September 14, 2025 • 52 mins
James Lott Jr chats with some of the authors of the latest book from the Bestselling Series. Cesar R Espino is the creator. James is one of the authors. Other authors featured: Dr Eleanor Renee Rodriguez, Ann Brandl, Yolanda Parades, Kelly Salmons And Karen Joseph. Kindle and paperback on Amazon.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
You have heard the phrase you don't reclay anything, right, Well,
this person literally took this phrase and been into a
successful number one best selling Amazon book franchise, and I'm
be a part of it. It's my third timing a
part of it. So I'm gonna just tell you guys.
There's fifteen books in the series and the new one
is coming out short at number sixteen. It started out
(00:29):
with despite the Barriers in life, which I'm in that one.
Then there was when you exercise the mind with a
definite purpose, when you walk with certainty, when do you
have a recistical influence, when you believe with love, with integrity.
(00:53):
Number nine was with clarity. I'm at number ten, I
show up again with awareness, very important kids. Then it
was with forgiveness. Another one is very important with faith,
with courage, with a positive mindset. And the last one,
number fifteen was with God. So this one, yeah, it's
when we refuse to give up, folks. This is the
(01:16):
new one coming out September sixteenth, is coming to you
out there. You don't have to run, just go on
your phone, tablet, whatever. You just getting to be able
to get it. And as we have some of the
contributors to the book, and it's Leader, our fearless leader,
who started this whole thing. I'm very excited to have
them on the show. I'm James Eugenia if you know
who I am. I'm the JLJ of JLJ Media. I'm
(01:39):
also an author of over sixty five books. I love reading.
Books are not going anywhere. They're not don't listen to
anybody that includes audiobooks, that includes kindle, that includes anything
that does hard physical copies, includes all of them. It's
not going anywhere. People are still reading, and people are
looking for ways to help them lives, and what better
(02:02):
to have people from all walks of life do that
in a book. So let me introduce first, our fearless Leader.
We started this whole situation, Richard Caesar R. It's been
our friends and jail J Media. It' see that. Hey, James,
how are you a class to a class? They know
who you are?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, I see?
Speaker 1 (02:21):
How are you doing to that?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I'm doing good man.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I cannot complain, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
And I'm definitely excited for another book of this series,
and number sixteen. And you remember when we kind of
I came to you the first one, and it's been
several years now and and and you know again, part
of the reason why I started this, I wanted to
create something that not only can I have, you know,
(02:45):
the collaboration with multiple people to be able to put
stores in place, more so than take that and utilize
it to help people all over the world. Right And
and this this book series has been best seller in Australia, Mexico,
the United States, Canada. Right and we have people from
all walks of life not only sharing their stories, also
(03:07):
listening and reading the different stories that real life story
rose by the way that people are essentially taking and
my hope is that the reader is speaking up at
least just one phrase, something that can put potentially and
positively impact their lives to help them move forward in life.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
So again, this one here is going to be amazing.
We have ten amazing authors in this book and I'm excited.
I'm excited for it to come out just a few
days from now and have it available for everyone to get.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yes, we have five amazing authors here, so we got
well six of us. I guess I'm include too. I
guess you too, to seven of us here, talk about it.
I see these folks. If you're watching these lovely ladies here,
and I think one of the best things you can
do is to find people to share their stories. That's
much more packful sometimes and just a lesson where someone
(04:02):
shares their lesson you feel like, oh, okay, okay, I
can I can quite do that so or I've been
doing that all so you can relate. It's all about connection,
and it is about and your books. You find a
way to connect to people to your books.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Right, you know, And you said something to that that
this huge is about connecting with other people and then
really touching their lives. And you know, one thing that
I've learned through this process is a lot of other
people that are picking up that book and reading it.
It is so also about a lot of the people
that are writing and contributing because we're helping ourselves grow
and we're helping ourselves realize certain things that maybe we
(04:39):
were holding onto and we needed to just let go,
We needed to let that way out of our shoulders
and in the process of that being able to one
heal ourselves and then also come up with the ideas
that can help other people. And I think to meet
that's huge. It's it's everybody, whether you're the author or
whether you're the reader, everybody is impacted positively. And this
(05:02):
particular book, You Can Overcome Anything, Volume number sixteen, when
you refuse to give up, is huge because you know, again,
one of the things that I'm gonna be talking about
in my story for me is that idea, that idea
of being able to continue even against the odds, even
against the fact that as many of you guys knowing
as you get to read one of my books, you know,
(05:24):
I'm not from the US. I came from the States,
from Mexico to the States. And being able to go
through that idea of you know, can I actually make it?
Not having a father that really raised me into this day.
I have no idea what his name is. I don't
care his last name. And so it's like the idea
of being able to say, hey, you can make it.
Come to the States and being able to say, hey,
(05:45):
this is a new role, this is a new opportunity.
Let me take this opportunity to be able to make
the best out of it. Right, is, if there's things
that we have to go through, the different principles and
ideas and changes that we have to make, and a
lot of times you know, if you don't know what
you don't know, you're not going to make those changes.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So I talk about certain things that I did in
my life that have helped me become this entrepreneur, that
have helped me be a very successful real estate investor
and be a life coach and help people throughout the mix, right.
And so I do believe that one of the biggest
things that we have to those human beings is know
that if you're listening to us, if you're watching any
of us right now, do know that whether it's God
(06:24):
or the universe or whatever you believe in, they're not
done with you. There's still a huge message for you
to deliver. There's something for you to do. So if
you're still bringing some people unfortunately didn't wake up this morning,
be grateful that you're here, which means that do not
give up, keep pushing forward, keep moving forward, and do
know that whatever you're doing, the things you're doing today
(06:47):
will impact somebody positively.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Two things before I get to our guests that I
always believe, and one is out of tragedy, beauty can
be born correct and number two, one of the bravest
things you can do is be vulnerable things. I think
those are two things. And when you share a story
that's giving back, that's you're being vulnerable. You're sharing a
(07:11):
story that's an active service. I just I just believe
that completely. So and our guests do that, and I
it's no particular order. I'm just I'm just gonna be
any mini miney mo and just pick you guys the
no no or no hierarchy or nothing. We're all the same,
uh in terms of importance in this book, so which
I've I flew out home very clear. So I was like,
there's nobody like I love all. I like all these five.
(07:33):
So I'm like, there's nothing saying, but I'm gonna start
with Kelly. That's the word that comes up for me.
I want you to tell people because right now, because
we want you guys to go get the book and
read their chapters, but we're gonna let you know who
they are and they're gonna tell you kind of how
they pick their topic for their chapter. So it's Kelly,
you have the floor.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Sure. Hi, I'm Kelly Salmons and I was in the Navy.
I have owned business, the fitness center with my family.
I was an educator, worked in as a teacher for
about ten years, and I worked with a real estate investor,
so had a lot of hats, done a lot of
(08:12):
different things. But I guess when I met Caesar and
we started talking about this, I was I was kind
of stuck and didn't know what I was doing and
trying to get clear on my life. And and one
thing about me is I stress over even like responding
(08:32):
to a Facebook post. I've never liked writing papers, and
so one of these things was just the challenge of
can I even write like a book was overwhelming? Can
I write a chapter? And so that was one of
the reasons why I decided to do this, just to
prove to myself I could do it. And as I
(08:52):
thought about my topic, it really was, you know, where
where in my life have I made that stand and
been clear on what I want to do and how
I'm going to do it. And so really it was
looking at that and finding myself again and recognizing some
of the times in my life where I refuse to
give up, and how that has then helped me grow
(09:16):
from where I'm at now as I've become an empty nester,
you know, caring for family, you know, being a female
in your fifties and all the other fabulous things that
happened in your life at that point in time. And
so that's kind of you know where my chapter has
stemmed from.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Miss Kelly. First of all, thank you for your service.
I'm a huge proponent of veterans. I come from a
veteran family, so I'm just like, that's the number one. Now, two,
welcome to the Sandwich generation. Yes, grown kids and we
have the parents at the same time. God bless you
because my I'm tired every day. But number three, you
(09:56):
basically overcame by writing the book. By your chapter, it
definitely is out.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Definitely is out. So did all the way around.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Yeah, I know, I love that. Congratulations and we'll get
back to you. So next Verson, I went, that's I
love that. I just love all that. Doctor Renee, you
are next.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Well, thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
I am doctor Renee, but my name is Eleanor Renee Rodriguez,
and that's how I'll be referenced in all my social
media posts. I am known as someone who is very
passionate about educating everybody's children and hopefully people meeting their purpose.
So in addition to being an offer Arthur, several times
(10:42):
I am most recently described as a purpose pusher, which
basically means seriously that I have developed a method to
help people move toward their purpose, and that's very special
to me. The reason why I chose this chapter is
because being a purpose push here, I happen to have
a couple of instances that I addressed in the book
(11:05):
as my reason for choosing it, that I just refused
to give up. One took me three years, one took
me thirty seven years. So you have to read the
story to find out the rest.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Okay, I'm very interested on that one. Okay. I love
the contrasts. I do love that dot you eldor Renee Rodriguez,
I love it. Okay, I like that purpose push. Sure,
I want to know more about that, so we get
to that. We're going about that. Okay, very nice.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Okay, I'm one additional thing I'll add, if you don't mind.
I'd like to recognize Kelly for being in the best
profession of all times, and that's in education. I've held
positions from substitute teacher to superintendent, and I've always had
the mission to make sure kids got the right thing
and adults did the right thing.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
I love that definitely an adventure, you know it is.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Thank you. I love that, all right. I'm loving this
so far. Okay, Michelle Andanda, you are up next.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Thank you. Hello everyone.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
So, my name is Yolanda Perettis. I am very proud
of to come from Colombian descent. I was the first
one born here in the United States. I've lived all
my life in New Jersey.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
I have been.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
With my.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
Husband that I still affectually referred to as my boyfriend
for over thirty four years, and together we have four
amazing children. My youngest is twenty, my twins are twenty two,
and my son is twenty six.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
I'm also a businesswoman.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
We started My husband and I started a local mom
and pop store in our town over thirty two years ago,
and I set foot on my own track becoming a
realtor and a real estate investor. However, God had other
(13:07):
plans for me, and while I was going to become
a real estate tycoon, God said, hold on, I'm going
to send you on this detour.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
And it's been amazing.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
So I opened up a dance school for children between
the ages of three and eighteen. Originally, now we're at
two and a half five years ago in the middle
of COVID. So when I opened and registered on the
school a month later, the world shut down. So it's
(13:43):
an amazing, amazing journey. You spoke about God and the
universe season, and I'm going to say, I firmly believe
that God has a purpose for each and every one
of us, and if you stay silent sometime and just
go to him, he will clearly lead your path. I
(14:05):
chose this issue or my subject. The reason why I
chose what I wrote about is what do you do
when the entire world says no, you can't. What do
you do when it seems like all you're doing is
going from a dead end to a brick wall?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
And what do you do when you have a massive failure?
Do you give up?
Speaker 8 (14:35):
No?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
I refuse to give up.
Speaker 7 (14:37):
And now in all my challenges, I reflect on what's
happened in my past and I go from there because
if God's done it once, He'll do it again. That's
my belief. And anything that God has put in my life,
whether it's great or challenges, I know it's to mold me.
(15:02):
And I firmly believe that I don't get bitter about things.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
I get better. So in this book.
Speaker 7 (15:09):
It tells you, My story tells you how to keep
on going when the world is saying now, thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
El said, I like that very much. I can't believe
you have grown children. I know we were saying off
camera about how I look. I don't see no ring,
I see nothing on you. I'm like I would have
never guessed in a brillion years you have grown children, granddaughter. Okay,
there you go, kids, I deed. I'm like, good for you.
(15:43):
And that's the thing that any of us who started
business or have businesses that were open to the public
and then covid yot, that's a whole lesson by itself.
So good for you and got some great stories here.
Good job, Caesar, and that's gonna have Miss Karen the
(16:03):
Voice of Health and Wellness. What's what's going on with you? Girl?
Speaker 9 (16:08):
Hello?
Speaker 8 (16:08):
Everybody, so glad to be here. Yes, I'm the voice
of health and Wellness. And what that means is I
support health and wellness brands to create messages that move
people into action. My mission is to eliminate health disparities.
In my lifetime, I was studying getting my master's in
public health when my mother was dying of cancer and
(16:30):
or yeah, we didn't know it at the time, that's
what was happening. But shortly I ended up taking a
leave from my program so that I can be with her,
and and I lost her too early. And because of that,
I do the work that I do. And part of
my work is through my program, my business, my brand,
(16:50):
the beautifully Fed Well Beautifully Fed is the brand, and
through that I teach plant positive cooking and I also
nurture online can I have an online community of entrepreneurs, creatives.
Doctor Renee is part of it, entrepreneurs, creatives and health
and wellness professionals where they come to my space to
(17:11):
work together online and support another one another. We've got
people who are writing books in our sessions. We've got
people like doctor Renee who are swinging on swings as
part of their exercise regimen.
Speaker 9 (17:22):
And I love it.
Speaker 8 (17:23):
And it's a space to really connect and collaborate and
support one another to get our work done and to
do it in community so that it's fun. And about
my chapter. So my chapter is called I Float, and
there's more words there, but we'll leave it as I Float.
(17:44):
And it's about these last five years since I divorced
with my husband I'm from New York. I also am
from the Crewe, and my mom is from Jamaica, Data
is from Cuba, and Yolanda, you present me to the
fact that I too am first generation and American, and
I was born in New York and now I live
(18:05):
in Florida, which wasn't supposed to happen.
Speaker 9 (18:07):
That was not the plan.
Speaker 8 (18:09):
But when I separated from my husband, I came to
peek in on dad and he was unwell, and before
I knew it, I moved here. So this is now
home and he needed to be. These last five years,
I've had to figure out what it means to be
on my own. I was with my ex husband for
twenty seven years and had no intention of leaving him,
and things happened and we're no longer together there in
(18:34):
that relationship, but we're still friends, we're still family. Told
I don't know how to love somebody for twenty seven
years and then just stop loving them and go to
hating them. So like your family, I'll be in New
York next this weekend, Yolanda. So yeah, So I found
to see Steve and a bunch of my friends and float.
Speaker 9 (18:54):
I call it I float because in these last five years.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
I felt like I'd been trying to tread water, just
trying to make it, trying to survive, and I was
either going to sink or I had swim really hard.
And finally something hit me that helped me see that
I can just float, just lay back and let it
guide me and trust and believe and know that I'm carried,
(19:17):
that I'm that I'm okay, that I'm loved and protected,
and everything is going to be all right, even as
though I have no adult provision at this.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
Particular moment and my life, or so I thought.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
So.
Speaker 8 (19:30):
Yeah, so my chapter is actually a collection of different
stories that were reminding me that, you know, I didn't
have to give up, and what happens when I don't.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
First of all, it's uh, you know, sorry for the
losses and everything, and uh, change your life is something
that is really major I work with change your life,
and that is the empty nest, suddenly empty nester, divorce, widowhood,
you know, losing parents. I mean, that's we're all at
those ages. It seems like in this room said I'm
caregiving my mom. I almost lost her twice in the
last two years. So it's a roller coaster ride of
(20:06):
that up and down. But then I have an adult
daughters and I have grandchildren, and then I lost the
mother of my child. So it's like, so you said,
we're not together, but it's like, that's family. That's that's
part of your family. So to do all that and
also still breathe and that's a win.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
That's a win. That's a win.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
So good for you. The congratulation, it's good for you. You've
got a lot of change. But you know, that's what
life is like if you're doing it right, change is happening.
All right, Okay, miss Anne to you.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, thank you. Last but not least, and what's some
wonderful stories that uh that I got to hear? I
am and Brandle. I grew up in the Chicago Land
area and I currently live in Indiana. I have been
a licensed NASH registered paramedic for twenty nine and a
half years. I'm looking forward to hit the thirty mark
(21:06):
in March. I have also a established a real estate
investor and have done quite well at that. Yolanda, I
parallel you on when the World Says No, And you
know that's why I really chose the topic and the
(21:26):
the chapter of Just Too stubborn to quit, because there
was many times and I highlighted several of those in
my chapter of when the world said no, you can't
do that, and I said, no, I can, and I'm
too stubborn to quit. And sometimes when the world is
against you, I don't want to say against you, but
(21:46):
when when the world is telling you, especially back in
the you know, late seventies, when someone's saying, well, wait,
there's really not paramedics or females in the firehouse, and
they're saying that that's not where you're supposed to be.
To basically get through that. And even some of the
people in your lives, some that even have your own
(22:09):
same last name, they love you, but sometimes they're directing
you in a way that's probably not your best story.
So I just I really felt and yes, being vulnerable,
Caesar and I even had a conversation about that because
I almost quit. I almost after I wrote this chapter
and I almost quit. So there's a lot of different
(22:34):
things in my chapter. But boy, this is very vulnerable,
and I'm still nervous about it. So I'm hoping this
all goes well. And I have so many people telling
me they can't wait to read all the chapters, but
you know, I'm still the one of Yes, this is
very vulnerable because you kind of peel back the onions
and go through some times and some things that it
(22:57):
is so great to get through. And I'm hoping that
some people read this and realize they're not alone and
that this is this is something that has happened in
other people's lives, and you know, I got through it
and so can you. So too stubborn to quit. I
just felt was a really good chapter for the book.
(23:18):
And I just I'm amazed by these amazing women. And
I know we have men and whatnot that we're in
the in the book as well, but to spend some
time with these amazing women and just learn some more
about them of just amazing. This is my first time
writing and probably not my last, but it's it's going
to take. I got to be too stubborn to quit
(23:39):
on that too.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And you will. I have to ask you questions, are
you going to the ems XBOM?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I usually yeah, this year? Which one?
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Which one is that I get one in the in
the any hand coming up in a month?
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yes, I will be at that one.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yes, I was almost gonna be at that one. It's
kind of funny. I was almost gonna be there, so
it's kind of funny. I Well, we'll talk another, we'll
talk off off camera. We'll talk later about that. I
was I was gonna go there, actually to be there.
So I my half, my third of my businesses in
Indiana and Western Indiana.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
So you were in northwest Indiana. So I'm closer to
Chicago than Indiana than Indianapolis. But man, if you're ever
in the area, where shouldet a couple of coffee?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I know I'm in both. I'm in Chicago and I'm
in Western Indiana all the time. Well, Gox, I don't know, like,
why would the guy from La go there? But it's
a whole I'll explain it all to you.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
It's a fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
I look forward to hearing it, like congratulates.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So thanks for you overcame something too by writing and
being vulnerable. You're overcoming it right now. So that's the stories.
I guess I should tell Mike. I guess I should
say what I do so and this I didn't because
I didn't know you yet season yet. You're twenty nineteen, right, yea,
I went your twenty It was afterwards. So my chapter, folks,
(25:05):
I've become a lot of stuff. Uh So for me
it was kind of like, well, what do I want
to focus on? That was very good, and Season gave
me a suggestions. He knows why my story. And so
I my face was half paralyzed for a year, so
I had severe bells palsy, and it's it's something that
if I'm strong about now that it happens to more
people than people talk about. Like when I got it,
(25:26):
no one talked about it. But when I got it's
like my mom had it, my uncle had it, my
sister had it, my cousin had it. You know. I like,
but why I know way's talking about it? And there
are milder forms of it. You get for two weeks,
three weeks, you're good. No, I got it for a year,
and I went through all kinds of things because my
life is talking, my life is on camera. I couldn't talk,
(25:50):
I couldn't eat, I couldn't swallow, I couldn't sneeze, or
a lot of things. You can't when your face goes paralyzed,
you can't do nothing. So I talk about that basically,
and how over how I refuse to give up because
here I am my face, here I am I found
ways and I and I talk about it. And that's
kind of as a story of you know, I know
(26:10):
people have a lot of the the emotional about in
this book. Mine was a literal physical challenge that was
also emotional. But how I put those together and I'm
back to all this. Uh so that's my story I
put in there, and so I always want so it
seesure challenges me. It's a great thing, and like, okay,
(26:31):
I'll talk about that, and I'm happy to talk about
it because I want people to know. It happens more
than you think. And it's just ironic. Right now, I'm
going through another health challenge right now, so it's very
interestingly that I'm like, Okay, this is all kind of
lying together. You say, God, there's no coincidences, it's all
ordained and it's all there and so I I know
and and so I'm walking through that too right now.
(26:54):
So that's what my stories. I encourage you woy to
read my chapter because it gives you a little bit
of all kinds of stuff in there and see what's
your chapter? What's your chapter about?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Yeah, So again my chapter, it really comes down to
a lot of the things that I've been faced with
since day once, since the moment that I that I
grew up to to really to this moment, I kind
of want to take people into this kind of a
long story in a couple of pages and words. Yet
you know, realizing that you know, as we're growing up,
(27:26):
but there are so many different things that we're faced with.
And I'm of the belief that the choice and the
decisions that we make today will determine the quality of
life that we have tomorrow. And therefore we have to
determine what choice are we making and if they're not
serving us, then we've got to be able to pivot
immediately and make a different choice, right and against the odds,
(27:47):
against the odds of people, circumstances, society, or different elements
external factors that are creating those objects were challenges for us, right,
And so it really kind comes down to that, uh.
And so I do believe that that it's a good
chapter to for people to read U and overall, you know,
all the different people. I mean, you know, this book
(28:08):
is going to be available, and I'm pretty excited. Every
single chapter is amazing, and so I really want to
commend everyone in this panel, also including Sandra and Felicia
and Carolyn who couldn't be here. And I want to
commend every single one of you guys for you know,
really taking the courage and taking you know, like like
(28:28):
we've talked about being born braun and be able to
come out and say your your message. I really want
to commend you because there's some amazing stories and we
got to remember that people enjoy people that are going
through the process. A lot of people say, hey, you know,
nobody is going to care about my story because it's
been a long time ago. People enjoy when people are
going through the process. Even if yourself going through the
(28:50):
process right now, you're going in learning that process. People
really enjoy that and and they resonate with that. And again,
our objective is to be able to impact not only
our lives, also impact those that are picking up this
book and and and my faith is that whether it's
a paragraph, a chapter, a sentence, a phrase, that he
positively resonates with you and impacts your life in a
(29:13):
possitive way for you to start making changes in your
own personal life and to know that you two can
overcome anything. And so that's my message for for everybody.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, it's it's here's the thing. Refusing to give up.
Overcoming something can take years. It's not, it's not just
sometimes it's not a quick fix, I'm done, got it. Great.
Sometimes epiphanies come way later in the process. It could,
and and they come sometimes in the craziest of places,
(29:48):
all of a sudden, six years out of line, and
you're eating a sandwich. You're like, oh my god, now
I get it. And you're like, oh, okay. And then
and then suddenly that I call it the click, The
click happens and you're able to kind of go to
the next step overcome that. Yes, that's what you eat
that sandwich your day tone you were like, oh okay,
(30:09):
got it exactly exactly, And I want to go. I'm
gonna post this to the panel because we have a
panel of strong women and I actually want to and
this is this is the thing about refusing to give up.
And anybody can jump in first. It's it's to all
five of you, just kind of any of your thoughts
about I always feel like women really have to refuse
to give up and have to overcome a lot of stuff.
(30:34):
So I mean, just any any kind of any thoughts
on encouraging just other just from your experience, how that
plays into your life, how you just how you? Why you?
Why you want to live a nice, rich, full life.
Who wants to go first? You go first? Tone notturnage,
go ahead. Oh okay, I saw you. I saw you
say your taking out, So yeah, you go ahead, girl.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
But I was going to be quiet and kill Why
is because.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
We have to have the ability to be consistent, resilient, powerful.
I have an acronym in the book that's spec cold
and you'll see what each of the letters stands for.
But you have to have fun doing it. You have
to make certain that you don't make it a dredge
because you won't get it done. It takes more than
(31:22):
motivation because motivation, whereas out it takes discipline. Discipline is
more powerful than motivation. As Karen the Voice mentioned, I
get up every morning and I'm on her coworking group.
But I do my twelve thousand steps, but I warm
up my knee on the swing. You know when you
have a bad knee. So that's my logic for being
(31:44):
on the swing. But all the things that we have
to do and stay positive, that's the biggest piece. Say
you fall that like that song we fall down, but
we get up.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
You got to.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
And my uncle says, when you wake up, you get up.
Just later, get up and do something.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I know, I didn't know we were singing this morning.
I got my voice together.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I know that was coming on.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
You know, that was all God, I know.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
I love it. I'm like, my God, didn't get my
voice together just year. I'm like, I'm like, if you
really okay, that's what I like that. If you wake up,
get up, I do that. That's that's I I love
our older people because they have sayings.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, they know things.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
About so I talk about how women have to really live.
They lived this. You guys live this every day. You
live this all the time.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Karen what Oh yeah, ad Karen, I'll go.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
I'm thinking about the fact that, like I said, these
last five years was not expected for me, and I
found myself in really like low spaces, dark spaces, and
like how did I get here first?
Speaker 9 (33:09):
And then how do I get myself out of it?
And I remember with Caesar you mentioned, you know, sometimes
you don't even want to.
Speaker 8 (33:21):
Finish the thing, or like people mentioned and you mentioned
not thinking you were going to finish this the book,
And I actually tried to quit before I even began
with him, and I just said yes, And then a
couple of weeks later, I'm like, actually, you know what,
now it's not a good time. Things are still messy.
I'm still in the messy middle. I thought I could
write about it because I feel myself coming on the
(33:41):
other side of it, and I'm actually still in it.
Never mind, not going to do it now. It's not
a good time. And he goes, I'm actually, now it's
the perfect time. Like you write about what you're going
through now. Somebody needs to hear your story. Somebody needs
to hear what you're dealing with.
Speaker 9 (33:57):
Write it now. And it wasn't I didn't have anything right,
Like my friends have been here and what's been going on.
They've had front row seats and they'd be like, you
need to write this down. People need to see.
Speaker 8 (34:08):
And so because my AE started to write and it
was actually after you and I talked, Caesar, I went
into a there's a group meeting and there's a woman
who was an author who was talking about how we
all have a story to tell, and we tend not
to tell that story because.
Speaker 9 (34:23):
We don't think it's time. We don't think we're a writer.
Speaker 8 (34:25):
We d da da da da da, And each of
us has our own story and somebody needs to hear
it from us, from us, right, And so I think as.
Speaker 9 (34:33):
Women in particular, particularly we.
Speaker 8 (34:39):
We we are nurturers, many of us by by design
and you know, born with breasted, feed children and all,
and so we're nurtures. And we it begins with us,
like we we create families, and families create communities, communities
create the world like it begins with us. And we
have to make sure that we that we are taking
(34:59):
care of and that we are are pushing forward oftentimes
because we've got the children that we're caring for and
so forth. And for me, it was really this time
has been a very tricky time because, like I said,
I had no adult supervision. I didn't realize that was
the role my ex husband was playing till I was
the long coupled with him. And then also I don't
have children of my own, so it was like I
didn't feel like I had somebody else to live for,
(35:23):
somebody else.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Take your time.
Speaker 9 (35:36):
M hm. So yeah, you feel your big hug, You
take your time, and it's like, you know, when you've
got that.
Speaker 8 (35:50):
External those external people that are counting on you, relying
on you, like my my brother's grown, my nephew is grown.
Speaker 9 (35:56):
Like people and they're not even in the same state
as me.
Speaker 8 (35:59):
I'm not even in the same state as me, Like
I just got in here, and so it was like, well,
who's really counting on me but me?
Speaker 9 (36:06):
And because I felt very very alone.
Speaker 8 (36:10):
And what I learned through this process is there are
people who love me, and there are people who am
in community with Whether I reach out to them and
call them back or not, there are people here who
are pulling for me. And so it's that like we
we and we have a purpose here. We were born
for something, we're we're here because we're meant to be
(36:33):
and so not to not to take that for granted
and then to to rely on our account on the
people who are pulling for you and be in community
with them, and that's what that's what's gotten me through.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
We see you, car, So let you know that I'm
not going to speak for everybody. We all see you.
And I think that's really real, and it's it's it's
it's hard when you're at home and it's my time,
and then city gets quiet and your mind gets out
it's happened to me, and you start thinking things and
suddenly you do feel very like either out of control
(37:08):
or alone. And but it's good when you realize there
are people out there and whether you know that we're not,
they're reading for you and everybody's rooting for you to
make it. I mean, have a whole thing, and it's
saying and you know, and there's lessons while you're going
through something less right, So when you're going through something,
(37:29):
you can still teach somebody something.
Speaker 8 (37:31):
Yes, that part, that part, there's something for you to learn,
and there's something for you to pass on to the
next person who thinks they're going through it a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yes, But thank you for sharing your vulnerability. That's that's
that's a it's a great thing. I really mean that.
I cry on TV all the time.
Speaker 8 (37:49):
It all the time, dude, Let me let me share this.
The whole time I was right, I was writing while
in community. So I before it, there was the Beautifully
Fed Collective and I zoom and blooms. I used to
be on focus Mates and it's an online community where
you're matched with one person and I would tell them
at the start I'm writing, so I'll be crying. Don't
interrupt me, don't ask me why, it doesn't matter. I'm fine,
(38:12):
trust me by and this is just the process. So yeah,
lots of tears were shed writing writing.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
It was it was hard for me to Uh. I
looked at the pictures of my face when I was
writing my story. It's hard face, and I post them
on they're online, you can see her out there. I
shared them, but it was really hard for me to
do that. And as Caesar are looking to test this also,
we're not taught to share, so we're the opposite. We're
(38:39):
taught to hold everything in. Just handle it, walk it off,
you know, handle it and don't cry, don't cry do anything.
I've I've got problem time, so I don't care, okay,
miss Yalanda, and then you wouldn't talked next but then
you careen ray myself. That's very good.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Yeah, Like for me.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
One of the things that have really grounded me in
whatever challenge, because I've had many challenges. Just like everyone
in the group is my children. So I always wanted
to be the role model, the first role models for
(39:21):
the first role model for my children.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
It's not a superstar. It's not a singer. It's not
out there. It's me, not even my husband.
Speaker 9 (39:31):
It's me.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
I know that one of these days I'm not going
to be here. That's just reality. And I want to
leave enough.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
Examples for my children that when that day comes, they
know exactly what to do in any challenge. That's what's
anchored me and what it has multiplied in. It doesn't really,
it really didn't even become. It didn't start, excuse me,
(40:03):
with my children. It started with my nephews and nieces.
I'm the youngest of five, so everybody had children before myself,
so I became the second mom to many of my
nephews and nieces. And then when I had my own children,
that's what's rooted me. And now that continues through so
(40:27):
many children that call me mom. Whenever my kids were
in whatever activity, whether it was singing, whether it was theater, sports,
whatever it was, I became the mom of that particular organization,
really catering. Wait, you don't have food, not a problem. Wait,
why are you said? Come here, let's talk.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
And now I'm a.
Speaker 7 (40:49):
Mom to all the students and even the parents, even
the children's siblings.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
That's what I do.
Speaker 7 (40:58):
I want people to know that if you keep on going,
it will be okay. There's always valleys, there's always peaks.
If you go through it, it'll be okay. And with
every challenge, take a lesson, Take a lesson. I look
out for resources. Sometimes people shelter in them, you know,
(41:21):
within themselves, especially after COVID, and if they.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Can see me always talking.
Speaker 7 (41:27):
Oh you know, sometimes my children would say, Mom, why
are you talking to the Walmart? You talk to the
told people, Mom, you talk to everybody because I don't
know what kind of day they're having. And I may
be the only person that took two seconds to let
them know they count.
Speaker 5 (41:44):
So that's where that's where it is. I want to
be the example for all generations. I feel the village
has been broken and I'm here to keep it strong.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
So much around that I'm such a village person. Maybe
that come from Caribbean background. You I don't know. Just
I'm all about the villain. So I love that. I
love it. You talked you. I talked people to you.
All the time I talked about was like why I
talk to them? I told anybody, how you doing? What's
going on? I love it? Yeah, Now for ann And
and Karen, I want to do something ask us got
(42:20):
a separate question because you both were in or in
or were in professions like you or Kelly you were
in you were in armed forces and you're in paramedics.
So can you both talk about refusing to give up
in either of those situations to where you are today?
A little bit, just a little bit about that, because
I think that that's very fascinating for both, For you
(42:41):
guys both we always go first and go first.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
Sure, I'll talk a little bit about that. Part of
part of my story talks a little bit about some
of my time. I went to the Naval Academy, and
I'll let you all read that, but you know I
was there and I graduated in ninety three from the
me and there are only ten percent women. And you know,
(43:07):
I know plenty of friends and peers who had problems
and who had issues, and I was very fortunate that
I didn't run into a lot of problems. But so
much of it I think it was my attitude as well,
because just like the book, I was like, this is
what I'm doing and I don't care get out of
my way. And it wasn't like a bull in a
(43:30):
china shop. But it was like, I am prepared. I've
done all my homework, I've done all those things. Now
I'm going to go forward and I'm going to go out.
And you know, I had an opportunity to go and
be on They had just opened up like cruisers and
destroyers and combatants to women, as I was after I
had graduated to you know, have that opportunity. And I
(43:52):
was like, I, you know, I just forced my way
through the academy and worked hard and graduated and did that,
and I was going to go to an ammunition ship
in Charleston, South Carolina, or Goose Creek, and and you know,
they've had women for a while. And I was like,
I'm just gonna stay there because I need to go
learn how to be the best officer that I can be.
(44:13):
And if I go jump on that combatant, it's not
going to be hey, you're a brand new officer and
you screwed up. It's gonna be hey, you're the woman
and you screwed up. And I was like, I need
to go how to learn how to be a good
junior officer, so then I can go to a combatant
after that, and then I can go be a good
department head and be like, no, it's not because I'm
a woman. It's because I'm a department head and I
(44:35):
know what I'm doing and I you know, and I'm
moving forward. Because I wanted to be prepared so that
people couldn't, you know, couldn't point at me and be like, no,
you can't do you know you're a female. Oh you're
just emotional. Shut up, you know, you know, like, yeah,
I'm emotional. I cry at the public's and Hallmark commercials
all the time, especially as I've gotten older. But but
(44:58):
back then, you know, I had a little bit of
that overachiever perfection ish you know, issues or whatever, and
I wanted to do it right. But I also would
take a step back and like make sure I had
prepared myself to be able to go in to do
what I needed to do, so that if I screwed up,
(45:20):
Yeah I screwed up. Everybody screws up, but at least
it was a legitimate screw up. It wasn't just you know, oh,
well you're a girl.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
You know.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
Now, I will say one positive thing of being a
woman in the academy, Like at the academy, you'd be
wandering around and there weren't a lot of us, and
people would come and walk through and they'd be like, mom,
look it's a girl one. I don't know how many
people's pictures I'm in, but I'm in a lot of
photos from the late eighties and early nineties.
Speaker 10 (45:47):
Was I was the girl one, you know, along with
my roommates as they were taking our pictures as we're
running around, you know, running around, going classes and you know,
drilling and doing all the things.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
That we do.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
So, Kelly, I'll tell you this. When I became a
nurse in eighty eight, and so I was one of
the few men. Do you forget that they were not
men or not mad? Whyn't you a doctor? Why didn't
you become a doctor? Why don't you got a doctor
just because a man? So anyway, so I have a
few that have similar stories of like there's a dude here,
and I'm like, yeah, I'm a dude. I'm a big boy.
(46:19):
I'm like six feet whever. I'm a big boy. So
this is there where there are men. But I had
that add a similar experience back there in the day,
like that very good and mis an, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Kelly, absolutely, I totally get what you're saying. You know,
it was the late seventies. I decided I wanted to
be a paramedic, and there was you know, I didn't age.
I had to get forward, and I wrote about this
in the book. So I don't want to give everything
away right now, but I will say, you know, walking
into a firehouse and being the only female there and
(46:53):
no female quarters or anything like that, that you know
there there there was a little bit of trailblazing there
and I'm proud to be part of it. I didn't
have problems going into the firehouse. But again, one of
the things that I knew is, you know, as much
as there are differences between men and women, and I
(47:15):
knew exactly what I was going to excel at and
what my guy partners and the guys in the firehouse
they were going to excel at. And there's room for
both of us. And I mean fast forward twenty nine years.
I mean, look how many paramedics and females are now
in this field. Because in women are nurtures. So you know,
(47:39):
being in a medical scenario or at the time of
the nine to one one call goes out, who better
than to sometimes have the female there that can hold
the hand. We both can do the job, and both
have proven that we can do the job. And you know,
there again there's some anatomy differences, and you know there
(47:59):
are men are sometimes a little bit stronger than females.
But we also know kinetics and that was one of
the things that I also did a lot of times
as Kelly, as you said, is I couldn't just be
a mediocre paramedic. I had to own it. And the
reason I had to own it. I had to be
(48:20):
great at IV skills, and I had to be great
at my protocols, and I had to be great at
where I was going, because if I made a wrong turn,
it was because I was It didn't want it was
I was a female. It was you know, those were
one of the times that and it's still going on
today in different I mean, there's AI and there's science,
(48:41):
and there's a lot of things today and there's a
lot of women that are trends setting and those need
to hear the stories of some of us earlier on
in the Navy and ems and stuff like that that
you know that there was a time that the women
weren't there, and we've done a lot to forward it
(49:03):
and thank you Kelly for doing that in the military aspect.
And we move things forward, but there's going to be
a lot more behind us. And if my story can
help just one be too stubborn to quit and to
bring something more forward. As vulnerable as I am and
is as nervous as I am as this coming out,
(49:23):
I'm hoping that that helps people move things forward.
Speaker 1 (49:28):
Well, thank you. I mean it's going to it's going
to the right person. I'll get into the right hands
for the right person. This book, these stories, that's another
God thing, right, It's like it's all we're going to pray.
The prayer is it gets to the right hands, to
the right ears, to the right eyes who need to
hear all of your stories. All your stories are very important.
(49:49):
You have a voice, we said earlier that needs to
be heard. Your voice is just as important as anybody
else's voices. And as we end this, and let's seems
to have the last word, I want to first think
the ladies for coming on and just sharing this today.
I could always go out forever. I I'd love to
say you're just talking for hours, but they all let
me do that. So soonce you get the last word
for me before I close out.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
Yeah, no, definitely, but again I'm super excited guys. And
and for those of you guys that are watching us,
go out and get a copy of this book here. Again,
it's amazing. You can tell by the different things we've
been talking about, the different stories, and again it's just
going to take that one story or that one phrase
is going to help you, guys, really uh, take the
(50:32):
next movement and build a courage, and more than anything,
know that regardless of what you're going through in life,
you're not alone. We have multiple different stories here with
different types of backgrounds, real life stories that can definitely
help you, and you too can overcome that and do
not give up, Do not give in, continue to push forward.
(50:52):
And for any of you guys that want to get
a autograph personalized copy of this book, reach out to
one of the people here, whichever one you want, they
can help you. They'll give you all the details, they
will let you know how you can get that paperback
and autograph personalized copy. In the meantime, go out and
get the e book. And I'm definitely looking forward to
(51:14):
getting some of your comments feedbacks. I'm very active. I'd
love to see any comments you guys post on Facebook, Amazon,
anything that has to do with this book. And yeah,
I'll definitely see you guys, and thank you. Thank you
again for all of the love and for having this
book in your bookshelves.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Thank you, and so folks at home. One of the
things is very important. If you get it from Amazon,
please after you read it, review it, rate it. It
helps us keep it going in the I hate the
word algorithm, but that's what it is. The algorithms. See
when I rate it, comments, share it, so it keeps
going and going and going to more and more people
out there. And that's kind that's the plan. We want
(51:52):
to get into it. We want to get the opportunity
for it to flourish for the larger masses. I'm James Lauder.
Helped dot comments my website of course, it betweened pages
on Facebook all over the place. J l J Media.
We're all about books. I just I just you know,
I just I believe in that. I believe in passing
on knowledge, sharing knowledge and lifting each other up. That's
(52:12):
what I've been saying, have been saying for years. That's
what we're here for. That's what we're supposed to do,
and I want to thank the ladies. One thinks Caesar's
speed on my buddy and everybody after her, watching or listening,
and we will talk to you next time.
You have heard the phrase you don't reclay anything, right, Well,
this person literally took this phrase and been into a
successful number one best selling Amazon book franchise, and I'm
be a part of it. It's my third timing a
part of it. So I'm gonna just tell you guys.
There's fifteen books in the series and the new one
is coming out short at number sixteen. It started out
(00:29):
with despite the Barriers in life, which I'm in that one.
Then there was when you exercise the mind with a
definite purpose, when you walk with certainty, when do you
have a recistical influence, when you believe with love, with integrity.
(00:53):
Number nine was with clarity. I'm at number ten, I
show up again with awareness, very important kids. Then it
was with forgiveness. Another one is very important with faith,
with courage, with a positive mindset. And the last one,
number fifteen was with God. So this one, yeah, it's
when we refuse to give up, folks. This is the
(01:16):
new one coming out September sixteenth, is coming to you
out there. You don't have to run, just go on
your phone, tablet, whatever. You just getting to be able
to get it. And as we have some of the
contributors to the book, and it's Leader, our fearless leader,
who started this whole thing. I'm very excited to have
them on the show. I'm James Eugenia if you know
who I am. I'm the JLJ of JLJ Media. I'm
(01:39):
also an author of over sixty five books. I love reading.
Books are not going anywhere. They're not don't listen to
anybody that includes audiobooks, that includes kindle, that includes anything
that does hard physical copies, includes all of them. It's
not going anywhere. People are still reading, and people are
looking for ways to help them lives, and what better
(02:02):
to have people from all walks of life do that
in a book. So let me introduce first, our fearless Leader.
We started this whole situation, Richard Caesar R. It's been
our friends and jail J Media. It' see that. Hey, James,
how are you a class to a class? They know
who you are?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, I see?
Speaker 1 (02:21):
How are you doing to that?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I'm doing good man.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I cannot complain, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
And I'm definitely excited for another book of this series,
and number sixteen. And you remember when we kind of
I came to you the first one, and it's been
several years now and and and you know again, part
of the reason why I started this, I wanted to
create something that not only can I have, you know,
(02:45):
the collaboration with multiple people to be able to put
stores in place, more so than take that and utilize
it to help people all over the world. Right And
and this this book series has been best seller in Australia, Mexico,
the United States, Canada. Right and we have people from
all walks of life not only sharing their stories, also
(03:07):
listening and reading the different stories that real life story
rose by the way that people are essentially taking and
my hope is that the reader is speaking up at
least just one phrase, something that can put potentially and
positively impact their lives to help them move forward in life.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
So again, this one here is going to be amazing.
We have ten amazing authors in this book and I'm excited.
I'm excited for it to come out just a few
days from now and have it available for everyone to get.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yes, we have five amazing authors here, so we got
well six of us. I guess I'm include too. I
guess you too, to seven of us here, talk about it.
I see these folks. If you're watching these lovely ladies here,
and I think one of the best things you can
do is to find people to share their stories. That's
much more packful sometimes and just a lesson where someone
(04:02):
shares their lesson you feel like, oh, okay, okay, I
can I can quite do that so or I've been
doing that all so you can relate. It's all about connection,
and it is about and your books. You find a
way to connect to people to your books.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Right, you know, And you said something to that that
this huge is about connecting with other people and then
really touching their lives. And you know, one thing that
I've learned through this process is a lot of other
people that are picking up that book and reading it.
It is so also about a lot of the people
that are writing and contributing because we're helping ourselves grow
and we're helping ourselves realize certain things that maybe we
(04:39):
were holding onto and we needed to just let go,
We needed to let that way out of our shoulders
and in the process of that being able to one
heal ourselves and then also come up with the ideas
that can help other people. And I think to meet
that's huge. It's it's everybody, whether you're the author or
whether you're the reader, everybody is impacted positively. And this
(05:02):
particular book, You Can Overcome Anything, Volume number sixteen, when
you refuse to give up, is huge because you know, again,
one of the things that I'm gonna be talking about
in my story for me is that idea, that idea
of being able to continue even against the odds, even
against the fact that as many of you guys knowing
as you get to read one of my books, you know,
(05:24):
I'm not from the US. I came from the States,
from Mexico to the States. And being able to go
through that idea of you know, can I actually make it?
Not having a father that really raised me into this day.
I have no idea what his name is. I don't
care his last name. And so it's like the idea
of being able to say, hey, you can make it.
Come to the States and being able to say, hey,
(05:45):
this is a new role, this is a new opportunity.
Let me take this opportunity to be able to make
the best out of it. Right, is, if there's things
that we have to go through, the different principles and
ideas and changes that we have to make, and a
lot of times you know, if you don't know what
you don't know, you're not going to make those changes.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So I talk about certain things that I did in
my life that have helped me become this entrepreneur, that
have helped me be a very successful real estate investor
and be a life coach and help people throughout the mix, right.
And so I do believe that one of the biggest
things that we have to those human beings is know
that if you're listening to us, if you're watching any
of us right now, do know that whether it's God
(06:24):
or the universe or whatever you believe in, they're not
done with you. There's still a huge message for you
to deliver. There's something for you to do. So if
you're still bringing some people unfortunately didn't wake up this morning,
be grateful that you're here, which means that do not
give up, keep pushing forward, keep moving forward, and do
know that whatever you're doing, the things you're doing today
(06:47):
will impact somebody positively.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Two things before I get to our guests that I
always believe, and one is out of tragedy, beauty can
be born correct and number two, one of the bravest
things you can do is be vulnerable things. I think
those are two things. And when you share a story
that's giving back, that's you're being vulnerable. You're sharing a
(07:11):
story that's an active service. I just I just believe
that completely. So and our guests do that, and I
it's no particular order. I'm just I'm just gonna be
any mini miney mo and just pick you guys the
no no or no hierarchy or nothing. We're all the same,
uh in terms of importance in this book, so which
I've I flew out home very clear. So I was like,
there's nobody like I love all. I like all these five.
(07:33):
So I'm like, there's nothing saying, but I'm gonna start
with Kelly. That's the word that comes up for me.
I want you to tell people because right now, because
we want you guys to go get the book and
read their chapters, but we're gonna let you know who
they are and they're gonna tell you kind of how
they pick their topic for their chapter. So it's Kelly,
you have the floor.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Sure. Hi, I'm Kelly Salmons and I was in the Navy.
I have owned business, the fitness center with my family.
I was an educator, worked in as a teacher for
about ten years, and I worked with a real estate investor,
so had a lot of hats, done a lot of
(08:12):
different things. But I guess when I met Caesar and
we started talking about this, I was I was kind
of stuck and didn't know what I was doing and
trying to get clear on my life. And and one
thing about me is I stress over even like responding
(08:32):
to a Facebook post. I've never liked writing papers, and
so one of these things was just the challenge of
can I even write like a book was overwhelming? Can
I write a chapter? And so that was one of
the reasons why I decided to do this, just to
prove to myself I could do it. And as I
(08:52):
thought about my topic, it really was, you know, where
where in my life have I made that stand and
been clear on what I want to do and how
I'm going to do it. And so really it was
looking at that and finding myself again and recognizing some
of the times in my life where I refuse to
give up, and how that has then helped me grow
(09:16):
from where I'm at now as I've become an empty nester,
you know, caring for family, you know, being a female
in your fifties and all the other fabulous things that
happened in your life at that point in time. And
so that's kind of you know where my chapter has
stemmed from.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Miss Kelly. First of all, thank you for your service.
I'm a huge proponent of veterans. I come from a
veteran family, so I'm just like, that's the number one. Now, two,
welcome to the Sandwich generation. Yes, grown kids and we
have the parents at the same time. God bless you
because my I'm tired every day. But number three, you
(09:56):
basically overcame by writing the book. By your chapter, it
definitely is out.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Definitely is out. So did all the way around.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Yeah, I know, I love that. Congratulations and we'll get
back to you. So next Verson, I went, that's I
love that. I just love all that. Doctor Renee, you
are next.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Well, thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
I am doctor Renee, but my name is Eleanor Renee Rodriguez,
and that's how I'll be referenced in all my social
media posts. I am known as someone who is very
passionate about educating everybody's children and hopefully people meeting their purpose.
So in addition to being an offer Arthur, several times
(10:42):
I am most recently described as a purpose pusher, which
basically means seriously that I have developed a method to
help people move toward their purpose, and that's very special
to me. The reason why I chose this chapter is
because being a purpose push here, I happen to have
a couple of instances that I addressed in the book
(11:05):
as my reason for choosing it, that I just refused
to give up. One took me three years, one took
me thirty seven years. So you have to read the
story to find out the rest.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Okay, I'm very interested on that one. Okay. I love
the contrasts. I do love that dot you eldor Renee Rodriguez,
I love it. Okay, I like that purpose push. Sure,
I want to know more about that, so we get
to that. We're going about that. Okay, very nice.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Okay, I'm one additional thing I'll add, if you don't mind.
I'd like to recognize Kelly for being in the best
profession of all times, and that's in education. I've held
positions from substitute teacher to superintendent, and I've always had
the mission to make sure kids got the right thing
and adults did the right thing.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
I love that definitely an adventure, you know it is.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Thank you. I love that, all right. I'm loving this
so far. Okay, Michelle Andanda, you are up next.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Thank you. Hello everyone.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
So, my name is Yolanda Perettis. I am very proud
of to come from Colombian descent. I was the first
one born here in the United States. I've lived all
my life in New Jersey.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
I have been.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
With my.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
Husband that I still affectually referred to as my boyfriend
for over thirty four years, and together we have four
amazing children. My youngest is twenty, my twins are twenty two,
and my son is twenty six.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
I'm also a businesswoman.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
We started My husband and I started a local mom
and pop store in our town over thirty two years ago,
and I set foot on my own track becoming a
realtor and a real estate investor. However, God had other
(13:07):
plans for me, and while I was going to become
a real estate tycoon, God said, hold on, I'm going
to send you on this detour.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
And it's been amazing.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
So I opened up a dance school for children between
the ages of three and eighteen. Originally, now we're at
two and a half five years ago in the middle
of COVID. So when I opened and registered on the
school a month later, the world shut down. So it's
(13:43):
an amazing, amazing journey. You spoke about God and the
universe season, and I'm going to say, I firmly believe
that God has a purpose for each and every one
of us, and if you stay silent sometime and just
go to him, he will clearly lead your path. I
(14:05):
chose this issue or my subject. The reason why I
chose what I wrote about is what do you do
when the entire world says no, you can't. What do
you do when it seems like all you're doing is
going from a dead end to a brick wall?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
And what do you do when you have a massive failure?
Do you give up?
Speaker 8 (14:35):
No?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
I refuse to give up.
Speaker 7 (14:37):
And now in all my challenges, I reflect on what's
happened in my past and I go from there because
if God's done it once, He'll do it again. That's
my belief. And anything that God has put in my life,
whether it's great or challenges, I know it's to mold me.
(15:02):
And I firmly believe that I don't get bitter about things.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
I get better. So in this book.
Speaker 7 (15:09):
It tells you, My story tells you how to keep
on going when the world is saying now, thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
El said, I like that very much. I can't believe
you have grown children. I know we were saying off
camera about how I look. I don't see no ring,
I see nothing on you. I'm like I would have
never guessed in a brillion years you have grown children, granddaughter. Okay,
there you go, kids, I deed. I'm like, good for you.
(15:43):
And that's the thing that any of us who started
business or have businesses that were open to the public
and then covid yot, that's a whole lesson by itself.
So good for you and got some great stories here.
Good job, Caesar, and that's gonna have Miss Karen the
(16:03):
Voice of Health and Wellness. What's what's going on with you? Girl?
Speaker 9 (16:08):
Hello?
Speaker 8 (16:08):
Everybody, so glad to be here. Yes, I'm the voice
of health and Wellness. And what that means is I
support health and wellness brands to create messages that move
people into action. My mission is to eliminate health disparities.
In my lifetime, I was studying getting my master's in
public health when my mother was dying of cancer and
(16:30):
or yeah, we didn't know it at the time, that's
what was happening. But shortly I ended up taking a
leave from my program so that I can be with her,
and and I lost her too early. And because of that,
I do the work that I do. And part of
my work is through my program, my business, my brand,
(16:50):
the beautifully Fed Well Beautifully Fed is the brand, and
through that I teach plant positive cooking and I also
nurture online can I have an online community of entrepreneurs, creatives.
Doctor Renee is part of it, entrepreneurs, creatives and health
and wellness professionals where they come to my space to
(17:11):
work together online and support another one another. We've got
people who are writing books in our sessions. We've got
people like doctor Renee who are swinging on swings as
part of their exercise regimen.
Speaker 9 (17:22):
And I love it.
Speaker 8 (17:23):
And it's a space to really connect and collaborate and
support one another to get our work done and to
do it in community so that it's fun. And about
my chapter. So my chapter is called I Float, and
there's more words there, but we'll leave it as I Float.
(17:44):
And it's about these last five years since I divorced
with my husband I'm from New York. I also am
from the Crewe, and my mom is from Jamaica, Data
is from Cuba, and Yolanda, you present me to the
fact that I too am first generation and American, and
I was born in New York and now I live
(18:05):
in Florida, which wasn't supposed to happen.
Speaker 9 (18:07):
That was not the plan.
Speaker 8 (18:09):
But when I separated from my husband, I came to
peek in on dad and he was unwell, and before
I knew it, I moved here. So this is now
home and he needed to be. These last five years,
I've had to figure out what it means to be
on my own. I was with my ex husband for
twenty seven years and had no intention of leaving him,
and things happened and we're no longer together there in
(18:34):
that relationship, but we're still friends, we're still family. Told
I don't know how to love somebody for twenty seven
years and then just stop loving them and go to
hating them. So like your family, I'll be in New
York next this weekend, Yolanda. So yeah, So I found
to see Steve and a bunch of my friends and float.
Speaker 9 (18:54):
I call it I float because in these last five years.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
I felt like I'd been trying to tread water, just
trying to make it, trying to survive, and I was
either going to sink or I had swim really hard.
And finally something hit me that helped me see that
I can just float, just lay back and let it
guide me and trust and believe and know that I'm carried,
(19:17):
that I'm that I'm okay, that I'm loved and protected,
and everything is going to be all right, even as
though I have no adult provision at this.
Speaker 9 (19:24):
Particular moment and my life, or so I thought.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
So.
Speaker 8 (19:30):
Yeah, so my chapter is actually a collection of different
stories that were reminding me that, you know, I didn't
have to give up, and what happens when I don't.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
First of all, it's uh, you know, sorry for the
losses and everything, and uh, change your life is something
that is really major I work with change your life,
and that is the empty nest, suddenly empty nester, divorce, widowhood,
you know, losing parents. I mean, that's we're all at
those ages. It seems like in this room said I'm
caregiving my mom. I almost lost her twice in the
last two years. So it's a roller coaster ride of
(20:06):
that up and down. But then I have an adult
daughters and I have grandchildren, and then I lost the
mother of my child. So it's like, so you said,
we're not together, but it's like, that's family. That's that's
part of your family. So to do all that and
also still breathe and that's a win.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
That's a win. That's a win.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
So good for you. The congratulation, it's good for you. You've
got a lot of change. But you know, that's what
life is like if you're doing it right, change is happening.
All right, Okay, miss Anne to you.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, thank you. Last but not least, and what's some
wonderful stories that uh that I got to hear? I
am and Brandle. I grew up in the Chicago Land
area and I currently live in Indiana. I have been
a licensed NASH registered paramedic for twenty nine and a
half years. I'm looking forward to hit the thirty mark
(21:06):
in March. I have also a established a real estate
investor and have done quite well at that. Yolanda, I
parallel you on when the World Says No, And you
know that's why I really chose the topic and the
(21:26):
the chapter of Just Too stubborn to quit, because there
was many times and I highlighted several of those in
my chapter of when the world said no, you can't
do that, and I said, no, I can, and I'm
too stubborn to quit. And sometimes when the world is
against you, I don't want to say against you, but
(21:46):
when when the world is telling you, especially back in
the you know, late seventies, when someone's saying, well, wait,
there's really not paramedics or females in the firehouse, and
they're saying that that's not where you're supposed to be.
To basically get through that. And even some of the
people in your lives, some that even have your own
(22:09):
same last name, they love you, but sometimes they're directing
you in a way that's probably not your best story.
So I just I really felt and yes, being vulnerable,
Caesar and I even had a conversation about that because
I almost quit. I almost after I wrote this chapter
and I almost quit. So there's a lot of different
(22:34):
things in my chapter. But boy, this is very vulnerable,
and I'm still nervous about it. So I'm hoping this
all goes well. And I have so many people telling
me they can't wait to read all the chapters, but
you know, I'm still the one of Yes, this is
very vulnerable because you kind of peel back the onions
and go through some times and some things that it
(22:57):
is so great to get through. And I'm hoping that
some people read this and realize they're not alone and
that this is this is something that has happened in
other people's lives, and you know, I got through it
and so can you. So too stubborn to quit. I
just felt was a really good chapter for the book.
(23:18):
And I just I'm amazed by these amazing women. And
I know we have men and whatnot that we're in
the in the book as well, but to spend some
time with these amazing women and just learn some more
about them of just amazing. This is my first time
writing and probably not my last, but it's it's going
to take. I got to be too stubborn to quit
(23:39):
on that too.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And you will. I have to ask you questions, are
you going to the ems XBOM?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I usually yeah, this year? Which one?
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Which one is that I get one in the in
the any hand coming up in a month?
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yes, I will be at that one.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yes, I was almost gonna be at that one. It's
kind of funny. I was almost gonna be there, so
it's kind of funny. I Well, we'll talk another, we'll
talk off off camera. We'll talk later about that. I
was I was gonna go there, actually to be there.
So I my half, my third of my businesses in
Indiana and Western Indiana.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
So you were in northwest Indiana. So I'm closer to
Chicago than Indiana than Indianapolis. But man, if you're ever
in the area, where shouldet a couple of coffee?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I know I'm in both. I'm in Chicago and I'm
in Western Indiana all the time. Well, Gox, I don't know, like,
why would the guy from La go there? But it's
a whole I'll explain it all to you.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
It's a fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
I look forward to hearing it, like congratulates.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So thanks for you overcame something too by writing and
being vulnerable. You're overcoming it right now. So that's the stories.
I guess I should tell Mike. I guess I should
say what I do so and this I didn't because
I didn't know you yet season yet. You're twenty nineteen, right, yea,
I went your twenty It was afterwards. So my chapter, folks,
(25:05):
I've become a lot of stuff. Uh So for me
it was kind of like, well, what do I want
to focus on? That was very good, and Season gave
me a suggestions. He knows why my story. And so
I my face was half paralyzed for a year, so
I had severe bells palsy, and it's it's something that
if I'm strong about now that it happens to more
people than people talk about. Like when I got it,
(25:26):
no one talked about it. But when I got it's
like my mom had it, my uncle had it, my
sister had it, my cousin had it. You know. I like,
but why I know way's talking about it? And there
are milder forms of it. You get for two weeks,
three weeks, you're good. No, I got it for a year,
and I went through all kinds of things because my
life is talking, my life is on camera. I couldn't talk,
(25:50):
I couldn't eat, I couldn't swallow, I couldn't sneeze, or
a lot of things. You can't when your face goes paralyzed,
you can't do nothing. So I talk about that basically,
and how over how I refuse to give up because
here I am my face, here I am I found
ways and I and I talk about it. And that's
kind of as a story of you know, I know
(26:10):
people have a lot of the the emotional about in
this book. Mine was a literal physical challenge that was
also emotional. But how I put those together and I'm
back to all this. Uh so that's my story I
put in there, and so I always want so it
seesure challenges me. It's a great thing, and like, okay,
(26:31):
I'll talk about that, and I'm happy to talk about
it because I want people to know. It happens more
than you think. And it's just ironic. Right now, I'm
going through another health challenge right now, so it's very
interestingly that I'm like, Okay, this is all kind of
lying together. You say, God, there's no coincidences, it's all
ordained and it's all there and so I I know
and and so I'm walking through that too right now.
(26:54):
So that's what my stories. I encourage you woy to
read my chapter because it gives you a little bit
of all kinds of stuff in there and see what's
your chapter? What's your chapter about?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Yeah, So again my chapter, it really comes down to
a lot of the things that I've been faced with
since day once, since the moment that I that I
grew up to to really to this moment, I kind
of want to take people into this kind of a
long story in a couple of pages and words. Yet
you know, realizing that you know, as we're growing up,
(27:26):
but there are so many different things that we're faced with.
And I'm of the belief that the choice and the
decisions that we make today will determine the quality of
life that we have tomorrow. And therefore we have to
determine what choice are we making and if they're not
serving us, then we've got to be able to pivot
immediately and make a different choice, right and against the odds,
(27:47):
against the odds of people, circumstances, society, or different elements
external factors that are creating those objects were challenges for us, right,
And so it really kind comes down to that, uh.
And so I do believe that that it's a good
chapter to for people to read U and overall, you know,
all the different people. I mean, you know, this book
(28:08):
is going to be available, and I'm pretty excited. Every
single chapter is amazing, and so I really want to
commend everyone in this panel, also including Sandra and Felicia
and Carolyn who couldn't be here. And I want to
commend every single one of you guys for you know,
really taking the courage and taking you know, like like
(28:28):
we've talked about being born braun and be able to
come out and say your your message. I really want
to commend you because there's some amazing stories and we
got to remember that people enjoy people that are going
through the process. A lot of people say, hey, you know,
nobody is going to care about my story because it's
been a long time ago. People enjoy when people are
going through the process. Even if yourself going through the
(28:50):
process right now, you're going in learning that process. People
really enjoy that and and they resonate with that. And again,
our objective is to be able to impact not only
our lives, also impact those that are picking up this
book and and and my faith is that whether it's
a paragraph, a chapter, a sentence, a phrase, that he
positively resonates with you and impacts your life in a
(29:13):
possitive way for you to start making changes in your
own personal life and to know that you two can
overcome anything. And so that's my message for for everybody.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, it's it's here's the thing. Refusing to give up.
Overcoming something can take years. It's not, it's not just
sometimes it's not a quick fix, I'm done, got it. Great.
Sometimes epiphanies come way later in the process. It could,
and and they come sometimes in the craziest of places,
(29:48):
all of a sudden, six years out of line, and
you're eating a sandwich. You're like, oh my god, now
I get it. And you're like, oh, okay. And then
and then suddenly that I call it the click, The
click happens and you're able to kind of go to
the next step overcome that. Yes, that's what you eat
that sandwich your day tone you were like, oh okay,
(30:09):
got it exactly exactly, And I want to go. I'm
gonna post this to the panel because we have a
panel of strong women and I actually want to and
this is this is the thing about refusing to give up.
And anybody can jump in first. It's it's to all
five of you, just kind of any of your thoughts
about I always feel like women really have to refuse
to give up and have to overcome a lot of stuff.
(30:34):
So I mean, just any any kind of any thoughts
on encouraging just other just from your experience, how that
plays into your life, how you just how you? Why you?
Why you want to live a nice, rich, full life.
Who wants to go first? You go first? Tone notturnage,
go ahead. Oh okay, I saw you. I saw you
say your taking out, So yeah, you go ahead, girl.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
But I was going to be quiet and kill Why
is because.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
We have to have the ability to be consistent, resilient, powerful.
I have an acronym in the book that's spec cold
and you'll see what each of the letters stands for.
But you have to have fun doing it. You have
to make certain that you don't make it a dredge
because you won't get it done. It takes more than
(31:22):
motivation because motivation, whereas out it takes discipline. Discipline is
more powerful than motivation. As Karen the Voice mentioned, I
get up every morning and I'm on her coworking group.
But I do my twelve thousand steps, but I warm
up my knee on the swing. You know when you
have a bad knee. So that's my logic for being
(31:44):
on the swing. But all the things that we have
to do and stay positive, that's the biggest piece. Say
you fall that like that song we fall down, but
we get up.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
You got to.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
And my uncle says, when you wake up, you get up.
Just later, get up and do something.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I know, I didn't know we were singing this morning.
I got my voice together.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I know that was coming on.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
You know, that was all God, I know.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
I love it. I'm like, my God, didn't get my
voice together just year. I'm like, I'm like, if you
really okay, that's what I like that. If you wake up,
get up, I do that. That's that's I I love
our older people because they have sayings.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
Yeah, they know things.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
About so I talk about how women have to really live.
They lived this. You guys live this every day. You
live this all the time.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Karen what Oh yeah, ad Karen, I'll go.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
I'm thinking about the fact that, like I said, these
last five years was not expected for me, and I
found myself in really like low spaces, dark spaces, and
like how did I get here first?
Speaker 9 (33:09):
And then how do I get myself out of it?
And I remember with Caesar you mentioned, you know, sometimes
you don't even want to.
Speaker 8 (33:21):
Finish the thing, or like people mentioned and you mentioned
not thinking you were going to finish this the book,
And I actually tried to quit before I even began
with him, and I just said yes, And then a
couple of weeks later, I'm like, actually, you know what,
now it's not a good time. Things are still messy.
I'm still in the messy middle. I thought I could
write about it because I feel myself coming on the
(33:41):
other side of it, and I'm actually still in it.
Never mind, not going to do it now. It's not
a good time. And he goes, I'm actually, now it's
the perfect time. Like you write about what you're going
through now. Somebody needs to hear your story. Somebody needs
to hear what you're dealing with.
Speaker 9 (33:57):
Write it now. And it wasn't I didn't have anything right,
Like my friends have been here and what's been going on.
They've had front row seats and they'd be like, you
need to write this down. People need to see.
Speaker 8 (34:08):
And so because my AE started to write and it
was actually after you and I talked, Caesar, I went
into a there's a group meeting and there's a woman
who was an author who was talking about how we
all have a story to tell, and we tend not
to tell that story because.
Speaker 9 (34:23):
We don't think it's time. We don't think we're a writer.
Speaker 8 (34:25):
We d da da da da da, And each of
us has our own story and somebody needs to hear
it from us, from us, right, And so I think as.
Speaker 9 (34:33):
Women in particular, particularly we.
Speaker 8 (34:39):
We we are nurturers, many of us by by design
and you know, born with breasted, feed children and all,
and so we're nurtures. And we it begins with us,
like we we create families, and families create communities, communities
create the world like it begins with us. And we
have to make sure that we that we are taking
(34:59):
care of and that we are are pushing forward oftentimes
because we've got the children that we're caring for and
so forth. And for me, it was really this time
has been a very tricky time because, like I said,
I had no adult supervision. I didn't realize that was
the role my ex husband was playing till I was
the long coupled with him. And then also I don't
have children of my own, so it was like I
didn't feel like I had somebody else to live for,
(35:23):
somebody else.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Take your time.
Speaker 9 (35:36):
M hm. So yeah, you feel your big hug, You
take your time, and it's like, you know, when you've
got that.
Speaker 8 (35:50):
External those external people that are counting on you, relying
on you, like my my brother's grown, my nephew is grown.
Speaker 9 (35:56):
Like people and they're not even in the same state
as me.
Speaker 8 (35:59):
I'm not even in the same state as me, Like
I just got in here, and so it was like, well,
who's really counting on me but me?
Speaker 9 (36:06):
And because I felt very very alone.
Speaker 8 (36:10):
And what I learned through this process is there are
people who love me, and there are people who am
in community with Whether I reach out to them and
call them back or not, there are people here who
are pulling for me. And so it's that like we
we and we have a purpose here. We were born
for something, we're we're here because we're meant to be
(36:33):
and so not to not to take that for granted
and then to to rely on our account on the
people who are pulling for you and be in community
with them, and that's what that's what's gotten me through.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
We see you, car, So let you know that I'm
not going to speak for everybody. We all see you.
And I think that's really real, and it's it's it's
it's hard when you're at home and it's my time,
and then city gets quiet and your mind gets out
it's happened to me, and you start thinking things and
suddenly you do feel very like either out of control
(37:08):
or alone. And but it's good when you realize there
are people out there and whether you know that we're not,
they're reading for you and everybody's rooting for you to
make it. I mean, have a whole thing, and it's
saying and you know, and there's lessons while you're going
through something less right, So when you're going through something,
(37:29):
you can still teach somebody something.
Speaker 8 (37:31):
Yes, that part, that part, there's something for you to learn,
and there's something for you to pass on to the
next person who thinks they're going through it a lot.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yes, But thank you for sharing your vulnerability. That's that's
that's a it's a great thing. I really mean that.
I cry on TV all the time.
Speaker 8 (37:49):
It all the time, dude, Let me let me share this.
The whole time I was right, I was writing while
in community. So I before it, there was the Beautifully
Fed Collective and I zoom and blooms. I used to
be on focus Mates and it's an online community where
you're matched with one person and I would tell them
at the start I'm writing, so I'll be crying. Don't
interrupt me, don't ask me why, it doesn't matter. I'm fine,
(38:12):
trust me by and this is just the process. So yeah,
lots of tears were shed writing writing.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
It was it was hard for me to Uh. I
looked at the pictures of my face when I was
writing my story. It's hard face, and I post them
on they're online, you can see her out there. I
shared them, but it was really hard for me to
do that. And as Caesar are looking to test this also,
we're not taught to share, so we're the opposite. We're
(38:39):
taught to hold everything in. Just handle it, walk it off,
you know, handle it and don't cry, don't cry do anything.
I've I've got problem time, so I don't care, okay,
miss Yalanda, and then you wouldn't talked next but then
you careen ray myself. That's very good.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
Yeah, Like for me.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
One of the things that have really grounded me in
whatever challenge, because I've had many challenges. Just like everyone
in the group is my children. So I always wanted
to be the role model, the first role models for
(39:21):
the first role model for my children.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
It's not a superstar. It's not a singer. It's not
out there. It's me, not even my husband.
Speaker 9 (39:31):
It's me.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
I know that one of these days I'm not going
to be here. That's just reality. And I want to
leave enough.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
Examples for my children that when that day comes, they
know exactly what to do in any challenge. That's what's
anchored me and what it has multiplied in. It doesn't really,
it really didn't even become. It didn't start, excuse me,
(40:03):
with my children. It started with my nephews and nieces.
I'm the youngest of five, so everybody had children before myself,
so I became the second mom to many of my
nephews and nieces. And then when I had my own children,
that's what's rooted me. And now that continues through so
(40:27):
many children that call me mom. Whenever my kids were
in whatever activity, whether it was singing, whether it was theater, sports,
whatever it was, I became the mom of that particular organization,
really catering. Wait, you don't have food, not a problem. Wait,
why are you said? Come here, let's talk.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
And now I'm a.
Speaker 7 (40:49):
Mom to all the students and even the parents, even
the children's siblings.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
That's what I do.
Speaker 7 (40:58):
I want people to know that if you keep on going,
it will be okay. There's always valleys, there's always peaks.
If you go through it, it'll be okay. And with
every challenge, take a lesson, Take a lesson. I look
out for resources. Sometimes people shelter in them, you know,
(41:21):
within themselves, especially after COVID, and if they.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Can see me always talking.
Speaker 7 (41:27):
Oh you know, sometimes my children would say, Mom, why
are you talking to the Walmart? You talk to the
told people, Mom, you talk to everybody because I don't
know what kind of day they're having. And I may
be the only person that took two seconds to let
them know they count.
Speaker 5 (41:44):
So that's where that's where it is. I want to
be the example for all generations. I feel the village
has been broken and I'm here to keep it strong.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
So much around that I'm such a village person. Maybe
that come from Caribbean background. You I don't know. Just
I'm all about the villain. So I love that. I
love it. You talked you. I talked people to you.
All the time I talked about was like why I
talk to them? I told anybody, how you doing? What's
going on? I love it? Yeah, Now for ann And
and Karen, I want to do something ask us got
(42:20):
a separate question because you both were in or in
or were in professions like you or Kelly you were
in you were in armed forces and you're in paramedics.
So can you both talk about refusing to give up
in either of those situations to where you are today?
A little bit, just a little bit about that, because
I think that that's very fascinating for both, For you
(42:41):
guys both we always go first and go first.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
Sure, I'll talk a little bit about that. Part of
part of my story talks a little bit about some
of my time. I went to the Naval Academy, and
I'll let you all read that, but you know I
was there and I graduated in ninety three from the
me and there are only ten percent women. And you know,
(43:07):
I know plenty of friends and peers who had problems
and who had issues, and I was very fortunate that
I didn't run into a lot of problems. But so
much of it I think it was my attitude as well,
because just like the book, I was like, this is
what I'm doing and I don't care get out of
my way. And it wasn't like a bull in a
(43:30):
china shop. But it was like, I am prepared. I've
done all my homework, I've done all those things. Now
I'm going to go forward and I'm going to go out.
And you know, I had an opportunity to go and
be on They had just opened up like cruisers and
destroyers and combatants to women, as I was after I
had graduated to you know, have that opportunity. And I
(43:52):
was like, I, you know, I just forced my way
through the academy and worked hard and graduated and did that,
and I was going to go to an ammunition ship
in Charleston, South Carolina, or Goose Creek, and and you know,
they've had women for a while. And I was like,
I'm just gonna stay there because I need to go
learn how to be the best officer that I can be.
(44:13):
And if I go jump on that combatant, it's not
going to be hey, you're a brand new officer and
you screwed up. It's gonna be hey, you're the woman
and you screwed up. And I was like, I need
to go how to learn how to be a good
junior officer, so then I can go to a combatant
after that, and then I can go be a good
department head and be like, no, it's not because I'm
a woman. It's because I'm a department head and I
(44:35):
know what I'm doing and I you know, and I'm
moving forward. Because I wanted to be prepared so that
people couldn't, you know, couldn't point at me and be like, no,
you can't do you know you're a female. Oh you're
just emotional. Shut up, you know, you know, like, yeah,
I'm emotional. I cry at the public's and Hallmark commercials
all the time, especially as I've gotten older. But but
(44:58):
back then, you know, I had a little bit of
that overachiever perfection ish you know, issues or whatever, and
I wanted to do it right. But I also would
take a step back and like make sure I had
prepared myself to be able to go in to do
what I needed to do, so that if I screwed up,
(45:20):
Yeah I screwed up. Everybody screws up, but at least
it was a legitimate screw up. It wasn't just you know, oh,
well you're a girl.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
You know.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
Now, I will say one positive thing of being a
woman in the academy, Like at the academy, you'd be
wandering around and there weren't a lot of us, and
people would come and walk through and they'd be like, mom,
look it's a girl one. I don't know how many
people's pictures I'm in, but I'm in a lot of
photos from the late eighties and early nineties.
Speaker 10 (45:47):
Was I was the girl one, you know, along with
my roommates as they were taking our pictures as we're
running around, you know, running around, going classes and you know,
drilling and doing all the things.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
That we do.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
So, Kelly, I'll tell you this. When I became a
nurse in eighty eight, and so I was one of
the few men. Do you forget that they were not
men or not mad? Whyn't you a doctor? Why didn't
you become a doctor? Why don't you got a doctor
just because a man? So anyway, so I have a
few that have similar stories of like there's a dude here,
and I'm like, yeah, I'm a dude. I'm a big boy.
(46:19):
I'm like six feet whever. I'm a big boy. So
this is there where there are men. But I had
that add a similar experience back there in the day,
like that very good and mis an, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Kelly, absolutely, I totally get what you're saying. You know,
it was the late seventies. I decided I wanted to
be a paramedic, and there was you know, I didn't age.
I had to get forward, and I wrote about this
in the book. So I don't want to give everything
away right now, but I will say, you know, walking
into a firehouse and being the only female there and
(46:53):
no female quarters or anything like that, that you know
there there there was a little bit of trailblazing there
and I'm proud to be part of it. I didn't
have problems going into the firehouse. But again, one of
the things that I knew is, you know, as much
as there are differences between men and women, and I
(47:15):
knew exactly what I was going to excel at and
what my guy partners and the guys in the firehouse
they were going to excel at. And there's room for
both of us. And I mean fast forward twenty nine years.
I mean, look how many paramedics and females are now
in this field. Because in women are nurtures. So you know,
(47:39):
being in a medical scenario or at the time of
the nine to one one call goes out, who better
than to sometimes have the female there that can hold
the hand. We both can do the job, and both
have proven that we can do the job. And you know,
there again there's some anatomy differences, and you know there
(47:59):
are men are sometimes a little bit stronger than females.
But we also know kinetics and that was one of
the things that I also did a lot of times
as Kelly, as you said, is I couldn't just be
a mediocre paramedic. I had to own it. And the
reason I had to own it. I had to be
(48:20):
great at IV skills, and I had to be great
at my protocols, and I had to be great at
where I was going, because if I made a wrong turn,
it was because I was It didn't want it was
I was a female. It was you know, those were
one of the times that and it's still going on
today in different I mean, there's AI and there's science,
(48:41):
and there's a lot of things today and there's a
lot of women that are trends setting and those need
to hear the stories of some of us earlier on
in the Navy and ems and stuff like that that
you know that there was a time that the women
weren't there, and we've done a lot to forward it
(49:03):
and thank you Kelly for doing that in the military aspect.
And we move things forward, but there's going to be
a lot more behind us. And if my story can
help just one be too stubborn to quit and to
bring something more forward. As vulnerable as I am and
is as nervous as I am as this coming out,
(49:23):
I'm hoping that that helps people move things forward.
Speaker 1 (49:28):
Well, thank you. I mean it's going to it's going
to the right person. I'll get into the right hands
for the right person. This book, these stories, that's another
God thing, right, It's like it's all we're going to pray.
The prayer is it gets to the right hands, to
the right ears, to the right eyes who need to
hear all of your stories. All your stories are very important.
(49:49):
You have a voice, we said earlier that needs to
be heard. Your voice is just as important as anybody
else's voices. And as we end this, and let's seems
to have the last word, I want to first think
the ladies for coming on and just sharing this today.
I could always go out forever. I I'd love to
say you're just talking for hours, but they all let
me do that. So soonce you get the last word
for me before I close out.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
Yeah, no, definitely, but again I'm super excited guys. And
and for those of you guys that are watching us,
go out and get a copy of this book here. Again,
it's amazing. You can tell by the different things we've
been talking about, the different stories, and again it's just
going to take that one story or that one phrase
is going to help you, guys, really uh, take the
(50:32):
next movement and build a courage, and more than anything,
know that regardless of what you're going through in life,
you're not alone. We have multiple different stories here with
different types of backgrounds, real life stories that can definitely
help you, and you too can overcome that and do
not give up, Do not give in, continue to push forward.
(50:52):
And for any of you guys that want to get
a autograph personalized copy of this book, reach out to
one of the people here, whichever one you want, they
can help you. They'll give you all the details, they
will let you know how you can get that paperback
and autograph personalized copy. In the meantime, go out and
get the e book. And I'm definitely looking forward to
(51:14):
getting some of your comments feedbacks. I'm very active. I'd
love to see any comments you guys post on Facebook, Amazon,
anything that has to do with this book. And yeah,
I'll definitely see you guys, and thank you. Thank you
again for all of the love and for having this
book in your bookshelves.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Thank you, and so folks at home. One of the
things is very important. If you get it from Amazon,
please after you read it, review it, rate it. It
helps us keep it going in the I hate the
word algorithm, but that's what it is. The algorithms. See
when I rate it, comments, share it, so it keeps
going and going and going to more and more people
out there. And that's kind that's the plan. We want
(51:52):
to get into it. We want to get the opportunity
for it to flourish for the larger masses. I'm James Lauder.
Helped dot comments my website of course, it betweened pages
on Facebook all over the place. J l J Media.
We're all about books. I just I just you know,
I just I believe in that. I believe in passing
on knowledge, sharing knowledge and lifting each other up. That's
(52:12):
what I've been saying, have been saying for years. That's
what we're here for. That's what we're supposed to do,
and I want to thank the ladies. One thinks Caesar's
speed on my buddy and everybody after her, watching or listening,
and we will talk to you next time.
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