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Speaker 1: We had Mike five hundred and eighty individuals who volunteered

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Speaker 1: with us. Many of those come more than once, and

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Speaker 1: some are just like a student group that might have come.

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Speaker 1: And then the year before with six hundred and seventeen. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's a true army. Yes, I love that word. And

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Speaker 1: then we celebrated in April of this year, we delivered

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Speaker 1: our twenty fifth thousand arrangement.

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Speaker 2: Twenty five thousand forget the flowers, twenty five thousand interactions

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Speaker 2: with people who desperately need human connection, need.

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Speaker 3: To be reminded.

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Speaker 1: Then, Yes, you are loved that someone thought of you,

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Speaker 1: someone took the time to create this just for you.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney.

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Speaker 2: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father,

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Speaker 2: I'm an entrepreneur, and I've been a football coach in

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Speaker 2: Inner City Memphis. That last part somehow led to an

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Speaker 2: oscar for a movie that most made about our team.

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Speaker 2: It's called Undefeated. I believe our country's problems are never

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Speaker 2: going to be solved by a bunch of fancy people

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Speaker 2: and nice suits using big words that nobody ever really

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Speaker 2: uses on Cinn in Fox, but rather by an army

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Speaker 2: of normal folks. That's us, just you and me deciding, Hey,

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Speaker 2: you know what, maybe I can help. That's exactly what

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Speaker 2: Stephanie Simpson, the voice you just heard, has done. This.

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Speaker 2: Gal decided to take all of those wedding and event

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Speaker 2: flowers that people take home or throwing the dumpster when

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Speaker 2: the event or wedding is over, and repurpose them into

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Speaker 2: arrangements for senior living facilities, schools, cancer patients, and pretty

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Speaker 2: much anybody else who could use little kindness and joy.

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Speaker 2: And her nonprofit nine oh one POP, which stands for

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Speaker 2: Pedals of Purpose, has delivered get this, over twenty five

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Speaker 2: thousand of these arrangements. I just can't wait for you

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Speaker 2: to meet Stephanie right after these brief messages from our

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Speaker 2: general sponsors, Stephanie Simpson, thanks for joining me, How are you?

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Speaker 3: Thanks for having me Bila to be here of it.

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Speaker 2: You know, usually at this point I will say, how

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Speaker 2: is your flight in from Dallas? How is your flight

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Speaker 2: in from Kansas City? How is your flight in from

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Speaker 2: North Carolina? Although I don't know we'll ever get another

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Speaker 2: guest from North Carolina, Alex, We've.

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Speaker 4: Been ripping on North Carolina barbecue. Lately, and it's got

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Speaker 4: like one hundred and twenty thousand views on TikTok.

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Speaker 2: Now it's gotten a little viral, and everybody's beat me up.

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Speaker 2: In fact, one guy said something, and I'm paraphrasing, I

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Speaker 2: wouldn't listen to this guy about barbecue, but maybe let's

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Speaker 2: look at him. Wow, what a jacket?

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Speaker 3: Do you have a donut?

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Speaker 4: Well, Gibsons is here, we're the kids.

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Speaker 2: Donuts are nuts too, so. But the point is I

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Speaker 2: don't have to ask you where you're flewing from because

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Speaker 2: you drove across town.

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Speaker 3: You can ask me how my drive down two forty was,

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Speaker 3: and it was uneventful.

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Speaker 2: That's Stephanie Simpson. Everybody is a Memphian and she has

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Speaker 2: a great story. And we certainly are a national show

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Speaker 2: and not Memphis centric, although I talk about Memphis all

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Speaker 2: the time because my hometown will love it. But one

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Speaker 2: of the reasons we're highlighting Stephanie today is because don't

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Speaker 2: worry about it being Memphis, because what she's come up

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Speaker 2: with and what she's done is literally scalable and doable

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Speaker 2: in any community in the United States. And we hope

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Speaker 2: that some of you inspired by her story and maybe

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Speaker 2: think of a way to do what she does in

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Speaker 2: your area, and we'll get to that. Stephanie is the

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Speaker 2: founder and president of Not a One POP and POP

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Speaker 2: is an acronym for pedals of Purpose, which we will

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Speaker 2: get to in a little bit. But first, some of

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Speaker 2: you will remember Jenny Manguno. I always have a problem

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Speaker 2: with her last name. Jenny is the teacher at Briar

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Speaker 2: Crest who used an army of normal folks for her

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Speaker 2: leadership class.

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Speaker 4: I'm my oral communications.

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Speaker 2: Oral communications class, been teaching forever and Jenny told us

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Speaker 2: about Stephanie, and so yet again, a shout out to

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Speaker 2: army member and listener and also guest Jenny Manguno for

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Speaker 2: suggesting Stephanie to us, And like we always ask, you,

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Speaker 2: send us ideas, tell us stories. Alex will look into

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Speaker 2: them and if we think they have a purposeful value

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Speaker 2: for the show, we will bring them in and talk

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Speaker 2: to him and stay Ephany is.

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Speaker 4: Stephanie doesn't suck? We Apparently Stephanie doesn't suck.

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Speaker 2: Apparently Stephanie does not suck.

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Speaker 3: Y'all make that decision afterward.

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Speaker 2: I guess I don't know, So tell me.

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Speaker 3: About you at a left field. Wasn't expecting it. I

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Speaker 3: had left my former job a great terms.

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Speaker 1: This was an opportunity that I just was excited about

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Speaker 1: and I couldn't miss. And six months after joining the

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Speaker 1: staff at New South, I was diagnosed.

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Speaker 3: With breast cancer at forty one. No clue that that

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Speaker 3: was even a possibility.

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Speaker 1: Second Mamma gram ever, just I'm a rule follower, No

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Speaker 1: just you know, went in second Mamma Graham. Ever, because

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Speaker 1: I'm a real follower. You're supposed to get your Mammograham

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Speaker 1: after you turn forty, And actually no one even knew

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Speaker 1: that had been called back for a second appointment.

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Speaker 3: I was just doing I was supposed to do.

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Speaker 1: I was kind of a jerk when they said where

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Speaker 1: do you want to go for your and I was like, how.

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Speaker 3: Close can it be to my office? I don't want

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Speaker 3: to spend a lot of time? How quick? And it wasn't.

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Speaker 1: I was actually writing thank you notes because I was

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Speaker 1: chairing a fundraiser for the Women's Foundation while I was

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Speaker 1: in the lobby, because I didn't.

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Speaker 3: Want to waste a minute, you know, while I'm waiting.

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Speaker 1: And it wasn't until all of a sudden she kind

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Speaker 1: of pauses and I'm like, wait, are you.

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Speaker 3: Seeing something, you know, in forty one.

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Speaker 1: So I left there and called my mom and said,

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Speaker 1: don't freak out. I've just had you know, a second

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Speaker 1: mammogram and it's probably breast cancer, but we don't know

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Speaker 1: anything yet. So I'm telling my mom that, yeah, she

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Speaker 1: didn't even know. Well, I mean, because I was more worried,

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Speaker 1: I hadn't even told them. So that was in October

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Speaker 1: of twenty sixteen, so kind of didn't have a lot

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Speaker 1: of time, you know, I was still involved in things,

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Speaker 1: so I mean, I didn't know what that was going

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Speaker 1: to look like when I had that, you know, experience

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Speaker 1: on a Tuesday, I can remember when it was. And

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Speaker 1: so within two days I had had a biopsy at

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Speaker 1: West and knew.

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Speaker 3: What I had.

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Speaker 2: West Cancer Clinic.

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Speaker 3: West Cancer Center here in Memphis.

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Speaker 2: The Course Cancer Center.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it know, it's one of those places that

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Speaker 1: you drive by and you're glad it's here.

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Speaker 3: But really don't want to go there, you know. But

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Speaker 3: fortunately it was right down the street.

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Speaker 1: And so I can talk a lot about that, but

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Speaker 1: I will just say fortunately, even in twenty sixteen, there

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Speaker 1: had been a lot of advancements and treatments, and so

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Speaker 1: within a month a week of Thanksgiving, I had a lupectomy.

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Speaker 1: I missed work for a week, and then I went

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Speaker 1: back to work the next week, and in January, I

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Speaker 1: had like a month worth of radiation every day, so

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Speaker 1: I go at lunch so I would just run out

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Speaker 1: get my radiation. So I'm now nine years out, fortunate,

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Speaker 1: very very grateful that the kind that I had was

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Speaker 1: easy to.

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Speaker 3: Treat, found it early. So yes, sidebar message.

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Speaker 1: Make sure you were following your doctor's orders and you're

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Speaker 1: getting your mammograms for females.

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Speaker 3: And because it made it a really easy pass.

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Speaker 1: So I took medication for five years afterwards, and I

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Speaker 1: still go every year and seem oncologist, I'm sure I'm okay.

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Speaker 1: So that's actually a good part of the story because

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Speaker 1: that's sort of a kind of everything kind of comes

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Speaker 1: to a screeching halt, and it's like what is really

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Speaker 1: important here? You know, Like I'm forty one, I've had

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Speaker 1: a really full life, But you know, Lord, is this

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Speaker 1: really it?

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Speaker 2: Like you know, it did mortality enter your mind?

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Speaker 3: It absolutely did.

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Speaker 1: I mean it makes me cheery talk about it, Like

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Speaker 1: you know, I you know, as a person who has

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Speaker 1: strong faith, you know, you know what you believe but

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Speaker 1: like when you're faced with it at forty one, you're like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: if I really believe this, and I have to believe that,

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Speaker 1: you know, the number of my days on this earth

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Speaker 1: was planned long before I was even here, and I

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Speaker 1: have to accept that, whether I like it or not.

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Speaker 3: And I say all that to say that.

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Speaker 1: Even one of my best friends that was a part

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Speaker 1: of that journey with me passed away of cancer in

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Speaker 1: May of this year, found out fourteen months ago she

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Speaker 1: was a part of my story and never thought, you

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Speaker 1: know that less than ten years later she wouldn't be

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Speaker 1: with us. So you need to hear that because it

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Speaker 1: does change you. Even though I was already giving and

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Speaker 1: wanting to do things to make my world a better place,

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Speaker 1: but when you're.

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Speaker 3: Faced with okay, is this it at forty one? So

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Speaker 3: I was grateful. So it's still very grateful that I.

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Speaker 1: Had the easy kind, that that was a treatable and

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Speaker 1: that I was able to you know, even during that time,

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Speaker 1: I was still involved in community service.

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Speaker 3: I cheered at luncheon.

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Speaker 1: I remember the board chair at Books from Birth had

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Speaker 1: had called me when I told her, you know that

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Speaker 1: I was planning the spring luncheon.

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Speaker 3: Fundraiser, and she was like, do we need to find

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Speaker 3: somebody else to do it.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, I still want to do it because I

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Speaker 1: wanted to feel normal. I wanted to be normal. Never

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Speaker 1: ever do you want to feel normal and get results

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Speaker 1: that are normal until you've been abnormal, you've seen those

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Speaker 1: test results.

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Speaker 3: So so it was.

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Speaker 1: And even in part of my stories, which I'll talk about,

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Speaker 1: my grandparents, you know, were in their late nineties at

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Speaker 1: the time.

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Speaker 3: Of course they knew that here I am.

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Speaker 1: You know, I didn't want them to be worried, you know,

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Speaker 1: about their forty one year old granddaughter.

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Speaker 3: But it does.

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Speaker 1: It does change you when you have that kind of

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Speaker 1: and I never want to forget that feeling. You know,

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Speaker 1: all of a sudden, deep breasts were my best friend.

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Speaker 1: And you know, the traffic that I was complaining about.

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Speaker 3: The week before, it's kind of like a gift. I

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Speaker 3: can pause.

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Speaker 2: I was just about to ask at forty one years old,

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Speaker 2: being faced with that, and you start earlier than most

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Speaker 2: forty one year old, start really considering your own mortality.

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Speaker 2: You know, did did the irritating things irritate less and

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Speaker 2: the important things become more important?

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Speaker 1: I mean again, I saw like waiting in line somewhere

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Speaker 1: and I'm you probably can tell for my personality and

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Speaker 1: like I wanted to use every minute, like don't waste

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Speaker 1: my time? Why does it take you so long to order?

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Speaker 3: You know?

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Speaker 1: And now all of a sudden, it's like, okay, I

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Speaker 1: can breathe, I can like look around and enjoy this

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Speaker 1: moment for a minute, or maybe I follow up and

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Speaker 1: respond to a text that's given.

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Speaker 3: Me a moment to do that.

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Speaker 1: Absolutely, it made you when you start really considering that

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Speaker 1: you know, we're all terminal.

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Speaker 3: We just don't know when that expiration date is. It

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Speaker 3: makes you view the world very differently. So sorry, yeah.

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Speaker 2: Not to be here. Well, no, it's good. It's a

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Speaker 2: really it sets the stage for understanding not on one pop,

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Speaker 2: which is you grow up a really lovely but middle

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Speaker 2: income lifestyle. You go to Memphis, you work hard, you

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Speaker 2: get degrees, You decide you want to be as even

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Speaker 2: as a young person, involved in trying to serve, and

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Speaker 2: you kind of learn how to serve through your time

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Speaker 2: at Junior League where you volunteered, and you work hard

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Speaker 2: at your first job and you take this new job

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Speaker 2: that's obviously a big promotion and you've been in the

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Speaker 2: junior league, and now you're at forty one years old

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Speaker 2: with your new job kind of have quote arrived professionally.

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Speaker 2: You've been involved in the community, you're doing good work there.

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Speaker 2: You've kind of transitioned out of that. You're thinking about

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Speaker 2: what next and then slap and the breaks go on.

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Speaker 3: They have to, right.

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Speaker 2: And now you can considering your immortality, you're considering the future,

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Speaker 2: you're considering your health and it has to have been

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Speaker 2: a moment of reset.

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Speaker 1: It was, and how I dealt with that in addition

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Speaker 1: to you know, obviously the treatment and doing you know,

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Speaker 1: fallowing doctors orders and my wife obviously focusing on that.

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Speaker 1: But I got involved in West Fight On so as

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Speaker 1: heard that and what it's called West fight On shout out.

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Speaker 1: It's it's a fundraiser for West Cancer Center.

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Speaker 2: Makes sense. By the way, that was sincere since we're

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Speaker 2: talking Memphis stuff, I'm gonna go ahead and say this,

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Speaker 2: Doctor Bill West, the founder of West Cancer It was

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Speaker 2: clinic now senator, who incidentally is the son in law

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Speaker 2: of Kevins Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inns. Is one

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Speaker 2: of the finest guys on the face of the planet.

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Speaker 2: He's a personal friend I love him very very much.

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Speaker 2: He has been nothing but kind and generous to me.

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Speaker 2: He started research cancer research many many, many many years

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Speaker 2: ago in the eighties and did cutting edge stuff before

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Speaker 2: anybody else in the country even was doing it right

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Speaker 2: here in Memphis. And the fact that you were treated

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Speaker 2: at West means you were getting the top.

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Speaker 1: Quality, very best at the breast center that he started

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Speaker 1: in memory of his mother who had breast cancer.

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Speaker 2: That's exactly right. Actually, that story is in my book.

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Speaker 2: I interviewed him for Against the Grain and highlighted him

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Speaker 2: for a piece of it, and his most poignant story

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Speaker 2: was why he got into cancer, specifically breast cancer work

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Speaker 2: because of the love and the loss of his mother

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Speaker 2: that he says, in today's world would not have Guilder.

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Speaker 3: So that's why I said, thankful for the.

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Speaker 2: For West Cancer Center. I get it. That's so you

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Speaker 2: did some of that one.

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Speaker 3: So I did that for two years.

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Speaker 1: So in twenty six and twenty seventeen and twenty eighteen,

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Speaker 1: I chaired.

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Speaker 3: That committee that led that fundraiser. That's an annual.

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Speaker 1: Fundraiser, but it's also kind of a call to action

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Speaker 1: for the community to rally around, you know, our cancer

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Speaker 1: fighting spirit. And to develop that and to support those in.

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Speaker 3: Our community at our and have been fighting cancer.

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Speaker 2: We'll be right back. So my way of this introduction

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Speaker 2: and the first the table setting of this, people will think, well,

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Speaker 2: this is a story about breast cancer, but it's not

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Speaker 2: the story of breast cancer. Is what led you to

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Speaker 2: the story of not on onepop And my understanding is

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Speaker 2: you're recovering, starting back to work, and there were some

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Speaker 2: flowers on your desk.

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Speaker 3: Well, this was a little bit later.

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Speaker 1: It's a bit a little bit later, so that would

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Speaker 1: have been twenty So I was diagnosed in twenty sixteen,

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Speaker 1: finished all my treatment, my you know, my radiation in

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Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, and then I continue to take medication and

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Speaker 1: I had you know, checkups and everything, but was basically

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Speaker 1: you know fine after that.

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Speaker 3: So it was actually two years later.

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Speaker 1: So I during that period, you know, I was doing

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Speaker 1: West Fight on in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen. That was

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Speaker 1: sort of my extracurricular focus at cheering that fundraiser and

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Speaker 1: then but yes, I had flowers on my desk, and

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Speaker 1: then twenty nineteen kind of moving on, Yeah, it kind

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Speaker 1: of moved on. I'm not like I'm still doing things.

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Speaker 1: And it's not that I need to do something and

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Speaker 1: move on, but there's there's you know, seasons of different

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Speaker 1: projects and sometimes I'm a you know, you're involved, and

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Speaker 1: then other times you do something and it's time to

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Speaker 1: you know, you pass the baton to somebody else who

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Speaker 1: can do.

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Speaker 3: It bigger and better. You just move it down.

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Speaker 1: So in twenty nineteen, I had actually I was on

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Speaker 1: the Books from Birth, a board which is another local

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Speaker 1: nonprofit that and it's now part of porter Leath that

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Speaker 1: gives every child in Shelby County from birth until here

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Speaker 1: she is five years old a book once a month.

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Speaker 1: You just have to sign up. It's free, but as

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Speaker 1: you know, nothing is really free. Somebody has to raise

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Speaker 1: the funds in the administration. So that is what the

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Speaker 1: Books from Birth organization did. So I had been at

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Speaker 1: our May board meeting and they had given me flowers

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Speaker 1: for like I think I was like board member of

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Speaker 1: the Year or something that year for some work I'd done,

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Speaker 1: and they were on my desk and they just brought

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Speaker 1: me joy.

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Speaker 3: You know, I like having them. I like flowers.

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Speaker 1: Not everybody you know has flowers, not everybody loves them,

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Speaker 1: but they do bring joy having that you know on

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Speaker 1: my work desk, and I just remember, I will often

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Speaker 1: say I felt like it was heaven sent because to

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Speaker 1: give you a little bit of background on that, So

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Speaker 1: at forty one, forty two, forty three, I had two

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Speaker 1: grandparents that were still living. I lost one grandparent when

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Speaker 1: I was in the sixth grade of line cancer, and

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Speaker 1: then I had.

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Speaker 3: My mom's My mom's mom lived with my parents.

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Speaker 1: My dad's mother passed away in twenty fourteen, but my

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Speaker 1: dad's dad lived in Kirby Pines, which is a retirement

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Speaker 1: community that was like ten minutes from where I lived.

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Speaker 1: So as an adult, you know, they were always around.

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Speaker 1: I mean they were around as kids all four but

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Speaker 1: then you know, as a in someone in their forties

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Speaker 1: to have two grandparents who were still a part of

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Speaker 1: my life even in their late nineties. Both of them

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Speaker 1: were my grand was he had just moved to an

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Speaker 1: assisted living before he passed away in twenty when to

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Speaker 1: get my year twenty eighteen and then just that so

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Speaker 1: dad's dad and then my mom's mom died just three

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Speaker 1: months later. So that's a huge adjustment, I mean makes

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Speaker 1: me cheer even talking about that. You know, mom's mom,

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Speaker 1: dad's dad they'd been around my dad and I were

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Speaker 1: my grandfather's primary caretaker. So I was at Kirby Pines.

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Speaker 3: All the time.

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Speaker 2: In Kirby Pines as.

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Speaker 1: Retirement community, so it's a senior living community, starts out

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Speaker 1: with independent living, has all the way you know, nursing home,

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Speaker 1: depending on what the residents need. So it was like

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Speaker 1: that aha moment, you know, So both of them. One

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Speaker 1: died in August in twenty eighteen. One died in November

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Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, and here I am six months later, you know,

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Speaker 1: So that's a big change for our family and those flowers,

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Speaker 1: and it was like having scent of.

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Speaker 3: You know, repurposing flowers.

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Speaker 1: So you know, over the years, is I did events

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Speaker 1: and special functions. You know, I did not want anything

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Speaker 1: to go to waste. I don't want to waste anything.

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Speaker 1: And the flowers, you know, we would take them in,

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Speaker 1: you know, to our family members or use them. I'm

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Speaker 1: just thinking about just random events, you know, give them,

365
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Speaker 1: I take them.

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Speaker 3: To my grandparents or whoever else.

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Speaker 1: And so I immediately text sent a text to my

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Speaker 1: friends said, oh my gosh, like because at this point

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Speaker 1: in my life, I didn't have any major other activities

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Speaker 1: going on.

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Speaker 3: And I she did.

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Speaker 1: She has you know, had like three kids, very very

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Speaker 1: active at the time, but she was interested in this too.

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Speaker 1: And so that that was in May of twenty nineteen,

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Speaker 1: and so the wheels started turning, Like how much.

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Speaker 2: In the wheels were You're looking at those flowers, and

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00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,400
Speaker 2: you're thinking of these people in retiring communities and all

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Speaker 2: over the place that don't have fresh flowers, and you

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Speaker 2: think these flowers could have a second purpose, a second life.

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Speaker 3: But more importantly than the flowers. And here's the special secret. Yes,

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Speaker 3: and I do. Everybody's going to hear this.

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Speaker 1: They're getting into you know, into my head, which is, yes,

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Speaker 1: they're beautiful and they bring me joy. But when you

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Speaker 1: make the connection with my grandparents, you know, it's really

385
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Speaker 1: more about those moments of magic when someone actually brings

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Speaker 1: you flowers and interacts with you. So when a church,

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Speaker 1: my grandfather's church might bring socks to them at the

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Speaker 1: holidays or when they do their visits. Yes, I'm sure

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Speaker 1: he appreciated the socks, but he really appreciated talking about this.

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Speaker 1: You know that somebody thought of me enough or spend

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Speaker 1: their time, you know, somebody these active as they're older,

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Speaker 1: you know, very vibrant lives, doing activities and involved in

393
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Speaker 1: you know, church. Hey, it'll be me hopefully God Winnley

394
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Speaker 1: one day that I lived to be in eighties or

395
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Speaker 1: nineties and in the retirement home, but that somebody goes

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Speaker 1: that extra step to come see me, you know, and

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Speaker 1: they're bringing a treat of some sort. So really, those

398
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Speaker 1: flowers were the vehicle for those human interactions because I realized,

399
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Speaker 1: especially having grandparents in their nineties, that that's what it's about,

400
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,800
Speaker 1: is showing somebody else that they're seen and that they're

401
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Speaker 1: loved and that they're cared for.

402
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Speaker 3: Sorry, I'll take a pause.

403
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Speaker 2: Near So this could be nine to one sop socks

404
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:43,760
Speaker 2: a purpose.

405
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:44,800
Speaker 3: It could be socks.

406
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Speaker 1: It could be even when we were talking to our

407
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Speaker 1: marketing person who helped us pro bono initially, people of purpose.

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Speaker 3: You can make it bigger than nine on one. Pedals

409
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Speaker 3: are purpose.

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Speaker 2: But the vehicle, the vehicle to these interactions is repurposing flowers.

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Speaker 2: And the truth is think of all the way, you know,

412
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Speaker 2: when I've read this, I thought, holy crap, how many

413
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Speaker 2: weddings have I been to that people have spent fifteen

414
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Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars on flowers? More for an eight hour event,

415
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,920
Speaker 2: or a reception or rehearsal, dinner, or even a funeral.

416
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Speaker 2: We do some or I wondered about that. So now

417
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Speaker 2: I can tell you any other place or banquet that

418
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Speaker 2: there's flowers people go. Typically some people may swipe one

419
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Speaker 2: bouquet if.

420
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Speaker 3: They come home, centerpiece, maybe right, whatever.

421
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Speaker 2: But the point is all of those most of that

422
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Speaker 2: stuff goes thrown away.

423
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,520
Speaker 1: The bens, the trash cans, the dumpsters outside, because let's

424
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Speaker 1: think about it. You know, floral designers and florists, Yes,

425
00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,399
Speaker 1: they love flowers, but they don't have the man and

426
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Speaker 1: woman power.

427
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:56,199
Speaker 3: That's not their business.

428
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Speaker 2: Plus, it's not a very good business idea to sell

429
00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,359
Speaker 2: your flowers and then encourage your customers to continue to

430
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Speaker 2: use them. You want to sell more flowers.

431
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Speaker 1: Right, and then also like to do anything, you know,

432
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,800
Speaker 1: philanthropic with them. That's just not their business model they want. Yeah,

433
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Speaker 1: they love I mean, of course they're very happy with us.

434
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Speaker 1: We do that, but you think about it, as you said,

435
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Speaker 1: thousands of dollars. I will tell you, before I even

436
00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,760
Speaker 1: got into this, I had no idea what people were

437
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Speaker 1: spending on flowers.

438
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Speaker 2: I now do some weddings. I now know ridiculous.

439
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,879
Speaker 3: That's a whole another podcast. The wedding is actually I.

440
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Speaker 4: Want to hear with those Stephanie, what's the max that

441
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,640
Speaker 4: you've heard of people spending on flowers that they're wading?

442
00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,640
Speaker 1: Oh gosh, I mean there's some that I don't even

443
00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,520
Speaker 1: know how much they spent. I mean hundreds one of

444
00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:41,359
Speaker 1: the ones we did.

445
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,600
Speaker 3: The foot bill, thousands of yees all we've done one.

446
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,400
Speaker 2: Yes, okay, well that's what that's a whole another world.

447
00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,119
Speaker 3: But we don't get those very often. Think about it.

448
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,359
Speaker 3: We can do more than one in a weekend, so

449
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:55,760
Speaker 3: it really can add up.

450
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:57,840
Speaker 2: I mean, I can tell you so my kids are

451
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,480
Speaker 2: twenty nine, seven, twenty six too, married, one engaged, once feral,

452
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,040
Speaker 2: so I don't know about that one. But the point is, yeah,

453
00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:09,760
Speaker 2: the point is not only in my own children's weddings,

454
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,400
Speaker 2: but because most of my children's best friends, and they're

455
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,320
Speaker 2: massive friends group with four kids, that's a big We've

456
00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,479
Speaker 2: been interacting with many of those kids. So Lisa and

457
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,919
Speaker 2: I have been invited to the weddings. So if you

458
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,040
Speaker 2: add in all the weddings we've been to between our

459
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,880
Speaker 2: own kids and our friends friends' kids and our our

460
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:33,160
Speaker 2: friends children's I mean, we've been weddinged out the last

461
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,119
Speaker 2: eight years. But when I read this, I thought about,

462
00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,199
Speaker 2: holy crap. You could have filled the FedEx's form with

463
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,119
Speaker 2: all these flowers, and I am certain that eighty percent

464
00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,439
Speaker 2: of them went into a garbage can the.

465
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,840
Speaker 3: Dumpstert back because there.

466
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,679
Speaker 2: With a little water and trimming up, they can live

467
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,560
Speaker 2: another week or so. And yes, and why would the

468
00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,800
Speaker 2: floors care if you're taking these things and repurposing for

469
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,000
Speaker 2: people who would never get flowers?

470
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,000
Speaker 1: Virtually, Yeah, they don't care. In fact, we have great relationships.

471
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,640
Speaker 1: You know, Memphis is a big city, but it's also

472
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,479
Speaker 1: a small talent in a lot of ways, and we

473
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,280
Speaker 1: work with a lot of the same ones or even

474
00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,240
Speaker 1: if they're new to us, you know, we're.

475
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,119
Speaker 2: Part of here. So you got your friend, I'm a

476
00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 2: friend that starts at things on my desk. I think

477
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:19,000
Speaker 2: we could do.

478
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,520
Speaker 1: May of twenty nineteen, and so I text her and

479
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,280
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my gosh, like there will start turning.

480
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,600
Speaker 1: I mean, like I'm going home and writing a business plan.

481
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,359
Speaker 1: I've never done that, you know, while background, but I

482
00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,239
Speaker 1: do have business experience and nonprofit but I've never like

483
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,040
Speaker 1: started anything from scratch.

484
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,560
Speaker 3: And so started that summer so called her first.

485
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,639
Speaker 1: And then with strategic and thought about other ladies that

486
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 1: I know in the community who have different skills that

487
00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,119
Speaker 1: I have, who have similar.

488
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:46,520
Speaker 3: Skills that I have.

489
00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,480
Speaker 1: You know, someone who has a financial background as far as.

490
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 3: Like bookkeeping and accounting.

491
00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,680
Speaker 1: And so I brought them all together that June and said,

492
00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 1: all right, here's my idea.

493
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:56,840
Speaker 3: What do y'all think.

494
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,160
Speaker 2: We'll be right back.

495
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,119
Speaker 1: And so, you know some that are very practical is

496
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,800
Speaker 1: I'm just not sure how we're going to get the fly.

497
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,439
Speaker 1: You know, we're already thinking like how are we going

498
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:16,840
Speaker 1: to get them where we need to take them?

499
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:17,719
Speaker 3: And where are we going to do this?

500
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,040
Speaker 2: You need like a hub, right to put all the

501
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:22,320
Speaker 2: flowers into repurposes.

502
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:23,879
Speaker 3: Where are we going to do it? What are we

503
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 3: going to do?

504
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,880
Speaker 2: So it's the flat fatex of flower.

505
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:28,760
Speaker 3: Repros, that's right.

506
00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 1: So we met that June, and then speaking of Manguno

507
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,560
Speaker 1: again once a small community. I knew that her daughter

508
00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,480
Speaker 1: Meredith was getting married in September.

509
00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:41,879
Speaker 3: A couple of us name Meredith Flowers to Swipe. So

510
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:43,960
Speaker 3: we were like, this could be our first one.

511
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,760
Speaker 1: This is June, that's in September, let me see if

512
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:47,720
Speaker 1: they're willing.

513
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 3: To be our guinea pig here.

514
00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,600
Speaker 1: So I sent Meredith and I knew Meredith, and I

515
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,320
Speaker 1: sent our message and said, hey, we're thinking about starting this.

516
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,800
Speaker 1: I know you're wdning since September. Would you be willing

517
00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,320
Speaker 1: to let us do this, you know, repurpose flowers? And

518
00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:00,840
Speaker 1: she says, let me teck with mom. You know she

519
00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,760
Speaker 1: did immediately came back and said yes. So that gave

520
00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:08,399
Speaker 1: us from June until September to figure.

521
00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:08,960
Speaker 2: Out out what we're going to do.

522
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:10,320
Speaker 3: How are we going to make this happen?

523
00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:11,959
Speaker 2: So do we get them, where do we put them,

524
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,840
Speaker 2: where do we do with them? Who do we give

525
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:14,159
Speaker 2: them to?

526
00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:18,520
Speaker 1: Yes, And so we started kind of just making some plans.

527
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:19,040
Speaker 3: That summer.

528
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:22,520
Speaker 1: We actually met with a local floral designer who was

529
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,399
Speaker 1: going to be hers. His name is John Mark Sharp,

530
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 1: who has built an amazing business that August and he

531
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 1: was so kind met with us and said, well you

532
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,280
Speaker 1: should I'm a huge Dollar Tree fan. In my next life,

533
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 1: I'm going to like work in there behind the scenes.

534
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:36,880
Speaker 3: My Dollar Tree.

535
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 1: Lets me go behind to get my vases because they

536
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,040
Speaker 1: really do have the best faces. So he told us

537
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,560
Speaker 1: where you know what kinds of vases to get. Even

538
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,000
Speaker 1: their boxes are good for transport. So we purchased those

539
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,320
Speaker 1: vases and we planned for and so in that September

540
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,080
Speaker 1: of that year, September fourteenth was the alb will always

541
00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:58,880
Speaker 1: remember meredess wedding anniversary because that was the night we.

542
00:26:58,800 --> 00:26:59,880
Speaker 3: Picked up at her reception.

543
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,800
Speaker 1: And I actually live in a condo complex and so

544
00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,960
Speaker 1: we have a big area where you can you can

545
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,040
Speaker 1: rent it, you know, to have parties or anything.

546
00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,199
Speaker 3: So we actually did the flowers there that night. It

547
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:11,840
Speaker 3: was very easy.

548
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,879
Speaker 1: And that night we did them like at midnight. Now

549
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:15,960
Speaker 1: we didn't do that anymore. We just kind of prep them.

550
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,080
Speaker 1: So we didn't we arranged them. We prepared them for

551
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,040
Speaker 1: the next day, and then we delivered them that day

552
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:28,640
Speaker 1: to the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Memphis, which

553
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,120
Speaker 1: is where adults come to Memphis when they have cancer

554
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,560
Speaker 1: treatment here at one of our facilities.

555
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 3: And then we also delivered them.

556
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 1: To Page Robin's Adult Day Center because the groom, Meredi's

557
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,200
Speaker 1: husband's mother was a volunteer there.

558
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,520
Speaker 3: So that's a unique angle of what we do too.

559
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:53,720
Speaker 2: Now, how many individual flower I'm gonna call them arrangements, arrangement,

560
00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:54,400
Speaker 2: It's OK.

561
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,399
Speaker 3: Good, it's impressive.

562
00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,640
Speaker 4: You're a man who does I'm not surprised.

563
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 2: You know a crap about my pedicure.

564
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,480
Speaker 3: Hey, they keep you from getting in grown tonails.

565
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,480
Speaker 2: It's not really that. It's just that I like clean

566
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,000
Speaker 2: feet at Leasta likes clean feet, and candidly I like

567
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,640
Speaker 2: have them rubbed on for about twenty minutes. It's fabulous.

568
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,600
Speaker 3: Yep, I'm a believer to you.

569
00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:21,040
Speaker 2: I'm a believer anyway, how many arrangements that first time

570
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,760
Speaker 2: out of that just one wedding, were you able to delikh?

571
00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,840
Speaker 1: I wish I know top of my head it was park.

572
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,320
Speaker 1: I would say I'm a hundred close, which is.

573
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:33,360
Speaker 2: One hundred relationships you can start to develop one hundred

574
00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,959
Speaker 2: people you are able to bring the proverbial. It doesn't

575
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,720
Speaker 2: matter if it socks or flowers, but one hundred individuals

576
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:46,320
Speaker 2: who are old, lonely, suffering, fighting cancer, or just not

577
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,640
Speaker 2: in their happiest place. That somebody that you don't know

578
00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,440
Speaker 2: gets a small gift. That is, I think you said

579
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,840
Speaker 2: the flowers brought you joy, that you were able to

580
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,520
Speaker 2: bring joy with the flowers, and then actually we spend

581
00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,000
Speaker 2: just a few minutes saying hey, we see you, you're heard,

582
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,800
Speaker 2: you matter. This is for you.

583
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,240
Speaker 3: Just know your thought about right.

584
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,600
Speaker 1: And then another unique angle of what we do is

585
00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 1: we incorporate with each arrangement we have a hainwritten note

586
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,920
Speaker 1: that goes with it. So we say, long after the

587
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,160
Speaker 1: flowers will wilt, they will still have this note of encouragement.

588
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,400
Speaker 1: So we ask the floral donor if they have a

589
00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,000
Speaker 1: message they would like to include with the card.

590
00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,520
Speaker 3: We have the floral donor meaning like.

591
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,880
Speaker 1: The bride, whoever purchases, like the donor whoever gives us

592
00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,320
Speaker 1: the flowers. So we'll say, hey, Meredith, do you have

593
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,080
Speaker 1: a special bibble, verse or quote or inspirational words that

594
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,440
Speaker 1: you want us to include, or here's some standard ones

595
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: that we do.

596
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,480
Speaker 2: So the floral donor gets to put their own liking,

597
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:46,800
Speaker 2: you can.

598
00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:47,360
Speaker 3: Put their notes.

599
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,960
Speaker 1: So we'll put like, we hope these flowers from our

600
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,200
Speaker 1: wedding celebration bring you joy and remind you that you're loved.

601
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,640
Speaker 1: And then Meredith or whoever donates, and we'll put them

602
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,960
Speaker 1: in there. And then we have a whole team of volunteer,

603
00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,520
Speaker 1: many of which well I'll touch on this as part

604
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,280
Speaker 1: of a story two at different points who may not

605
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,760
Speaker 1: be involved in arranging flowers, they may not want to

606
00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,920
Speaker 1: do something on a regular schedule, but they can write

607
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,400
Speaker 1: notes out of their home. Retiree, someone that doesn't live

608
00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 1: near We actually have had volunteer. In fact, I have

609
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,080
Speaker 1: some friends in Greece and just this week I got

610
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,800
Speaker 1: a packet from her son's school. He's even graduated and

611
00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,880
Speaker 1: he's in college in London, and the school still sent

612
00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,560
Speaker 1: me a package of notes from Greece for us to

613
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,080
Speaker 1: put on the bouquets that the students at that school

614
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:38,040
Speaker 1: in Athens wrote. So it's a way, and it's a

615
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,880
Speaker 1: way they can connect. Some of them say greetings from

616
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:41,680
Speaker 1: Greece on them.

617
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:46,400
Speaker 2: So I understand that first night when you collected those

618
00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,440
Speaker 2: first flowers at midnight or whatever, that at six thirty

619
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,760
Speaker 2: am is when you kind of finish screwing around.

620
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,480
Speaker 3: With these flowers. Not that one that was a month later.

621
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:56,600
Speaker 1: I had an experienced the nets may where I took

622
00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:58,280
Speaker 1: on too much and yeah, stayed up all night.

623
00:30:58,520 --> 00:30:59,880
Speaker 3: But I will never forget.

624
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:00,760
Speaker 2: You know.

625
00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:01,320
Speaker 3: There was a.

626
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,560
Speaker 1: Quote because like I said, I live in a community,

627
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,960
Speaker 1: not senior living, although some people might think it is,

628
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,520
Speaker 1: but it used to be seniors there, but it's not now,

629
00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:14,320
Speaker 1: it's independent condos, and we were scurrying. This was a

630
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,120
Speaker 1: month later. I took on way too much. I mean,

631
00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,360
Speaker 1: I didn't know, you know, you're learning at this point.

632
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,040
Speaker 1: And I stayed up literally until six point thirty. And

633
00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,680
Speaker 1: I will never forget my I brought in the team.

634
00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 1: That next day, we were finishing up and my mom

635
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,680
Speaker 1: came over and she says, to the the volunteer friends

636
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,600
Speaker 1: of mine, she said, well, you better say one.

637
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 3: For Stephanie, so when we go visit her in the.

638
00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 1: Hospital, we have one to take to her after not sleeping.

639
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,520
Speaker 1: But that day, I'll never forget one of the daughters

640
00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,520
Speaker 1: of one of my residents, the residents at where I live.

641
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,320
Speaker 1: She was older and she lived a couple of hours above.

642
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,440
Speaker 1: She since passed away. And I said something to the

643
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,520
Speaker 1: effect of, you know, I know, you think I've lost.

644
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,080
Speaker 3: My mind, you know, because here people were in and out.

645
00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,960
Speaker 1: We were finishing this up because we had a delivery

646
00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,400
Speaker 1: that afternoon, and she said, actually, I think you found it.

647
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,200
Speaker 3: And I just thought, wow, like she realized, you know,

648
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:04,080
Speaker 3: what we were doing.

649
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,200
Speaker 1: And on that particular day again I remember very vividly,

650
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,840
Speaker 1: we had some a friend who had a daughter who's

651
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,640
Speaker 1: a girl Scout, and they came and delivered. And this

652
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,000
Speaker 1: was very early, obviously, like a month in and we

653
00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,280
Speaker 1: weren't formal, We didn't have you know, processes, we didn't

654
00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,680
Speaker 1: have a website and so but they helped me deliver

655
00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,000
Speaker 1: that day at a senior living community and my mom

656
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,680
Speaker 1: and I went to Baptist Hospice at the hospice home

657
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,000
Speaker 1: and did the rest and I have some pictures from

658
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,560
Speaker 1: that day because the flowers were just exceptionally beautiful. But

659
00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,080
Speaker 1: that experience, it was truly holy ground. Going in there

660
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,000
Speaker 1: with my mom, who is kind of introverted. You know,

661
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,640
Speaker 1: she's not going to be in the front center like

662
00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,880
Speaker 1: I'm willing to do, but she's gone along to help

663
00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,600
Speaker 1: me finish up that day and to go into those

664
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,920
Speaker 1: rooms and to deliver those flowers to the to the residents,

665
00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,000
Speaker 1: and oftentimes the family members were right there and it

666
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,880
Speaker 1: meant obviously more to them to have that experience was

667
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:57,760
Speaker 1: very powerful.

668
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 2: So that was four years ago.

669
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,320
Speaker 1: It was actually will we sixth this fall, It was

670
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,600
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, So that was the fall of twenty nineteen.

671
00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,920
Speaker 2: You're probably six years uh huh.

672
00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 1: Let me also say I'm probably one of the only

673
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,600
Speaker 1: people that would ever say sorry, I'm hitting the table,

674
00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,760
Speaker 1: probably one of the only people that would say the pandemic.

675
00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,840
Speaker 1: Obviously not thankful for it, but it was a gift

676
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,120
Speaker 1: for this baby nonprofit because it gave us a chance

677
00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,000
Speaker 1: to pause because we were growing. You know, we had

678
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:29,920
Speaker 1: about six months in.

679
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,600
Speaker 2: That's why I was going to ask you you to start.

680
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:37,200
Speaker 2: You were like six to ten people, right, that's why

681
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:38,520
Speaker 2: you're up till six thirty.

682
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:39,560
Speaker 3: Cause you didn't know what you were doing.

683
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. And then the pandemic happens and gives

684
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,400
Speaker 2: you a chance to say, this thing has wheels, but

685
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,240
Speaker 2: we need to reassess how we're doing this.

686
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,960
Speaker 3: Exactly, and it gave us what we did. We pivoted.

687
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:52,320
Speaker 3: Everybody loved that word.

688
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,760
Speaker 1: But we did do We had students that were at

689
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,400
Speaker 1: home and so we would have groups that would you know,

690
00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 1: in individuals that wanted to do something.

691
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 3: So we did do some paper flowers.

692
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 1: That gave us the opportunity, you know, for kids to

693
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,480
Speaker 1: have any volunteers, to have something to do that's meaningful service.

694
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,080
Speaker 2: There's not a wedding scorce service.

695
00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:13,279
Speaker 1: There were not many weddings Obviously the wedding stops, I

696
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:14,040
Speaker 1: will say.

697
00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:15,799
Speaker 3: In twenty twenty one, twenty twenty.

698
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,680
Speaker 1: Was hard, but they did pick up a little bit

699
00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:19,759
Speaker 1: into you know, every now and then people would have.

700
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:21,840
Speaker 3: Some and have limited that we picked up with. But

701
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:22,839
Speaker 3: it gave us a chance.

702
00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,200
Speaker 1: We did kind of catch our breath because, you know,

703
00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,960
Speaker 1: at the same time you're doing your operations, you're also

704
00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 1: i mean, it's a it's a business, it's a nonprofit,

705
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,560
Speaker 1: so you have to have filings. And I had to

706
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,520
Speaker 1: file the five O one C three And yes, I'm

707
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,920
Speaker 1: a trained attorney, but I'd never done that before and

708
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:39,840
Speaker 1: so I had to figure out I did it. I

709
00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,759
Speaker 1: had help from someone who'd done it before. But yeah,

710
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,560
Speaker 1: so getting you know, because you really need a five

711
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,920
Speaker 1: O one C three to raise the funds to pay for.

712
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:50,000
Speaker 3: The operational expenses.

713
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,280
Speaker 1: So here we're trying to figure out how to form

714
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:58,400
Speaker 1: this organization from a you know, leadership and structure perspective,

715
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:02,200
Speaker 1: at the same time taking the weddings and every.

716
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:02,920
Speaker 3: Purpose in the farmers.

717
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:24,520
Speaker 2: We'll be right back. We often say, almost every time

718
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:29,960
Speaker 2: we say that the magic happens when a passion and

719
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:36,040
Speaker 2: an ability intersect with an opportunity of need and you are,

720
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:42,120
Speaker 2: clearly because of your grandparents, passionate about understanding that people

721
00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:45,359
Speaker 2: need to be seen, felt an heard, and you saw

722
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:49,240
Speaker 2: an opportunity in a hole to fill and you used

723
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,040
Speaker 2: you and your volunteer's talents to fill it. I mean,

724
00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:56,799
Speaker 2: that's it. Nobody invited you. You weren't some mega rich

725
00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:58,399
Speaker 2: person with some big friend.

726
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,480
Speaker 1: And I'm still looking for those people, by the way

727
00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,719
Speaker 1: to support us financially. So if they're out there, yes

728
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:05,080
Speaker 1: we will take the funds.

729
00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,399
Speaker 3: But the point is, I get it right.

730
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,120
Speaker 2: You saw it and you went after it. And those

731
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:18,440
Speaker 2: six volunteers taking Jenny's daughter's flowers and making sixty to

732
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:23,040
Speaker 2: eighty arrangements, and given you now have how many.

733
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,120
Speaker 1: Volunteers, well, and I was looking at our record last year,

734
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,640
Speaker 1: and I would say we probably had more, but we'd

735
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,040
Speaker 1: do a pretty good job of keeping up.

736
00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,759
Speaker 3: We had like five hundred and eighty individuals who volunteered

737
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:34,120
Speaker 3: with us.

738
00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,759
Speaker 1: Many of those come more than once, and some are

739
00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:38,719
Speaker 1: just like a student group that might have come. And

740
00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,879
Speaker 1: then the year before was six hundred and seventeen. So

741
00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:45,960
Speaker 1: it's yeah, it's a true army. Yes, I love that word.

742
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,640
Speaker 1: And then we celebrated In April of this year, we

743
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 1: delivered our twenty fifth thousandth arrangement.

744
00:36:53,480 --> 00:37:02,120
Speaker 2: Twenty five thousand forget the flowers, twenty five thousand interactions

745
00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,280
Speaker 2: with people who desperately need human connection, need.

746
00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:09,000
Speaker 1: To be reminded that, yes, you are loved, that someone

747
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,879
Speaker 1: thought of you, someone took the time to create this

748
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:12,880
Speaker 1: just for you.

749
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:19,399
Speaker 2: And twenty five thousand arrangements. I'm just gonna say, if

750
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 2: you went to a florist and bolt an arrangement, I

751
00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,640
Speaker 2: would say, a decent arrangement or to florish is gonna

752
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:29,480
Speaker 2: be thirty bucks?

753
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:31,439
Speaker 3: Rye ours aren't that big usually spend?

754
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:33,480
Speaker 2: What do you think I mean?

755
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:37,520
Speaker 1: I would say you could at a very conservative like,

756
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,600
Speaker 1: we're volunteers. We're not some aer better than others depending

757
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:42,759
Speaker 1: on who's doing it, but we don't care. We love

758
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:45,759
Speaker 1: everybody on the beholder. So if you even did fifteen

759
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,399
Speaker 1: or twenty each, look at what.

760
00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:52,719
Speaker 2: That I'm seventeen fifty Okay, all right, So seventeen fifty

761
00:37:54,000 --> 00:38:00,000
Speaker 2: Tom's twenty five thousand dollars is almost a half million bucks.

762
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:02,880
Speaker 3: On a very shoe string budget, let.

763
00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:05,560
Speaker 2: Me tell you, but it's a half million dollars that

764
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:09,600
Speaker 2: would ended up in the garbage that is now brightening yours,

765
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:13,440
Speaker 2: bringing joy to some people and being used as a

766
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,400
Speaker 2: vehicle for those people to have further joy with the

767
00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:20,319
Speaker 2: human connection, all because you looked up and saw those

768
00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,760
Speaker 2: followers on your desk and called a buddy.

769
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,760
Speaker 3: Totally simple, It's yeah, very normal.

770
00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:28,680
Speaker 2: Why can't anybody in any city do this?

771
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:30,919
Speaker 3: They can, and so I'm glad you said that. So

772
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:31,440
Speaker 3: I have.

773
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,200
Speaker 1: There are some other and I'm in a little group

774
00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:36,840
Speaker 1: because we found each other. They find us on social media.

775
00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:40,800
Speaker 1: There's one in Knoxville, Tennessee called Random Acts of Flowers

776
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,880
Speaker 1: that's much larger. We're not there yet. We don't have

777
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:45,840
Speaker 1: any paid staff. We'd love to get.

778
00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:46,359
Speaker 3: There one day.

779
00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:48,560
Speaker 1: You know, it's a balance when you work full time

780
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,480
Speaker 1: and all my leaders, it'd be nice.

781
00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,320
Speaker 2: For you to have an executive director eventually.

782
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,480
Speaker 1: Yes, I would love to or even start small with

783
00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:56,480
Speaker 1: an operation manager because we are limited.

784
00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:58,400
Speaker 3: I mean we have I'm being honest.

785
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,960
Speaker 1: We have more requests then we can take because of

786
00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,719
Speaker 1: our structure, because we're all volunteers, and we have more

787
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,400
Speaker 1: volunteers I mean, our shifts to range and they like

788
00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,120
Speaker 1: I sent it out last Thursday night and it fills

789
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,160
Speaker 1: up immediately. I mean people want the opportunity, they like

790
00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,200
Speaker 1: doing it. And I will also say what's been unique,

791
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:21,120
Speaker 1: and I was not expecting this, but we have provided

792
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:25,279
Speaker 1: a sense of community within our group, within our organization.

793
00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:26,680
Speaker 3: We call us a community of care.

794
00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,080
Speaker 1: But there have been individuals that would have never met

795
00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:32,399
Speaker 1: that we're arranging flowers together and have become really good

796
00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,920
Speaker 1: friends and so doing something for others. There's a mental

797
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,239
Speaker 1: health component, not just for the recipients, but also for

798
00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,200
Speaker 1: our volunteers. And what I also love, I think.

799
00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,680
Speaker 2: That's universal in any volunteer.

800
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:46,719
Speaker 3: Of philanthropic thing, for sure.

801
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,799
Speaker 2: Build a community of like minded people, for sure. And

802
00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:54,359
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, race and politics and what's on

803
00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,719
Speaker 2: Fox and CNN and all the crap, all of a sudden.

804
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,360
Speaker 3: Just doesn't doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I don't.

805
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,759
Speaker 2: Care how you vote, how you worship, who you love,

806
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,360
Speaker 2: or what you look like. If you're going to stand

807
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,279
Speaker 2: next to me and clip flowers to help somebody that's

808
00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:11,399
Speaker 2: not as fortunates us because you have a good heart,

809
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,879
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, don't give a crap about any

810
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:15,000
Speaker 2: of that exactly.

811
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,799
Speaker 1: And then the other thing, this is somewhat unique. I

812
00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:21,719
Speaker 1: totally agree with you on that point. Is we are

813
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,279
Speaker 1: we really like that we can involve.

814
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:25,800
Speaker 3: All ages and stages of life.

815
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,680
Speaker 1: So think about nonprofits and you know, usually it's tailored

816
00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:31,520
Speaker 1: toward a certain age or group or life experience or

817
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:36,240
Speaker 1: what you're interested in, gender, you know, but we involve children.

818
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:38,680
Speaker 3: In fact, you know a lot of times when kids.

819
00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:40,799
Speaker 1: Do volunteer work, it's one of these things where they're

820
00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:43,000
Speaker 1: drug to do it with their family or their you know.

821
00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:45,600
Speaker 1: Now we'll say like ringing the bell, Yes that's important

822
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:47,920
Speaker 1: with the Salvation Army because the kids are an active

823
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:51,320
Speaker 1: part of that. But there are very few opportunities where

824
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,640
Speaker 1: the children that are involved have an important role. Let's

825
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,680
Speaker 1: just be honest. You know, they're doing it and our world,

826
00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,160
Speaker 1: they're the most important. When we go into like a

827
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,319
Speaker 1: senior living community, yeah, they're happy to see anyone that's

828
00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:06,319
Speaker 1: come to see them, But when you see that four

829
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:10,040
Speaker 1: year old, that six year old, that fifth grader, and

830
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:14,360
Speaker 1: how much it is just amazing to see how important

831
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,600
Speaker 1: those students, those kids feel because their job is important.

832
00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:19,680
Speaker 1: They are important. They're the ones that are knocking on

833
00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 1: the doors, they're the ones going in and I love

834
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,880
Speaker 1: to see. You know, at first they might be a

835
00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,000
Speaker 1: little bit timid, you know, because it's.

836
00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:29,640
Speaker 2: It's something unique.

837
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:30,920
Speaker 3: It is, it's huge.

838
00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:33,760
Speaker 1: I mean, let's think I've not been on my device

839
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,600
Speaker 1: and how long now, you know, the kids are on

840
00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:40,520
Speaker 1: their devices all day. They're not having interpersonal communication like

841
00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:41,200
Speaker 1: we had.

842
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:43,319
Speaker 3: And it's still not easy, you know.

843
00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:46,400
Speaker 1: And so for them to have to have a conversation

844
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,480
Speaker 1: and just a simple hello, I brought these for you.

845
00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:52,920
Speaker 1: I'm a girl scout or and to have a small conversation,

846
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,000
Speaker 1: you know, a simple conversation, it's huge and they love

847
00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:58,320
Speaker 1: it and they're often like we're already finished.

848
00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:01,239
Speaker 3: They love doing it, so that it's been something that I.

849
00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:06,280
Speaker 1: Love that we can truly offer community service opportunities for children,

850
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:10,279
Speaker 1: but we also have opportunities for retirees, for people who

851
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:13,719
Speaker 1: work like me. We have our night owls or a

852
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:15,799
Speaker 1: huge component of what we do. We need people to

853
00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:17,920
Speaker 1: pick up the flowers. So really, you tell me what

854
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:19,320
Speaker 1: you want to do, and if you don't like to

855
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:22,040
Speaker 1: arrange flowers, I got a lot of coordinating behind the

856
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:27,160
Speaker 1: scene work that can be done as well. Website www

857
00:42:27,239 --> 00:42:28,760
Speaker 1: dot nine o one pop dot.

858
00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,960
Speaker 2: Org nine oh one pop dot org pop stands for

859
00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:37,120
Speaker 2: pedals about pedals of purpose. Here's something really interesting that

860
00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:41,120
Speaker 2: Alex threw in here that I think is very important.

861
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:46,000
Speaker 2: And you know, I don't want to be redundant. But

862
00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:48,359
Speaker 2: one of the things that you say you can't live

863
00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:50,000
Speaker 2: without as your paper planner.

864
00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,160
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, sorry, no.

865
00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:53,080
Speaker 4: I put the whole there.

866
00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:56,040
Speaker 2: Hold it. I will let Alex take it from here,

867
00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:57,400
Speaker 2: because he has made fun of me.

868
00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,520
Speaker 4: Well, she's also a girl. That's more of a girl

869
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,520
Speaker 4: thing to like paper plan I'm impressed.

870
00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:03,319
Speaker 2: I think it is an organation thing.

871
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,560
Speaker 4: Just I'm sure did you use a Google calendar outlook

872
00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:07,080
Speaker 4: at all too?

873
00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:08,759
Speaker 3: I really don't use it that much.

874
00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:10,839
Speaker 1: I mean I use it at work a little bit,

875
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:13,160
Speaker 1: just for meetings at work, but like not really.

876
00:43:13,239 --> 00:43:14,480
Speaker 4: Yeah, he doesn't use one at all.

877
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:15,640
Speaker 2: That's what I'm talking about.

878
00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:19,000
Speaker 3: I'm telling you paper calendar. Oh my gosh, I have

879
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:20,680
Speaker 3: the same one every year, same.

880
00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,960
Speaker 2: Formatricity goes out and he doesn't know where to be.

881
00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:24,160
Speaker 2: I don't know.

882
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:25,719
Speaker 3: I can tell you where it is.

883
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:30,320
Speaker 1: And I've often, you know, keeping international paper silvamo in

884
00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:34,879
Speaker 1: business in our community. I often will have printed something. Yeah,

885
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,400
Speaker 1: I will have printed out the directions, you know, so

886
00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,680
Speaker 1: I know where the address is, where I'm going like today,

887
00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:41,560
Speaker 1: in the.

888
00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,480
Speaker 2: In the in the in the little known book called

889
00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:48,360
Speaker 2: Habits of Highly Successful People is paper planners.

890
00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,320
Speaker 4: I'm pretty sure there was an whole book that wasn't.

891
00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:52,880
Speaker 2: I don't even think it exists.

892
00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,520
Speaker 3: It just made it up, good nineties yeah kind of thing.

893
00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,200
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, But I just want to let you know

894
00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:03,800
Speaker 2: I'm a paper planner person too, and the online device

895
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:08,240
Speaker 2: outlook thing, and to be honest with you, nothing works

896
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,440
Speaker 2: as well as my paper. My kids make fun of me.

897
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:13,400
Speaker 2: Alex makes fun of me. And when I noticed the

898
00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,319
Speaker 2: note that you're a paper planner person.

899
00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:16,719
Speaker 3: I thought, well, I'm in good company.

900
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,359
Speaker 2: That's why she's so successful.

901
00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:20,840
Speaker 3: And everything paper planner.

902
00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:25,160
Speaker 2: That's it. Anybody on the board, you want to mention,

903
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,719
Speaker 2: that's really so.

904
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,759
Speaker 1: There were six of us started, Yeah, there were six.

905
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:33,000
Speaker 1: I mean they're all we now have their eighteen of.

906
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:33,560
Speaker 3: Us right now.

907
00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:35,200
Speaker 2: You can't mention six hundred balls.

908
00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:36,719
Speaker 1: I'm not going to mention it, but I will mention

909
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:38,759
Speaker 1: my sidekick. And you know, I've had a lot of

910
00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:41,160
Speaker 1: like almost heres. But she we knew each other from

911
00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:45,439
Speaker 1: the Junior league Kindred Kindred Spirits, and she and all

912
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:47,719
Speaker 1: the ones who helped start were great, but out of

913
00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:49,239
Speaker 1: the six of us, there are two of us now

914
00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,680
Speaker 1: that are still leading insane. Her name is Alison Fondell,

915
00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:56,839
Speaker 1: and we have she has two sons that are one

916
00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,279
Speaker 1: who's going to college this month and then another one

917
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:00,920
Speaker 1: that's going to be a and you're in high school.

918
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,160
Speaker 1: And so she does not work outside the home, but

919
00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:05,840
Speaker 1: her schedule is as you know, for those moms that

920
00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:07,880
Speaker 1: don't work outside the home, A lot of times my

921
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:12,320
Speaker 1: days are much easier than theirs because my wife sitting

922
00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:12,799
Speaker 1: at a desk.

923
00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:17,520
Speaker 2: My wife, my gorgeous, beautiful wife, had three kids in diapers,

924
00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:24,080
Speaker 2: almost pregnant. Uh huh. Just consider pages twenty nine six.

925
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:30,480
Speaker 2: And so those who work inside the home should be

926
00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:33,400
Speaker 2: celebrated because I would have killed myself.

927
00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,200
Speaker 1: So it's been a good balance. So you know, she's

928
00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:38,239
Speaker 1: at home during the day and she does a lot.

929
00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:40,600
Speaker 1: I mean, we balance, I mean, she's the brain power.

930
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:42,160
Speaker 1: We balance each other.

931
00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 3: I'll tell you like and I love.

932
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:47,120
Speaker 1: I mean, oftentimes I'll say, where the group think tank

933
00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:49,680
Speaker 1: of two because we see the world from pretty much

934
00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:52,640
Speaker 1: the same perspective, but we can challenge each other. She

935
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,319
Speaker 1: needs to think and process. I'm usually the one that

936
00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:58,080
Speaker 1: like quickly will make an answer and move on, But

937
00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,000
Speaker 1: you did say something earlier I wanted to go back

938
00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:03,440
Speaker 1: to really quickly about like using our model. There are

939
00:46:03,480 --> 00:46:06,240
Speaker 1: others in this in the country, but since we started,

940
00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,480
Speaker 1: there have been two groups that have started right after us,

941
00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:13,759
Speaker 1: after our model, and one is in fair Hope, Alabama.

942
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,920
Speaker 1: It's called Hope Blooms and a lady that used to

943
00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:20,160
Speaker 1: live here moved down there. She also had breast cancer,

944
00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:22,719
Speaker 1: a unique angle of her.

945
00:46:22,680 --> 00:46:23,720
Speaker 3: Story as well.

946
00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,040
Speaker 1: Yes, she started, so Hope Blooms is just less than

947
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:30,960
Speaker 1: a year, probably younger than we are. And then a

948
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,880
Speaker 1: friend from college who lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, saw the

949
00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:34,880
Speaker 1: power social media.

950
00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,000
Speaker 3: She saw it and had.

951
00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,640
Speaker 1: Moved back to Clarksville not too long before that and

952
00:46:39,719 --> 00:46:41,799
Speaker 1: kind of was at a season in her life where

953
00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:45,040
Speaker 1: she could do something, so she also started one called

954
00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:48,480
Speaker 1: the Bloom Project in Clarksville, Tennessee. I will say, we

955
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:50,840
Speaker 1: do get requests, you know, to help. So what we

956
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,840
Speaker 1: try to do is like answer questions and then have

957
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:56,760
Speaker 1: a couple of times a year offer like a zoom

958
00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:00,400
Speaker 1: webinar so that we can answer them, you know, in person,

959
00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:02,480
Speaker 1: to make it easier but we're always willing to help

960
00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:03,919
Speaker 1: someone that when someone's out.

961
00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:06,400
Speaker 2: There listening to us right now and says, oh my gosh,

962
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,040
Speaker 2: I want to do this in my town of Wichita

963
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:13,719
Speaker 2: or Louisville or Phoenix. We got the website. How do

964
00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:14,399
Speaker 2: they find you?

965
00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,040
Speaker 3: You'll find us on that. You just send us an

966
00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,239
Speaker 3: inquiry and we'll help connect them.

967
00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,520
Speaker 1: We'll answer questions well. Like I said, do a webinar,

968
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:25,719
Speaker 1: do zoom so that they can, you know, learn about us,

969
00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:28,920
Speaker 1: learn how we're structured, and then we're happy to help

970
00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:31,440
Speaker 1: navigate and tell them what's worked well for us.

971
00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:53,839
Speaker 2: We'll be right back. If you happen to be in

972
00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:56,239
Speaker 2: and around this area and you have a banquet, a

973
00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:59,920
Speaker 2: wedding or whatever, don't let the flowers go to us.

974
00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:04,040
Speaker 2: Get in touch with nine on one Pop and let

975
00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,880
Speaker 2: them get the flowers. They've got six hundred volunteers waiting

976
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,839
Speaker 2: to make people smile and to repurpose your heart spent

977
00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:15,000
Speaker 2: money into something very meaningful. How easy is it? Just

978
00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:16,080
Speaker 2: called nine on one Pop.

979
00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:17,719
Speaker 4: Is Molly having her wedding here?

980
00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:21,439
Speaker 3: I think we're going to talk about that. No, Dark,

981
00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:21,920
Speaker 3: we're not.

982
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:23,280
Speaker 2: Going to be here. We're going to be a long

983
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,880
Speaker 2: way away. Yeah, we're going to be in Vegas.

984
00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:27,160
Speaker 4: Are you serious?

985
00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:31,480
Speaker 2: Absolutely serious? Is that your mutual choice?

986
00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:33,960
Speaker 4: She likes Vegas as much as you know.

987
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:40,920
Speaker 2: But she Okay, First of all, Molly is they're they're

988
00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:44,760
Speaker 2: they're they've joined a church in d C. They're doing

989
00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:49,600
Speaker 2: everything right. But like I said, we have all been

990
00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:54,120
Speaker 2: to eight years in their weddings. They're all starting to

991
00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:58,360
Speaker 2: feel very similar. And Molly is a very unique, independent,

992
00:48:58,560 --> 00:48:59,600
Speaker 2: freethinking person.

993
00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:01,400
Speaker 4: She would have loved the big grand wedding.

994
00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:05,160
Speaker 2: We are getting married at the Little White Chapel in

995
00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:10,080
Speaker 2: Vegas by Elvis, and we are jumping in the Thunderbird

996
00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:13,799
Speaker 2: being driven by Elvis to the reception where everybody will

997
00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:20,759
Speaker 2: be in black tie for the celebration. That's what we're doing. Yeah,

998
00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:22,200
Speaker 2: I'm actually looking forward to.

999
00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:25,640
Speaker 3: Ready and going to in a while.

1000
00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:32,000
Speaker 2: Right, it's gonna be hilarious. And they're they're doing all

1001
00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:35,719
Speaker 2: their premarital counseling with the with the pastor and everything else,

1002
00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:38,400
Speaker 2: so it's not like they're just taking a walk on

1003
00:49:38,440 --> 00:49:40,960
Speaker 2: the wild side. But they want something unique and different,

1004
00:49:41,080 --> 00:49:44,080
Speaker 2: and this will be the most unique and different wedding

1005
00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,520
Speaker 2: in a while. So sorry, we can't give you any flowers.

1006
00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:49,560
Speaker 2: That's all right, there'll be some good pictures. So I

1007
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:57,600
Speaker 2: bet so there's that, Stephanie. I love your story because

1008
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:05,600
Speaker 2: it's something that turns waste into beauty. It uses that

1009
00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:11,040
Speaker 2: waste as a vehicle for human connection and kindness, and

1010
00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:15,200
Speaker 2: it's something anybody can do. It can involve any gender,

1011
00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:20,319
Speaker 2: it can involve ages. I love the idea of girl

1012
00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:26,440
Speaker 2: Scouts or Brownie Troops doing it, and and it just

1013
00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:35,200
Speaker 2: crosses all kinds of of of of ability and opportunity.

1014
00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:41,320
Speaker 2: And I think it's just really interesting that the skill

1015
00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:44,680
Speaker 2: set that's pulled us all together is the result of

1016
00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:51,080
Speaker 2: kind of a lifetime that was reset with breast cancer

1017
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:56,200
Speaker 2: and a skill set that was born in that lifetime

1018
00:50:56,320 --> 00:51:02,759
Speaker 2: that then morphed into this. And it feels very purposeful.

1019
00:51:03,719 --> 00:51:05,520
Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you.

1020
00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:11,120
Speaker 2: It is it feels like, you know, maybe this was

1021
00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:17,320
Speaker 2: part of the plan through the whole thing. I think. So, yeah,

1022
00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:19,239
Speaker 2: what else, Alex, same thing from you.

1023
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:23,040
Speaker 4: I'm looking at my notes. I think one thing you

1024
00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:26,879
Speaker 4: didn't say, is you the idea was almost heaven sent.

1025
00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:33,480
Speaker 1: I've said that that was what sent, you know, just

1026
00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:37,759
Speaker 1: thinking about the grandparents and gosh, Jerry, yeah, you know

1027
00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:43,000
Speaker 1: the story it just you know, that's that was the catalyst,

1028
00:51:43,080 --> 00:51:47,600
Speaker 1: and they they were such a special part of my life.

1029
00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:49,719
Speaker 1: It was it's a way that I can honor them

1030
00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:51,080
Speaker 1: and do something.

1031
00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:52,719
Speaker 3: You know, I will tell you it was.

1032
00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:55,200
Speaker 1: Almost an out of body experience when I went back

1033
00:51:55,239 --> 00:51:59,720
Speaker 1: to Kirby Pines to the room where my grandfather had lived,

1034
00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:01,719
Speaker 1: and a lady was in there and so I.

1035
00:52:01,680 --> 00:52:05,960
Speaker 2: Don't anyway able to give her followers in your grandfather's room.

1036
00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:07,400
Speaker 2: How cool was that?

1037
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:10,200
Speaker 3: So that was that was really special, you know, to

1038
00:52:10,239 --> 00:52:10,839
Speaker 3: be able to do that.

1039
00:52:10,960 --> 00:52:14,920
Speaker 1: So it's it is, it's it's emotional because I'm passionate

1040
00:52:14,920 --> 00:52:15,840
Speaker 1: about it because.

1041
00:52:15,560 --> 00:52:17,040
Speaker 3: I think it's meaningful work.

1042
00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:19,880
Speaker 1: And the stories is I think about the kids and

1043
00:52:19,920 --> 00:52:22,760
Speaker 1: the stories they can tell you. They will remember those stories,

1044
00:52:22,800 --> 00:52:26,160
Speaker 1: they will carry that with them, those volunteer experiences.

1045
00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:27,040
Speaker 3: I mean, I think.

1046
00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:29,839
Speaker 1: About one of my friends whose son was interacting with

1047
00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:32,919
Speaker 1: a gentleman at the Ave Maria Home who sits down

1048
00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:34,960
Speaker 1: with them and wants to tap baseball and talk to

1049
00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:37,600
Speaker 1: him about all the stadiums that he had visited and

1050
00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:39,000
Speaker 1: showing him the baseballs.

1051
00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:43,160
Speaker 3: Charlie will never forget that story. And that's what it's about.

1052
00:52:42,960 --> 00:52:47,279
Speaker 1: Is planning those seeds of service at their age and

1053
00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:50,000
Speaker 1: for our retirees, whatever age and stage you're in, that

1054
00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:53,359
Speaker 1: makes you want to do and give, to make where

1055
00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:56,919
Speaker 1: you're planned, and bloom where you're planted, make your world

1056
00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:57,560
Speaker 1: a better place.

1057
00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,759
Speaker 4: It's cool about the Heaven send to a lot of

1058
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:04,200
Speaker 4: guests have mentioned this, like, this idea just like appears

1059
00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:06,719
Speaker 4: in your head, like almost it feels like it's sent

1060
00:53:06,760 --> 00:53:08,560
Speaker 4: from above. And even some of our guests who aren't

1061
00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:10,440
Speaker 4: you know, of Christian faith have even said this, like

1062
00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:13,440
Speaker 4: the idea just appears in their head and what do

1063
00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:16,560
Speaker 4: you do with that? And just our interview this week

1064
00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:20,080
Speaker 4: that Pam Rosner was talking about you can either listen

1065
00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:21,880
Speaker 4: to that nudge or you could ignore it. Or some

1066
00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,000
Speaker 4: people don't even hear it at all because they're just

1067
00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:25,200
Speaker 4: so busy.

1068
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:29,200
Speaker 2: Or still long enough to think through it. Yeah, so

1069
00:53:30,360 --> 00:53:32,640
Speaker 2: Heaven said, have.

1070
00:53:32,719 --> 00:53:34,720
Speaker 4: One more thing, the quote that sums up your life.

1071
00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:38,279
Speaker 4: That's a good quote you talk about.

1072
00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:41,000
Speaker 1: George, And yes, oh my gosh, you're gonna make me

1073
00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:42,440
Speaker 1: say something that I wasn't even prepared.

1074
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:46,680
Speaker 3: It's I know that quote, but like it doesn't sum

1075
00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:49,080
Speaker 3: up your life, it does stant my life. But I

1076
00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:52,400
Speaker 3: like don't have it, you know I do. It's the time.

1077
00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:54,440
Speaker 2: Behind the curtains.

1078
00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:59,439
Speaker 1: That quote you sorry, I read that quote. It can't

1079
00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:03,120
Speaker 1: sort through a courage, you can't serve celebut years make.

1080
00:54:03,040 --> 00:54:03,920
Speaker 3: Your years count.

1081
00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:06,960
Speaker 1: Say it again, don't just count your years, make your

1082
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:11,000
Speaker 1: years count. Or as my grandmother would say, and this

1083
00:54:11,120 --> 00:54:14,160
Speaker 1: was another phrase that I've shared, is you know when

1084
00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:15,960
Speaker 1: you think about you're too busier, what you do, what

1085
00:54:16,120 --> 00:54:16,879
Speaker 1: you want to do?

1086
00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:20,759
Speaker 3: You make time to do what's important to.

1087
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:24,040
Speaker 2: You true and make time for what's important you do.

1088
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:30,680
Speaker 2: So there it is, Stephanie Simpson. Everybody founder and president,

1089
00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:35,080
Speaker 2: not on one pop pedals of purpose, something that anybody

1090
00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:38,399
Speaker 2: can do, get involved in. And I will make one

1091
00:54:38,520 --> 00:54:45,920
Speaker 2: last plea as we close all those old vases in

1092
00:54:45,960 --> 00:54:52,000
Speaker 2: your attic. For sure they're also repurposeful. And the ability

1093
00:54:52,040 --> 00:54:55,799
Speaker 2: to continue to do this and grow it wouldn't take

1094
00:54:55,880 --> 00:54:58,120
Speaker 2: a whole lot of money. So if you're thinking about

1095
00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:01,840
Speaker 2: where to invest in, a philanthropy actually does some great

1096
00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:06,480
Speaker 2: bottom up round work work, I'm sure Stephanie would love

1097
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:11,120
Speaker 2: to pitch you on not a one bop. Absolutely, yeah,

1098
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:15,680
Speaker 2: So that's great, Stephanie, Thanks so much for driving and

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00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:19,200
Speaker 2: telling your story it's awesome and it's a great idea,

1100
00:55:19,320 --> 00:55:21,399
Speaker 2: and you know what, the thing that makes it really

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00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:24,880
Speaker 2: great is this isn't rocket.

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00:55:24,640 --> 00:55:25,640
Speaker 3: Service, not rocket science.

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00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:27,600
Speaker 1: I was about to say, and now often we'll say

1104
00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:29,960
Speaker 1: is I might get stressed about something like we are

1105
00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:31,320
Speaker 1: not carrying hearts and coolers.

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00:55:31,360 --> 00:55:33,600
Speaker 3: They're flowers. It's okay, it's okay.

1107
00:55:33,640 --> 00:55:35,600
Speaker 1: And you know if it doesn't look exactly like I

1108
00:55:35,640 --> 00:55:36,960
Speaker 1: would like it, because I do care.

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00:55:37,080 --> 00:55:37,920
Speaker 3: I do care with them.

1110
00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:40,120
Speaker 2: I'm like, you know what, but you know what, at

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00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:40,880
Speaker 2: the end of the day.

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00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:44,560
Speaker 3: The person doesn't really Yeah that's right.

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00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:46,960
Speaker 2: White sox with a ring around the top or not.

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00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:50,800
Speaker 2: It's really the person delivering the socks. Thing's really all about.

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00:55:51,239 --> 00:55:54,480
Speaker 2: That's it, all right, everybody. Stephanie Simpson not on one Pop.

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00:55:54,560 --> 00:55:56,800
Speaker 3: Stephanie, thanks so thank you so much, Bill.

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00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:04,680
Speaker 2: And thank you for joining us this week. If Stephanie

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00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:07,600
Speaker 2: Simpson has inspired you in general, or better yet, to

1119
00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:13,200
Speaker 2: take action by volunteering or donating with nine A one Pop,

1120
00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:17,720
Speaker 2: or starting something like it in your community, or something

1121
00:56:17,719 --> 00:56:21,160
Speaker 2: else entirely, let me know I really want to hear

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00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:23,440
Speaker 2: about it. You can write me anytime at Bill at

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00:56:23,520 --> 00:56:25,680
Speaker 2: normal Folks dot us, and I swear to you, I

1124
00:56:25,719 --> 00:56:30,799
Speaker 2: will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, guys, please share

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00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:34,560
Speaker 2: it with friends and on social help us grow. Subscribe

1126
00:56:34,640 --> 00:56:38,280
Speaker 2: to the podcast, rate it, review it, Join the army

1127
00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:41,000
Speaker 2: at normal folks dot us, any and all of these

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00:56:41,040 --> 00:56:44,760
Speaker 2: things that will help us grow an army of normal folks.

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00:56:45,120 --> 00:56:49,040
Speaker 2: I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, go do what you

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00:56:49,200 --> 00:56:49,399
Speaker 2: can