February 26, 2025 • 31 mins
It was a recipe for disaster. In 2023, Stacey Grant was rushed to the hospital with a MRSA infection. It was in her bloodstream, in her lungs, and most likely around her heart. To say she dodged a bullet is an understatement. Because many do not. Cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined and yet only 44% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat. On this episode of the HIListically Speaking Podcast, we’re changing that for you and your heart.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stacey Grant (00:00):
It was in the hospital for seven days and
on the sixth day a cardiologist walked in
and said okay, it's in your lungs, so it's
most definitely around your heart.
And he said it's a form of endocarditis.
And I was a drug rep back in the day, so I
and I sold cardiovascular drugs.
So I knew that endocarditis was really bad
(00:23):
and I didn't even tell my husband.
He had no idea what it was.
But I knew if that was the case it was
going to change my life, probably forever.
Hilary Russo (00:31):
Did you know that in the US, someone dies
from cardiovascular disease every 34
seconds and nearly 45% of women over the
age of 20 are living with some kind of
cardiovascular disease?
And I'm not sharing this to scare you.
Quite the contrary, I want to inform you
(00:51):
and I want to let you know that it's very
possible.
You probably know somebody who is living
with cardiovascular disease.
I do, in fact, I just recently found this
out myself, and that is my friend, Stacey
Grant, who joins us today on HIListically
Speaking.
I did not know that this was something that
(01:11):
you were struggling with and I thought you
know what.
It's Women's Health Month and we're about
to leave this month, but that doesn't mean
we shouldn't be thinking about these things
going forward, right?
It's not just a month where we think about
our health and our heart health or just our
health in general.
It's not just a month where we think about
our health and our heart health or just our
health in general.
It's every month.
But for you, when I heard that you had
faced something in regards to your own
(01:32):
personal heart health, I was like I need to
have you here.
I need you to share your story.
You're being so open with it and, quite
frankly, I had no clue.
So this is one of those things that we need
to have a conversation about, isn't it?
Stacey Grant (01:49):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And the more that I learn, the more I
realize I don't know about heart health,
especially in women.
It's insane.
Hilary Russo (02:00):
Yeah, and you know you and I go back a ways.
We've known each other for a number of
years.
We're both podcasters.
I want to give you a shout out for your
podcast, gurus and Game.
Stacey Grant (02:09):
Changers with.
Hilary Russo (02:11):
Mark Labraji, and I've been so fortunate to
be on your show as well, but I think like
we connect in these ways through our
stories, right?
We're storytellers as podcasters, but also
as human beings, storytellers as podcasters,
but also as human beings.
And for you, your own personal story with
this.
I mean, never have I heard you talk about
it.
Then I see a social media post where you
(02:32):
shared more about it that you're actually
nominated as one of the women of impact for
the American Heart Association with the Go
Red campaign which is going on starting.
It started on Go Red Day right In.
February and going through, you know, the
next 10 weeks or so, but when I was like
what is she talking about?
So I want to give you a chance to share
(02:53):
your story, to give women, and just anyone
in general you know, an awareness that
there are things we need to check on, even
if it goes undetected and we don't even
know what's happening in our bodies.
What can we do to bring awareness to this,
to check ourselves, especially as we get
older?
Stacey Grant (03:12):
It's crazy.
And after menopause it kind of spikes in
women.
So I mean, I think women are like this and
men are kind of they slope, but once
menopause hits it literally goes like this
they slope.
But once menopause hits, it literally goes
like this.
And I think most women over the age of 50
are the ones who struggle.
But for me, like, my story was just out of
(03:34):
nowhere, right.
So I had this really strange little sore on
my face and I was in Virginia actually and
I was hanging out with my sister-in-law and
I was like this is strange, right, it's all
of a sudden getting really big.
So the side of my face got huge and I tried
everything.
I put, you know, neosporin, I thought was
(03:55):
an ingrown hair.
I had no idea what it was.
Is it a bite that's gotten infected?
But like I didn't think it was anything
crazy, right, I mean we never do, we're
women, so we just let everything go.
So I went home that day and it just kept
getting bigger and bigger, and bigger and,
long story short, I ended up in the
hospital.
It was at first misdiagnosed.
I had regular antibiotics, ended up in the
hospital and it was MRSA, which is crazy.
(04:17):
You know how does that happen.
And then the MRSA, which is a medically
resistant staph infection it's very hard to
treat which is a medically resistant staph
infection.
It's very hard to treat.
And it went into my bloodstream and then it
went into my lungs and it was in the
hospital for seven days and on the sixth
day a cardiologist walked in and said okay,
it's in your lungs, so it's most definitely
(04:38):
around your heart.
And he said it's a form of endocarditis.
And I was a drug rep back in the day so I
sold cardiovascular drugs.
So I knew that endocarditis was really bad
and I didn't even tell my husband.
He had no idea what it was.
But I knew if that was the case it was
going to change my life, probably forever.
(05:00):
So I had to go get a test called an
interesophageal echocardiogram where they
looked at my heart.
And that day I was freaking out, just
freaking out, and the cardiologist had told
me it is definitely around your heart
Somehow.
When I came out of that echocardiogram the
nurse was like she knew how crazy I was
(05:21):
about it.
She grabbed me and she said you're okay,
you're okay, it's not around your heart.
But it miffed every doctor.
They had no idea why it hadn't, you know,
gone around my heart.
So I just felt extremely grateful that I
was not going to have to deal with any kind
of heart disease for the rest of my life.
So fast forward to one of my friends who is
(05:41):
on the board of directors of the American
Heart Association.
She came and sat with me and we were
talking and I told her I wanted to give
back.
So next thing, you know, I heard that I was
a nominee for the American Heart
Association.
Go Red for Women, women of Impact, and what
that is.
Do you want me to continue?
Hilary Russo (05:56):
to tell you yeah, please tell people.
Stacey Grant (05:59):
So what that is is an 11 week campaign and
I am up against 10 other women in the
Philadelphia area and we're raising money
for the American Heart Association, go Red
for Women.
But I've learned a ton.
I'm doing a bunch of events, I've had
people come to me and tell me stories and
it's just been.
It's just been wonderful really.
Hilary Russo (06:18):
Yeah, and part of that.
I mean you mentioned this to me and I know
this for who you are, that's the kind of
person you are.
It's not about the win, it's about raising
awareness.
You know, because I asked you, I said what
happens if you become the woman of impact,
the one who actually walks away with it,
and you're like I just get to tell the
story, and isn't that that's really the
true gift is being able to touch, move and
(06:40):
inspire one person.
It can make a difference.
Look, it already made a difference in my
life when I think about the fact that I
didn't even know that you were struggling
with this at one point, and here you are
talking about it and being open about it,
to where maybe it'll make one person ask
for that one test or go to the doctor when
they haven't before.
Or, you know, as women in perimenopause and
(07:01):
menopause, like you said, the numbers
skyrocket the things we don't think about,
even in our healthiest state, you know.
Stacey Grant (07:09):
No, and I mean my sister, who is 52 years
old, just recently had two friends who had
heart attacks.
Do you know what their symptoms were?
Indigestion, Strong, but strong enough
indigestion that they actually, thank
goodness, went to the hospital.
But our symptoms are so different from men.
I mean you watch a movie and you see a guy
(07:29):
and he grabs his chest and he falls down
and you're like, oh, he's having a heart
attack.
I mean, you know what's happening to that
man.
But for women it could be anything.
It could be jaw pain, it could be arm pain,
it could be indigestion, just sort of a
little bit of pressure, abdominal pain.
And I don't know about you, but I don't
know any woman who's going to call 911
because she has jaw pain, Like I just, you
(07:50):
know she's probably thinking she's got a
toothache.
I mean, we all try and do so much and you
know, I know so many women who just really
don't care about themselves as much as they
care about others, unfortunately, because
we just sort of always fall to the end of
the list.
Hilary Russo (08:05):
I think there's both sides to it too.
Women.
We're the nurturers, we take care, we want
to protect.
We tend to put ourselves second in a lot of
ways and we don't step up and do a lot of
self-care.
And you and I have had many conversations
about that, about how we can do that, what
we can do to actually raise more awareness
in that area, which I love.
Stacey Grant (08:23):
Like.
Hilary Russo (08:23):
Havening.
Like Havening girl.
I love that.
Thank you for bringing that up.
Yes, havening is one tool and I'm so glad
that that's something you resonate and
gravitate to, but there are many tools, but
it's not even that.
It's like what are you doing to be your own
healthcare advocate and then you go to the
other side of the fence, even though we're
talking about this during the time of
recording.
(08:43):
It's women's heart health month.
Like I said, this is an ongoing thing.
This is not just a.
This is the month where we should be aware
of this.
This is like the awareness sparks action.
The awareness sparks further awareness on
how you're going to look forward and do
things in the future to protect your heart
and in all, 2000 parts Right.
Stacey Grant (09:05):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't know so many facts
about heart disease and I, you know, I'm
not young, I mean I should know these
things, I feel like.
But you know, it's the number one killer of
women and actually everyone in the United
States it's the number one killer.
It kills more people than all cancers
combined every year.
And I unfortunately didn't know that.
(09:26):
And the other thing I didn't realize was
that women, if you so let's say, you're
walking down the street and you're a woman
and you have a heart attack and next to you
and you fall down and next to you a man
falls down with a heart attack 80% of
people will help the man and not help the
women.
Do you know why?
Hilary Russo (09:44):
Yeah, I do not know why.
Stacey Grant (09:46):
Because of the boobs.
Yeah, because people are really nervous
about legality and there are Good Samaritan
rules.
So if there's a man watching this, help a
woman, do CPR.
Cpr is the number one way to help a woman
who's having a cardiac event.
Hilary Russo (10:05):
I think in that time we can put all things
aside and realize that somebody needs help.
And you're right, I mean we have an
obligation to help each other.
You know, and look, I'm the daughter of a
father who had a heart attack right there
on the streets of New York City, you know,
and it was a massive heart attack.
(10:26):
I think by the time he even hit the floor
he was gone.
And it was a massive heart attack, I think
by the time he even hit the floor he was
gone.
But in that moment, what if it was a woman
that had put her hand against the wall for
a moment and then collapsed?
Would somebody have helped that woman, like
the people that came and tried to help my
dad?
So it raises a really good point.
I never thought about that.
Stacey Grant (10:46):
That it's because we're like whoa, whoa,
whoa, hands off, yeah, but you know, it's
really, it's really crazy and I'm learning
all kinds of statistics like that and
anyone can learn stuff if you go to the
website, the American Heart Association
website but they're really trying to do
great things for women.
A lot of research is going to be coming out
of this.
A hundred percent of anything that I raise
(11:06):
goes directly to research for Go Red for
Women.
Yeah, that's what I was going to ask you
next.
Hilary Russo (11:14):
And I've worked with the Go Red for Women
campaign a couple times as a journalist and
I really saw just how much and no pun
intended they truly put their heart into
the project and you know from the events
that are held to where the money goes.
And I will share in the notes of this
podcast how you can contribute or just find
out facts.
They are so good about sharing statistics
(11:35):
and up-to-date facts because you can really
go down the rabbit hole looking for the
right kind of information.
But I will say on this specific area, they
don't.
They don't cut any corners.
Stacey Grant (11:46):
No, no, it's really, it's, it's crazy,
they're, they're awesome and I really feel
like.
I think maybe people look at the American
Heart Association as this big organization.
You know why do they need to raise funds?
But specifically they do for research.
I mean it's, it's the number one killer of
(12:06):
all Americans and I still can't believe.
I did not know that until I just joined
this campaign.
Hilary Russo (12:13):
Yeah.
So let me ask you this from what you
learned from your situation and when did
that happen that?
Stacey Grant (12:18):
was.
Hilary Russo (12:19):
August of 2023.
Okay, so it's not that long ago.
You've had, you know, you haven't even had
two years to really ingest all of this.
What is something you do differently,
Stacey?
That that you have learned because of this
experience to protect your heart.
Stacey Grant (12:37):
I feel like I am slower.
I mean, you know me, I had my own company,
a production company that I sold, and then
I have another company that I've just
started mainline studios and the podcast,
and I also work as an agency producer for
an ad agency.
I do a lot of things, but I used to pack in
(12:59):
like eight to 10 things a day.
Now, like today, for instance, I had this
podcast, I did three things, you know.
So I, I, I feel like I'm really kind of
pacing myself.
I was scared when I was in the hospital, so
much so that I at one point told my husband
I'm like let's stop everything, let's sell
the house, let's just be together.
Because this is so silly when you're facing
(13:22):
a huge health scare, nothing else matters.
I say that, but it's really the truth.
Like not one other thing matters in life
but your loved ones.
And so true, it does go away.
Like I, when I first came out of it, I was
much more like protective of my time and my
self-care, and it starts to fade after a
(13:43):
while when you start to feel better.
But I definitely don't have the stamina I
did before I got the MRSA.
There's a few things that are a lot
different.
Hilary Russo (13:49):
So self-care, is important, I'll agree with
you on that.
And bringing down the stress levels very
important, because that's really stress
levels and high stress and cortisol that
can be a killer as well.
So you don't want like this double dose,
right?
What are you doing with?
Are there changes you've made in your life?
In your lifestyle as well, you know how you
(14:10):
protect yourself, like the foods you eat or
the kind of movement that you do.
How are you supporting yourself in that
area?
Stacey Grant (14:18):
Well, I just I'm thankful that I was very
healthy going into it.
I think that's one of the reasons why I
survived the MRSA, because a lot of people
don't survive that.
When I came home I had to have antibiotics
in my arm for six weeks afterwards and I
had a home health nurse and you know it was
just crazy.
And she walked in the first day and she was
taking my statistics and she said, well,
(14:38):
isn't that great that you're alive?
And I was like, really, like it was that
close.
She's like, yeah, she said you really
dodged a bullet.
I'm thankful that I've always been healthy.
I do a ton of yoga.
You know we talked about that.
I do the hot yoga.
I walk in the mornings.
I eat fairly healthy.
I don't drink that much anymore.
I can't take it.
Actually I can't take the alcohol.
(15:00):
This is too much of a hangover, but I mean
just stuff like that.
But you know what?
It's crazy.
Like we really get old, like we really do,
like I.
I keep looking at Eric like we're actually
my husband, I'm like we're actually getting
older, like this is nuts.
Hilary Russo (15:15):
Like.
Stacey Grant (15:15):
You know what I mean, I just feel like we
shouldn't, you know, get older.
But it's, it's actually happening.
Hilary Russo (15:23):
So like is it the point?
Like I have these conversations a lot with
Chris too and and you know, chris, who's my
partner and I I'm like I just want to like
have a house with a, with a doc and sitting
on some old Adirondack chairs and like late
for me might be nine, 30.
And I don't even know if I want to go out
to dinner if it's past seven.
(15:43):
Like we get to that point where it's like
what I want to live, I want to travel, I
want to do great things, but I am at a
point where I'm just like I don't have time
for that anymore.
We went out a couple nights ago to see a
friend who was performing at a comedy club,
who had come in from the West Coast, and I
think we got home around 1.30.
(16:04):
I'm like, who are we?
Stacey Grant (16:07):
And it was so much fun.
Hilary Russo (16:08):
I wouldn't trade it for the world, but we
were at this comedy club bar until after
1230 at night and I'm like, oh my God, I'd
be in bed by now, at least on the couch
watching a Ken Burns documentary or
something right, Don't go out that much
anymore to where it's late because it's you
know.
Your body pretty much is telling you what
it needs and what to do.
(16:29):
Body pretty much is telling you what it
needs and what to do and do you feel like
that's happened more for you as you've
gotten older.
Stacey Grant (16:33):
Sleep is like so necessary.
When I first was recuperating from the
whole thing, my eyes just tell me like I
had to take a nap.
I don't nap, I mean, I barely sleep.
Like my whole life I had like four hours of
sleep every night and I was fine with it,
you know, but I would have to take a nap
and then I would go to sleep at like nine,
you know, and so I really sleep is so
important.
(16:53):
It's hard to sleep when you get older,
though.
I definitely struggle with getting my full
eight hours where I'm not getting up every
every two or three hours.
Hilary Russo (17:02):
Yeah, I feel like I want to sleep more, but
it's sometimes it's hard and you sit up.
You sit up and you're just in your chatter
or you're in your head.
I also have sleep apnea, so like I struggle
with that anyway, but having tools
obviously to help me with that helps.
But still, I sit up and I'm like, Hmm,
what's going on, Like you start going
(17:23):
through that laundry list of things and you
really got to bring yourself down because
it's so important and also the connection
between sleep and our heart health, right.
What are some things that you wish you had
done differently?
You know, obviously, Merce, it was
something that it wasn't like you were
acting carelessly and it came about.
But what would be something that the older
(17:45):
and wiser and more in tune Stacey would
tell her younger self?
Stacey Grant (17:51):
One of the things I don't do anymore which
I'm not sure if it was a factor in the MRSA
or not was get nails, and I love having my
little acrylic nails, but I something about
the nails like.
I felt like maybe they weren't, maybe they
introduced it into my face because I was
scratching my face, so I don't do that
particular thing.
(18:12):
Besides working less, which is hard for me,
I gotta be honest, I actually went to a
therapist because, basically because I'm
like am I a workaholic?
I don't know, because I love working so
much.
Of course my son laughs his ass off.
He's like mom, you don't work enough to be
a work much.
Of course my son laughs his ass off.
He's like mom, you don't work enough to be
a workaholic, like you definitely are not
one.
(18:34):
But I'm really trying to work in here.
Most, you know, and because I felt like I
was doing a lot physically, it's really in
here.
You know how to calm down, how to how to
console myself, how to breathe more, how to
slow down, how to not be stressed, and I
feel like, hopefully, and also that helps
(18:55):
with eating right.
So I recently lost a lot of weight.
I, I try to eat a lot of protein.
Hilary Russo (19:00):
I just, you know, and if you slow down,
you're not, you know eating, yeah, you're
not nibbling and so much of food can really
be boredom, or just that, that quick fix of
dopamine and then you come down.
Right, that's great.
I mean you lost.
I haven't seen you probably in over a year
in physical space.
Stacey Grant (19:19):
I know I miss you.
Hilary Russo (19:20):
I miss you too.
Stacey Grant (19:21):
We're going to change that but I'm curious
what?
Hilary Russo (19:23):
what did you do to actually get yourself in
a more healthy state?
Stacey Grant (19:27):
Well, I did do the triseptide, you know the
actual, not the semiglutide, but the other
one which has been super, super helpful.
It's not a cure-all right?
So if you do that, you also have to do the
other things.
It does help you with your appetite, but
Quiet's the noise, eat only McDonald's.
It does.
Hilary Russo (19:45):
Right Quiet's the food noise and protein
protein protein.
Stacey Grant (19:47):
It does Right.
Hilary Russo (19:47):
It quiets the food noise, nuts and protein,
protein, protein.
I think that's the big one, especially as
we get older, we're told at least 100 grams
of protein.
We definitely need more protein.
Yeah, as we get older, we definitely need
more protein than we thought we did, you
know, for the lean muscle mass and just
protecting our body and everything around
it, you know, and protecting our arteries,
(20:08):
protecting our organs, just creating a
leaner mass Cause we hold onto a little
more as we get older.
Stacey Grant (20:16):
It's so hard.
Oh, menopause it's my whole life, you know,
and yeah so yeah, but I don't know.
Hilary Russo (20:22):
I mean like workaholic when you hear that
word.
How, how does that um, how does that
resonate with you?
Stacey Grant (20:28):
I mean any aholic sounds so bad.
Right, but listen, we don't get penalized
for being a workaholic.
If we work really, really, really hard, we
normally get lauded for that and people
applaud that I could work.
I have this.
I'm a freelancer.
I have my own businesses.
(20:49):
Like I could work a hundred hours a day
Like I if there were.
Like it would just and never get to the
bottom of all the work I have to do so you
know, I mean, you have a business.
You realize like I could be doing something
right now that could probably help my
business.
I could be doing marketing.
Hilary Russo (21:06):
I could be doing you know what I mean.
Stacey Grant (21:07):
And I love.
I'm a creative so I love to do all the
graphic design and stuff like that.
I would think I was sort of should have
been one in the past life.
Maybe I was one.
I've really tried very what I did was I
started getting puzzles.
I'm a puzzler, so I'm like, or I'll read
(21:29):
fiction I'm a big fiction reader especially
to go to sleep at night.
It turns my brain off.
Or if I wake up at 3 AM, I read a fiction
book.
Hilary Russo (21:37):
Yeah, I like to read and I don't do
technology in my room as much as possible
because the doom scrolling you can get
pulled in.
I love the puzzles.
You're talking about just puzzle pieces.
Yeah, yes, actual time we did one of those.
Stacey Grant (21:50):
Well, listen, cindy Crawford I follow her
on Instagram.
She's my buddy.
No, she's not, but she's.
That was like somewhere, and she had this
puzzle box that she could like spin around
and like put puzzle pieces of different
colors and different drawers.
And I'm obsessed.
I have one, and so I can move my puzzle off
the table and bring it over here and bring
(22:10):
it back and when I'm watching television or
doing whatever I just you know, or what
football games puzzle it's.
It's really I love it, and I've got one of
my friends on it too.
Hilary Russo (22:19):
I might have to try that.
I haven't done puzzles in a long time and
it used to be so much fun but then what do
you?
Do with the puzzles when you're done.
Stacey Grant (22:26):
I mean I put them sometimes under the.
I put some tape on them and put them under
my bookshelf.
It's such an achievement, or you can just
rip them up and put them back in the box.
Hilary Russo (22:34):
I'm always amazed at the folks that just
like glue them together.
They're on a wall.
I'm like, oh my gosh, Like the people that
do like Legos.
I'm like, you know, Lego Palooza going on
Right, but the the idea of just doing a
puzzle and then, maybe you know, the second
time you do it it's never going to be the
same If you do it again it will never be
(22:55):
the same two pieces that you start with or
end with.
Stacey Grant (22:58):
And what's kind of fun is like.
People might walk by and then kind of get
involved in the puzzle, like they might not
want to, but like, maybe my daughter will
be like, ooh, let me see if I can fit this
one, and so it kind of becomes a little bit
of a what are you doing with that?
That's?
That's an end piece, don't even don't even
touch that.
Hilary Russo (23:19):
I've been looking for that for an hour and
a half, Right, Don't you hate that?
Like when someone comes along and you're
just like sorting and I remember this from
doing puzzles you'd be looking for that one
piece and someone would be like, oh, I
think that goes right there, and you're
like you, mother.
Stacey Grant (23:28):
My sister, like she came to visit and she
did that for like half an hour and every
time she got a piece she'd be like oh,
there it is.
I was like would you just please, just
button it off, like I can't find any of the
brown ones, Just like we literally got in a
huge fight.
Hilary Russo (23:44):
So let me ask you this what's next?
I mean, we talked about the fact that, look
gur.
So let me ask you this what's next?
I mean we talked about the fact that, look
gurus and game changers.
I want to mention that because it's a
really great podcast.
I had such a blast being on the show when
you first launched.
Well, I adore you and I adore Mark.
The both of you are just wonderful co-hosts
together and, knowing you both, yeah, do
the hearts.
(24:07):
And then, of course, you have this
beautiful studio, new studio of Mainline.
See, I need to come and check that out in
Westchester Pennsylvania, you and Erica.
It's in Wayne Now it's in Wayne.
Now it's in Wayne, now it's in.
Stacey Grant (24:15):
Wayne, it's on the Mainline.
We're moving up.
Hilary Russo (24:19):
It's on the Mainline, yes, mainline's on
the Mainline, mainline's on the Mainline.
I love it Love it.
But I mean, your other studio was great,
but this one, everything I see, I'm just
like, I just want to be close to that.
I will, I will, I'm going to come visit and
then, um, you know, the catching wind of
you being so involved with this movie.
Stacey Grant (24:39):
The line, oh yeah, the movie.
So it's on Amazon prime and it's on Apple
and it is a movie about a fraternity where
things go wrong.
It's a little dark.
That never happens.
It's a little dark but you can rent it now.
I think it's actually.
You probably can just watch it now.
Hopefully you don't have to rent the movie.
(25:01):
But it's Alex Wolff, Halle Bailey, John
Malkovich, Denise Richards, Lewis Pullman
from Top Gun, and when we cast the movie we
didn't even.
Some of these people weren't even stars yet
it was super fun.
It was in the heat of COVID when we shot it
(25:22):
and I couldn't even come to set because I
was like, if I come to set I'm definitely
going to get COVID and shut the movie down.
So I didn't go, but I saw dailies and it
was just a really fun part to be a part of,
so thank you for mentioning it.
Hilary Russo (25:35):
Yeah, you know there's something about
being creative and being around the
creative types.
We definitely have our fingers in a lot of
different.
You know projects, because that's how the
brain works.
You know doing the puzzles, creating the
podcast, being part of a movie,
reorganizing your furniture in your house,
I mean.
Whatever it might be, it's always something
(25:55):
different, right?
Yeah?
But it also comes back to when is the point
where we're taking on too much or we have
to take a step back and be like you know
what?
I'm going to slow my roll a little bit.
Stacey Grant (26:06):
I need to slow my roll a little bit.
Very good question, because my full-time
job really almost is working as an agency
producer for an ad agency, yeah, so I mean
that's really my, you know, bread and
butter, bread and butter, yeah, but I do
all these other things at the same time,
it's just finding what brings you joy.
Hilary Russo (26:26):
As we get older, we realize those are the
kinds of things we want, more to tip the
scale than the things that are just the
grunt work that even might just be paying
the bills right when it comes to our
well-being, like that's also currency,
right?
It's not just cash, it's time, it's sleep.
It's what we really value, you know, and
(26:46):
especially as as circumstances come into
our lives that are not expected, like what
you went through, or you know, just the
everyday changes that happen.
We have to be really aware of that, and I
think that's a real lesson here, and why I
wanted to do this episode and why I wanted
to bring you on, was to really just create
that open space conversation and also
(27:07):
connect with you, because I adore you.
So all right, so you know what's coming, I
know you know, you're like all right,
enough chit chat.
Can we just get to the game already?
All right so we do a little bit of brain
candy little word association, writing down
some words that you have said during this
episode of HIListically Speaking.
I'm going to throw out a word, Stacey Grant,
(27:28):
and you need to come back with the first
word that comes to mind.
Are you ready?
Stacey Grant (27:34):
I think so.
Hilary Russo (27:35):
Okay, here we go, ready Yoga, calm, healthy.
Stacey Grant (27:43):
Heart.
Hilary Russo (27:44):
Podcast.
Stacey Grant (27:47):
Gurus Sleep Relax.
Hilary Russo (27:52):
Research.
Stacey Grant (27:54):
Organization.
Hilary Russo (27:56):
Mom Help, workaholic, workaholic.
Stacey Grant (28:05):
Road.
Where's that from All?
Hilary Russo (28:07):
right, I'm trying to be true with my words
that are popping up.
I love it.
Don't think too much about it.
Marissa, ugly, film, joy and heart Health.
Yeah, I wish you a healthy heart and I'm so
glad that you're where you are.
(28:28):
And look, our lessons are what is
tomorrow's learnings right?
Our traumas to triumphs, our messes, our
message, and I can honestly say I wish you
didn't go through what you went through,
because I can imagine it was very scary,
but I'm so glad you got through it.
So you're here today to talk about it and
take better care of you, so that others
(28:49):
know that they can take better care of
themselves.
And I'm certainly going to be asking
questions too, for my own health.
So thank you for opening my eyes to some
things too.
Yes, you have anything that you want to
share as we close, if anyone wants to
donate to the Women of Impact campaign.
Stacey Grant (29:06):
I'll send you the link and people can go
ahead and donate and help women everywhere.
Hilary Russo (29:12):
Yeah, that's what it's all about.
We're here to help each other.
Great Thanks so much.
Stacey Grant (29:17):
Thank you.
Hilary Russo (29:19):
All right, my friend, if you know someone
who may be touched, moved and inspired by
this conversation with Stacey Grant moved
and inspired by this conversation with
Stacey Grant, somebody who might find this
beneficial, definitely pay it forward.
Pass it along.
Let them know that this episode of
HIListically Speaking exists.
You might make a difference in somebody's
life.
You might even save a life.
And if you want to learn more about Stacey
(29:41):
Grant, my dear friend, how to support the
American Heart Association, even learn more
about her podcast, my dear friend, how to
support the American Heart Association,
even learn more about her podcast Gurus and
Game Changers with her co-host, Mark
Labraji, I highly recommend you check out
the podcast and check the notes of this
podcast as well, because I will have all
the links for you to connect to Stacey, to
the podcast, to Mainline Studios and also,
(30:02):
of course, to the American Heart
Association, if you want to make a change
and make a difference as well.
And you heard us talk about havening
techniques a wonderful way to self-regulate
and self-soothe for self-care, with
neuroscience on your side.
As a havening practitioner and also a
trainer, I offer free online havening happy
(30:22):
hours every month, as well as trainings,
mentorship and certification.
I will share the links in the notes of this
podcast episode as well.
HIListically Speaking is edited by 2Market
Media with music by my friend Lipbone
Redding and, of course, supported by you.
So thank you time and time again for making
this time together important.
(30:45):
Be well, my friend, Be kind to your mind
and, of course, be kind to your heart,
because you matter and I want you here for
a really long time because I love you, I
believe in you and I'm sending hugs your
way.
Be well, I know the girl with mountains in
her eyes, Love in her heart.
It was in the hospital for seven days and
on the sixth day a cardiologist walked in
and said okay, it's in your lungs, so it's
most definitely around your heart.
And he said it's a form of endocarditis.
And I was a drug rep back in the day, so I
and I sold cardiovascular drugs.
So I knew that endocarditis was really bad
(00:23):
and I didn't even tell my husband.
He had no idea what it was.
But I knew if that was the case it was
going to change my life, probably forever.
Hilary Russo (00:31):
Did you know that in the US, someone dies
from cardiovascular disease every 34
seconds and nearly 45% of women over the
age of 20 are living with some kind of
cardiovascular disease?
And I'm not sharing this to scare you.
Quite the contrary, I want to inform you
(00:51):
and I want to let you know that it's very
possible.
You probably know somebody who is living
with cardiovascular disease.
I do, in fact, I just recently found this
out myself, and that is my friend, Stacey
Grant, who joins us today on HIListically
Speaking.
I did not know that this was something that
(01:11):
you were struggling with and I thought you
know what.
It's Women's Health Month and we're about
to leave this month, but that doesn't mean
we shouldn't be thinking about these things
going forward, right?
It's not just a month where we think about
our health and our heart health or just our
health in general.
It's not just a month where we think about
our health and our heart health or just our
health in general.
It's every month.
But for you, when I heard that you had
faced something in regards to your own
(01:32):
personal heart health, I was like I need to
have you here.
I need you to share your story.
You're being so open with it and, quite
frankly, I had no clue.
So this is one of those things that we need
to have a conversation about, isn't it?
Stacey Grant (01:49):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And the more that I learn, the more I
realize I don't know about heart health,
especially in women.
It's insane.
Hilary Russo (02:00):
Yeah, and you know you and I go back a ways.
We've known each other for a number of
years.
We're both podcasters.
I want to give you a shout out for your
podcast, gurus and Game.
Stacey Grant (02:09):
Changers with.
Hilary Russo (02:11):
Mark Labraji, and I've been so fortunate to
be on your show as well, but I think like
we connect in these ways through our
stories, right?
We're storytellers as podcasters, but also
as human beings, storytellers as podcasters,
but also as human beings.
And for you, your own personal story with
this.
I mean, never have I heard you talk about
it.
Then I see a social media post where you
(02:32):
shared more about it that you're actually
nominated as one of the women of impact for
the American Heart Association with the Go
Red campaign which is going on starting.
It started on Go Red Day right In.
February and going through, you know, the
next 10 weeks or so, but when I was like
what is she talking about?
So I want to give you a chance to share
(02:53):
your story, to give women, and just anyone
in general you know, an awareness that
there are things we need to check on, even
if it goes undetected and we don't even
know what's happening in our bodies.
What can we do to bring awareness to this,
to check ourselves, especially as we get
older?
Stacey Grant (03:12):
It's crazy.
And after menopause it kind of spikes in
women.
So I mean, I think women are like this and
men are kind of they slope, but once
menopause hits it literally goes like this
they slope.
But once menopause hits, it literally goes
like this.
And I think most women over the age of 50
are the ones who struggle.
But for me, like, my story was just out of
(03:34):
nowhere, right.
So I had this really strange little sore on
my face and I was in Virginia actually and
I was hanging out with my sister-in-law and
I was like this is strange, right, it's all
of a sudden getting really big.
So the side of my face got huge and I tried
everything.
I put, you know, neosporin, I thought was
(03:55):
an ingrown hair.
I had no idea what it was.
Is it a bite that's gotten infected?
But like I didn't think it was anything
crazy, right, I mean we never do, we're
women, so we just let everything go.
So I went home that day and it just kept
getting bigger and bigger, and bigger and,
long story short, I ended up in the
hospital.
It was at first misdiagnosed.
I had regular antibiotics, ended up in the
hospital and it was MRSA, which is crazy.
(04:17):
You know how does that happen.
And then the MRSA, which is a medically
resistant staph infection it's very hard to
treat which is a medically resistant staph
infection.
It's very hard to treat.
And it went into my bloodstream and then it
went into my lungs and it was in the
hospital for seven days and on the sixth
day a cardiologist walked in and said okay,
it's in your lungs, so it's most definitely
(04:38):
around your heart.
And he said it's a form of endocarditis.
And I was a drug rep back in the day so I
sold cardiovascular drugs.
So I knew that endocarditis was really bad
and I didn't even tell my husband.
He had no idea what it was.
But I knew if that was the case it was
going to change my life, probably forever.
(05:00):
So I had to go get a test called an
interesophageal echocardiogram where they
looked at my heart.
And that day I was freaking out, just
freaking out, and the cardiologist had told
me it is definitely around your heart
Somehow.
When I came out of that echocardiogram the
nurse was like she knew how crazy I was
(05:21):
about it.
She grabbed me and she said you're okay,
you're okay, it's not around your heart.
But it miffed every doctor.
They had no idea why it hadn't, you know,
gone around my heart.
So I just felt extremely grateful that I
was not going to have to deal with any kind
of heart disease for the rest of my life.
So fast forward to one of my friends who is
(05:41):
on the board of directors of the American
Heart Association.
She came and sat with me and we were
talking and I told her I wanted to give
back.
So next thing, you know, I heard that I was
a nominee for the American Heart
Association.
Go Red for Women, women of Impact, and what
that is.
Do you want me to continue?
Hilary Russo (05:56):
to tell you yeah, please tell people.
Stacey Grant (05:59):
So what that is is an 11 week campaign and
I am up against 10 other women in the
Philadelphia area and we're raising money
for the American Heart Association, go Red
for Women.
But I've learned a ton.
I'm doing a bunch of events, I've had
people come to me and tell me stories and
it's just been.
It's just been wonderful really.
Hilary Russo (06:18):
Yeah, and part of that.
I mean you mentioned this to me and I know
this for who you are, that's the kind of
person you are.
It's not about the win, it's about raising
awareness.
You know, because I asked you, I said what
happens if you become the woman of impact,
the one who actually walks away with it,
and you're like I just get to tell the
story, and isn't that that's really the
true gift is being able to touch, move and
(06:40):
inspire one person.
It can make a difference.
Look, it already made a difference in my
life when I think about the fact that I
didn't even know that you were struggling
with this at one point, and here you are
talking about it and being open about it,
to where maybe it'll make one person ask
for that one test or go to the doctor when
they haven't before.
Or, you know, as women in perimenopause and
(07:01):
menopause, like you said, the numbers
skyrocket the things we don't think about,
even in our healthiest state, you know.
Stacey Grant (07:09):
No, and I mean my sister, who is 52 years
old, just recently had two friends who had
heart attacks.
Do you know what their symptoms were?
Indigestion, Strong, but strong enough
indigestion that they actually, thank
goodness, went to the hospital.
But our symptoms are so different from men.
I mean you watch a movie and you see a guy
(07:29):
and he grabs his chest and he falls down
and you're like, oh, he's having a heart
attack.
I mean, you know what's happening to that
man.
But for women it could be anything.
It could be jaw pain, it could be arm pain,
it could be indigestion, just sort of a
little bit of pressure, abdominal pain.
And I don't know about you, but I don't
know any woman who's going to call 911
because she has jaw pain, Like I just, you
(07:50):
know she's probably thinking she's got a
toothache.
I mean, we all try and do so much and you
know, I know so many women who just really
don't care about themselves as much as they
care about others, unfortunately, because
we just sort of always fall to the end of
the list.
Hilary Russo (08:05):
I think there's both sides to it too.
Women.
We're the nurturers, we take care, we want
to protect.
We tend to put ourselves second in a lot of
ways and we don't step up and do a lot of
self-care.
And you and I have had many conversations
about that, about how we can do that, what
we can do to actually raise more awareness
in that area, which I love.
Stacey Grant (08:23):
Like.
Hilary Russo (08:23):
Havening.
Like Havening girl.
I love that.
Thank you for bringing that up.
Yes, havening is one tool and I'm so glad
that that's something you resonate and
gravitate to, but there are many tools, but
it's not even that.
It's like what are you doing to be your own
healthcare advocate and then you go to the
other side of the fence, even though we're
talking about this during the time of
recording.
(08:43):
It's women's heart health month.
Like I said, this is an ongoing thing.
This is not just a.
This is the month where we should be aware
of this.
This is like the awareness sparks action.
The awareness sparks further awareness on
how you're going to look forward and do
things in the future to protect your heart
and in all, 2000 parts Right.
Stacey Grant (09:05):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't know so many facts
about heart disease and I, you know, I'm
not young, I mean I should know these
things, I feel like.
But you know, it's the number one killer of
women and actually everyone in the United
States it's the number one killer.
It kills more people than all cancers
combined every year.
And I unfortunately didn't know that.
(09:26):
And the other thing I didn't realize was
that women, if you so let's say, you're
walking down the street and you're a woman
and you have a heart attack and next to you
and you fall down and next to you a man
falls down with a heart attack 80% of
people will help the man and not help the
women.
Do you know why?
Hilary Russo (09:44):
Yeah, I do not know why.
Stacey Grant (09:46):
Because of the boobs.
Yeah, because people are really nervous
about legality and there are Good Samaritan
rules.
So if there's a man watching this, help a
woman, do CPR.
Cpr is the number one way to help a woman
who's having a cardiac event.
Hilary Russo (10:05):
I think in that time we can put all things
aside and realize that somebody needs help.
And you're right, I mean we have an
obligation to help each other.
You know, and look, I'm the daughter of a
father who had a heart attack right there
on the streets of New York City, you know,
and it was a massive heart attack.
(10:26):
I think by the time he even hit the floor
he was gone.
And it was a massive heart attack, I think
by the time he even hit the floor he was
gone.
But in that moment, what if it was a woman
that had put her hand against the wall for
a moment and then collapsed?
Would somebody have helped that woman, like
the people that came and tried to help my
dad?
So it raises a really good point.
I never thought about that.
Stacey Grant (10:46):
That it's because we're like whoa, whoa,
whoa, hands off, yeah, but you know, it's
really, it's really crazy and I'm learning
all kinds of statistics like that and
anyone can learn stuff if you go to the
website, the American Heart Association
website but they're really trying to do
great things for women.
A lot of research is going to be coming out
of this.
A hundred percent of anything that I raise
(11:06):
goes directly to research for Go Red for
Women.
Yeah, that's what I was going to ask you
next.
Hilary Russo (11:14):
And I've worked with the Go Red for Women
campaign a couple times as a journalist and
I really saw just how much and no pun
intended they truly put their heart into
the project and you know from the events
that are held to where the money goes.
And I will share in the notes of this
podcast how you can contribute or just find
out facts.
They are so good about sharing statistics
(11:35):
and up-to-date facts because you can really
go down the rabbit hole looking for the
right kind of information.
But I will say on this specific area, they
don't.
They don't cut any corners.
Stacey Grant (11:46):
No, no, it's really, it's, it's crazy,
they're, they're awesome and I really feel
like.
I think maybe people look at the American
Heart Association as this big organization.
You know why do they need to raise funds?
But specifically they do for research.
I mean it's, it's the number one killer of
(12:06):
all Americans and I still can't believe.
I did not know that until I just joined
this campaign.
Hilary Russo (12:13):
Yeah.
So let me ask you this from what you
learned from your situation and when did
that happen that?
Stacey Grant (12:18):
was.
Hilary Russo (12:19):
August of 2023.
Okay, so it's not that long ago.
You've had, you know, you haven't even had
two years to really ingest all of this.
What is something you do differently,
Stacey?
That that you have learned because of this
experience to protect your heart.
Stacey Grant (12:37):
I feel like I am slower.
I mean, you know me, I had my own company,
a production company that I sold, and then
I have another company that I've just
started mainline studios and the podcast,
and I also work as an agency producer for
an ad agency.
I do a lot of things, but I used to pack in
(12:59):
like eight to 10 things a day.
Now, like today, for instance, I had this
podcast, I did three things, you know.
So I, I, I feel like I'm really kind of
pacing myself.
I was scared when I was in the hospital, so
much so that I at one point told my husband
I'm like let's stop everything, let's sell
the house, let's just be together.
Because this is so silly when you're facing
(13:22):
a huge health scare, nothing else matters.
I say that, but it's really the truth.
Like not one other thing matters in life
but your loved ones.
And so true, it does go away.
Like I, when I first came out of it, I was
much more like protective of my time and my
self-care, and it starts to fade after a
(13:43):
while when you start to feel better.
But I definitely don't have the stamina I
did before I got the MRSA.
There's a few things that are a lot
different.
Hilary Russo (13:49):
So self-care, is important, I'll agree with
you on that.
And bringing down the stress levels very
important, because that's really stress
levels and high stress and cortisol that
can be a killer as well.
So you don't want like this double dose,
right?
What are you doing with?
Are there changes you've made in your life?
In your lifestyle as well, you know how you
(14:10):
protect yourself, like the foods you eat or
the kind of movement that you do.
How are you supporting yourself in that
area?
Stacey Grant (14:18):
Well, I just I'm thankful that I was very
healthy going into it.
I think that's one of the reasons why I
survived the MRSA, because a lot of people
don't survive that.
When I came home I had to have antibiotics
in my arm for six weeks afterwards and I
had a home health nurse and you know it was
just crazy.
And she walked in the first day and she was
taking my statistics and she said, well,
(14:38):
isn't that great that you're alive?
And I was like, really, like it was that
close.
She's like, yeah, she said you really
dodged a bullet.
I'm thankful that I've always been healthy.
I do a ton of yoga.
You know we talked about that.
I do the hot yoga.
I walk in the mornings.
I eat fairly healthy.
I don't drink that much anymore.
I can't take it.
Actually I can't take the alcohol.
(15:00):
This is too much of a hangover, but I mean
just stuff like that.
But you know what?
It's crazy.
Like we really get old, like we really do,
like I.
I keep looking at Eric like we're actually
my husband, I'm like we're actually getting
older, like this is nuts.
Hilary Russo (15:15):
Like.
Stacey Grant (15:15):
You know what I mean, I just feel like we
shouldn't, you know, get older.
But it's, it's actually happening.
Hilary Russo (15:23):
So like is it the point?
Like I have these conversations a lot with
Chris too and and you know, chris, who's my
partner and I I'm like I just want to like
have a house with a, with a doc and sitting
on some old Adirondack chairs and like late
for me might be nine, 30.
And I don't even know if I want to go out
to dinner if it's past seven.
(15:43):
Like we get to that point where it's like
what I want to live, I want to travel, I
want to do great things, but I am at a
point where I'm just like I don't have time
for that anymore.
We went out a couple nights ago to see a
friend who was performing at a comedy club,
who had come in from the West Coast, and I
think we got home around 1.30.
(16:04):
I'm like, who are we?
Stacey Grant (16:07):
And it was so much fun.
Hilary Russo (16:08):
I wouldn't trade it for the world, but we
were at this comedy club bar until after
1230 at night and I'm like, oh my God, I'd
be in bed by now, at least on the couch
watching a Ken Burns documentary or
something right, Don't go out that much
anymore to where it's late because it's you
know.
Your body pretty much is telling you what
it needs and what to do.
(16:29):
Body pretty much is telling you what it
needs and what to do and do you feel like
that's happened more for you as you've
gotten older.
Stacey Grant (16:33):
Sleep is like so necessary.
When I first was recuperating from the
whole thing, my eyes just tell me like I
had to take a nap.
I don't nap, I mean, I barely sleep.
Like my whole life I had like four hours of
sleep every night and I was fine with it,
you know, but I would have to take a nap
and then I would go to sleep at like nine,
you know, and so I really sleep is so
important.
(16:53):
It's hard to sleep when you get older,
though.
I definitely struggle with getting my full
eight hours where I'm not getting up every
every two or three hours.
Hilary Russo (17:02):
Yeah, I feel like I want to sleep more, but
it's sometimes it's hard and you sit up.
You sit up and you're just in your chatter
or you're in your head.
I also have sleep apnea, so like I struggle
with that anyway, but having tools
obviously to help me with that helps.
But still, I sit up and I'm like, Hmm,
what's going on, Like you start going
(17:23):
through that laundry list of things and you
really got to bring yourself down because
it's so important and also the connection
between sleep and our heart health, right.
What are some things that you wish you had
done differently?
You know, obviously, Merce, it was
something that it wasn't like you were
acting carelessly and it came about.
But what would be something that the older
(17:45):
and wiser and more in tune Stacey would
tell her younger self?
Stacey Grant (17:51):
One of the things I don't do anymore which
I'm not sure if it was a factor in the MRSA
or not was get nails, and I love having my
little acrylic nails, but I something about
the nails like.
I felt like maybe they weren't, maybe they
introduced it into my face because I was
scratching my face, so I don't do that
particular thing.
(18:12):
Besides working less, which is hard for me,
I gotta be honest, I actually went to a
therapist because, basically because I'm
like am I a workaholic?
I don't know, because I love working so
much.
Of course my son laughs his ass off.
He's like mom, you don't work enough to be
a work much.
Of course my son laughs his ass off.
He's like mom, you don't work enough to be
a workaholic, like you definitely are not
one.
(18:34):
But I'm really trying to work in here.
Most, you know, and because I felt like I
was doing a lot physically, it's really in
here.
You know how to calm down, how to how to
console myself, how to breathe more, how to
slow down, how to not be stressed, and I
feel like, hopefully, and also that helps
(18:55):
with eating right.
So I recently lost a lot of weight.
I, I try to eat a lot of protein.
Hilary Russo (19:00):
I just, you know, and if you slow down,
you're not, you know eating, yeah, you're
not nibbling and so much of food can really
be boredom, or just that, that quick fix of
dopamine and then you come down.
Right, that's great.
I mean you lost.
I haven't seen you probably in over a year
in physical space.
Stacey Grant (19:19):
I know I miss you.
Hilary Russo (19:20):
I miss you too.
Stacey Grant (19:21):
We're going to change that but I'm curious
what?
Hilary Russo (19:23):
what did you do to actually get yourself in
a more healthy state?
Stacey Grant (19:27):
Well, I did do the triseptide, you know the
actual, not the semiglutide, but the other
one which has been super, super helpful.
It's not a cure-all right?
So if you do that, you also have to do the
other things.
It does help you with your appetite, but
Quiet's the noise, eat only McDonald's.
It does.
Hilary Russo (19:45):
Right Quiet's the food noise and protein
protein protein.
Stacey Grant (19:47):
It does Right.
Hilary Russo (19:47):
It quiets the food noise, nuts and protein,
protein, protein.
I think that's the big one, especially as
we get older, we're told at least 100 grams
of protein.
We definitely need more protein.
Yeah, as we get older, we definitely need
more protein than we thought we did, you
know, for the lean muscle mass and just
protecting our body and everything around
it, you know, and protecting our arteries,
(20:08):
protecting our organs, just creating a
leaner mass Cause we hold onto a little
more as we get older.
Stacey Grant (20:16):
It's so hard.
Oh, menopause it's my whole life, you know,
and yeah so yeah, but I don't know.
Hilary Russo (20:22):
I mean like workaholic when you hear that
word.
How, how does that um, how does that
resonate with you?
Stacey Grant (20:28):
I mean any aholic sounds so bad.
Right, but listen, we don't get penalized
for being a workaholic.
If we work really, really, really hard, we
normally get lauded for that and people
applaud that I could work.
I have this.
I'm a freelancer.
I have my own businesses.
(20:49):
Like I could work a hundred hours a day
Like I if there were.
Like it would just and never get to the
bottom of all the work I have to do so you
know, I mean, you have a business.
You realize like I could be doing something
right now that could probably help my
business.
I could be doing marketing.
Hilary Russo (21:06):
I could be doing you know what I mean.
Stacey Grant (21:07):
And I love.
I'm a creative so I love to do all the
graphic design and stuff like that.
I would think I was sort of should have
been one in the past life.
Maybe I was one.
I've really tried very what I did was I
started getting puzzles.
I'm a puzzler, so I'm like, or I'll read
(21:29):
fiction I'm a big fiction reader especially
to go to sleep at night.
It turns my brain off.
Or if I wake up at 3 AM, I read a fiction
book.
Hilary Russo (21:37):
Yeah, I like to read and I don't do
technology in my room as much as possible
because the doom scrolling you can get
pulled in.
I love the puzzles.
You're talking about just puzzle pieces.
Yeah, yes, actual time we did one of those.
Stacey Grant (21:50):
Well, listen, cindy Crawford I follow her
on Instagram.
She's my buddy.
No, she's not, but she's.
That was like somewhere, and she had this
puzzle box that she could like spin around
and like put puzzle pieces of different
colors and different drawers.
And I'm obsessed.
I have one, and so I can move my puzzle off
the table and bring it over here and bring
(22:10):
it back and when I'm watching television or
doing whatever I just you know, or what
football games puzzle it's.
It's really I love it, and I've got one of
my friends on it too.
Hilary Russo (22:19):
I might have to try that.
I haven't done puzzles in a long time and
it used to be so much fun but then what do
you?
Do with the puzzles when you're done.
Stacey Grant (22:26):
I mean I put them sometimes under the.
I put some tape on them and put them under
my bookshelf.
It's such an achievement, or you can just
rip them up and put them back in the box.
Hilary Russo (22:34):
I'm always amazed at the folks that just
like glue them together.
They're on a wall.
I'm like, oh my gosh, Like the people that
do like Legos.
I'm like, you know, Lego Palooza going on
Right, but the the idea of just doing a
puzzle and then, maybe you know, the second
time you do it it's never going to be the
same If you do it again it will never be
(22:55):
the same two pieces that you start with or
end with.
Stacey Grant (22:58):
And what's kind of fun is like.
People might walk by and then kind of get
involved in the puzzle, like they might not
want to, but like, maybe my daughter will
be like, ooh, let me see if I can fit this
one, and so it kind of becomes a little bit
of a what are you doing with that?
That's?
That's an end piece, don't even don't even
touch that.
Hilary Russo (23:19):
I've been looking for that for an hour and
a half, Right, Don't you hate that?
Like when someone comes along and you're
just like sorting and I remember this from
doing puzzles you'd be looking for that one
piece and someone would be like, oh, I
think that goes right there, and you're
like you, mother.
Stacey Grant (23:28):
My sister, like she came to visit and she
did that for like half an hour and every
time she got a piece she'd be like oh,
there it is.
I was like would you just please, just
button it off, like I can't find any of the
brown ones, Just like we literally got in a
huge fight.
Hilary Russo (23:44):
So let me ask you this what's next?
I mean, we talked about the fact that, look
gur.
So let me ask you this what's next?
I mean we talked about the fact that, look
gurus and game changers.
I want to mention that because it's a
really great podcast.
I had such a blast being on the show when
you first launched.
Well, I adore you and I adore Mark.
The both of you are just wonderful co-hosts
together and, knowing you both, yeah, do
the hearts.
(24:07):
And then, of course, you have this
beautiful studio, new studio of Mainline.
See, I need to come and check that out in
Westchester Pennsylvania, you and Erica.
It's in Wayne Now it's in Wayne.
Now it's in Wayne, now it's in.
Stacey Grant (24:15):
Wayne, it's on the Mainline.
We're moving up.
Hilary Russo (24:19):
It's on the Mainline, yes, mainline's on
the Mainline, mainline's on the Mainline.
I love it Love it.
But I mean, your other studio was great,
but this one, everything I see, I'm just
like, I just want to be close to that.
I will, I will, I'm going to come visit and
then, um, you know, the catching wind of
you being so involved with this movie.
Stacey Grant (24:39):
The line, oh yeah, the movie.
So it's on Amazon prime and it's on Apple
and it is a movie about a fraternity where
things go wrong.
It's a little dark.
That never happens.
It's a little dark but you can rent it now.
I think it's actually.
You probably can just watch it now.
Hopefully you don't have to rent the movie.
(25:01):
But it's Alex Wolff, Halle Bailey, John
Malkovich, Denise Richards, Lewis Pullman
from Top Gun, and when we cast the movie we
didn't even.
Some of these people weren't even stars yet
it was super fun.
It was in the heat of COVID when we shot it
(25:22):
and I couldn't even come to set because I
was like, if I come to set I'm definitely
going to get COVID and shut the movie down.
So I didn't go, but I saw dailies and it
was just a really fun part to be a part of,
so thank you for mentioning it.
Hilary Russo (25:35):
Yeah, you know there's something about
being creative and being around the
creative types.
We definitely have our fingers in a lot of
different.
You know projects, because that's how the
brain works.
You know doing the puzzles, creating the
podcast, being part of a movie,
reorganizing your furniture in your house,
I mean.
Whatever it might be, it's always something
(25:55):
different, right?
Yeah?
But it also comes back to when is the point
where we're taking on too much or we have
to take a step back and be like you know
what?
I'm going to slow my roll a little bit.
Stacey Grant (26:06):
I need to slow my roll a little bit.
Very good question, because my full-time
job really almost is working as an agency
producer for an ad agency, yeah, so I mean
that's really my, you know, bread and
butter, bread and butter, yeah, but I do
all these other things at the same time,
it's just finding what brings you joy.
Hilary Russo (26:26):
As we get older, we realize those are the
kinds of things we want, more to tip the
scale than the things that are just the
grunt work that even might just be paying
the bills right when it comes to our
well-being, like that's also currency,
right?
It's not just cash, it's time, it's sleep.
It's what we really value, you know, and
(26:46):
especially as as circumstances come into
our lives that are not expected, like what
you went through, or you know, just the
everyday changes that happen.
We have to be really aware of that, and I
think that's a real lesson here, and why I
wanted to do this episode and why I wanted
to bring you on, was to really just create
that open space conversation and also
(27:07):
connect with you, because I adore you.
So all right, so you know what's coming, I
know you know, you're like all right,
enough chit chat.
Can we just get to the game already?
All right so we do a little bit of brain
candy little word association, writing down
some words that you have said during this
episode of HIListically Speaking.
I'm going to throw out a word, Stacey Grant,
(27:28):
and you need to come back with the first
word that comes to mind.
Are you ready?
Stacey Grant (27:34):
I think so.
Hilary Russo (27:35):
Okay, here we go, ready Yoga, calm, healthy.
Stacey Grant (27:43):
Heart.
Hilary Russo (27:44):
Podcast.
Stacey Grant (27:47):
Gurus Sleep Relax.
Hilary Russo (27:52):
Research.
Stacey Grant (27:54):
Organization.
Hilary Russo (27:56):
Mom Help, workaholic, workaholic.
Stacey Grant (28:05):
Road.
Where's that from All?
Hilary Russo (28:07):
right, I'm trying to be true with my words
that are popping up.
I love it.
Don't think too much about it.
Marissa, ugly, film, joy and heart Health.
Yeah, I wish you a healthy heart and I'm so
glad that you're where you are.
(28:28):
And look, our lessons are what is
tomorrow's learnings right?
Our traumas to triumphs, our messes, our
message, and I can honestly say I wish you
didn't go through what you went through,
because I can imagine it was very scary,
but I'm so glad you got through it.
So you're here today to talk about it and
take better care of you, so that others
(28:49):
know that they can take better care of
themselves.
And I'm certainly going to be asking
questions too, for my own health.
So thank you for opening my eyes to some
things too.
Yes, you have anything that you want to
share as we close, if anyone wants to
donate to the Women of Impact campaign.
Stacey Grant (29:06):
I'll send you the link and people can go
ahead and donate and help women everywhere.
Hilary Russo (29:12):
Yeah, that's what it's all about.
We're here to help each other.
Great Thanks so much.
Stacey Grant (29:17):
Thank you.
Hilary Russo (29:19):
All right, my friend, if you know someone
who may be touched, moved and inspired by
this conversation with Stacey Grant moved
and inspired by this conversation with
Stacey Grant, somebody who might find this
beneficial, definitely pay it forward.
Pass it along.
Let them know that this episode of
HIListically Speaking exists.
You might make a difference in somebody's
life.
You might even save a life.
And if you want to learn more about Stacey
(29:41):
Grant, my dear friend, how to support the
American Heart Association, even learn more
about her podcast, my dear friend, how to
support the American Heart Association,
even learn more about her podcast Gurus and
Game Changers with her co-host, Mark
Labraji, I highly recommend you check out
the podcast and check the notes of this
podcast as well, because I will have all
the links for you to connect to Stacey, to
the podcast, to Mainline Studios and also,
(30:02):
of course, to the American Heart
Association, if you want to make a change
and make a difference as well.
And you heard us talk about havening
techniques a wonderful way to self-regulate
and self-soothe for self-care, with
neuroscience on your side.
As a havening practitioner and also a
trainer, I offer free online havening happy
(30:22):
hours every month, as well as trainings,
mentorship and certification.
I will share the links in the notes of this
podcast episode as well.
HIListically Speaking is edited by 2Market
Media with music by my friend Lipbone
Redding and, of course, supported by you.
So thank you time and time again for making
this time together important.
(30:45):
Be well, my friend, Be kind to your mind
and, of course, be kind to your heart,
because you matter and I want you here for
a really long time because I love you, I
believe in you and I'm sending hugs your
way.
Be well, I know the girl with mountains in
her eyes, Love in her heart.
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