February 10, 2025 • 39 mins
Hi!! I would love to hear from you!
What if you had the power to transform not just spaces, but lives? Join us as we talk to Terry Grail, the visionary founder and CEO of Enchanted Makeovers, who turned a simple act of painting a wall in a shelter into a full-blown mission to create healing environments for women and children in need. Terry's journey from facing initial setbacks to securing crucial donations like mattresses is a testament to her unwavering commitment and serves as an inspiring tale of perseverance and compassion.
Throughout this episode, we explore various programs that empower women in overcoming their traumas. From the innovative Capes for Kids initiative to the heartwarming doll adoption program, these efforts show small acts of kindness can have a profound impact. Terry's story highlights the extraordinary resilience and courage of women, often forged through challenging experiences like transient childhoods and homelessness. These women are not just survivors; they are true warriors, turning adversity into strength.
In our conversation, we also dive into the remarkable sewing program that aids women escaping human trafficking and domestic violence. By creating sacred sewing rooms, these initiatives foster new skills, community involvement, and personal healing. Handcrafted treasures carry the love of their makers and the potential to spark joy and connection. As we wrap up, we also introduce an inspiring children's book author whose tales of discovery and love echo the themes of empowerment and transformation woven throughout this episode. Join us, get inspired, and perhaps find your way to contribute to this beautiful mission.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello and welcome to Enchanted Ease.
Today, my guest is Terry Grail,founder and CEO of Enchanted
Makeovers.
Hi, terry, hi.
Thank you, jen for having me.
Oh, it's a pleasure.
I'm so glad you're here.
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm doing good.
It's raining here, so here togloomy, gloomy day.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
So, terry, give me a little bit about just about your
company to start with.
So we have an idea of kind ofwhat you do and what your
nonprofit is all about.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well Enchanted Makeovers began in 2007 and I
was asked to volunteer my timeand paint one wall at a shelter
for women and children.
So I visited the shelter and itwas way beyond paint.
The women stayed at this place.
It was an old post office, sothey stayed there for a year
with their children and the laststop was the women's dorm.
Now, 30 women stayed in thisroom with all of their children.
(01:03):
How big was the dividers?
There was no privacy, oh, wow.
How big was it?
Um, it was enough room to fitthe bunk beds and cribs, and
that's it.
That's about it.
Okay, there was no space, yeah,yeah.
So I remember when I went up thestairs, it was just chocolate
like brown paint that wasdonated and they used it for
everything the steps, the, the,the trim around the windows, the
(01:25):
door.
The door was metal because itwas old post office, so they
used both hands to get in theroom.
I remember pushing the dooropen and there was.
Everything was broken inside.
Because I'm all aboutrepurposing.
If I can take it and repaint itand give it, you know, bring it
back to life, I will.
It was prison beds that weredonated.
(01:47):
The bedspreads were from anursing home.
I asked where the dressers are.
She said well, we use boxes asthe dressers.
The walls had duct tape, thebaby cribs had duct tape.
And I remember taking beforepictures because at that time I
had a decorating business, so Iwould take pictures like I would
(02:09):
do for a client.
And I remember telling thedirector I don't know if I can
do anything, because it wasoverwhelming, I didn't have the
money, I didn't have thevolunteers, so I took before and
I went home and I forgot about.
I said I'm not doing this, it'sjust too much.
I have my business, my kidswere little at the time, I have
a family to take care of and aweek had passed and I just had
(02:33):
this urgency on my heart to sayyou know, you need to look at
those pictures.
At the time you downloaded yourpictures.
You weren't using your cellphone, you used a camera, so I
downloaded them and the lastpicture was a bunk bed and that
duct tape on the wall.
And I've always loved polka dots, since I was a child, and there
(02:53):
was two pillow cases, nopillows.
There was two pillows, nopillowcases on them, and there
was a white, very subtle whitepolka dots on the pillow.
And I heard, heard, trust me.
And in that moment I lifted myright hand up and I said I'll do
it.
I didn't know how I was goingto do it.
And the next day I just went outand I drove to one of the big
(03:17):
stores in my town asking forfree paint.
And the woman rolled her chairout from the office and said we
don't have time for you.
And I went out in my car, I didthe ugly cry.
I went to another paint store.
They said well, when we getdone with the customers, we'll
talk to you.
I got up to the desk Well, youhave to go through corporate to
(03:41):
get paint donated.
And I share that, because mythought at that time was if they
could just hear the women'sstories, because once I said yes
to this, I already had wentback to the women and said this
is my commitment, I'm going todo the best I can.
We cried together, the women.
I mean I was just like in tears, sharing that, this hope I had
(04:04):
for the women, them, the womencrying with me.
It's like I felt like we allbecame children again and girls
that were just all healing.
So I felt like if someone couldjust listen to me they would
understand the importance ofthis project.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you went to volunteer at a shelter, went
home thinking about not doing it, downloaded this picture, got
your sign and then went back,spoke to these women, were
touched by their story.
So now you're out trying to getdonations because you're like
I'm not going to paint it, thisugly brown color.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Yes, it's going to be what it's.
This simple is.
I wanted to give the womenexactly what I would do for my
clients.
Yeah, and my clients came to meif they wanted um country theme
or cottage, you know, shabbychic.
So it was all handmade, it wasa little vintage, it was a
(05:00):
little bit new.
So I kept getting the no and Iremember it was.
I was turning 40 that year, so Iremember sending emails out the
week before and I sent outasking mattress companies.
I need 30 mattresses.
And I remember waking up thatmorning and before I touched the
(05:24):
floor I said I don't wantanything for my birthday, I want
the largest donation.
12 o'clock hits and I get aphone call and it was a
gentleman that owned a mattresscompany.
He says I'm in Mexico right now.
I'm on vacation.
I received your email and myfather always taught me if you
can help, you need to do it, Iwill donate all those mattresses
(05:48):
, all the mattress pads and allthe pillows.
So he did more.
Yes, that was my first largestdonation and from there I said I
am not, no matter how long ittakes, I am going to fulfill,
I'm going to keep this promiseto the women.
And the women was.
The dorm was transformed.
It was transformed into the,with the murals, quilts, you
(06:11):
name it, new bunk beds and thebunk bed piece.
What I want to share is it wasa 15 minute appointment of how I
got the bunk beds, because Ibelieve that we have divine
appointments and we have divinetiming in our life and we can
choose either to not commit tothat appointment and lose
(06:32):
something that we don't evenknow is being added to us.
I share this thing about thebunk beds is because my first
client if you book appointmentwith her, you can't first client
, if you book an appointmentwith her, you can't.
She's like a year ahead.
So she had a 15 minutecancellation.
So her client walks in and says, can I get my brows done?
(06:53):
And they're like, well, we havea cancellation.
So she sits down and startstelling this woman about this
project I'm working on and shesays, well, I'm friends with
which was the largest furniturestore here in Michigan was Art
Van and she's.
I'll reach out to him.
He comes to the shelter in hislimousine, the owner of the
(07:17):
furniture store.
So that's basically thecancellation of Herge's sharing.
He comes to the shelter, hedoes the tour of the dorm.
He asks me what is this goingto look like?
Blah, blah, blah, and then heleaves.
A week passed, he calls me andhe says I want to know about you
.
Do you have children?
(07:38):
You know what is?
I said well, I have adecorating business and it's all
about repurposing.
I don't know why I said it, butI said I don't buy your
furniture.
I have no idea, because I wasabout repurposing grandma's
treasures yeah, the samegrandma's dressers and
repainting it and giving it youknow, just loving it back to
life, yeah, new life.
(07:58):
So I was just speaking my truthand he, it was kind of quiet
and he says well, tell me moreabout your family.
So I shared about my childrenand it was quiet.
He said I'm going to donate allthe bunk beds and all new baby
cribs.
That was 15 minute cancellationand it's been like that for 17
(08:21):
years.
It's enchanted.
It's truly enchanting when Isay that it's cancellations,
it's divine appointments.
It's just bumping into peoplethat really I know this
so-and-so.
That's how it's been for 17years.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Now, I know you are nationally now, but where was
that first shelter at?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The first shelter was in Michigan.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Oh, I love that where you're oh beautiful, so tell me
what, um, what, what made youconnect to these women's stories
in a way that felt?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
well.
At first I didn't know.
I know now I had way greaterpurpose than my decorating
business.
I was supposed to be there andI was supposed to heal my own
story with the women.
I can say that now, but as achild we moved place to place.
(09:17):
We moved 12 times.
We were homeless.
It was living in a one roomwith family.
It was all that all turned intotrauma.
I can say that now as I'm.
Obviously I became way strongerthan I was 17 years ago.
That's how I connected.
Was the pain, the trauma?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
um, it wasn't feeling like at home or having like
that comfort of a place to go,that feeling Is that what you're
related to?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yes.
Well it was.
We have a thing on our websiteit says she is me.
And people, a lot of people,misunderstand that.
It's not about the domesticviolence, it's not about human
trafficking.
I always say to women have youever felt pain?
Of course they're going to sayyes, and I said isn't that
enough to say she is me, that'sit, that's all that.
(10:12):
That one little, those threelittle words mean that's enough,
that that we're not here tosave you, we're here to walk
beside you.
That's it.
So that's how I have grownstronger is the women being so
bold and honest.
And you cannot bowl.
You know what?
The women, because they seethat they've been.
(10:35):
I mean, a lot of them have liveddown the streets.
They have not only been hadabuse as a child, but then that
turns into addiction and thenthat turns into I have to sell
myself to take care of theaddiction.
Then that turns intoincarceration so they can see
through any the bullcrap.
So that made me have to turnthe mirror to myself and speak.
(10:59):
My truth as I sat and shared,they, the women, shared stories
with me.
Truth as I sat and shared, thewomen shared stories with me.
So I call.
I always say the women arewarriors, who are warriors.
They don't see themselves thatway.
I do, and I now can say I am awarrior too.
So that's what this means.
Yes, Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I love that.
So tell me the kind of work youguys do.
So I heard you mention you knowyou have these shelter.
Victims are long term.
They're there for I don't knowif that's all of them, since
you're working in so manydifferent locations.
So I know that as part of yournonprofit, you guys provide a
number of different servicesthat women donate.
Tell me a little bit about thekind of things you guys donate
(11:41):
and do for these women who arein need you guys donate and do
for these women who are in need.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Well, first started with just the transformation of
bedrooms, because that is reallyyour sacred space that you're
not sharing.
Some are dorms and then someturn into that.
You have your own private room,but usually that's three to
four women you're sharing thatspace with.
So that was always my sacredspace as a child, was my bedroom
.
I felt like I could escape andjust it was a safe Haven for me.
(12:08):
So it was only naturally to saywe have to focus on the bedroom
.
But that organically grew tothe capes for kids.
None of this was planned out,it's just.
It went through, just theemotions that grew through, what
I learned, what the womentaught me.
So the capes for kids is notabout Superman, cause people
(12:30):
always say, oh, we're going todo a superhero cape.
No, that was just me watchingthe news one day and a mother
shared with her son to give itup.
No one's going to come here andsave us.
She lived in New York, newJersey, and in that moment I
began to cry.
(12:50):
But then I always share withpeople.
What are tears if there's noaction?
So the action was I saw her sonas the superhero.
But you can't give hope if youdon't have it.
So I don't judge the mother.
She couldn't give that to herson.
So I said you know what?
I'm going to go on social mediaand see if someone will make 25
(13:11):
capes.
So I had a woman from NorthCarolina reach back and she said
I'll make them.
So she sent 25 capes.
I went back to my local shelterto see if the children would you
know?
Would they embrace it?
Would they think it's silly?
The children came to life.
(13:32):
It was laughing and twirlingand I'm like in that moment of
just how much joy was in thechildren's face.
I knew that this had to be oneof our programs.
So we started that way.
It just had.
I never thought it wouldexplode into.
Pbs reached out, come and talkabout this.
Then it went into Hilton sayingcan we make 10,000 capes?
A show featured it.
That was.
(13:53):
I only share that, because whatare tears if there's no action?
I never thought it would bethat.
It was just enough of what canI do and I share that with
people is just the simplestthing.
You never know if it's going toblossom to that.
But it doesn't have to beeither.
It was those 25 children impactthat it made.
(14:13):
One of the children that hadthe cape ended up.
She obviously grew and she leftthe shelter, but she kept that
cape, the mother told me, in hercloset and she used it as show
and tell and tell her story insixth grade.
Oh my God, so it's beyond thefabric, it's way deeper than
that.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And you've been doing it long enough.
Some of these children areadults now.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yes, yes, the way that I'm in children anymore.
Yeah, that grew to the dolladoption, because the dolls were
so important to me as a child.
I can say now when I took careof my doll, I was taking care of
myself.
Oh.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I love that.
I didn't even think about that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I know that now but I mean, it was so much about how
important it was that they werecomfortable, cause I would worry
at night before I went to bedare their arms uncomfortable,
are their legs warm?
I mean, I was that deep of athinker as a little kid because
I thought, well, if they'reuncomfortable, I can't sleep.
So I thought, well, what if thechildren?
(15:18):
The children need to have dolls?
Yeah, so that's how I broughtthe doll adoption in and the
children have so much embraced.
I mean, no one has said I don'twant a doll.
I mean, and when the dolls arelaid out, we never give a doll
the children get to pick theirdoll.
It's whatever you love, becauseyou know you might not want
(15:40):
that doll.
It has a.
You know, I don't know, there'ssome that are crocheted,
there's some that are a paneldoll, but it's what you get to
pick.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, who knows why a child would connect with
whatever they're connecting with?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
yeah, yes, yes, um, from there it went to the
pillowcase program and it's atraveling pillowcase project.
It is not about a travelingsize pillow, because people
think that's what it is like youcan get the smaller pillows and
they have the smallerpillowcase.
It's not that I, when I wouldgo to bed at night, even through
(16:18):
all that moving and you know Iwas, I can say this now I used
to pull my hair out.
That was part of my thing ofjust I would pull my hair out,
pull my eyelashes out.
I was very much of like thatleg thing of twisting your legs
and shaking.
I was always shaking.
(16:38):
That was how I was coping.
But I realized I had the powerof my mind to escape.
So when I went to bed at nightI could travel and that's why
it's called the TravelingPillowcase Project.
Is I want children to knowthat's a powerful coping skill?
Is that even though you're inthe shelter, you can go another
place?
So that's why it's called that.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So what does that look like?
What does that project do?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Well, obviously we encourage.
We want colorful, fun fabric.
We don't want just a whitepillowcase.
So, people are making thesebeautiful pillowcases and
donating them across the country.
Okay, people add littlemessages.
They add we have a lot for thewomen.
It's I am a warrior, I amprecious, I am loved.
So we are big about how.
(17:24):
The power of words, oh,affirmations I love.
Yes, I believe a words caneither uplift a life or destroy
a life.
Yeah, so I know how importantthat is, so that every single
project has way beyond thefabric.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Beautiful.
So now I know you're all overthe country.
So how does this?
Do you reach out to shelters?
Did they reach out to you?
Did communities reach out toyou?
How do you get involved inthese different shelters and
provide the services that womenare providing to you?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Some shelters have reached out, but we've also had
another divine appointments.
So we went to one just to seeis this?
No, we've got to learn aboutthat shelter.
Are they good stewards of thedonor's money?
Are they going to fail in ayear?
There was one that looked likea good, like this.
I think we're going to workwith them.
So we went and just did a tourand then, as we're leaving the
(18:22):
volunteer that was, you know,showing us, giving us a tour the
director came out.
She's like oh, who are you?
I said well, we're withEnchanted Makeovers, we're just
kind of visiting to see ifyou're the next you know one
that we're going to work with.
She said I have to tell you Ihad a dream the night before and
my dream was that someone wouldcome here and bring light and
(18:43):
hope into our bedrooms.
And I said there's our divineappointment.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
We're done we're here .
Speaker 2 (18:50):
We're supposed to be here.
That's how it.
It's like a hit and miss withthings.
That's how it works.
So people like, well, I didn'texpect that.
They want a different answer,but I can only speak my truth
that this is how it works.
Yeah so, but we are moving intograssroots.
We want to work with grassrootsum shelters or homes that are
(19:17):
for women that are escapinghuman trafficking or domestic
violence, and these are usuallymaybe one employee, so it's all
volunteers, because we knowthat's really right now.
That's where we need to be.
They need us more than the onesthat are really bringing in the
millions Because it's very easyto get paint and paint.
(19:37):
We know it's beyond paint, butI think that's where we need to
be now is to go to that womanthat started that nonprofit that
really could use our help.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And supporting other grassroots nonprofits.
Okay, I love that.
So I know one thing we spokeabout before that I thought was
so powerful and we talked justbriefly before this.
But we talked about how, likethese women and children that
spend this year there, that yearis so powerful because they're
coming out of this survivalsituation and this year is, or
(20:11):
however much time they spendthere, they're really it's like
the first time they can relaxand process some of what's
happening.
Relax and process some ofwhat's happening.
So it's a very intense time inan important time in their life
where they don't have a lot togive at that point because
they're coming out of thisintense situation.
(20:32):
So tell me a little bit aboutthat and how that plays a role
in a lot of these services.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Well, we have the sacred sewing room program and
that is we don't donate machines, we donate a sewing room.
So you have to be willing togive up a space and you have to
be just really committed thatwhen we set that room up, when
(21:00):
we leave, that you continue tomake sure volunteer instructors
are coming in every week toteach and that you reach out to
community to get more fabric.
We get you started and fromthere we need you to commit to
that that you don't put thosemachines away in the closet.
You to commit to that that youdon't put those machines away in
(21:22):
the closet because it takes ittakes a lot of work to pull.
You know, reach out to those umcorporations and companies that
we've built relationships withand they, they want that too.
They don't want to fail thatit's done in a year.
So there's the first start.
But that began with my mother.
So my mother battles withdepression.
She always has, she still does.
(21:42):
And um, I just remember as akid you know me, you know laying
there on a Saturday morningwatching cartoons and mom sewing
.
And you got.
You hear James Taylor, youheard Carly Simon playing in the
background.
Everything is good.
But then there was also thetime where the machine is off
(22:04):
and the blinds are shut andthere's no food on the table.
But I choose to say I'm goingto focus on the light.
And the light is the sacredsewing room, and each one we set
up is mom, you are light, youare not that darkness that you
battle here and there.
So every room is kind of likeum, my mom is sitting there, but
(22:25):
it's another mother that'ssitting in that chair, so that's
why we did it.
My mother said that a sewingmachine saved her life, and when
she told me that, I said wehave to have a sewing room in
shelters for women.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, I was around sewing.
I love it, yes.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yes, it's that whole therapeutic.
You're learning a skill.
You can take care of yourfamily.
But in that piece we encouragethe women to give back to their
community.
And that is because my mothereven when we struggled, she was
making those little pans ofpizza, the sheets from the
little jiffy box At that time itwas like 20 cents, because it
(23:04):
was in the 70s and our job wasto gather the kids in the
neighborhood so she can makesure they had a meal on that
Friday and we were struggling.
So that's why I encourageinstructors Ask the women will
you be a part of your community?
Because that's part of thehealing.
We step out of ourself too.
(23:24):
Even though we're struggling,we also are uplifting and
standing next to someone elsetoo.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, it's energizing to find, to connect something
with a little purpose too.
You know it like creates thatenergy sometimes and moves that
stale, whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yes, and sometimes I've said, when we step away,
step away from yourself so noone gets hurt.
Yeah, great, just take a stepback.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
And that has been healing.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yes, so we've had women.
They're making 250 pillowcasesfor the local hospital.
They make dresses for girls inAfrica.
They make bibs for teen moms.
Everything the women have madethey give away because they have
no money.
So they're giving it to theirfriends, to their family.
So, and if you fall behind in aproject, another woman steps
right there to say I can helpyou.
(24:12):
There's not exchange of words.
This is what the volunteerinstructors have shared with us.
It's all.
That whole team system is onthere to support you.
So it's even beyond the sewingmachine too, and a factor.
It's so many different, likebranches to every program.
That's the beauty of it.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
I love it.
It's the grassroots, like loveis in every essence and every
chain link of this.
It's all people just giving.
So you seem to have a very agift, some magic around your
ability to get people to cometogether and provide these
services.
So any, any insight into howyou're so successful Because
(24:54):
this is what I hear from youEvery time I talk to you or look
into it.
You just have this gift forbringing people out who want to
give, and I love that.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Well, I think the gift is people want to be seen
and heard, and that is servingwith your talent, because that
is your voice when you're makingthat quilt.
That's you, that's you in thatquilt, in your voice.
So we want people to serve withtheir talent.
That's it.
It's.
It's really not rocket science.
I mean, when it started, peoplewere saying, well, I thought
(25:25):
you was to tell me what to do,but they're also sharing their
story.
Before they said that and Iknew in that moment it had to be
full circle.
Everyone had to have a voice inthis.
So people send stories ofthey're in domestic violence
situation, but they're making aquilt.
Yeah, everyone needs to be seenand heard, because if it's only
(25:46):
half, half-sided, you're reallytaking away something from the
women and children, because theyhave so much to teach us.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yes, so I feel like there's so much power in people
telling their stories for themand for the people receiving it.
It's so powerful when peoplejust talk, and it's a rarity
nowadays that people sit downand take the time to listen.
I feel like that's one of thereasons I wanted to do this
podcast honestly.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Oh OK, yes, it's so true.
One of the women at the shelterat the time was 2008.
And something came over me likeI should share their stories
like on video.
And I got permission, we goteveryone signed a release form
and I said now this is going togo to YouTube.
And they were all good with it.
I said you don't know the seedsyou're going to plant with your
(26:34):
story.
Oh my gosh.
So one of the mothers I remembersitting in the in the in the
cafeteria at the shelter and herbaby was in the high chair and
she started sharing about.
She lived in Detroit and sheshared how her father would sell
the food stamps and she hadbrothers and sisters.
(26:54):
So she said my first thoughtwas I have to take care of my
brothers and sisters.
So I turned to stripping.
I was 12 years old and she saidthe sad part is I thought I
thought, well, I guess I'm goodat something.
That's how she saw herself.
She said I'm so grateful I'mhere now rebuilding my life.
(27:16):
I'm grateful for the food andthe lighting, but no one ever
wants to listen to our story.
I never forgot that.
I never forgot.
I see her face.
I'm not good with names.
I never forget that.
I never forgot.
I see her face.
I'm not good with names.
I never forget a face.
So years had passed and I wasat a fundraising event.
She was there and she ran up tome and hugged me and she's, I
(27:38):
have to tell you I I went backto college, oh my god, and I
shared that video that you didof me to my class, oh my gosh
she says I ended up getting an a, and I in the class stood up
and she got a standing ovation.
She incorporated that video ofher story with her class.
Oh, that's beautiful.
(27:59):
You never know.
Just that little urge of sayingshare the story.
I just did what I felt in myheart.
I never thought years later howit would make a greater impact.
Yes, so I love that people isif it touches your heart.
If there's tears, please youdon't mind, I have all the
(28:20):
answers.
You don't have the funding.
Volunteers, take action.
There's something greater outof that.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Oh, my gosh gosh.
I love that.
I I say this a lot, I probablysay this, I'll probably say it
almost every episode.
But with women specifically,and trauma survivors
specifically, there's so muchpower in telling and hearing
other people tell their storiesas well, because there's
something about us that is soeasily we push it under the rug.
Like you said, it took you solong to acknowledge your own
(28:47):
experience.
I've been that way as well.
The older I get, the more Iacknowledge about maybe, some of
the things that have happenedto me in the past.
And when you hear another womanor another trauma survivor talk
about their story, something inour mind is like oh, maybe that
effect, you know it validatessomething on a level that you
can't validate without hearingstories.
(29:07):
And then when you tell yourstory and see how other people
connect to it, that alsovalidates things.
It's this exchange and thatcommunity is so powerful.
So I just so heartwarming tohear you making all these
connections, giving these womena space to share their stories.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yes.
So you know it's beyond thepaint.
Of course the paint issomething, just a tool for
something greater.
Yes, if I was called todecorate, I would have kept my
decorating business.
I closed and started, closed itdown and started a nonprofit.
So when I get those few thatsay, oh, you decorate shelters,
I have to say no.
(29:47):
Say no, if I did, I would havekept my decorating business.
Yeah, not about that.
And I encourage people to comein that say that because they
need the transformationthemselves to see that it's way
bigger than that.
You can't deny people.
You want them to come in andlearn and hopefully they.
(30:09):
It's the heart and mind is thebigger piece that when we change
the way we serve, it changesthe way we see each other, and
that's my biggest piece.
I've stood by all these yearsit keeps that humanity alive.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
It doesn't let us do it's not.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I'm here to help the abused women.
I'm here to help the poorperson.
I'm here to help the homeless.
No, we're here to serve eachother.
It's not.
It's not the women andchildren's identity.
It was their circumstance.
It's not their identity.
And you also have a storybecause you're here too, because
we all have a story.
(30:45):
So that's the biggest, becauseI've been asked before by
different reporters like what isthat you want to like?
Kind of like, when you die,what is the thing you want?
What do you want to leave thisworld with?
Yes, and that is it.
It's to see ourselves that sheis me and it's not that one, two
(31:06):
, the two things that we see.
You know the trafficking, it'sthe pain, it's that we all have
a story.
That's enough right there tosay let's walk beside each other
.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
That's it Right.
We're all connected in that wefeel love and we're all
connected that we suffering, andsuffering is suffering,
regardless of who you come from.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That's it right there .
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Yes, Love that.
So this is.
You've been doing this 17 yearsnow, is that?
Speaker 2 (31:32):
right, it's 17 on December.
In December this past it was 17years.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
So how do you so cause my thing, like in my
personal practice, I'm like aburnout and stress relief coach.
This sounds like a lot ofstress, a lot of deadlines, a
lot of well, how do you managestress in your personal life?
I'd love to know what are thethings that keep you sane.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
I love music.
Ooh, I love that.
I love music.
Uh prayer, um just my.
I love talking to my sister.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
So you have a good support community around you
talking to my sister.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
So you have a good support community around you.
Yeah, my sister, my sister is awarrior herself.
She's been with me by my sidesince day one, oh, and she lives
next door to me.
I love that.
So, um, it's either talkingthrough the window, because
we're right next to each door toeach other, and she always
answers the phone.
She's always there if I needher to go on a trip.
My mom, obviously, my COO,which is Ellen.
(32:33):
She is not only the COO butshe's a dear friend to me.
So friendship is reallyimportant.
But the bottom line too is thatthis whole process too is I'm
still continuing to heal.
So just the women and how theytaught me about integrity and
(32:56):
honesty and truth and beingyourself, that's enough too.
That keeps me recharged to mybattery.
And I do need quiet time.
I just watch a movie and justzone out and it could be
something just totally like Ilove historical pieces, time
period pieces.
(33:17):
Yes, yes, those.
I love those because I justzone out.
So that's kind of my time tolike.
It's a form of, like ameditation.
Yeah, for sure yeah, that's how.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
That's how I do it.
I love that.
And crafts right.
Are you a crafty personyourself?
I?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
am, but I have to.
My thing is being a voice forother people to make it OK.
But I love to find handmadetreasures at flea markets and
thrift stores because they'reone of a kind and they're not
mass produced and I feel like,oh, oh, my gosh, somebody just
embroidered that pillow and Ihave to save it and I want to
share someone else's love.
(33:55):
So I'm big.
If I'm gonna go thrifting, Iwant to find something handmade
oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
I'm always getting the handmade pottery, like when
there's um any clay potterythat's been like thrown at a
thrift store.
I'm like mine.
I don't know what it is, but Ilove it.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Yes, I know what I find is I find the clay pots
that the children made in schooland the family donated it.
I have some at the headquartersand it has like the clay that
goes in a circle.
I have a pot and I'm like, oh,they didn't save it, so I have
it.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
I love it.
There's something about likesomeone made this with their
hands and it's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I love it, so I think everything holds energy.
Yes, I agree.
Yes, so it's bringing that andyou got to be careful too.
I understand, but it's.
I just feel this that's whywe're big about handmade is that
love and positive energy thatyou're putting out and you're
giving that to someone else andthey feel that you can't get
(34:53):
that off a shelf at a store.
It's not the same.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
No, I love them.
So if people want to getinvolved or say a shelter wants
to reach out to you, or womenhear this and they're like I
love to sell, I will do all ofthat.
How did they get in contactwith you?
How did they get involved inthis beautiful, all these
beautiful things you're doing?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Just email us.
It's EnchantedMakeovers atComcastnet.
You can check out the websiteEnchantedMakeoversorg Our phone
number's on there to give us acall.
Call us If you want to share.
Be a messenger.
You, messenger.
You now, jen, have become amessenger.
Yay, and, as you know, thisMonday, february 3rd, kelly
(35:35):
Clarkson is featuring ourmission.
Yes, and I shared with Kelly,you now have become a messenger
for the mission.
Yes, that's, you now are Jen amessenger for the mission.
So that's, you now are Jen, amessenger for us.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Oh, I'm proud to be proud to be.
I love it so much.
So is there anything you areplanning for the future?
Are you just barreling aheadwith all of that you've got
going on?
Is there any new projects tolook for or anything?
You're searching for at themoment that you'd like to put
out there.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Well, I've written a children's book, so that will be
announced this coming week.
Look for it, okay.
Yes, and the second book isalready with the illustrator,
and the manuscript for my thirdis already finished.
So it's three children's books.
It's all based on thepillowcase, the doll, adoption
(36:30):
in the case for kids, and it'sall animals in their journey of
discovery.
With all three projects, oh mygosh.
I love it.
I can't wait so.
And then we hope to have moresewing rooms this year.
That's the next thing.
So those are.
That's enough right now for me.
That's the next thing.
So those are, that's enoughright now for me.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It's a lot.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Oh, I love that.
Well, thank you so much forcoming.
We'll put all these links inthe show notes.
Anything else you want to leaveus with?
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Terry, I don't know.
I just hope that a lot of seedsare planted in people's hearts
and they know that they're lovedand they are precious and they
do matter.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Beautiful.
I love that.
Thank you so much for comingtoday.
Oh you're welcome.
We are definitely going to haveto do this again to learn more
about what you're doing, and,yeah, so really appreciate it.
Oh, thank you, jen.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You are welcome.
Hello and welcome to Enchanted Ease.
Today, my guest is Terry Grail,founder and CEO of Enchanted
Makeovers.
Hi, terry, hi.
Thank you, jen for having me.
Oh, it's a pleasure.
I'm so glad you're here.
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm doing good.
It's raining here, so here togloomy, gloomy day.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
So, terry, give me a little bit about just about your
company to start with.
So we have an idea of kind ofwhat you do and what your
nonprofit is all about.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well Enchanted Makeovers began in 2007 and I
was asked to volunteer my timeand paint one wall at a shelter
for women and children.
So I visited the shelter and itwas way beyond paint.
The women stayed at this place.
It was an old post office, sothey stayed there for a year
with their children and the laststop was the women's dorm.
Now, 30 women stayed in thisroom with all of their children.
(01:03):
How big was the dividers?
There was no privacy, oh, wow.
How big was it?
Um, it was enough room to fitthe bunk beds and cribs, and
that's it.
That's about it.
Okay, there was no space, yeah,yeah.
So I remember when I went up thestairs, it was just chocolate
like brown paint that wasdonated and they used it for
everything the steps, the, the,the trim around the windows, the
(01:25):
door.
The door was metal because itwas old post office, so they
used both hands to get in theroom.
I remember pushing the dooropen and there was.
Everything was broken inside.
Because I'm all aboutrepurposing.
If I can take it and repaint itand give it, you know, bring it
back to life, I will.
It was prison beds that weredonated.
(01:47):
The bedspreads were from anursing home.
I asked where the dressers are.
She said well, we use boxes asthe dressers.
The walls had duct tape, thebaby cribs had duct tape.
And I remember taking beforepictures because at that time I
had a decorating business, so Iwould take pictures like I would
(02:09):
do for a client.
And I remember telling thedirector I don't know if I can
do anything, because it wasoverwhelming, I didn't have the
money, I didn't have thevolunteers, so I took before and
I went home and I forgot about.
I said I'm not doing this, it'sjust too much.
I have my business, my kidswere little at the time, I have
a family to take care of and aweek had passed and I just had
(02:33):
this urgency on my heart to sayyou know, you need to look at
those pictures.
At the time you downloaded yourpictures.
You weren't using your cellphone, you used a camera, so I
downloaded them and the lastpicture was a bunk bed and that
duct tape on the wall.
And I've always loved polka dots, since I was a child, and there
(02:53):
was two pillow cases, nopillows.
There was two pillows, nopillowcases on them, and there
was a white, very subtle whitepolka dots on the pillow.
And I heard, heard, trust me.
And in that moment I lifted myright hand up and I said I'll do
it.
I didn't know how I was goingto do it.
And the next day I just went outand I drove to one of the big
(03:17):
stores in my town asking forfree paint.
And the woman rolled her chairout from the office and said we
don't have time for you.
And I went out in my car, I didthe ugly cry.
I went to another paint store.
They said well, when we getdone with the customers, we'll
talk to you.
I got up to the desk Well, youhave to go through corporate to
(03:41):
get paint donated.
And I share that, because mythought at that time was if they
could just hear the women'sstories, because once I said yes
to this, I already had wentback to the women and said this
is my commitment, I'm going todo the best I can.
We cried together, the women.
I mean I was just like in tears, sharing that, this hope I had
(04:04):
for the women, them, the womencrying with me.
It's like I felt like we allbecame children again and girls
that were just all healing.
So I felt like if someone couldjust listen to me they would
understand the importance ofthis project.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you went to volunteer at a shelter, went
home thinking about not doing it, downloaded this picture, got
your sign and then went back,spoke to these women, were
touched by their story.
So now you're out trying to getdonations because you're like
I'm not going to paint it, thisugly brown color.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Yes, it's going to be what it's.
This simple is.
I wanted to give the womenexactly what I would do for my
clients.
Yeah, and my clients came to meif they wanted um country theme
or cottage, you know, shabbychic.
So it was all handmade, it wasa little vintage, it was a
(05:00):
little bit new.
So I kept getting the no and Iremember it was.
I was turning 40 that year, so Iremember sending emails out the
week before and I sent outasking mattress companies.
I need 30 mattresses.
And I remember waking up thatmorning and before I touched the
(05:24):
floor I said I don't wantanything for my birthday, I want
the largest donation.
12 o'clock hits and I get aphone call and it was a
gentleman that owned a mattresscompany.
He says I'm in Mexico right now.
I'm on vacation.
I received your email and myfather always taught me if you
can help, you need to do it, Iwill donate all those mattresses
(05:48):
, all the mattress pads and allthe pillows.
So he did more.
Yes, that was my first largestdonation and from there I said I
am not, no matter how long ittakes, I am going to fulfill,
I'm going to keep this promiseto the women.
And the women was.
The dorm was transformed.
It was transformed into the,with the murals, quilts, you
(06:11):
name it, new bunk beds and thebunk bed piece.
What I want to share is it wasa 15 minute appointment of how I
got the bunk beds, because Ibelieve that we have divine
appointments and we have divinetiming in our life and we can
choose either to not commit tothat appointment and lose
(06:32):
something that we don't evenknow is being added to us.
I share this thing about thebunk beds is because my first
client if you book appointmentwith her, you can't first client
, if you book an appointmentwith her, you can't.
She's like a year ahead.
So she had a 15 minutecancellation.
So her client walks in and says, can I get my brows done?
(06:53):
And they're like, well, we havea cancellation.
So she sits down and startstelling this woman about this
project I'm working on and shesays, well, I'm friends with
which was the largest furniturestore here in Michigan was Art
Van and she's.
I'll reach out to him.
He comes to the shelter in hislimousine, the owner of the
(07:17):
furniture store.
So that's basically thecancellation of Herge's sharing.
He comes to the shelter, hedoes the tour of the dorm.
He asks me what is this goingto look like?
Blah, blah, blah, and then heleaves.
A week passed, he calls me andhe says I want to know about you
.
Do you have children?
(07:38):
You know what is?
I said well, I have adecorating business and it's all
about repurposing.
I don't know why I said it, butI said I don't buy your
furniture.
I have no idea, because I wasabout repurposing grandma's
treasures yeah, the samegrandma's dressers and
repainting it and giving it youknow, just loving it back to
life, yeah, new life.
(07:58):
So I was just speaking my truthand he, it was kind of quiet
and he says well, tell me moreabout your family.
So I shared about my childrenand it was quiet.
He said I'm going to donate allthe bunk beds and all new baby
cribs.
That was 15 minute cancellationand it's been like that for 17
(08:21):
years.
It's enchanted.
It's truly enchanting when Isay that it's cancellations,
it's divine appointments.
It's just bumping into peoplethat really I know this
so-and-so.
That's how it's been for 17years.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Now, I know you are nationally now, but where was
that first shelter at?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The first shelter was in Michigan.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Oh, I love that where you're oh beautiful, so tell me
what, um, what, what made youconnect to these women's stories
in a way that felt?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
well.
At first I didn't know.
I know now I had way greaterpurpose than my decorating
business.
I was supposed to be there andI was supposed to heal my own
story with the women.
I can say that now, but as achild we moved place to place.
(09:17):
We moved 12 times.
We were homeless.
It was living in a one roomwith family.
It was all that all turned intotrauma.
I can say that now as I'm.
Obviously I became way strongerthan I was 17 years ago.
That's how I connected.
Was the pain, the trauma?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
um, it wasn't feeling like at home or having like
that comfort of a place to go,that feeling Is that what you're
related to?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yes.
Well it was.
We have a thing on our websiteit says she is me.
And people, a lot of people,misunderstand that.
It's not about the domesticviolence, it's not about human
trafficking.
I always say to women have youever felt pain?
Of course they're going to sayyes, and I said isn't that
enough to say she is me, that'sit, that's all that.
(10:12):
That one little, those threelittle words mean that's enough,
that that we're not here tosave you, we're here to walk
beside you.
That's it.
So that's how I have grownstronger is the women being so
bold and honest.
And you cannot bowl.
You know what?
The women, because they seethat they've been.
(10:35):
I mean, a lot of them have liveddown the streets.
They have not only been hadabuse as a child, but then that
turns into addiction and thenthat turns into I have to sell
myself to take care of theaddiction.
Then that turns intoincarceration so they can see
through any the bullcrap.
So that made me have to turnthe mirror to myself and speak.
(10:59):
My truth as I sat and shared,they, the women, shared stories
with me.
Truth as I sat and shared, thewomen shared stories with me.
So I call.
I always say the women arewarriors, who are warriors.
They don't see themselves thatway.
I do, and I now can say I am awarrior too.
So that's what this means.
Yes, Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
I love that.
So tell me the kind of work youguys do.
So I heard you mention you knowyou have these shelter.
Victims are long term.
They're there for I don't knowif that's all of them, since
you're working in so manydifferent locations.
So I know that as part of yournonprofit, you guys provide a
number of different servicesthat women donate.
Tell me a little bit about thekind of things you guys donate
(11:41):
and do for these women who arein need you guys donate and do
for these women who are in need.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Well, first started with just the transformation of
bedrooms, because that is reallyyour sacred space that you're
not sharing.
Some are dorms and then someturn into that.
You have your own private room,but usually that's three to
four women you're sharing thatspace with.
So that was always my sacredspace as a child, was my bedroom
.
I felt like I could escape andjust it was a safe Haven for me.
(12:08):
So it was only naturally to saywe have to focus on the bedroom
.
But that organically grew tothe capes for kids.
None of this was planned out,it's just.
It went through, just theemotions that grew through, what
I learned, what the womentaught me.
So the capes for kids is notabout Superman, cause people
(12:30):
always say, oh, we're going todo a superhero cape.
No, that was just me watchingthe news one day and a mother
shared with her son to give itup.
No one's going to come here andsave us.
She lived in New York, newJersey, and in that moment I
began to cry.
(12:50):
But then I always share withpeople.
What are tears if there's noaction?
So the action was I saw her sonas the superhero.
But you can't give hope if youdon't have it.
So I don't judge the mother.
She couldn't give that to herson.
So I said you know what?
I'm going to go on social mediaand see if someone will make 25
(13:11):
capes.
So I had a woman from NorthCarolina reach back and she said
I'll make them.
So she sent 25 capes.
I went back to my local shelterto see if the children would you
know?
Would they embrace it?
Would they think it's silly?
The children came to life.
(13:32):
It was laughing and twirlingand I'm like in that moment of
just how much joy was in thechildren's face.
I knew that this had to be oneof our programs.
So we started that way.
It just had.
I never thought it wouldexplode into.
Pbs reached out, come and talkabout this.
Then it went into Hilton sayingcan we make 10,000 capes?
A show featured it.
That was.
(13:53):
I only share that, because whatare tears if there's no action?
I never thought it would bethat.
It was just enough of what canI do and I share that with
people is just the simplestthing.
You never know if it's going toblossom to that.
But it doesn't have to beeither.
It was those 25 children impactthat it made.
(14:13):
One of the children that hadthe cape ended up.
She obviously grew and she leftthe shelter, but she kept that
cape, the mother told me, in hercloset and she used it as show
and tell and tell her story insixth grade.
Oh my God, so it's beyond thefabric, it's way deeper than
that.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And you've been doing it long enough.
Some of these children areadults now.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yes, yes, the way that I'm in children anymore.
Yeah, that grew to the dolladoption, because the dolls were
so important to me as a child.
I can say now when I took careof my doll, I was taking care of
myself.
Oh.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I love that.
I didn't even think about that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I know that now but I mean, it was so much about how
important it was that they werecomfortable, cause I would worry
at night before I went to bedare their arms uncomfortable,
are their legs warm?
I mean, I was that deep of athinker as a little kid because
I thought, well, if they'reuncomfortable, I can't sleep.
So I thought, well, what if thechildren?
(15:18):
The children need to have dolls?
Yeah, so that's how I broughtthe doll adoption in and the
children have so much embraced.
I mean, no one has said I don'twant a doll.
I mean, and when the dolls arelaid out, we never give a doll
the children get to pick theirdoll.
It's whatever you love, becauseyou know you might not want
(15:40):
that doll.
It has a.
You know, I don't know, there'ssome that are crocheted,
there's some that are a paneldoll, but it's what you get to
pick.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, who knows why a child would connect with
whatever they're connecting with?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
yeah, yes, yes, um, from there it went to the
pillowcase program and it's atraveling pillowcase project.
It is not about a travelingsize pillow, because people
think that's what it is like youcan get the smaller pillows and
they have the smallerpillowcase.
It's not that I, when I wouldgo to bed at night, even through
(16:18):
all that moving and you know Iwas, I can say this now I used
to pull my hair out.
That was part of my thing ofjust I would pull my hair out,
pull my eyelashes out.
I was very much of like thatleg thing of twisting your legs
and shaking.
I was always shaking.
(16:38):
That was how I was coping.
But I realized I had the powerof my mind to escape.
So when I went to bed at nightI could travel and that's why
it's called the TravelingPillowcase Project.
Is I want children to knowthat's a powerful coping skill?
Is that even though you're inthe shelter, you can go another
place?
So that's why it's called that.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So what does that look like?
What does that project do?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Well, obviously we encourage.
We want colorful, fun fabric.
We don't want just a whitepillowcase.
So, people are making thesebeautiful pillowcases and
donating them across the country.
Okay, people add littlemessages.
They add we have a lot for thewomen.
It's I am a warrior, I amprecious, I am loved.
So we are big about how.
(17:24):
The power of words, oh,affirmations I love.
Yes, I believe a words caneither uplift a life or destroy
a life.
Yeah, so I know how importantthat is, so that every single
project has way beyond thefabric.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Beautiful.
So now I know you're all overthe country.
So how does this?
Do you reach out to shelters?
Did they reach out to you?
Did communities reach out toyou?
How do you get involved inthese different shelters and
provide the services that womenare providing to you?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Some shelters have reached out, but we've also had
another divine appointments.
So we went to one just to seeis this?
No, we've got to learn aboutthat shelter.
Are they good stewards of thedonor's money?
Are they going to fail in ayear?
There was one that looked likea good, like this.
I think we're going to workwith them.
So we went and just did a tourand then, as we're leaving the
(18:22):
volunteer that was, you know,showing us, giving us a tour the
director came out.
She's like oh, who are you?
I said well, we're withEnchanted Makeovers, we're just
kind of visiting to see ifyou're the next you know one
that we're going to work with.
She said I have to tell you Ihad a dream the night before and
my dream was that someone wouldcome here and bring light and
(18:43):
hope into our bedrooms.
And I said there's our divineappointment.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
We're done we're here .
Speaker 2 (18:50):
We're supposed to be here.
That's how it.
It's like a hit and miss withthings.
That's how it works.
So people like, well, I didn'texpect that.
They want a different answer,but I can only speak my truth
that this is how it works.
Yeah so, but we are moving intograssroots.
We want to work with grassrootsum shelters or homes that are
(19:17):
for women that are escapinghuman trafficking or domestic
violence, and these are usuallymaybe one employee, so it's all
volunteers, because we knowthat's really right now.
That's where we need to be.
They need us more than the onesthat are really bringing in the
millions Because it's very easyto get paint and paint.
(19:37):
We know it's beyond paint, butI think that's where we need to
be now is to go to that womanthat started that nonprofit that
really could use our help.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And supporting other grassroots nonprofits.
Okay, I love that.
So I know one thing we spokeabout before that I thought was
so powerful and we talked justbriefly before this.
But we talked about how, likethese women and children that
spend this year there, that yearis so powerful because they're
coming out of this survivalsituation and this year is, or
(20:11):
however much time they spendthere, they're really it's like
the first time they can relaxand process some of what's
happening.
Relax and process some ofwhat's happening.
So it's a very intense time inan important time in their life
where they don't have a lot togive at that point because
they're coming out of thisintense situation.
(20:32):
So tell me a little bit aboutthat and how that plays a role
in a lot of these services.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Well, we have the sacred sewing room program and
that is we don't donate machines, we donate a sewing room.
So you have to be willing togive up a space and you have to
be just really committed thatwhen we set that room up, when
(21:00):
we leave, that you continue tomake sure volunteer instructors
are coming in every week toteach and that you reach out to
community to get more fabric.
We get you started and fromthere we need you to commit to
that that you don't put thosemachines away in the closet.
You to commit to that that youdon't put those machines away in
(21:22):
the closet because it takes ittakes a lot of work to pull.
You know, reach out to those umcorporations and companies that
we've built relationships withand they, they want that too.
They don't want to fail thatit's done in a year.
So there's the first start.
But that began with my mother.
So my mother battles withdepression.
She always has, she still does.
(21:42):
And um, I just remember as akid you know me, you know laying
there on a Saturday morningwatching cartoons and mom sewing
.
And you got.
You hear James Taylor, youheard Carly Simon playing in the
background.
Everything is good.
But then there was also thetime where the machine is off
(22:04):
and the blinds are shut andthere's no food on the table.
But I choose to say I'm goingto focus on the light.
And the light is the sacredsewing room, and each one we set
up is mom, you are light, youare not that darkness that you
battle here and there.
So every room is kind of likeum, my mom is sitting there, but
(22:25):
it's another mother that'ssitting in that chair, so that's
why we did it.
My mother said that a sewingmachine saved her life, and when
she told me that, I said wehave to have a sewing room in
shelters for women.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, I was around sewing.
I love it, yes.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yes, it's that whole therapeutic.
You're learning a skill.
You can take care of yourfamily.
But in that piece we encouragethe women to give back to their
community.
And that is because my mothereven when we struggled, she was
making those little pans ofpizza, the sheets from the
little jiffy box At that time itwas like 20 cents, because it
(23:04):
was in the 70s and our job wasto gather the kids in the
neighborhood so she can makesure they had a meal on that
Friday and we were struggling.
So that's why I encourageinstructors Ask the women will
you be a part of your community?
Because that's part of thehealing.
We step out of ourself too.
(23:24):
Even though we're struggling,we also are uplifting and
standing next to someone elsetoo.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, it's energizing to find, to connect something
with a little purpose too.
You know it like creates thatenergy sometimes and moves that
stale, whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yes, and sometimes I've said, when we step away,
step away from yourself so noone gets hurt.
Yeah, great, just take a stepback.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
And that has been healing.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yes, so we've had women.
They're making 250 pillowcasesfor the local hospital.
They make dresses for girls inAfrica.
They make bibs for teen moms.
Everything the women have madethey give away because they have
no money.
So they're giving it to theirfriends, to their family.
So, and if you fall behind in aproject, another woman steps
right there to say I can helpyou.
(24:12):
There's not exchange of words.
This is what the volunteerinstructors have shared with us.
It's all.
That whole team system is onthere to support you.
So it's even beyond the sewingmachine too, and a factor.
It's so many different, likebranches to every program.
That's the beauty of it.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
I love it.
It's the grassroots, like loveis in every essence and every
chain link of this.
It's all people just giving.
So you seem to have a very agift, some magic around your
ability to get people to cometogether and provide these
services.
So any, any insight into howyou're so successful Because
(24:54):
this is what I hear from youEvery time I talk to you or look
into it.
You just have this gift forbringing people out who want to
give, and I love that.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Well, I think the gift is people want to be seen
and heard, and that is servingwith your talent, because that
is your voice when you're makingthat quilt.
That's you, that's you in thatquilt, in your voice.
So we want people to serve withtheir talent.
That's it.
It's.
It's really not rocket science.
I mean, when it started, peoplewere saying, well, I thought
(25:25):
you was to tell me what to do,but they're also sharing their
story.
Before they said that and Iknew in that moment it had to be
full circle.
Everyone had to have a voice inthis.
So people send stories ofthey're in domestic violence
situation, but they're making aquilt.
Yeah, everyone needs to be seenand heard, because if it's only
(25:46):
half, half-sided, you're reallytaking away something from the
women and children, because theyhave so much to teach us.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yes, so I feel like there's so much power in people
telling their stories for themand for the people receiving it.
It's so powerful when peoplejust talk, and it's a rarity
nowadays that people sit downand take the time to listen.
I feel like that's one of thereasons I wanted to do this
podcast honestly.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Oh OK, yes, it's so true.
One of the women at the shelterat the time was 2008.
And something came over me likeI should share their stories
like on video.
And I got permission, we goteveryone signed a release form
and I said now this is going togo to YouTube.
And they were all good with it.
I said you don't know the seedsyou're going to plant with your
(26:34):
story.
Oh my gosh.
So one of the mothers I remembersitting in the in the in the
cafeteria at the shelter and herbaby was in the high chair and
she started sharing about.
She lived in Detroit and sheshared how her father would sell
the food stamps and she hadbrothers and sisters.
(26:54):
So she said my first thoughtwas I have to take care of my
brothers and sisters.
So I turned to stripping.
I was 12 years old and she saidthe sad part is I thought I
thought, well, I guess I'm goodat something.
That's how she saw herself.
She said I'm so grateful I'mhere now rebuilding my life.
(27:16):
I'm grateful for the food andthe lighting, but no one ever
wants to listen to our story.
I never forgot that.
I never forgot.
I see her face.
I'm not good with names.
I never forget that.
I never forgot.
I see her face.
I'm not good with names.
I never forget a face.
So years had passed and I wasat a fundraising event.
She was there and she ran up tome and hugged me and she's, I
(27:38):
have to tell you I I went backto college, oh my god, and I
shared that video that you didof me to my class, oh my gosh
she says I ended up getting an a, and I in the class stood up
and she got a standing ovation.
She incorporated that video ofher story with her class.
Oh, that's beautiful.
(27:59):
You never know.
Just that little urge of sayingshare the story.
I just did what I felt in myheart.
I never thought years later howit would make a greater impact.
Yes, so I love that people isif it touches your heart.
If there's tears, please youdon't mind, I have all the
(28:20):
answers.
You don't have the funding.
Volunteers, take action.
There's something greater outof that.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Oh, my gosh gosh.
I love that.
I I say this a lot, I probablysay this, I'll probably say it
almost every episode.
But with women specifically,and trauma survivors
specifically, there's so muchpower in telling and hearing
other people tell their storiesas well, because there's
something about us that is soeasily we push it under the rug.
Like you said, it took you solong to acknowledge your own
(28:47):
experience.
I've been that way as well.
The older I get, the more Iacknowledge about maybe, some of
the things that have happenedto me in the past.
And when you hear another womanor another trauma survivor talk
about their story, something inour mind is like oh, maybe that
effect, you know it validatessomething on a level that you
can't validate without hearingstories.
(29:07):
And then when you tell yourstory and see how other people
connect to it, that alsovalidates things.
It's this exchange and thatcommunity is so powerful.
So I just so heartwarming tohear you making all these
connections, giving these womena space to share their stories.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yes.
So you know it's beyond thepaint.
Of course the paint issomething, just a tool for
something greater.
Yes, if I was called todecorate, I would have kept my
decorating business.
I closed and started, closed itdown and started a nonprofit.
So when I get those few thatsay, oh, you decorate shelters,
I have to say no.
(29:47):
Say no, if I did, I would havekept my decorating business.
Yeah, not about that.
And I encourage people to comein that say that because they
need the transformationthemselves to see that it's way
bigger than that.
You can't deny people.
You want them to come in andlearn and hopefully they.
(30:09):
It's the heart and mind is thebigger piece that when we change
the way we serve, it changesthe way we see each other, and
that's my biggest piece.
I've stood by all these yearsit keeps that humanity alive.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
It doesn't let us do it's not.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I'm here to help the abused women.
I'm here to help the poorperson.
I'm here to help the homeless.
No, we're here to serve eachother.
It's not.
It's not the women andchildren's identity.
It was their circumstance.
It's not their identity.
And you also have a storybecause you're here too, because
we all have a story.
(30:45):
So that's the biggest, becauseI've been asked before by
different reporters like what isthat you want to like?
Kind of like, when you die,what is the thing you want?
What do you want to leave thisworld with?
Yes, and that is it.
It's to see ourselves that sheis me and it's not that one, two
(31:06):
, the two things that we see.
You know the trafficking, it'sthe pain, it's that we all have
a story.
That's enough right there tosay let's walk beside each other
.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
That's it Right.
We're all connected in that wefeel love and we're all
connected that we suffering, andsuffering is suffering,
regardless of who you come from.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That's it right there .
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Yes, Love that.
So this is.
You've been doing this 17 yearsnow, is that?
Speaker 2 (31:32):
right, it's 17 on December.
In December this past it was 17years.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
So how do you so cause my thing, like in my
personal practice, I'm like aburnout and stress relief coach.
This sounds like a lot ofstress, a lot of deadlines, a
lot of well, how do you managestress in your personal life?
I'd love to know what are thethings that keep you sane.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
I love music.
Ooh, I love that.
I love music.
Uh prayer, um just my.
I love talking to my sister.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
So you have a good support community around you
talking to my sister.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
So you have a good support community around you.
Yeah, my sister, my sister is awarrior herself.
She's been with me by my sidesince day one, oh, and she lives
next door to me.
I love that.
So, um, it's either talkingthrough the window, because
we're right next to each door toeach other, and she always
answers the phone.
She's always there if I needher to go on a trip.
My mom, obviously, my COO,which is Ellen.
(32:33):
She is not only the COO butshe's a dear friend to me.
So friendship is reallyimportant.
But the bottom line too is thatthis whole process too is I'm
still continuing to heal.
So just the women and how theytaught me about integrity and
(32:56):
honesty and truth and beingyourself, that's enough too.
That keeps me recharged to mybattery.
And I do need quiet time.
I just watch a movie and justzone out and it could be
something just totally like Ilove historical pieces, time
period pieces.
(33:17):
Yes, yes, those.
I love those because I justzone out.
So that's kind of my time tolike.
It's a form of, like ameditation.
Yeah, for sure yeah, that's how.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
That's how I do it.
I love that.
And crafts right.
Are you a crafty personyourself?
I?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
am, but I have to.
My thing is being a voice forother people to make it OK.
But I love to find handmadetreasures at flea markets and
thrift stores because they'reone of a kind and they're not
mass produced and I feel like,oh, oh, my gosh, somebody just
embroidered that pillow and Ihave to save it and I want to
share someone else's love.
(33:55):
So I'm big.
If I'm gonna go thrifting, Iwant to find something handmade
oh, I love that.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
I'm always getting the handmade pottery, like when
there's um any clay potterythat's been like thrown at a
thrift store.
I'm like mine.
I don't know what it is, but Ilove it.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Yes, I know what I find is I find the clay pots
that the children made in schooland the family donated it.
I have some at the headquartersand it has like the clay that
goes in a circle.
I have a pot and I'm like, oh,they didn't save it, so I have
it.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
I love it.
There's something about likesomeone made this with their
hands and it's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I love it, so I think everything holds energy.
Yes, I agree.
Yes, so it's bringing that andyou got to be careful too.
I understand, but it's.
I just feel this that's whywe're big about handmade is that
love and positive energy thatyou're putting out and you're
giving that to someone else andthey feel that you can't get
(34:53):
that off a shelf at a store.
It's not the same.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
No, I love them.
So if people want to getinvolved or say a shelter wants
to reach out to you, or womenhear this and they're like I
love to sell, I will do all ofthat.
How did they get in contactwith you?
How did they get involved inthis beautiful, all these
beautiful things you're doing?
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Just email us.
It's EnchantedMakeovers atComcastnet.
You can check out the websiteEnchantedMakeoversorg Our phone
number's on there to give us acall.
Call us If you want to share.
Be a messenger.
You, messenger.
You now, jen, have become amessenger.
Yay, and, as you know, thisMonday, february 3rd, kelly
(35:35):
Clarkson is featuring ourmission.
Yes, and I shared with Kelly,you now have become a messenger
for the mission.
Yes, that's, you now are Jen amessenger for the mission.
So that's, you now are Jen, amessenger for us.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
Oh, I'm proud to be proud to be.
I love it so much.
So is there anything you areplanning for the future?
Are you just barreling aheadwith all of that you've got
going on?
Is there any new projects tolook for or anything?
You're searching for at themoment that you'd like to put
out there.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Well, I've written a children's book, so that will be
announced this coming week.
Look for it, okay.
Yes, and the second book isalready with the illustrator,
and the manuscript for my thirdis already finished.
So it's three children's books.
It's all based on thepillowcase, the doll, adoption
(36:30):
in the case for kids, and it'sall animals in their journey of
discovery.
With all three projects, oh mygosh.
I love it.
I can't wait so.
And then we hope to have moresewing rooms this year.
That's the next thing.
So those are.
That's enough right now for me.
That's the next thing.
So those are, that's enoughright now for me.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It's a lot.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Oh, I love that.
Well, thank you so much forcoming.
We'll put all these links inthe show notes.
Anything else you want to leaveus with?
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Terry, I don't know.
I just hope that a lot of seedsare planted in people's hearts
and they know that they're lovedand they are precious and they
do matter.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Beautiful.
I love that.
Thank you so much for comingtoday.
Oh you're welcome.
We are definitely going to haveto do this again to learn more
about what you're doing, and,yeah, so really appreciate it.
Oh, thank you, jen.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You are welcome.
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