November 20, 2024 • 55 mins
TripWire Time!!! Join us today as Staci and I interview the Charlie's Angels of Naperville, Illinois. United States Marine Corps Sisters, Jennifer Sloan, Nadia Baran, and Rita Kollias. These ladies are leading from the front!!!
Listen in as we discuss the Marine Corps Birthday, Toys for Tots, and other projects they are involved in.
4 pm Eastern Today!!! See you then!!!!
Listen in as we discuss the Marine Corps Birthday, Toys for Tots, and other projects they are involved in.
4 pm Eastern Today!!! See you then!!!!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Afternoon, everybody. It is Tripwire time again. It is November twentieth,
four pm Eastern time. God bless you all. Welcome back, Stacy.
What have you been plotting all week for us to
enjoy this evening? As far as our podcast goes well, If.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
The promo photo of the four of us give anybody
a little bit of an idea, I have like the
trifecta of badass ladies, three of my very favorite people.
I'm so excited to have them all on at the
same time. It's gonna be, it's gonna be, it's gonna
be amazing. I hope you can handle it well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
And so I'm glad you brought that up because I'm
actually going to share with our viewers that, uh, not
that I suffer from anxiety.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But I've been a little worried because.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Of the Charlie's Angels out of the Aperville area that
is coming through the podcast today with all four of
you freaking powerhouses of alpha females. So I think we
should just like kick it off and then just run
with it and see how it goes.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
So let's have it.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
You.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm gonna let you introduce everybody you run it. I'm
just here for entertainment value.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Okay, all right, so we're gonna bring the ladies on.
Let's there we go, and Jennifer and so these these
are my I mean, these are my fellow female veterans.
They're my friends. They're three bad ass ladies that I
like get to hang out with and laugh with and
(02:11):
work with and volunteer in the community with and learn from.
I've learned so much from every one of them. Whether
you guys all even realize that or not, I have.
And so when I had this opportunity to get us
all together on here, I just got so excited and
my heart was so full and uh like I was.
You probably heard me when I was telling Steven that
(02:32):
I wanted to get a photo of off us all
in costume. I thought it was really cool just because
you know, we all have these like little bit different
personalities and we all mesh and he you know, looks
at us as these four alpha females, and I love
the fact that we all get along and like collaborate
so well. And I think a big part of that
is because we are veterans. And then let's kick it
(02:56):
off with that, because you guys are all marines and
thank goodness I'm a Navy corman or you might not
like me at all, so at least we've got that going.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
But stop it stobbing.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
You're just you're just driving, You're just ubering the boat
tonight for all four.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Ladies.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Before Stacey runs away with this, I want to say,
it's a pleasure to see you all again.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Love having you on here. Thank you for accepting our invitation.
Look forward to seeing you.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I'll be back around the holidays into the Aperville area.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Look forward to seeing you all hopefully.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Okay, so a little bit everybody. So so Nadia Nadia,
raise your hands so they know who Nadia there. So
Nadia is the past commander of the American Legion and
that's just one of like a thousand things that she does. Okay,
So then we've got Jennifer Sloan who's holding a couple
of different officer positions, and you know she's she's my
(03:54):
senior vice for the VFW RITA. What is what are
you doing with with the so American Legion? And you're
talk a little bit about what you do because that
segues into what both of them do with the female
(04:15):
Marines in not just Naperville though, right you guys are
involved with surrounding areas. Can you talk about that just
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's whatever one of us is involved in, the other
two are involved in as well in some capacity. So
I mean, right now is just seasonal for me, the
I mean Marine Corps, Marine Corps League, Paperville Marines. I'd
took a backseat this year the Veterans Assistance Commission. I'm
a secondary for the board for that as well, But
right now it's Toys for tat season, and all I
(04:45):
care about our children and Christmas and Santa Claus and
the people on my TV scroup.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
How good.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I was about to say, you're in the warehouse right now?
Speaker 5 (04:54):
Right? Oh, no, I wish my warehouse was so speak
because it's that's.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Not workers at the Toys for Tots were home.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
No, this is my this is was our Franklin Park
office wherever.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
For Okay, I was like, wow, so it's okay. Before
we just go off on a whole bunch of tangents,
let's start with the Marine, the Marine Corporate Day, the
two d and forty ninth birthday, and let's talk a
little bit about the balls that you guys went to
because how many did you go to Nadia mere fun?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Did four? Three? Three balls?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
One party?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Three balls, party rider?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Go ahead?
Speaker 5 (05:34):
What's up?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
How many did you go to Rita?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
I went to one.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I was small things I had to do this year.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
But I mean I took Nadia as my day to
the McCanny County ball where she cleaned house and all
the raffles. So I saw that.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
How many did absolutely fourteen?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
That's insane? How does it even happen? Got a loop
in some socks tickets at the at the Toys for
Tots where we got to dress up. I was pretty sure.
But you know how I won that? I bought like
twenty tickets. I put them all in that saying bucket.
Speaker 6 (06:05):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Nobody wants to go to the socks game. I think
I was the only pertins person, but my tickets in there.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I won.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Okay, so for three balls in one party. And then Jennifer,
let's I want to hear a little bit about this
extra outfit that you talk about that for a second.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, I mean it's it's nothing special. It's the the
Marine Corps has a cape or boat cloak, as it's
called commonly referred to that can be worn by staff
n CEOs so E six and above and officers and
warrant officers, and it just brings kind of like a
Dracula vampire super like lord of a Castle vibe to it.
So when you show up in your dress clues, which
(06:50):
are you look fabulous by the way, and then you've
got this scarlet lined cape with a velvet collar, it's
like you show up full superhero modes. So yeah, I
was down in Chronicle for some training this last year.
I'm with the Marine for Life program in the reserves,
so I'm still serving the actively in the reserves. And
I was down in Quantico and I said, you know what,
I'm gonna splurge. I'm gonna buy this novelty item. Not
a lot of people have it. It's a little extra
(07:11):
pizazz and flair. So I had my cape and my
swagger stick and I went ball hopping. This year, I
went to four So it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Stephen absolutely nailed it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
The uniform carries it. The uniform carries it.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
That's fair enough. But you know, I mean, okay, the
uniform carries it. But we're all veterans here, and I'm
going to say that every single one of you adds
character to the uniform as we wear it or as
we have worn it in the past.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So the photos were amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It was an amazing amount of flare as you I've identified,
you know with the photos that you shared. It was
it was just it was an awesome thing to see
outside of the norm.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
So awesome.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Man, it didn't look good and everybody, but damn, we'll
look good on her.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
There there you go. That's exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So you know what. The Marine Corp birthday comes around
once a year. We celebrated, well I celebrated four times,
Naughtia three times, so you know you got to go
big go home on the Marine Corps birthday.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
So, oh God, bless us all for next year, for
the fiftieth's.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
It's gonna be wild.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It's gonna be wild, Nadia. Have you guys already started
to talk about that obviously for here the Naperville one,
well I have.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
I'm already trying to get the next guest speaker.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You probably can't tell us who you're trying to get. No,
it's a steak.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
No, I have three ages working on it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So honestly, I know, I know you guys are very,
very solid with your traditions, which I love. You know,
you have these specific things that you do throughout the
course of the evening which and you were part of that, Jennifer,
right you Yes, I.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Was part of the ceremony at the Naperville Ball. So
I filled the role the adjutant, which go out there
call the call the contingent to attention, kicks off the ceremony,
and then the big part that the adjutant plays is
reading a General Assourance birthday message, which for those are
not familiar. General Assourren was a general the Marine Corps.
He was instrumental in solidifying our course legacy. He's one
(09:14):
of the main reasons that we celebrate the ball, and
it's done with such pomp and splendor. He decreed that
no matter where marines were throughout the globe, whether it
was two marines together or an entire ballroom full of
five hundred marines, you pause and you celebrate the marine's birthday.
So I've celebrated a birthday in Afghanistan on post literally
with one other marine, and I've celebrated it obviously, you know,
(09:35):
in ballrooms across the country, and you know, with marines
all around, with drinks and livations and celebrations. So it's
just it's a hallmark of our core for us to
stop and celebrate the birthday and our our course legacy
and every rine that's gone before us.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I really do, you know, I really do love how
dedicated the Marines are to this. At a hospital corporal,
we just don't have stuff like that. And I I
find myself every time, every time, every year at this time,
you know, wanting to be like wanting to be a
(10:12):
part of something like that. Like I think, it's just
it's beautiful. It really is reading a lot of history
what not.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
You it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, well I know, I know. I watch you guys
working your asses off. So with okay, so let's segue
a little bit into Twister for Todds unless there's anything
more about those the balls that you guys want to share.
You feels for itself. It does and the photos are
so riata readA share a little bit hot and then
(10:46):
the ladies can chime in. You guys, the push and
the work that you do in in this area. It's
not just Naperville though, right You guys collab with some
of the other legions or no, it's really everything. You guys,
go ahead, well toys, we're talking.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
An official mission the Marine Corps Reserve, so every reserve
unit and then also LCO, which is a.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Local coordinating a little muted honey, hold on, hold on,
I can get there.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
It is. We got you now.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
I can't.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
I can use my hands when I talk, and I can't.
It's it's very hard for me.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Okay, all right, every every every town basically or.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
So there's eight hundred and fifty different campaigns throughout the
country Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, DC, whatever, So I mean
they all hold any basically anything with over like over
fifty miles from Reserve center. They can conduct their own
toys for Todd's campaign if they want, but they have
to be vetted through the foundation, so they have to
apply every year. You have to submit an application. All
that kind of good stuff. All the money that's collected
(11:52):
that we collect for our campaign, as long as it's
donated or given to us to deposit where donated via
our local website, goes right back into our local campaign.
So which is which I think is pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
So for the audience, which which which local campaign are
you part of is that the page or something else?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Two page county, but even all three of us support
all the surrounding counties too. I mean same team saying
fight you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So understood, understood.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I'm just trying to help out our audience understand what
they can do and where they can where they can
tap in.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, So how do we not that it's a competition,
but curious, I'm just I mean, I'm just curious.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
How competition?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
How do you guys? How how you guys fare against
some of the other ones. Do you guys get like
your you know, like your third in the state, or
how does it? How does it go?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Do they do?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
They's?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I mean it depends.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
It's I mean we're audited and I mean where everybody's
great on a national level, right, So every year there's
you have like all the the ACT to do in
the units. Even though it's an official program in the
Marine Cord Reserve, it's the I and I stay at
the active duty that actually that definitely conduct the campaign.
So there's each year there's a national coordinator year for
like the duty side of the house, and then there's an
(13:12):
ACT and then there's a national coordinator for an l
c O, which is a local coordinating coordinator, so you
have to follow on it. So you have to follow
their soop and if you do everything by the rules
and then go a little bit above and beyond, then
you get recognized. And they have like separate several different
regions so that you have regional coordinators and you have
like the national coordinator. So I think that what are
(13:34):
why do Page is so successful is because we have
We've been able to retain a lot of our team.
We have the same people, same familiar faces, so people
they know us, they're comfortable with us, they trust us
to do what's right with their donations, their money, their
funds and stuff like that. And then we're just the relationships.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
That we have built over the years.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
So it's been pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I think I think Bill Bill found a picture of Jennifer,
so I think he's going to show that there we go, superhero.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
I'm telling you, man that that scarlet blinding against the
dress blues with the blue n CEO stripe or officer
stripe down the trousers. Man, it's just it's just kiss right.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It's absolutely Jennifer.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Absolutely, So we did we got the uh costume party
that we had Nadia right, the one of the Legion
through Yes, yes, the one of the Legion three that
was pretty successful. Did you get a lot of toy
donotions or toys and cash?
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It did?
Speaker 6 (14:38):
I mean we got two boxes of toys, but it
was mainly too fud raised for cash. I ended up
with like four thousand dollars that we raised in like
I want to say, two and a half hours, maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Two and a half hours.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Our biggest drawers always are our officer for dances. That
usually makes us a good amount of money because we're
silly about it, and but people come and are willing
to do that. Like this year we had Micrograph willing
to be so for a dance only, and then the
Grinch and then we had a two for one d
all Marines.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
The Brinch was Rita the Grinch.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
In our promo picture. If anybody, you know, if anybody's
watching this saw the promo picture, Yea, and then and
then Rita. Rita was the Gride and then Slan What
was your question from? Okay, I know I wasn't exactly
sure and I was just steampunk mad Max, but but
it was it was more about like what what they
(15:36):
look like.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
My husband said, so welcome.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I was talking about this. Can we hear her?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Her up?
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Can you hear me now?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yes, we can hear you now, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I was telling them so that the Neighborville response for
veterans had this they're huge gala, right, And I don't
know if we if all of you guys had a
little bit of fomo at the same time, but like
normally that's something I think all four of us would attend,
and but I collectively wanted to support my my, my
ladies here and and go to the toys. We had
(16:18):
that schedu Nadia had that scheduled first, I think, to
be honest.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
I've had that schedule since January scheduled. This is it.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
She never waits the last minute. She always has everything
scheduled all the way out. So I mean that was
already on my calendar, you know. And so we were
like none of us were there, but I did have
I did have a very good Jeff and his wife
Laura represented the post and they were a good representation
of us. But yeah, we held it, you know, we
held it down for Toys for Tots.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
It was a different crowd we drew from. I think
for us, if.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
That's I am big sexy guys, that was.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
A picture of.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
That.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I love that. That was that's Nadia husband and sign
right there.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
They were in Black Coast for Talk Division.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Yes, that's the female Marines sings karaoke.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
Well these are all the Marines, I'm honest. And then
that was like a big like I like how we
had a more Tis Adams friend growth for that one.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
You know, there are some good costumes there really was
people did who was that that was dressed like slash Nadia?
He was a fireman.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
No, he he comes from Uh that's part of Diana's group.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Uh he's with Frank. He's with a rolling thunder. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
You know, Stacey, you mentioned that, you know that you
didn't go to the Napole Responds event and instead came
to this one. And I think that just kind of
speaks about us as our little cohort of women veterans.
It's like whenever one of us has an event going on,
like if we can make it, we're gonna make it right,
Like and we're gonna we're gonna go there. We're gonna
support it. We're gonna bring our friends. We're gonna bring
our wallets, our friends wallet. It's like, but the fundraiser,
(18:00):
we're bringing money right, toys for tats uh, you know,
the golf outing, the fundraiser that we do for the Juttathon,
the fundraiser for the Disney event. Your shows, like it's
like we show up right, Like we're all very successful women.
And I think that speaks to who we are at
our character, Like it's never been about like, oh what's
she doing or oh I need to show up. It's like, hey,
we're well, let's like let's get some shit done right,
(18:21):
Like this is from good causes. We're do gooders at heart,
and we want to help other do gooders.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So we cross promote each other. We like each other,
we share things, we tell each other, but you know,
tell everybody about each other's events. And yeah, and I
love that and and you know, and I and again,
women there is there's a lot of great women out there,
but traditionally, you know, I think women that are strong
and confident, a lot of times they end up competing
(18:48):
and not collaborating. And I do feel like it's this
veteran part that we've got. I like to see more
women do that, collaborate and work with each other because
we are stronger together. It's amazing what we can accomplish.
And we all, you know, just get in there and
say let's get this done, and let's do this. Let's
talk a little bit more about some of the other
things that you guys do. So Nania, I know Nadia does,
(19:10):
and I want you to speak on the veteran business
connection stuff, Jennifer. But Nadia is involved in a lot
of fundraising, Like every time I see her with an event,
there's some she's raising money for different things. Can you
talk a little bit about those different organizations.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
Well, this year we raise money for Operations Comfort Warrior,
So if you're not familiar with Operation Warrior, they provide
supplemental items for recovery, so not everything has to be medical,
Like there might be veterans who might need a bike,
who might need a kayak, whom I need headphones, whom
I need something that helps them doown out the noise.
(19:44):
So the American LESU has this great program which is
called Operation Comfort Warrior, where you they either go to
the hospitals or you can request supplemental things and they'll
send it to you. So nine I think it's one
hundred ninety nine says to the dollar goes that is
the way goes to the program itself. So this year
we did a golf outing and we raise ninety three
(20:06):
hundred dollars just for Operation Comfort Warrior, and at the
same time we raise I think two thousand dollars for
the Midwill Shelter for homeless veterans. And then we started
raising funds for Toys for Tots in August when we
did the NAPOR Nights. So between the think both of
the events, we've raise Between both both events we raise
(20:29):
a good amount for Toys for Tats. And then I'm
currently working with Operation Her Story to raise funds so
we can go on and so it's females and can
go to All FEMA Flight for next year. So that's
my new project. After I swear reader, after Toys for Tots,
not during I'll jump on Operation Her Story because I'm
(20:52):
on the board of it now, and we'll be raising
funds to do an all and a second off.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
FEMA Aunt of Flight All FEMA okay.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
The second one, and then obviously I have the I
usually do almost all the fundraising for the legion. So
then I'll be working again on Golf Out, and I'll
be working again on puppies. I'll be working again on
whatever needs to be done to raise funds for donation.
The good thing about it is that everything that we
do raise the post doesn't keep any of it. Right,
(21:20):
we donated one hundred percent of it, which is fantastic.
I'm glad that we're in that position. Then we have
some great donors that let us, that make our events
successful and couldn't say do it without all my girls.
So you know, because every time I have an event,
which is a lot of the time, they show up.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
So when you guys do Napor nights, you've got this
crew of people and they show them and you guys
work the beards, handle and all those tips that you make, right,
it's the tips, and you donate all of those.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
Two we donate one hundred percent. So we border. We
call it bordered stealing everything. We create favors like hey,
I'll do this if you come over here. O can
you do this? And we come over here, but we
have a great night, like we lose our voices the
last time me and read it, which I think we were.
We couldn't yell anymore the other night because it was
a Taylor Swift night, so we were massively yelling for
(22:09):
that one.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
But we did.
Speaker 6 (22:10):
I think we did like fifteen hundred that day, just.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I kind of made a couple of hours. And I
mean they I've done it with you guys a few times.
I was out of town this year and I couldn't
do it. But we've literally been told Stephen by the
people that run it like we're it's a veteran thing too.
We're so like in sync with how we run the operation.
That were fast and what is Remember that when they
(22:35):
told us that we raised more money than like anyone
ever has in there, Remember that two years ago.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
No, I think we moved the line faster than anyone
else well.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Right because because we were moving it so fast, and
we did, but there was a lot of tips because
we were doing it.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Was but we keep our lines fairly Swiss. But they
like us. So I I'll always have that that contract
every year because it's a contract that I have to
sign and I have to I'm sure that contrac gets
a bided by Yeah, oh yeah, so it's you know,
Barton is still like asking for favors left and right
or especially everyone. Can I have the right amount of
people to help us at night out?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah, yeah it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Jennifer, tell us a little bit about what's going to
be going on Thursday with Lynn. Okay, so Thursday, you've
got two things going on. Well, obviously we've got our
Veteran Business Connection. On Mondays, we've got the Tuesday After
Hours that we started, and then this Thursday you've got
the launch in and Lyn's things. So go ahead and
talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Yeah. So about a year and a half ago, we
started the Veteran Business Connection, which is veteran business owners
in the local area and then veterans that want to
get into business right, so it's connecting everybody. It started
out as a breakfast at Rosie's Home Cooking, which is
owned Bylin Louder in Naperville, and we would meet there
once a month on the third Monday. We still meet
every third Monday there at eight am, and we just mastermind,
(23:58):
right like we connect, We talk about what our challenges are,
we troubleshoot, we promote each other's businesses, and that kind
of evolved into expanded out into the first Tuesday Now
we do an after hour, so not everybody can make
a breakfast on a weekday, So we do the first
Tuesday six to eight pm at the Apriville VFW. That's
a little bit more laid back, it's less structured, but
(24:19):
it's veteran owned businesses and those that want to get
into business, networking and just talking and having a drink together,
eating some pizza. And then this Thursday, we're going to
do our first VBC lunch out in Oswego, so expanding
out the geographic area a little bit. And one one
of the buildings that I manage because I know it's
got a conference room and it's a free space, right,
so what's better than free. We're gonna meet, We're gonna
(24:39):
you know, have lunch together, some pizza, just talk, connect
with one another and continue to grow each other's businesses.
And I think everyone on this call can test to
the fact that as veterans, we have a different experience
and we bring different skills to the marketplace and a
different mindset and so to be surrounded by other veterans
that get it right, that's a big thing. And it's
(24:59):
been really successful. I've had a lot of people just
you know, say that it's been good for their business.
It's been good to connect with other veterans. They don't
necessarily have time to do the VFW, the Legion, or
you know, some of the other veteran organizations because they're
small business owners and their heart and soul is poured
into that. It takes all their time. So it's good
for them to connect with one another. And so I
mentioned Lin Lauder who gives us his restaurant on Mondays
to meet they're normally closed. He lets us use it
(25:20):
in the morning, which is amazing, and he gives us
free coffee, which we all need. But he's actually hosting
a fundraiser on Thursday at the Matrix Club in Naperville,
and it's a fundraiser for the Veteran Business Project, which
is his charity. So his charity, Veteran Business Project, actually
connects those that want to sell an existing business to
veterans that want to purchase and take over business. So
(25:41):
a lot of these baby boomers mom and pop shops,
you know, they've run the business for thirty forty years
and their kids don't want anything to do with it,
and they want to sell it, right, they don't want
their mechanic shop to go under, or their restaurant to fail,
or you know, they don't want to nobody else wants
to buy it, so veterans will come in and take
over that business. And what Lin's Charity does is he
provides them men right, so he mentors the incoming veteran,
(26:02):
gives them leadership skills, well they already got the leadership skills,
but gives them the business plan, does a left seat
right seat. They get to see how the business operates,
They get to meet with the person who's selling it,
and they do like a warm handoff right where they
work alongside them for two or three months, and then
they buy the business and Lynn's Charity helps finance it,
they mentor it, they continue on the process. And if
you go to Veteran Veteran Business Project dot org, I
(26:25):
think is it's either ordered dot com. Shame on me
for not knowing that. But if you google that Veteran
Business Project, his website will come up and you can
hear all of these different amazing stories of veterans that
have purchased businesses and are now rocking it right, like
bought a business, gainfully employed, they're their own boss and
it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
You know, what are you doing? You like passing notes
to somebody? What's happening down there?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
No way, dress Natia, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Oh naughty? What are you doing? Are you each other?
That's nonsense.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
She's sending me in love emojis that it's very cute.
She's very Okay, what do.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
You want to talk about? Tell us some tell us something, rita.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
No, I'm there's just an event that I really didn't
push too much a year because I'm still trying to
like get my feet or get my head wrapped around
or whatever. But I work with the American Legion Post
one AB seven or an Olt Nurse, and they do
have music behind the scenes where they bring up a
bunch of country music artists or artists as songwriters from
Nashville that come up and they sing their music at
(27:27):
the Legion. It's like a dollar about twenty five a ticket.
We raise, I mean anywhere between fifteen to twenty grand
at the event. It's pretty awesome. I would just love
to get We just need a bigger venue. So that's
why I'm like trying to figure out where we can
go next year. I just don't think the Olnhurst Legion
is big enough. Either's Naperville, so could use a little
bit of help with that, but that that's going to
cost us money. But events like that and that's where
(27:48):
I love, you know, doing things with any all three
of you. Steve, it would be cool if we ever
saw you rich you're too busy for us. But because
you guys just do.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
A venta throw out there.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
I'm just we're gonna, we're gonna get to you, sir.
But I'm just every every event spong like, no matter
what you guys do, it's I just think it's really interesting.
So up in that hall, you need a space in
the hall that we have. What's that You need a
space bigger than the hall upstairs? Yeah, there's the Yeah.
I mean, if you've ever seen a Helmhurst Legion, it's
it's actually a pretty big space as well. I mean
(28:21):
it's large, but I mean just the venue itself. And
you also need like a good sound system too, because
these guys come up. I mean, these these guys sing
like these are Grammy winning songwriters that come up from
Nashville every year, don't charge any money and they sing
their stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And then the infrastructure, the infrastructure, Yeah, yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Guys talk to any of the schools.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
I wonder if we can talk to something big, it
would be nice, but they just so.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
It sounds good or something or a little central.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Well okay, but fair enough.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
But uh, the school audiotoriums are not the are not the.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Place for these Grammy writers.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
No, you need something that's built specifically for them for
that level of music is what we need.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
Yellow Box.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
I don't know what what what Stacey, You've done your
shows at yellow Box before, right?
Speaker 6 (29:11):
That might it's me that West Hall.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It's expensive, so it depends on what your budget is.
The Ayberville North and Yberville High School there where they
perform their drama and their orchestra.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
That's not a bad idea and that's my bad. But
but we are working with Ell Nurse too, so we
kind of have to take that into consideration. And it
is a lot of the businesses they like donate baskets
and stuff. I like doing the event because they put
a mic in my hand and I get to rip
on the audience and work the crowd and everything like that.
Remove you know, money from the people, take money of
their wallet, and it's it's so much fun. It's so
(29:45):
much money and when well about the money you do this?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
When is it?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
This last one we had it was at October nineteenth.
I think they're going to push it back to November
for next year. I have a date, but I have
to check through my phone. But if I do that
then I'm going to probably we fall out of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
So you know we'll get back on that.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I mean, let's let's brainstorm, ladies, because I bet you
we could find a place, especially while the veteran driven,
a veteran driven event, and that money goes to what.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
I mean, it's it's I mean, it's it's the the
groups that the Legion, the American Legion their post so
I mean it's a lot of the same ones that
Aberville does, but I mean a lot of them are
local to to Elmhurst.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So Elmhers, but it's still veteran driven. We looked at
any of the schools in Elmhurst.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I haven't gotten that. Car Non toways Stacey.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
They probably in the winter. We don't.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
We can't do that until.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
After after after Christmas, after Christmas, after three kings. Hold on,
there you go.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
She has me booked until then okay, yeah, yeah, all
of you.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Okay, so let's let's talk a little bit about out
your you know, how your military experience, how your military experience,
I like, I always like to talk about or ask
how you feel that the military experiences have helped you
navigate through different things in life, working, working, uh, moving
(31:19):
forward with your career, just getting getting motivated to do
the things that you do in the community. I just
want to hear how all of that kind of came
together for you as military being your foundation. So who
wants to vote?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Can I? Can I add to that?
Speaker 1 (31:36):
And I would like to for the audience, I would
like each of you to share where you're originally from,
what led you do, what branch you went in, and
then talk about your time on active duty, and then
add to Stacey's.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
And add my thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Yes is a veterans podcast.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
It is Nadia. You go first.
Speaker 6 (31:58):
I love the youngest quotes first.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Jennifer, No, I already I already talked my Okay, so
all right, So I grew up in Naperville. Fine, I'll
go you know what, Fine, Okay, I'll take it. I'll
take this one. So I grew up I was born
of Missouri, but I grew up in Illinois. We moved
to Apriville in nineteen ninety eight and graduated in two
thousand and six, and so I was in eighth grade
(32:23):
when nine to eleven halfened. So that was a huge
impact on me. I was like, you know what, I'm
pissed off. These motherfuckers attacked my country. I watched all
these people die on live TV. I'm thirteen years old,
and I was pissed off. And everybody's like, oh, yeah,
I'm gona join the military, right, Me and my thirteen
year old friends, right, We're all going to join the military.
And then, you know, things kind of progressed the war,
and by the time we were old enough to join
the military, kind of public opinion had sour a lot
(32:43):
on military service. And I still want to join the military.
I'm a I was raised in a family that was
very patriotic. I'm a third generation immigrant. You know, my
grandparents came over on the boat, intensely patriotic, love of
our country, the opportunities it provides. And I was like,
you know what, I want to give back. And I
think anybody that joins the military does, you know, for
whatever reason they do it they still have. There's always
(33:04):
a component of wanting to serve others, right, serving a
cause greater than yourself. So that was a big driver
for me. I wanted to get back to my country.
I wanted to serve others. And then just going through
my time in the military, I would say the biggest
thing that I've applied from my time in the military.
Granted I'm still in the reserves, but it's the the
Marine mantra mentality of find a way or make away, right, Like,
(33:24):
when you're presented a challenge, it's not like, oh, what
was me, I'm gonna get to get through this, you
know I need help. It's like, no, I'm gonna figure
the shit out, right, I'm gonna find a way or
I'm gonna make away, or I'm gonna tap people. Do
I left or right? I'm gonna go to my battle buddy.
Maybe I don't know the answer, but you know my
nco knows the answer. My my bestie Rita, my bestI, Nadia,
I my bestie Stacy, right like, Hey, I'm struggling with this.
What what do you think? Right, We're gonna find a
(33:46):
way or we're gonna make away. So I would say,
that's probably the biggest thing that I've taken away, and
that's driven me in business. You know, I'm not gonna
take no for an answer. I'm gonna find a way
I'm gonna make away. I think I had all your questions,
didn't I think?
Speaker 6 (33:56):
So?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
All right? Uh, Nadia, that's anesome.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
You're awesome. You're awesome rider.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You're pretty.
Speaker 6 (34:06):
Text for tests, Okay, girl, I have to make sure
it happens. Well, I'm from California. Originally, to be honest
with you, the uniform a uniform for the man, and
then I was too short. So then I was like,
I'm not sure I was going to so I had
but you know, I can make the Marines because the
(34:27):
Army took wanted to take me. The Navy said yes,
they all said yes, and the Marine Corps said, and
as I'm like, all right, then let's go. You got
to prove something, right, I think for me, what I
took is mission accomplishment too well for and then embrace
the suck. It is what it is, and you just
find a way. Yeah, you have to find a way
(34:49):
to finish your job. You have to find a way
to do what you set out to do. Like for me,
I love fundraising. I like helping more than anything else,
I think. But I actually joined the fundraising and knowing
that my efforts are going tours, maybe saving one person's
life or helping one life become better. I think that
(35:09):
for me makes it worth all the hard work, the
late nights, the constantly going. So it's mission accomplishments. And
the same thing we have claraportis with dots. You know,
when we have this today, we all cry because we
get those families that just make you cry. So all
(35:30):
the late nights that we do and all the work
that we put into and all the emails that are
sent back, it's just you make a change in someone's life,
and that's worth it.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
I throw I'll throw something else on there. So in
the Marine Corps we'll follow the mentality of leaders eat
less right, So when child gets brought out to the field,
the pfc's lineup there, privacy first, then pfc's and it
goes down the line right, and the last people to
eat are the top ranking people. It's not like, well,
I'm in a position of authority, I get first dips. No,
you take care of the people that are you know,
(36:01):
lowest man on the twittal pole.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
You make sure they're taking care of always suboarding.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
It's first, and I feel like, as you know, as
leaders in our community, we take that same mentality. It's like, hey,
you know, we're going to take care of those less fortunate.
We're going to make sure other people have food on
their plate beforehand. We're going to make sure these kids
are taking care of it, Toys for Tots, We're going
to fundraise for the kids in Eating Rapids Michigan at
the VFW National Home. So it's that leaders eat last mentality,
taking care of others.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, well you better get on Rita on this really quickly.
He looks like she's about to bolt some right now.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
My phone is like you have ten percent? Are you
going to I'm like, I gotta plug this girl in.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Well, really, you better. You better talk about your military
experience while you get to your your phone chargers. So
find away or make away?
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Okay? So hold on? Born in Jersey, right, it's just
a little bit nuts.
Speaker 6 (36:51):
How has happened?
Speaker 5 (36:52):
So born in Jersey on? Come from a military background
as far as family, My dad's in the Marine Corps,
my uncle's serving now, my mom's side all the Navy.
He was, Uh my grandfather was a commander in Navy's
and doctor. So I've kind of always been around the military,
and it's it's one of those things where you like,
what is it? High school, went to college, ran the money,
(37:13):
and I'm like, oh no, and what do I do?
So I'm like, you know, no, I'm just being completely honest.
So s a party one night, and you know, I
saw a bunch of people and they were all drinking
yard glasses and stuff like that. It was like a
bunch of different all the branches were there and we
were just kind of hanging out partying.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
And then the Marine Corps.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I think there was a staff sarn't Lydick who is
now a master's servant, but he was there, and I
mean he won that contest and I'm like, he's the
coolest whatever. But he ended up being my recruiter at
the end of the day or whatever. So he's the
one that signed I'd sign me up, but I uh
went was it ninety seventh Row six? Did most of
my time as a nasty reservist. Sorry for what for?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
What? What's that for?
Speaker 5 (37:52):
What for?
Speaker 6 (37:53):
What?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Why are you apologizing and you're still serving.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Yeah, no, I know that.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
But everybody we bring on, everybody we bring on here
is is a veteran. And and and Rita. I love
you to death, honey, I love all you ladies. But
I'm gonna just sit there and say this. You're serving.
You're doing something more than what the regular populace is
doing for our country. It doesn't matter if it's reserved,
it doesn't matter. If it's National Guard, doesn't matter. It
(38:18):
doesn't mean matter if you're in active reserve. It matters
that you stood up for something bigger at yourself at
one point in time in your life.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Done. Thank you and sis.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
It's just you know, sometimes it's just me. And then
you were surrounding by a bunch of you know, veterans
are like, oh I went over here, when over there?
And then you got slow one and walk to the
limp because she's so you know, got the saladar.
Speaker 6 (38:37):
Like loaded on this side.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
She was like, she's like it's like this big, it's
like the whole size of her chest. I'm gonna plug in.
Hold on, you got to get get right in here.
I gotta plug in because I'm gonna lose you.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
So I'm going oh, now we know that Rita does karaoke.
Let's we'll get back to the original topic.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
He doesn't karaoke doesn't match my Disney fundraiser in February.
Catch sure that Disney fundrais or.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
She was visit ladies so that I can do karaoke
with you.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
Yes, karaoke, j you should definitely show up for that.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
I'm not scared.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
I'll be there for that one. You should be.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Yeah, you should be there for that one.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
I am plugged in now, so I'm sorry, going, Rita,
keep going finished, Okay, I'll meet this quick. I did
my fast talking to so. But anyway, so, I when
I was living back in Jersey, like in around like
two thousand, it was six morning to you had a
red bank in Jersey, probably not even maybe two weeks
after I moved back from Jersey to Illinois nine to
(39:40):
eleven ahead unit, our unit, my unit was activated in Jersey,
so how I stayed would have went. But since I
came back, I took a po or a public affairs
a billet back in Chicago. So I was doing that
back in Chicago ever since probably two thousand till the
rest of my term or whatever. And but when our
(40:00):
unit deployed. There was a handful of this left back
on the I and I and that's how I got
involved Toys for Tats because there's about twelve of us
and they said, O'reiley, you like to talk a lot,
you don't shut up, you can be the coordinator, which
was fine, and we didn't. And that's how I did.
And the coolest thing was about it. It was that that's
when I realized how much in Chicago loves, loves the
Marine Corps. And then all you have to do is
just be organized when you ask for help, and people
(40:22):
will do whatever you ask them to and everybody want
to part something awesome and that's and we did. And
that's the only time, dude, it was. It was just
an epic year. And then when we got party got active,
weird national co coordinator year that year because of our
campaign and how awesome our handful of Marines and all
the Chicago back us up, and I mean, it was incredible.
(40:42):
So and then that we were supported by DuPage County,
which wasn't even actually they were supporting Chicago, so they
were reporting their numbers, but they weren't really a campaign
at the time. That's how you know, And then after
I got off checked out like in UH six, and
then John John Mashew was like the original og out
(41:02):
into Beage County, the Santa Claus. Everybody knows them, the
guys of celebrity. He said, hey, I can't do this anymore.
You know you're gonna take over. I said fine, And
that's when I started doing toys for Tots. But I
put the paperwork through int Beage County. We became our
own campaign. That's my hand.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Sorry.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
And then that and then didn't do it ever since though,
And then that's why I met all these beautiful women here.
And you're a little handsome ass to see you, so
thank you because you do doing it.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Appreciate that because everybody else has been acting like I'm
a bump on the.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Log this evening, So thank you for that. I appreciate.
Speaker 6 (41:34):
Me. I mean, even with we we bothered you.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Yeah, I know, I know.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
You've got you all have had a week prior to
this happening where I was not anywhere near these conversations.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Let's let's set this up for Steve and blah blah blah.
It's fine, I don't care. I'm game for all of it.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I'm just ecstatic to have all of you ladies on
the podcast tonight. This this is not that we're done yet,
but it's been fantastic. I'm really glad you guys joined us.
Speaker 6 (42:07):
Yeah, Rita has me as her this is what what
the hell of I.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
You're the distribution coordinator, so naughty handles all the organizations
and the families.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Which is about to say, what is your exact like title?
Rita and then Nadia for.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
I'm just I'm the campaign coordinator. I don't really do anything.
I just kind of make sure everybody else has what
they need to do their.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Everything you do, I love that about you, but just yeah, now,
it's just.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
It's a pretty cool campaign and like it's it's like
anything and like and then you have your sales team,
which is pretty much I mean, Sloan's got eighty seven
kids now, so it's a little bit hard for her
to do all the events because she's wow. But if
you look through all of our pictures, Sloan, is it you.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Do pretty breastfeeding during the Rock March, I mean.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Fred breastfeeding the last four years. It's been my life.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
Plus your heart. So I love listening to all of
you guys talk right, And you know, I think that
it's so funny because we're always we all have this
common theme about never giving up, always giving back, and
then always fighting for that person that doesn't have that
voice of their own, and we can do what we
can do and be the voice for them. It's like
(43:23):
every single one of you, uh, you know, we're saying
kind of the same thing, and and I just I
love that about I just love that about all three
of you. I even like started to tear up when
he was talking. It makes me like so happy that
I have these guys in my life. Sorry, Stephen, we're
getting a little combined. Why I'm doing it like a hug,
(43:44):
a virtual hug.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Okay, So look I knew full well going into this
week's podcast.
Speaker 3 (43:50):
Thank you, Sloan, appreciate that, baby. I'm full well going into.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
This week's podcast that this was going to be this
is freaking this is Stacy's trip Wire freaking show, and
I'm Ed McMahon with freaking Jimmy what's his name at
the freaking It's a spot. I understand that I'm taking
the back seat for this, but these are your women.
I love all of you. I've spent time with all
(44:15):
of you. I love all of you. This is your podcast,
one with it. I'm just having fun being here and
I love it. Just share, please keep I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
How many minutes we have left, because usually billboard.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
We're at forty four minutes and twenty five seconds, and
we got plenty of time.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Okay, good, because I wasn't sure if we started from
the beginning or if we started from when Jennifer got on,
which is yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
We always start.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
We always start when all the fire teams here, When
all the fire teams here, that's when we start.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Okay, So what else? What else? What else do we
have coming up? We're almost done? Well, the Turkey Raffle? Okay,
so we have the Turkey Raffle. That's this weekend. That's
that's going to be insane. And then the holiday party
for all of us is coming up.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
And then what's the day to that.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
The Holly party is the fourteenth, December fourth.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I won't be back by then.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
That's that's a combined that's Legion auxiliary.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
I get it. I just won't be.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Everybody's invited to that.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
And then I've been subtly trying to tell you all
that I'm coming back into town to give you the
fore warning that the Odie is coming back into town.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
And the Odie is coming back into town. Did you
get that message?
Speaker 2 (45:30):
But when when are you doing that?
Speaker 3 (45:33):
I'm sorry, when are you doing that?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
You didn't say did you say that?
Speaker 6 (45:35):
Did you?
Speaker 3 (45:36):
Wis Chris is around Christmas?
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Around Christmas time? Okay?
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Well, well that's give me because help.
Speaker 6 (45:45):
And if you come before the twenty first, you can
help us do Thistrot Day.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Oh oh you know, let me think about that.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Let me Okay, I'll be there if I can. I
promise I will do better, do better.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Okay, I'm trying to shut things down here, get things
set up in Ohio for after the holidays, and then
I'll be there.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
I promise.
Speaker 6 (46:11):
What you can do?
Speaker 3 (46:13):
Roger, Roger, Roger, Sergeant.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Are you still in class?
Speaker 3 (46:18):
No? What have you guys heard about this ship?
Speaker 4 (46:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (46:22):
It's pretty so.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Bill and Bill and Stacy and I have been talking about, uh,
trying to formulate what's going on with the podcast and
everything for the last couple of weeks. I've literally been
in class for three and a half out of the
four last weeks. And Stacey's like, well, Stephen can't help
because he Rodi can't help because he's in quote unquote class.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
So I'll handle it now.
Speaker 2 (46:51):
I'm going to be getting on his nerves and he's
that's how he's going to not talk to me. I
can't talk to you.
Speaker 3 (46:55):
Right now in class. So actually that's noted for all
of you.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
If I ever say I'm in class, it's because I'm
just putting you in pauseation kind of a lot.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
And I'll let you kick all my asses. I'll let
you all kick my ass when I get back.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
I'm just messing around, very very semporai.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Wow, really really see that? Could that cut? That cut deep? Babe?
That cut deep?
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Are you gonna bake? Are you going to make any
of your suitets for the holiday party? The whole time
I have worried about in the morning with.
Speaker 6 (47:39):
Read out, so I have warehouse in the morning, would
read it, because I've already volunteered for the fourteen to
hang out with in the morning, and then we have
the wm A party that same day.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
She'll probably win another raffle with that, the Women's Marine
part in the Women's Marine or okay, yeah.
Speaker 6 (47:53):
And then I have to come home and then get
dressed for that other party.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
No, like, you can't, you don't have time to make
anything else.
Speaker 6 (48:01):
No, well, because we're most at that time, most of
those at the warehouse almost every other day because we
have pickups from all the foundations, so we wanted to
check out everything, makeause everything is correct. It's it's hard
to make plans until that this today for us, at
least for me, I can't. I mean, I can't really
(48:21):
commit to nothing until after this to day is done.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
That's what you said. That's the twenty first. That's when
you just distribute.
Speaker 6 (48:28):
The twenty first and twenty second is it's family there
we have a like right now, I'm trying to work
on the five hundred something families that come in and
grab toys from us. So I just gotta vet them.
I'm vetting them right now and then and then I'm
also vetting the organizations which I get to either be
the nice person or the mean person. Today I was
a mean person apparently.
Speaker 5 (48:50):
You know what though, in Toys for Tasks they always
say to put the meanest person in the warehouse because
that and you have to because you have to be
because some people try and work the system. And then
there's some people, well most people related, but that that
fourteen fifteen week in December, that's when we get to
all our organizations. We do about seventy plus organizations throughout
the Page County and we help the surrounding. Once we're
done with our distro, we can map that. We do
(49:11):
a family distro. We run it like a Portillo's drive through.
You know, it's kind of we don't anybody come in
the warehouse. We just it's cars. They come in, you
know what I mean, We have what they need and
then they're out. So, I mean, it's a lot of work,
a lot of organization goes into it, and both we
just have all day mass teams, so it's an all day.
Speaker 6 (49:27):
Event for us. So it's like, all right, let's put
our comfy shoes on, was it?
Speaker 4 (49:32):
You know?
Speaker 5 (49:32):
We don't our costumes on? We put Yeah, we do.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
We do costumes.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
I think about what are you gonna wear? What are
you gonna wear for that? Oh yeah, getting oh oh
you're gonna dress like elves? Yes, Santa's Helpers like Santa's
helper for that too?
Speaker 6 (49:49):
Well cool because we want them to So we would
do toy pick up at other events well, we're helping
everyone else pick up. We want to be sent sentence
else picking up.
Speaker 5 (49:58):
Yeah, we want to make a.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Little bit of fun. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
So all right, So ladies, Jennifer your breakfast with Sannah.
What date is that?
Speaker 4 (50:07):
Uh, December second? I think it's the first Saturday in December.
I think it's the second, seventh. I don't know. I'm
not with you in the calendar right now.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
It's the seventh, it's whatever the first Saturday is in
descend That is a fundraiser for is that No.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
That's just that's just a free It's not as differ.
It's just a free event forans military to hang out. Yeah,
come hang out, chill with Santa. Bring your toy for
toys for tots. Okay, it's that sense, all right, Yeah,
bring toys for that. Yeah, that's what the Neighborville VFW.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Thank you, Thank you. So, ladies.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
I don't mean to like act like this is my podcast,
even though it's Stacy's podcast, but I'm gonna throw this
out there and I'm gonna be like, Okay, so we're
gonna wrap this up in the next couple of minutes.
Speaker 3 (50:53):
What I would like from each.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
Of you is one quotation that you that you try,
you strive every day to live your day by Okay,
go ahead, since you're at I'm chomping at the bit, and.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
I'll give the other two a second to think of theirs.
So in my signature block, and I may even butcher
because I have exactly memorized. But in my signature block
for email, it's a uh, I forget her last name.
Her first name is Betsy. Thanks kitty cat, but right
cat walks across the screen. Rights I'm about to do
my big quote. It's a service, is not not just
(51:29):
you know, saying, it's a way of life. Bring it
to everything you do in life. And that's that's the
summarized version of it. It's not the exact quote, but yeah,
that's I feel like that kind of sums up how
I how I do business, how I live my life,
how I raise my kids. It's not just you know,
a saying or something you do. It's a way of life,
and it's something that I really try to do it everything.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
Okay, So I'm gonna ask you one last time for
the quotation because the petting zoo interrupted, so uh, and
you can you just say.
Speaker 3 (52:00):
One last time for us please if you don't mind.
Speaker 4 (52:02):
Yeah. So the way that I the quote that exemplies
how I of my life is. Service is not just
something you do. It's a way of life, and you
bring it to everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Absolutely fantastic. Naughtier or Riado, which one who he wants
to go next?
Speaker 6 (52:21):
I do would live by a quote to anybody got out?
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Anybody else got a petting zoo coming across the screen
before we finished.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
What you didn't see was they've been trying. They've been
trying to get on screen this entire fifty minutes. I've
been keeping them.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Start your hand, go up that well.
Speaker 4 (52:37):
I was petting them over here and then I was
petting them down below. But man, they just their attention hogs.
All right, I'm sorry I had quotes. Give you give
us your quotes, ladies.
Speaker 3 (52:44):
What is it?
Speaker 5 (52:45):
Muhammad Ali? Service is the rent you pay for your
time on earth? I don't know. I just love that guy, so.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
Too good, Naughtiet What if you can't think of one
right now? When I think of you, I think of
somebody that is service above self. And that's what I
see when I first met you, how much energy you
put out for other people all of the time, and
you may not think you lived by a quote, and
you may not need to have those words in front
of you, because that is what I see in your art.
Speaker 6 (53:12):
Okay, yeah, I don't know. I won't even know how
I live by any quote. I'm so all over the praise.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
Half the time you live by, You live by what
you feel like is right, and that's what I see
you ladies. You agree with me, I would absolutely yes,
this lady agrees with you.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
And I'll say this, I love how much energy Naughty
you put. I love how much energy Nauti you always
puts out there, into the into the service, into the community,
all the different programs Issu's a part of and that
goes for all of you, ladies, not just Naughty. But
I had to I'm trying to retain control a little bit.
(53:48):
So anyway, yes, thank you, uh Stacy, any last words
before we uh we say it?
Speaker 2 (53:55):
I love thank you guys for coming on and I
appreciate it. And we'll have the links and when I
make my post, I'm going to make sure you guys
are all tagged. Everybody knows how to find you and
follow up with you on some of the you know,
the things that you talked about, and we can we
can sign off whenever you're ready.
Speaker 5 (54:09):
Facy, thanks for having us on Darling.
Speaker 4 (54:11):
Yes, Stacy, thanks for having us on your podcast. Stacy say, Stephen,
thank you.
Speaker 3 (54:17):
I look forward.
Speaker 1 (54:18):
I look forward after all this is over and done with,
in like six to seven months, we get all of
us back again, because it'll be a completely different conversation.
Speaker 3 (54:26):
We can talk about more things coming up in the future.
Speaker 1 (54:29):
I really I love having reoccurring frigging groups coming in
and I'm not scared of Naperville's Charlie's Angels. So there
it is, there it is everybody. Thank you very much
for joining us on Tripwire tonight. We've had a wonderful
time with our guests Jennifer, Rita and Nadia. This is
myself and Stacy signing off for Tripwire. Remember, the path
(54:51):
of freedom is paid by courage and.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Honor is the wire we never trip It's good, that's good.
Speaker 3 (55:09):
Yes,
Afternoon, everybody. It is Tripwire time again. It is November twentieth,
four pm Eastern time. God bless you all. Welcome back, Stacy.
What have you been plotting all week for us to
enjoy this evening? As far as our podcast goes well, If.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
The promo photo of the four of us give anybody
a little bit of an idea, I have like the
trifecta of badass ladies, three of my very favorite people.
I'm so excited to have them all on at the
same time. It's gonna be, it's gonna be, it's gonna
be amazing. I hope you can handle it well.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
And so I'm glad you brought that up because I'm
actually going to share with our viewers that, uh, not
that I suffer from anxiety.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But I've been a little worried because.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Of the Charlie's Angels out of the Aperville area that
is coming through the podcast today with all four of
you freaking powerhouses of alpha females. So I think we
should just like kick it off and then just run
with it and see how it goes.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
So let's have it.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
You.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm gonna let you introduce everybody you run it. I'm
just here for entertainment value.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Okay, all right, so we're gonna bring the ladies on.
Let's there we go, and Jennifer and so these these
are my I mean, these are my fellow female veterans.
They're my friends. They're three bad ass ladies that I
like get to hang out with and laugh with and
(02:11):
work with and volunteer in the community with and learn from.
I've learned so much from every one of them. Whether
you guys all even realize that or not, I have.
And so when I had this opportunity to get us
all together on here, I just got so excited and
my heart was so full and uh like I was.
You probably heard me when I was telling Steven that
(02:32):
I wanted to get a photo of off us all
in costume. I thought it was really cool just because
you know, we all have these like little bit different
personalities and we all mesh and he you know, looks
at us as these four alpha females, and I love
the fact that we all get along and like collaborate
so well. And I think a big part of that
is because we are veterans. And then let's kick it
(02:56):
off with that, because you guys are all marines and
thank goodness I'm a Navy corman or you might not
like me at all, so at least we've got that going.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
But stop it stobbing.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
You're just you're just driving, You're just ubering the boat
tonight for all four.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Ladies.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Before Stacey runs away with this, I want to say,
it's a pleasure to see you all again.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Love having you on here. Thank you for accepting our invitation.
Look forward to seeing you.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I'll be back around the holidays into the Aperville area.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Look forward to seeing you all hopefully.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Okay, so a little bit everybody. So so Nadia Nadia,
raise your hands so they know who Nadia there. So
Nadia is the past commander of the American Legion and
that's just one of like a thousand things that she does. Okay,
So then we've got Jennifer Sloan who's holding a couple
of different officer positions, and you know she's she's my
(03:54):
senior vice for the VFW RITA. What is what are
you doing with with the so American Legion? And you're
talk a little bit about what you do because that
segues into what both of them do with the female
(04:15):
Marines in not just Naperville though, right you guys are
involved with surrounding areas. Can you talk about that just
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
It's whatever one of us is involved in, the other
two are involved in as well in some capacity. So
I mean, right now is just seasonal for me, the
I mean Marine Corps, Marine Corps League, Paperville Marines. I'd
took a backseat this year the Veterans Assistance Commission. I'm
a secondary for the board for that as well, But
right now it's Toys for tat season, and all I
(04:45):
care about our children and Christmas and Santa Claus and
the people on my TV scroup.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
How good.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I was about to say, you're in the warehouse right now?
Speaker 5 (04:54):
Right? Oh, no, I wish my warehouse was so speak
because it's that's.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Not workers at the Toys for Tots were home.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
No, this is my this is was our Franklin Park
office wherever.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
For Okay, I was like, wow, so it's okay. Before
we just go off on a whole bunch of tangents,
let's start with the Marine, the Marine Corporate Day, the
two d and forty ninth birthday, and let's talk a
little bit about the balls that you guys went to
because how many did you go to Nadia mere fun?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Did four? Three? Three balls?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
One party?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Three balls, party rider?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Go ahead?
Speaker 5 (05:34):
What's up?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
How many did you go to Rita?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
I went to one.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I was small things I had to do this year.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
But I mean I took Nadia as my day to
the McCanny County ball where she cleaned house and all
the raffles. So I saw that.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
How many did absolutely fourteen?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
That's insane? How does it even happen? Got a loop
in some socks tickets at the at the Toys for
Tots where we got to dress up. I was pretty sure.
But you know how I won that? I bought like
twenty tickets. I put them all in that saying bucket.
Speaker 6 (06:05):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Nobody wants to go to the socks game. I think
I was the only pertins person, but my tickets in there.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I won.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Okay, so for three balls in one party. And then Jennifer,
let's I want to hear a little bit about this
extra outfit that you talk about that for a second.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, I mean it's it's nothing special. It's the the
Marine Corps has a cape or boat cloak, as it's
called commonly referred to that can be worn by staff
n CEOs so E six and above and officers and
warrant officers, and it just brings kind of like a
Dracula vampire super like lord of a Castle vibe to it.
So when you show up in your dress clues, which
(06:50):
are you look fabulous by the way, and then you've
got this scarlet lined cape with a velvet collar, it's
like you show up full superhero modes. So yeah, I
was down in Chronicle for some training this last year.
I'm with the Marine for Life program in the reserves,
so I'm still serving the actively in the reserves. And
I was down in Quantico and I said, you know what,
I'm gonna splurge. I'm gonna buy this novelty item. Not
a lot of people have it. It's a little extra
(07:11):
pizazz and flair. So I had my cape and my
swagger stick and I went ball hopping. This year, I
went to four So it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Stephen absolutely nailed it.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
The uniform carries it. The uniform carries it.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
That's fair enough. But you know, I mean, okay, the
uniform carries it. But we're all veterans here, and I'm
going to say that every single one of you adds
character to the uniform as we wear it or as
we have worn it in the past.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So the photos were amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It was an amazing amount of flare as you I've identified,
you know with the photos that you shared. It was
it was just it was an awesome thing to see
outside of the norm.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
So awesome.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Man, it didn't look good and everybody, but damn, we'll
look good on her.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
There there you go. That's exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
So you know what. The Marine Corp birthday comes around
once a year. We celebrated, well I celebrated four times,
Naughtia three times, so you know you got to go
big go home on the Marine Corps birthday.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
So, oh God, bless us all for next year, for
the fiftieth's.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
It's gonna be wild.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It's gonna be wild, Nadia. Have you guys already started
to talk about that obviously for here the Naperville one,
well I have.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
I'm already trying to get the next guest speaker.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You probably can't tell us who you're trying to get. No,
it's a steak.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
No, I have three ages working on it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So honestly, I know, I know you guys are very,
very solid with your traditions, which I love. You know,
you have these specific things that you do throughout the
course of the evening which and you were part of that, Jennifer,
right you Yes, I.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Was part of the ceremony at the Naperville Ball. So
I filled the role the adjutant, which go out there
call the call the contingent to attention, kicks off the ceremony,
and then the big part that the adjutant plays is
reading a General Assourance birthday message, which for those are
not familiar. General Assourren was a general the Marine Corps.
He was instrumental in solidifying our course legacy. He's one
(09:14):
of the main reasons that we celebrate the ball, and
it's done with such pomp and splendor. He decreed that
no matter where marines were throughout the globe, whether it
was two marines together or an entire ballroom full of
five hundred marines, you pause and you celebrate the marine's birthday.
So I've celebrated a birthday in Afghanistan on post literally
with one other marine, and I've celebrated it obviously, you know,
(09:35):
in ballrooms across the country, and you know, with marines
all around, with drinks and livations and celebrations. So it's
just it's a hallmark of our core for us to
stop and celebrate the birthday and our our course legacy
and every rine that's gone before us.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I really do, you know, I really do love how
dedicated the Marines are to this. At a hospital corporal,
we just don't have stuff like that. And I I
find myself every time, every time, every year at this time,
you know, wanting to be like wanting to be a
(10:12):
part of something like that. Like I think, it's just
it's beautiful. It really is reading a lot of history
what not.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
You it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, well I know, I know. I watch you guys
working your asses off. So with okay, so let's segue
a little bit into Twister for Todds unless there's anything
more about those the balls that you guys want to share.
You feels for itself. It does and the photos are
so riata readA share a little bit hot and then
(10:46):
the ladies can chime in. You guys, the push and
the work that you do in in this area. It's
not just Naperville though, right You guys collab with some
of the other legions or no, it's really everything. You guys,
go ahead, well toys, we're talking.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
An official mission the Marine Corps Reserve, so every reserve
unit and then also LCO, which is a.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Local coordinating a little muted honey, hold on, hold on,
I can get there.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
It is. We got you now.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
I can't.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
I can use my hands when I talk, and I can't.
It's it's very hard for me.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Okay, all right, every every every town basically or.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
So there's eight hundred and fifty different campaigns throughout the
country Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, DC, whatever, So I mean
they all hold any basically anything with over like over
fifty miles from Reserve center. They can conduct their own
toys for Todd's campaign if they want, but they have
to be vetted through the foundation, so they have to
apply every year. You have to submit an application. All
that kind of good stuff. All the money that's collected
(11:52):
that we collect for our campaign, as long as it's
donated or given to us to deposit where donated via
our local website, goes right back into our local campaign.
So which is which I think is pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
So for the audience, which which which local campaign are
you part of is that the page or something else?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Two page county, but even all three of us support
all the surrounding counties too. I mean same team saying
fight you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So understood, understood.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I'm just trying to help out our audience understand what
they can do and where they can where they can
tap in.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, So how do we not that it's a competition,
but curious, I'm just I mean, I'm just curious.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
How competition?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
How do you guys? How how you guys fare against
some of the other ones. Do you guys get like
your you know, like your third in the state, or
how does it? How does it go?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Do they do?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
They's?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I mean it depends.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
It's I mean we're audited and I mean where everybody's
great on a national level, right, So every year there's
you have like all the the ACT to do in
the units. Even though it's an official program in the
Marine Cord Reserve, it's the I and I stay at
the active duty that actually that definitely conduct the campaign.
So there's each year there's a national coordinator year for
like the duty side of the house, and then there's an
(13:12):
ACT and then there's a national coordinator for an l
c O, which is a local coordinating coordinator, so you
have to follow on it. So you have to follow
their soop and if you do everything by the rules
and then go a little bit above and beyond, then
you get recognized. And they have like separate several different
regions so that you have regional coordinators and you have
like the national coordinator. So I think that what are
(13:34):
why do Page is so successful is because we have
We've been able to retain a lot of our team.
We have the same people, same familiar faces, so people
they know us, they're comfortable with us, they trust us
to do what's right with their donations, their money, their
funds and stuff like that. And then we're just the relationships.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
That we have built over the years.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
So it's been pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I think I think Bill Bill found a picture of Jennifer,
so I think he's going to show that there we go, superhero.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
I'm telling you, man that that scarlet blinding against the
dress blues with the blue n CEO stripe or officer
stripe down the trousers. Man, it's just it's just kiss right.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It's absolutely Jennifer.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Absolutely, So we did we got the uh costume party
that we had Nadia right, the one of the Legion
through Yes, yes, the one of the Legion three that
was pretty successful. Did you get a lot of toy
donotions or toys and cash?
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It did?
Speaker 6 (14:38):
I mean we got two boxes of toys, but it
was mainly too fud raised for cash. I ended up
with like four thousand dollars that we raised in like
I want to say, two and a half hours, maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Two and a half hours.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Our biggest drawers always are our officer for dances. That
usually makes us a good amount of money because we're
silly about it, and but people come and are willing
to do that. Like this year we had Micrograph willing
to be so for a dance only, and then the
Grinch and then we had a two for one d
all Marines.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
The Brinch was Rita the Grinch.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
In our promo picture. If anybody, you know, if anybody's
watching this saw the promo picture, Yea, and then and
then Rita. Rita was the Gride and then Slan What
was your question from? Okay, I know I wasn't exactly
sure and I was just steampunk mad Max, but but
it was it was more about like what what they
(15:36):
look like.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
My husband said, so welcome.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I was talking about this. Can we hear her?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Her up?
Speaker 6 (15:50):
Can you hear me now?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yes, we can hear you now, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I was telling them so that the Neighborville response for
veterans had this they're huge gala, right, And I don't
know if we if all of you guys had a
little bit of fomo at the same time, but like
normally that's something I think all four of us would attend,
and but I collectively wanted to support my my, my
ladies here and and go to the toys. We had
(16:18):
that schedu Nadia had that scheduled first, I think, to
be honest.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
I've had that schedule since January scheduled. This is it.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
She never waits the last minute. She always has everything
scheduled all the way out. So I mean that was
already on my calendar, you know. And so we were
like none of us were there, but I did have
I did have a very good Jeff and his wife
Laura represented the post and they were a good representation
of us. But yeah, we held it, you know, we
held it down for Toys for Tots.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
It was a different crowd we drew from. I think
for us, if.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
That's I am big sexy guys, that was.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
A picture of.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
That.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I love that. That was that's Nadia husband and sign
right there.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
They were in Black Coast for Talk Division.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Yes, that's the female Marines sings karaoke.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
Well these are all the Marines, I'm honest. And then
that was like a big like I like how we
had a more Tis Adams friend growth for that one.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
You know, there are some good costumes there really was
people did who was that that was dressed like slash Nadia?
He was a fireman.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
No, he he comes from Uh that's part of Diana's group.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Uh he's with Frank. He's with a rolling thunder. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
You know, Stacey, you mentioned that, you know that you
didn't go to the Napole Responds event and instead came
to this one. And I think that just kind of
speaks about us as our little cohort of women veterans.
It's like whenever one of us has an event going on,
like if we can make it, we're gonna make it right,
Like and we're gonna we're gonna go there. We're gonna
support it. We're gonna bring our friends. We're gonna bring
our wallets, our friends wallet. It's like, but the fundraiser,
(18:00):
we're bringing money right, toys for tats uh, you know,
the golf outing, the fundraiser that we do for the Juttathon,
the fundraiser for the Disney event. Your shows, like it's
like we show up right, Like we're all very successful women.
And I think that speaks to who we are at
our character, Like it's never been about like, oh what's
she doing or oh I need to show up. It's like, hey,
we're well, let's like let's get some shit done right,
(18:21):
Like this is from good causes. We're do gooders at heart,
and we want to help other do gooders.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So we cross promote each other. We like each other,
we share things, we tell each other, but you know,
tell everybody about each other's events. And yeah, and I
love that and and you know, and I and again,
women there is there's a lot of great women out there,
but traditionally, you know, I think women that are strong
and confident, a lot of times they end up competing
(18:48):
and not collaborating. And I do feel like it's this
veteran part that we've got. I like to see more
women do that, collaborate and work with each other because
we are stronger together. It's amazing what we can accomplish.
And we all, you know, just get in there and
say let's get this done, and let's do this. Let's
talk a little bit more about some of the other
things that you guys do. So Nania, I know Nadia does,
(19:10):
and I want you to speak on the veteran business
connection stuff, Jennifer. But Nadia is involved in a lot
of fundraising, Like every time I see her with an event,
there's some she's raising money for different things. Can you
talk a little bit about those different organizations.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
Well, this year we raise money for Operations Comfort Warrior,
So if you're not familiar with Operation Warrior, they provide
supplemental items for recovery, so not everything has to be medical,
Like there might be veterans who might need a bike,
who might need a kayak, whom I need headphones, whom
I need something that helps them doown out the noise.
(19:44):
So the American LESU has this great program which is
called Operation Comfort Warrior, where you they either go to
the hospitals or you can request supplemental things and they'll
send it to you. So nine I think it's one
hundred ninety nine says to the dollar goes that is
the way goes to the program itself. So this year
we did a golf outing and we raise ninety three
(20:06):
hundred dollars just for Operation Comfort Warrior, and at the
same time we raise I think two thousand dollars for
the Midwill Shelter for homeless veterans. And then we started
raising funds for Toys for Tots in August when we
did the NAPOR Nights. So between the think both of
the events, we've raise Between both both events we raise
(20:29):
a good amount for Toys for Tats. And then I'm
currently working with Operation Her Story to raise funds so
we can go on and so it's females and can
go to All FEMA Flight for next year. So that's
my new project. After I swear reader, after Toys for Tots,
not during I'll jump on Operation Her Story because I'm
(20:52):
on the board of it now, and we'll be raising
funds to do an all and a second off.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
FEMA Aunt of Flight All FEMA okay.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
The second one, and then obviously I have the I
usually do almost all the fundraising for the legion. So
then I'll be working again on Golf Out, and I'll
be working again on puppies. I'll be working again on
whatever needs to be done to raise funds for donation.
The good thing about it is that everything that we
do raise the post doesn't keep any of it. Right,
(21:20):
we donated one hundred percent of it, which is fantastic.
I'm glad that we're in that position. Then we have
some great donors that let us, that make our events
successful and couldn't say do it without all my girls.
So you know, because every time I have an event,
which is a lot of the time, they show up.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
So when you guys do Napor nights, you've got this
crew of people and they show them and you guys
work the beards, handle and all those tips that you make, right,
it's the tips, and you donate all of those.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
Two we donate one hundred percent. So we border. We
call it bordered stealing everything. We create favors like hey,
I'll do this if you come over here. O can
you do this? And we come over here, but we
have a great night, like we lose our voices the
last time me and read it, which I think we were.
We couldn't yell anymore the other night because it was
a Taylor Swift night, so we were massively yelling for
(22:09):
that one.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
But we did.
Speaker 6 (22:10):
I think we did like fifteen hundred that day, just.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I kind of made a couple of hours. And I
mean they I've done it with you guys a few times.
I was out of town this year and I couldn't
do it. But we've literally been told Stephen by the
people that run it like we're it's a veteran thing too.
We're so like in sync with how we run the operation.
That were fast and what is Remember that when they
(22:35):
told us that we raised more money than like anyone
ever has in there, Remember that two years ago.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
No, I think we moved the line faster than anyone
else well.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Right because because we were moving it so fast, and
we did, but there was a lot of tips because
we were doing it.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Was but we keep our lines fairly Swiss. But they
like us. So I I'll always have that that contract
every year because it's a contract that I have to
sign and I have to I'm sure that contrac gets
a bided by Yeah, oh yeah, so it's you know,
Barton is still like asking for favors left and right
or especially everyone. Can I have the right amount of
people to help us at night out?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah, yeah it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Jennifer, tell us a little bit about what's going to
be going on Thursday with Lynn. Okay, so Thursday, you've
got two things going on. Well, obviously we've got our
Veteran Business Connection. On Mondays, we've got the Tuesday After
Hours that we started, and then this Thursday you've got
the launch in and Lyn's things. So go ahead and
talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Yeah. So about a year and a half ago, we
started the Veteran Business Connection, which is veteran business owners
in the local area and then veterans that want to
get into business right, so it's connecting everybody. It started
out as a breakfast at Rosie's Home Cooking, which is
owned Bylin Louder in Naperville, and we would meet there
once a month on the third Monday. We still meet
every third Monday there at eight am, and we just mastermind,
(23:58):
right like we connect, We talk about what our challenges are,
we troubleshoot, we promote each other's businesses, and that kind
of evolved into expanded out into the first Tuesday Now
we do an after hour, so not everybody can make
a breakfast on a weekday, So we do the first
Tuesday six to eight pm at the Apriville VFW. That's
a little bit more laid back, it's less structured, but
(24:19):
it's veteran owned businesses and those that want to get
into business, networking and just talking and having a drink together,
eating some pizza. And then this Thursday, we're going to
do our first VBC lunch out in Oswego, so expanding
out the geographic area a little bit. And one one
of the buildings that I manage because I know it's
got a conference room and it's a free space, right,
so what's better than free. We're gonna meet, We're gonna
(24:39):
you know, have lunch together, some pizza, just talk, connect
with one another and continue to grow each other's businesses.
And I think everyone on this call can test to
the fact that as veterans, we have a different experience
and we bring different skills to the marketplace and a
different mindset and so to be surrounded by other veterans
that get it right, that's a big thing. And it's
(24:59):
been really successful. I've had a lot of people just
you know, say that it's been good for their business.
It's been good to connect with other veterans. They don't
necessarily have time to do the VFW, the Legion, or
you know, some of the other veteran organizations because they're
small business owners and their heart and soul is poured
into that. It takes all their time. So it's good
for them to connect with one another. And so I
mentioned Lin Lauder who gives us his restaurant on Mondays
to meet they're normally closed. He lets us use it
(25:20):
in the morning, which is amazing, and he gives us
free coffee, which we all need. But he's actually hosting
a fundraiser on Thursday at the Matrix Club in Naperville,
and it's a fundraiser for the Veteran Business Project, which
is his charity. So his charity, Veteran Business Project, actually
connects those that want to sell an existing business to
veterans that want to purchase and take over business. So
(25:41):
a lot of these baby boomers mom and pop shops,
you know, they've run the business for thirty forty years
and their kids don't want anything to do with it,
and they want to sell it, right, they don't want
their mechanic shop to go under, or their restaurant to fail,
or you know, they don't want to nobody else wants
to buy it, so veterans will come in and take
over that business. And what Lin's Charity does is he
provides them men right, so he mentors the incoming veteran,
(26:02):
gives them leadership skills, well they already got the leadership skills,
but gives them the business plan, does a left seat
right seat. They get to see how the business operates,
They get to meet with the person who's selling it,
and they do like a warm handoff right where they
work alongside them for two or three months, and then
they buy the business and Lynn's Charity helps finance it,
they mentor it, they continue on the process. And if
you go to Veteran Veteran Business Project dot org, I
(26:25):
think is it's either ordered dot com. Shame on me
for not knowing that. But if you google that Veteran
Business Project, his website will come up and you can
hear all of these different amazing stories of veterans that
have purchased businesses and are now rocking it right, like
bought a business, gainfully employed, they're their own boss and
it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
You know, what are you doing? You like passing notes
to somebody? What's happening down there?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
No way, dress Natia, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Oh naughty? What are you doing? Are you each other?
That's nonsense.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
She's sending me in love emojis that it's very cute.
She's very Okay, what do.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
You want to talk about? Tell us some tell us something, rita.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
No, I'm there's just an event that I really didn't
push too much a year because I'm still trying to
like get my feet or get my head wrapped around
or whatever. But I work with the American Legion Post
one AB seven or an Olt Nurse, and they do
have music behind the scenes where they bring up a
bunch of country music artists or artists as songwriters from
Nashville that come up and they sing their music at
(27:27):
the Legion. It's like a dollar about twenty five a ticket.
We raise, I mean anywhere between fifteen to twenty grand
at the event. It's pretty awesome. I would just love
to get We just need a bigger venue. So that's
why I'm like trying to figure out where we can
go next year. I just don't think the Olnhurst Legion
is big enough. Either's Naperville, so could use a little
bit of help with that, but that that's going to
cost us money. But events like that and that's where
(27:48):
I love, you know, doing things with any all three
of you. Steve, it would be cool if we ever
saw you rich you're too busy for us. But because
you guys just do.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
A venta throw out there.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
I'm just we're gonna, we're gonna get to you, sir.
But I'm just every every event spong like, no matter
what you guys do, it's I just think it's really interesting.
So up in that hall, you need a space in
the hall that we have. What's that You need a
space bigger than the hall upstairs? Yeah, there's the Yeah.
I mean, if you've ever seen a Helmhurst Legion, it's
it's actually a pretty big space as well. I mean
(28:21):
it's large, but I mean just the venue itself. And
you also need like a good sound system too, because
these guys come up. I mean, these these guys sing
like these are Grammy winning songwriters that come up from
Nashville every year, don't charge any money and they sing
their stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And then the infrastructure, the infrastructure, Yeah, yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Guys talk to any of the schools.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
I wonder if we can talk to something big, it
would be nice, but they just so.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
It sounds good or something or a little central.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Well okay, but fair enough.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
But uh, the school audiotoriums are not the are not the.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Place for these Grammy writers.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
No, you need something that's built specifically for them for
that level of music is what we need.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
Yellow Box.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
I don't know what what what Stacey, You've done your
shows at yellow Box before, right?
Speaker 6 (29:11):
That might it's me that West Hall.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It's expensive, so it depends on what your budget is.
The Ayberville North and Yberville High School there where they
perform their drama and their orchestra.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
That's not a bad idea and that's my bad. But
but we are working with Ell Nurse too, so we
kind of have to take that into consideration. And it
is a lot of the businesses they like donate baskets
and stuff. I like doing the event because they put
a mic in my hand and I get to rip
on the audience and work the crowd and everything like that.
Remove you know, money from the people, take money of
their wallet, and it's it's so much fun. It's so
(29:45):
much money and when well about the money you do this?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
When is it?
Speaker 5 (29:49):
This last one we had it was at October nineteenth.
I think they're going to push it back to November
for next year. I have a date, but I have
to check through my phone. But if I do that
then I'm going to probably we fall out of the podcast.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
So you know we'll get back on that.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
I mean, let's let's brainstorm, ladies, because I bet you
we could find a place, especially while the veteran driven,
a veteran driven event, and that money goes to what.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
I mean, it's it's I mean, it's it's the the
groups that the Legion, the American Legion their post so
I mean it's a lot of the same ones that
Aberville does, but I mean a lot of them are
local to to Elmhurst.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So Elmhers, but it's still veteran driven. We looked at
any of the schools in Elmhurst.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I haven't gotten that. Car Non toways Stacey.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
They probably in the winter. We don't.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
We can't do that until.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
After after after Christmas, after Christmas, after three kings. Hold on,
there you go.
Speaker 6 (30:52):
She has me booked until then okay, yeah, yeah, all
of you.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Okay, so let's let's talk a little bit about out
your you know, how your military experience, how your military experience,
I like, I always like to talk about or ask
how you feel that the military experiences have helped you
navigate through different things in life, working, working, uh, moving
(31:19):
forward with your career, just getting getting motivated to do
the things that you do in the community. I just
want to hear how all of that kind of came
together for you as military being your foundation. So who
wants to vote?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Can I? Can I add to that?
Speaker 1 (31:36):
And I would like to for the audience, I would
like each of you to share where you're originally from,
what led you do, what branch you went in, and
then talk about your time on active duty, and then
add to Stacey's.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
And add my thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Yes is a veterans podcast.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
It is Nadia. You go first.
Speaker 6 (31:58):
I love the youngest quotes first.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Jennifer, No, I already I already talked my Okay, so
all right, So I grew up in Naperville. Fine, I'll
go you know what, Fine, Okay, I'll take it. I'll
take this one. So I grew up I was born
of Missouri, but I grew up in Illinois. We moved
to Apriville in nineteen ninety eight and graduated in two
thousand and six, and so I was in eighth grade
(32:23):
when nine to eleven halfened. So that was a huge
impact on me. I was like, you know what, I'm
pissed off. These motherfuckers attacked my country. I watched all
these people die on live TV. I'm thirteen years old,
and I was pissed off. And everybody's like, oh, yeah,
I'm gona join the military, right, Me and my thirteen
year old friends, right, We're all going to join the military.
And then, you know, things kind of progressed the war,
and by the time we were old enough to join
the military, kind of public opinion had sour a lot
(32:43):
on military service. And I still want to join the military.
I'm a I was raised in a family that was
very patriotic. I'm a third generation immigrant. You know, my
grandparents came over on the boat, intensely patriotic, love of
our country, the opportunities it provides. And I was like,
you know what, I want to give back. And I
think anybody that joins the military does, you know, for
whatever reason they do it they still have. There's always
(33:04):
a component of wanting to serve others, right, serving a
cause greater than yourself. So that was a big driver
for me. I wanted to get back to my country.
I wanted to serve others. And then just going through
my time in the military, I would say the biggest
thing that I've applied from my time in the military.
Granted I'm still in the reserves, but it's the the
Marine mantra mentality of find a way or make away, right, Like,
(33:24):
when you're presented a challenge, it's not like, oh, what
was me, I'm gonna get to get through this, you
know I need help. It's like, no, I'm gonna figure
the shit out, right, I'm gonna find a way or
I'm gonna make away, or I'm gonna tap people. Do
I left or right? I'm gonna go to my battle buddy.
Maybe I don't know the answer, but you know my
nco knows the answer. My my bestie Rita, my bestI, Nadia,
I my bestie Stacy, right like, Hey, I'm struggling with this.
What what do you think? Right, We're gonna find a
(33:46):
way or we're gonna make away. So I would say,
that's probably the biggest thing that I've taken away, and
that's driven me in business. You know, I'm not gonna
take no for an answer. I'm gonna find a way
I'm gonna make away. I think I had all your questions,
didn't I think?
Speaker 6 (33:56):
So?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
All right? Uh, Nadia, that's anesome.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
You're awesome. You're awesome rider.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You're pretty.
Speaker 6 (34:06):
Text for tests, Okay, girl, I have to make sure
it happens. Well, I'm from California. Originally, to be honest
with you, the uniform a uniform for the man, and
then I was too short. So then I was like,
I'm not sure I was going to so I had
but you know, I can make the Marines because the
(34:27):
Army took wanted to take me. The Navy said yes,
they all said yes, and the Marine Corps said, and
as I'm like, all right, then let's go. You got
to prove something, right, I think for me, what I
took is mission accomplishment too well for and then embrace
the suck. It is what it is, and you just
find a way. Yeah, you have to find a way
(34:49):
to finish your job. You have to find a way
to do what you set out to do. Like for me,
I love fundraising. I like helping more than anything else,
I think. But I actually joined the fundraising and knowing
that my efforts are going tours, maybe saving one person's
life or helping one life become better. I think that
(35:09):
for me makes it worth all the hard work, the
late nights, the constantly going. So it's mission accomplishments. And
the same thing we have claraportis with dots. You know,
when we have this today, we all cry because we
get those families that just make you cry. So all
(35:30):
the late nights that we do and all the work
that we put into and all the emails that are
sent back, it's just you make a change in someone's life,
and that's worth it.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
I throw I'll throw something else on there. So in
the Marine Corps we'll follow the mentality of leaders eat
less right, So when child gets brought out to the field,
the pfc's lineup there, privacy first, then pfc's and it
goes down the line right, and the last people to
eat are the top ranking people. It's not like, well,
I'm in a position of authority, I get first dips. No,
you take care of the people that are you know,
(36:01):
lowest man on the twittal pole.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
You make sure they're taking care of always suboarding.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
It's first, and I feel like, as you know, as
leaders in our community, we take that same mentality. It's like, hey,
you know, we're going to take care of those less fortunate.
We're going to make sure other people have food on
their plate beforehand. We're going to make sure these kids
are taking care of it, Toys for Tots, We're going
to fundraise for the kids in Eating Rapids Michigan at
the VFW National Home. So it's that leaders eat last mentality,
taking care of others.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, well you better get on Rita on this really quickly.
He looks like she's about to bolt some right now.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
My phone is like you have ten percent? Are you
going to I'm like, I gotta plug this girl in.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Well, really, you better. You better talk about your military
experience while you get to your your phone chargers. So
find away or make away?
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Okay? So hold on? Born in Jersey, right, it's just
a little bit nuts.
Speaker 6 (36:51):
How has happened?
Speaker 5 (36:52):
So born in Jersey on? Come from a military background
as far as family, My dad's in the Marine Corps,
my uncle's serving now, my mom's side all the Navy.
He was, Uh my grandfather was a commander in Navy's
and doctor. So I've kind of always been around the military,
and it's it's one of those things where you like,
what is it? High school, went to college, ran the money,
(37:13):
and I'm like, oh no, and what do I do?
So I'm like, you know, no, I'm just being completely honest.
So s a party one night, and you know, I
saw a bunch of people and they were all drinking
yard glasses and stuff like that. It was like a
bunch of different all the branches were there and we
were just kind of hanging out partying.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
And then the Marine Corps.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I think there was a staff sarn't Lydick who is
now a master's servant, but he was there, and I
mean he won that contest and I'm like, he's the
coolest whatever. But he ended up being my recruiter at
the end of the day or whatever. So he's the
one that signed I'd sign me up, but I uh
went was it ninety seventh Row six? Did most of
my time as a nasty reservist. Sorry for what for?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
What? What's that for?
Speaker 5 (37:52):
What for?
Speaker 6 (37:53):
What?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Why are you apologizing and you're still serving.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Yeah, no, I know that.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
But everybody we bring on, everybody we bring on here
is is a veteran. And and and Rita. I love
you to death, honey, I love all you ladies. But
I'm gonna just sit there and say this. You're serving.
You're doing something more than what the regular populace is
doing for our country. It doesn't matter if it's reserved,
it doesn't matter. If it's National Guard, doesn't matter. It
(38:18):
doesn't mean matter if you're in active reserve. It matters
that you stood up for something bigger at yourself at
one point in time in your life.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Done. Thank you and sis.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
It's just you know, sometimes it's just me. And then
you were surrounding by a bunch of you know, veterans
are like, oh I went over here, when over there?
And then you got slow one and walk to the
limp because she's so you know, got the saladar.
Speaker 6 (38:37):
Like loaded on this side.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
She was like, she's like it's like this big, it's
like the whole size of her chest. I'm gonna plug in.
Hold on, you got to get get right in here.
I gotta plug in because I'm gonna lose you.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
So I'm going oh, now we know that Rita does karaoke.
Let's we'll get back to the original topic.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
He doesn't karaoke doesn't match my Disney fundraiser in February.
Catch sure that Disney fundrais or.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
She was visit ladies so that I can do karaoke
with you.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
Yes, karaoke, j you should definitely show up for that.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
I'm not scared.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
I'll be there for that one. You should be.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Yeah, you should be there for that one.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
I am plugged in now, so I'm sorry, going, Rita,
keep going finished, Okay, I'll meet this quick. I did
my fast talking to so. But anyway, so, I when
I was living back in Jersey, like in around like
two thousand, it was six morning to you had a
red bank in Jersey, probably not even maybe two weeks
after I moved back from Jersey to Illinois nine to
(39:40):
eleven ahead unit, our unit, my unit was activated in Jersey,
so how I stayed would have went. But since I
came back, I took a po or a public affairs
a billet back in Chicago. So I was doing that
back in Chicago ever since probably two thousand till the
rest of my term or whatever. And but when our
(40:00):
unit deployed. There was a handful of this left back
on the I and I and that's how I got
involved Toys for Tats because there's about twelve of us
and they said, O'reiley, you like to talk a lot,
you don't shut up, you can be the coordinator, which
was fine, and we didn't. And that's how I did.
And the coolest thing was about it. It was that that's
when I realized how much in Chicago loves, loves the
Marine Corps. And then all you have to do is
just be organized when you ask for help, and people
(40:22):
will do whatever you ask them to and everybody want
to part something awesome and that's and we did. And
that's the only time, dude, it was. It was just
an epic year. And then when we got party got active,
weird national co coordinator year that year because of our
campaign and how awesome our handful of Marines and all
the Chicago back us up, and I mean, it was incredible.
(40:42):
So and then that we were supported by DuPage County,
which wasn't even actually they were supporting Chicago, so they
were reporting their numbers, but they weren't really a campaign
at the time. That's how you know, And then after
I got off checked out like in UH six, and
then John John Mashew was like the original og out
(41:02):
into Beage County, the Santa Claus. Everybody knows them, the
guys of celebrity. He said, hey, I can't do this anymore.
You know you're gonna take over. I said fine, And
that's when I started doing toys for Tots. But I
put the paperwork through int Beage County. We became our
own campaign. That's my hand.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Sorry.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
And then that and then didn't do it ever since though,
And then that's why I met all these beautiful women here.
And you're a little handsome ass to see you, so
thank you because you do doing it.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Appreciate that because everybody else has been acting like I'm
a bump on the.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
Log this evening, So thank you for that. I appreciate.
Speaker 6 (41:34):
Me. I mean, even with we we bothered you.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Yeah, I know, I know.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
You've got you all have had a week prior to
this happening where I was not anywhere near these conversations.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
Let's let's set this up for Steve and blah blah blah.
It's fine, I don't care. I'm game for all of it.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I'm just ecstatic to have all of you ladies on
the podcast tonight. This this is not that we're done yet,
but it's been fantastic. I'm really glad you guys joined us.
Speaker 6 (42:07):
Yeah, Rita has me as her this is what what
the hell of I.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
You're the distribution coordinator, so naughty handles all the organizations
and the families.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Which is about to say, what is your exact like title?
Rita and then Nadia for.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
I'm just I'm the campaign coordinator. I don't really do anything.
I just kind of make sure everybody else has what
they need to do their.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Everything you do, I love that about you, but just yeah, now,
it's just.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
It's a pretty cool campaign and like it's it's like
anything and like and then you have your sales team,
which is pretty much I mean, Sloan's got eighty seven
kids now, so it's a little bit hard for her
to do all the events because she's wow. But if
you look through all of our pictures, Sloan, is it you.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Do pretty breastfeeding during the Rock March, I mean.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Fred breastfeeding the last four years. It's been my life.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
Plus your heart. So I love listening to all of
you guys talk right, And you know, I think that
it's so funny because we're always we all have this
common theme about never giving up, always giving back, and
then always fighting for that person that doesn't have that
voice of their own, and we can do what we
can do and be the voice for them. It's like
(43:23):
every single one of you, uh, you know, we're saying
kind of the same thing, and and I just I
love that about I just love that about all three
of you. I even like started to tear up when
he was talking. It makes me like so happy that
I have these guys in my life. Sorry, Stephen, we're
getting a little combined. Why I'm doing it like a hug,
(43:44):
a virtual hug.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Okay, So look I knew full well going into this
week's podcast.
Speaker 3 (43:50):
Thank you, Sloan, appreciate that, baby. I'm full well going into.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
This week's podcast that this was going to be this
is freaking this is Stacy's trip Wire freaking show, and
I'm Ed McMahon with freaking Jimmy what's his name at
the freaking It's a spot. I understand that I'm taking
the back seat for this, but these are your women.
I love all of you. I've spent time with all
(44:15):
of you. I love all of you. This is your podcast,
one with it. I'm just having fun being here and
I love it. Just share, please keep I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
How many minutes we have left, because usually billboard.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
We're at forty four minutes and twenty five seconds, and
we got plenty of time.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Okay, good, because I wasn't sure if we started from
the beginning or if we started from when Jennifer got on,
which is yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
We always start.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
We always start when all the fire teams here, When
all the fire teams here, that's when we start.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Okay, So what else? What else? What else do we
have coming up? We're almost done? Well, the Turkey Raffle? Okay,
so we have the Turkey Raffle. That's this weekend. That's
that's going to be insane. And then the holiday party
for all of us is coming up.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
And then what's the day to that.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
The Holly party is the fourteenth, December fourth.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I won't be back by then.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
That's that's a combined that's Legion auxiliary.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
I get it. I just won't be.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Everybody's invited to that.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
And then I've been subtly trying to tell you all
that I'm coming back into town to give you the
fore warning that the Odie is coming back into town.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
And the Odie is coming back into town. Did you
get that message?
Speaker 2 (45:30):
But when when are you doing that?
Speaker 3 (45:33):
I'm sorry, when are you doing that?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
You didn't say did you say that?
Speaker 6 (45:35):
Did you?
Speaker 3 (45:36):
Wis Chris is around Christmas?
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Around Christmas time? Okay?
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Well, well that's give me because help.
Speaker 6 (45:45):
And if you come before the twenty first, you can
help us do Thistrot Day.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Oh oh you know, let me think about that.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Let me Okay, I'll be there if I can. I
promise I will do better, do better.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Okay, I'm trying to shut things down here, get things
set up in Ohio for after the holidays, and then
I'll be there.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
I promise.
Speaker 6 (46:11):
What you can do?
Speaker 3 (46:13):
Roger, Roger, Roger, Sergeant.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Are you still in class?
Speaker 3 (46:18):
No? What have you guys heard about this ship?
Speaker 4 (46:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (46:22):
It's pretty so.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Bill and Bill and Stacy and I have been talking about, uh,
trying to formulate what's going on with the podcast and
everything for the last couple of weeks. I've literally been
in class for three and a half out of the
four last weeks. And Stacey's like, well, Stephen can't help
because he Rodi can't help because he's in quote unquote class.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
So I'll handle it now.
Speaker 2 (46:51):
I'm going to be getting on his nerves and he's
that's how he's going to not talk to me. I
can't talk to you.
Speaker 3 (46:55):
Right now in class. So actually that's noted for all
of you.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
If I ever say I'm in class, it's because I'm
just putting you in pauseation kind of a lot.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
And I'll let you kick all my asses. I'll let
you all kick my ass when I get back.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
I'm just messing around, very very semporai.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Wow, really really see that? Could that cut? That cut deep? Babe?
That cut deep?
Speaker 2 (47:29):
Are you gonna bake? Are you going to make any
of your suitets for the holiday party? The whole time
I have worried about in the morning with.
Speaker 6 (47:39):
Read out, so I have warehouse in the morning, would
read it, because I've already volunteered for the fourteen to
hang out with in the morning, and then we have
the wm A party that same day.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
She'll probably win another raffle with that, the Women's Marine
part in the Women's Marine or okay, yeah.
Speaker 6 (47:53):
And then I have to come home and then get
dressed for that other party.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
No, like, you can't, you don't have time to make
anything else.
Speaker 6 (48:01):
No, well, because we're most at that time, most of
those at the warehouse almost every other day because we
have pickups from all the foundations, so we wanted to
check out everything, makeause everything is correct. It's it's hard
to make plans until that this today for us, at
least for me, I can't. I mean, I can't really
(48:21):
commit to nothing until after this to day is done.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
That's what you said. That's the twenty first. That's when
you just distribute.
Speaker 6 (48:28):
The twenty first and twenty second is it's family there
we have a like right now, I'm trying to work
on the five hundred something families that come in and
grab toys from us. So I just gotta vet them.
I'm vetting them right now and then and then I'm
also vetting the organizations which I get to either be
the nice person or the mean person. Today I was
a mean person apparently.
Speaker 5 (48:50):
You know what though, in Toys for Tasks they always
say to put the meanest person in the warehouse because
that and you have to because you have to be
because some people try and work the system. And then
there's some people, well most people related, but that that
fourteen fifteen week in December, that's when we get to
all our organizations. We do about seventy plus organizations throughout
the Page County and we help the surrounding. Once we're
done with our distro, we can map that. We do
(49:11):
a family distro. We run it like a Portillo's drive through.
You know, it's kind of we don't anybody come in
the warehouse. We just it's cars. They come in, you
know what I mean, We have what they need and
then they're out. So, I mean, it's a lot of work,
a lot of organization goes into it, and both we
just have all day mass teams, so it's an all day.
Speaker 6 (49:27):
Event for us. So it's like, all right, let's put
our comfy shoes on, was it?
Speaker 4 (49:32):
You know?
Speaker 5 (49:32):
We don't our costumes on? We put Yeah, we do.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
We do costumes.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
I think about what are you gonna wear? What are
you gonna wear for that? Oh yeah, getting oh oh
you're gonna dress like elves? Yes, Santa's Helpers like Santa's
helper for that too?
Speaker 6 (49:49):
Well cool because we want them to So we would
do toy pick up at other events well, we're helping
everyone else pick up. We want to be sent sentence
else picking up.
Speaker 5 (49:58):
Yeah, we want to make a.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Little bit of fun. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
So all right, So ladies, Jennifer your breakfast with Sannah.
What date is that?
Speaker 4 (50:07):
Uh, December second? I think it's the first Saturday in December.
I think it's the second, seventh. I don't know. I'm
not with you in the calendar right now.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
It's the seventh, it's whatever the first Saturday is in
descend That is a fundraiser for is that No.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
That's just that's just a free It's not as differ.
It's just a free event forans military to hang out. Yeah,
come hang out, chill with Santa. Bring your toy for
toys for tots. Okay, it's that sense, all right, Yeah,
bring toys for that. Yeah, that's what the Neighborville VFW.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Thank you, Thank you. So, ladies.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
I don't mean to like act like this is my podcast,
even though it's Stacy's podcast, but I'm gonna throw this
out there and I'm gonna be like, Okay, so we're
gonna wrap this up in the next couple of minutes.
Speaker 3 (50:53):
What I would like from each.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
Of you is one quotation that you that you try,
you strive every day to live your day by Okay,
go ahead, since you're at I'm chomping at the bit, and.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
I'll give the other two a second to think of theirs.
So in my signature block, and I may even butcher
because I have exactly memorized. But in my signature block
for email, it's a uh, I forget her last name.
Her first name is Betsy. Thanks kitty cat, but right
cat walks across the screen. Rights I'm about to do
my big quote. It's a service, is not not just
(51:29):
you know, saying, it's a way of life. Bring it
to everything you do in life. And that's that's the
summarized version of it. It's not the exact quote, but yeah,
that's I feel like that kind of sums up how
I how I do business, how I live my life,
how I raise my kids. It's not just you know,
a saying or something you do. It's a way of life,
and it's something that I really try to do it everything.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
Okay, So I'm gonna ask you one last time for
the quotation because the petting zoo interrupted, so uh, and
you can you just say.
Speaker 3 (52:00):
One last time for us please if you don't mind.
Speaker 4 (52:02):
Yeah. So the way that I the quote that exemplies
how I of my life is. Service is not just
something you do. It's a way of life, and you
bring it to everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Absolutely fantastic. Naughtier or Riado, which one who he wants
to go next?
Speaker 6 (52:21):
I do would live by a quote to anybody got out?
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Anybody else got a petting zoo coming across the screen
before we finished.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
What you didn't see was they've been trying. They've been
trying to get on screen this entire fifty minutes. I've
been keeping them.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Start your hand, go up that well.
Speaker 4 (52:37):
I was petting them over here and then I was
petting them down below. But man, they just their attention hogs.
All right, I'm sorry I had quotes. Give you give
us your quotes, ladies.
Speaker 3 (52:44):
What is it?
Speaker 5 (52:45):
Muhammad Ali? Service is the rent you pay for your
time on earth? I don't know. I just love that guy, so.
Speaker 2 (52:52):
Too good, Naughtiet What if you can't think of one
right now? When I think of you, I think of
somebody that is service above self. And that's what I
see when I first met you, how much energy you
put out for other people all of the time, and
you may not think you lived by a quote, and
you may not need to have those words in front
of you, because that is what I see in your art.
Speaker 6 (53:12):
Okay, yeah, I don't know. I won't even know how
I live by any quote. I'm so all over the praise.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
Half the time you live by, You live by what
you feel like is right, and that's what I see
you ladies. You agree with me, I would absolutely yes,
this lady agrees with you.
Speaker 1 (53:28):
And I'll say this, I love how much energy Naughty
you put. I love how much energy Nauti you always
puts out there, into the into the service, into the community,
all the different programs Issu's a part of and that
goes for all of you, ladies, not just Naughty. But
I had to I'm trying to retain control a little bit.
(53:48):
So anyway, yes, thank you, uh Stacy, any last words
before we uh we say it?
Speaker 2 (53:55):
I love thank you guys for coming on and I
appreciate it. And we'll have the links and when I
make my post, I'm going to make sure you guys
are all tagged. Everybody knows how to find you and
follow up with you on some of the you know,
the things that you talked about, and we can we
can sign off whenever you're ready.
Speaker 5 (54:09):
Facy, thanks for having us on Darling.
Speaker 4 (54:11):
Yes, Stacy, thanks for having us on your podcast. Stacy say, Stephen,
thank you.
Speaker 3 (54:17):
I look forward.
Speaker 1 (54:18):
I look forward after all this is over and done with,
in like six to seven months, we get all of
us back again, because it'll be a completely different conversation.
Speaker 3 (54:26):
We can talk about more things coming up in the future.
Speaker 1 (54:29):
I really I love having reoccurring frigging groups coming in
and I'm not scared of Naperville's Charlie's Angels. So there
it is, there it is everybody. Thank you very much
for joining us on Tripwire tonight. We've had a wonderful
time with our guests Jennifer, Rita and Nadia. This is
myself and Stacy signing off for Tripwire. Remember, the path
(54:51):
of freedom is paid by courage and.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Honor is the wire we never trip It's good, that's good.
Speaker 3 (55:09):
Yes,
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