Vicki Reece - Joy of Mom

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We're coming together based on shared needs, interests, and they're universal, but they're very intimate and personal.

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Was there a moment when you were like oh, this is either getting bigger than I thought or it's evolved into something that is bigger?

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I just have never been one, for you know the picture perfect looking side of things.

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You do it enough and you're just reveling in just being in the moment of however it comes out and however it lands, and again no experience, no money.

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It's been a theme of mine.

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How are you doing?

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I'm good.

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How are you?

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Good, Kyle I asked my daughter to take a couple little snaps, videos, so when we share Amazing, wait, I'm trying to peek around the corner just to take a couple little snaps videos, so when we share, and you know Amazing.

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Wait, I'm trying to peek around the corner.

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Wait, Hi, nice to meet you.

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Oh, I was telling Robin about your precious little doggy.

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Oh, yes, I'm like where is Shani to see her?

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Millie is yes.

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I go, but I don't think it's Miriam.

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Millie.

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Yeah, Her original name when we adopted her was Daisy Mae.

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Oh my gosh, it's so cute.

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I was trying to explain.

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I said Kyle had the cutest face we love doggies and you said a baby's breath.

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I'm like you mean a spray of baby's breath.

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That's the only yeah.

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Literally baby's breath behind her ear.

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So yeah, Anyway, I just wanted just the very beginning.

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So this way we'll have a little, you know.

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Totally, that sounds good.

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Thanks, sorry.

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Good to see you.

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Good to see you.

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Good to see you Right in the heel.

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By the way, um Robin will be great.

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She's like the.

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She lives in Manhattan and in the Hamptons restaurant she's been in the service.

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I should Amazing.

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I know people are going to anywhere like in.

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You know what I mean totally.

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You know, yeah, anything flat iron I, I that's like, and I go to that one long list and I pull up something so I can't find it.

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So yeah, totally yeah well, like that when we went, we took the boys to to Manhattan not too long ago and we stayed at the I think we say the four seasons on in Midtown and this really nice, like club level and the the manager of the club level just took a shine to the boys and was like always, like they would be, like make, making them my.

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My son has sort of like tummy issues, so he's like I made you something special.

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They're bringing it up from the, the basement and then he would put them up on this little thing and you would overlook, like you could see all of manhattan.

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Anyways, we talked about it.

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I told him about stackless.

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I'm like now, imagine, basically when you're up here talking to people and they go, where should I go to dinner?

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And you like, let me just text you a link, let me just text you this one little thing and then you've got everything.

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So yeah, by the way, are we recording for the podcast?

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Okay, we're in it, we're in it.

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I love the authenticity of like.

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I've always felt it weird to sort of and everyone has their different ways but to be like okay, are you ready, I'm ready, here we go.

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And then hi, like to sort of like start it.

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And I don't know, maybe it's just my personality too.

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I like the conversation.

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I'm 100% the same way and it's funny because when I'd have guests on sometimes our agents want me to meet I said let's meet when our moms meet.

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Same thing.

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And one time I did a Warner Brothers thing and this was I forgot White House, I forgot the name.

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It was a German shepherd who was a hero.

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It was a big movie and I had two of the child actors and one wasn't old enough and allowed to use Facebook.

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So we were FaceTiming with me turning it around and the person from the production thing at Warner Brothers was like, oh my God, this is the best.

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She goes.

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Nobody shows that side.

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I'm like that's the only side I could show.

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It was like beautiful, hot mess.

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That was just.

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You were like it was great.

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There was no hot mess, it was just reality.

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So I think that you know it's so interesting that I think about that in what we're trying to build with Stacklist and the authenticity.

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I think we've been through reality TV show which we now know is not reality.

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Maybe the first one was, but now it's got this formula and they know exactly how to do it to sort of get eyeballs.

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And then the same with like content content creators right is is is the the difference between sort of having it all?

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I mean we even joked, for there was that period where you sort of joked, you know everything looks perfect and social and whatever it is.

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But I think really we're getting into that like we sort of got a bellyache from all that stuff and now it's literally just like authenticity of seeing how people are bumps and unpolished and just authentic.

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And you know, and I love that, I love that kind of content.

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Same here, only way I could be.

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I was sharing a story with one of my colleagues today and it was something I didn't bring up.

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You know those nightmares that you don't want to remember.

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But I was like, oh man, don't go there to me.

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And I'm like I have to go there.

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And I just said I was supposed to read a script and I don't read scripts.

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Like, can we like swear on this podcast?

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Totally Let, let fly.

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But I mean, like it's just you don't want.

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I mean, I'm not a script person If it's not, you know, just completely authentic.

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You know, anyway, it was just a hot mess and the whole thing got so fucked up from every which way and it was like a perfect storm and I had to just ad lib and I was like, you know, it was just like the universe was supporting it and there, you know, it's just one of those things and they're like it was.

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It ended up being great, but it was a beautiful mess and, um, that's reality.

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I just have never been one for you know the, you know the picture perfect looking side of things.

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What I loved amber I did improv for for a number of years and I love improv because I love that that idea of even when you start improv, though you'll go around the room and they want everyone to go around the room in order, and when you're about four or five people away from it being your turn in your mind, you're like, maybe I could be a barber, maybe I'm at a pool, maybe like you're trying to come up with stuff that's gonna be good, versus like once you do it, enough and you're and you're just reveling in just being in the moment of however it comes out and however it lands.

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Is is the sort of beauty when you can get to that place.

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So I feel like that's the same with with life.

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I agree, Thanks, and thank you, by the way, for having me on and it's a pleasure our meeting Corey's a magical person to know to connect people and I just couldn't love what you're doing more, and honored and happy to be part of it and excited because I kind of remembered what this was about.

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I know it was like early business stuff and I thought let me go in blind.

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I don't remember if it's the biggest sales or the biggest.

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Stay the fuck away from or whatever things are.

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I'm sure I have a long well all, all the things.

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Well, I think.

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So zero to um.

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You know, it was interesting when I started, when I and I've started my own kind of web design development agencies and things like that before, but it's very different starting sort of something that is or would take large sums of investment, I think, and zero to one, the idea of sort of moving from nothing into something, something to me is always a little bit nebulous.

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Is the first time you get money?

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Is the first time that you feel like you can cover checks for a couple of months?

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Is it the first time you get X number of customers or X number of record and what one is?

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And so the idea of zero to um is sort of that place that I'm at, where it's like I know I'm past zero but the benchmarks are fuzzy.

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It's fun.

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But what I love to hear is a little bit about your background.

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And then, prior to joy of mom maybe, like you know, joy of mom minus one week, what was that sort of period where you had that, that inkling and sort of like started pushing into something.

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So I'd love to start in that area that's very interesting.

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Okay, and I have an unusual, very unusual, which is the anniversary of it now.

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So, and where is this being broadcast?

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Wherever, when yeah, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, all the things.

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All the things that's so nice.

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Okay, so should I start with just a quick, quick background.

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Yeah, I think prior to Joy Mom, like you know, upbringing um background or any, any relationship and family or personally sort of around, entrepreneurial or sort of what what, where you came from okay, great, oh, I love this, kyle, great questions.

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Um, all right, I'm from chicago and evanston, which is people know, just because the university there and you know, a minute out of college I worked at my first job as a like a sales, you know assistant at Blair Television and I was in the TV and then radio and then account executive.

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And it's interesting, I don't even know why I'm even mentioning it, but when I knew that I needed to do more I have a theme of needing to do more I remember I, I wouldn't leave my job, excuse me, I wouldn't interview on lunch hour, you know what I mean.

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And I remember one of my bosses and I was a sales assistant said Vicki, nobody quits, it's called.

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You have two weeks paid vacation, which I never took, and you have lunch hours and I'm like, no, I, I, I give a thousand percent.

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So I quit and, like you know, to go find another job.

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And he sees me in a steakhouse serving.

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And I don't really drink, I don't know wines, I don't know alcohol, I don't even think I was talented enough to carry the steak knives.

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I could serve all day long.

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I did that when I was younger.

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Off to carry the steak knives I could serve all day long.

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I did that when I was younger.

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He's like oh, I see you're doing well.

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Yeah, it was like one of those things.

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But I just whatever I'm in, I'm fully in, and whatever I'm doing in representing and behind, I'm just that's.

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I was just wired that way my whole life.

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So somehow I got another sales assistant job, which was not a good situation because this was a long time ago.

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So when I was an assistant back in the day a lot of people were like partying with the reps at agencies.

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So although as assistant I kind of handled everything at the desk, the sales, the this, the other, and I was thrilled to do it like nameless, no credit, I didn't care.

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I was like, oh know, and, and at lunchtime everybody be watching soap operas and I'm like I'll help at your desk, I'll do this, I'll do.

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You know, anyway it was.

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I just learned a lot because I had a big thirst for it.

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So after I had my other foray and with a woman who didn't want me to do anything that answer the phones, and I recently ran into her coffee shop I'm not saying anything, but I recognized her.

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I was like I'm not even you know what.

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I mean People don't treat the way sometimes you got treated a long time ago, but anywho, then just to wrap through this quicker, I used to work on WGN radio, so I was writing copy.

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Counter-executive for the Cubs, the Bears basketball all that jazz, all that stuff, loved it, loved it, loved it.

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And then I left because I wanted to write children's books on validating feelings and one of my clients was the owners of Fannie Mae Candies East Coast it's Fannie Farmer, midwest it's Fannie Mae and they asked me to handle their advertising.

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So I put my little writing books on hold, started a small boutique agency which I had for like nine years, did Fannie Mae.

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Then I inherited Fannie Farmer and Nevada Bob's Golf and projects for Sunbeam and Meritech Craft I'm missing something pro bono work for children and adults.

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Then got married for the second time.

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First time was a hot minute although dated a long time, but hot minute ish of being married.

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And I had miscarriages, two miscarriages, and I couldn't get pregnant.

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And then I was very blessed.

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I was pregnant with my first of my three children and this was at the height of negative messages bombarding kids and teasing and bullying and I just it's in my DNA.

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I just always stood up for people who were being teased.

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I walked people home from school, I just, and so I had no tools, resources et cetera.

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But after my first child and I saw this, I just I had to do something and I saw, read some horrible articles that now you read about every day.

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Back then you didn't read about it.

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That much about kids being so bullied that they committed suicide.

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Read about it.

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That much about kids being so bullied that they committed suicide.

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And so 10, 11 at night till two, three in the morning for two years.

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I ended up learning how, not a coder, but I made my first piece of software.

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I hired artists, wrote the music, co-wrote the music.

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And again, no experience, no money.

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It's been a theme of mine.

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I love that.

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No resources but that gumption and that doing this.

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I couldn't try to do it.

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So I ended up making my first product, got it in.

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I wanted Goumet's Marchant Specialty Retailer direct response catalog.

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I'm missing something Computer software package, something computer software package.

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And ended up doing that by just frankly, sheer will, the power.

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You know, kind of don't underestimate the power, blind faith and, frankly, naivete and I not one dime to put into marketing money or anything.

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And it really struck a chord with moms.

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It was a software game back in the day called Jack's House, jack's Attic.

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I did music, I did an exercise video, because at the time there was only Barbie and Chicken Fat Charlie.

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Right.

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Like, I mean, it was a different world back then.

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So, anyway, a lot of moms told their friends and there was a lot of sales on it, 100%, just organically and directly.

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And moms wanted to join my club, which I didn't have.

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They wanted to know if I could recommend things.

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It was all leading up to what I'm doing now.

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They wondered if I could distribute, because I ended up distributing my own stuff besides three kids on my hip, my husband quitting his career.

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So I could do this, so I could do this.

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And so, after years of doing that, I was not that early in social, you know, and this is leading up to Joy of Mom but I just felt that I didn't want moms to all of a sudden blink from busy babies in baby world to all of a sudden their kids are 16 and they're like, oh my God, wish I shoulda, woulda, coulda.

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And I think we, a lot of us, come from doing things that we either needed, learned, missed, saw, holes in saw, and it wasn't really business opportunity.

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It was more that I just didn't want moms to feel alone and I just felt there was something about let's galvanize, let's mobilize, let's create something for good.

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My problem was now jumping ahead.

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I wasn't interested in being an influencer.

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That never dawned on me.

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I am the before the Christmas card picture or after.

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I'm like you know what I mean.

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It's not when I do things, I do it from my phone.

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You know what I mean.

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I don't use filters, I don't use tools, I don't even know how to, I don't care to.

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It was just really being completely, just real, authentic in the moment and it was kind of like my journal and diary.

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So I ended up, you know, I talked to some people who I knew and they're like you need to get an agency, you need to do this, you need to spend money, you need to.

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And I was like I don't have it and I just felt money didn't buy friends.

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I flipped over a laundry basket in my room one night and all these messages started pouring through me.

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I'm not a poet, I'm not a writer, but something higher was going on.

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I'm not an artist.

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I made over 10,000 pieces of content using pages.

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Oh my gosh.

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Yeah, I mean, it was like crazy People were like, they thought I had it.

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Everybody was like when things got going, everybody was like you have a team of 20, right, I'm like a one.

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I'm just tapped into the source.

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My kids helped, which was great, they were younger.

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But it's like if I did something and we had a lot of people come and the site went down, one of my sons would figure out how to fix it you know what I mean and get it back up.

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But it was just something I feel like, just because it was real and sincere and authentic.

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And I felt like if I could reach one mom and that mom just getting through things, there was a period, Kyle, I would be in business meetings and I'd pull out my computer and I'd say I don't mean to be rude, Somebody needs to hear this now.

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And it was like a force was running through me and I'd write something and and it'd be like, oh my God, vicki, I needed to hear this right now.

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And and the type of content I shouldn't have even gotten, had any growth or had any engagement or comments, because it was nothing dramatic or exaggerated or divisive.

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It was really just more about hope and inspiration and being real in the moment.

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And and moms would be writing, you know, paragraphs about how their experience which would sheer it, just it's.

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You know, we've never had a community manager you're looking at or I don't even know how to use the tools out there anymore, like on Facebook.

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It's just kind of completely you know raw, you know raw, and but it just you know we grew.

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I remember one night going from like hitting 52 friends and I was, like you know, doing the happy dance was like two in the morning.

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I thought I definitely need a life here.

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I would take a bath.

00:18:00.553 --> 00:18:09.202
sometimes late at night I'd have my computer like on the ledge of it because of somebody that was back in the day when comments on Facebook would be on the page.

00:18:09.824 --> 00:18:10.023
Right.

00:18:10.384 --> 00:18:21.644
Somebody commented, I responded and I remember some, some guides mostly moms enjoyed mom but was like I can't believe you're responding back to me and you've 19,000 people and I was like why wouldn't I respond back?

00:18:21.644 --> 00:18:28.203
It just kind of you know, mom shared with their friends We'd never you know, a hundred percent organic.

00:18:28.203 --> 00:18:30.647
And you know mom shared with their friends we'd never you know a hundred percent organic.

00:18:30.647 --> 00:18:50.232
And you know we've had weeks cause I just recently I have to pull some stuff together and I was kind of going through memory lane because I so often I'm sure many of us do screen capture things that just move you so much and I've so many folders about beautiful, just really heartwarming comments about people feeling like they're part of a family again.

00:18:50.580 --> 00:18:53.529
But I started pulling up some old numbers and I was like wait a minute.

00:18:53.529 --> 00:19:04.133
It was like 57 million reached in seven days, which I'm not doing now because I'm kind of on stealth mode now I just do my coffee chats because we're getting everything.

00:19:04.133 --> 00:19:06.119
I just need to do more than inspiring.

00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:07.102
We need to.

00:19:07.102 --> 00:19:34.529
We tested out a platform and our moms loved it, but it wasn't that stable and I just compromise anything with the experience of comments disappearing or likes disappearing and I'm like we need to get this right, we need to have the right team and I just want to be able to do all those things to empower and serve and connect, and connect with what matters most and how it matters most, in a safe and secure place.

00:19:35.251 --> 00:19:35.511
Yeah.

00:19:35.653 --> 00:19:38.420
So it's, it's been, it's been a journey.

00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:41.989
So, but I didn't answer you what happened a week before Joy Mom.

00:19:41.989 --> 00:19:44.001
Did you literally mean that or figuratively?

00:19:44.383 --> 00:19:44.924
No, I think.

00:19:44.924 --> 00:19:45.788
I think interesting.

00:19:45.788 --> 00:19:50.884
You know, I'd love to go back to one of the one of the pieces that you said which I feel like is around that area.

00:19:50.884 --> 00:20:10.909
When post creating the game and then you started to have moms that were sharing it and passing it on, but then they were coming to you for recommendations, was that the period when it started to sort of shift to we should gather somewhere or talk somewhere, like what was that nugget where it began?

00:20:10.909 --> 00:20:15.849
Well, let's start up a Facebook group or let's start something where we start to come together.

00:20:15.849 --> 00:20:17.779
What was that first little inkling?

00:20:18.342 --> 00:20:21.590
It was when moms kept saying we need more.

00:20:21.590 --> 00:20:26.184
You know, I just you know from the again, I didn't have a club.

00:20:26.184 --> 00:20:43.090
I was aware of my bandwidth, although you know my bandwidth, although there was more weeks than not over the past forever years that I was tapped in, tuned in, checking like 20 hours a day, which is not healthy.

00:20:43.090 --> 00:20:44.971
Seven days a week, do you know what I mean?

00:20:44.971 --> 00:20:51.516
I was like you know, so I and I didn't use schedulers, I mean, I was just doing it manually.

00:20:51.516 --> 00:21:11.674
So if it was two in the morning or six in the morning, it was me and me commenting Right recommendations and also being called to do a lot of things on the news when really sad, tragic things happen, like how is this stuff happening?

00:21:11.674 --> 00:21:17.632
And that's when I felt we could do a lot of good by having this.

00:21:17.792 --> 00:21:22.826
You know, back then I just couldn't find something that seemed genuine and truly about moms.

00:21:22.885 --> 00:21:37.470
First, I wasn't looking to sell what I was drinking or my shampoo, and you know, and really you know, that's the way you make money when you're an influencer but I was looking to bring together, to have a platform for good.

00:21:37.589 --> 00:21:56.270
So my vision was ahead of its time, if you will, but I have to stay true to who I am and there were a lot of times especially when there were investors and different things who really wanted me to do that, and I just felt it wouldn't work.

00:21:56.270 --> 00:21:57.726
It didn't feel authentic.

00:21:57.726 --> 00:22:03.573
There were times whatever I was wearing, I found out, was sold out at Target my pajamas, this and that.

00:22:03.573 --> 00:22:05.567
But I wasn't doing any affiliate fee.

00:22:05.567 --> 00:22:10.307
I was just saying when they were like, where'd you get those cute pancake pajamas or whatever?

00:22:10.307 --> 00:22:21.634
You know when we would do live streams, you know play, you know, do like a really fun thing every month for you know like an hour and a half once a week, you know, and where we'd all come in our jammies, you know things like that.

00:22:21.634 --> 00:22:31.883
So, but that was the really the turning point when I just felt this, this, um, I again knew the struck a nerve and a chord and wanted to.

00:22:32.364 --> 00:22:39.766
We probably got into unformed microgroups before it was happening and this wasn't on like a platform or anything.

00:22:39.766 --> 00:22:43.644
This was just sort of like direct or yeah, I started on Facebook.

00:22:43.965 --> 00:22:45.412
I was on Facebook.

00:22:45.412 --> 00:22:52.544
And then it's interesting because years later I was growing like this on Instagram and somebody had taken, taken like I know I need a life.

00:22:52.544 --> 00:22:58.127
It was like last I counted it was like 297 pieces of our content and I made it.

00:22:58.127 --> 00:23:08.396
I had artists that I was working with and I tagged everybody and some of them got contracts from American Greetings and Papyrus, if I'm saying it right, and I didn't even know.

00:23:08.396 --> 00:23:13.730
But people started saying Vicky, and it was like my quotes and the fonts I picked and they put their logo on it.

00:23:13.730 --> 00:23:19.071
And it's not that I didn't care, because you shouldn't do that, but they weren't tagging the artists Right.

00:23:19.071 --> 00:23:28.249
So somebody who was like helping me at the time, a consultant from a big company, it was just one of those reported it and he must report it a backward.

00:23:28.249 --> 00:23:37.999
So instagram thought I was infringing versus oh and so I didn't go for three years oh my gosh no one to talk to nothing.

00:23:38.219 --> 00:23:41.826
I was just like, oh man, I you know, I mean shit happens.

00:23:41.826 --> 00:23:44.211
It was like, and trust me, I did.

00:23:44.211 --> 00:23:48.186
I wrote emails, I and I just thought I just, oh, it's one for it's hard.

00:23:48.669 --> 00:23:54.832
Yeah, Facebook and Instagram, both are just such can can be such faceless companies where it just doesn't.

00:23:54.832 --> 00:24:01.460
The only way they they manage that volume and that number of people is just by general algorithms.

00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:19.232
But I've had, I've had friends to who lose, you know, a very important account or something like that, and it's just kind of like, well, I don't know, unless you know somebody like headquarters which is, oh my gosh, I can't believe that that was three years that they that that they blocked your account.

00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:25.701
Yeah, I, and because I remember being randomly in North Carolina meeting with somebody and staying in her house.

00:24:25.701 --> 00:24:41.362
You know it was um through, I think it was Jack Canfield, not him, but it was like connected with him, somebody, he connected us who did Chicken Soup for the Soul, and we had lunch with a friend of hers who I don't remember his account was really big and he goes, you're red flagged or whatever he was.

00:24:41.362 --> 00:24:51.256
He knew and I was like you know and I was you know and you're also doing something that's you don't have any access to reaching people and you're part of people's lives and they're part of your lives.

00:24:51.256 --> 00:25:02.484
And you know, and you know I've been doing live streams now it's probably like seven years, but you, you become connected and you're tribe and your extended family and it's just.

00:25:02.484 --> 00:25:16.240
You know it's not a good feeling that if something happens, that you can't all be there for each other, so, so, but what's interesting?

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.804
I'll just share this and it's crazy and it's what's.

00:25:17.824 --> 00:25:46.295
Today, the 17th yeah, I think it was actually on the 19th, but the week before I incorporated Joy of Mom, my oldest sister passed away and she had lymphatic lymphoma leukemia for years and, as I was, and it was just the anniversary and I was just pulling into you know, the cemetery and I get a thing from my bank that my first investor had come in as I'm pulling through the gates.

00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:53.365
It was just like you know and you know it's been like just quite the journey of.

00:25:53.365 --> 00:26:03.426
I'm going to cry, I get emotional doing the right thing and there's great people out there and there's also a lot of not great people meaning business-wise to be taken advantage of, to be you know.

00:26:03.426 --> 00:26:18.869
So you know it, it and you know whether it's this podcast or we chat again, there's really valuable lessons for people to know going into it and they're usually not the one you find in all the speaker things.

00:26:18.869 --> 00:26:26.612
I've done a lot of speaking and I just tell it like it is and I end up having most of the questions asked at me because I look like I weathered those storms.

00:26:26.612 --> 00:26:38.892
It makes I look like I weathered those storms, but you know you just got to keep on plugging and keep on doing and and be able to look yourself in the mirror every morning and you know it's kind of like sometimes you're looked at as crazy until oh my God, this is genius.

00:26:39.760 --> 00:26:41.084
But I've met.

00:26:41.084 --> 00:26:51.634
I've met so many people, even recently, who have that same experience of starting something and and people saying this is a a horrible idea and this is never going to work, and et cetera, and I think it's those people who push through that.

00:26:51.634 --> 00:27:02.883
The life pieces and the sort of synchronicity of how things come together and how they work, and timing and the yin and yang of life, is such a mystery.

00:27:02.883 --> 00:27:11.592
I feel like your authenticity, though, and your commitment to just being yourself and putting that out there.

00:27:11.592 --> 00:27:29.830
I love that, in the sense, in a world where we have SEO hacked, hashtag hacked right, you can just get an agency to get you to the top of the list and to get eyeballs, and you know there's so many people trying to play that game.

00:27:29.911 --> 00:27:54.223
When the game, you know that you weren't playing, that you were just being authentic and being yourself and bringing people together for those moments has brought together almost 3 million people, which is amazing and, I think, a testament to your approach and your principles of how you approach life.

00:27:54.223 --> 00:28:00.006
And I love the authenticity also that you're not using a bunch of software and trying to like that.

00:28:00.006 --> 00:28:06.709
You're literally just shooting and capturing moments of your life and then sharing that with other people.

00:28:06.709 --> 00:28:11.671
I think that's what we miss also a lot of times, especially in this society.

00:28:11.671 --> 00:28:26.116
It's so different than others, where we're all a little insulated in our own little kind of bubbles of self, and what you've created is an amazing network of people who can connect and, you know, around those sort of moments of life.

00:28:26.936 --> 00:28:27.376
Thank you.

00:28:27.376 --> 00:28:33.487
It's very sweet, beautifully said and very appreciated.

00:28:33.487 --> 00:28:38.140
And I feel, kyle, that's what you're doing with all that you've shared with me.

00:28:38.140 --> 00:28:50.016
I mean, it's how can we make our lives less noisy and more meaningful and sharing things that we love with those that we love.

00:28:50.016 --> 00:28:57.153
And I feel also and I know you and I have talked about this I feel like we all come together.

00:28:57.380 --> 00:28:58.724
It's like our souls are like there.

00:28:58.724 --> 00:29:25.202
You are there, you are yeah, and it just feels like this, you know, like new old friends, you know what I mean when you're on shared journeys and wanting to really genuinely help and empower each other, and it's like there's just different seasons of life, and it's such a gift and a blessing and witnessing like that feeling of the universe is really conspiring for our greatest good.

00:29:25.202 --> 00:29:33.228
But when you're on that journey and you're climbing that mountain, you just got to be tough and strong and I don't know.

00:29:33.228 --> 00:29:36.241
You know how it is with you, with you know, because we're both in.

00:29:36.241 --> 00:29:46.403
You know, with the phases that we're in, when everything's like like this, taking off, and also knowing you need the team, you need the technology, you need the, the right stuff to support it.

00:29:46.403 --> 00:30:03.074
You know, and there's so many threads we could run down here, but I know there'll be plenty of time to do it because by sharing the things that we've not just survived but thrived through a lot of life lessons, just can help people in so many immeasurable ways.

00:30:03.074 --> 00:30:19.751
And you know, sometimes I'll meet people, especially they little older, you know, or younger, and you know you just want to be able to share experiences because it literally could save, you know, could help trajectory, could save years.

00:30:19.832 --> 00:30:34.651
You know, when I mentioned earlier I was doing, you know, software, music and video, and I was getting calls about, you know this was like my fourth child, this business, and you know, about acquisition and I just, you know I wasn't in that place.

00:30:34.651 --> 00:31:00.631
You know, and there's, it's just it's, it's an incredible wealth of what we learn and, like you said, those moments, but you know it, we're so symbiotic and be, you know, looking in the mirror every day and really we're so symbiotic and be, you know, looking in the mirror every day and really you know it's feeling good about what we're doing and I I wasn't looking to monetize off moms that was like, and there were so many moms in our community who were concerned.

00:31:00.691 --> 00:31:08.203
They were like we'll do a membership, We'll do this, we want this to keep going because they could tell I wasn't, you know, selling my whatever.

00:31:09.007 --> 00:31:09.247
Right.

00:31:09.407 --> 00:31:26.183
I was talking, and half the time, if they're asking about something, I'm like, oh, I'll text it to you later, I'll send you, you know first using that platform for that, but to get on the other side of it and keep doing what you're doing and then to be able to launch this and we're going to be.

00:31:26.183 --> 00:31:37.814
You know, I cannot wait until we can make some announcements and you know I'm excited and hopeful that, you know, mid to late January we will.

00:31:37.814 --> 00:31:47.163
But it's been a long time on this journey and doing it the right way and doing it very, you know, completely with love and patience.

00:31:48.507 --> 00:31:53.265
Doing something new and also doing it the right way and sticking to the principles is is is hard.

00:31:53.265 --> 00:31:53.586
I can.

00:31:53.586 --> 00:31:56.095
You can see how so many people it's easy to.

00:31:56.095 --> 00:32:09.301
You know one of my first jobs I worked at Chick-fil-A and um I sort of in a very quick amount of time, uh, I got to the place where the store owner had left and I was the only one who sort of knew how to do everything.

00:32:09.301 --> 00:32:13.503
So I was sort of like opening and closing and hiring and firing and doing all these things.

00:32:13.604 --> 00:32:34.990
At a younger age, one of the things I always thought about and admired I got to meet Truett Cathy once and remarkable that actually, when I went to college, we were supposed to do an interview with somebody that we admired and every you know a lot of people in the class interviewed, like the school nurse and the assistant coach at University of Alabama.

00:32:34.990 --> 00:32:44.961
I just basically called Truett Cathy's assistant like every day for a long time until Martha called me back one day and said Truett's in his office, do you want to talk to him?

00:32:44.961 --> 00:32:46.211
And I was like yes, please.

00:32:46.211 --> 00:32:49.601
And so I talked to him maybe 20 minutes.

00:32:49.601 --> 00:32:59.189
Great, it was a great conversation and I I'd always admired the fact that, like whether he it was a principled thing that he wouldn't open on sundays, uh, that that was just, that was his thing.

00:32:59.209 --> 00:33:05.402
And there were so many people that told him for so long, you are losing so much money because of this, um.

00:33:05.402 --> 00:33:13.253
But he's like, that's not, that's not, I'm not looking to make you know x, x sort of more profit than we already are, um.

00:33:13.253 --> 00:33:26.193
And but, funny enough, I ran into him probably six years later in the headquarters having a lunch with a friend and everyone was sort of like there's, there's, and I walked up and I said, oh, it's true, it's nice to see you.

00:33:26.193 --> 00:33:26.615
It's, uh, kyle hudson.

00:33:26.615 --> 00:33:27.015
He's, uh, he goes um.

00:33:27.015 --> 00:33:28.596
And I walked up and I said, oh, it's true, it's nice to see you.

00:33:28.596 --> 00:33:32.141
It's Kyle Hudson, he goes Tucker Tucker, georgia.

00:33:32.141 --> 00:33:34.364
You worked at the Tucker Georgia store.

00:33:34.364 --> 00:33:35.305
Oh my God.

00:33:35.826 --> 00:33:36.987
I love it Wait what?

00:33:36.987 --> 00:33:39.915
But those principles.

00:33:39.915 --> 00:33:40.699
And it's tough.

00:33:40.699 --> 00:33:42.115
I've thought about that with Stackless as well.

00:33:42.115 --> 00:33:52.342
I don't want to do ads, I don't want Louis Vuitton to show up on the homepage because they paid a lot of money, because that is not curation to me.

00:33:52.362 --> 00:34:15.574
I think one of the things that we share is that joy of sort of sharing moments, and I always think back to these moments at a party or having wine with someone, and you're like, oh, I got to tell you I went on the best trip, and for just a minute, like you're this little nano influencer, and you're like sharing a story, and you're you know the dopamine's rushing and you're like, oh, my gosh, I'm getting to share this thing with you.

00:34:15.574 --> 00:34:30.931
Um, and I think all we're really trying to do is just facilitate being able to actually sort of pass those things in that moment of when you're like I have a cell phone case that I love, or I have a trip that I went on.

00:34:30.931 --> 00:34:37.036
I went to this restaurant, it was so good and we had this and we had that, and someone says, oh, can you share that with me?

00:34:37.036 --> 00:34:41.050
And you're like, yeah, give me a minute when I get home.

00:34:41.050 --> 00:34:42.612
I think I'll try, you know.

00:34:43.492 --> 00:34:48.759
But that joy into sharing, that is what I want to facilitate.

00:34:48.759 --> 00:34:59.519
But it is hard, obviously in an era when you've got people like I think Pinterest serves 38% ads, you know, and that's how they try and make money.

00:34:59.519 --> 00:35:02.389
But it's hard sticking to those principles.

00:35:02.389 --> 00:35:15.755
But I'm glad your group and your moms were behind you enough to be like, no, we're in, let's support you and be with you.

00:35:17.179 --> 00:35:26.295
Thank you, and it's interesting because, like you said too, the using of the tools, which are the only way, and when people are starting out.

00:35:26.295 --> 00:35:39.137
Now I don't even know, you know, how someone can organically grow when I was doing it and people said it's impossible, you can't get through those, and I didn't have a penny to put into it.

00:35:39.137 --> 00:35:40.119
You know what I mean.

00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:43.170
It was like, you know everything I had went in it.

00:35:43.170 --> 00:35:44.833
I wasn't doing things.

00:35:44.833 --> 00:35:55.085
You know I turned down, especially because I wouldn't get behind things and I did a handful of times that things I love, like my niece wrote copy for like a glass company.

00:35:55.085 --> 00:35:58.297
You know their glasses and I loved admission.

00:35:58.297 --> 00:36:01.231
It was all about empowering women and you know the.

00:36:01.231 --> 00:36:04.701
You know the company came to for me to do something.

00:36:04.701 --> 00:36:06.793
I'd be, I was, it was more about I.

00:36:06.793 --> 00:36:10.952
I think I like shared that the version my niece did got their blessing.

00:36:11.353 --> 00:36:21.702
You know, um, and I I was, and I I remember a lot of times there were mandates and I said I can find you another mom page like be fine, but it was just, you know.

00:36:21.702 --> 00:36:25.295
And even cleaning stuff I love where it's clean, green, sustainable.

00:36:25.295 --> 00:36:27.297
I've been like that for as long as I can remember.

00:36:27.297 --> 00:36:35.572
And I said I'll only do it if I can give you my authentic, you know my real, if I love it or don't, and that's FabFitFun, fabfitfun, yeah.

00:36:35.572 --> 00:36:43.934
And I said I'll do it if I'm, but I'm not going to open the box, like I'm not going to open the UPS box or FedEx box until I'm live.

00:36:43.954 --> 00:36:46.597
And they were like ha ha ha, you mean you're going to put everything.

00:36:46.597 --> 00:36:48.219
I said no, I'm not going to look at anything.

00:36:48.219 --> 00:36:49.561
They're like, well, no one does that.

00:36:49.561 --> 00:36:53.724
I'm like you know so, but it's just.

00:36:53.724 --> 00:36:59.677
If you can, you gotta be smart about it, but you gotta be so true about it.

00:36:59.677 --> 00:37:07.496
And I was, um, true was my North star, you know smart, but true was was first, second and third.

00:37:07.496 --> 00:37:12.684
And so now it's blending in and making sure it's the right people.

00:37:12.684 --> 00:37:13.869
That's a whole different subject.

00:37:13.869 --> 00:37:26.103
When you get to where you expand your team and you have to bring people in, and when you're looking from the lens that if you say something is robin's egg blue, you could take to the bank, it's robin's egg blue.

00:37:26.103 --> 00:37:29.436
You find later a lot of times there's people pitching.

00:37:29.436 --> 00:37:30.398
That's all they do is pitch.

00:37:30.938 --> 00:37:32.641
But they don't actually you know.

00:37:32.641 --> 00:37:40.724
Yeah, where did that come in in terms of the team, when it was just you and it's Facebook and it was growing and you were doing it organically?

00:37:40.724 --> 00:37:44.112
When did it sort of expand out.

00:37:44.112 --> 00:37:53.239
Was there a moment when you were like, oh, this is either getting bigger than I thought or it has evolved into something that is bigger?

00:37:53.239 --> 00:38:02.688
And have there been a couple of moments there where you've sort of realized that you were on a higher floor than you thought you were?

00:38:04.829 --> 00:38:05.110
Yes.

00:38:05.110 --> 00:38:09.851
However, I was still really doing everything myself and then my husband.

00:38:09.851 --> 00:38:12.653
We also have Joy of Dad.

00:38:12.653 --> 00:38:13.954
It's pretty small.

00:38:13.954 --> 00:38:22.340
It was like his farm league to learn what I was doing because I didn't have anybody else helping me in.

00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:27.804
It think it's around 400 000 maybe, and it's it does you know?

00:38:27.824 --> 00:38:45.143
and at some point I'd love to, because I've had some really fun and interesting people, some like one's a big musician who said let you know, I'm like if I, as soon as there's a dad who wants to, we could figure out and like, let them run with that right or um, in any way we can, because there's dads that come to joy of mom too.

00:38:45.289 --> 00:38:52.375
Not a lot but, I was just looking at numbers 13%, 15%, 8%, depending, that have the same issues concerns.

00:38:52.375 --> 00:38:55.282
You know what I mean, and especially in today's world.

00:38:55.282 --> 00:38:58.454
But it's interesting.

00:38:58.454 --> 00:39:10.184
Years ago, years years ago, after the Boston Marathon bombing, I was in Boston doing I wanted to do a video too long of a story, but my daughter went to school there.

00:39:11.012 --> 00:39:16.876
So, I fit the pieces in and was supposed to be where it went off, when and it was a blessing that these changed.

00:39:16.876 --> 00:39:32.202
And so when I went and I said that was the first time, like I can't be on my phone doing it as I'm going to be at the thing and he had practiced, practiced, practiced, practiced, and then he was able to take over and post Nice.

00:39:32.822 --> 00:39:33.543
That's great.

00:39:33.750 --> 00:39:38.692
It was big, you know, and it was on the year after anniversary of it and then.

00:39:38.692 --> 00:39:46.021
So it's interesting because now we're going to, you know, I'd love to have there's some of our moms ready to like run our private group, which would be great.

00:39:46.021 --> 00:39:50.172
But it's time for us.

00:39:50.172 --> 00:39:51.916
We're going to start, you know, use it utilizing the tools I have in jet.

00:39:51.916 --> 00:39:54.070
Every time I get a live, it's like do you want to do this?

00:39:54.070 --> 00:39:56.456
I'm like, and I've, I've learned everything.

00:39:56.456 --> 00:40:01.976
I'm pretty technology savvy, but I was like, I just my, you know, a big part.

00:40:01.976 --> 00:40:12.637
I just felt like I'm so overloaded, you know finally never worried Mine, I mine will start barking is that yours or mine?

00:40:12.657 --> 00:40:13.159
I think it's yours.

00:40:13.159 --> 00:40:13.762
Wait, that is belly.

00:40:13.762 --> 00:40:15.405
Let me see hi, sweetie, she's such a good girl.

00:40:15.425 --> 00:40:23.422
Hi come say hi look hi, millie, you lay down, do quiet, okay.

00:40:23.422 --> 00:40:31.365
No, there's nobody outside, you're fine um the little things, it's the best I know here's something um.

00:40:31.748 --> 00:40:33.032
I don't even remember what I was saying.

00:40:33.072 --> 00:40:35.538
It's all good but the, but the evolution.

00:40:35.538 --> 00:40:36.039
I love how.

00:40:36.039 --> 00:40:46.445
So you know it was so it was family oriented and now you know you're starting to get into the, into the people in the group starting to run that um still like my son's a unbelievable designer.

00:40:46.525 --> 00:40:47.570
He learned how to do this.

00:40:47.570 --> 00:40:48.338
Programs.

00:40:48.338 --> 00:40:49.086
You know codes runs our programs.

00:40:49.086 --> 00:40:51.193
You know codes runs our number.

00:40:51.193 --> 00:40:52.976
You know it's just my daughter's help.

00:40:52.976 --> 00:41:00.570
We put together this word of mom thing a couple of years ago and brought together, like cumulative, 36 million, point four people in like five days.

00:41:00.570 --> 00:41:01.634
A hundred percent organic.

00:41:01.634 --> 00:41:04.239
It was just so it's amazing.

00:41:04.519 --> 00:41:04.900
Thanks.

00:41:04.900 --> 00:41:09.411
I want to be able, you know, to take it to the next level, to go into the micro groups.

00:41:09.411 --> 00:41:14.215
We'll be launching our platform and be able to serve in much deeper, richer ways.

00:41:14.215 --> 00:41:30.668
I would get tickets for Beauty and the Beast from Disney and I was scared to death to give them away because if I wasn't doing things the right way, with the right rules which change, I could get slapped or slammed, you know, in jail and I just, you know it was, I couldn't do it.

00:41:31.371 --> 00:41:36.677
You know I want you know to be safe and you know we follow every rule.

00:41:36.677 --> 00:41:38.561
But sometimes you don't know the rules, you just be.

00:41:38.581 --> 00:41:54.572
Yeah, no, totally, and it's definitely different when you're smaller and you know you run a small sort of campaign or a giveaway or whatever it is, but with lots and lots of people and different.

00:41:54.572 --> 00:41:55.193
States and different countries.

00:41:55.193 --> 00:41:55.755
You know all over the place.

00:41:55.755 --> 00:41:56.356
It's definitely different.

00:41:56.396 --> 00:41:56.777
So um what is that?

00:41:56.797 --> 00:41:59.402
like what do you see from a platform perspective?

00:41:59.402 --> 00:42:03.911
Like you know, and and not to give away, cause I know you're going to make some announcements next year, but what do you see?

00:42:03.911 --> 00:42:08.096
Just as sort of the, the, the big, broad themes that you're focused on for next year.

00:42:09.436 --> 00:42:31.804
In a nutshell, the most imperative things that moms need help with the, co-piloting with the in a trusted environment that's safe and that's nourishing, versus a lot of the other stuff that's going on Right, and just ways we could really help.

00:42:31.804 --> 00:42:38.041
And you know both of us are so also so symbiotic with curating.

00:42:38.041 --> 00:42:39.454
It's really curating.

00:42:39.454 --> 00:42:41.581
You know the best experiences.

00:42:41.581 --> 00:42:51.780
I love sharing what other people are doing and being able to let our moms know about just the nuggets and whether it's other people's apps.

00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:54.559
And I've done it all without doing any affiliate fees.

00:42:55.251 --> 00:43:00.505
It's just like you know so, but it's everything we've been doing.

00:43:00.505 --> 00:43:13.112
But we're now able to go deeper and to be able to really do the full resources about the subjects and topics that are really most critical and important to moms.

00:43:13.112 --> 00:43:25.458
It's not like stages and ages, but really connecting with them each other resources, curation products, micro groups.

00:43:26.199 --> 00:43:37.391
Well, and as things evolve too, I can think of some of the important things that we're we're thinking about too, and you think about um, device usage and the right apps and games to sort of.

00:43:37.391 --> 00:43:40.699
Uh, you know, I can't stand roblox.

00:43:40.699 --> 00:43:49.266
I like that's the one like my son and I will play minecraft together, but roblox feels like, uh, I don't know.

00:43:49.266 --> 00:43:57.335
They're like there are just some certain things that that and how you stay connected with somebody who you know, my son's eight and so at some point he's already as a what?

00:43:57.335 --> 00:43:59.179
At what age do you get a phone?

00:43:59.179 --> 00:43:59.981
You know what I mean.

00:44:00.021 --> 00:44:14.481
And then you're like, oh, my gosh, okay, I'm like figuring out ways to sort of, you know, protect that and and we're sort of going through and figuring out his, his ADHD, and he and I are very similar in the neurodivergency of how we learn.

00:44:14.481 --> 00:44:15.773
I would like to take something apart.

00:44:15.773 --> 00:44:37.023
I cannot sit and listen to you tell me how to take it apart for a long time, like you know, and so how we support him and those and all the different ways, as schools potentially change and how we learn is going to change, but being able to, I imagine having those resources and having that community to sort of flow together during those changes is super important.

00:44:37.690 --> 00:44:43.454
And what's so interesting which one of the many things I love about Joy Mom it's like we don't really have attrition.

00:44:43.454 --> 00:44:49.900
It's like moms are coming in and then moms who have been moms for a long time, through, moms from as de-nesters.

00:44:49.900 --> 00:44:52.157
I mean it's really, it's surprising.

00:44:52.157 --> 00:45:12.210
I think our sweet spot it's always been like 25, 34, 25, 44, but it's just like young moms, new moms, new moms want to hear what experienced moms and then hearing also, you know which I know is so trite, but it's true, we blink.

00:45:12.230 --> 00:45:15.278
I always had the youngest kids because I had miscarriages and then I couldn't get pregnant.

00:45:15.318 --> 00:45:21.530
So I was you know what I mean where my friend's kids were five, six, seven, eight years old or 10 years old, that type of thing.

00:45:22.391 --> 00:45:32.106
And all of a sudden you're like whoa, it's right there and you know whether the kids are going to kindergarten or going to college.

00:45:32.106 --> 00:45:38.429
You know these different, you know, and to be able to, it's like you're finding your tribe.

00:45:38.429 --> 00:45:45.161
We're coming together based on shared needs, interests, and they're universal but they're very intimate and personal.

00:45:45.161 --> 00:45:59.695
And then to be able to do that with other, you know, you know people on the same path and journey, like when you and I heard what you're doing, like this, is awesome and it's things that we've shared, lists and curated.

00:45:59.695 --> 00:46:24.333
But I'm, like, said to my, my colleagues, this is what you're doing, let's empower you, let's let's share with each other, because it just allows us to like, you know, there's something about you know curating people who are doing it also, for you know companies, for the right reasons, that genuinely you feel they're doing it from thoughtfulness and intention and all that good stuff, and that's like the.

00:46:24.333 --> 00:46:27.322
You know the sea I want to live in and swim in and share.

00:46:28.090 --> 00:46:31.635
Yeah same, you know the sea I want to live in and swim in and share.

00:46:31.635 --> 00:46:31.836
Yeah same.

00:46:31.836 --> 00:46:56.969
And and I think about that when I think about the culture, the people that we partner with, and also the culture of the company, um, and and just having people you enjoy going to work with or being around and and you've got the same sort of energy and and it's not sort of this like all right, I'm, I'm getting ready to go into work, you know like to, but I gotta like I to fight the process versus just feeling like a kid in the sandbox and everyone's having fun like doing and creating and making.

00:46:59.414 --> 00:47:05.744
And I think about like, when you're not what are your interests and what are you usually doing if you're not working?

00:47:05.744 --> 00:47:06.784
And working on Joy Mom.

00:47:07.572 --> 00:47:11.592
That's a great question doing if you're not working and working on Joy Mom.

00:47:11.592 --> 00:47:17.242
That's a great question and that's something that I look forward to sharing because I'll have more people helping and with us.

00:47:17.242 --> 00:47:30.039
Because I'm always previous previous life fresh out of college, when I was assistant or when I was an account manager I was always I'm like, oh, you don't have to be my, you know like I'd have an assistant but I would do all the work.

00:47:30.039 --> 00:47:31.342
I never liked asking people.

00:47:31.784 --> 00:47:32.063
Right.

00:47:32.250 --> 00:47:35.657
Oh, I love hanging with my dogs, walking with them.

00:47:35.657 --> 00:47:42.657
My daughter's, who lives in New York, is in town now, which is wonderful and, um, just kind of exploring.

00:47:42.657 --> 00:47:59.342
It's a little little things, but I do spend a tremendous amount of time on on job and, you know, again, my family's on this journey with me and helps and this is what we do, but I looking forward to exploring all these other things.

00:47:59.342 --> 00:48:14.811
I brought up on a live stream this morning because somebody talked about getting a pedicure and immediately went I'm like I haven't had a manicure, I don't even know when it was about pampering and I said there was a point.

00:48:14.851 --> 00:48:17.179
I remember our friends were like you got it, but it had been 23 years since I went on a vacation.

00:48:17.179 --> 00:48:30.690
I mean, I had business trips, which are not vacations, and even my vacation after that 23 years was I was working most of the time, you know.

00:48:30.690 --> 00:48:32.235
So I want to fix it, but it's like by need, if you know what I mean.

00:48:32.235 --> 00:48:42.264
It's not like I remember hearing podcasts of some people like we're building businesses and it's no, no, shade, no, anything but their, their husband had another job and pulling in a tremendous.

00:48:42.264 --> 00:48:43.733
I was like that's right.

00:48:44.074 --> 00:48:44.434
I can't.

00:48:44.434 --> 00:48:47.463
I mean like you're lucky, but that's not my situation.

00:48:47.463 --> 00:48:52.576
It's like we're all on this mission together and you know, and it's taken um.

00:48:52.576 --> 00:48:55.862
You know, I there could have been many times.

00:48:55.862 --> 00:49:02.592
I just wouldn't sell out and I wouldn't sell away and I wouldn't do things that I just didn't feel were the right things to do.

00:49:02.592 --> 00:49:04.255
So that's part of that.

00:49:05.318 --> 00:49:22.922
You know, it's not crazy, but it was just the only way I could do it and totally getting very close to I'll be able to answer you and there'll probably be more walks and more talks and more coffee dates, um, but still haven't been on a you know real vacay yeah that's when you said.

00:49:22.922 --> 00:49:24.150
I was like, oh, that's so nice.

00:49:24.150 --> 00:49:28.581
You don't even mean like john um, but do you?

00:49:28.581 --> 00:49:30.204
I'd love to hear that, are you?

00:49:31.547 --> 00:49:32.610
Hi, you know it's funny.

00:49:32.610 --> 00:49:45.739
I have things that I've been into, whether it be like indoor rock climbing, and my son and I will go indoor rock climbing or photography has always been my sort of or videography.

00:49:45.739 --> 00:49:50.231
I kind of always fall back into that sort of or videography.

00:49:50.231 --> 00:49:50.992
I kind of always fall back into that.

00:49:50.992 --> 00:50:13.661
I love being in that when I see something and you start shooting something through a camera or I guess now through a phone, but your lens changes for the world and you see things differently and you sort of start you know people can tell when I get in that mode I start like you know, I'm sort of stalking around the outside trying to like line things up right, but I just love that mode of seeing things differently.

00:50:14.402 --> 00:50:25.952
But in this space, from April when we started Stackless, until now, once I get in this mode, just like you said, you know it's your fourth baby, it's my third baby.

00:50:26.333 --> 00:50:48.056
Well, no, I guess with Millie this is my fourth too, but it's like it's not all consuming, it just like there's something that has to come out and there is like this has to be sort of delivered into the world, and so it's one of those things that it's so different than working from a nine to five.

00:50:48.115 --> 00:50:58.494
I always I've had nine to fives where I enjoy the team and I might like what I'm working on, but like I don't think about it all the time.

00:50:58.494 --> 00:51:08.032
And this is one of those where I'm like, oh, I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning and start working on that thing, or start building that thing, or start, you know, and you're just in a totally different mode and so I don't even you, don't even I don't know think about it as work.

00:51:08.032 --> 00:51:19.358
Really, it's just yeah, it's just something that you're continually improving upon and I don't really have a lot of expectations.

00:51:19.358 --> 00:51:36.405
Funny enough, like day to day, I'm just I'm curious to see I'm riding in this raft down the river and I'm just having a fun time on this raft ride and that's fun.

00:51:36.405 --> 00:51:48.030
So this is primarily it these days, if not, if I need a brain break, where I've had a good solid 12, 14-hour day then I will play.

00:51:48.050 --> 00:51:51.840
Xbox a little bit, which is a very good take my brain elsewhere for a little while, kind of thing or movies.

00:51:52.822 --> 00:51:55.195
I love that and, by the way, I don't know.

00:51:55.195 --> 00:51:56.835
I mean this is like a two-minute break.

00:51:56.835 --> 00:51:57.619
I love doing Wordle.

00:51:57.619 --> 00:52:00.096
I do every day with my daughter.

00:52:00.096 --> 00:52:01.800
And then a cousin who I've never met.

00:52:01.800 --> 00:52:04.456
The last same name is, you know, in LA.

00:52:04.456 --> 00:52:05.318
It's so cute.

00:52:05.318 --> 00:52:10.112
He's in the finance world and we've done a couple zooms together.

00:52:10.112 --> 00:52:11.755
It's like a third cousin of mine, but it's the cutest thing.

00:52:11.755 --> 00:52:13.199
We're religious about our wordle.

00:52:13.199 --> 00:52:14.851
Um, that's so great.

00:52:15.092 --> 00:52:15.936
I love those things.

00:52:15.936 --> 00:52:19.952
I love when you've got those, when you're in a good flow for something like that.

00:52:19.952 --> 00:52:37.856
It was, uh, for me it was words with friends during the the, the era when sort of words with friends was like, you know, and I had a couple of people that I played with and it was fun to pick up your phone and see that someone else had laid down a tile piece or whatever, and I love that.

00:52:39.371 --> 00:52:41.673
You just get in the mode, you get in the zone.

00:52:41.673 --> 00:52:42.516
I'll show you this.

00:52:42.516 --> 00:52:44.911
It was yesterday, so by the time you have this.

00:52:44.911 --> 00:52:47.135
But like whoops, can I?

00:52:47.135 --> 00:52:47.697
You know what I mean.00:52:47.936 --> 00:52:48.358


Oh yeah.00:52:48.559 --> 00:52:51.804


And you see that and it's like, wait a minute, four letter, you know, I just like knew the word.00:52:51.804 --> 00:53:13.882


I'm like, okay, I'm a little I'm tuned in today, worry when you're not, but it's just funny, you know, you just being present too and also getting that busy brain in the morning when there's a lot to do and organizing it and just being um man, you know, finding things that just feed your soul.00:53:14.643 --> 00:53:30.175


Yeah, yep, and, and listening I found has been the thing too is not put, you know, not pushing too far in any one direction, but just being open to sitting with things for a little bit and then coming back to them and sitting with them with a you know for for a bit and just sort of.00:53:30.175 --> 00:53:36.085


I feel like that keeps me more open to wherever this thing is headed.00:53:39.889 --> 00:53:41.413


I'm completely with you and I love that.00:53:41.413 --> 00:53:41.813


It's that.00:53:41.813 --> 00:53:47.001


That's where, when it gets you know, focusing on gratitude, that's been my bridge.00:53:47.001 --> 00:54:04.896


Things are really not, you know, like the ground's ripped out from underneath you, not to sound dramatic, but when it's really challenging and just really focusing, that's like the thing that kind of brings me back in, but completely being open because there's something much bigger going on.00:54:04.896 --> 00:54:08.864


That's guiding us and it's a gift what we're doing.00:54:08.864 --> 00:54:14.257


It's an amazing privilege and it's an awesome responsibility too.00:54:14.257 --> 00:54:30.023


So to be able to see it through and get all the pieces that are just coming together, but giving everything the room to breathe, to make sure it's right and the right people for showing up and showing who they are, and all that as well, is great.00:54:30.023 --> 00:54:32.155


I love it.00:54:32.315 --> 00:54:32.577


Thank you.00:54:32.577 --> 00:54:35.798


Thank you so much and I'm thankful for you.00:54:35.798 --> 00:54:43.170


I'm so glad the universe had us collide and that we got to do this time.00:54:43.170 --> 00:54:55.389


I love hearing the early stories and then I feel like I'm caught up now, as I watch the Joy of Mom evolution, that I know where everything sort of started and came from, it's like self-mode for us.00:54:55.409 --> 00:54:58.356


You know what I mean and I just have to.00:54:58.356 --> 00:54:59.719


You know what I mean.00:54:59.719 --> 00:55:01.362


We're so close to being able to.00:55:01.362 --> 00:55:03.833


I just can't stop and start again.00:55:03.833 --> 00:55:05.054


You know what I mean.00:55:05.054 --> 00:55:17.693


It's like we're so close and our moms are so community's so amazing and just kind, and it's just that vibe and anybody new that comes in, everyone just kind of welcomes them Not kind of they do.00:55:17.693 --> 00:55:27.963


But to be able to have a fuller, deeper, just like what you're doing and we're so aligned with what we do that you know again, corey's just like a tuned in.00:55:27.963 --> 00:55:31.831


Do that?00:55:31.831 --> 00:55:33.012


You know again, corey's just like a tuned in.00:55:33.012 --> 00:55:49.735


Yes, knowing who to bring together on the journeys and I'm excited to be sharing you guys, to be collaborating together, creating great lists and, uh, favorite place, because I'm one of those, um, that I have mine in a few different things and I always have my trusty in my notes, but I I'm looking at five places.00:55:49.735 --> 00:55:58.414


So I was like, so get it, so needed and thanks for, you know, being a brave and bold entrepreneur on this journey.00:55:59.516 --> 00:56:01.420


Well, you too, and I can't wait to.00:56:01.420 --> 00:56:06.235


Maybe we should do this again like Q2, Q3 of next year, and let's see where we're both at.00:56:06.235 --> 00:56:08.818


That'll be an interesting retrospective.00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:10.721


Be very, very awesome.00:56:10.721 --> 00:56:11.643


I look forward to that.00:56:11.643 --> 00:56:14.452


Not want to rush time because we blink and it's like, oh my God.00:56:15.215 --> 00:56:17.503


I know, I know, I know that's how it goes.00:56:17.503 --> 00:56:18.969


Thank you for being here.00:56:19.210 --> 00:56:20.717


Thank you so much.