Hitting one million downloads calls for a celebration and a reunion! In this episode, I reconnect with Olivia, whose life has transformed dramatically since we last spoke in 2021. From welcoming her first child to now expecting her second while managing a record-breaking Bahama Breeze restaurant, Olivia's journey exemplifies embracing life's constant changes.
Our conversation dives deep into the realities of modern leadership. Olivia shares how she manages a team of over 100 employees while maintaining exceptional retention rates in an industry known for high turnover. Her approach—focusing on accountability, developing emotional intelligence, and creating a workplace where people genuinely want to be—offers valuable insights for anyone in a leadership position. When she admits that her anxiety manifests as irritation with "rookie mistakes," it's a refreshingly honest look at the challenges leaders face daily.
We explore Olivia's budding real estate investment journey, starting with a rental property in Illinois that they're holding onto despite relocating to North Carolina. Her practical approach to building wealth while balancing career advancement demonstrates how real estate can fit into diverse life plans. The conversation takes a touching turn when we discuss celebrating the lives of departed loved ones, sharing personal stories about preparation, grief, and finding joy in remembrance.
The episode wraps with Olivia's simple yet powerful wisdom: "Be open to change, because change is something that is constant." Her parting advice to "find things you don't like, close that door; find something you like, open that door" might be the perfect mantra for navigating life's unpredictable journey. Ready to embrace change in your own life? Listen now for a conversation that will inspire you to see transitions as opportunities rather than obstacles.
Thanks again for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a FIVE-STAR review.
Head to Dwanderful right now to claim your free real estate investing kit.
And follow:
http://www.Dwanderful.com
http://www.facebook.com/Dwanderful
http://www.Instagram.com/Dwanderful
http://www.youtube.com/DwanderfulRealEstateInvestingChannel
Make it a Dwanderful Day!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (00:02):
Hey everyone, welcome to the most Dwanderful
real estate podcast ever.
I have such exciting news wefinally reached 1 million
downloads.
So thank you, thank you, thankyou.
I could not be at a milliondownloads without all of you,
and so let's see how fast we canget to 2 million.
So, this podcast I'm having aguest back on that I had
(00:24):
interviewed before and Iabsolutely love this woman.
I love her, I watch all herstuff, and so I thought I would
take a few of the next seven oreight podcasts.
I'm going to have some peopleback that were on a couple years
ago so we can see what peopleare doing and what's new, what's
exciting, and catch up.
(00:45):
And also, if you would like tohave your next three real estate
deals guaranteed to close, goto dwanderful.
com D-W-A-N-D-E-R-F-U-Ldwanderful.
com and take my quiz.
I have a quiz and it'll showyou how to get some deals closed
(01:06):
.
So, and also, this is the mostwonderful real estate podcast
ever, I'm your host, Dwan Bent-Twyford.
Okay, miss Olivia, I'm so happyto see you.
Olivia Cook (01:16):
I'm so honored to be here.
I love, I love spending timewith you.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (01:20):
I know Well, I gosh.
We probably interviewed, Idon't know, three years.
Yeah, I don't think you had ababy yet.
How old is Solomon?
Olivia Cook (01:30):
I didn't have a baby yet it was definitely like
2021.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (01:34):
Yeah, I didn't think so.
And then you know, you guys,you and Jamie were doing the
Relentless Glory and I followedall that.
I love all the teaching and allthe Bible and just all the good
stuff.
I should have actually worn myt-shirt today, because I still
have my.
It's one of my favoritet-shirts because it's so extra
super soft.
Should have wore it today, butI'm trying to.
(01:56):
I tried a new hair today, soI'm crimping my hair and trying
like a new look.
This is the first time.
I thought I don't know if Ishould crimp it and then go
right on the podcast in case Idon't like it, so I don't have
time to fix it now.
So this is my new hairstyletoday.
You are the first one seeing itI love it I do too.
I crimped it with one of thosemachines that crimps it.
(02:18):
You know, I was like, wow, Ifeel kind of like uh, sort of
like back in the hippie daysit's.
Olivia Cook (02:25):
it's so fitting, Like it's just.
I always love how cool yourhair is, yeah.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (02:30):
All right, so let's catch up with you.
So we talked last time, youdidn't even have a baby.
Mm-hmm, how old is that, mrSolomon?
Olivia Cook (02:38):
now he is two years old and I love this stage.
You know I'm pregnant now withanother child.
Yes, when is that baby due.
He's due in June.
He's actually due on my son'shalf birthday, so which that's
not going to happen, I know,realistically speaking.
Like I had, I had Solomon Jr onChristmas day 2022.
(03:02):
And I had him at 36 weeksbecause they induced me super
early.
I had all these problems andcomplications and so I just
don't think that I'm going to goto full term with this one.
I don't have the same types ofproblems and complications,
which, thank God, um cause I hadpre-gestational diabetes, I had
a preeclampsia.
(03:22):
It was just, it was real.
It's terrible.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:25):
I had a few issues too, and I was just like
oof.
Olivia Cook (03:28):
What do you?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:29):
have in the new guy.
Olivia Cook (03:31):
Yeah, Owen Tyler.
So I want him to have myinitials.
Since the other one has myhusband's name, I want him to
have my initials.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:39):
So you know, and I had my daughter.
So my first name no one knowsthis, but my first name is
actually Andrea.
So it's Andrea Dwan Bent.
But my family, everybody in myfamily, calls every single
person by their middle name.
So I was called Dwan my wholelife.
So when I got pregnant Ithought you know what?
I'm going to give my daughtermy initials, because I did the
(04:00):
same thing.
I thought, well, I don't wantto name her like exactly after
me and I want to give her myinitials.
So then I named her AylaDiamond Bent.
So I had Ayla Diamond Bent andAndrea Dwan Bent.
I was like, oh cool initials.
If she ever wants to be famous,she can be Ayla Diamond.
She's already got a built-instage name.
Olivia Cook (04:23):
Sooo funny.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (04:23):
So I like that giving them your initials,
because you know it's like allthe guys get all the babies
named after them and the juniorsand whatever.
But what happens?
What?
Olivia Cook (04:35):
about the moms.
It's going to be funny becauseit'll probably be that Solomon
has my personality and OwenTyler has my husband's
personality.
That will probably just be ourluck.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (04:47):
That'll be it .
So tell me about the RelentlessGlory.
You guys still doing that anddoing the Bible studies.
Olivia Cook (04:56):
Just as life has, you know, drifted its ways, it's
still there.
It's not like we won'tparticipate or accident.
It's just at this time in ourlives we've we're so busy with
what we're doing.
Jamie is actually at a coachessummit right now in Vegas
speaking, killing it.
I'm so proud of her.
Her birthday was last month andwe caught up and everything.
(05:21):
And you know we're constantly,if she's one of my like, sit in
the mud friends.
We might not talk all the time,but if I need prayer, if she
needs prayer, she knows exactlywhere she can go.
I know exactly where I can go.
I don't.
I'm not one of those peoplethat does surface level
(05:43):
relationships.
You know I'm not one of thosepeople that does surface level
relationships.
You know, I'm very big on justbeing open and honest with each
other and that is one thing thatI'm so grateful that God gave
us in that, you know, beingcomplete strangers offline and
being able to build somethingbeautiful together and then just
looking back at what we made inthe time that we put.
(06:04):
You know.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:05):
I loved what you guys were doing.
It was great.
Olivia Cook (06:09):
It's just, you know it's.
It's not, it's just a not rightnow thing that we're focusing
on, but it's not like the dooris completely shut, you know
that's good.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:19):
That's good, that's it.
Yeah, I always loved it.
You guys just came up with somany great verses and
inspirational things and I wasalways like I just love those
two girls.
I loved you guys in the spirittogether.
So then, what are you doing now?
Olivia Cook (06:36):
I manage a restaurant um it's Bahama Breeze
in fayetteville, north carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:41):
We did it is that the same Bahama Breeze as
in Florida?
Olivia Cook (06:45):
Yeah, oh my God, yeah, we did a new store open
here.
We opened last year Februaryand our first full month we did
$1.2 million in sales, breakingcompany records.
We started out with 160 teammembers.
(07:05):
So I was before that I wasmanaging a fine dining
restaurant GM of either place.
But I'm just saying like you'restill in charge of these people
, their schedules, all thethings and you're you know you
get built and changed throughthe process.
But I was doing I was basicallyat like a two to $3 million
store before doing fine dining alot less team members, probably
(07:30):
maximum like 25 team members atthat restaurant.
Before We've got so many moreteam members, I've got other
managers that I can definitelydepend on and there's so many
systems in place that I'm reallybeing developed.
It's a different company.
We're owned by Darden.
The company I was with beforewas Landry's.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (07:51):
I know Landry's.
My daughter worked for one ofthe aquariums or something that
was part of the Landry's.
It was some kind of a aquariumtype restaurant oh, oh ocean
here I can't even think of thename of it, but it was part of
(08:13):
the Landry's thing, so, okay,good, so you're behind the
breeze yeah, with Darden.
Olivia Cook (08:18):
Which jarden owns um capital.
Grill ruth, capitol Grill, ruth, chris, eddie V's, seasons 52,
olive Garden, longhornSteakhouse, yardhouse, cheddar's
, bahama Breeze and Chevy's it'sa new concept.
(08:39):
Yeah.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (08:40):
So it's a huge concept.
It's called D-A-R-D-E-N.
Olivia Cook (08:43):
D-A-R-D-E-N, d-a-r-d-e-n, and so it's a huge
concept, but I mean the way thatthey do their leadership has
changed me drastically and in abetter way.
You know, it's very corporateand I'm very much a corporate
like restaurant person, becausemom and pop places there's some
(09:08):
that are phenomenal but there'sothers that are the wild west
and I like and I like learninghow to do things prop like
profitable.
You know, just looking at allthe numbers and dealing with
people, I would never own arestaurant on my own.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (09:27):
I don't think I ever would either.
I've worked in so many of themin my twenties.
I think I'd be terrifiedbecause they just come and go so
often.
But then you have, like yousaid, like the Bahama Breeze and
like the Olive Garden, andChatter Street is what you named
.
They're just everywhere andthey're successful.
They don't seem to ever go outof business, but it's so what
(09:47):
are you?
Olivia Cook (09:47):
learning about leadership, because you're in
charge of a lot right now yeah,now we have a lot less team
members we've got about 100, butour turnover is actually really
good.
We have a lot of day one peoplestill with us.
A fter a year, which is notcommon we have all their
managers.
That's open, the store arestill together.
(10:09):
That's not common either andI'm very grateful.
But the things that I'm learningmost is how important your
mindset is with what you'redoing and looking at things
bigger picture, not focusing somuch on that, like of course,
there's a diamond place for,like the nitpicky, all the
(10:32):
things.
But when you're looking atthings from the big picture of
where do we want to be next year, where do we want to be three
years from now?
Where do we want to be when mytime is up here, what you know
and what reputation do we wantto build within the community,
and just a lot of those things.
(10:55):
As well as listening withoutbias listening for true, like
there's true information.
Listening for true, likethere's true information, yeah,
and admitting when you're wrongLike I'm one of those that will
absolutely I've always been thatway Admit.
Okay, I'm wrong about that, I'msorry.
Taking accountability you know,taking accountability is huge
(11:22):
and being able to see what youdon't do right.
I'm very blessed to have a GMthat is one of those iron
sharpens iron people.
He wants us to be better and Irealized recently most people
don't like surroundingthemselves around people that
make them better Like mostnormal people, because it's
uncomfortable for one to realizewhen you're wrong and two, so
(11:48):
many people are stuck in theirways and they're good with what
they want to do and that's allwell and fine, but you don't get
growth from that no, there areso many and I I swear I think
it's like older peopleespecially like like well, so
I'm a boomer Bill and I are opento like everything in the world
(12:08):
, but I see people like gettingup around their 70s, 80s,
whatever.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (12:12):
They're so like set and they're not going
to change, no matter what.
They won't change for anything.
Just even young people, some ofthe millennials and stuff in my
life they're just like also setin their ways already.
It's like y'all are in your 30s.
You got a long way to go.
Like you need to be able tolike roll with the flow a little
(12:32):
bit better here, becauseeveryone is just like that.
So I like that you have someonethat does that, because the
best way you can learn is tohave someone that will help you
and show you better and not makeyou like feel bad about it.
Olivia Cook (12:41):
You like feel bad about it.
Mm-hmm Done to think Iabsolutely agree with that, and
it was.
It was hard in the beginning,but I'm now.
I embrace the hard, I embracethe suck, I push into the
pressure.
It's easy to say those thingsbefore when you're when you're
(13:02):
not sure what the pressure is.
But with this, this opportunity, I've gotten really good at
calling the M EMS.
I'm the perfect person incrisis management situations
like the crazy things thathappen, I realized, where I
learned so much more about wheremy anxiety really is.
My anxiety comes in, Like whenI get very anxious.
(13:26):
It comes in the areas ofannoyance.
I get very agitated.
That's how it shows up for meand it's the little things that
are like little paper.
You know death by a thousandpaper cuts, that is me.
Know death by a thousand papercuts, that is me I am.
If we're busy and people arenot working at a specific level
(13:48):
and they're just making rookiemistakes, if they're not rookies
, I want to call them out for it.
I'm like okay, all right, stopwith the rookie mistakes, you
know better.
And I just keep it moving and Itry to treat people as fairly
as possible.
But even people don't realize,like I've had new team members
tell me, oh, you're stressed,but I don't ever take it out on
(14:12):
them, I'm like it's not.
The stress is not that I'mannoyed, I'm more annoyed than
anything.
So when things aren't doneproperly because I'm like a
perfectionist, you know, and I,I have high expectations and
it's making me realize that Ihave to not settle for less, but
(14:36):
I have to handle how thingsdon't.
When don't they don't go theway that I want them to, I have
to handle that better.
Yeah, I've been working on that, especially, you know, being
like I'll be 30 weeks pregnanttomorrow.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (14:54):
Oh, I love being pregnant.
It was great, but I was likeI'm a one and done kind of girl.
Olivia Cook (15:00):
I hate it.
I think the third trimester isso ghetto.
I would not, you know, suggestit Now, do I believe that it's
an absolute blessing?
Yes, I'm grateful that I canhave children.
I'm so grateful for that.
But, at the same time, twothings can be true at the same
time, and they can be completelydifferent.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (15:22):
I've had those days too.
I had some gestational diabetesand some of those issues too.
It's like, oh my gosh, I justonly have this baby.
Like how hard can this be?
People have been doing it formillions of years, right.
So now, in your new role, likeyou're a leader, you are the
boss of people.
You organize people.
(15:42):
What kind of skills do you wantto teach them or impart upon
them to?
You know to be the best theycan be, because it's not
everybody can be a boss, sothere's a lot of bosses that are
just really shitty at it.
Just they're terrible.
I've had some terrible bossesthat don't know how to talk or
help you or without putting youdown or something.
(16:04):
And I think it takes a realskill to be a leader, because
it's definitely not for everyone, but there's a lot of people in
leadership positions thatshouldn't be.
Olivia Cook (16:15):
When it comes to my team members, it depends on
what their goals are.
You know, I get to know I havea personal relationship with
each and every team member.
A personal relationship witheach and every team member.
And so some people, if I seethem doing the wrong thing in
their life, um, and they'reasking for advice, I don't give
unwarranted advice, but ifthey're asking for things, or if
(16:37):
they do blow up and havesituations where they're they,
they could lose their, theirjobs, Um, I do definitely talk
to them about, you know, notcaring so much about other
people's opinions.
What other people say aboutthem.
That's a common issue because,like in my industry, I'm working
with the general public.
(16:58):
I serve the general public andwe hire the general public.
Nobody has to have a degree towork in food and bar.
Okay, You're working with themajority types of people, so
you're going to deal with thosemajority types of problems.
Somebody sleeping with thisperson.
They found out and they'reupset about it.
Somebody is, you know, verymuch problems.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (17:23):
I'm just laughing.
I managed a couple of places inmy twenties and it's like the
draw.
I always call it an adultdaycare center.
There's so much and likeespecially when you said slip, I
had 23 employees at one timeand then this girl's married,
this guy's married.
Next thing you know, I don'teven know they're sleeping
together.
Next thing you know they bothquit.
Their spouses are like I wasjust like they're sleeping
(17:45):
together.
Next thing you know they bothquit.
Their spouses are like I wasjust like what is happening
right now?
You guys are like grown-asspeople.
They were in their 40s.
I didn't know they were intheir 20s and I didn't know any
better.
Olivia Cook (17:56):
I don't understand what's going on here right now.
No-transcript their emotionalintelligence.
I'm really trying to help themdevelop their emotional
intelligence when they are mad,when they are triggered.
That is a lot of theconversations I have with my
team members, you know, notallowing for, like, realizing
(18:23):
that they're able to change howthey argue.
And I go back to a lot ofrelationships, for instance,
like significant others, if theystarted out as high school
sweethearts, they still fightlike they're in high school A
lot of times because they don'tchoose to fight better, like
(18:44):
it's a common thing, though Iknow, I know, I know it's so
hard to change you as a personfrom where you are when you are
mad, hangry and you are reallylike a loose cannon and having
them see, you know what I dohave the ability to stop myself
(19:08):
no longer giving up theirpersonal power.
That's a constant thing.
You know, thinking through whatthey're doing before they go
off the handle over veryminuscule things.
Somebody disrespected you, okay, like you allow, you have to
allow for them to affect you.
You have to allow for them.
(19:29):
You have to give them so muchmore weight.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (19:32):
Yes.
Olivia Cook (19:33):
To actually make a difference, you know.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (19:36):
I'm telling you, we and you know, I think I
when I talked to you lastthere's something about all
those buildings that we boughtin Iowa, so one of them is a
coffee shop.
Now, I have never really ownedlike retail stores before.
I've worked in them.
So now I find myself I ownAntique Mall, I've got a
clothing boutique and I've got acoffee shop, like a coffee
(19:59):
energy drink kind of place.
Now, the people that work atthe Antique Mall, they tend to
be older, they're just like youknow, and the people at the
boutique, you know a little bitolder.
But the girls that all work atthe coffee shop, young, fighting
, texting when they want the dayoff, or if you don't give them
a day off, they just text you Iquit.
And it's like, are you freaking, kidding me?
(20:20):
Who just sends a text messageand quits, Especially when
they've been somewhere for alength of time.
It's like what is up with, likethe people today and the work
ethic and what is wrong.
It's like what is wrong withall these young people, you know
, and you have to have that in arestaurant like you're at Work
ethic, the 20 somethings Likewhere'd that go?
Olivia Cook (20:45):
Um, we Like what happened?
Where'd that go?
We I have my GM is 50 and allof the managers are very
hands-on.
We all work very hard hours.
Starting out was not easy.
There was, you know, we're abrand new restaurant doing 250K
a week seeing about 7,000 people, because the price per person
(21:07):
is about $34 per person.
So we're seeing a lot of peopleand that's a lot of mistakes, a
lot of mistakes, and I gotreally good at getting yelled at
.
But one thing that I don'ttolerate is people that don't
work.
Um, I, we, we definitely umcall them out for that.
(21:27):
They don't do well, um, notdoing what's required of them,
because the most important thingis taking care of the guest.
That is why we're all there,and if you're not doing that,
then you're not.
You're not doing your job, um,and we just I don't think that
I've ever, ever.
I thought I had a great workethic before because I had a lot
(21:49):
of jobs, but then I worked formy GM and I'm like 13-14 hour
days, I know all the time I'mlike, oh, okay, and it's not
just working that length of time, you have to be on that entire
time around.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (22:09):
you're in the public.
Olivia Cook (22:11):
Yes, yes, so my work ethic got developed.
I don't think that you can bein their environment and succeed
in our environment and not havea good work ethic, because
that's just not something wetolerate.
I believe that leadershiptrickles down, you know, and if
(22:31):
they see us working and puttingin everything, that it kind of
rubs off on them.
Now there are always thosepeople that are just going to be
lazy and you just got to callthem out and the micromanaging
is annoying.
It's very annoying, but youknow you just have to do it If
(22:52):
what you tolerate when it's inyour eyes is so much like it
allows for so much more stuff tohappen when you're not around.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (23:04):
Yeah, now I know I just with these, with
these girls, I'm like I don'tunderstand.
Like everyone like, especiallylike in my generation and even
like gen x, like just reallygood hardcore work ethics, you
know, millennials even.
But then it's like now, all ofa sudden, all these people that
they, they just want to.
You know, they worry abouttheir time off, what are they
(23:24):
gonna do?
And they have to have this workbalance and more fun than work
and no one takes anythingseriously anymore.
It's like, oh my God, I feellike I need to hire everybody
over 50.
I mean, I think, and get peoplethat will show up.
I told Bill, I said, oh Lord,have these girls, I'm going to
kill some of these girls.
Olivia Cook (23:44):
It is definitely difficult.
It is it is definitelydifficult, um, I think, for we
make our place such a fun placeto work.
We have team members that wantto come to work.
There's no reason why, um, wewould have the.
The turnover that we have islike we we have so many day
(24:05):
one-ers, we've got really goodturnover.
For a restaurant industrythat's not very common.
It's because they know that wegenuinely care about them and we
care about their development,and it's really in the hiring
process too.
You know hiring people.
I learned so much about hiringand interviewing people from
(24:25):
this company because you knowwho you hire dictates so much
and making sure you put thatinvestment in them and they get
the proper training, and beingso upfront with them and be like
, yeah, we do a lot of work here, but we have fun here too.
We actually did a yearanniversary picnic.
(24:46):
Oh fun and we invited family andfriends and we had so many
people show up, we had teammembers.
Like one of my team members'kids was like are y'all?
going to have a second yearanniversary party, like yeah,
like we're ready for the nextparty, like that was so much fun
and I mean there was no alcoholthere.
There were no.
(25:13):
You know it was.
We played kickball, we had food, we had games, we had all these
things for them to participatein and have a good time.
I was the DJ.
Oh, listen to you.
Yeah, I was the DJ because Iwas not about to play kickball
and be pregnant falling down.
I wasn't doing that.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (25:30):
No, no, no.
So you know, one of the thingsI like to ask my guests now is
what is your favorite band?
Olivia Cook (25:34):
of all time.
Okay, it really depends on thegenre.
Pick one.
I really like band, I love theFray, but I also love Fleetwood
Mac.
Oh, you do so.
Like Stevie Nicks, she has sucha distinct, versatile voice.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:01):
She's great.
Olivia Cook (26:02):
She's great.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:03):
I started in the last year asking my guests
like what's your favorite uhband of all time and like what's
your favorite food?
Like you know, because peoplelike to work with people that
they they get to know and youjust tell so much about people
by the music that they listen tolike I love all types of stuff.
Olivia Cook (26:19):
Now, rapper it's kind of hard, like I.
I listen.
It's so random.
I'm like I listen to countryhardcore rap music like street
music, ghetto music, old schoolmusic, but I like alternative,
like I definitely love, likeFleetwood Mac, oh yeah, all of
(26:41):
that type of stuff.
So it's like I'm very broadwhen it comes to I am too.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:47):
I mean, I listen.
Honestly, people would neverknow.
I listen to Bluegrass sometimesbecause I grew up with it with
my grandparents.
It's like oh man, I love thatsong.
And sometimes I listen to likeold country gospel and it's like
oh.
And my husband's like how doyou know the words of all these
songs?
I'm like my parents, my parents, grandparents are in Tennessee
and I never missed church mywhole entire life.
So all the songs and I like thehip-hop stuff and I like the
(27:13):
rock bands, so I and Country andwe saw Lady Gaga recently.
I really think music isimportant and the more broader.
I just feel like I don't know.
I feel like music is kind oflike an international language,
like everyone likes music, youknow, and songs mean things and
as you get older, you hear asong like that remind you of
(27:35):
something like while you werepregnant or when you were dating
.
Like we don't have all thesesongs and we made a whole
playlist of all the songs thatwere popular when we were dating
, because we're like, oh, that'swhen we were going out and
dating, like I love that song.
I think music's important.
I love it when I was like Idon't know, 18 maybe.
(27:56):
Uh, I was raised in ohio and sothe cincinnati reds uh stadium I
don't even know what it'scalled anymore, but but the
baseball stadium they would havethese really giant concerts,
but they were all day and withlike four bands.
So you had like this band thatwas like coming up, and then
this one, and then the main bandat the end of the night was
like you know whoever it camefor.
(28:17):
So I went to my first outdoorin a stadium concert and the
main main band was Fleetwood Mac.
And now I I knew who they were,I knew all their songs and I
went because I loved FleetwoodMac.
And then, looking back, theopening band was Eddie Money and
the Cars and at the time theyweren't like really famous yet.
(28:39):
So I was like I only know oneof their songs which I agreed to
love later.
But I'm telling you, the nightof fall comes.
I mean everyone's, you knowit's 70.
So we're, all you know, smokingand partying, and Fleetwood Mac
and I tell you Stevie Nickssits up on that speaker and all
that black flowing and her hairis blowing and I was like, oh my
God, she's like a goddess.
She was so amazing and it justI swear it's like it was like an
(29:08):
like amoving type of a concert.
Just, I don't know somethingabout her and her vibe and the
hair and the fans on her all thetime and the hat and you're
just looking at her like noone's ever seen anybody like
this woman.
Olivia Cook (29:18):
And her music transcends time.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (29:20):
It does.
She's amazing.
So now you were telling me thatyou guys have bought a couple
rentals.
Olivia Cook (29:26):
Well, okay, we have our house that we owned in
Illinois, so we're renting itout.
Now we're starting this journey.
That was the whole goal, but Idefinitely, in the future, want
to purchase a few moreproperties that we rent out.
Hold on to them.
It would be lovely if interestrates would go down.
(29:49):
We have our interest rate forour house in Illinois at like
3.5 or something.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (29:56):
Hang on to that for the rest of your life.
Do you still live in Illinois?
Olivia Cook (30:00):
No, I live in North Carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (30:02):
You live in North Carolina.
I did not know you moved there.
Olivia Cook (30:06):
I moved in North Carolina.
I did not know you lived there,yeah, so I moved to North
Carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (30:11):
For the work or with your husband.
Olivia Cook (30:13):
Well with my husband because he got stationed
here.
That's right.
It was crazy.
It's actually so funny.
I was looking for a job becausemy last day at Morton's the
steakhouse was October 27th.
This was in.
We moved in 2023.
We were officially hereDecember 2023.
(30:37):
So, yeah, my last day there wasOctober 27th, but I had gotten
an email from the company I workfor now saying all the
positions are filled up.
From the company I work for nowsaying all the positions are
filled up.
We've we finished hiring ourmanagers for Fayetteville, but
we're interested in you for,like all these other places, we
can pay to get you out, torelease and I'm like I own my
(30:57):
home, my home here.
I have to be in Fayetteville,unfortunately, like that.
That really sucks.
If you could pass me on to someof your other sister companies
that are in the area.
And then I had an interview fora radio station and an interview
for Bonefish Grill and I askedGod.
I said God, what decisionshould I make?
(31:18):
And an hour after I asked him,michelle from Bahama Breeze, the
HR calls me and she's like hey,so a position actually filled
up, like opened up.
How soon can you talk to ourdirector of operations?
I talked to him the next dayand I got a job offer that's
(31:41):
like within the hour of talkingto him and our home that we were
putting an offer in on thishouse that I'm in now got
accepted.
so it was like back to back,like that's this guy's open the
door, got open the doors, thankyou god, you've been so good to
me, um, you know, and it's he'sdefinitely been developing me
(32:03):
and growing me throughout thewhole entire process and I'm
yeah, I have very hard days butI'm so, so grateful for it.
So it just it's always on histiming, you know it is.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (32:13):
I know it's funny, because it's like, you
know, my husband, I make plans.
I'm like, yeah, we all makeplans, and god just laughs.
It's like, oh, is that what youthink's happening?
No, here's what's gonna happen.
This, this is where I want youto go.
That's really that, like yougot the job and the husband
transferred and then you guyswere able to buy a new house and
like it all, just like that'sbecause it was God's plan.
Yeah, you know, and you knowboth of us.
(32:36):
We're all about God's timing.
Yes, yeah.
Olivia Cook (32:49):
So I'm learning to listen to that, you know,
throughout time and just notstress out too much.
I'm like, you know, if it's adelay, it's a delay and that's
okay, because I'm actually I'mgoing to go to school to get my
master's in social work, becauseI want to become a therapist,
oh nice, but I can't, prettymuch I can't start until the
program I want to start is notallowing me to start until
August of 2026.
(33:09):
And I'm like, oh, my goodness,like why, and I'm like you know
what, I forgot how hard it is tolike take care of a baby.
You know, like I, I forgot likeI was going to have to feed it
like myself, because mytwo-year-old is so like he can
feed himself, you know mytwo-year-old is so like he can
(33:31):
feed himself.
You know, oh no, you're goingback to the 24 hour day
dependence.
I know, and I, literally Ilooked at my husband the other
day and I'm like, dude, we'regoing to have to feed this kid
Like we're going to, and myhusband's so hands-on, he's,
he's so phenomenal, I'm sograteful.
Um, that's another thing Iteach, I really try to teach my
team members is the person youpick to be with, to spend your
(33:51):
life with.
That's the most importantrelation, human relationship,
you're going to have.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (33:56):
You know and how God and then your spouse.
Olivia Cook (33:59):
Exactly so.
That's, that's your.
Everybody else is underneaththat Right, and that's why I say
that, because, of course, yourrelationship with God is more
important but, your humanrelationship.
That's.
That is your responsibility.
You don't let anything elsecome in between that Choosing
that person and being verymindful that it's not just like
looks.
It has to be morals and plansand how you go about life.
(34:23):
And are they willing to change,are they willing to adapt?
I know how I am.
I require someone to be aparent that is going to be
hands-on with me.
I'm not going to do the wholething like that.
That was never my plan.
I'm also like a 50, 50 female.
(34:43):
A lot of females are like I'mseeing this a lot more online
now that it's like oh, he needsto be the provider in all of
this.
And I'm like most people thatare not entrepreneurs, like just
everyday people that areactually struggling right now
are making like 50 60 thousanddollars a year and you expect to
(35:04):
be able to cover that and giveyou the lifestyle that you want.
Instead of building and helpingeach other together, together,
I'm like why?
Why are you?
And I always was like I'm goingto build and help together.
You know that was my mentality.
So, yeah, no, am I going to doall the housework?
Absolutely not.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (35:22):
He can when I first met I had already been a
real estate investor for over adecade.
So at that point I have like ahousekeeper, like the shops and
does my laundry and you know,and I have, just you know, all
the, just all my sauce oh, Iforgot about my little metal
sauce here and he's like Hisfirst wife was really
(35:47):
traditional and did like threemeals a day, like the whole, and
so I remember he made a jokeone day hey, we need to get
married.
I need someone to come up hereand like clean my toilets, like
as a joke, right?
you know what.
We probably actually shouldhave a talk, because you were
married 20 years to a woman thatstayed home, raised the kids,
made three meals a day, dideverything.
(36:09):
I said I just need you to know,like I'm not that person.
Like we're getting ahousekeeper immediately and
we're going to have a housemanager that pays our bills and
runs our errands and takes thekids to the doctors and we're
going to do this and this andthis and that, and he's like,
really, I'm like dude, I'm noteven remotely interested in
doing any of those housewifeythings at all.
(36:31):
So I did all that, but now thatI have the money to afford it,
I don't even want to wash my ownclothes.
That's what we're going to do.
And he'd never had any of that.
I was like listen, I'm justtelling you right now do not
think I'm coming up there andliving in the mountains and like
doing laundry for now, you andtwo extra kids and those five of
us.
It was like this is never gonnahappen.
So we hired a house manager andactually had her live in, cook
(36:53):
the meals, did the running, didthis, and that Bill's like well,
it's so nice to have all that.
I was like dude, I'm already.
That first person I hired wassomeone to help me keep my house
clean, because I'm just bad atit, I don't like it, I'm not
good at it, it's never as cleanas I want it and I'm like I just
need like a professional.
That's like the first person Iever hired.
So when we came together we hada little bit of growing as far
(37:15):
as those things and I'm like andI'm also not cooking.
So if you want three meals aday, you need to hire a chef or
something, because it's nothappening over here either.
And now you know who does mostof the cooking.
Olivia Cook (37:28):
He does my husband, he loves to cook all of a
sudden.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (37:33):
I'm like he loves to cook and he makes the
best meals.
Olivia Cook (37:35):
I'm like this is amazing how is he doing, by the
way?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (37:40):
he's amazing, you know.
You know he had that stem cell,that bone marrow transplant yes
, so the donor at the time was a23 year old female.
That was 100 match for all thethings that they match up on
your DNA.
And the doctor said he saidsometimes people come out and
they'll have a few differentpersonality traits and it's like
(38:03):
you know.
You hear about people that likeget a heart from another person
and then suddenly they don'tlike this food or that food and
things are different.
So Bill's amazing, he's so good.
His doctor's like if everypatient was like you, he goes, I
would never lose anyone.
He's 150% back and so muchbetter.
But now he likes to cook moreand he likes to watch like more,
(38:26):
like romantic comedies and likehis personality changed a
little bit.
Like I'm wondering because Ireally want to meet this, though
I wonder if she's like a reallygood cook or she likes to do
these things because he has,like these new habits he didn't
have before that I really like,so I'm like.
So now I tell people it's liketo tease him.
I said well, you have femaleDNA, so if you run his bone
(38:48):
marrow it exactly matches her.
So I say this is my gay bestfriend, husband, love, lesbian
lover, because he's like, youknow, he's a man on the outside,
he's a girl on the inside, likelegit and which everyone's like
.
Oh my god, you guys.
I said no, but seriously, he'sgot female dna.
I mean, it's his now.
But yeah, he's amazing, hereally likes to cook, like
(39:10):
suddenly he makes these bigmeals and I'm like, who are you?
Where's the guy I was marriedto before?
I like this version.
I like this guy that cooksdinner for me at night.
It's like and nice, like steakand you know, side dishes, like
this whole thing, and I'm like,who are you?
Olivia Cook (39:27):
but I like another question I want to ask you how
have you been celebrating yourfather's life?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (39:36):
What do you mean exactly?
Because you passed away.
Olivia Cook (39:40):
Exactly, and so my father passed away when I was 20
.
Oh, that's so young, yeah, yeah, and we were really poor so I
had to pay for his funeral andeverything and I got nothing.
But that's besides the point.
You know, every time now, likeI always think about celebrating
his life, and I know that wassomething that happened for you
(40:01):
and I love I watched a lot ofthe stuff that you put out.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (40:04):
Oh, we had.
I have to tell you we had mydad was so ready, like he was so
ready.
I wasn't even like upset aboutit.
Mean, obviously he's my dad,but I wasn't upset about it.
He had just been so depressedsince his wife had passed away
three years before.
He was having so many issueswith his heart and his kidneys,
(40:25):
and we were like you know, it'stime for the hospice, like we
all, and this is what he wantedto do, and I was with him every
for I was up there, I don't know, for like six weeks I was with
him at the hospital and I waswith him at hospice.
I was with him when he passedaway.
And then we had this amazingparty, did all the things he
loves at his house because hehad moved out of his house into
(40:46):
assisted living.
So we had we were shooting guns, we were drinking moonshine, we
played bluegrass all day, wehad like three poker tables set
up and it was just like my dadwould have loved that party like
so much, because those are allhis favorite things and we had
such a good time celebrating.
And I don't know it's odd, it'slike I know he's gone, but I
(41:07):
feel happy for him because he'sone of the last generations of
like you go out and kill thedinosaur and drag it back to the
cave and the fact that hehasn't been able to hunt for
like five years, like not at all, and he spent his whole life
hunting like every season musket, bone, whatever it is.
(41:29):
He hunts all the time Birds,squirrels, deer, it doesn't
matter and he hadn't been ableto hunt for the last four or
five years, which was like areally big piece of his life.
And he had an eye stroke so hewent blind in one eye so he
couldn't really play cards likehe does.
And he's like a guy that's intournaments and you know all the
things and so you know, I feellike really happy for him.
I have a little area up herewith some of his stuff on it, so
(41:53):
I'm just like I don't even feelweirdly, I don't even feel sad,
I feel like he's where hewanted to be and I know you know
he and Lois, I know they're notlike married in heaven, but you
know they're there and mysister passed like they're all
there and I don't know.
Pictures come up, I post up.
(42:13):
I I'm like my dad was a greatdad.
Olivia Cook (42:15):
do you think that because of what you and your
husband went through, when heand all the tough conversations
that you had because I remember,because I had you back on my
podcast, you know, and we talkeda lot about that, like how you
had those uncomfortableconversations, but it made y'all
so much closer Do you thinkthat helped you when it came to
(42:36):
your dad's?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (42:36):
time.
Oh yeah, we had already.
My dad and I had already hadthose Like we had a really
distinct will written out Hiswife Lois, they were married,
they were together almost 50years.
So we chose me off of like hisside of the family and Lynn, my
(42:57):
sister, slash stepsister, offthat side to be co-executors and
make sure everything gets doneright and everything is handled
and there's no squabbling likehow everyone squabbles about
money and all the stuff.
So my sister and I, when we gotto Ohio, when she came, we met
with the attorney at 10 in themorning and between 10 in the
(43:17):
morning and noon the next day wehad settled the estate, cashed
out all the cash sold.
The house was in a land trust toanother guy who gave us a
cashier's check for the wholeamount.
We had the entire estatesettled in 26 hours Because we
had all those conversationsbefore and Lynn and I were like
(43:40):
that's got to be a world record26 hours Because it's a million
dollar estate the houses, therentals, the money, like all of
it.
I was like, damn girl, lookwhat we just did in 26 hours,
from the minute we sat with theattorney until we took the
cashier's check on the house andI was like that's got to be a
record.
But it made it really easy andI think that's one thing people
(44:01):
need to do is you guys, you havekids and you need to have wills
and you need to have yourhouses in a land trust.
Your house that you're rentingneeds to be into a land trust.
You need to have all thoseconversations because you don't
know when someone is what'sgoing to happen.
Yeah, so I had all those sameconversations with my dad many,
many times over the years andwith Bill, like it was super
(44:23):
weird with Bill Cause, like damn, you're going in for a stem
cell transplant, Like you reallymight not come back.
My dad was 86 and we'd alreadyorganized all his things and I
don't know.
Know, I think when you justhave everything really organized
and and the transition of allthe whatever is getting left or
whoever's getting what, um, andthe funeral's paid for and
everything's done, it just makesit like so much easier and not
(44:45):
like so I don't know, it's notlike, it's so like devastating.
It's still devastating, but notthe same as having to figure
out every little thing and whatwould they want, what would they
do.
Like my dad had everything done, paid for he had earned, picked
out, like he had a suit, I meanlike years ago.
So it's like everything.
So we just implementedeverything the way he wanted it
(45:07):
and it was really amazing.
And so we have a little groupchat and every time something
comes up in Facebook we allshare all the pictures and I
don't know.
I feel like it was just hisright time, if the time was
right.
I think if I lost a parent inmy 20s, I probably would have
been like Bill lost both of hisparents in his 30s and I was
(45:31):
like, wow, like I had my momstill alive and I had my dad
till I was 65.
I had my mom still alive and Ihad my dad till I was 65.
I can't imagine having lostboth my parents in my 30s and
had no parents in your wholeadult life.
I think that's harder becauseBill was, you know, he's still.
I swear.
I feel part of him is stillgrief stricken about it, I think
just because my dad got to livea really long life and do all
the things he wanted to do, andso did Lois and my mom also.
(45:56):
I think that when I don't know,I feel like when it comes their
time, it's okay.
Yeah, it's weird, it's like, I'mlike, yeah, it's okay dad, I'm
okay with it.
Olivia Cook (46:06):
For I think for me like losing my father.
My mom's still here, thank God,it's just my best friend.
She also lost her grandmotherand grandfather within three
months of each other and thiswas recent and, um, they were
the ones that raised her her.
She never knew her dad and hermom is just not stable and what
(46:27):
it is for us, I think it's.
They miss out on so many things, so much children.
You know, like, like I'm likeman and I'm it's been 12 years
now for me.
So I'm like man.
My dad would have loved meetingmy son, Like, cause my son's
just so much fun, he would havehad so much fun with him.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (46:45):
You know he would have loved your husband.
He would love.
Thank you so much.
Olivia Cook (46:49):
Right.
So I think it's it's thememories missed versus, like,
the good life had.
Yeah, I had a good life while Iwas here, but you know when?
When you die at 52.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (47:00):
No, no, my sister died at 51 and I was like
you know.
It's been 11 years.
I'm like God.
I can't believe all the stuffshe's missed.
Olivia Cook (47:09):
Right.
So I think that's more so wheresome of that grief might come
from.
But so that's why I just aim onthe celebration so more to for
for, like you know, the life ofother people.
Just that helps me cope withthe loss of loved ones.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (47:30):
Yeah, and you know my, my dad was diehard
Christian forever and ever andever and ever.
And then I lost a friend,recently too, and she's been a
Christian since forever also.
And I find, because I've lost acouple of my friends and like
one I knew for a fact was notnot unless she got saved in the
last 30 seconds of her life,when nothing total atheist is
(47:52):
like and I actually feel worseabout that than my Christians
I'm like okay, I know they're inheaven and I believe that, so
I'm like they're okay.
But my one friend sometimes I'mlike golly, if she's in hell,
she's been there for so long andshe has like so much longer to
go.
And why would someone not just,why would you not just accept
Jesus?
Like?
I don't understand.
(48:13):
And I think that one bothers methe worst, because now again, I
don't know how god works.
I don't know if in those lastfew minutes of the twilight you
get a chance to say, okay, jesus, I take you.
I just know that the day beforethis woman died she's like I'll
stop talking about all that,jesus, I don't know.
I was like when she died thenext day and I was like, and
that's bothered me for a decade.
(48:34):
So just like golly, if I I don'twant to know that somebody.
And now we're getting off ontoreligious stuff and people might
think, oh, these two crazyChristian women over there
talking.
But that bothers me.
Knowing my dad and my sisterand people are in heaven.
I'm like no, they're good.
I had a long life with him.
So, yeah, I do feel bad whenpeople lose someone that young,
(48:55):
because I can't imagine nothaving my dad and my mom through
my 30s and my 40s and my 50sand into my 60s Like just
decades of doing so many funthings.
Olivia Cook (49:06):
Yeah, so it is tough.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:08):
Hopefully your mom lives to be 100.
Olivia Cook (49:11):
Yes, that's what I'm praying for.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:13):
Well, my aunt is 98 and my mom is 88, and my
little 98 year old aunt, shestill walks a mile a day with a
little walking stick.
Oh my God, she could not be anycuter.
Olivia Cook (49:26):
I feel like her when I grow up.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:28):
Yeah, I know I'm like Wanda you're my hero.
I want to be you when I grow up.
I don't know, I just turned 66.
So I'm on my way for sure.
So well, it has been reallynice getting to know you.
We almost talked for an hour.
So we're going to have to tapout.
So now that you're doing yournew life, you're doing a new
thing.
What would be like a quick wordof wisdom you give to people
(49:49):
that are like transitioning ontheir life and their jobs and
babies?
And what's a quick word ofwisdom for people?
Olivia Cook (49:58):
Be open to change, because change is something that
is constant.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:07):
Change is constant.
People that can't.
I have a husband now that doesnot like change and it's like
sometimes I'm like, dude, youlook like this crazy rock star.
You have all this stuff and youare so close to change.
What is wrong with you?
Why are you like that?
I'm like, yeah, because he'smarried to the polar opposite
over here.
I'm with you.
Change you.
Just.
You know, every single daychanges.
(50:29):
Life changes New people andpresidents and things and babies
are born and people are dying.
It's like things change all thetime.
They're not open to change.
I feel like people are going tohave a hard.
They have a hard life.
Just change.
Go with the flow, learn newthings, be open-minded.
You know.
Find things you don't like,close that door.
Find something you like, openthat door.
Agreed?
Olivia Cook (50:51):
Exactly.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:53):
Well, I'm going to a picture.
I want to tell you somethingtoo your husband is so handsome.
Olivia Cook (50:57):
Thank you.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:58):
I talked to you last time.
I forgot to tell you that.
But I see pictures of you.
I'm like, oh Lord, he is sohandsome.
I mean, you're beautifulanyway, but he is very handsome.
Olivia Cook (51:08):
Every time I see a guys all together, I'm like,
lord, have mercy yeah, one of myfirst world problems that I'm
concerned about is I just wantto make sure this new next one
is as handsome or looks betterthan the current one, because it
would really mess up the familyaesthetic, you know your baby
is so, solomon's so beautifuland you're so pretty and your
(51:29):
husband is like, so just talland handsome, he's a whole tall,
dark and handsome package.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (51:35):
I would say, oh, that's a fine looking family
right there.
Thank you, a fine looking man,you got All right, girl.
Well, listen, I want to catchup with you again, stay in touch
, and when something new andexciting comes up or you want to
dive into rentals and stuff,we'll come on and talk about it
again.
I will absolutely come to thebest person for that when you
get more rentals, I'll alwayshelp you, so you don't have to
(51:56):
ever worry about that.
Olivia Cook (51:58):
I appreciate it.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (51:59):
All right, everyone.
Thank you for being a part ofthe most wonderful real estate
podcast ever.
You can find me at Dwanderful.
com on Facebook, Instagram,youtube, all of the places.
Don't forget to go toDwanderful.
com of the places.
Don't forget to go todwanderful.
com, take that quiz and find outhow I can help you close your
(52:19):
next three deals, absolutelyguaranteed.
And we'll be back next time.
Same bat time, same bat channel.
And don't forget that the truthis in the red letters.
All right, everybody.
Talk to you soon.
Thank you, miss Olivia.
You're beautiful as ever.
Hey everyone, welcome to the most Dwanderful
real estate podcast ever.
I have such exciting news wefinally reached 1 million
downloads.
So thank you, thank you, thankyou.
I could not be at a milliondownloads without all of you,
and so let's see how fast we canget to 2 million.
So, this podcast I'm having aguest back on that I had
(00:24):
interviewed before and Iabsolutely love this woman.
I love her, I watch all herstuff, and so I thought I would
take a few of the next seven oreight podcasts.
I'm going to have some peopleback that were on a couple years
ago so we can see what peopleare doing and what's new, what's
exciting, and catch up.
(00:45):
And also, if you would like tohave your next three real estate
deals guaranteed to close, goto dwanderful.
com D-W-A-N-D-E-R-F-U-Ldwanderful.
com and take my quiz.
I have a quiz and it'll showyou how to get some deals closed
(01:06):
.
So, and also, this is the mostwonderful real estate podcast
ever, I'm your host, Dwan Bent-Twyford.
Okay, miss Olivia, I'm so happyto see you.
Olivia Cook (01:16):
I'm so honored to be here.
I love, I love spending timewith you.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (01:20):
I know Well, I gosh.
We probably interviewed, Idon't know, three years.
Yeah, I don't think you had ababy yet.
How old is Solomon?
Olivia Cook (01:30):
I didn't have a baby yet it was definitely like
2021.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (01:34):
Yeah, I didn't think so.
And then you know, you guys,you and Jamie were doing the
Relentless Glory and I followedall that.
I love all the teaching and allthe Bible and just all the good
stuff.
I should have actually worn myt-shirt today, because I still
have my.
It's one of my favoritet-shirts because it's so extra
super soft.
Should have wore it today, butI'm trying to.
(01:56):
I tried a new hair today, soI'm crimping my hair and trying
like a new look.
This is the first time.
I thought I don't know if Ishould crimp it and then go
right on the podcast in case Idon't like it, so I don't have
time to fix it now.
So this is my new hairstyletoday.
You are the first one seeing itI love it I do too.
I crimped it with one of thosemachines that crimps it.
(02:18):
You know, I was like, wow, Ifeel kind of like uh, sort of
like back in the hippie daysit's.
Olivia Cook (02:25):
it's so fitting, Like it's just.
I always love how cool yourhair is, yeah.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (02:30):
All right, so let's catch up with you.
So we talked last time, youdidn't even have a baby.
Mm-hmm, how old is that, mrSolomon?
Olivia Cook (02:38):
now he is two years old and I love this stage.
You know I'm pregnant now withanother child.
Yes, when is that baby due.
He's due in June.
He's actually due on my son'shalf birthday, so which that's
not going to happen, I know,realistically speaking.
Like I had, I had Solomon Jr onChristmas day 2022.
(03:02):
And I had him at 36 weeksbecause they induced me super
early.
I had all these problems andcomplications and so I just
don't think that I'm going to goto full term with this one.
I don't have the same types ofproblems and complications,
which, thank God, um cause I hadpre-gestational diabetes, I had
a preeclampsia.
(03:22):
It was just, it was real.
It's terrible.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:25):
I had a few issues too, and I was just like
oof.
Olivia Cook (03:28):
What do you?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:29):
have in the new guy.
Olivia Cook (03:31):
Yeah, Owen Tyler.
So I want him to have myinitials.
Since the other one has myhusband's name, I want him to
have my initials.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (03:39):
So you know, and I had my daughter.
So my first name no one knowsthis, but my first name is
actually Andrea.
So it's Andrea Dwan Bent.
But my family, everybody in myfamily, calls every single
person by their middle name.
So I was called Dwan my wholelife.
So when I got pregnant Ithought you know what?
I'm going to give my daughtermy initials, because I did the
(04:00):
same thing.
I thought, well, I don't wantto name her like exactly after
me and I want to give her myinitials.
So then I named her AylaDiamond Bent.
So I had Ayla Diamond Bent andAndrea Dwan Bent.
I was like, oh cool initials.
If she ever wants to be famous,she can be Ayla Diamond.
She's already got a built-instage name.
Olivia Cook (04:23):
Sooo funny.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (04:23):
So I like that giving them your initials,
because you know it's like allthe guys get all the babies
named after them and the juniorsand whatever.
But what happens?
What?
Olivia Cook (04:35):
about the moms.
It's going to be funny becauseit'll probably be that Solomon
has my personality and OwenTyler has my husband's
personality.
That will probably just be ourluck.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (04:47):
That'll be it .
So tell me about the RelentlessGlory.
You guys still doing that anddoing the Bible studies.
Olivia Cook (04:56):
Just as life has, you know, drifted its ways, it's
still there.
It's not like we won'tparticipate or accident.
It's just at this time in ourlives we've we're so busy with
what we're doing.
Jamie is actually at a coachessummit right now in Vegas
speaking, killing it.
I'm so proud of her.
Her birthday was last month andwe caught up and everything.
(05:21):
And you know we're constantly,if she's one of my like, sit in
the mud friends.
We might not talk all the time,but if I need prayer, if she
needs prayer, she knows exactlywhere she can go.
I know exactly where I can go.
I don't.
I'm not one of those peoplethat does surface level
(05:43):
relationships.
You know I'm not one of thosepeople that does surface level
relationships.
You know, I'm very big on justbeing open and honest with each
other and that is one thing thatI'm so grateful that God gave
us in that, you know, beingcomplete strangers offline and
being able to build somethingbeautiful together and then just
looking back at what we made inthe time that we put.
(06:04):
You know.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:05):
I loved what you guys were doing.
It was great.
Olivia Cook (06:09):
It's just, you know it's.
It's not, it's just a not rightnow thing that we're focusing
on, but it's not like the dooris completely shut, you know
that's good.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:19):
That's good, that's it.
Yeah, I always loved it.
You guys just came up with somany great verses and
inspirational things and I wasalways like I just love those
two girls.
I loved you guys in the spirittogether.
So then, what are you doing now?
Olivia Cook (06:36):
I manage a restaurant um it's Bahama Breeze
in fayetteville, north carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (06:41):
We did it is that the same Bahama Breeze as
in Florida?
Olivia Cook (06:45):
Yeah, oh my God, yeah, we did a new store open
here.
We opened last year Februaryand our first full month we did
$1.2 million in sales, breakingcompany records.
We started out with 160 teammembers.
(07:05):
So I was before that I wasmanaging a fine dining
restaurant GM of either place.
But I'm just saying like you'restill in charge of these people
, their schedules, all thethings and you're you know you
get built and changed throughthe process.
But I was doing I was basicallyat like a two to $3 million
store before doing fine dining alot less team members, probably
(07:30):
maximum like 25 team members atthat restaurant.
Before We've got so many moreteam members, I've got other
managers that I can definitelydepend on and there's so many
systems in place that I'm reallybeing developed.
It's a different company.
We're owned by Darden.
The company I was with beforewas Landry's.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (07:51):
I know Landry's.
My daughter worked for one ofthe aquariums or something that
was part of the Landry's.
It was some kind of a aquariumtype restaurant oh, oh ocean
here I can't even think of thename of it, but it was part of
(08:13):
the Landry's thing, so, okay,good, so you're behind the
breeze yeah, with Darden.
Olivia Cook (08:18):
Which jarden owns um capital.
Grill ruth, capitol Grill, ruth, chris, eddie V's, seasons 52,
olive Garden, longhornSteakhouse, yardhouse, cheddar's
, bahama Breeze and Chevy's it'sa new concept.
(08:39):
Yeah.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (08:40):
So it's a huge concept.
It's called D-A-R-D-E-N.
Olivia Cook (08:43):
D-A-R-D-E-N, d-a-r-d-e-n, and so it's a huge
concept, but I mean the way thatthey do their leadership has
changed me drastically and in abetter way.
You know, it's very corporateand I'm very much a corporate
like restaurant person, becausemom and pop places there's some
(09:08):
that are phenomenal but there'sothers that are the wild west
and I like and I like learninghow to do things prop like
profitable.
You know, just looking at allthe numbers and dealing with
people, I would never own arestaurant on my own.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (09:27):
I don't think I ever would either.
I've worked in so many of themin my twenties.
I think I'd be terrifiedbecause they just come and go so
often.
But then you have, like yousaid, like the Bahama Breeze and
like the Olive Garden, andChatter Street is what you named
.
They're just everywhere andthey're successful.
They don't seem to ever go outof business, but it's so what
(09:47):
are you?
Olivia Cook (09:47):
learning about leadership, because you're in
charge of a lot right now yeah,now we have a lot less team
members we've got about 100, butour turnover is actually really
good.
We have a lot of day one peoplestill with us.
A fter a year, which is notcommon we have all their
managers.
That's open, the store arestill together.
(10:09):
That's not common either andI'm very grateful.
But the things that I'm learningmost is how important your
mindset is with what you'redoing and looking at things
bigger picture, not focusing somuch on that, like of course,
there's a diamond place for,like the nitpicky, all the
(10:32):
things.
But when you're looking atthings from the big picture of
where do we want to be next year, where do we want to be three
years from now?
Where do we want to be when mytime is up here, what you know
and what reputation do we wantto build within the community,
and just a lot of those things.
(10:55):
As well as listening withoutbias listening for true, like
there's true information.
Listening for true, likethere's true information, yeah,
and admitting when you're wrongLike I'm one of those that will
absolutely I've always been thatway Admit.
Okay, I'm wrong about that, I'msorry.
Taking accountability you know,taking accountability is huge
(11:22):
and being able to see what youdon't do right.
I'm very blessed to have a GMthat is one of those iron
sharpens iron people.
He wants us to be better and Irealized recently most people
don't like surroundingthemselves around people that
make them better Like mostnormal people, because it's
uncomfortable for one to realizewhen you're wrong and two, so
(11:48):
many people are stuck in theirways and they're good with what
they want to do and that's allwell and fine, but you don't get
growth from that no, there areso many and I I swear I think
it's like older peopleespecially like like well, so
I'm a boomer Bill and I are opento like everything in the world
(12:08):
, but I see people like gettingup around their 70s, 80s,
whatever.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (12:12):
They're so like set and they're not going
to change, no matter what.
They won't change for anything.
Just even young people, some ofthe millennials and stuff in my
life they're just like also setin their ways already.
It's like y'all are in your 30s.
You got a long way to go.
Like you need to be able tolike roll with the flow a little
(12:32):
bit better here, becauseeveryone is just like that.
So I like that you have someonethat does that, because the
best way you can learn is tohave someone that will help you
and show you better and not makeyou like feel bad about it.
Olivia Cook (12:41):
You like feel bad about it.
Mm-hmm Done to think Iabsolutely agree with that, and
it was.
It was hard in the beginning,but I'm now.
I embrace the hard, I embracethe suck, I push into the
pressure.
It's easy to say those thingsbefore when you're when you're
(13:02):
not sure what the pressure is.
But with this, this opportunity, I've gotten really good at
calling the M EMS.
I'm the perfect person incrisis management situations
like the crazy things thathappen, I realized, where I
learned so much more about wheremy anxiety really is.
My anxiety comes in, Like whenI get very anxious.
(13:26):
It comes in the areas ofannoyance.
I get very agitated.
That's how it shows up for meand it's the little things that
are like little paper.
You know death by a thousandpaper cuts, that is me.
Know death by a thousand papercuts, that is me I am.
If we're busy and people arenot working at a specific level
(13:48):
and they're just making rookiemistakes, if they're not rookies
, I want to call them out for it.
I'm like okay, all right, stopwith the rookie mistakes, you
know better.
And I just keep it moving and Itry to treat people as fairly
as possible.
But even people don't realize,like I've had new team members
tell me, oh, you're stressed,but I don't ever take it out on
(14:12):
them, I'm like it's not.
The stress is not that I'mannoyed, I'm more annoyed than
anything.
So when things aren't doneproperly because I'm like a
perfectionist, you know, and I,I have high expectations and
it's making me realize that Ihave to not settle for less, but
(14:36):
I have to handle how thingsdon't.
When don't they don't go theway that I want them to, I have
to handle that better.
Yeah, I've been working on that, especially, you know, being
like I'll be 30 weeks pregnanttomorrow.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (14:54):
Oh, I love being pregnant.
It was great, but I was likeI'm a one and done kind of girl.
Olivia Cook (15:00):
I hate it.
I think the third trimester isso ghetto.
I would not, you know, suggestit Now, do I believe that it's
an absolute blessing?
Yes, I'm grateful that I canhave children.
I'm so grateful for that.
But, at the same time, twothings can be true at the same
time, and they can be completelydifferent.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (15:22):
I've had those days too.
I had some gestational diabetesand some of those issues too.
It's like, oh my gosh, I justonly have this baby.
Like how hard can this be?
People have been doing it formillions of years, right.
So now, in your new role, likeyou're a leader, you are the
boss of people.
You organize people.
(15:42):
What kind of skills do you wantto teach them or impart upon
them to?
You know to be the best theycan be, because it's not
everybody can be a boss, sothere's a lot of bosses that are
just really shitty at it.
Just they're terrible.
I've had some terrible bossesthat don't know how to talk or
help you or without putting youdown or something.
(16:04):
And I think it takes a realskill to be a leader, because
it's definitely not for everyone, but there's a lot of people in
leadership positions thatshouldn't be.
Olivia Cook (16:15):
When it comes to my team members, it depends on
what their goals are.
You know, I get to know I havea personal relationship with
each and every team member.
A personal relationship witheach and every team member.
And so some people, if I seethem doing the wrong thing in
their life, um, and they'reasking for advice, I don't give
unwarranted advice, but ifthey're asking for things, or if
(16:37):
they do blow up and havesituations where they're they,
they could lose their, theirjobs, Um, I do definitely talk
to them about, you know, notcaring so much about other
people's opinions.
What other people say aboutthem.
That's a common issue because,like in my industry, I'm working
with the general public.
(16:58):
I serve the general public andwe hire the general public.
Nobody has to have a degree towork in food and bar.
Okay, You're working with themajority types of people, so
you're going to deal with thosemajority types of problems.
Somebody sleeping with thisperson.
They found out and they'reupset about it.
Somebody is, you know, verymuch problems.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (17:23):
I'm just laughing.
I managed a couple of places inmy twenties and it's like the
draw.
I always call it an adultdaycare center.
There's so much and likeespecially when you said slip, I
had 23 employees at one timeand then this girl's married,
this guy's married.
Next thing you know, I don'teven know they're sleeping
together.
Next thing you know they bothquit.
Their spouses are like I wasjust like they're sleeping
(17:45):
together.
Next thing you know they bothquit.
Their spouses are like I wasjust like what is happening
right now?
You guys are like grown-asspeople.
They were in their 40s.
I didn't know they were intheir 20s and I didn't know any
better.
Olivia Cook (17:56):
I don't understand what's going on here right now.
No-transcript their emotionalintelligence.
I'm really trying to help themdevelop their emotional
intelligence when they are mad,when they are triggered.
That is a lot of theconversations I have with my
team members, you know, notallowing for, like, realizing
(18:23):
that they're able to change howthey argue.
And I go back to a lot ofrelationships, for instance,
like significant others, if theystarted out as high school
sweethearts, they still fightlike they're in high school A
lot of times because they don'tchoose to fight better, like
(18:44):
it's a common thing, though Iknow, I know, I know it's so
hard to change you as a personfrom where you are when you are
mad, hangry and you are reallylike a loose cannon and having
them see, you know what I dohave the ability to stop myself
(19:08):
no longer giving up theirpersonal power.
That's a constant thing.
You know, thinking through whatthey're doing before they go
off the handle over veryminuscule things.
Somebody disrespected you, okay, like you allow, you have to
allow for them to affect you.
You have to allow for them.
(19:29):
You have to give them so muchmore weight.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (19:32):
Yes.
Olivia Cook (19:33):
To actually make a difference, you know.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (19:36):
I'm telling you, we and you know, I think I
when I talked to you lastthere's something about all
those buildings that we boughtin Iowa, so one of them is a
coffee shop.
Now, I have never really ownedlike retail stores before.
I've worked in them.
So now I find myself I ownAntique Mall, I've got a
clothing boutique and I've got acoffee shop, like a coffee
(19:59):
energy drink kind of place.
Now, the people that work atthe Antique Mall, they tend to
be older, they're just like youknow, and the people at the
boutique, you know a little bitolder.
But the girls that all work atthe coffee shop, young, fighting
, texting when they want the dayoff, or if you don't give them
a day off, they just text you Iquit.
And it's like, are you freaking, kidding me?
(20:20):
Who just sends a text messageand quits, Especially when
they've been somewhere for alength of time.
It's like what is up with, likethe people today and the work
ethic and what is wrong.
It's like what is wrong withall these young people, you know
, and you have to have that in arestaurant like you're at Work
ethic, the 20 somethings Likewhere'd that go?
Olivia Cook (20:45):
Um, we Like what happened?
Where'd that go?
We I have my GM is 50 and allof the managers are very
hands-on.
We all work very hard hours.
Starting out was not easy.
There was, you know, we're abrand new restaurant doing 250K
a week seeing about 7,000 people, because the price per person
(21:07):
is about $34 per person.
So we're seeing a lot of peopleand that's a lot of mistakes, a
lot of mistakes, and I gotreally good at getting yelled at
.
But one thing that I don'ttolerate is people that don't
work.
Um, I, we, we definitely umcall them out for that.
(21:27):
They don't do well, um, notdoing what's required of them,
because the most important thingis taking care of the guest.
That is why we're all there,and if you're not doing that,
then you're not.
You're not doing your job, um,and we just I don't think that
I've ever, ever.
I thought I had a great workethic before because I had a lot
(21:49):
of jobs, but then I worked formy GM and I'm like 13-14 hour
days, I know all the time I'mlike, oh, okay, and it's not
just working that length of time, you have to be on that entire
time around.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (22:09):
you're in the public.
Olivia Cook (22:11):
Yes, yes, so my work ethic got developed.
I don't think that you can bein their environment and succeed
in our environment and not havea good work ethic, because
that's just not something wetolerate.
I believe that leadershiptrickles down, you know, and if
(22:31):
they see us working and puttingin everything, that it kind of
rubs off on them.
Now there are always thosepeople that are just going to be
lazy and you just got to callthem out and the micromanaging
is annoying.
It's very annoying, but youknow you just have to do it If
(22:52):
what you tolerate when it's inyour eyes is so much like it
allows for so much more stuff tohappen when you're not around.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (23:04):
Yeah, now I know I just with these, with
these girls, I'm like I don'tunderstand.
Like everyone like, especiallylike in my generation and even
like gen x, like just reallygood hardcore work ethics, you
know, millennials even.
But then it's like now, all ofa sudden, all these people that
they, they just want to.
You know, they worry abouttheir time off, what are they
(23:24):
gonna do?
And they have to have this workbalance and more fun than work
and no one takes anythingseriously anymore.
It's like, oh my God, I feellike I need to hire everybody
over 50.
I mean, I think, and get peoplethat will show up.
I told Bill, I said, oh Lord,have these girls, I'm going to
kill some of these girls.
Olivia Cook (23:44):
It is definitely difficult.
It is it is definitelydifficult, um, I think, for we
make our place such a fun placeto work.
We have team members that wantto come to work.
There's no reason why, um, wewould have the.
The turnover that we have islike we we have so many day
(24:05):
one-ers, we've got really goodturnover.
For a restaurant industrythat's not very common.
It's because they know that wegenuinely care about them and we
care about their development,and it's really in the hiring
process too.
You know hiring people.
I learned so much about hiringand interviewing people from
(24:25):
this company because you knowwho you hire dictates so much
and making sure you put thatinvestment in them and they get
the proper training, and beingso upfront with them and be like
, yeah, we do a lot of work here, but we have fun here too.
We actually did a yearanniversary picnic.
(24:46):
Oh fun and we invited family andfriends and we had so many
people show up, we had teammembers.
Like one of my team members'kids was like are y'all?
going to have a second yearanniversary party, like yeah,
like we're ready for the nextparty, like that was so much fun
and I mean there was no alcoholthere.
There were no.
(25:13):
You know it was.
We played kickball, we had food, we had games, we had all these
things for them to participatein and have a good time.
I was the DJ.
Oh, listen to you.
Yeah, I was the DJ because Iwas not about to play kickball
and be pregnant falling down.
I wasn't doing that.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (25:30):
No, no, no.
So you know, one of the thingsI like to ask my guests now is
what is your favorite band?
Olivia Cook (25:34):
of all time.
Okay, it really depends on thegenre.
Pick one.
I really like band, I love theFray, but I also love Fleetwood
Mac.
Oh, you do so.
Like Stevie Nicks, she has sucha distinct, versatile voice.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:01):
She's great.
Olivia Cook (26:02):
She's great.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:03):
I started in the last year asking my guests
like what's your favorite uhband of all time and like what's
your favorite food?
Like you know, because peoplelike to work with people that
they they get to know and youjust tell so much about people
by the music that they listen tolike I love all types of stuff.
Olivia Cook (26:19):
Now, rapper it's kind of hard, like I.
I listen.
It's so random.
I'm like I listen to countryhardcore rap music like street
music, ghetto music, old schoolmusic, but I like alternative,
like I definitely love, likeFleetwood Mac, oh yeah, all of
(26:41):
that type of stuff.
So it's like I'm very broadwhen it comes to I am too.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (26:47):
I mean, I listen.
Honestly, people would neverknow.
I listen to Bluegrass sometimesbecause I grew up with it with
my grandparents.
It's like oh man, I love thatsong.
And sometimes I listen to likeold country gospel and it's like
oh.
And my husband's like how doyou know the words of all these
songs?
I'm like my parents, my parents, grandparents are in Tennessee
and I never missed church mywhole entire life.
So all the songs and I like thehip-hop stuff and I like the
(27:13):
rock bands, so I and Country andwe saw Lady Gaga recently.
I really think music isimportant and the more broader.
I just feel like I don't know.
I feel like music is kind oflike an international language,
like everyone likes music, youknow, and songs mean things and
as you get older, you hear asong like that remind you of
(27:35):
something like while you werepregnant or when you were dating
.
Like we don't have all thesesongs and we made a whole
playlist of all the songs thatwere popular when we were dating
, because we're like, oh, that'swhen we were going out and
dating, like I love that song.
I think music's important.
I love it when I was like Idon't know, 18 maybe.
(27:56):
Uh, I was raised in ohio and sothe cincinnati reds uh stadium I
don't even know what it'scalled anymore, but but the
baseball stadium they would havethese really giant concerts,
but they were all day and withlike four bands.
So you had like this band thatwas like coming up, and then
this one, and then the main bandat the end of the night was
like you know whoever it camefor.
(28:17):
So I went to my first outdoorin a stadium concert and the
main main band was Fleetwood Mac.
And now I I knew who they were,I knew all their songs and I
went because I loved FleetwoodMac.
And then, looking back, theopening band was Eddie Money and
the Cars and at the time theyweren't like really famous yet.
(28:39):
So I was like I only know oneof their songs which I agreed to
love later.
But I'm telling you, the nightof fall comes.
I mean everyone's, you knowit's 70.
So we're, all you know, smokingand partying, and Fleetwood Mac
and I tell you Stevie Nickssits up on that speaker and all
that black flowing and her hairis blowing and I was like, oh my
God, she's like a goddess.
She was so amazing and it justI swear it's like it was like an
(29:08):
like amoving type of a concert.
Just, I don't know somethingabout her and her vibe and the
hair and the fans on her all thetime and the hat and you're
just looking at her like noone's ever seen anybody like
this woman.
Olivia Cook (29:18):
And her music transcends time.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (29:20):
It does.
She's amazing.
So now you were telling me thatyou guys have bought a couple
rentals.
Olivia Cook (29:26):
Well, okay, we have our house that we owned in
Illinois, so we're renting itout.
Now we're starting this journey.
That was the whole goal, but Idefinitely, in the future, want
to purchase a few moreproperties that we rent out.
Hold on to them.
It would be lovely if interestrates would go down.
(29:49):
We have our interest rate forour house in Illinois at like
3.5 or something.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (29:56):
Hang on to that for the rest of your life.
Do you still live in Illinois?
Olivia Cook (30:00):
No, I live in North Carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (30:02):
You live in North Carolina.
I did not know you moved there.
Olivia Cook (30:06):
I moved in North Carolina.
I did not know you lived there,yeah, so I moved to North
Carolina.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (30:11):
For the work or with your husband.
Olivia Cook (30:13):
Well with my husband because he got stationed
here.
That's right.
It was crazy.
It's actually so funny.
I was looking for a job becausemy last day at Morton's the
steakhouse was October 27th.
This was in.
We moved in 2023.
We were officially hereDecember 2023.
(30:37):
So, yeah, my last day there wasOctober 27th, but I had gotten
an email from the company I workfor now saying all the
positions are filled up.
From the company I work for nowsaying all the positions are
filled up.
We've we finished hiring ourmanagers for Fayetteville, but
we're interested in you for,like all these other places, we
can pay to get you out, torelease and I'm like I own my
(30:57):
home, my home here.
I have to be in Fayetteville,unfortunately, like that.
That really sucks.
If you could pass me on to someof your other sister companies
that are in the area.
And then I had an interview fora radio station and an interview
for Bonefish Grill and I askedGod.
I said God, what decisionshould I make?
(31:18):
And an hour after I asked him,michelle from Bahama Breeze, the
HR calls me and she's like hey,so a position actually filled
up, like opened up.
How soon can you talk to ourdirector of operations?
I talked to him the next dayand I got a job offer that's
(31:41):
like within the hour of talkingto him and our home that we were
putting an offer in on thishouse that I'm in now got
accepted.
so it was like back to back,like that's this guy's open the
door, got open the doors, thankyou god, you've been so good to
me, um, you know, and it's he'sdefinitely been developing me
(32:03):
and growing me throughout thewhole entire process and I'm
yeah, I have very hard days butI'm so, so grateful for it.
So it just it's always on histiming, you know it is.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (32:13):
I know it's funny, because it's like, you
know, my husband, I make plans.
I'm like, yeah, we all makeplans, and god just laughs.
It's like, oh, is that what youthink's happening?
No, here's what's gonna happen.
This, this is where I want youto go.
That's really that, like yougot the job and the husband
transferred and then you guyswere able to buy a new house and
like it all, just like that'sbecause it was God's plan.
Yeah, you know, and you knowboth of us.
(32:36):
We're all about God's timing.
Yes, yeah.
Olivia Cook (32:49):
So I'm learning to listen to that, you know,
throughout time and just notstress out too much.
I'm like, you know, if it's adelay, it's a delay and that's
okay, because I'm actually I'mgoing to go to school to get my
master's in social work, becauseI want to become a therapist,
oh nice, but I can't, prettymuch I can't start until the
program I want to start is notallowing me to start until
August of 2026.
(33:09):
And I'm like, oh, my goodness,like why, and I'm like you know
what, I forgot how hard it is tolike take care of a baby.
You know, like I, I forgot likeI was going to have to feed it
like myself, because mytwo-year-old is so like he can
feed himself, you know mytwo-year-old is so like he can
(33:31):
feed himself.
You know, oh no, you're goingback to the 24 hour day
dependence.
I know, and I, literally Ilooked at my husband the other
day and I'm like, dude, we'regoing to have to feed this kid
Like we're going to, and myhusband's so hands-on, he's,
he's so phenomenal, I'm sograteful.
Um, that's another thing Iteach, I really try to teach my
team members is the person youpick to be with, to spend your
(33:51):
life with.
That's the most importantrelation, human relationship,
you're going to have.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (33:56):
You know and how God and then your spouse.
Olivia Cook (33:59):
Exactly so.
That's, that's your.
Everybody else is underneaththat Right, and that's why I say
that, because, of course, yourrelationship with God is more
important but, your humanrelationship.
That's.
That is your responsibility.
You don't let anything elsecome in between that Choosing
that person and being verymindful that it's not just like
looks.
It has to be morals and plansand how you go about life.
(34:23):
And are they willing to change,are they willing to adapt?
I know how I am.
I require someone to be aparent that is going to be
hands-on with me.
I'm not going to do the wholething like that.
That was never my plan.
I'm also like a 50, 50 female.
(34:43):
A lot of females are like I'mseeing this a lot more online
now that it's like oh, he needsto be the provider in all of
this.
And I'm like most people thatare not entrepreneurs, like just
everyday people that areactually struggling right now
are making like 50 60 thousanddollars a year and you expect to
(35:04):
be able to cover that and giveyou the lifestyle that you want.
Instead of building and helpingeach other together, together,
I'm like why?
Why are you?
And I always was like I'm goingto build and help together.
You know that was my mentality.
So, yeah, no, am I going to doall the housework?
Absolutely not.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (35:22):
He can when I first met I had already been a
real estate investor for over adecade.
So at that point I have like ahousekeeper, like the shops and
does my laundry and you know,and I have, just you know, all
the, just all my sauce oh, Iforgot about my little metal
sauce here and he's like Hisfirst wife was really
(35:47):
traditional and did like threemeals a day, like the whole, and
so I remember he made a jokeone day hey, we need to get
married.
I need someone to come up hereand like clean my toilets, like
as a joke, right?
you know what.
We probably actually shouldhave a talk, because you were
married 20 years to a woman thatstayed home, raised the kids,
made three meals a day, dideverything.
(36:09):
I said I just need you to know,like I'm not that person.
Like we're getting ahousekeeper immediately and
we're going to have a housemanager that pays our bills and
runs our errands and takes thekids to the doctors and we're
going to do this and this andthis and that, and he's like,
really, I'm like dude, I'm noteven remotely interested in
doing any of those housewifeythings at all.
(36:31):
So I did all that, but now thatI have the money to afford it,
I don't even want to wash my ownclothes.
That's what we're going to do.
And he'd never had any of that.
I was like listen, I'm justtelling you right now do not
think I'm coming up there andliving in the mountains and like
doing laundry for now, you andtwo extra kids and those five of
us.
It was like this is never gonnahappen.
So we hired a house manager andactually had her live in, cook
(36:53):
the meals, did the running, didthis, and that Bill's like well,
it's so nice to have all that.
I was like dude, I'm already.
That first person I hired wassomeone to help me keep my house
clean, because I'm just bad atit, I don't like it, I'm not
good at it, it's never as cleanas I want it and I'm like I just
need like a professional.
That's like the first person Iever hired.
So when we came together we hada little bit of growing as far
(37:15):
as those things and I'm like andI'm also not cooking.
So if you want three meals aday, you need to hire a chef or
something, because it's nothappening over here either.
And now you know who does mostof the cooking.
Olivia Cook (37:28):
He does my husband, he loves to cook all of a
sudden.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (37:33):
I'm like he loves to cook and he makes the
best meals.
Olivia Cook (37:35):
I'm like this is amazing how is he doing, by the
way?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (37:40):
he's amazing, you know.
You know he had that stem cell,that bone marrow transplant yes
, so the donor at the time was a23 year old female.
That was 100 match for all thethings that they match up on
your DNA.
And the doctor said he saidsometimes people come out and
they'll have a few differentpersonality traits and it's like
(38:03):
you know.
You hear about people that likeget a heart from another person
and then suddenly they don'tlike this food or that food and
things are different.
So Bill's amazing, he's so good.
His doctor's like if everypatient was like you, he goes, I
would never lose anyone.
He's 150% back and so muchbetter.
But now he likes to cook moreand he likes to watch like more,
(38:26):
like romantic comedies and likehis personality changed a
little bit.
Like I'm wondering because Ireally want to meet this, though
I wonder if she's like a reallygood cook or she likes to do
these things because he has,like these new habits he didn't
have before that I really like,so I'm like.
So now I tell people it's liketo tease him.
I said well, you have femaleDNA, so if you run his bone
(38:48):
marrow it exactly matches her.
So I say this is my gay bestfriend, husband, love, lesbian
lover, because he's like, youknow, he's a man on the outside,
he's a girl on the inside, likelegit and which everyone's like
.
Oh my god, you guys.
I said no, but seriously, he'sgot female dna.
I mean, it's his now.
But yeah, he's amazing, hereally likes to cook, like
(39:10):
suddenly he makes these bigmeals and I'm like, who are you?
Where's the guy I was marriedto before?
I like this version.
I like this guy that cooksdinner for me at night.
It's like and nice, like steakand you know, side dishes, like
this whole thing, and I'm like,who are you?
Olivia Cook (39:27):
but I like another question I want to ask you how
have you been celebrating yourfather's life?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (39:36):
What do you mean exactly?
Because you passed away.
Olivia Cook (39:40):
Exactly, and so my father passed away when I was 20
.
Oh, that's so young, yeah, yeah, and we were really poor so I
had to pay for his funeral andeverything and I got nothing.
But that's besides the point.
You know, every time now, likeI always think about celebrating
his life, and I know that wassomething that happened for you
(40:01):
and I love I watched a lot ofthe stuff that you put out.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (40:04):
Oh, we had.
I have to tell you we had mydad was so ready, like he was so
ready.
I wasn't even like upset aboutit.
Mean, obviously he's my dad,but I wasn't upset about it.
He had just been so depressedsince his wife had passed away
three years before.
He was having so many issueswith his heart and his kidneys,
(40:25):
and we were like you know, it'stime for the hospice, like we
all, and this is what he wantedto do, and I was with him every
for I was up there, I don't know, for like six weeks I was with
him at the hospital and I waswith him at hospice.
I was with him when he passedaway.
And then we had this amazingparty, did all the things he
loves at his house because hehad moved out of his house into
(40:46):
assisted living.
So we had we were shooting guns, we were drinking moonshine, we
played bluegrass all day, wehad like three poker tables set
up and it was just like my dadwould have loved that party like
so much, because those are allhis favorite things and we had
such a good time celebrating.
And I don't know it's odd, it'slike I know he's gone, but I
(41:07):
feel happy for him because he'sone of the last generations of
like you go out and kill thedinosaur and drag it back to the
cave and the fact that hehasn't been able to hunt for
like five years, like not at all, and he spent his whole life
hunting like every season musket, bone, whatever it is.
(41:29):
He hunts all the time Birds,squirrels, deer, it doesn't
matter and he hadn't been ableto hunt for the last four or
five years, which was like areally big piece of his life.
And he had an eye stroke so hewent blind in one eye so he
couldn't really play cards likehe does.
And he's like a guy that's intournaments and you know all the
things and so you know, I feellike really happy for him.
I have a little area up herewith some of his stuff on it, so
(41:53):
I'm just like I don't even feelweirdly, I don't even feel sad,
I feel like he's where hewanted to be and I know you know
he and Lois, I know they're notlike married in heaven, but you
know they're there and mysister passed like they're all
there and I don't know.
Pictures come up, I post up.
(42:13):
I I'm like my dad was a greatdad.
Olivia Cook (42:15):
do you think that because of what you and your
husband went through, when heand all the tough conversations
that you had because I remember,because I had you back on my
podcast, you know, and we talkeda lot about that, like how you
had those uncomfortableconversations, but it made y'all
so much closer Do you thinkthat helped you when it came to
(42:36):
your dad's?
Dwan Bent-Twyford (42:36):
time.
Oh yeah, we had already.
My dad and I had already hadthose Like we had a really
distinct will written out Hiswife Lois, they were married,
they were together almost 50years.
So we chose me off of like hisside of the family and Lynn, my
(42:57):
sister, slash stepsister, offthat side to be co-executors and
make sure everything gets doneright and everything is handled
and there's no squabbling likehow everyone squabbles about
money and all the stuff.
So my sister and I, when we gotto Ohio, when she came, we met
with the attorney at 10 in themorning and between 10 in the
(43:17):
morning and noon the next day wehad settled the estate, cashed
out all the cash sold.
The house was in a land trust toanother guy who gave us a
cashier's check for the wholeamount.
We had the entire estatesettled in 26 hours Because we
had all those conversationsbefore and Lynn and I were like
(43:40):
that's got to be a world record26 hours Because it's a million
dollar estate the houses, therentals, the money, like all of
it.
I was like, damn girl, lookwhat we just did in 26 hours,
from the minute we sat with theattorney until we took the
cashier's check on the house andI was like that's got to be a
record.
But it made it really easy andI think that's one thing people
(44:01):
need to do is you guys, you havekids and you need to have wills
and you need to have yourhouses in a land trust.
Your house that you're rentingneeds to be into a land trust.
You need to have all thoseconversations because you don't
know when someone is what'sgoing to happen.
Yeah, so I had all those sameconversations with my dad many,
many times over the years andwith Bill, like it was super
(44:23):
weird with Bill Cause, like damn, you're going in for a stem
cell transplant, Like you reallymight not come back.
My dad was 86 and we'd alreadyorganized all his things and I
don't know.
Know, I think when you justhave everything really organized
and and the transition of allthe whatever is getting left or
whoever's getting what, um, andthe funeral's paid for and
everything's done, it just makesit like so much easier and not
(44:45):
like so I don't know, it's notlike, it's so like devastating.
It's still devastating, but notthe same as having to figure
out every little thing and whatwould they want, what would they
do.
Like my dad had everything done, paid for he had earned, picked
out, like he had a suit, I meanlike years ago.
So it's like everything.
So we just implementedeverything the way he wanted it
(45:07):
and it was really amazing.
And so we have a little groupchat and every time something
comes up in Facebook we allshare all the pictures and I
don't know.
I feel like it was just hisright time, if the time was
right.
I think if I lost a parent inmy 20s, I probably would have
been like Bill lost both of hisparents in his 30s and I was
(45:31):
like, wow, like I had my momstill alive and I had my dad
till I was 65.
I had my mom still alive and Ihad my dad till I was 65.
I can't imagine having lostboth my parents in my 30s and
had no parents in your wholeadult life.
I think that's harder becauseBill was, you know, he's still.
I swear.
I feel part of him is stillgrief stricken about it, I think
just because my dad got to livea really long life and do all
the things he wanted to do, andso did Lois and my mom also.
(45:56):
I think that when I don't know,I feel like when it comes their
time, it's okay.
Yeah, it's weird, it's like, I'mlike, yeah, it's okay dad, I'm
okay with it.
Olivia Cook (46:06):
For I think for me like losing my father.
My mom's still here, thank God,it's just my best friend.
She also lost her grandmotherand grandfather within three
months of each other and thiswas recent and, um, they were
the ones that raised her her.
She never knew her dad and hermom is just not stable and what
(46:27):
it is for us, I think it's.
They miss out on so many things, so much children.
You know, like, like I'm likeman and I'm it's been 12 years
now for me.
So I'm like man.
My dad would have loved meetingmy son, Like, cause my son's
just so much fun, he would havehad so much fun with him.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (46:45):
You know he would have loved your husband.
He would love.
Thank you so much.
Olivia Cook (46:49):
Right.
So I think it's it's thememories missed versus, like,
the good life had.
Yeah, I had a good life while Iwas here, but you know when?
When you die at 52.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (47:00):
No, no, my sister died at 51 and I was like
you know.
It's been 11 years.
I'm like God.
I can't believe all the stuffshe's missed.
Olivia Cook (47:09):
Right.
So I think that's more so wheresome of that grief might come
from.
But so that's why I just aim onthe celebration so more to for
for, like you know, the life ofother people.
Just that helps me cope withthe loss of loved ones.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (47:30):
Yeah, and you know my, my dad was diehard
Christian forever and ever andever and ever.
And then I lost a friend,recently too, and she's been a
Christian since forever also.
And I find, because I've lost acouple of my friends and like
one I knew for a fact was notnot unless she got saved in the
last 30 seconds of her life,when nothing total atheist is
(47:52):
like and I actually feel worseabout that than my Christians
I'm like okay, I know they're inheaven and I believe that, so
I'm like they're okay.
But my one friend sometimes I'mlike golly, if she's in hell,
she's been there for so long andshe has like so much longer to
go.
And why would someone not just,why would you not just accept
Jesus?
Like?
I don't understand.
(48:13):
And I think that one bothers methe worst, because now again, I
don't know how god works.
I don't know if in those lastfew minutes of the twilight you
get a chance to say, okay, jesus, I take you.
I just know that the day beforethis woman died she's like I'll
stop talking about all that,jesus, I don't know.
I was like when she died thenext day and I was like, and
that's bothered me for a decade.
(48:34):
So just like golly, if I I don'twant to know that somebody.
And now we're getting off ontoreligious stuff and people might
think, oh, these two crazyChristian women over there
talking.
But that bothers me.
Knowing my dad and my sisterand people are in heaven.
I'm like no, they're good.
I had a long life with him.
So, yeah, I do feel bad whenpeople lose someone that young,
(48:55):
because I can't imagine nothaving my dad and my mom through
my 30s and my 40s and my 50sand into my 60s Like just
decades of doing so many funthings.
Olivia Cook (49:06):
Yeah, so it is tough.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:08):
Hopefully your mom lives to be 100.
Olivia Cook (49:11):
Yes, that's what I'm praying for.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:13):
Well, my aunt is 98 and my mom is 88, and my
little 98 year old aunt, shestill walks a mile a day with a
little walking stick.
Oh my God, she could not be anycuter.
Olivia Cook (49:26):
I feel like her when I grow up.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (49:28):
Yeah, I know I'm like Wanda you're my hero.
I want to be you when I grow up.
I don't know, I just turned 66.
So I'm on my way for sure.
So well, it has been reallynice getting to know you.
We almost talked for an hour.
So we're going to have to tapout.
So now that you're doing yournew life, you're doing a new
thing.
What would be like a quick wordof wisdom you give to people
(49:49):
that are like transitioning ontheir life and their jobs and
babies?
And what's a quick word ofwisdom for people?
Olivia Cook (49:58):
Be open to change, because change is something that
is constant.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:07):
Change is constant.
People that can't.
I have a husband now that doesnot like change and it's like
sometimes I'm like, dude, youlook like this crazy rock star.
You have all this stuff and youare so close to change.
What is wrong with you?
Why are you like that?
I'm like, yeah, because he'smarried to the polar opposite
over here.
I'm with you.
Change you.
Just.
You know, every single daychanges.
(50:29):
Life changes New people andpresidents and things and babies
are born and people are dying.
It's like things change all thetime.
They're not open to change.
I feel like people are going tohave a hard.
They have a hard life.
Just change.
Go with the flow, learn newthings, be open-minded.
You know.
Find things you don't like,close that door.
Find something you like, openthat door.
Agreed?
Olivia Cook (50:51):
Exactly.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:53):
Well, I'm going to a picture.
I want to tell you somethingtoo your husband is so handsome.
Olivia Cook (50:57):
Thank you.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (50:58):
I talked to you last time.
I forgot to tell you that.
But I see pictures of you.
I'm like, oh Lord, he is sohandsome.
I mean, you're beautifulanyway, but he is very handsome.
Olivia Cook (51:08):
Every time I see a guys all together, I'm like,
lord, have mercy yeah, one of myfirst world problems that I'm
concerned about is I just wantto make sure this new next one
is as handsome or looks betterthan the current one, because it
would really mess up the familyaesthetic, you know your baby
is so, solomon's so beautifuland you're so pretty and your
(51:29):
husband is like, so just talland handsome, he's a whole tall,
dark and handsome package.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (51:35):
I would say, oh, that's a fine looking family
right there.
Thank you, a fine looking man,you got All right, girl.
Well, listen, I want to catchup with you again, stay in touch
, and when something new andexciting comes up or you want to
dive into rentals and stuff,we'll come on and talk about it
again.
I will absolutely come to thebest person for that when you
get more rentals, I'll alwayshelp you, so you don't have to
(51:56):
ever worry about that.
Olivia Cook (51:58):
I appreciate it.
Dwan Bent-Twyford (51:59):
All right, everyone.
Thank you for being a part ofthe most wonderful real estate
podcast ever.
You can find me at Dwanderful.
com on Facebook, Instagram,youtube, all of the places.
Don't forget to go toDwanderful.
com of the places.
Don't forget to go todwanderful.
com, take that quiz and find outhow I can help you close your
(52:19):
next three deals, absolutelyguaranteed.
And we'll be back next time.
Same bat time, same bat channel.
And don't forget that the truthis in the red letters.
All right, everybody.
Talk to you soon.
Thank you, miss Olivia.
You're beautiful as ever.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.