May 1, 2025 • 44 mins
Kyle Goodknight welcomes Valerie Huard to discuss the intriguing connection between trauma and clutter. Valerie shares her unique background as a first responder, highlighting her experiences during the Quebec ice storm and involvement with Formula One races. She opens up about her PTSD diagnosis and how it led her to a transformative decluttering journey. The conversation delves into the relationship between clutter, trauma, and cortisol, and the mental challenges entrepreneurs face. Valerie offers strategies for overcoming procrastination and pivoting during COVID-19, while also providing details on an upcoming masterclass. The episode concludes with encouraging words for entrepreneurs.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
There's a link between clutter and trauma.
(00:03):
There's a link that what we realized and whenwe had a trauma, we have more chance to
accumulate clutter.
Hello, and welcome back to the Ignition Pathpodcast.
My name is Kyle Goodnight.
I'll be your host.
Today, I've got a great, I stumbled across herbook, flipping through Facebook, I think it
(00:27):
was, and it's an amazing concept of what shehas come up with.
Then we had our pre meeting, and we ended upfinding out that we, I'm a first responder as
everyone knows.
And she was a first responder, and I was like,wow.
This is a great, you know, connection of howthe first responder world and the trauma world
combined with what she's doing now.
And I'm not gonna spoil it spoil it.
(00:49):
I'm gonna let her discuss everything about whatshe's doing now in the trauma informed world.
But I've got Valerie Uwa on with me.
How are you doing, Valerie?
Pretty good.
Thank you, Kyle.
Thanks so much for coming on the podcast.
Of course, before we get started, everybody,don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.
If you hear if you're listening to this messageor watching it on YouTube, please don't
(01:10):
hesitate to hit that share button.
Hit that subscribe button on YouTube.
Let people know about this content.
That's the only way we're gonna grow is lettingyou word-of-mouth, letting it get out there.
What's really cool is, of course, a lot ofpeople know that I have two podcasts.
Valerie is gonna be a secondary guest on myother podcast.
We'll we'll dive more into the first responderworld and the trauma stuff that she deals with.
(01:32):
But today, we're gonna focus on her business,how she was a first responder first, and then
what she did and the and the path that she tookto ignite her new passion and what she's doing
now.
So, Valerie, go ahead and tell us a little bitabout yourself, a little bit about your
background.
Go ahead and share with us about a little bitmore about your timing and time frame and and
what you did in the first responder world.
(01:53):
Of course, you're from Ontario, Canada, so it'sa whole another you know, we we all first
responders all deal with the same stressanywhere in the world because we see the same
things, but it's it's how the differentmunicipalities and the different countries
operate their systems that could apply morestress than others and have more things in
place than others.
And and I know a few people from Canada thatwere first responders, and it's a whole
(02:16):
different ballgame up there, when it comes tomental health and how they help you deal with
stuff.
And even in the nursing world, it's evendifferent up there.
So, once again, sorry.
I kinda got off on a tangent there.
Go ahead and tell us who you are, yourbackground as an EMS, and then how how things
got started, and we'll go from there.
So let's go back thirty ago.
(02:36):
Thirty year okay.
So about the time I started health care.
So that would've
been, like,
'97.
That would've been right around
'90 before that.
Let's say '92.
Oh, okay.
Alright.
So A little bit more than thirty years.
Okay.
So that's when I was developing my passion forfirst aid.
Okay.
So I got in a organization called St.
(02:56):
John Ambulance.
That is international organization.
And this is where I first start assisting tohockey game and so on.
The national the national day that we werecelebrating and things like that, like
(03:17):
administrating first aid during those events.
So that was my first touch to first aid.
And a little bit later in '96, I got intooccupational therapy.
That's just a little part in my journey, butthat makes a lot of sense when we get to
decluttering later on.
(03:38):
Absolutely.
If I'm knowing what you do now, that's, like, aperfect, like Exactly.
The passions and the what you learned there isactually what's helping you in your business
now compared to the first responder stuff thatyou'll talk about.
Yeah.
Because I I worked in a hospital as well, so Iknow all about occupational therapy, physical
therapy, phys you know, respiratory therapy.
That's what I am and was.
So yeah.
(03:58):
And then in '98, I don't know if you guysremember, but in Quebec province, there were a
huge ice storm.
Do
know.
They declare national
Emergency.
Yeah.
Emergency and all of that.
And it was a good three weeks withoutelectricity for thousand and thousand and
(04:20):
thousand of hundred and hundred thousands ofpeople without electricity on a big area.
So that was my first introduction to reallyemergency state.
And, like, we were the one installing theemergency shelter and all that kind of stuff.
(04:44):
Okay.
And, you know, evacuating, elder from theresidency or the nursing care where they were
because there were no electricity there.
There were no backup.
There were no nothing.
So they were they cannot stay there on theirmachine.
So fast forward February in Quebec province,they decided to install the first responder
(05:10):
program.
And one of that program was to trainfirefighter, policemen, and other people in the
first aid section so they can be there beforeEMS or paramedic gets on.
Okay.
Like, before the beginning of February, therewere no paramedic in Quebec province.
(05:33):
They were called
Okay.
I'm not sure in English how we were callingthem, but probably EMS or something like that.
It's just that they were not trained with thedifferent medication and things like that.
Okay.
But they were still the people in theambulance.
But that kind of two speed system got in storeat the beginning of February.
(05:58):
And this is where I played a big role inhelping installing that system in Quebec
province in all the South Shore Of Montreal,training the instructor and so on.
Okay.
That was fascinating.
And I was also doing back then the Formula oneraces in Montreal and all other activities
(06:24):
going on on that.
So that's what that's the the Formula one race.
You know?
And
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Sure.
Sure.
The kart, the NASCAR, the all of them comingthere.
So and we got some interesting things overthere because it's on an island.
(06:45):
You know?
Yeah.
Exactly.
There's some place that we cannot evacuate thedriver
Mhmm.
Via road.
Right.
You gotta go helicopter.
Right?
Yeah.
No.
We need to go boat before.
Boat before.
Okay.
And then an ambulance to the helicopter.
Okay.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
To the Oh, yeah.
(07:05):
To the definitive level one trauma center.
Or what do you guys call them up there?
Ours our top notch, trauma centers here calledlevel one.
What do you guys call them in Canada?
Trauma Center.
Just trauma center?
Like, we have different designations.
So we have some hospitals that are trauma two,but there's they can still deal with, you know,
ninety nine percent of all traumas.
And, actually, certain traumas that even ourour main level two here in Columbus, Ohio,
(07:30):
like, I will always take a hand injury to thatone.
I won't take that hand injury to the level onebecause all the hand surgeons are at all the
proper world renowned microsurgeons are at thelevel two center.
And the the really only thing difference.
It's a little bit different.
A little bit different.
I'll say that you can take a head injury to anyhospital.
(07:50):
We could take them to any hospital, but theideal like, the the primary the best place to
go where someone would actually most likelyhave the the chance of using their hand that's
been chopped off or fingers that have beenmessed up.
It should be
So sometime it will be bring to anotherhospital, stabilize, and then bring
Then bring to
the other hospital.
Oh, sure.
Sure.
I mean, if it's depending on depending on howit is.
(08:12):
I'm just lucky I live in the city, and and I'monly twenty minutes away if I'm driving normal,
let alone lights and sirens to get to any of mytrauma centers.
I'm just very lucky where I live.
We've got high level pediatric and adult traumacare.
I mean, the Ohio State University is right inmy backyard, and that's a that's a that's, you
know, one of the top hospitals in the countryas well.
(08:32):
So
Yeah.
Now in Montreal, we have one as well K.
That is designated for the races, and they evenbuild on the race, they build a hospital.
Yeah.
Oh, for sure.
To stabilize.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
With X rays, with everything.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Operation room on this.
(08:52):
So when you were working all of that stuff,that was just your you that that one wasn't an
entrepreneurial thing.
That wasn't your own business.
That was just working
for the man.
That was just working for the municipality orthe private sector.
Correct.
And and you were just clocking in and clockingout, doing your time, and and and having your
days off.
Okay.
But at some point, life continue rolling on,and I was having all in my memory.
(09:20):
I was having nightmare.
I was having flashback.
I was having difficulty sleeping.
Yeah.
You know?
I just went to a conference last Friday, andyou you listed like, of course, you there's
four categories of PTSD.
And, of course, like, everything you've listedso far is, like, the top number one thing on
each category.
Exactly.
Top twice.
So many of were
(09:43):
never trained in what PTSD is or how torecognize it, and we're getting better, and we
still need to get better.
And that'll be our subject of the otherpodcast, of course.
But go on.
Sorry.
Didn't mean to interrupt.
So, basically, I got diagnosed with PTSD backthen.
You did get diagnosed.
Okay.
I got diagnosed.
Yes.
Back then, they were not talking about complexPTSD or childhood.
(10:07):
Those designations were were not there.
So but I got diagnosed, and the psychiatristasked me to stop what I was doing, basically.
Okay.
Like, one one goal is just get out of the getout of the fire.
Right?
Yeah.
But to get on leave first and but I was notable to go back after.
(10:31):
So but it was the beginning of my journey ofself growth and healing.
And my husband got into into the militaryduring that time and came the moment where we
were needing to move.
They sent an estimator because it's themilitary who moves you from place to place in
the country, And I will always remember thatguy coming in and saying, ma'am, we cannot move
(10:55):
you.
You need to let go of at least half yourbelongings.
Wow.
We were having the equivalent of a 18 wheelertruck of clutter to let go.
Even if I'm talk big
Yeah.
People were able to come in my home and notseeing the clutter.
It was all in hidden place.
(11:15):
So my living room, my dining room, yes, therewere piles of paper on the dining room and
kids' toys around it, but it was not like wesee on the hoarder show Sure. Where
Where they bring drumster.
You know?
I've been in hoarder homes just as you probablyhave
As well.
On emergency rooms.
We're like, we have to chop the side of thehouse off so before we can get them out of
(11:36):
here, that kind of stuff.
Yeah.
But we were able to circulate and all of thatin the home.
So but that was the first time where it reallyhit me.
I need to let go of half my possession.
Yeah.
But it can be tough.
So, yeah, my husband had to move first becausewe had three months to declutter.
(11:57):
That wasn't enough.
And I stayed behind with two toddlers.
And the night he left, I was really wonderingwill be will we be able to reunite at some
point?
You know, all those questions about life.
And then I started on a journey ofdecluttering.
But what is fascinating is after a couplemonths decluttering, I was smiling.
(12:20):
I was laughing.
I didn't need a nap in the afternoon.
I was not having nightmare anymore in thenight.
Like, as I let go of my possession, I let go ofthe trauma as well.
Wow.
Exactly.
So we'll dive more into that into the otherpodcast.
Yeah.
So
Yeah.
(12:41):
Well, we'll dive a little bit here because I dohave a question.
So because I'm sure that what you're doing now,we'll get more into depth on exactly what
you've created, which is why I really wantedyou like, what an I was so glad I found your
name and was able to contact you because I'mlike, this is a great topic for both my
podcasts.
But when it comes to you know?
So what did you find or the studies that youfound?
(13:02):
Because I know you've you've written a book andyou have a program that deals with, you know,
clutter and trauma, you know, trauma informedand trauma, you know, what what what we do and
what some people do as trauma.
What when it comes to I'm trying to figure outhow to ask this question without giving
everything away until later.
(13:23):
Do you did you find when you started youmentioned that you started being happier as you
let go of some possessions.
Were some of those possessions, like, holdingon to some of the trauma that you had a
reminder on
certain things?
Some no.
Okay.
Some yes.
Some no.
So and then we were able to reunite.
Were you sure you weren't just happy becauseyour husband wasn't there?
(13:45):
I don't know.
I'm sure.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
My my wife is happy at certain times when I'mnot around, but then she's always like, I miss
you.
No.
No.
I was having two children with disability backthen.
I was fostering.
So yeah.
Alone, it's a little bit a lot.
(14:06):
And when we reunite, I decided to become a homestager.
This is when we decided to get on TV, theentrepreneurial journey.
Okay.
Because I was wanting
to What year was that?
What year was that, you think?
That's in 2014.
Okay.
And then I did my training before starting thebusiness to be basically, I didn't want other
(14:30):
family to have to live what we had to live.
I was wanting to basically at the beginninghelping military family to be able to move
without being separated.
They did they already have all the mission andthe posting and things like that that get the
family separated.
There were no reason when they moved to getseparated.
(14:51):
In 2015, when I started working with families,I've realized pretty fast that it's not putting
a blanket here or there or removing somepicture frame that is difficult.
What is difficult is the decluttering
Yeah.
In preparing a home.
Yeah.
So I get trained in professional organizing.
(15:13):
And the more I was going into home of client,more people were talking to me about their
trauma.
Yes.
They were something that I was having anopening about that.
Not that I was talking to them about my trauma,but that I was able to listen to them, you
know, and empathize
(15:33):
with their with their situation.
Sure.
Exactly.
So we contacted neuroscientists.
We read tons and tons of paper to reallyrealize this is really something.
There's a link between clutter and trauma.
There's a link that what we realized and whenwe had a trauma, we have more chance to
(15:57):
accumulate clutter.
Interesting.
And it's really because, you know, PTSD, forexample, is a stress disorder.
Broma is in the category of a stress disorderwhere the cortisol is all over the place.
Basically, we stay in a state of stress way toolong and it stay there, you know.
(16:22):
Cortisol.
Cortisol.
Cortisol.
Come on.
Give me that.
That's what sounds like when our tones go offand you're then you get in you come back and
there's you you it's a physiological thing forcortisol levels to come back down, and then
What?
And it and it just comes back up.
You know?
Yes.
But not on someone that had had trauma.
Well, okay.
Research says that
(16:43):
You're already out of state.
Yeah.
The cortisol doesn't reduce as much.
So when another event happened the followingday, it raised higher than the previous day.
Gotcha.
And that makes sense because you're when you'rewhen you're traumatized or anybody that's dealt
with trauma, you you have a sense of of, alittle bit of fight and flight, but more so
(17:07):
hypervigilance and worry and anxiety.
Even if you're not even if you're not diagnosedas anxious or having anxiety, there is a
heightened level of keeping what had happenedto you at the front level, and that's a way of
protecting yourself to fight.
You know?
And then yeah.
Yeah.
And then yeah.
Sure.
(17:27):
So but because of that, the court's soul isalways through the roof.
Others today demonstrate that when the cortisolis high, the executive lob, the executive
function in the frontal lobe, they arebypassed.
Okay.
And that's the decision making section.
Right?
Where
Decision making.
To decide if you wanna keep something or throwit away or organize it.
(17:47):
Yep.
Yeah.
Planning, organization, working memory.
You know, when you get in a room and what was Icoming to grab here?
Yeah.
Yeah.
That makes
That kind of question.
Yeah.
So this is really, what's the problem is.
Because without those function, how can youkeep her home tidy?
(18:07):
That's a true question that I'm asking.
Without those function, you know, we theproblem with mental health is we don't see the
problem.
Like, if it would be somebody, like, inforecast and cannot do the dirt cluttering
because they have broken leg and arm, peoplesee it.
(18:28):
People acknowledge.
But if people cannot do their declutteringbecause their executive function, six of them
are not working.
Yeah.
They cannot do as much as the other person.
Yeah.
Someone who, like myself, I've had multipleversions of, orthopedic procedures and time
off.
And we've got, you know, people mowing the lawnbecause they're like, oh, they see me walking
(18:50):
the dogs, and I've got a cast on my arm.
And they're like, oh, do you need help aroundthe house?
When you walk around with a mental injury, youknow, or, you know, or a function of your brain
that's not functioning unless you're unlessyou, like, broadcast it to people.
Hey, everybody.
I've got a I've got a mental injury, not aphysical injury.
I need help here.
And most people aren't gonna that.
You know?
So Yeah.
It goes undiagnosed or unnoticed.
(19:11):
And then the the help you know, that thatportion that would accept the help with a
physical injury is not there for the mentalinjury.
That makes so much sense.
You're blowing my mind right now.
I mean, I never even thought of it this way.
That's why I wanted to have you on this podcastand have this discussion with you, and for both
of them because I think it's been fantasticthat you took what was a problem for you and
(19:32):
same thing with me.
I mean, I took a problem in my mental health,you know, classes and organ and stuff that I
was building for mental health resiliencetraining.
And and I took and that was going god you know,god awfully wrong.
No one was interested, and I started mypodcast.
And then when I started that podcast, Irealized, wait a second.
I'm really good at podcasting, and I'm reallygood at explaining to people how to podcast.
(19:55):
So, let me start another podcast that's gearedmore towards business because I've always been
an entrepreneur.
And for for us to have this conversation andknow that it's gonna benefit not only the
business path because there's could be someoneout there listening.
Maybe they're not a first responder.
Maybe they're not, you know, maybe they're nota hoarder, but this is, like, such a unique of
area of of of concept concept that somebody mayhave an obscure concept that they've been
(20:21):
sitting on for years, and they have anexpertise in it, but they don't think it's a
business, and they wanna start a business.
And it's just lying there.
And, like, wait a second.
If someone can turn their, you know, hoardinginto a business, let's do it.
Let me tell you something.
The number of entrepreneur that I see that hada trauma in their past Oh.
(20:41):
And because of that, they're stuck.
Yeah.
In their business.
They put it on the they put it on the reason ofprocrastination and laziness.
It's not.
Often, it's because the trauma is there.
Their desks are cluttered, and their executivefunction are just saying no.
(21:02):
Not right now.
But it's possible to change that and then besuccessful in business.
So even in business, it's totally apply.
Absolutely.
And that's and, you know, and that's mybusiness what I've done with my business,
including when I went even go back eight almostnine years now for voice over when I started my
(21:24):
voice over business.
You know, it was always you're like, why didyou wanna become a voice over act?
I mean, I know you like to talk, Kyle, but comeon.
You know?
Like, you wanna you wanna strap yourself in ain a padded room and talk to a microphone in
the walls?
And I'm like, sure.
You know?
And I've got, you know, I've got the ability toenunciate and and, you know, have different
character voices, and that's one another reasonwhy I wanted to do voice over.
But it was one of those things where it was itwas something that I could do that eventually I
(21:51):
knew it would help someone.
And sure enough, within the first year, I wasdoing voice over for Atlanta or not not
Atlanta, but Georgia, a suicide preventionhotline.
I was the voice over person for their one oftheir campaigns, and I'm like, boom.
There it is.
And so once that happened, more confidence camein, the understanding why you know, oh, this is
(22:12):
the reason why I did it other than just thefact that I've got a decent voice.
You know?
And and so it's it's neat to hear and talk tosomebody who's who's created something like you
have that can help not only the entrepreneuryourself and eventually, you know, and some of
those first responders.
And a lot of first responders are entrepreneursbecause we have time to do another job,
(22:33):
hopefully.
I'm not a big fan of telling, first respondersthat they should get a second job in because
they have the time in the same industry thatthey're first responder in.
Right?
It's just too much trauma.
It's too much it's too much
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Too much in.
It's too much.
Yeah.
Like, find something else that's completelyseparate.
You know?
Yeah.
So that bring us to 2015, '20 '16,approximately there, where I really start
(22:57):
working with client that had trauma.
And then I specialize to work with people thathave trauma.
We published our first book in 2018 with theDwell Method Explaining It.
And then we put the business on hold for ayear, a year and a half just, before COVID.
(23:22):
It was not COVID yet.
For some family reason, another member of myhousehold got a trauma, fever, PTSD.
Had to help him.
Something happened in his life that make himreally, really affected.
(23:43):
Mhmm.
So I say if I'm to help everybody out there, Ican help someone in my family.
And you've been through it.
Like, you've are now you have the experience.
You mean Correct.
Same reason why I started the Elevate podcast.
I came through my, you you know, my my blindside.
I was I wasn't labeled PTSD yet, but I was Iwas clearly in my on the way, and I raised my
(24:07):
hand before the thirty day period.
And that's the only reason why I wasn'tdiagnosed with PTSD is everything happened in a
really small period of time, and I recognizedthe problem, because another similar incident
happened again within that thirty day period.
And I got off a shift, and I'm like, oh, nope.
I need help.
You know?
(24:27):
And, like, I'm you know, I wasn't suicidal atthe time.
I don't think.
Not now either, but, it's one of those thingswhere I just didn't feel right.
And I'm like, I I reached out to my my mentor,and we've always been open with our mental
health with each other.
And I just asked her.
I said, I don't feel right.
I don't know what's going on with me.
I need you to come over and and figure out whatwe need to do next, and she was
(24:49):
Yeah.
She was
Oh, that's really great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good team.
I'm just lucky
that way.
But after I came through that, that's when Iwas like, oh, I wanna I've got the education
background.
I wanna start something that can help firstresponders.
There's people that are I mean, I was twentyyears in before I had this blindside.
Right?
Twenty years of seeing things from hospitalfrom hospital trauma in in level one trauma
(25:10):
centers and ERs as a respiratory therapist andthen all the stuff you see as a as a paramedic,
let alone the two divorces I was able to, youknow, work through, and I'm meaning not two
different wives.
One wife, two possible divorces was able toknow, that's a traumatic situation, but but it
all built from the previous traumas that wasn'tbeing dealt with.
So it was it was a lot of times where thingswere being poured into the cup, and I wasn't
(25:32):
doing the right things to to, you know, filethose things away.
So it built and built and built and built, andthen these two incidents has happened in a
short period of time that caused this, like,weird, you know, weird physical and emotional,
and mental issue with me in response.
And I'm like, nope.
And then got the help I needed.
And on the backside of that, created what Icreated, then that failed.
(25:56):
And then that's when I'm like, I'm not gonnalet it beat me.
You know?
I'm not gonna let, you know, our stubbornnessand when I say our stubbornness, first
responder's stubbornness, I'm not gonna letfirst first responder's stubbornness, you know,
defeat my ability to create something that Iknow will help us.
And, yes, it is a business because I've got theexpertise to do what I had to do, to make that
(26:16):
business.
And that's when it dawned on me.
I'm like, wait a second.
I already know how to podcast.
I've never been my own podcast host.
Start a podcast.
Let's let's get back on track that way.
And that's that's where we sit now.
So a little bit more, when it comes to when youdecided so you took that year off.
That had to be hard because you felt I'm sureat that point in time, you felt like, oh, we've
(26:36):
got something.
We got lightning in a bottle.
We've got a business.
We you know, I'm no longer doing I'm no longergetting paid
for a first was a priority.
Yeah.
Family's a priority, but but so tell tell me alittle bit more about the decision that when
you started realizing that this this newoutlook on trauma and what you've been through
and what you could basically, you know, providefor your family and put food on the table with
(26:59):
this concept and coach people and stage housesand work with trauma people that are people
that have had trauma and they're decluttering.
Like, what about that time frame where you hadyour idea, then you had to you know, you left
it for family first, but then what did thatstress do to you?
Because I'm sure that was stressful because,like
stress not too bad.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yes.
There's some stress because there are no incomecoming during that period of time.
(27:24):
But, at that moment precisely, the business theprevious business, not that it was not
successful, but it was going in homedecluttering, and you can do only a maximum of
certain number of client per day, and thatlimit to your level of income and so on.
(27:45):
But in 2020 when COVID hit
Everything I
right away say, oh my god.
All the world is getting traumatized right now.
Sure.
So all the people that are already traumatizedMhmm.
Is just a hammer on the nail.
Yep.
Stacking it.
Yep.
Exactly.
(28:06):
And with everybody starting to order online andthose toilet paper
Shortages.
Yeah.
Hoarding.
But with all of that, I told my husband, Jim, Isay, we need to do something.
Gotcha.
We we need now.
Yeah.
Not in two years.
(28:27):
Not now.
So in 2020, we organized the coping with traumasummit that had over 8,000 people that came to
the summit between Christmas and New Year.
It was an online summit in 2020 betweenChristmas and New Year.
Okay.
So Because it's always a tough people tough.
Right.
(28:48):
Period of time for people with trauma.
Sure.
Nine months after COVID stopped the world.
Okay.
Yeah.
That that first Christmas, we were allessentially told to never go anywhere and be
alone.
Exactly.
That one.
That was a hard one too because we didThanksgiving that year via Zoom.
Yes.
We did the same.
Yep.
Yeah.
So we at the the coping with trauma summit, itwas a real success.
(29:13):
People were telling how they everything theywere dealing with.
You know?
Mhmm.
So right away in 2021, we started what cameeventually what we have now as our one year
program.
Okay.
And you so now you have a program where are youstill seeing people physically in your local
(29:35):
area, or is it all online?
It's all online.
I have client around all North America.
I have client in Great Britain, in Australia.
And is that, like, a weekly meeting that youhave?
And then do you, like, when it comes todecluttering, do you, like do they take their
iPhone and show you what they've got or whatthey, you know, like
It's a little bit more the thing is what I didis, you know, with trauma, the problem is you
(29:59):
never know when you get triggered.
Sure.
Oh, absolutely.
So I created the safety net of meeting.
Yeah.
So there's meeting Monday to Saturday, andthere's different time in the day.
So it's really like a safety net that ifsomething pop up, they can jump on a meeting.
Okay.
Okay.
Doesn't mean to come one on one?
(30:20):
It's group style.
It doesn't mean to come at every singlemeeting.
Some do.
Some come to two meetings a week.
So it's really depending of the individual, youknow.
But, there's some online component of materialthat we recorded and there's a workbook.
(30:43):
There's the group.
We're coaching at them.
And yes, I have some client in private, butmost people are in the group program.
So the group program could be a good and that'sand that's exactly what I wanted to do with my
first responder mental health resiliencytraining is eventually do a point where we've
got a group.
You know?
(31:03):
We've got someone we meet once a week.
We've got we we share our stories.
We talk about our successes, our struggles, andI had all this stuff planned.
It's just no one would ever sign up.
No one ever no one even ever showed up for thewebinars.
That's not easy at the beginning.
Not easy.
Not easy.
Not in five months worth of no one showing up,that's when I was like, man, I'm
pretty Yep.
(31:23):
So it Do
it for one year every single day.
Exactly.
But that's when I started.
And I've already I've I know for a fact thatI've already helped probably more first
responders starting my podcast by having it outthere in the world for people to tune in at
their leisure and get the information, youknow, from the at their pace instead of this
forced pace, which is also a problem with usfirst responders.
(31:45):
We don't feel like we need the help.
So it's a nice, you know, non nonabrupt way forthem to to tune in to to hear the different
strategies and the different things that that Ithat I present.
And then, you know, I talk about both podcastson each podcast.
So sometimes the entrepreneurs, as I'm talkingon the other podcast, they come over to this
podcast, and they get entrepreneurial help.
So it's like it's like a it's like two of myyou know, my two passions now, of course, and
(32:09):
are you know, my first responder world is stilla passion.
I'm still doing it.
I'm nine years away from retirement, but Iwanna do something after retirement that still
helps our our people.
And and this podcast and what I'm building withthis, and now I've been I've had people that
have are running events that are May that areasking me to come and speak as first responder.
I've got people asking me to come and speak asbusiness entrepreneur.
(32:32):
So it it's a good it's a good mix of boththings and showing other first responders that
that, you know, that there is It's possible.
Something out there that you can do if you havejust an idea.
So let's get back to, so the way that youstructure everything now is do you how do you
get how do you generate your leads?
Is it what about Facebook ads?
(32:56):
We add Facebook ads.
We add a YouTube channel.
We have a YouTube channel, and we have apodcast.
Okay.
Great.
So, basically, it's our three way of generatingleads.
Okay.
Word-of-mouth, we would love to, but we'retalking about two stigma here.
(33:18):
Mhmm.
It's a different stigma
when you're
taking the not just the mental issue, but thennow you're you're exposing a physical problem
in their space, and that's and that's very,very intimate.
You know?
I get it.
Because most of the people don't let theirfriends and even sometimes their family get in
their house because they feel ashamed of it.
(33:40):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm lucky.
My my wife's a nurse.
And do we have clutter?
A %.
Do we have a room called the mystery bedroomwhere it's hard to walk through?
But that's, like, the catch all.
But it's like Yeah.
But, you know, it's one of those things wherewe do our best keep up.
We do have four dogs, so that helps because wegotta keep things, you know, cleaned up for
them.
But but, no, we have our own.
(34:00):
I mean, and it's one of those things where I'vegot an attic or not an attic.
I've got a crawl space that has so much stuff.
Like, I I would need to go and probably I couldnix probably a third of what's up there.
A lot of it's, you know, previous stuff liketoys for the kids and pictures and stuff like
that.
But a lot of stuff like the different, like,you know, like Christmas decorations.
We've got way too many district.
(34:21):
We don't even use half of the Christmasdecorations we have, but then you start to
think about throwing them away.
We're like, well, I may do this.
You know?
So Yes.
And
that's just the only problem.
When people start decluttering, they feeloverwhelmed.
Well, then that's the biggest part.
Yeah.
If they didn't deal with the trauma Yeah.
And they start right away with decluttering thephysical space, it's a road for failure.
(34:49):
Yeah.
It's in the sense that it makes like apendulum.
You know?
You let go of clutter, it come back.
You let go of clutter, it come back.
You let go of clutter, come back.
You know?
We just went to Disney last weekend, and we gotmore stuff.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
That that's what I him.
To be a how do I pack?
And I'm a box hoarder.
I love my technology boxes.
(35:11):
Everything's packaged so pretty now.
Like, why can't throw this iPhone box away?
I'll never use that iPhone box again, but it'spackaged so nicely.
You know?
It's like and so I've gotten a little bitbetter with that, and I have you know?
But another reason why I don't throw away boxesif especially with technology is sometimes,
well, what if I sell that technology?
I wanna be able to sell it with the originalbox.
(35:31):
And I've had to I've had to I've struggled withthat a little bit too because I understand that
it's worth more or at least looks better to abuyer when it's in the original box.
So it's just, you know, what do I do with that?
So I was able to have some strategic areas tohold that stuff.
That strategic area has now been gotten rid of.
So now I have just a bunch of boxes on a deskin that mystery bedroom, and I need to figure
(35:53):
out what to do with it.
But I will.
Yeah.
So that that bring us to where we are rightnow.
So when it's when you when you have the so isit truly webinar?
Like, are you having another webinar soon to beable to inform people of this?
Or, like, what can we promote for you?
What can I what can you talk about now thatthat anybody listening could go and find what
(36:17):
you do, how to get you know, I'm sure you do afree consult and all that good stuff?
So, what is it that you do now to to helppeople go to the next stage once they hear what
you do?
And and it's intriguing, and it's interestingto them.
Yeah.
Let's say there's two things that I want tomention.
One is a lead by net, an offer that I want todo to people.
(36:42):
Okay.
It's to get the seven secrets of decluttering.
Okay.
Perfect.
And I will provide you, yeah, I will provideyou the address so you can put it in there.
People can complete a short form, and then,they can get into the receiving that first page
(37:05):
explaining them seven secrets of decluttering.
Okay.
And just to give you an example of one of thesecrets, like, you know how people have
tendency to touch everything when theydeclutter a little bit like?
The thing is when you touch your belongings,there's a link between the sense of touch and
the limbic system in the brain.
(37:26):
Oh.
Limbic system, we're talking about Yeah.
Trauma.
I love getting into the science tech and nerdystuff.
So the problem is people touch, let's say, thatlittle plush toy.
Sure.
And they're, oh, it's cute, and they pet it,and all of that.
They don't want to let it go anymore.
Right.
That makes sense.
(37:46):
When someone like Mary Condole, to just nameher, that go out there and say you need to
touch everything and do you feel joy?
It works for some people.
It doesn't work for people with trauma becausethey don't know at some point what does that
mean feeling joy.
(38:08):
And the minute they touch things, they are hitby the wave of emotion of everything that is
accumulated in the limbic system.
So it's not that joy that commits, that fear,that anger, that sadness, that shame, that and
then people become overwhelmed.
They don't put the name of what they feel.
They don't know that it's all these emotionmixed, And they say, I'm overwhelmed.
(38:32):
I need to do something else, and they go strollon their phone or do something else.
Sure.
That's why people feel overwhelmed when theytry to declutter.
And and that's probably the hardest part formost people is that that overwhelmingness.
Yeah.
That overwhelmingness.
Wear a pair of gloves.
Well, just even oh, so you don't get thetactile for
(38:52):
Seriously?
You don't get the tactile?
People declutter 40% more.
Interesting.
And and you don't have to wash your hands sooften.
And people are not as tired at the end of thedecluttering session, and they make objective
decisions so they don't have regrets.
I think that's probably the biggest thing,especially for me because I've been known to be
a procrastinator.
(39:13):
You know?
And I've done a lot of stuff trying to, curb myprocrastination.
And I guess that's probably the toughest thingis that is that overwhelm to get started.
Like, that like, as soon as I'm started, myADHD kicks in, and I'm awesome.
You know, I can I can make decisions?
You know, I can I can set okay?
(39:34):
I I don't know about this one yet, and I'll setit into a corner, and then I'll like, nope.
I don't care about that, and I'll throw itaway.
Like, as when I start getting when I when Iwant as soon as I turn the corner of doing any
of my projects, whether that's building,whether that's, you know, decluttering my
because I've I've had issues with decluttering.
I have, and it makes total sense.
That's why I wanted to talk to you.
And so this is kind of helpful for me too.
(39:55):
And as a as a personal realm, let alone who'slistening.
But, yeah, that getting started, I think, isthe hardest part.
And let me tell you that and that sucks.
But the reason why is because the trauma is notall let it go.
Sure.
Oh, yeah.
There's still so much dormant trauma in all ofus first responders and people.
And That's why.
(40:16):
Yeah.
When we let go of the coping mechanismassociated with the trauma, then we're able to
pass.
So we developed a four step process that we'lltalk in the other podcast, but that really
allow people to be able to declutter andmaintain it after.
Fantastic.
So yeah.
Awesome.
(40:36):
Just a little bracket on Yeah.
No.
That's great.
Gloves and the sense of touch that is one ofthe secrets.
As soon as you held up the gloves, I'm like,tactile.
I'm like, that's why.
Yeah.
You touch something.
You feel that softness.
You remember the memory of that softness, thathardness, that that toy you picked up that you
had so much fun with.
You remember having that toy in your hands.
Like, our memories are way better than we thinkon on all of our senses.
(40:58):
Of course, smell is the best.
You know, maybe you should tell people to clogtheir nose as they clean up stuff that may have
smell
I have something for their sense of smell.
Yeah.
Because smell is the strongest.
Yeah.
Smell is
the strongest.
Touch is is up there.
You know, I think audio, listening hearingsomething is second highest in memory recall,
but tactile is right there with it.
(41:19):
So alright.
Great.
Well, well, let's bring things to an end.
Do you have anything else?
Oh, sorry.
Didn't wanna touch off.
Did you have
something people, I'm not sure when that willbe broadcasted, but when you get the seven
secrets, when you receive that, don't hesitateto email us back.
Okay.
Because we frequently have some master class orchallenge Okay.
(41:41):
For And once once they sign
up for that, are they in, like, your your
Yes.
Your chain of your chain of of ofcommunication?
Okay.
Yes.
So they can get to know, like, we are yieldingone on the sixth to the May 8.
Okay.
Next week.
Yep.
We have we're having a master class, and thatwould be really, really fun where I talk more
(42:06):
about different strategy to be able to tacklethat clutter.
Okay.
Well, fantastic.
And we'll put that link to that master classsign up.
If people have clutter, I highly encourage themto come to the masterclass.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Well, Valerie, thank you so much for coming onthe Ignition Path podcast today.
(42:26):
I have so many more questions, of course, but Ithink I'm gonna save those for the because it's
more first responder oriented, and it'll we'llwe'll dive deeper into that whole world of
first responders and and how many people rightnow that you work with that are first
responders and and those first responders thatare listening, that may, need need don't even
(42:46):
know that they need this help.
But for now, you know, the ignition path, thankyou so much for sharing your story.
It's a very great one.
Those who are listening and hearing Valerie'sstory, just know that no matter what business
idea you have and you're already doingsomething else out there, just keep just keep
swimming just like they say in in in Nemo.
Dory keeps just keep swimming.
(43:07):
Keep on plugging away.
If you fail, just like I mentioned that Ifailed on one portion of my business, my I
failed forward.
I failed and went into the podcasting, whichthen accelerated everything else.
Then now it's come full circle, and I'm helpingfirst responders in other ways.
So, so just know that the that the IgnitionPath podcast is put out there for you to have
(43:29):
understanding and courage to get through theproblems that you face, to spark those ideas
that you may be pushing down, to understandthat that all of my other episodes have very
unique different business paths, and I I highlyencourage you to tune into those.
But, Valerie, thanks so much for coming ontoday.
And, of course, all of her information that wetalked about will be in the show notes.
(43:50):
And, don't forget to like, subscribe, andshare.
And if you've listened to any part of thisepisode today and you, you it resonates with
you or someone else that you may know, hit thatshare button, send it off through your phone or
through your computer, and let them hear ittoo.
So thanks so much, Valerie, for coming on.
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much, Kyle.
Alright.
Take care.
Thank you for listening to Ignition Path,fueling the entrepreneurial fire.
There's a link between clutter and trauma.
(00:03):
There's a link that what we realized and whenwe had a trauma, we have more chance to
accumulate clutter.
Hello, and welcome back to the Ignition Pathpodcast.
My name is Kyle Goodnight.
I'll be your host.
Today, I've got a great, I stumbled across herbook, flipping through Facebook, I think it
(00:27):
was, and it's an amazing concept of what shehas come up with.
Then we had our pre meeting, and we ended upfinding out that we, I'm a first responder as
everyone knows.
And she was a first responder, and I was like,wow.
This is a great, you know, connection of howthe first responder world and the trauma world
combined with what she's doing now.
And I'm not gonna spoil it spoil it.
(00:49):
I'm gonna let her discuss everything about whatshe's doing now in the trauma informed world.
But I've got Valerie Uwa on with me.
How are you doing, Valerie?
Pretty good.
Thank you, Kyle.
Thanks so much for coming on the podcast.
Of course, before we get started, everybody,don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.
If you hear if you're listening to this messageor watching it on YouTube, please don't
(01:10):
hesitate to hit that share button.
Hit that subscribe button on YouTube.
Let people know about this content.
That's the only way we're gonna grow is lettingyou word-of-mouth, letting it get out there.
What's really cool is, of course, a lot ofpeople know that I have two podcasts.
Valerie is gonna be a secondary guest on myother podcast.
We'll we'll dive more into the first responderworld and the trauma stuff that she deals with.
(01:32):
But today, we're gonna focus on her business,how she was a first responder first, and then
what she did and the and the path that she tookto ignite her new passion and what she's doing
now.
So, Valerie, go ahead and tell us a little bitabout yourself, a little bit about your
background.
Go ahead and share with us about a little bitmore about your timing and time frame and and
what you did in the first responder world.
(01:53):
Of course, you're from Ontario, Canada, so it'sa whole another you know, we we all first
responders all deal with the same stressanywhere in the world because we see the same
things, but it's it's how the differentmunicipalities and the different countries
operate their systems that could apply morestress than others and have more things in
place than others.
And and I know a few people from Canada thatwere first responders, and it's a whole
(02:16):
different ballgame up there, when it comes tomental health and how they help you deal with
stuff.
And even in the nursing world, it's evendifferent up there.
So, once again, sorry.
I kinda got off on a tangent there.
Go ahead and tell us who you are, yourbackground as an EMS, and then how how things
got started, and we'll go from there.
So let's go back thirty ago.
(02:36):
Thirty year okay.
So about the time I started health care.
So that would've
been, like,
'97.
That would've been right around
'90 before that.
Let's say '92.
Oh, okay.
Alright.
So A little bit more than thirty years.
Okay.
So that's when I was developing my passion forfirst aid.
Okay.
So I got in a organization called St.
(02:56):
John Ambulance.
That is international organization.
And this is where I first start assisting tohockey game and so on.
The national the national day that we werecelebrating and things like that, like
(03:17):
administrating first aid during those events.
So that was my first touch to first aid.
And a little bit later in '96, I got intooccupational therapy.
That's just a little part in my journey, butthat makes a lot of sense when we get to
decluttering later on.
(03:38):
Absolutely.
If I'm knowing what you do now, that's, like, aperfect, like Exactly.
The passions and the what you learned there isactually what's helping you in your business
now compared to the first responder stuff thatyou'll talk about.
Yeah.
Because I I worked in a hospital as well, so Iknow all about occupational therapy, physical
therapy, phys you know, respiratory therapy.
That's what I am and was.
So yeah.
(03:58):
And then in '98, I don't know if you guysremember, but in Quebec province, there were a
huge ice storm.
Do
know.
They declare national
Emergency.
Yeah.
Emergency and all of that.
And it was a good three weeks withoutelectricity for thousand and thousand and
(04:20):
thousand of hundred and hundred thousands ofpeople without electricity on a big area.
So that was my first introduction to reallyemergency state.
And, like, we were the one installing theemergency shelter and all that kind of stuff.
(04:44):
Okay.
And, you know, evacuating, elder from theresidency or the nursing care where they were
because there were no electricity there.
There were no backup.
There were no nothing.
So they were they cannot stay there on theirmachine.
So fast forward February in Quebec province,they decided to install the first responder
(05:10):
program.
And one of that program was to trainfirefighter, policemen, and other people in the
first aid section so they can be there beforeEMS or paramedic gets on.
Okay.
Like, before the beginning of February, therewere no paramedic in Quebec province.
(05:33):
They were called
Okay.
I'm not sure in English how we were callingthem, but probably EMS or something like that.
It's just that they were not trained with thedifferent medication and things like that.
Okay.
But they were still the people in theambulance.
But that kind of two speed system got in storeat the beginning of February.
(05:58):
And this is where I played a big role inhelping installing that system in Quebec
province in all the South Shore Of Montreal,training the instructor and so on.
Okay.
That was fascinating.
And I was also doing back then the Formula oneraces in Montreal and all other activities
(06:24):
going on on that.
So that's what that's the the Formula one race.
You know?
And
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Sure.
Sure.
The kart, the NASCAR, the all of them comingthere.
So and we got some interesting things overthere because it's on an island.
(06:45):
You know?
Yeah.
Exactly.
There's some place that we cannot evacuate thedriver
Mhmm.
Via road.
Right.
You gotta go helicopter.
Right?
Yeah.
No.
We need to go boat before.
Boat before.
Okay.
And then an ambulance to the helicopter.
Okay.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
To the Oh, yeah.
(07:05):
To the definitive level one trauma center.
Or what do you guys call them up there?
Ours our top notch, trauma centers here calledlevel one.
What do you guys call them in Canada?
Trauma Center.
Just trauma center?
Like, we have different designations.
So we have some hospitals that are trauma two,but there's they can still deal with, you know,
ninety nine percent of all traumas.
And, actually, certain traumas that even ourour main level two here in Columbus, Ohio,
(07:30):
like, I will always take a hand injury to thatone.
I won't take that hand injury to the level onebecause all the hand surgeons are at all the
proper world renowned microsurgeons are at thelevel two center.
And the the really only thing difference.
It's a little bit different.
A little bit different.
I'll say that you can take a head injury to anyhospital.
(07:50):
We could take them to any hospital, but theideal like, the the primary the best place to
go where someone would actually most likelyhave the the chance of using their hand that's
been chopped off or fingers that have beenmessed up.
It should be
So sometime it will be bring to anotherhospital, stabilize, and then bring
Then bring to
the other hospital.
Oh, sure.
Sure.
I mean, if it's depending on depending on howit is.
(08:12):
I'm just lucky I live in the city, and and I'monly twenty minutes away if I'm driving normal,
let alone lights and sirens to get to any of mytrauma centers.
I'm just very lucky where I live.
We've got high level pediatric and adult traumacare.
I mean, the Ohio State University is right inmy backyard, and that's a that's a that's, you
know, one of the top hospitals in the countryas well.
(08:32):
So
Yeah.
Now in Montreal, we have one as well K.
That is designated for the races, and they evenbuild on the race, they build a hospital.
Yeah.
Oh, for sure.
To stabilize.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
With X rays, with everything.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Operation room on this.
(08:52):
So when you were working all of that stuff,that was just your you that that one wasn't an
entrepreneurial thing.
That wasn't your own business.
That was just working
for the man.
That was just working for the municipality orthe private sector.
Correct.
And and you were just clocking in and clockingout, doing your time, and and and having your
days off.
Okay.
But at some point, life continue rolling on,and I was having all in my memory.
(09:20):
I was having nightmare.
I was having flashback.
I was having difficulty sleeping.
Yeah.
You know?
I just went to a conference last Friday, andyou you listed like, of course, you there's
four categories of PTSD.
And, of course, like, everything you've listedso far is, like, the top number one thing on
each category.
Exactly.
Top twice.
So many of were
(09:43):
never trained in what PTSD is or how torecognize it, and we're getting better, and we
still need to get better.
And that'll be our subject of the otherpodcast, of course.
But go on.
Sorry.
Didn't mean to interrupt.
So, basically, I got diagnosed with PTSD backthen.
You did get diagnosed.
Okay.
I got diagnosed.
Yes.
Back then, they were not talking about complexPTSD or childhood.
(10:07):
Those designations were were not there.
So but I got diagnosed, and the psychiatristasked me to stop what I was doing, basically.
Okay.
Like, one one goal is just get out of the getout of the fire.
Right?
Yeah.
But to get on leave first and but I was notable to go back after.
(10:31):
So but it was the beginning of my journey ofself growth and healing.
And my husband got into into the militaryduring that time and came the moment where we
were needing to move.
They sent an estimator because it's themilitary who moves you from place to place in
the country, And I will always remember thatguy coming in and saying, ma'am, we cannot move
(10:55):
you.
You need to let go of at least half yourbelongings.
Wow.
We were having the equivalent of a 18 wheelertruck of clutter to let go.
Even if I'm talk big
Yeah.
People were able to come in my home and notseeing the clutter.
It was all in hidden place.
(11:15):
So my living room, my dining room, yes, therewere piles of paper on the dining room and
kids' toys around it, but it was not like wesee on the hoarder show Sure. Where
Where they bring drumster.
You know?
I've been in hoarder homes just as you probablyhave
As well.
On emergency rooms.
We're like, we have to chop the side of thehouse off so before we can get them out of
(11:36):
here, that kind of stuff.
Yeah.
But we were able to circulate and all of thatin the home.
So but that was the first time where it reallyhit me.
I need to let go of half my possession.
Yeah.
But it can be tough.
So, yeah, my husband had to move first becausewe had three months to declutter.
(11:57):
That wasn't enough.
And I stayed behind with two toddlers.
And the night he left, I was really wonderingwill be will we be able to reunite at some
point?
You know, all those questions about life.
And then I started on a journey ofdecluttering.
But what is fascinating is after a couplemonths decluttering, I was smiling.
(12:20):
I was laughing.
I didn't need a nap in the afternoon.
I was not having nightmare anymore in thenight.
Like, as I let go of my possession, I let go ofthe trauma as well.
Wow.
Exactly.
So we'll dive more into that into the otherpodcast.
Yeah.
So
Yeah.
(12:41):
Well, we'll dive a little bit here because I dohave a question.
So because I'm sure that what you're doing now,we'll get more into depth on exactly what
you've created, which is why I really wantedyou like, what an I was so glad I found your
name and was able to contact you because I'mlike, this is a great topic for both my
podcasts.
But when it comes to you know?
So what did you find or the studies that youfound?
(13:02):
Because I know you've you've written a book andyou have a program that deals with, you know,
clutter and trauma, you know, trauma informedand trauma, you know, what what what we do and
what some people do as trauma.
What when it comes to I'm trying to figure outhow to ask this question without giving
everything away until later.
(13:23):
Do you did you find when you started youmentioned that you started being happier as you
let go of some possessions.
Were some of those possessions, like, holdingon to some of the trauma that you had a
reminder on
certain things?
Some no.
Okay.
Some yes.
Some no.
So and then we were able to reunite.
Were you sure you weren't just happy becauseyour husband wasn't there?
(13:45):
I don't know.
I'm sure.
I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
My my wife is happy at certain times when I'mnot around, but then she's always like, I miss
you.
No.
No.
I was having two children with disability backthen.
I was fostering.
So yeah.
Alone, it's a little bit a lot.
(14:06):
And when we reunite, I decided to become a homestager.
This is when we decided to get on TV, theentrepreneurial journey.
Okay.
Because I was wanting
to What year was that?
What year was that, you think?
That's in 2014.
Okay.
And then I did my training before starting thebusiness to be basically, I didn't want other
(14:30):
family to have to live what we had to live.
I was wanting to basically at the beginninghelping military family to be able to move
without being separated.
They did they already have all the mission andthe posting and things like that that get the
family separated.
There were no reason when they moved to getseparated.
(14:51):
In 2015, when I started working with families,I've realized pretty fast that it's not putting
a blanket here or there or removing somepicture frame that is difficult.
What is difficult is the decluttering
Yeah.
In preparing a home.
Yeah.
So I get trained in professional organizing.
(15:13):
And the more I was going into home of client,more people were talking to me about their
trauma.
Yes.
They were something that I was having anopening about that.
Not that I was talking to them about my trauma,but that I was able to listen to them, you
know, and empathize
(15:33):
with their with their situation.
Sure.
Exactly.
So we contacted neuroscientists.
We read tons and tons of paper to reallyrealize this is really something.
There's a link between clutter and trauma.
There's a link that what we realized and whenwe had a trauma, we have more chance to
(15:57):
accumulate clutter.
Interesting.
And it's really because, you know, PTSD, forexample, is a stress disorder.
Broma is in the category of a stress disorderwhere the cortisol is all over the place.
Basically, we stay in a state of stress way toolong and it stay there, you know.
(16:22):
Cortisol.
Cortisol.
Cortisol.
Come on.
Give me that.
That's what sounds like when our tones go offand you're then you get in you come back and
there's you you it's a physiological thing forcortisol levels to come back down, and then
What?
And it and it just comes back up.
You know?
Yes.
But not on someone that had had trauma.
Well, okay.
Research says that
(16:43):
You're already out of state.
Yeah.
The cortisol doesn't reduce as much.
So when another event happened the followingday, it raised higher than the previous day.
Gotcha.
And that makes sense because you're when you'rewhen you're traumatized or anybody that's dealt
with trauma, you you have a sense of of, alittle bit of fight and flight, but more so
(17:07):
hypervigilance and worry and anxiety.
Even if you're not even if you're not diagnosedas anxious or having anxiety, there is a
heightened level of keeping what had happenedto you at the front level, and that's a way of
protecting yourself to fight.
You know?
And then yeah.
Yeah.
And then yeah.
Sure.
(17:27):
So but because of that, the court's soul isalways through the roof.
Others today demonstrate that when the cortisolis high, the executive lob, the executive
function in the frontal lobe, they arebypassed.
Okay.
And that's the decision making section.
Right?
Where
Decision making.
To decide if you wanna keep something or throwit away or organize it.
(17:47):
Yep.
Yeah.
Planning, organization, working memory.
You know, when you get in a room and what was Icoming to grab here?
Yeah.
Yeah.
That makes
That kind of question.
Yeah.
So this is really, what's the problem is.
Because without those function, how can youkeep her home tidy?
(18:07):
That's a true question that I'm asking.
Without those function, you know, we theproblem with mental health is we don't see the
problem.
Like, if it would be somebody, like, inforecast and cannot do the dirt cluttering
because they have broken leg and arm, peoplesee it.
(18:28):
People acknowledge.
But if people cannot do their declutteringbecause their executive function, six of them
are not working.
Yeah.
They cannot do as much as the other person.
Yeah.
Someone who, like myself, I've had multipleversions of, orthopedic procedures and time
off.
And we've got, you know, people mowing the lawnbecause they're like, oh, they see me walking
(18:50):
the dogs, and I've got a cast on my arm.
And they're like, oh, do you need help aroundthe house?
When you walk around with a mental injury, youknow, or, you know, or a function of your brain
that's not functioning unless you're unlessyou, like, broadcast it to people.
Hey, everybody.
I've got a I've got a mental injury, not aphysical injury.
I need help here.
And most people aren't gonna that.
You know?
So Yeah.
It goes undiagnosed or unnoticed.
(19:11):
And then the the help you know, that thatportion that would accept the help with a
physical injury is not there for the mentalinjury.
That makes so much sense.
You're blowing my mind right now.
I mean, I never even thought of it this way.
That's why I wanted to have you on this podcastand have this discussion with you, and for both
of them because I think it's been fantasticthat you took what was a problem for you and
(19:32):
same thing with me.
I mean, I took a problem in my mental health,you know, classes and organ and stuff that I
was building for mental health resiliencetraining.
And and I took and that was going god you know,god awfully wrong.
No one was interested, and I started mypodcast.
And then when I started that podcast, Irealized, wait a second.
I'm really good at podcasting, and I'm reallygood at explaining to people how to podcast.
(19:55):
So, let me start another podcast that's gearedmore towards business because I've always been
an entrepreneur.
And for for us to have this conversation andknow that it's gonna benefit not only the
business path because there's could be someoneout there listening.
Maybe they're not a first responder.
Maybe they're not, you know, maybe they're nota hoarder, but this is, like, such a unique of
area of of of concept concept that somebody mayhave an obscure concept that they've been
(20:21):
sitting on for years, and they have anexpertise in it, but they don't think it's a
business, and they wanna start a business.
And it's just lying there.
And, like, wait a second.
If someone can turn their, you know, hoardinginto a business, let's do it.
Let me tell you something.
The number of entrepreneur that I see that hada trauma in their past Oh.
(20:41):
And because of that, they're stuck.
Yeah.
In their business.
They put it on the they put it on the reason ofprocrastination and laziness.
It's not.
Often, it's because the trauma is there.
Their desks are cluttered, and their executivefunction are just saying no.
(21:02):
Not right now.
But it's possible to change that and then besuccessful in business.
So even in business, it's totally apply.
Absolutely.
And that's and, you know, and that's mybusiness what I've done with my business,
including when I went even go back eight almostnine years now for voice over when I started my
(21:24):
voice over business.
You know, it was always you're like, why didyou wanna become a voice over act?
I mean, I know you like to talk, Kyle, but comeon.
You know?
Like, you wanna you wanna strap yourself in ain a padded room and talk to a microphone in
the walls?
And I'm like, sure.
You know?
And I've got, you know, I've got the ability toenunciate and and, you know, have different
character voices, and that's one another reasonwhy I wanted to do voice over.
But it was one of those things where it was itwas something that I could do that eventually I
(21:51):
knew it would help someone.
And sure enough, within the first year, I wasdoing voice over for Atlanta or not not
Atlanta, but Georgia, a suicide preventionhotline.
I was the voice over person for their one oftheir campaigns, and I'm like, boom.
There it is.
And so once that happened, more confidence camein, the understanding why you know, oh, this is
(22:12):
the reason why I did it other than just thefact that I've got a decent voice.
You know?
And and so it's it's neat to hear and talk tosomebody who's who's created something like you
have that can help not only the entrepreneuryourself and eventually, you know, and some of
those first responders.
And a lot of first responders are entrepreneursbecause we have time to do another job,
(22:33):
hopefully.
I'm not a big fan of telling, first respondersthat they should get a second job in because
they have the time in the same industry thatthey're first responder in.
Right?
It's just too much trauma.
It's too much it's too much
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Too much in.
It's too much.
Yeah.
Like, find something else that's completelyseparate.
You know?
Yeah.
So that bring us to 2015, '20 '16,approximately there, where I really start
(22:57):
working with client that had trauma.
And then I specialize to work with people thathave trauma.
We published our first book in 2018 with theDwell Method Explaining It.
And then we put the business on hold for ayear, a year and a half just, before COVID.
(23:22):
It was not COVID yet.
For some family reason, another member of myhousehold got a trauma, fever, PTSD.
Had to help him.
Something happened in his life that make himreally, really affected.
(23:43):
Mhmm.
So I say if I'm to help everybody out there, Ican help someone in my family.
And you've been through it.
Like, you've are now you have the experience.
You mean Correct.
Same reason why I started the Elevate podcast.
I came through my, you you know, my my blindside.
I was I wasn't labeled PTSD yet, but I was Iwas clearly in my on the way, and I raised my
(24:07):
hand before the thirty day period.
And that's the only reason why I wasn'tdiagnosed with PTSD is everything happened in a
really small period of time, and I recognizedthe problem, because another similar incident
happened again within that thirty day period.
And I got off a shift, and I'm like, oh, nope.
I need help.
You know?
(24:27):
And, like, I'm you know, I wasn't suicidal atthe time.
I don't think.
Not now either, but, it's one of those thingswhere I just didn't feel right.
And I'm like, I I reached out to my my mentor,and we've always been open with our mental
health with each other.
And I just asked her.
I said, I don't feel right.
I don't know what's going on with me.
I need you to come over and and figure out whatwe need to do next, and she was
(24:49):
Yeah.
She was
Oh, that's really great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good team.
I'm just lucky
that way.
But after I came through that, that's when Iwas like, oh, I wanna I've got the education
background.
I wanna start something that can help firstresponders.
There's people that are I mean, I was twentyyears in before I had this blindside.
Right?
Twenty years of seeing things from hospitalfrom hospital trauma in in level one trauma
(25:10):
centers and ERs as a respiratory therapist andthen all the stuff you see as a as a paramedic,
let alone the two divorces I was able to, youknow, work through, and I'm meaning not two
different wives.
One wife, two possible divorces was able toknow, that's a traumatic situation, but but it
all built from the previous traumas that wasn'tbeing dealt with.
So it was it was a lot of times where thingswere being poured into the cup, and I wasn't
(25:32):
doing the right things to to, you know, filethose things away.
So it built and built and built and built, andthen these two incidents has happened in a
short period of time that caused this, like,weird, you know, weird physical and emotional,
and mental issue with me in response.
And I'm like, nope.
And then got the help I needed.
And on the backside of that, created what Icreated, then that failed.
(25:56):
And then that's when I'm like, I'm not gonnalet it beat me.
You know?
I'm not gonna let, you know, our stubbornnessand when I say our stubbornness, first
responder's stubbornness, I'm not gonna letfirst first responder's stubbornness, you know,
defeat my ability to create something that Iknow will help us.
And, yes, it is a business because I've got theexpertise to do what I had to do, to make that
(26:16):
business.
And that's when it dawned on me.
I'm like, wait a second.
I already know how to podcast.
I've never been my own podcast host.
Start a podcast.
Let's let's get back on track that way.
And that's that's where we sit now.
So a little bit more, when it comes to when youdecided so you took that year off.
That had to be hard because you felt I'm sureat that point in time, you felt like, oh, we've
(26:36):
got something.
We got lightning in a bottle.
We've got a business.
We you know, I'm no longer doing I'm no longergetting paid
for a first was a priority.
Yeah.
Family's a priority, but but so tell tell me alittle bit more about the decision that when
you started realizing that this this newoutlook on trauma and what you've been through
and what you could basically, you know, providefor your family and put food on the table with
(26:59):
this concept and coach people and stage housesand work with trauma people that are people
that have had trauma and they're decluttering.
Like, what about that time frame where you hadyour idea, then you had to you know, you left
it for family first, but then what did thatstress do to you?
Because I'm sure that was stressful because,like
stress not too bad.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yes.
There's some stress because there are no incomecoming during that period of time.
(27:24):
But, at that moment precisely, the business theprevious business, not that it was not
successful, but it was going in homedecluttering, and you can do only a maximum of
certain number of client per day, and thatlimit to your level of income and so on.
(27:45):
But in 2020 when COVID hit
Everything I
right away say, oh my god.
All the world is getting traumatized right now.
Sure.
So all the people that are already traumatizedMhmm.
Is just a hammer on the nail.
Yep.
Stacking it.
Yep.
Exactly.
(28:06):
And with everybody starting to order online andthose toilet paper
Shortages.
Yeah.
Hoarding.
But with all of that, I told my husband, Jim, Isay, we need to do something.
Gotcha.
We we need now.
Yeah.
Not in two years.
(28:27):
Not now.
So in 2020, we organized the coping with traumasummit that had over 8,000 people that came to
the summit between Christmas and New Year.
It was an online summit in 2020 betweenChristmas and New Year.
Okay.
So Because it's always a tough people tough.
Right.
(28:48):
Period of time for people with trauma.
Sure.
Nine months after COVID stopped the world.
Okay.
Yeah.
That that first Christmas, we were allessentially told to never go anywhere and be
alone.
Exactly.
That one.
That was a hard one too because we didThanksgiving that year via Zoom.
Yes.
We did the same.
Yep.
Yeah.
So we at the the coping with trauma summit, itwas a real success.
(29:13):
People were telling how they everything theywere dealing with.
You know?
Mhmm.
So right away in 2021, we started what cameeventually what we have now as our one year
program.
Okay.
And you so now you have a program where are youstill seeing people physically in your local
(29:35):
area, or is it all online?
It's all online.
I have client around all North America.
I have client in Great Britain, in Australia.
And is that, like, a weekly meeting that youhave?
And then do you, like, when it comes todecluttering, do you, like do they take their
iPhone and show you what they've got or whatthey, you know, like
It's a little bit more the thing is what I didis, you know, with trauma, the problem is you
(29:59):
never know when you get triggered.
Sure.
Oh, absolutely.
So I created the safety net of meeting.
Yeah.
So there's meeting Monday to Saturday, andthere's different time in the day.
So it's really like a safety net that ifsomething pop up, they can jump on a meeting.
Okay.
Okay.
Doesn't mean to come one on one?
(30:20):
It's group style.
It doesn't mean to come at every singlemeeting.
Some do.
Some come to two meetings a week.
So it's really depending of the individual, youknow.
But, there's some online component of materialthat we recorded and there's a workbook.
(30:43):
There's the group.
We're coaching at them.
And yes, I have some client in private, butmost people are in the group program.
So the group program could be a good and that'sand that's exactly what I wanted to do with my
first responder mental health resiliencytraining is eventually do a point where we've
got a group.
You know?
(31:03):
We've got someone we meet once a week.
We've got we we share our stories.
We talk about our successes, our struggles, andI had all this stuff planned.
It's just no one would ever sign up.
No one ever no one even ever showed up for thewebinars.
That's not easy at the beginning.
Not easy.
Not easy.
Not in five months worth of no one showing up,that's when I was like, man, I'm
pretty Yep.
(31:23):
So it Do
it for one year every single day.
Exactly.
But that's when I started.
And I've already I've I know for a fact thatI've already helped probably more first
responders starting my podcast by having it outthere in the world for people to tune in at
their leisure and get the information, youknow, from the at their pace instead of this
forced pace, which is also a problem with usfirst responders.
(31:45):
We don't feel like we need the help.
So it's a nice, you know, non nonabrupt way forthem to to tune in to to hear the different
strategies and the different things that that Ithat I present.
And then, you know, I talk about both podcastson each podcast.
So sometimes the entrepreneurs, as I'm talkingon the other podcast, they come over to this
podcast, and they get entrepreneurial help.
So it's like it's like a it's like two of myyou know, my two passions now, of course, and
(32:09):
are you know, my first responder world is stilla passion.
I'm still doing it.
I'm nine years away from retirement, but Iwanna do something after retirement that still
helps our our people.
And and this podcast and what I'm building withthis, and now I've been I've had people that
have are running events that are May that areasking me to come and speak as first responder.
I've got people asking me to come and speak asbusiness entrepreneur.
(32:32):
So it it's a good it's a good mix of boththings and showing other first responders that
that, you know, that there is It's possible.
Something out there that you can do if you havejust an idea.
So let's get back to, so the way that youstructure everything now is do you how do you
get how do you generate your leads?
Is it what about Facebook ads?
(32:56):
We add Facebook ads.
We add a YouTube channel.
We have a YouTube channel, and we have apodcast.
Okay.
Great.
So, basically, it's our three way of generatingleads.
Okay.
Word-of-mouth, we would love to, but we'retalking about two stigma here.
(33:18):
Mhmm.
It's a different stigma
when you're
taking the not just the mental issue, but thennow you're you're exposing a physical problem
in their space, and that's and that's very,very intimate.
You know?
I get it.
Because most of the people don't let theirfriends and even sometimes their family get in
their house because they feel ashamed of it.
(33:40):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm lucky.
My my wife's a nurse.
And do we have clutter?
A %.
Do we have a room called the mystery bedroomwhere it's hard to walk through?
But that's, like, the catch all.
But it's like Yeah.
But, you know, it's one of those things wherewe do our best keep up.
We do have four dogs, so that helps because wegotta keep things, you know, cleaned up for
them.
But but, no, we have our own.
(34:00):
I mean, and it's one of those things where I'vegot an attic or not an attic.
I've got a crawl space that has so much stuff.
Like, I I would need to go and probably I couldnix probably a third of what's up there.
A lot of it's, you know, previous stuff liketoys for the kids and pictures and stuff like
that.
But a lot of stuff like the different, like,you know, like Christmas decorations.
We've got way too many district.
(34:21):
We don't even use half of the Christmasdecorations we have, but then you start to
think about throwing them away.
We're like, well, I may do this.
You know?
So Yes.
And
that's just the only problem.
When people start decluttering, they feeloverwhelmed.
Well, then that's the biggest part.
Yeah.
If they didn't deal with the trauma Yeah.
And they start right away with decluttering thephysical space, it's a road for failure.
(34:49):
Yeah.
It's in the sense that it makes like apendulum.
You know?
You let go of clutter, it come back.
You let go of clutter, it come back.
You let go of clutter, come back.
You know?
We just went to Disney last weekend, and we gotmore stuff.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
That that's what I him.
To be a how do I pack?
And I'm a box hoarder.
I love my technology boxes.
(35:11):
Everything's packaged so pretty now.
Like, why can't throw this iPhone box away?
I'll never use that iPhone box again, but it'spackaged so nicely.
You know?
It's like and so I've gotten a little bitbetter with that, and I have you know?
But another reason why I don't throw away boxesif especially with technology is sometimes,
well, what if I sell that technology?
I wanna be able to sell it with the originalbox.
(35:31):
And I've had to I've had to I've struggled withthat a little bit too because I understand that
it's worth more or at least looks better to abuyer when it's in the original box.
So it's just, you know, what do I do with that?
So I was able to have some strategic areas tohold that stuff.
That strategic area has now been gotten rid of.
So now I have just a bunch of boxes on a deskin that mystery bedroom, and I need to figure
(35:53):
out what to do with it.
But I will.
Yeah.
So that that bring us to where we are rightnow.
So when it's when you when you have the so isit truly webinar?
Like, are you having another webinar soon to beable to inform people of this?
Or, like, what can we promote for you?
What can I what can you talk about now thatthat anybody listening could go and find what
(36:17):
you do, how to get you know, I'm sure you do afree consult and all that good stuff?
So, what is it that you do now to to helppeople go to the next stage once they hear what
you do?
And and it's intriguing, and it's interestingto them.
Yeah.
Let's say there's two things that I want tomention.
One is a lead by net, an offer that I want todo to people.
(36:42):
Okay.
It's to get the seven secrets of decluttering.
Okay.
Perfect.
And I will provide you, yeah, I will provideyou the address so you can put it in there.
People can complete a short form, and then,they can get into the receiving that first page
(37:05):
explaining them seven secrets of decluttering.
Okay.
And just to give you an example of one of thesecrets, like, you know how people have
tendency to touch everything when theydeclutter a little bit like?
The thing is when you touch your belongings,there's a link between the sense of touch and
the limbic system in the brain.
(37:26):
Oh.
Limbic system, we're talking about Yeah.
Trauma.
I love getting into the science tech and nerdystuff.
So the problem is people touch, let's say, thatlittle plush toy.
Sure.
And they're, oh, it's cute, and they pet it,and all of that.
They don't want to let it go anymore.
Right.
That makes sense.
(37:46):
When someone like Mary Condole, to just nameher, that go out there and say you need to
touch everything and do you feel joy?
It works for some people.
It doesn't work for people with trauma becausethey don't know at some point what does that
mean feeling joy.
(38:08):
And the minute they touch things, they are hitby the wave of emotion of everything that is
accumulated in the limbic system.
So it's not that joy that commits, that fear,that anger, that sadness, that shame, that and
then people become overwhelmed.
They don't put the name of what they feel.
They don't know that it's all these emotionmixed, And they say, I'm overwhelmed.
(38:32):
I need to do something else, and they go strollon their phone or do something else.
Sure.
That's why people feel overwhelmed when theytry to declutter.
And and that's probably the hardest part formost people is that that overwhelmingness.
Yeah.
That overwhelmingness.
Wear a pair of gloves.
Well, just even oh, so you don't get thetactile for
(38:52):
Seriously?
You don't get the tactile?
People declutter 40% more.
Interesting.
And and you don't have to wash your hands sooften.
And people are not as tired at the end of thedecluttering session, and they make objective
decisions so they don't have regrets.
I think that's probably the biggest thing,especially for me because I've been known to be
a procrastinator.
(39:13):
You know?
And I've done a lot of stuff trying to, curb myprocrastination.
And I guess that's probably the toughest thingis that is that overwhelm to get started.
Like, that like, as soon as I'm started, myADHD kicks in, and I'm awesome.
You know, I can I can make decisions?
You know, I can I can set okay?
(39:34):
I I don't know about this one yet, and I'll setit into a corner, and then I'll like, nope.
I don't care about that, and I'll throw itaway.
Like, as when I start getting when I when Iwant as soon as I turn the corner of doing any
of my projects, whether that's building,whether that's, you know, decluttering my
because I've I've had issues with decluttering.
I have, and it makes total sense.
That's why I wanted to talk to you.
And so this is kind of helpful for me too.
(39:55):
And as a as a personal realm, let alone who'slistening.
But, yeah, that getting started, I think, isthe hardest part.
And let me tell you that and that sucks.
But the reason why is because the trauma is notall let it go.
Sure.
Oh, yeah.
There's still so much dormant trauma in all ofus first responders and people.
And That's why.
(40:16):
Yeah.
When we let go of the coping mechanismassociated with the trauma, then we're able to
pass.
So we developed a four step process that we'lltalk in the other podcast, but that really
allow people to be able to declutter andmaintain it after.
Fantastic.
So yeah.
Awesome.
(40:36):
Just a little bracket on Yeah.
No.
That's great.
Gloves and the sense of touch that is one ofthe secrets.
As soon as you held up the gloves, I'm like,tactile.
I'm like, that's why.
Yeah.
You touch something.
You feel that softness.
You remember the memory of that softness, thathardness, that that toy you picked up that you
had so much fun with.
You remember having that toy in your hands.
Like, our memories are way better than we thinkon on all of our senses.
(40:58):
Of course, smell is the best.
You know, maybe you should tell people to clogtheir nose as they clean up stuff that may have
smell
I have something for their sense of smell.
Yeah.
Because smell is the strongest.
Yeah.
Smell is
the strongest.
Touch is is up there.
You know, I think audio, listening hearingsomething is second highest in memory recall,
but tactile is right there with it.
(41:19):
So alright.
Great.
Well, well, let's bring things to an end.
Do you have anything else?
Oh, sorry.
Didn't wanna touch off.
Did you have
something people, I'm not sure when that willbe broadcasted, but when you get the seven
secrets, when you receive that, don't hesitateto email us back.
Okay.
Because we frequently have some master class orchallenge Okay.
(41:41):
For And once once they sign
up for that, are they in, like, your your
Yes.
Your chain of your chain of of ofcommunication?
Okay.
Yes.
So they can get to know, like, we are yieldingone on the sixth to the May 8.
Okay.
Next week.
Yep.
We have we're having a master class, and thatwould be really, really fun where I talk more
(42:06):
about different strategy to be able to tacklethat clutter.
Okay.
Well, fantastic.
And we'll put that link to that master classsign up.
If people have clutter, I highly encourage themto come to the masterclass.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Well, Valerie, thank you so much for coming onthe Ignition Path podcast today.
(42:26):
I have so many more questions, of course, but Ithink I'm gonna save those for the because it's
more first responder oriented, and it'll we'llwe'll dive deeper into that whole world of
first responders and and how many people rightnow that you work with that are first
responders and and those first responders thatare listening, that may, need need don't even
(42:46):
know that they need this help.
But for now, you know, the ignition path, thankyou so much for sharing your story.
It's a very great one.
Those who are listening and hearing Valerie'sstory, just know that no matter what business
idea you have and you're already doingsomething else out there, just keep just keep
swimming just like they say in in in Nemo.
Dory keeps just keep swimming.
(43:07):
Keep on plugging away.
If you fail, just like I mentioned that Ifailed on one portion of my business, my I
failed forward.
I failed and went into the podcasting, whichthen accelerated everything else.
Then now it's come full circle, and I'm helpingfirst responders in other ways.
So, so just know that the that the IgnitionPath podcast is put out there for you to have
(43:29):
understanding and courage to get through theproblems that you face, to spark those ideas
that you may be pushing down, to understandthat that all of my other episodes have very
unique different business paths, and I I highlyencourage you to tune into those.
But, Valerie, thanks so much for coming ontoday.
And, of course, all of her information that wetalked about will be in the show notes.
(43:50):
And, don't forget to like, subscribe, andshare.
And if you've listened to any part of thisepisode today and you, you it resonates with
you or someone else that you may know, hit thatshare button, send it off through your phone or
through your computer, and let them hear ittoo.
So thanks so much, Valerie, for coming on.
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much, Kyle.
Alright.
Take care.
Thank you for listening to Ignition Path,fueling the entrepreneurial fire.
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