August 25, 2025 • 21 mins
The soul of Fort Myers Beach didn't wash away with Hurricane Ian. Just ask Melody King, who watched from a third-story window as the storm devoured her paradise on September 28, 2022—her 39th birthday. "You never expect your birthday to be the worst day of everyone's life," she reflects with remarkable clarity in this powerful conversation.
Melody's story begins six years ago when she arrived on Fort Myers Beach, drawn not by planning but by something deeper. "I didn't pick this place. This place picked me," she explains, describing how she found "the most elusive souls and the rhythm of the sea" in this coastal community. Before Ian, life was idyllic—driving tiki boats, living near the marina, and raising her son with support from local schools and neighbors.
Then came the hurricane. Melody's visceral descriptions transport listeners to that terrifying day: "Everything looked like Godzilla and I felt like there was a monster literally swallowing our island alive." In the apocalyptic aftermath, she immediately began checking on 68 community members, witnessing both devastating loss and extraordinary kindness. While thieves pillaged ruined homes, neighbors supported each other with unwavering compassion.
From this crucible of tragedy, Melody has forged a new purpose with her Gulf of America Girl LLC brand. Far from just another business venture, it represents her mission to showcase the enduring spirit of Fort Myers Beach and welcome people back to experience this special place. "Your dreams are still valid," she insists, extending an invitation to visitors and potential residents alike.
Perhaps most striking is Melody's honest acknowledgment that rebuilding is generational work—potentially an 18-year journey—while maintaining unshakable optimism about the future. "The comeback is going to be greater than the setback," she declares with conviction born from surviving the unimaginable.
Ready to experience or rediscover Fort Myers Beach? Visit GulfOfAmericaGirl.com to connect with Melody and become part of this community's remarkable story of resilience, faith, and rebirth.
Gulf of America Girl
Melody King
Fort Myers, FL, United States, Florida
(219) 299-5787
gulfofamericabusinessemail@gmail.com
GulfOfAmericaGirl.com
Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor
podcast, where the sun's alwaysshining and the stories are even
brighter.
Each episode we bring youcloser to the neighbors, local
legends and beachside businessesthat make Fort Myers Beach the
slice of paradise we all love.
Pull up a beach chair, grab adrink and let's meet the people
who make this island feel likehome.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
(00:21):
Jones State Insurance, usa andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
Love to Eric Tibbs from EdwardJones State Insurance, usa and
Home Well Care Services FortMyers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
Here's your host, cabo, jimSchaller.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Welcome good neighbors to Fort Myers Beach
Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today we have Melody King,captain Melody, mermaid Melody.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Which one is it?
Just Melody today?
Cabo Lavo Jim?
Just Melody today.
Thank you, Thank you very muchfor having me.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Always excited to get to know people in the community
and share their story witheverybody.
So, without further ado, let'sstart your story.
Why don't we back up and whydon't you share a little bit
about yourself?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So 2025, july 6th?
Is it the 6th of July?
Today's the 7th?
Today's the 7th?
So I lost the day, which isexactly why I intentionally
didn't know what day it was.
So, living on Fort Myers Beachhere I'm on my sixth year living
(01:28):
here.
I am a 41 year old singlefemale, mother of two,
grandmother of three, whichmakes me a mother of five, plus
an amazing son-in-law.
So shout out to my whole familyI am really just a woman of
(01:51):
faith and I have been leaninginto it over the series of the
last six years on this veryawesome island that we call Fort
Myers Beach.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So what first drew you to Fort Myers?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Beach.
How'd you end up here?
Wow, right, what an incrediblequestion.
So, everybody, we are rightwhere we're supposed to be.
I'm at Yobin right now, rockingwith Yobin Yobin basically, the
reason I moved here wasn't forYobin, but people like the
owners of Yobin, tony and LoriLovell the community of people
(02:30):
drew me here.
So about 11 years ago 12 yearsago now I was assistant director
of operations for a prettylarge IT company and our
business was in Naples.
Business was in Naples and agentleman by the name of Greg
Scazney, my fearless leader, oneof the partners, the pit bull
(02:54):
of project management.
He basically exposed me to theentire Southwest Florida culture
and I found the most elusivesouls and the rhythm of the sea.
I found a very free place onFort Myers Beach, but I didn't
pick this place.
This place picked me.
So, years before Hurricane Ian,I literally traveled, went to 17
states, went to six differentcountries and, by default,
(03:18):
january of 2019, six monthsbefore I moved here, what I
thought was six months before Imoved here, what I thought was
six months before I moved here Ithrew a dart and it landed in
the Gulf of formerly knownMexico.
So I moved it to the place thatI was last at, and Fort Myers
Beach was the spot, and, by aleap of faith, I sold everything
(03:41):
up north and I moved my at thetime eight-year-old son to Fort
Myers Beach Elementary School,where I partnered up with the
Fort Myers Beach ElementarySchool teachers, principals and
the Bay Oaks and they helped meraise my son here.
I am here because of the peopleand the energy of the sea, so
let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Ian, obviously the big thing down here, fort Myers
Beach.
What was life like on the beachprior to that for you?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Life on Fort Myers Beach before Hurricane Ian.
Well, I was living across thestreet from the marina I worked
at and I was driving tiki boats.
I was retired.
We had the best marina family,the best morale in the community
.
I mean, I can tell you that itfelt like it was the good old
(04:31):
days and nobody told you thatthey would be the good old days,
but like, when you look backthey're just flashes of like the
best times of my life,literally.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Nobody expects things to change, especially changes
so dramatically, but I guessnobody really prepares for that
either.
We all think hurricanes arelike, oh, we got this, we got
this.
But when something like thathappens, what kind of things
were you doing to prepareyourself for?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
that, the days leading up to Hurricane Ian, I
was preparing for a photo shoot.
I was sponsored by Salt Life.
I had met what turned out to beone of my best friends ever
Erica.
She was doing my hair.
I was really excited about thefuture.
(05:17):
I was turning 39 on September28, 2022.
And you never expect yourbirthday to be the worst day of
everyone's life, but literallyeveryone's life was affected.
There was not one person Iwould say even one person from
across our nation that thisdidn't affect if they loved this
(05:40):
island or had someone here or apiece of something here.
Before hurricane ian, we werereally high with the highs out
here and we really loved life onfort ryders beach, and we still
do.
I mean, honestly, we still do.
We just color it in new linesnow, you know, know.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It's changing, but we're grateful.
Obviously, a lot of peopledidn't survive.
You made it through whathappened to you personally
during the hurricane.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
On September 28th, roughly around 1030 in the
morning, I got a phone call froma captain that was in Rome,
that I used to co-captain hissailboat at Salty Sam's Marina,
and he told me I needed to leavebecause if I didn't leave with
my son and go to higher ground,that was stupid and he was going
to get impaled by a coconut.
(06:34):
And just when that happened,bam, a coconut hit the trailer I
was in.
I literally took my crash bag,took my dog, took my son,
checked my Facebook.
There was a private messagefrom somebody I didn't know,
with a very foreign name, who isnamed Hakeem, and he said here
(06:55):
are the pictures and images ofwhere this just went through.
You need to go and don't makejokes about writing out the
storm above your cabinets in thesnack cabinet for your son.
Your son and you won't survive.
People are done.
And when that happened I went tothe condominiums at the
Boardwalk April because it wasimportant.
(07:16):
I went back to where I had justtaken out storm windows.
I was provisioning boats at themarinas around here.
I was helping people getsituated.
I was helping people from adistance that couldn't situate
their boats and their belongingsget situated.
I remember as I was pulling out, I banged on the door of two of
my elderly neighbors, one thatI had just had tacos with at
(07:36):
Benita Bill's the day before, onTuesday the 27th and I said you
got to come on, miss Sue the27th.
And I said you got to come on,ms Sue.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll be fineover here.
And I just I had a flash oflike oh my gosh, something
horrible is going to happen.
And I made it all the way tothe third story of the boardwalk
(07:57):
cave where the water wasalready coming in.
There was such an incredibleenergy of fierceness coming from
the sea that you could justfeel it in the air.
You could feel it in the motionof the trees, you could feel it
in the way that the birds wereno longer here.
And I was on the third story ofthe boardwalk caper, near
(08:19):
center, overlooking the poolwhich overlooks Bowditch and the
inlet, and it overlooked theentire island of Fort Myers
Beach.
And as everything was comingover, I was on FaceTime with the
owner of the condo, wholiterally saved my life by
allowing me to be there, and allof the power places that had
(08:42):
power.
They surged at the same timeand everything looked like
Godzilla and I felt like therewas a monster literally
swallowing our island alive.
And I was watching it from thethird story, where I could see
over to get away, marina.
I could see boats breaking, Icould hear noise.
I could see sailboats coming.
It was from about 1 pm, 2 pm onall the way to 7 o'clock.
(09:04):
Then the darkness came in.
The boats barely buzzed by thesides, almost smacking into that
building.
People were floating by,screaming for help in the cupola
, tossed out an extension cordat someone on a floating dock
that only after power, 13 dayslater to my phone, got restored.
Did I actually see there wassomeone floating on a dock on my
(09:25):
live Facebook video?
I didn't know any of thosepeople were.
I took an oath to aid anybodyin distress on the water.
This captain and I knewimmediately I needed to start
making a list and I made a listof 68 people that I knew on this
island were on the island stilland in 48 hours.
My main goal was to get overthat bridge and to get to these
(09:47):
people and to acknowledge thatthey're alive.
The day after Hurricane Ian wow,was this like such a bizarre
feeling.
It almost felt like literallylike an apocalypse like zombies,
I mean, if I could describe it.
It was like the most intenselysad moments I will ever
(10:08):
experience in my entire life,and there was no shortage of
media to perch up outside andhold cameras in.
People I couldn't evenrecognize and I knew them
because we were all so dirty.
People I couldn't evenrecognize and I knew them
because we were all so dirty.
We were all so in distress, wewere all so distraught.
There were thieves, there werepeople.
We have no idea who thesepeople were.
(10:29):
They came to steal, they stoleall the belongings that were
mucky and yucky and disgustingin a house that nearly floated
away.
A boat almost snapped into thehouse by like this much to the
house that I was in.
So, hurricane Ian waseverybody's worst day ever, but
it was absolutely eye-openingand I gained an entire new
(10:49):
clarity of life.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
So what helped you survive, not just physically,
but mentally as well too?
That's a big part.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, you know, um, mental strength determines your
physical abilities.
And I'll be honest, uh, I prayand I I talked to God a lot and
I remember screaming make itstop, please, like you, beg God
at a certain point to just stop.
And then, from that point untiltoday, I'm still just begging
(11:22):
God to please don't ever letanything happen like this ever
again.
And there is a vivacity to ourweather in the last three years.
There is a vivacity to the seathat is undeniable.
There is a vivacity to ourtides, to our poles and our
moons and Mother Nature.
She's not messing around andthe energy of the sea is what
(11:45):
has literally succumbed me.
So I've, since Hurricane Ian,just been in this slow, steady
surrender.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Were there, certain people or moments that helped,
and could you do an insight?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yes, yes, I remember members of our community and
seeing them days and weeks andmonths after they.
They came around with thisenergy and I spoke about three
days after Ian.
I had to get a chainsaw fromCape Coral and I finally got
(12:17):
cell phone service and somebodytold me call FEMA.
So I called FEMA, I tried toput in my claim, you know,
because that was getting theline, I guess, was the train of
thought, and this little voice,a Hurricane, katrina survivor.
She made me understand I neededto not only be the anchor but to
(12:40):
allow people to come with, toanchor back here, because
everything we knew, everylandmark, every street sign,
every soul that we had wascrushed, literally devoured by
it.
And the people of Fort MyersBeach have anchored me forever
in this foundation of trust inmy community.
(13:03):
And it isn't about being a partof a club, a clique or politics
.
It's being a part of acommunity that unwaveringly
offers love and compassion andkindness.
And I will forever give theshirt off my back to these
people because of the love andthe anchor that I feel I found
(13:26):
home, you know, and it doesn'tmatter if it's a bad day, a bad
week, a bad month, a bad year, abad few years.
It is all about the people thatstayed here for me and the
people who still stay here forme.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So rebuilding and reinventing you know, moving
forward from that is not easy.
But at what point did you sayI'm not just surviving, but now
I'm rebuilding and movingforward?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, so at a certain point we all have to step back
into the everyday life, right,but how do you do that when it
hurts so bad?
I became very close with thewalk with God.
I realized whoever created mybirthday, brought through a
(14:15):
series of unfortunate eventsimpaling upon not only me but
these people that the only waythat we're ever going to be able
to move forward is if we createthe life that we've always
wanted to live.
I looked at it like a divineintervention.
Um, I realized that there's arenaissance that is amongst us
(14:38):
now, and I realized that we all,at one point, got to create the
grandest vision of our life andrun relentlessly at our dreams.
And then, just when you thinkyou got it all figured out, we
make plans and Mother Nature, inthis aspect, laughs in our face
(14:59):
.
So I realized that making plansis important, although it's not
everything.
But living in our currentmoment, being very present,
being very grateful and beingvery self-aware and leading a
charge of free people, peoplehave freed themselves from the
trauma of Ian.
You know, we forgive mothernature, right, but we're not
(15:22):
bred to forget.
So my whole goal is to beprepared and to forget people
for whatever it is we face inlife um, but most importantly
what we face living here insouthwest, where there's a lot
that we face down here.
It's still a beautiful life,though.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Let's talk about that beautiful life.
That's what you're good at.
Golf of America Girl, it's thenext chapter in your life and
moving forward, but why is it someaningful to you?
What does all that about?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Oh, golf of America Girl LLC is getting ready to
launch.
It's valuable.
It's valuable because I don'trepresent you have to join a
club.
I don't represent that you haveto be like in this clique to
have all these friends andpeople, you don't have to be a
part of a political scene at allvery, very large group of Fort
(16:23):
Myers Beach lovers from acrossthe nation that just want to
experience this life for a day,a week, a month, a season or
maybe the rest of their life.
And I will tell you, lookingdead at the camera your dreams
are still valid and Golf ofAmerica Girl is an American
brand that I don't care if it'sGulf of the Gulf of the Gulf,
like we can just do, the Gulf ofthe Gulf.
(16:45):
That makes everybody better.
Come to Yobin, have a coffeeand go to the Gulf of the Gulf.
But the Gulf of America is afreedom and I firmly believe
that, whatever reason your soulwas called to Fort Myers Beach,
it should come back.
Pick up your cell phone, callthe Gulf of America girl.
(17:07):
We want to show you how toachieve the optimal quality of
life living or visitingSouthwest Florida.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
And what do you hope that teaches people about the
resilience you know, the spiritof Fort Myers Beach?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
So the spirit of Fort Myers Beach, the lessons that
we have learned, unstoppable,undeniable, unwavering love for
this lifestyle.
If you've ever seen anything inthe series of the last three
years that you may have learnedfrom me, melody King, I'm
letting you know.
There is a very, very colorfulpalette and you can pick and you
(17:45):
can choose what you want to bea part of here in Southwest
Florida, as long as you's allthe way up the Gulf into North
Florida.
The Gulf of America girl isgoing to infiltrate on all of
these different levels, multiplelevels of cross-marketing.
(18:06):
I'm also doing affiliatemarketing.
We're looking to be sponsoredby as many brands as we possibly
can, all shapes, all sizes.
It's not just the Gulf ofAmerica girl, it's the Gulf of
America guy, gulf of America kid.
And the Gulf of America isabout to go wild again for its
lifestyle Because we willprepare for whatever happens
(18:27):
over the series of the nextunfortunate we don't know events
, as we call it hurricane season.
But as long as we're prepared,we're going to come back and the
comeback is going to be greaterthan the setback.
And I think we're proving thatnow, going into three years.
No one told us that it'sactually a generational rebuild.
So after something likeHurricane Ian, it's 18 years to
(18:51):
rebuild businesses, buildings,developments and the community.
The community should have nevercome last.
So we're here, the FMB GoodNeighbor Podcast at Yoween.
I got to go this way with thecamera Rocking the local high
with them because Gulf ofAmerica, girl is the lifestyle
(19:14):
and there's nothing better thanthat.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
So how can people get involved and help and create
this brand and create thiscommunity to what it should be?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
All right, we're going to rock the golf.
I'm going to be giving awayswag.
A lot of people sent in theirflash mob model walk and they
did their thing on the Internet.
We appreciate everybody thatdid that and showed up to the
event, but we need you to go toGolfOfAmericaGirlcom.
Write us a little message onour landing page.
We're not actually going to belaunching until season, but
we're going to have a series ofYouTube videos that are going to
(19:46):
be going out and we're bringingthe good old barter back.
Bubble wobble gym.
We're going to be bartering fora free boat ride.
So if you haven't been on aboat in a really long time I
don't care where you're fromwrite to us and tell us why you
want to achieve a free boat ride, and I want to know, whatever
your business does, what are wegoing to get for a return of it?
(20:06):
I don't want your money, but Iwant to bring the barter back.
All right, we'll see how bigand strong our book is by the
end of our series, but that'swhat we're going to be starting.
So a series of YouTube videos.
I'm happy to partner up withCabo Wabo Jim over here and the
FMB good people podcast.
Cause the community out herehas so many good neighbors.
We cannot wait to show,showcase.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
I love it.
I love everything you're doing.
I love you.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Appreciate it, appreciate you.
Any last words, listen, liveyour best life.
And if you're afraid to pick upyour cell phone because the
Gulf of America, girl, is wheredreams are born All right.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
And this is all about .
You know the people that makethis island home and make it a
community, and I appreciateeverything that you've done.
And you know this is theparadise we all know and love.
We just want to introduce it tomore people.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Exactly.
I think that is probably themain thing is, before Hurricane
Ian, we were one of the top fivetourist destinations in our
nation, voted by millions onTripAdvisor.
You can check back that.
I think it was April of 2022.
We are known as one of the topdisaster-prone areas in our
nation by lawmakers and we needto change that.
It's still paradise.
(21:16):
Cabo Wabo, Jim, I agree.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
That's why I'm here.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Let's get to the dock dude, All right.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Well, thank you for being such a good neighbor.
Nice, the beach or at the docksoon, right?
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Yay, yay, see you on the dock.
Thanks, jim.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Thank you.
Thanks for tuning in to theFort Myers Beach Good beach
paradise.
If you love what you heard,share it with a friend and keep
the good vibes going Until nexttime.
Stay sunny, stay salty and keepbeing a good neighbor.
Also, to nominate your favoriteneighbors, local legends,
heroes or island businesses tobe on the show, go to
CaboWaboJim.
(21:49):
com.
That's CaboWaboJim.
com, or call 239-427-4100.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
Jones State Insurance USA andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
(22:11):
of paradise we all love.
Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor
podcast, where the sun's alwaysshining and the stories are even
brighter.
Each episode we bring youcloser to the neighbors, local
legends and beachside businessesthat make Fort Myers Beach the
slice of paradise we all love.
Pull up a beach chair, grab adrink and let's meet the people
who make this island feel likehome.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
(00:21):
Jones State Insurance, usa andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
Love to Eric Tibbs from EdwardJones State Insurance, usa and
Home Well Care Services FortMyers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
of paradise we all love.
Here's your host, cabo, jimSchaller.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Welcome good neighbors to Fort Myers Beach
Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today we have Melody King,captain Melody, mermaid Melody.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Which one is it?
Just Melody today?
Cabo Lavo Jim?
Just Melody today.
Thank you, Thank you very muchfor having me.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Always excited to get to know people in the community
and share their story witheverybody.
So, without further ado, let'sstart your story.
Why don't we back up and whydon't you share a little bit
about yourself?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So 2025, july 6th?
Is it the 6th of July?
Today's the 7th?
Today's the 7th?
So I lost the day, which isexactly why I intentionally
didn't know what day it was.
So, living on Fort Myers Beachhere I'm on my sixth year living
(01:28):
here.
I am a 41 year old singlefemale, mother of two,
grandmother of three, whichmakes me a mother of five, plus
an amazing son-in-law.
So shout out to my whole familyI am really just a woman of
(01:51):
faith and I have been leaninginto it over the series of the
last six years on this veryawesome island that we call Fort
Myers Beach.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So what first drew you to Fort Myers?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Beach.
How'd you end up here?
Wow, right, what an incrediblequestion.
So, everybody, we are rightwhere we're supposed to be.
I'm at Yobin right now, rockingwith Yobin Yobin basically, the
reason I moved here wasn't forYobin, but people like the
owners of Yobin, tony and LoriLovell the community of people
(02:30):
drew me here.
So about 11 years ago 12 yearsago now I was assistant director
of operations for a prettylarge IT company and our
business was in Naples.
Business was in Naples and agentleman by the name of Greg
Scazney, my fearless leader, oneof the partners, the pit bull
(02:54):
of project management.
He basically exposed me to theentire Southwest Florida culture
and I found the most elusivesouls and the rhythm of the sea.
I found a very free place onFort Myers Beach, but I didn't
pick this place.
This place picked me.
So, years before Hurricane Ian,I literally traveled, went to 17
states, went to six differentcountries and, by default,
(03:18):
january of 2019, six monthsbefore I moved here, what I
thought was six months before Imoved here, what I thought was
six months before I moved here Ithrew a dart and it landed in
the Gulf of formerly knownMexico.
So I moved it to the place thatI was last at, and Fort Myers
Beach was the spot, and, by aleap of faith, I sold everything
(03:41):
up north and I moved my at thetime eight-year-old son to Fort
Myers Beach Elementary School,where I partnered up with the
Fort Myers Beach ElementarySchool teachers, principals and
the Bay Oaks and they helped meraise my son here.
I am here because of the peopleand the energy of the sea, so
let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Ian, obviously the big thing down here, fort Myers
Beach.
What was life like on the beachprior to that for you?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Life on Fort Myers Beach before Hurricane Ian.
Well, I was living across thestreet from the marina I worked
at and I was driving tiki boats.
I was retired.
We had the best marina family,the best morale in the community
.
I mean, I can tell you that itfelt like it was the good old
(04:31):
days and nobody told you thatthey would be the good old days,
but like, when you look backthey're just flashes of like the
best times of my life,literally.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Nobody expects things to change, especially changes
so dramatically, but I guessnobody really prepares for that
either.
We all think hurricanes arelike, oh, we got this, we got
this.
But when something like thathappens, what kind of things
were you doing to prepareyourself for?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
that, the days leading up to Hurricane Ian, I
was preparing for a photo shoot.
I was sponsored by Salt Life.
I had met what turned out to beone of my best friends ever
Erica.
She was doing my hair.
I was really excited about thefuture.
(05:17):
I was turning 39 on September28, 2022.
And you never expect yourbirthday to be the worst day of
everyone's life, but literallyeveryone's life was affected.
There was not one person Iwould say even one person from
across our nation that thisdidn't affect if they loved this
(05:40):
island or had someone here or apiece of something here.
Before hurricane ian, we werereally high with the highs out
here and we really loved life onfort ryders beach, and we still
do.
I mean, honestly, we still do.
We just color it in new linesnow, you know, know.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It's changing, but we're grateful.
Obviously, a lot of peopledidn't survive.
You made it through whathappened to you personally
during the hurricane.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
On September 28th, roughly around 1030 in the
morning, I got a phone call froma captain that was in Rome,
that I used to co-captain hissailboat at Salty Sam's Marina,
and he told me I needed to leavebecause if I didn't leave with
my son and go to higher ground,that was stupid and he was going
to get impaled by a coconut.
(06:34):
And just when that happened,bam, a coconut hit the trailer I
was in.
I literally took my crash bag,took my dog, took my son,
checked my Facebook.
There was a private messagefrom somebody I didn't know,
with a very foreign name, who isnamed Hakeem, and he said here
(06:55):
are the pictures and images ofwhere this just went through.
You need to go and don't makejokes about writing out the
storm above your cabinets in thesnack cabinet for your son.
Your son and you won't survive.
People are done.
And when that happened I went tothe condominiums at the
Boardwalk April because it wasimportant.
(07:16):
I went back to where I had justtaken out storm windows.
I was provisioning boats at themarinas around here.
I was helping people getsituated.
I was helping people from adistance that couldn't situate
their boats and their belongingsget situated.
I remember as I was pulling out, I banged on the door of two of
my elderly neighbors, one thatI had just had tacos with at
(07:36):
Benita Bill's the day before, onTuesday the 27th and I said you
got to come on, miss Sue the27th.
And I said you got to come on,ms Sue.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll be fineover here.
And I just I had a flash oflike oh my gosh, something
horrible is going to happen.
And I made it all the way tothe third story of the boardwalk
(07:57):
cave where the water wasalready coming in.
There was such an incredibleenergy of fierceness coming from
the sea that you could justfeel it in the air.
You could feel it in the motionof the trees, you could feel it
in the way that the birds wereno longer here.
And I was on the third story ofthe boardwalk caper, near
(08:19):
center, overlooking the poolwhich overlooks Bowditch and the
inlet, and it overlooked theentire island of Fort Myers
Beach.
And as everything was comingover, I was on FaceTime with the
owner of the condo, wholiterally saved my life by
allowing me to be there, and allof the power places that had
(08:42):
power.
They surged at the same timeand everything looked like
Godzilla and I felt like therewas a monster literally
swallowing our island alive.
And I was watching it from thethird story, where I could see
over to get away, marina.
I could see boats breaking, Icould hear noise.
I could see sailboats coming.
It was from about 1 pm, 2 pm onall the way to 7 o'clock.
(09:04):
Then the darkness came in.
The boats barely buzzed by thesides, almost smacking into that
building.
People were floating by,screaming for help in the cupola
, tossed out an extension cordat someone on a floating dock
that only after power, 13 dayslater to my phone, got restored.
Did I actually see there wassomeone floating on a dock on my
(09:25):
live Facebook video?
I didn't know any of thosepeople were.
I took an oath to aid anybodyin distress on the water.
This captain and I knewimmediately I needed to start
making a list and I made a listof 68 people that I knew on this
island were on the island stilland in 48 hours.
My main goal was to get overthat bridge and to get to these
(09:47):
people and to acknowledge thatthey're alive.
The day after Hurricane Ian wow,was this like such a bizarre
feeling.
It almost felt like literallylike an apocalypse like zombies,
I mean, if I could describe it.
It was like the most intenselysad moments I will ever
(10:08):
experience in my entire life,and there was no shortage of
media to perch up outside andhold cameras in.
People I couldn't evenrecognize and I knew them
because we were all so dirty.
People I couldn't evenrecognize and I knew them
because we were all so dirty.
We were all so in distress, wewere all so distraught.
There were thieves, there werepeople.
We have no idea who thesepeople were.
(10:29):
They came to steal, they stoleall the belongings that were
mucky and yucky and disgustingin a house that nearly floated
away.
A boat almost snapped into thehouse by like this much to the
house that I was in.
So, hurricane Ian waseverybody's worst day ever, but
it was absolutely eye-openingand I gained an entire new
(10:49):
clarity of life.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
So what helped you survive, not just physically,
but mentally as well too?
That's a big part.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, you know, um, mental strength determines your
physical abilities.
And I'll be honest, uh, I prayand I I talked to God a lot and
I remember screaming make itstop, please, like you, beg God
at a certain point to just stop.
And then, from that point untiltoday, I'm still just begging
(11:22):
God to please don't ever letanything happen like this ever
again.
And there is a vivacity to ourweather in the last three years.
There is a vivacity to the seathat is undeniable.
There is a vivacity to ourtides, to our poles and our
moons and Mother Nature.
She's not messing around andthe energy of the sea is what
(11:45):
has literally succumbed me.
So I've, since Hurricane Ian,just been in this slow, steady
surrender.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Were there, certain people or moments that helped,
and could you do an insight?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yes, yes, I remember members of our community and
seeing them days and weeks andmonths after they.
They came around with thisenergy and I spoke about three
days after Ian.
I had to get a chainsaw fromCape Coral and I finally got
(12:17):
cell phone service and somebodytold me call FEMA.
So I called FEMA, I tried toput in my claim, you know,
because that was getting theline, I guess, was the train of
thought, and this little voice,a Hurricane, katrina survivor.
She made me understand I neededto not only be the anchor but to
(12:40):
allow people to come with, toanchor back here, because
everything we knew, everylandmark, every street sign,
every soul that we had wascrushed, literally devoured by
it.
And the people of Fort MyersBeach have anchored me forever
in this foundation of trust inmy community.
(13:03):
And it isn't about being a partof a club, a clique or politics
.
It's being a part of acommunity that unwaveringly
offers love and compassion andkindness.
And I will forever give theshirt off my back to these
people because of the love andthe anchor that I feel I found
(13:26):
home, you know, and it doesn'tmatter if it's a bad day, a bad
week, a bad month, a bad year, abad few years.
It is all about the people thatstayed here for me and the
people who still stay here forme.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So rebuilding and reinventing you know, moving
forward from that is not easy.
But at what point did you sayI'm not just surviving, but now
I'm rebuilding and movingforward?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, so at a certain point we all have to step back
into the everyday life, right,but how do you do that when it
hurts so bad?
I became very close with thewalk with God.
I realized whoever created mybirthday, brought through a
(14:15):
series of unfortunate eventsimpaling upon not only me but
these people that the only waythat we're ever going to be able
to move forward is if we createthe life that we've always
wanted to live.
I looked at it like a divineintervention.
Um, I realized that there's arenaissance that is amongst us
(14:38):
now, and I realized that we all,at one point, got to create the
grandest vision of our life andrun relentlessly at our dreams.
And then, just when you thinkyou got it all figured out, we
make plans and Mother Nature, inthis aspect, laughs in our face
(14:59):
.
So I realized that making plansis important, although it's not
everything.
But living in our currentmoment, being very present,
being very grateful and beingvery self-aware and leading a
charge of free people, peoplehave freed themselves from the
trauma of Ian.
You know, we forgive mothernature, right, but we're not
(15:22):
bred to forget.
So my whole goal is to beprepared and to forget people
for whatever it is we face inlife um, but most importantly
what we face living here insouthwest, where there's a lot
that we face down here.
It's still a beautiful life,though.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Let's talk about that beautiful life.
That's what you're good at.
Golf of America Girl, it's thenext chapter in your life and
moving forward, but why is it someaningful to you?
What does all that about?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Oh, golf of America Girl LLC is getting ready to
launch.
It's valuable.
It's valuable because I don'trepresent you have to join a
club.
I don't represent that you haveto be like in this clique to
have all these friends andpeople, you don't have to be a
part of a political scene at allvery, very large group of Fort
(16:23):
Myers Beach lovers from acrossthe nation that just want to
experience this life for a day,a week, a month, a season or
maybe the rest of their life.
And I will tell you, lookingdead at the camera your dreams
are still valid and Golf ofAmerica Girl is an American
brand that I don't care if it'sGulf of the Gulf of the Gulf,
like we can just do, the Gulf ofthe Gulf.
(16:45):
That makes everybody better.
Come to Yobin, have a coffeeand go to the Gulf of the Gulf.
But the Gulf of America is afreedom and I firmly believe
that, whatever reason your soulwas called to Fort Myers Beach,
it should come back.
Pick up your cell phone, callthe Gulf of America girl.
(17:07):
We want to show you how toachieve the optimal quality of
life living or visitingSouthwest Florida.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
And what do you hope that teaches people about the
resilience you know, the spiritof Fort Myers Beach?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
So the spirit of Fort Myers Beach, the lessons that
we have learned, unstoppable,undeniable, unwavering love for
this lifestyle.
If you've ever seen anything inthe series of the last three
years that you may have learnedfrom me, melody King, I'm
letting you know.
There is a very, very colorfulpalette and you can pick and you
(17:45):
can choose what you want to bea part of here in Southwest
Florida, as long as you's allthe way up the Gulf into North
Florida.
The Gulf of America girl isgoing to infiltrate on all of
these different levels, multiplelevels of cross-marketing.
(18:06):
I'm also doing affiliatemarketing.
We're looking to be sponsoredby as many brands as we possibly
can, all shapes, all sizes.
It's not just the Gulf ofAmerica girl, it's the Gulf of
America guy, gulf of America kid.
And the Gulf of America isabout to go wild again for its
lifestyle Because we willprepare for whatever happens
(18:27):
over the series of the nextunfortunate we don't know events
, as we call it hurricane season.
But as long as we're prepared,we're going to come back and the
comeback is going to be greaterthan the setback.
And I think we're proving thatnow, going into three years.
No one told us that it'sactually a generational rebuild.
So after something likeHurricane Ian, it's 18 years to
(18:51):
rebuild businesses, buildings,developments and the community.
The community should have nevercome last.
So we're here, the FMB GoodNeighbor Podcast at Yoween.
I got to go this way with thecamera Rocking the local high
with them because Gulf ofAmerica, girl is the lifestyle
(19:14):
and there's nothing better thanthat.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
So how can people get involved and help and create
this brand and create thiscommunity to what it should be?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
All right, we're going to rock the golf.
I'm going to be giving awayswag.
A lot of people sent in theirflash mob model walk and they
did their thing on the Internet.
We appreciate everybody thatdid that and showed up to the
event, but we need you to go toGolfOfAmericaGirlcom.
Write us a little message onour landing page.
We're not actually going to belaunching until season, but
we're going to have a series ofYouTube videos that are going to
(19:46):
be going out and we're bringingthe good old barter back.
Bubble wobble gym.
We're going to be bartering fora free boat ride.
So if you haven't been on aboat in a really long time I
don't care where you're fromwrite to us and tell us why you
want to achieve a free boat ride, and I want to know, whatever
your business does, what are wegoing to get for a return of it?
(20:06):
I don't want your money, but Iwant to bring the barter back.
All right, we'll see how bigand strong our book is by the
end of our series, but that'swhat we're going to be starting.
So a series of YouTube videos.
I'm happy to partner up withCabo Wabo Jim over here and the
FMB good people podcast.
Cause the community out herehas so many good neighbors.
We cannot wait to show,showcase.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
I love it.
I love everything you're doing.
I love you.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Appreciate it, appreciate you.
Any last words, listen, liveyour best life.
And if you're afraid to pick upyour cell phone because the
Gulf of America, girl, is wheredreams are born All right.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
And this is all about .
You know the people that makethis island home and make it a
community, and I appreciateeverything that you've done.
And you know this is theparadise we all know and love.
We just want to introduce it tomore people.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Exactly.
I think that is probably themain thing is, before Hurricane
Ian, we were one of the top fivetourist destinations in our
nation, voted by millions onTripAdvisor.
You can check back that.
I think it was April of 2022.
We are known as one of the topdisaster-prone areas in our
nation by lawmakers and we needto change that.
It's still paradise.
(21:16):
Cabo Wabo, Jim, I agree.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
That's why I'm here.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Let's get to the dock dude, All right.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Well, thank you for being such a good neighbor.
Nice, the beach or at the docksoon, right?
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Yay, yay, see you on the dock.
Thanks, jim.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Thank you.
Thanks for tuning in to theFort Myers Beach Good beach
paradise.
If you love what you heard,share it with a friend and keep
the good vibes going Until nexttime.
Stay sunny, stay salty and keepbeing a good neighbor.
Also, to nominate your favoriteneighbors, local legends,
heroes or island businesses tobe on the show, go to
CaboWaboJim.
(21:49):
com.
That's CaboWaboJim.
com, or call 239-427-4100.
We want to send out some islandlove to Eric Tibbs from Edward
Jones State Insurance USA andHome Well Care Services Fort
Myers.
They are the businesses thatallow us to share the soul of
our community with everylistener, from local stories to
the positive vibe of island life.
Here's to celebrating all thatmakes Fort Myers Beach the slice
(22:11):
of paradise we all love.
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