could talk forever. 719 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,400 I'm so glad I feel like I have two new friends. 720 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:51,400 You do. 721 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:52,400 Yay. 722 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:54,600 I can't wait to follow all the stuff you guys do. 723 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:58,800 So I don't want to have this going forever, but I always end with how would you encourage 724 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:06,720 somebody else to say why not today and do the thing, write the book, compliment the person, 725 00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:08,720 do the kindness. 726 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:12,280 Yeah, I would say start where you're at. 727 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,600 You know, just take one step, whatever that is. 728 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:17,000 It doesn't have to be huge. 729 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,840 It doesn't have to be, I think sometimes we get overwhelmed when we think about an entire 730 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:22,440 process. 731 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:26,680 And so if you break it down and you're just like, what's one thing I can do today towards 732 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:33,440 this goal, whatever that goal is, and taking that one step, I love that phrase, why not 733 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:34,440 today? 734 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:41,640 Because I think if you say that to yourself often, you'll look back after six months or 735 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:46,000 a year and be like, wow, I've taken a lot of steps. 736 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,280 But it starts with just that first one. 737 00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:52,240 And going back to what we said at the beginning, just being willing to do it afraid, it's okay 738 00:39:52,240 --> 00:39:53,720 if you're afraid. 739 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:55,560 You can still take that step. 740 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:56,560 Absolutely. 741 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,840 I would say do it imperfectly. 742 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:01,520 Don't wait for perfection. 743 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:03,440 You're going to learn so much. 744 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:04,560 So just start. 745 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:05,720 And it doesn't have to be beautiful. 746 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:13,280 In fact, it can look terrible or be written badly or just start. 747 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,280 And then in a year, in six months, like Kendra said, even in three weeks, you're going to 748 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:21,640 look back and you're going to see the growth that you have had individually. 749 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,280 And it's going to be incredible. 750 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,560 So just your personal perfection. 751 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:28,560 It wasn't perfect. 752 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:32,280 And my first podcast was not perfect, but I did it. 753 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,840 We're at 50-some episodes now. 754 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,880 So just doing it. 755 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:38,880 I love that. 756 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:43,520 So I always try in the podcast as I talk to people, tie it back to my dad. 757 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:44,920 And people are like, I never met your dad. 758 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:48,200 And I'm like, no, but what are the things that you guys said? 759 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,880 So Julie, you said something and I didn't write it down, so it kind of left my brain. 760 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,640 But there was a connection. 761 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:58,280 But Kendra, what you said is your kids. 762 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,120 I'm one of six kids. 763 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:03,240 And we're not all from the same parents. 764 00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:04,320 People always ask me that. 765 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,480 And there's eight, it's not as big of a gap, but there is 18 years difference. 766 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,760 My younger sister is 18 years younger than me. 767 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,440 So, yeah, it's a big family. 768 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:14,440 I love it. 769 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:16,720 But it'll come to me as soon as we stop the recording. 770 00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:17,720 Julie, I'll sign you. 771 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:18,720 That's okay. 772 00:41:18,720 --> 00:41:23,840 So, well, thank you guys for being on and being so spontaneous. 773 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:27,280 And let's spend some random acts of kindness to people. 774 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:31,240 And if you guys want the books, they're on Amazon, obviously. 775 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:32,240 Barnes & Noble. 776 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:35,880 Eventually, I've had so many authors on my podcast that eventually I'm going to have 777 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:40,720 a link on my website, all the book and how you get them. 778 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:42,640 Another thing I have to figure out. 779 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:44,440 But thank you guys for being my guests. 780 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:48,040 Thank you all our listeners for listening and for watching the podcast. 781 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:52,120 We are celebrating two years and less than a month, which is exciting. 782 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:56,040 So remember, you can always follow the podcast at whynottodaypodcast.com. 783 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:58,200 We started a new Facebook group. 784 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:02,560 It's called the Why Not Today Community, where we share and build each other up. 785 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:06,640 And you can always get Why Not Today swag like t-shirts and cups from the website. 786 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,040 And there's always Courage Coat quotes on there. 787 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:13,760 So, thanks again, you guys, for being our guests and everybody for watching and listening. 788 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:20,280 And remember, say Why Not Today.