1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: This is Donna Jones and you are listening to That's 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 2: just what I needed. Hey, friend, if you've ever been 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: in a conversation where you've walked away thinking, Wow, that 5 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: was just what I needed, you know how life giving 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: that can be, Well, that's what this podcast is all about. 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: We're women who want to know, love, and follow God 8 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: in our real lives, but sometimes wonder just how to 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: do it. So each week we'll talk about what following 10 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: God looks like in the midst of daily demands and 11 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 2: crazy cultural chaos. Because this isn't just what we need, 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 2: it's actually exactly what we need. Welcome to the podcast today. 13 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 2: I am so glad you're here. You are about to 14 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,319 Speaker 2: be blessed by an amazing testimony. My guest today is 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: Sherry Garcia. She's the founder of corn Bread Hustle, a 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: second chance hiring agency. She's placed more than three thousand 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: people and jobs around the country. She consults with Fortune 18 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: five hundred companies. She is an entrepreneur and she has 19 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 2: walked the walk herself from addiction to recovery to success 20 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 2: as an entrepreneur. Help me welcome my guest. Shehery Garcia. 21 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: Well, Cherry welcome to the podcast. 22 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate this. 23 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here. 24 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 2: Okay, Sherry, you have quite the story from addiction, incarceration, 25 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: redemption too now advocacy, entrepreneurship, leadership. So walk us through 26 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: your story. 27 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 3: So. I had a very decent childhood. I was in sports. 28 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 3: My parents they made good money. We lived in a 29 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 3: great neighborhood. But my dad started to behave differently, and 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 3: you know, we just thought maybe it was a head 31 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 3: injury that was rearing its ugly head. When I was 32 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 3: very young, my dad actually tried to take his own 33 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 3: life and that resulted in a head trauma, and so 34 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,119 Speaker 3: his behavior twenty years later, we just thought, like, man, 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 3: maybe something's wrong with him. And I was across the 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 3: street at a neighbor's house one day and he was 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 3: kind of a bad boy. He had already dropped out 38 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: of high school and he was a little older than me, 39 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 3: and he was just like, hey, you know, your dad smokes, right, 40 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 3: And I was like, smokes. He'd never smoked cigarettes because 41 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 3: my dad was pretty religious and strict, and he was like, no, 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 3: he smoked smokes, And I was like weed. And by 43 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 3: this time, I had already been arrested for theft, and 44 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 3: I had already tried smoking weed. For whatever reason, I 45 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: was just really rebellious from the get go. I put 46 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 3: my parents through a lot. But he was like, no, 47 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: your dad smokes meth. And I was like, what's that 48 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 3: And he explained it to me. He was like, it's ice. 49 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 3: It's you know. It makes you feel really productive, makes 50 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 3: you lose weight, makes you feel like super focused. And 51 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 3: I was like, okay, that sounds good and I would 52 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 3: like to try it, but if it's illegal, my dad 53 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 3: is not doing illegal drugs, dude. And he was like, okay, 54 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 3: your dad is mowing the grass at eleven o'clock at 55 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 3: night and it's raining. Your dad is on something. And 56 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 3: so I was just like, I don't think so. But 57 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 3: then it just started making sense. Because I was such 58 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 3: a daddy's girl. I sang along with him to Madonna songs, 59 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 3: I went to every trip he went to AutoZone. I 60 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 3: went to Walmart with him every time he had to 61 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 3: go run an errand I sat out in the garage 62 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 3: while he was changing the oil. But all of those 63 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 3: things started to slip away because he was an addict. 64 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: I just didn't know it, and I felt like I 65 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 3: wanted to get back into the center of his life 66 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 3: because drugs had become the center of his life. Nobody 67 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 3: and the family knew he was using, yet I only did, 68 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 3: and I became his drug dealer so I could be 69 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 3: the center of his life, and I got addicted to it. Honestly, 70 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 3: I went and tried it because I was curious. And 71 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 3: after I tried it, my dad had found out I 72 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 3: was using it because a friend that I introduced it 73 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 3: to her mom got mad and reached out to my dad. Again, 74 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 3: I was the only one that knew my dad was using, 75 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 3: and he tried to punish me and discipline me, and 76 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 3: he was like, well, where'd you find it? And just 77 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 3: so I could call him out, I walked into his 78 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 3: bedroom and lifted his mattress and showed him. I was like, 79 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 3: right here. So that kind of started the journey of 80 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 3: him being like, well, where are you getting it? And 81 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 3: he was getting ripped off bad and just taken advantage 82 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 3: of because it was an older like guy in the suburbs, 83 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,799 Speaker 3: white collar guy, and so I just was like, yeah, 84 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 3: you're paying too much, but. 85 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: Wait, wait, wait, I want to stop you right there. 86 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 2: Because you already said so much. Because you're you know, 87 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 2: middle class living in the suburbs, quote unquote normal family 88 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 2: that you think your dad gets addicted to math, you 89 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 2: find out you try it because somebody is telling you 90 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: all the benefits of it, none of the downside, all 91 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 2: the benefits. You're just a kid, and then you end 92 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 2: up becoming your dad's dealer. But it didn't happen all 93 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 2: at once. This was like bit by bit by, bit 94 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: by bit, right pretty much. 95 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 3: I was around sixteen seventeen ish as this was all 96 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 3: starting to really happen, and I was full blown, even 97 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 3: had my own apartment and had just grew up too fast, 98 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 3: got kicked off the cheerleading team, kicked off the softball team, 99 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,919 Speaker 3: all of it was in trouble for truancy. I was 100 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 3: full blown in the addiction and just not going to 101 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 3: school because I was doing drugs or selling drugs when 102 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 3: I was in my senior year of high school, so 103 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,119 Speaker 3: I was eighteen. I was able to live on my 104 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 3: own and all of that stuff because I turned to 105 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 3: eighteen before we graduated. It was horrible. I was way 106 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 3: too young. I have all these journals I've been journaling 107 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 3: and writing Dear God letters, even though I didn't really. 108 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: I guess I believed because I was writing Dear God letters. 109 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 3: But I was telling God why he didn't love me, 110 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 3: or why I didn't think he existed, or I was 111 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 3: like telling God that the devil's sitting right next to me. 112 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: I know you're sitting behind me, but the devil's right 113 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 3: next to me. Like reading those journal in the trees 114 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 3: are really interesting. But God was always there, and I 115 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 3: can see that fast forward. I did get sober from 116 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 3: meth and the highs and lows of addiction. I seeked 117 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 3: them elsewhere, which wasn't good either. I should have done 118 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 3: like a twelve step program or worked on that trauma 119 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: because a lot of trauma comes with being a seventeen 120 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 3: year old meth dealer. So I ended up going full 121 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 3: throttle into entrepreneurship and success because I was seeking validation 122 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 3: from the world because I didn't know who I was 123 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 3: in crime, and I felt so embarrassed because I went 124 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,799 Speaker 3: from being a cheerleader and having that quote unquote normal 125 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 3: life that you talked about to everyone making rumors. Well 126 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 3: they weren't rumors, they were true, but they were so 127 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 3: horrible that you'd think they're rumors. I guess I just 128 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 3: really so badly wanted to be successful, to prove to 129 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 3: everyone that there was this phrase I used to use, 130 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 3: like hustle until my haters ask if I'm hiring, And 131 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 3: that was just such a bad outlook because there was 132 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 3: nothing fulfilling about that. And I mean, fast forward to today, 133 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 3: I do see people that I used to It was 134 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 3: so crazy. A girl, the first person I ever smoked 135 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 3: crack with. She was much older than me. I only 136 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 3: smoked crack one time. I hated it, but she was 137 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: in my program in one of the jails, and she 138 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: said God had gotten a hold of her and I 139 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 3: couldn't believe she remembered me. She couldn't believe I remembered her. 140 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 3: And I'm like, I'm not gonna ever forget that. That 141 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 3: was crazy. My hair was like standing on top of 142 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 3: my head. But I do get to hire people now 143 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 3: who I once was on the other side of the 144 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 3: railroad tracks with. But it wasn't as fulfilling as I 145 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 3: thought it would be. I was going into it with 146 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 3: a lot of pride and ego, and I was a martyr, 147 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 3: and from my codependent desire of saving my dad, I 148 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 3: started a company, and I have realized that no real 149 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 3: success comes from the desire of impressing others. All I 150 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 3: have to worry about is what God thinks of me, 151 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 3: and if I do that, then I feel a lot 152 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 3: of peace and joy. 153 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, as you were just sharing your story, which I 154 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 2: think is so interesting because most of my listeners probably 155 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 2: know someone, probably even a loved one, who struggles with 156 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 2: some sort of addiction. And the fact that you come 157 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: from just this regular middle class family, you know a 158 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: lot of people can relate to that. But then having 159 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: this ending up addicted. But the shame, like you didn't 160 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 2: use the word shame, but the shame that you felt 161 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: when you were mentioning other people talking about you, the 162 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,599 Speaker 2: shame that that brings. And I think I could be 163 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 2: wrong on this, it's just my take on it. But 164 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 2: when people are experiencing their either their own personal shame 165 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 2: or maybe feeling shame from others, they compensate in one 166 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 2: of two ways, and you did one, which was like, Okay, 167 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: I'm going to hustle till my haters and I prove 168 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 2: them wrong. That's how I'm going to overcome the shame. 169 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 2: Or they just spiral even deeper into darkness because they 170 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 2: don't feel like there's any way out of the shame. 171 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 2: So you ended up becoming this entrepreneur, but still you 172 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: were empty. You were successful but empty. So then how 173 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 2: did you meet the Lord and how did that transform you? 174 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 3: So I had after inventing a product, and I ended 175 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 3: up working with Mark Cuban Companies and helping all of 176 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 3: his shark tent companies get pr and do some marketing 177 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 3: for them. Man, I just really had a blast helping 178 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 3: companies get the word out about whatever their inventions were 179 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 3: or their companies. I also had worked in the newsroom. 180 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 3: I did a whole bunch of stuff, Like I went 181 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 3: crazy trying to like find my place in the world. 182 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 3: I decided to volunteer for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. I 183 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 3: was so happy that there was something that existed like that. 184 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 3: And I didn't go in there feeling like a volunteer. 185 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 3: I didn't go in there feeling like I'm doing good 186 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 3: for these people who need help. I went in there 187 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 3: knowing that I'm going to find gold in this place 188 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 3: because I figured they got to be just like me, 189 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 3: and they're going to do whatever it takes to be successful, 190 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 3: and I'm going to help inspire them to do that. 191 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 3: The problem with that was I was pouring into other 192 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 3: people while filling myself up with alcohol and trying to 193 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 3: fix others to avoid fixing myself. And while I did 194 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 3: help a lot of people, the first person that came 195 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 3: out of prison, he was like, hey, so what do 196 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 3: I do now? And I was like, well, let's get 197 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: you a job. And he was like, well, i'm a fan, 198 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:01,719 Speaker 3: it's going to be hard. And I was like, it's 199 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 3: not going to be hard. I didn't have a college 200 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 3: degree and I got a job in the fifth largest 201 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 3: market in the newsroom. Like, if I can do that, 202 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 3: you can get a job. What do you want to 203 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 3: do And he was like, well, I like to paint murals. 204 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 3: And I was like, really, how did you learn how 205 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 3: to do that? Because he spent twenty years in prison, 206 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 3: and he was like, I taught myself in prison. And 207 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 3: so he showed me some of his work and I 208 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 3: was like, that's amazing. And I was able to show 209 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 3: him Google for the first time ever because this is 210 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 3: ten years ago and he spent twenty years in prison, 211 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 3: so he never used Google. So I said, look, I'm 212 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 3: just going to google mural painting company Dallas, and I 213 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 3: picked up the phone and I called the business owner 214 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 3: and I was just like, hey, I got this guy. 215 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 3: His artwork is fantastic. He wants to just get his 216 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 3: foot in the door. He'll work for ten dollars an hour. 217 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 3: And the guy was just like, what's the catch. And 218 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 3: I was like, well, he just got out of prison 219 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 3: for murder. But he's a big old teddy bear. You 220 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 3: love him. Tell you what, I'll come to the Starbucks 221 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 3: and anyways, long story short, he got hired that day. 222 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 3: Fast forward to today. I get married on Saturday. That 223 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 3: very first placement that I made, He'll be at my wedding. 224 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: So I stay in the lives of these people. I 225 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 3: just don't see them as people that I'm helping because 226 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 3: they need my help. I see them as like my 227 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 3: friends that I really, really truly believe in. If I 228 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 3: didn't believe in them, I would have made this a 229 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 3: non profit. I made it a for profit banking on 230 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,079 Speaker 3: the success of people coming out of prison, which looking back, 231 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 3: I had to be drunk to do that. So that's 232 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 3: the silver lining. 233 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 2: Okay, your story is so crazy in the most beautiful way. 234 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 2: We're gonna take a quick break and when we come back. 235 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 2: I have so many questions for you. Okay, Sherry. So 236 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: the first client that you placed into a job was 237 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 2: not only a felon, he was a murderer, crazy, crazy, 238 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 2: So you place him? Did that then get your wheels 239 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: turning to maybe start helping other people find placement or what? 240 00:12:58,520 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: How did that impact you? 241 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 3: That's when I went to Google, because I was like, 242 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 3: well what do I do? I was like, Oprah, I 243 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 3: was going to every halfway house. I'm like, you get 244 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,719 Speaker 3: a job, you get a job, you get and it 245 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 3: was fun, and I kept placing people and I was like, 246 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 3: this is easy. And I was like, okay, I need 247 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 3: to if I'm going to like do this all day long. 248 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 3: I got to pay my bills somehow, and so I 249 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 3: just googled how to start a staffing agency and there 250 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 3: was a ten step wiki how and everything it said. 251 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 3: I just kept googling and googling and googling. Like it said, 252 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 3: first reach out to HR professionals. I'm like, what does 253 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 3: HR mean? Okay, human resource is cool? What does a 254 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 3: factoring company do? Like? It was telling me I need 255 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 3: a factoring company? So I had to keep googling, and really, 256 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 3: I just googled my way through it. I will tell 257 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 3: you though, the first three years I wasn't successful. I 258 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 3: was just making a whole bunch of noise, kind of 259 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 3: like a piggybank with like a little bit of money 260 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:50,079 Speaker 3: in it. You shake it up. It makes a lot 261 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 3: of noise, but it doesn't much to show for it. 262 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 3: I was an alcoholic. I just didn't know it yet. 263 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 3: I thought that I was just working hard and partying hard. 264 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 3: I thought that it's legal, and I justified it. I 265 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 3: thought to myself, who wouldn't drink? This is a hard job. 266 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 3: But I did get a DWI right in the middle 267 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 3: of the day because I used to drink all day 268 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 3: while I would work. And you'd think that would be 269 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 3: my rock bottom. Well it was, but it wasn't. I 270 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 3: didn't make the decision to stop drinking yet. I got 271 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 3: a breathalyzer in my car, and I just found every 272 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 3: way I could to work around the breathalyzer. I was 273 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 3: trying to control my drinking, but it was controlling me 274 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 3: to the point where if I drank too much one night, 275 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 3: I couldn't take my car to a meeting. But I 276 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 3: had a negative bank account, so I couldn't call an 277 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 3: uber so like I had realized that the alcohol was 278 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 3: controlling me. So Christmas Day of twenty eighteen, that's my soaper. 279 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 3: I'm coming up on seven years of not a drop 280 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 3: of alcohol. I wouldn't have ever expected that, but you 281 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 3: asked how the Lord got a hold of me. About 282 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 3: a week later, New Year's Eve rolled around, and typically 283 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 3: I looked at that as amateur night. I wanted to 284 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 3: at least start the new year with good intentions. So 285 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 3: it was probably the only night of the year I 286 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 3: didn't drink. And since I hadn't drink in a week 287 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 3: and I saw everyone talking about drinking on social media, 288 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 3: it was very triggering for me, and I always had 289 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 3: to just make sure I did something so the sun 290 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 3: would go down. If the sun went down, I made 291 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 3: it another day. That's what had to happen. The sun 292 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 3: had to go down, because as long as the sun 293 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 3: was down, I could just go to bed. 294 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: You mean to get through not drinking, is that what 295 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: you're saying. 296 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 2: So if I can just make it through the day 297 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: till the sun goes down, this day was successful and 298 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 2: I can go to bed and negate the temptation to drink. 299 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 3: Yes, but the sun for whatever reason, it just had 300 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 3: to go down. Because if the sun didn't go down, 301 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 3: I felt like I could still go out and walk 302 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 3: to the bar from my apartment like it was still 303 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 3: happy hour feeling. So it needed to be like eight 304 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 3: o'clock for me to successfully call it a day. And 305 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 3: so I went to a lot of movies. I went 306 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 3: to the movie theater because I'd come out and the 307 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 3: sun was down and New Year's Eve there wasn't a 308 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 3: movie I wanted to watch, and I was just trying 309 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 3: to figure out how am I gonna stay sober till 310 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 3: the sun goes down? And I saw that there was 311 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 3: a church service, and I was like, who in the 312 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 3: heck goes to church on New Year's Eve? And I thought, 313 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 3: I'm gonna go hang out with the lamest people on 314 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 3: the planet. Now, I want to be at church on 315 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 3: New Year's Eve, like I wouldn't want to start my 316 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 3: New year any other way. But at the time, I 317 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 3: was thinking, why would you go to church? Wait, like, 318 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 3: you don't have a problem, You're not an alcoholic, Go 319 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 3: get drunk. Wow, Like what are you doing here? And 320 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 3: so I went and worship was going and I just 321 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 3: felt like I had no relationship with God. So I 322 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 3: was the tech that would just go to church, skip 323 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 3: the warship, come in for this sermon. If it was 324 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 3: good and I felt like it could relate to me 325 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 3: and it inspired me, I'd stick around. But if it 326 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 3: was boring, I'd get up and leave. So I wasn't 327 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 3: at church for God. I was at church for myself. 328 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 3: And so everyone had their hands up in the air 329 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 3: praising God, crying, looking up at the sky, and I 330 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 3: was just like, gosh, these people must be just desperate. 331 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 3: And now I'm like, yeah, we are, and I am 332 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 3: desperate for the Lord. But I was just like, cute 333 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 3: desperate people. You're like reaching for the sky, like looking 334 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 3: for some kind of like whatever. And then I was like, 335 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 3: of course the pastor's asking for money now, and I 336 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 3: just had a very negative outlook. And they played this 337 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 3: song come Alive, Dry Bones, and I never knew what 338 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 3: it meant to fill the Holy Spirit until that moment. 339 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 3: I felt the Holy Spirit and tears just started falling 340 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 3: out of my eyes and I was like, what is 341 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 3: this water coming out of my eyes? And I just 342 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 3: had this feeling like I have dry bones, like I'm dead. 343 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 3: And the pastor got up on stage and declared it 344 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 3: to be the year of second chances, which shocked me 345 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 3: because I was getting ready to be like, I don't 346 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 3: know if I can do this second chance thing anymore. 347 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 3: And then he said, I'm gonna do something that God 348 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 3: just put on my heart. My staff is gonna kill me, 349 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 3: my wife is gonna kill me, but I'm gonna do 350 00:17:56,119 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 3: it anyway. How about starting tonight every night for seven nights, 351 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 3: we start the week off doing the same exact thing, 352 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 3: So we start the week off right, so worship all 353 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 3: of it. And I was like, that's excessive, that's dumb. 354 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: But in my mind, I was like that that's seven 355 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 3: more nights sober, that's seven times the sun goes down. 356 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 3: A couple of weeks later, I'm getting ready and I 357 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 3: just felt a nudge to look in my Bible, and 358 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 3: I kept ignoring it. I felt like, is it God? 359 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 3: Is that you? Like? Are you making it easier for 360 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 3: me to not drink right now? 361 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: Like? 362 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 3: Something's different? I feel different, And so I went, I 363 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 3: told God. I did the baby Christian thing. I said, 364 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 3: if you're talking to me right now, just tell me. 365 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 3: I'm going to open up this Bible and I'm going 366 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 3: to point my finger and whatever I land on, if 367 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 3: it's what we both were thinking about, then I'll know that. 368 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 3: You know that I know. And of course I opened 369 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 3: it and I was pointing straight at Proverbs twenty, which 370 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 3: said wine is a mucker, beer is a brawler. Whoever 371 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 3: is led by it is astray. 372 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 2: Wait, what as honestly miraculous of all the verses in 373 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 2: the Bible that you would open and point to that? 374 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 3: I know? But I was mad. I was mad. I 375 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 3: started bawling my head off. I fell to that, like 376 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 3: I even almost cried talking about it still to this day, 377 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 3: because I don't think I ever had any a spiritual 378 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 3: emotional reaction like that. And I was just screaming at 379 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 3: the like screaming at them because at this point, remember 380 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 3: that one time, I was like, are you really real? 381 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 3: Do you really care? At this point, I know you're real. 382 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 3: I know you're watching me, and I know you're powerful, 383 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 3: and you're letting me suffer. Now I was mad at him, 384 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 3: and I was like, then fix me, help me, Like 385 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 3: I was cussing. I was, so I threw the Bible 386 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 3: at the wall and I was just bawling, why are 387 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 3: you making me suffer? Then? Like that's what kept me 388 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 3: sober because I had this invisible person that said I 389 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 3: see you, and so it was like it was my 390 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 3: heavenly Father, my heavenly accountability. He carried me through it. 391 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 3: I cried and suffered a lot, asking him kind of 392 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 3: like Paul asked the Lord to remove the thorn from 393 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 3: his side. But today I'm at a place where I 394 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 3: love this thorn because it's brought me so close to 395 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 3: the Lord. All of my bridesmaids I've meant because of 396 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 3: my recovery. Bridesmaids came from church, bridesmaids came from alcohol 397 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 3: recovery communities. I don't know, I have the best life 398 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 3: in the world because of my alcoholism, and I often think, like, man, 399 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 3: I feel sorry for people who don't have a thorn 400 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 3: in their side where they're forced to get into community 401 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 3: and surrender to God. 402 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 2: This is just the most incredible story, Sherry, on so 403 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 2: many levels because it just shows the tender care of 404 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 2: your heavenly Father. Gosh, she was really reaching out to you, 405 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 2: I mean from you, even just going to that first 406 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 2: church service, to the pastor saying I just I'm going 407 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 2: to do something that God laid on my heart in 408 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 2: the seven days, and then the year of second Chances, 409 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: and then the opening your Bible, and I mean God 410 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 2: was really at work. But then community, the power of community. 411 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 2: So talk to us a little bit about like if 412 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 2: somebody's listening right now, and maybe they are in your situation, 413 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 2: maybe no one knows they're listening to this, and they're like, 414 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 2: I'm an alcoholic. 415 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: I think I'm an alcoholic. 416 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 2: Maybe they haven't even admitted it even to themselves until 417 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: right this very minute. Or maybe it's drugs, you know, 418 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 2: maybe it's meth or maybe it's prescription drugs, there's something. 419 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 2: Or maybe they have a loved one, a child, a spouse, 420 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 2: a sister, and they're like, yeah, Sherry's story is my 421 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 2: loved one story. What would you say to that person 422 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 2: who either is struggling themselves or has a loved one 423 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 2: who's struggling. 424 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 3: Everyone at some point, I think we're always kind of 425 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 3: going through a season a struggle. It just looks different. 426 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 3: So when I gave up drinking, that was just the 427 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 3: prerequisite of everything else, Like I had to give up 428 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 3: alcohol so my wifi's signal was stronger to heaven so 429 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 3: I could work on the other stuff. And after getting sober, 430 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 3: like I had to then look at my choice of 431 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 3: men and cut off toxic relationships, and I had to 432 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 3: do the twelve steps over codependency. A lot of people 433 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 3: think codependency is just letting your boyfriend run all over you. No, 434 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 3: codependency can be simply people pleasing, putting other people's needs 435 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 3: above your own. And so I have to work on 436 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 3: a lot of stuff. Lately, it was trust and surrender. 437 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 3: I was very afraid to get married. I was very afraid. 438 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 3: I felt like if I couldn't trust God with my dad, 439 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 3: how can I trust God with a husband. It was 440 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 3: very very hard for me, and God did chase me 441 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,360 Speaker 3: the way that he chased me with alcohol, which that's 442 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 3: a whole different story. But I would say for anybody listening, 443 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 3: when I was first trying not to drink those thirty 444 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 3: days sober, first of all, I went a whole year 445 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,479 Speaker 3: not even telling anyone out loud. Then whenever I decided 446 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 3: to stop drinking, I told my family. They were like, 447 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 3: huhau hau, yeah, whatever, we'll see you next weekend. I 448 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 3: didn't tell anybody because I didn't know if I wanted 449 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 3: to stay sober forever, and I wasn't ready to admit 450 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 3: I was an alcoholic. I just wanted to be sober, curious. 451 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 3: But the six months of being sober was so oh bad. 452 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 3: I was like suicidal. I hated like I only had 453 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 3: glimpses of peace, and I was not drinking because I 454 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 3: knew drinking would make the anxiety worse. But now I 455 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 3: had to feel all my feelings. So I had two choices, 456 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 3: feel my feelings, which I've never felt since I was 457 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 3: like fourteen, or have anxiety and feeling feelings. I'll choose 458 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 3: all day over anxiety. I hate the feeling of anxiety 459 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 3: and that feeling in your throat and the elephant on 460 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 3: your chest. I hate it. And so I just felt like, God, 461 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 3: I'm not gonna kill myself, but I want to die. 462 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 3: And what it took was community to not feel that way. 463 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 3: I was at an event in this girl. She was 464 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,199 Speaker 3: so pretty and so smart and so successful. She was 465 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 3: a lawyer. We were at a networking event. She was 466 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 3: holding water, and since I'm an alcoholic, I went up 467 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 3: to her and I was like, so you're a drinking water, 468 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 3: what's that all about? And she was like, yeah, I 469 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 3: don't drink. I'm a year sober. And I was like, really, 470 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,679 Speaker 3: a whole year. I couldn't believe it. I was like, so, 471 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 3: not a drop of alcohol and a whole year. I 472 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 3: just couldn't believe it. She was like, can I take 473 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 3: you somewhere? And I was like, sure, of course, anything, 474 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 3: because she had what I wanted. Whatever you do, I 475 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 3: don't care, tell me to stand upside down on my head. 476 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,160 Speaker 3: I want to be like you. And so she took 477 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 3: me to a recovery group, a meeting, and in those 478 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 3: rooms where you have to say hi, my name is 479 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 3: so and so and I'm an alcoholic. I would have 480 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 3: never otherwise ever went myself. I needed to see that 481 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 3: somebody else did it. And now I look at all 482 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 3: the people that are in my life, like for my 483 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 3: wedding this Saturday, we have a giant mocktail bar, and 484 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 3: probably fifty percent of my wedding are sober people, and 485 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 3: we're gonna have the time of our lives. And I 486 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 3: call those like my sunflower sisters, because they say when 487 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 3: the sun goes down, sunflowers turn to each other when 488 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 3: it's dark. And I just really couldn't have done this 489 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 3: without community. Literally, I see I watch alcoholics all the 490 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 3: time try to do it in isolation. It takes a 491 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 3: lot of vulnerability. But if anybody's listening right now and 492 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 3: feels like, hmm, maybe just send me a message anyway 493 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 3: where on any social platform you can find me. It's easy. 494 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 3: I'm all over the internet, even if it's just sending 495 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 3: me a message in the middle. Then I have people 496 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 3: send me messages all the time while they're drinking. And 497 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 3: that's okay because I did that too. I sent a 498 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 3: message to the DWI instructor when I was on probation 499 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 3: and I was just like in the middle of the night, drunk, 500 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 3: telling her she inspired me because she did. She planted 501 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: seeds and inspired me. But I don't know, Like sometimes 502 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 3: I look at my old writings and my old like journaling, 503 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 3: and my desire to quit drinking was always at its 504 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 3: height while I was drunk. If you could believe. 505 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:37,680 Speaker 2: That, that's really interesting, Probably something inside of you knew 506 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 2: there's a better way, There has to be more. 507 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: This is not it. 508 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 2: So I love the fact that you brought up community, 509 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 2: the power of community, and I love that you just 510 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 2: offered for people to DMU contact you because as you 511 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 2: were just telling a story, Sherry, first telling your family 512 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 2: and having your family going yeah, sure, we'll see you. 513 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 2: You know, we'll see you next weekend. Because they were 514 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 2: all a big drinkers, I'm assuming right. 515 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,360 Speaker 3: Well, and like they're not really okay, Sherry, Like good 516 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 3: job giving up met Like meth was one thing. They're like, 517 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 3: We're glad you're not a meth head anymore. But alcohol, come. 518 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 2: On, yeah, and a lot of people will make it 519 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 2: difficult to be sober because it's like, really, that's not 520 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 2: a big deal, and for somebody who's an alcoholic it 521 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 2: is a big deal. 522 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: It is a big deal. So I love that the. 523 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 2: Power of community and even just the power of community, 524 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 2: you know, like you said the church that you stumbled 525 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 2: into that was community from the very beginning. We're just 526 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 2: not meant to do this life alone. So Sherry, your 527 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:41,239 Speaker 2: testimony is just incredible. It really is incredible. And I 528 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 2: love how you God has just walked you through recovery. 529 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: I love what you said about. 530 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 2: Feeling your feelings because I feel like a lot of 531 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 2: people are afraid of that, and so we didn't that 532 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 2: with work, busyness, alcohol, drugs, shopping. I mean, there's a 533 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 2: lot of things that we didn't But you know, you've 534 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 2: found hope and you've found freedom and are continuing too, 535 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 2: like we all are because none of us have arrived. 536 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 2: So as we are just closing off, tell our listeners 537 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 2: how they can contact you and find out all about 538 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 2: what you do and your resources. 539 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 3: I would say the easiest way to contact me is 540 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 3: my website Shary Chaffin c ch E r I c 541 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 3: cha fi n dot com. That's where I put my 542 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 3: writings online and just write about stuff Cornbread Hustle dot com. 543 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 3: But also just search my name. Well it's really Sherry Garcia, 544 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 3: Sherry Chaffin Garcia, but it's gonna change after Saturday. 545 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 2: So okay, and you keep yeah, I know, you kept 546 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 2: mentioning Saturday and I was like, wait, are you getting 547 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 2: married on Saturday? 548 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 3: I'm getting married on Saturday. It's insane this Saturday. 549 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 2: Okay, that is so exciting and okay, so we have 550 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 2: to know this. Okay, what's his name? 551 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,479 Speaker 3: His name's Ben and I met on a Christian dating app. 552 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 3: Oh okay, I love it. 553 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: I love it. And what will your last name be? 554 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:07,360 Speaker 3: Norris? 555 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 2: Oh, Sherry, congratulations on a whole new adventure that you 556 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 2: are about to embark on. So oh, God bless you 557 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 2: and your new marriage. 558 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:20,160 Speaker 1: And he will well. 559 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,959 Speaker 2: Sari, thank you so much for sharing your story. And 560 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 2: I have to tell you, Shery, I don't think I've 561 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 2: ever told a guest this, but for some reason, I 562 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 2: didn't really even know your story. I knew a little 563 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,479 Speaker 2: bit about it before you and I started chatting today, 564 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 2: But from the minute I woke up this morning, you 565 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 2: had been on my heart, and I've been praying for 566 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 2: you today. I've just been really praying that God would 567 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 2: bless you deeply. And I don't know if that's because 568 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 2: you're getting married on Saturday and that's a really big deal, 569 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: but I just want to say that I really I 570 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 2: pray just holy blessings over you and your life and 571 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,959 Speaker 2: this next season that God has brought you to. 572 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: So thank you so much for being on the show. 573 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:02,959 Speaker 3: I think I know why you woke up praying that, 574 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 3: and I'll follow up with you probably in a few 575 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 3: weeks to it, you know. 576 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: Okay, an exciting round two? 577 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 3: Love it all right, Chiguri, Thanks, thank you. Well. 578 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: Wasn't that a great episode? 579 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 3: Wow? 580 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: What a story. 581 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: I'm going to ask you a favor if you know 582 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 2: someone who is struggling with addiction or recovery, or who 583 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 2: has a loved one who is would you share this 584 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 2: podcast with them? It might be just what they needed. 585 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: And as a reminder, I would love to connect with 586 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 2: you on social media. You'll find me at Donna A. 587 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 2: Jones on Instagram or jump over to my website Donna 588 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 2: Jones dot org where you will be able to connect 589 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 2: with me more personally, find out about resources, my speaking schedule, 590 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 2: all the things. So that's Donna Jones dot org and 591 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 2: as always, my friend, I can't wait to see you 592 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 2: next time, for that's just what I needed.