SPEAKER_00 0:00

Everyone has a story, a moment, a lesson, or a piece of their life most people may never hear. Hi, I'm Callie Zamzo, and this is Nobody Knows. Welcome back to Nobody Knows. I'm your host, Callie Zamzo, and uh I'm very excited about today's guest. She's somebody that I know. Um I actually first originally met Karen Manthe when I took an improv class from her. And it was such a it was I don't mean to be melodramatic, but it was life-changing.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Oh, I'm glad.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Because it opened up my paradigm to this whole idea of yes and. And um, but since then, you and I bump into each other all the time. All the time. Which I love. Me too. And it's always an interesting thing. And you're you just seem so in the middle of so many things. And and then I admire you. I watch you on um on social media as well. And you are a family woman who cares deeply, very deeply about your family. And you have these wonderful posts about things that happen in your life. And so anyway, welcome to the studio. Well, I don't know. I, you know, I I there's a balance there, right? With the with the whole social media thing. Like, how much do you give people and how much do I and and anymore? I don't know, I I kind of get grippy with my own, like, I don't want people to attack me. You know what I mean? Like, so there's there are there some kind of I kind of try to protect that a little bit and be like, you know what, let's some things we keep on the surface and other things, you know. So anyway.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

My my philosophy with it is just let I throw everything out there just because not I not everything. I don't post a ton, but when I do post, I don't try and make it a perfect picture because I think that there's a lot of fake stuff happening on it makes people feel inadequate. And so often I will post like today I posted. I was like, Yep, well, I failed as a mom. I totally forgot to take a first day of school pick for my kid. And so I'm my sophomore, and I tried to convince her to come back home. She's like, No, no, not happening. So I was like, I have my sixth grader. Here you go. That's right. It made me laugh.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

I was just like, Well, she be she's the type of person that will be willing to go back and have you recreate it, or she'd be like, going to make her. Yes. My daughter would totally do that. She's like, All right, we're gonna do it. Her big thing was always jumping off of the front porch. That was like the big but then we had to take 89 pictures to try to get the perfect, like jump. Yes. It was pretty cool. I remember seeing some of those. They're so cute. Rafi's just the cutest. Yeah, she's pretty great. She's pretty. Now we don't do that.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Now we just take her off to college and that's make her send you one from NYU. Like, Rafi, I want you to have a friend take a picture first day of school. All right, there we go. Rafi.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah. Okay. She'll be excited that we named it. We talked about it. Okay, well, let's let's talk about for anybody who is not familiar with improv, let's talk about that really quickly. Um it's such an interesting concept that, you know, you're not scripting. So I guess I will I'll let you talk about it. Sure. Um, yeah, do you want to jump in? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Well, it's, I mean, it's just making things up on the spot. That's really what improv is. And what I do is I teach improv outside the stage, you know, the mindset of improv, how to think like an improviser. And I actually had a friend yesterday tell me this. She said, it wasn't until you called yourself an improviser versus somebody who does improv. She was like, because we're all improvisers, aren't we? We all are trying to improvise through life. And she was like, that's such a light bulb moment. And it was, I thought that was so sweet. And so I thought, oh, I need to start saying an improviser, because we are, we're all improvisers. It's just having that mindset of how do I yes and? And so yes and means to accept and listen and then build from that moment. So the yes part is to accept what's going on, where you are in the moment, what's happening, you know, it, and that's how you apply it outside the stage. What's going on in my life right now? What's actually happening versus what's the story I'm telling myself that's happening? So let me accept what's happening, let me listen a little bit more, and then build from this moment that we're in.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

So that's actually so in when you are doing improv, that's a technique that so it because I think a lot of people are like, no but, right? Isn't that kind of a hundred percent the opposite all the time? Um and so in order to keep the the improv, what would you call it? I think it's kind of the mindset or or just like the the back and forth if you're actually doing improv on stage. The reporte, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Okay. It's it's the um, yeah, in order to be able to work with somebody else, you have to be willing to adjust in the moment. So if you go on stage and your idea is, I am, I am this character, I'm this person, and this is what we're doing in the story, and they come in with a completely different environment, different characters in their mind, you don't, you don't have to say, no, but I'm not your grandma. We're supposed to be best friends. You could say, you know, yes, I am your grandma and I'm your best friend, and then you build from that together. So you just have to be open and willing to make adjustments and make it work together. And it takes a lot of trust and um a lot of faith that it's gonna work out and just trust your brain that you'll figure it out and you always do. It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

And the reason why I say that that class was life-changing is because I I literally think my brain rewired a little bit during that time. Um, I think that sometimes, um, particularly people pleasers um and people who are just always trying to like make things okay, um, which I think I've spent a good part of my life. I'm letting go of that part of me now. Sorry, lady, you're out of here. Um, because it's not work for me. Um, but but in but part of that was was learning this improv technique because it was very, it was difficult for me in the beginning to not be like, no, that's not, no, no, no, no, this is the direction I wanted it to go. Or I already knew what line I was gonna do, and you just did something, I can't do that line now. And you have to kind of let go of having that preparedness, that constant like at the ready. And I think, I think my nervous system kind of figured out how to calm down a little bit. Like so awesome. I'm so glad that happened for you. That's great. Yeah. And so and I'm guessing that that's kind of that's not kind of, that's what you're doing for other people in out of the community and um as you as you work through this. I mean, so how do so people like contact you and ask for your assistance in in things that they're working on? All the time.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Okay. So um I it will be a lot of times it's public speaking. So I do a lot of public speaking training and I will do individual training or, you know, like I had Blue Cross hire me for this contract with all, you know, all these different departments that I was working with, just so that they could be better presenters in general and help to build confidence. Other times it's an organization that will call me and just say, we just need to have a a better like team building skills, better, better teamwork and be able to work through some of these issues that are going on. And so I'll come in and do one-off workshops where I will help them play a little bit and I purposefully make them fail in some things and so that they can realize this isn't the worst thing in the world to fail because we we learn from failure. And that's how we create new neural pathways in our brain. So uh I do that a lot and and then I keynote a lot as well. So people will will hire me to come in and and just speak at a conference, which is one of my favorite things. And then I get everybody doing improv together, which is really fun.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

That's awesome. You have always seemed, at least as long as I've known you, just a very positive person. Is that something that's been so your whole life?

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Yes. Oh, so you know the Clifton strengths. Yes. Positivity is my number one. Okay. And not surprising. And when I, but honestly, I was actually really annoyed by this when I when I took the Clifton strengths, and it was my my top five were like positivity, includer, connectedness, woo, empathy. I was like, these are boring. These are all just like, I want to be strategic thinker and I want to be maximizer. You know, I wanted all these cool, corporate-y sounding terms. And but I realized over the years, I was like, that's really who I am. I'm I love being positive. And I think I've trained my brain with the yes and because I've been doing it for so long to stay positive and know that things will always work out because it always does.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

So it's true. I'm learning that I mean it's taken me some decades with an S to figure that out. But it's taken all of us that, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:29

It really does. But but you have to realize it's going to work out and you just have to keep going. And sometimes that's like a short-term thing that I have to train myself on stage where I'm like, this scene is it's going sideways right now, but it's going to work out. And it always does. And same things, you know, professionally or personally, it always works out. You just have to have that trust.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Yeah. That's not how it's not easy though. That's uh and I think sometimes as life is happening, it can batter us a little bit to where we shut down some of that, where we're like, I don't know. Do I feel safe enough to be positive right now? Does that make sense? 100%. Yeah. No, that really does. And I and I I worry a little bit about society in general right now that we kind of might all be sort of vibrating like that. Like we're we we want to step out and we want to do these things, but then we fear takes over and just this insecurities and and that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

And that's so, it's so normal. And, you know, improvisers, it feels like, oh, they just learn, they just do it. And and that's we we practice, we run drills. We're constantly practicing and failing and trying again. What worked, what didn't work, how do we continue on this? It's the same thing as life, you know, we're constantly failing, constantly having to pick ourselves up and try again. And I think if you keep that idea that it's all going to work out, then it's a lot easier to be able to move through the awkward and the uncomfortable and that fear.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah. Um, so we touched a little bit a moment ago about authenticity. And this, it's kind of a buzzword in my life right now, just this idea of truly being who we are. And because we all have those parts of us where like, I really want to be more like this person or I want to be, and in some ways, we really are that and we just haven't allowed ourselves to be. In other ways, it's really not. Like, for instance, um, my beloved husband, very organized. I would love to be a better partner, him and be more organized. I don't think it's ever gonna happen for me. I just don't think it's in me. Like, I just I am that's not my strength and it's not where my joy is. I don't get joy from it. And he truly gets joy from laying things out and making sure that things are, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

And that's probably something, that's probably how you're yes anding him is you're letting him take the lead on on being the organized one. But if but if you truly needed that, you would be able to come up with that and be, you'd force yourself to be organized. And I'm I'm similar where I've always been kind of a chaotic monster and and very spontaneous. But over the years, I've had to become a lot more organized. And Google Calendar is my best friend.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Some great tools out now. I I agree. But I I think somewhere in us we know that those authentic parts of ourselves. And sometimes I think it's really hard for us to accept that like I and maybe the question really has to do with the fact that do you think that people can recognize that the parts themselves that are truly their authentic self, have them maybe have some negative feelings toward that, but eventually kind of embrace them and and like utilize them. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 11:39

So are you asking, does somebody have that capacity to to embrace their own vulnerability?

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

I think so. I think so. And I think we should. I I think that too often, just like we were talking with social media, there's there's a lot of fake that happens and everybody wants to, because every we all want to look good for each other. Right. We all want to be perceived, like we have it all together. But the more that we can we can show people, hey, I'm messy, but I can also be successful and I can also be a hot mess sometimes. I can I can fail, but I can also succeed. I think the more we show that to each other, the more others will feel safe doing that for us.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

So and ultimately maybe begin to shift society a little bit back to everybody feeling more okay about things. Yeah. I I agree with that. I you don't get a lot of messy on social. Like you'll get a little bit, and a lot of times it's purposeful messy. Like you'll be, oh, well, that was stage. But when somebody truly is just authentic and and you happen to get to see it, right? I I'm always in, I feel endearment. I'm like, I just I feel closer to them even if I don't even know them. I'm like, oh, that's real. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

And yeah, there's that's that's and there's a balance too. Sometimes there's way over sharing, but you're like, there's like, oh, honey, that you need a therapist, not you don't need to just splash it on social media. So there is, there's that balance. But I think that the more people can feel safe with with a little bit of the messy and and sharing that openly, then it just it just helps others feel safe in that sense in that sense.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

So can we talk about your journey? Because I I've now known you now for a few years. I was trying to figure out, I don't even know exactly, but it's kind of remember what year we did we did that improves. It's been a while. Yeah, it has. It was pre-COVID for sure. Yes, yeah. And you um you have you have created some stuff for yourself here. Uh just in it just in that short period of time. And I'm sure that there were stuff before that. You um I think some I think you are a ray of hope for people who might feel like they're drifting a little bit. Because you like I when I look at what you uh you've kind of leaned into the whole improv thing, you were teaching those kind of classes, but now you have you have created some more interesting kind of side things that like if somebody wanted to just have your your life, it's not a linear, like it wasn't linear, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:08

No.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

So how at what point did you when because you knew you had the improv thing down, you were doing all that, at what point did you was there like a turning point where you're like, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try to use this in a little different way? Or was there a calling?

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Oh, that's a great question. Um, you know, it just it kind of morphed. I mean, I I've been doing improv for a very long time. And I have been in love with with performing for a very long time. And I think it just, it just kind of segued, you know, I I remember um people would ask me to teach a class, and I would love teaching the improv class and watching other people light up and watching their confidence grow and then helping organizations, I would just volunteer. I would have, you know, a church group would say, Can you just come and work with our youth? And I'm like, absolutely, how fun, right? And so I did that more and more. And then people started reaching out more professionally. Could you they'd see me do that and then say, Could you, could you come and do our, you know, come do our business? Could you, do you do public speaking training? You know, that kind of thing, where it just kind of morphed into this rolling stone, which has been very cool. Yeah. So it's definitely not a linear, like, I did this and I was trying for this. And it just kind of, I just love helping people and that segued into kind of a business, which has been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Yeah. And you seem open to doing all sorts of things within that realm, which is very fun. And I think that's why I see you all. Yes a lot. Yes and a lot, which is awesome. Um, I I uh this may be we may have to cut this, but I want to uh is it true that you helped Mayor Simmonson with his state of the city? Yes, state of the state of the union. State of the city address. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

The past three years I've been helping him.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Oh, okay, wonderful. I um I heard that and then and I didn't run that past you beforehand, but I hope it's okay that we talk about it. He's especially this last one.

unknown 16:10

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

So good, right? So good. He's so good.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Here's what's so awesome about Robert. He is so coachable. I mean, the first he he is somebody, I really, really admire him as a politician. I do too, is somebody who does not seek the limelight. And I had to pull teeth up when I first started working with him. I was like, listen, you are a great behind the scenes guy. You know, you want to roll up your sleeves and get to work. And he is. He's so wonderful at that. But he's like, I don't want to be out on the stage. I'm like, listen, you're the mayor. You are out there. You're on the stage, buddy. So I'm like, you might as well try this and try, you know. And so um, I would give him some tips and he he would take those and just I would never have to give him that note again. So this last year with his state of the city, the first, the first time he ran it for me, I was like, I think I had one note for him. I'm like, this is phenomenal. You did so great. And and yeah, he's just he's nailing it year after year. And if he has me come back and help him this next year, I kind of feel like I'm just gonna be there to be like, I think that's great. Maybe move this paragraph, you know, because because he is just so coachable and and he just is very genuine, which yeah, it's been a lot of fun working with him.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

I think that was my favorite part is I'm it's hard, I think sometimes you he has all these things that he needs to make sure that everybody knows is going on. And so he's trying to touch on all those things. It's very, it would be very easy to like sink into some like robot mode or something and just kind of like, and then we did this and then we did this, and you know, and he had personality with all of it. He made us laugh, um, you know, he and and he kind of uh riled us up at one point where we're like, yeah, dog on it, you know. And I he I just I was really impressed with it. And and you know, I mean Meridian obviously is growing and it's it's uh it's a bigger city in the state of Idaho, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not like we're this is a massive place, but he gave that speech like he was giving it in a much, much larger venue. And um, but gosh, yeah, it was it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

So I'm just proud to have him as a mayor. He is, he really cares and he's so balanced. I just I'm like, I live in a really good city. I I love that.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Absolutely. Um, and you're you're helping a lot of people in that same way. Like so if somebody else comes to you, are what other sorts of things are people coming to you for help as far as like their speeches? Are there are they like Yes, I've had it's been so interesting.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

I had somebody reach out about he was doing, he was just traveling the country and he had some specific conferences for his business. It was like an investor conference that he was going to be keynoting and he so he really wanted to nail it, you know. So we really helped, I helped him dial it in. And I'm not a stand and deliver type of trainer where I don't say this is what you need to be doing, this is the no, this is the yes. I just help them come out, bring out their most authentic selves, themselves that they can. So um I challenge them, I stretch them a little bit, but I also just help them lean into what they're comfortable talking about. And I help them learn how to kind of hone a story around what they're sharing. So that's that's what I love doing. And it's really fun to watch them kind of come alive and it comes off a lot more authentic.

SPEAKER_00 19:23

Yeah. I I just have to tell you that you're you're just you're like that when I bump into you. You you do that for me not hiring you, just as my friend. You're so so there's usually something that I walk away and I'm like, oh, yeah. Like you just, yeah, you just have this natural, it's definitely you're living your authentic life. Oh things in a yeah. Yeah, you're right where you're supposed to be, which is pretty awesome. Was there ever a part, if if we can go to the yes and is there, was there any part that you of your life where you struggled with um with saying yes? Is there any part? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Oh, you know, I have I I often say yes, um, probably to my detriment every once in a while. So I've had to learn actually more to say no because it's saying yes to something more important. So that's that's what I've had to learn. But um as far as saying yes to things, it it hasn't been difficult. I think from a young age, I learned confidence. And I learned that if I was willing to step into the scary, that things would work out and and be willing to be a little bit scared. And then once you're successful at it, you build confidence in that. So I just I think I learned that from a young age.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Yeah. So was there any part of your uh bio that like when you're because I'm sure that you've kind of got your your bio nailed, is there any part of your like real bio that you leave out on purpose?

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Uh yes. There's I mean, there's people probably wouldn't know that I'm from a family of 11 kids.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

But yes, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

I was the seventh of eleven. So I grew up and it was chaos. I mean, it was always a chaotic environment. And we were poor and very um my parents had a lot of parental fatigue with so many kids. And so for, you know, it was a lot of raising ourselves. And in order to get attention, I either needed to make people laugh or be a helper in some way. And so I think that just became inherent from a very young age. And and that's how I feel like I can belong, is I is I just want to help people and I want to make them laugh. So so that just became a part of my personality. So I don't, I wouldn't put that in my bio normally.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Um, I failed high school. And yes, I know. And wow, that's a very vulnerable thing where I where for a long time I just didn't feel smart. We didn't have power school. My parents had some parental fatigue and they were dealing with a lot of kid issues. And I think I just kind of like let it pass. But what's so funny is I was the high school mascot. I was in leadership classes. I loved drama. Like I would go to the classes, but I never was organized enough to do my homework. And then my senior, and I I missed a bunch of school. I had, I had a health issue. That's a whole other story. That's kind of funny. But um, but I ended up missing a lot of school. And then I just didn't ever catch up and I didn't ever tell anybody that I was struggling. And so it was just kind of, and I didn't have a high school counselor that was checking in, going, hey, what's going on? You're not, you know, it just was the 90s. It wasn't, yeah, it wasn't really apparent. So that was that was something that was very hard for me. And I ended up getting a GED. But but for a long time I was like, am I stupid? Am I a stupid person? But then I went on to get a bachelor's, and yesterday I just turned in my very final um project for my master's. So I'm done with my master's degree.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Congratulations. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Thanks. That's very cool. What did you get your master's in? In strategic communication. Okay. Wow. So that's very cool. Thanks. Yeah, I'm excited about that. So thinking about that, I I have never put that in my bio of, you know, I want to belong. So I'm going to make people laugh and I'm going to, you know, I'm going to be a helper. Or I failed high school. Those are things that I don't usually share with people.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Yeah. Wow. I that's that is an incredible story. That's very interesting. And um, and man, I I think about my senior year in high school. And if it weren't for the massive amount of hand holding, I'm not sure I would have either.

SPEAKER_01 23:31

I mean, a lot of people deal with that. And now I can look at it and be like, oh, I actually am a pretty smart person. You know, I know I would have done well. And I did, I've done very well in college. And so that kind of, but I felt like I had to do that in order to prove to myself that I wasn't stupid. Yeah. I was like, I've got to do this, I've got to get a degree. And so getting my bachelor's was one that I absolutely was just like, I am going to do this. And so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

That's very cool. Yeah. I talking with my my daughter, who now is heading into her second year of college, I when she was leaving high school, as so many of us, not a huge fan of high school and like the politics of high school and you know, all that fun stuff, um, and not knowing what it was going to be like moving into college, but I just kept telling her college is different. Right. It's vastly different. You're you just you just got to hold on. And I promise you that you're going to see that college is different. And I think there's so many, so many kids that we, you know, we have to go through the school system. It's required. And and if we can actually make it through to the end, then we're yay. But it's it's not it's not made for everybody. And you know, and and it's not, it's not set up such that you know everybody's learning in the same way that the you know, I mean, not everybody learns the same way. And so yeah, it's a it's true. And then you add in all the the social part of it, right?

SPEAKER_01 24:52

I know it's I I think of I dropped off my little sixth grader in middle school, and I was like, Middle school has crushed people. I mean, it really has, especially girls. Yes. My mine is a boy, and and I think all my kids have grown up with a sense of confidence. I think because I've I've really tried to help them hone that and and be okay with being in individuals at school. And so they made it through pretty unscathed, which is really nice, but but some don't. Some just get absolutely crushed in middle school and high school. And that's so heartbreaking because then the confidence is shot and then they don't they don't know how to recover from that.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Right. So I think there's a lot that happens in high school where we kind of begin to think we get wired to think that we can't do certain things. Oh, well, that such and such is good at that. I'm not good at that. When the this it's learning, right? None of us are good at anything. Yeah, you have to learn. Yeah. You lean into the things that you that that spark your excitement and then you learn that.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

And yeah, it's and they need to remember that people are not are not thinking of you as much as they as you think that they are, right? They're so nervous about I can't wear this or I can't, you know, I can't try this thing because I'm gonna get, I'm gonna get lamb blasted by everybody. And and really everybody is worried about themselves in middle and high school.

SPEAKER_00 26:13

So well, and I'll I'll go so far as to say college. Raphael, my daughter, is um she she because of the schools that she went to, there wasn't a lot of drama. She didn't have, I mean, like literal like drama, like studies, you know, to be on stage and that sort of thing. So she did camps and she did private lessons in music and that sort of thing. But she was never like in these very robust musicals that were, you know, these big yeah, exactly. Um, and then she got into this program and it's a very robust, you know, fantastic program. And she's walking in flat footed and she's it has that very thing. She's like, Mom, I've spent like a lot of time looking around, thinking people are looking at me saying, I don't belong here. And but then she at some point during last year, she flipped the switch and was like, I do belong here. I I got in. I believe I belong here. And so she's just uh she just kind of dove in the deep end. And one of the things that she's learning is that there's things that people are having to unlearn that she never learned.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

So she's so great. Yes. I mean, we didn't have that in Washington. I grew up in Washington and and our drama program was literally one class and it was the English teacher that taught it. You know, I mean, it was it, we just didn't have the budget for it. And so, same thing. And I ate, I mean, I ate up anything that I could theater wise. But yeah. You did too. I really loved that. That was a fun part of it. I mean, it's it's such a I the arts are so important for kids.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

I agree. I agree. And it seems like uh it's one of the first things that we want to cut. Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

You know, which is just takes out, I mean, why are we always focused on the left side of the brain rather than the right side as well? It just yeah, kind of frustrates me.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. Okay, let's talk about what you're you're prepping for right now, because um it's something that I am hoping to someday get a chance to do. Really? Yes. Oh good.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Okay, I'm glad to know this because I'm gonna start pushing you.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

Okay, awesome. Um, I I don't even know where to begin. So you'll have to really start pushing me because I have no, I'm literally have no idea. But so a TED Talk. Yes. You're gonna be doing a TED Talk. So it's a TEDx. I should click X again. Yes, TEDx.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

I guess the community, yeah. It's it's put on in communities, right? Yeah, but it's under the TED umbrella.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

But there's a whole like process to getting yourself ready for that venue. And can you kind of walk us through how that's going and it's like?

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Um, yes. So the talk is how to fight a Karen. And that is um, it's kind of fun and it's it's going to be a funny talk and a little tongue-in-cheek, but also really I'm gonna be speaking about the yes and mindset and how we all actually have an inner Karen in us. And Karen is just a term that we that we've adopted over the past few years as somebody who's entitled and constantly thinks they're right on bending, you know, the the funny memes of the Karen's. And I when I first uh, you know, when it first started taking off, I think during COVID, and it was all these Karen memes, I thought, like, hey, wait a second. And then with my yes and mindset, I'm like, why not? Like, go ahead, let's I'll be the villain. That's that's pretty funny. And so it kind of cracks me up. And um, and I've yeah, same thing I've always wanted to do as TEDx. And so I just I went for it. And this is with a women's TEDx in Washington, and so I'm I'm actually really excited about it. But yeah, honing, I mean, writing out everything, and then I have speaker coaches and I have um I have this committee that they're looking at what I'm what I'm gonna speak on. And so that was it's it's a little intimidating. And I'm an improviser, you know. So writing something down and having it really prepared has been really interesting. So but it's been a lot of fun. It's been a really cool process. I'm learning so much about the importance of editing and making sure that that what I say aligns with my the whole idea worth spreading and that it's not just a fun little addition because I want to make people laugh. So that's been that's been a really fun process for me.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

So you have to drill in a little bit deeper to these concepts that you've been able to just sort of lightly use. Now you're having to really tighten them up. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

And it's been, it's been so fun because it really helps me find the language for what I want to express, which has been great.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

Do they, as you're going through the process, have they have they tried to bend something that you're like, no, no, no, no, that's not, that's not right.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

Like I No, amazingly, um, I was with a committee member yesterday who read through my my draft. You know, you you have to submit drafts of of what you're going to say. And she she had a few tiny notes, but she was like, This is great. She said, This is really great. And I was that made me feel really good. Yeah. So I think now it's just um just tightening it up and making sure that it's really like dialed in.

SPEAKER_00 30:58

That's cool. What from start to finish, how long does it take to prep for a TED talk?

SPEAKER_01 31:03

Oh, I mean, people will plan for six months or more, but this um I think I was selected a month or two ago. And I'm I'll be I'll be giving the talk in November. So yeah, so I've I've got some time. Um, and it wasn't until I mean it was like a week ago, which our first draft was due.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

Okay. So what an interesting process. All right, is there any part of you that is nervous about because I mean they reach all over the world. So is there any part of you that's like, yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:33

But that's I I feel like this is my it's my superpower and detriment where I I kind of chase that feeling of adrenaline with, you know, doing something that scares me. And I the more that I consistently do that, the the the more comfortable I am with being uncomfortable. So I just I kind of chase something that I feel like this is gonna be scary or hard and I'm gonna conquer this.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

So yeah. Um I yeah, that that you're reminding me of myself um with this very podcast because I I'm loving it. I'm absolutely loving this process and it and every time that I get ready to start, I turn to my husband and usually whisper when nobody can see. I say, I go to die, which is what Clint, what what is then who is the Pavarotti? Luciano Pavarotti said that he said every time he went out to sing, I go to turn, I go to die. He'd say it in Italian. Right. I think he said it. And then he would go out on stage and and because it was of course that was obviously his gift, and it was, but yeah, it it was it was difficult. And I and especially the being on stage and being in front of all those people. And so in order to do his very, very best, he had to do it that way. And but it was challenging. So you kind of had that the push-pull of of all that. So I I totally get that.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Aren't you feeling more confident now, though? You're in your second season, and I'm sure there's moments you were telling me, like some guests you've been a little more nervous with, but but the more you do that and the more you lean into, I'm willing to die, I'm willing to fail. That's really what you're saying is I am willing to fail. And then you put yourself out there and then you succeed at it. That's how confidence is built. That's the only way you can get confidence. It's an internal to an external. So you're internally like, I'm gonna take this courage and step forward, and then you you succeed at it and you realize you didn't die. Yeah. So then you get more confident. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:30

So and for me, it it it's um, it's it's a little bit of a you know, a couple of steps forward and then a step backwards. So I I will kind of I I feel like I've progressed, but if I don't look backwards at the whole timeline, oh right. If I just look back on like the last couple of them, I can just be really hard on myself. And I'll be like, why am I even doing this? This doesn't even make any sense. And um, but but if I look at the whole thing, and now I I think you know, we're pushing 50 episodes at this point, and and I so I'm like, oh, now when I look at the whole body of it, I'm like, okay, yeah, this is a thing. Look at how I've improved.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

Look at what I've learned. Yeah. Exactly. And that's the same thing with life, right? We can look back on a few bad months and just be like, what is the point? This is this is so hard. But then if you look at where have I come from and where how look how much we've progressed, that's everybody needs to take that long view.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Yeah. So well, so on that note, can we talk about um you as a mom? Sure. Yeah. So you uh I I love watching you as a mom. And I I think that I think you break rules as a mom. Like I is I because you just seem so fun. Oh, you're so nice.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

I my kids wouldn't say that. I'm telling you. Last night I'm like, go to bed. It is school night. You know.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

Yeah, yeah. It's uh it's the the whole thing of being a mom is it it's challenging. Like and it challenges you in ways that you don't expect. Right. Yes. Yeah. So um, but I I love the way that you seem to, I mean, I like you go on these adventures, and sometimes like, wasn't it you that had like a van that started on fire once? Like, tell us that story. I can I I just remember seeing the picture and being like, what is the story that happened there?

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Yes, that will actually be in the TEDx. Um, really? It will be. But yeah, I our family, we were actually going, it was actually, I was a youth group leader at the time, and I was taking a group of seniors rafting, and it was during COVID. It was because they didn't get the graduation, they got the weird graduation, remember? The drive-through. It was so dumb. And so we wanted to do something more special for them. So we took all these seniors on this big river rafting trip, which was a blast. And that at the end of the day, we were driving up the horseshoe bend hill, the steep hill, and our car just started blinking and groaning, and all these lights came on. It was like it sounded like a dying pig. And we had a car full of teenagers behind us. My husband, daughter, and I were in our car. We pulled over. There was an outlook, you know. We pulled over to the side of the road, and my husband tried to, he put the car in park, smoke started pouring into the car immediately. So we grabbed our stuff and jumped out. He went to the hood to lift it, and the car was on fire. And I mean, we we panicked just like anybody else would. It's not like in exactly in that moment, we were, we were like, no problem, we have all this money to burn. No, I mean, we called 911, you know, we were like, the car is on fire. But then we realized there's nothing that we can do about this. We might as well just laugh and take pictures. If I had in the moment started freaking out, because I'm with all these teenagers, if I had started crying and and calling insurance and being like, what do we do? It would have been a very awkward, quiet. We're watching our car burn burn to the ground. But because I was like, guys, this is pretty epic. Come on, you know, they felt safe to. So it was, it was creating some psychological safety. And they felt safe to be like, this is actually pretty exciting. And then we were all hyping each other up, like, this is so cool. Like, we're never gonna see this again. And then, you know, one teenager, he was this shy kid, and he just kept bouncing, like, this is this is the greatest day. And he was so excited. And and then we we took pictures and and I had texted it to a friend, and he just cropped the picture. So it was my husband, daughter, and I with our van on fire in the back. And it ended up being the best picture. And so we sent that as Christmas cards and we had it hanging in our house. It's one of our top memories now. In the moment, it was stressful for sure, you know. And we after all of the excitement of the day, we went home and we're like, we don't have a card now. And so, you know, it's reality comes back, but in the moment, it we just decided to have fun with it. And it ended up becoming such a such a fantastic memory. And it really is. So those are the things I think other people have probably experienced that, but it they take it as this is embarrassing. I wouldn't want to put this on social media. Right. But I'm, you know, I'm like, meh, you can, hey, check it out, you guys. Our car's on fire. Can you believe it? Of course. It's 2020. Of course, this is gonna happen. And I had so many comments from people saying, I can't believe you're smiling through that. How could you do that? And that actually was a turning point for me. And I realized, like, I just I didn't really think about it. And then I realized, it's because I'm an improviser. It's because I can yes and a situation like this. Yeah. So when we have, when we have negative situations, in when you're in that moment, you can accept what's happening. You're not gonna put the car out, you know, by by just sheer will. You have to accept your car's on fire. Let's let's just move on from this moment. What can we build from this?

SPEAKER_00 38:35

So you're you're you are very influential, just the way that you are. And I could imagine pretty much anybody being in that situation and being able to be turned like, okay, I guess she's making it seem okay. I think I can be okay with this. Um, I wonder about people who are looking at that and kind of envy it and wonder how they could be more like you, more and not you, but in their own authentic way. Because we don't want to be like each other. But but how could I be um how how in moments of stress, if I'm the type of person who just shuts down and and I don't like it, I want to try to lighten things up a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Do you have any advice for those people? Yeah, I mean, just like I said, improvisers run drills and we practice. I it's just it takes a lot of practice. And um, you have to first identify what's happening with you. You know, there's I think John Gottman talks about feeling flooded and you're feeling flooded with emotions or stress or whatever's going on. Um you you have to in that moment realize, okay, something's happening with me, and I'm this is not a comfortable situation that I'm in. Let me breathe through it. Let me try and listen to what's going on, and let me try and build. And so it's that, let me accept, listen, and build. And those are, I mean, it just takes a lot of practice. Anyone can do it. I'm I'm not naturally this calm person or naturally like, yeah, let's have a car on fire. This is great. You know, I'm not naturally like that, but I've trained my brain to accept situations pretty quickly so that I can pivot even faster. So do you think everybody should take improv? Improv. I think improv is gonna save the world. I do. I think improv is um, you know, I say that very tongue-in-cheek, but and I think people think improv is just for the stage or just to make people laugh. But really, there's there's so many applications uh to use improv in. And large companies, Google and Microsoft and HP, bring in improvisers in order to train their teams on how to be better, cre more creative problem solvers, how to ideate better, how to uh just work together and communicate better. So I think it's just it's so applicable in so many situations.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Yeah, I agree. Okay, can we talk about your relationship with your husband? Sure. Yes. That's another area. He's my favorite person. I I I know this. I know this. I I watch you and I just I really love it. I love your relationship. It makes me so joyful when you guys go on trips and you take these fun pictures, and you're not, it's not, you're not outwardly trying to prove to everybody that you guys are a happy couple. You just are living as happy as a happy couple. It's very clear that you have a great relationship. How long have you guys been married? 25 years. Wow. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah. So is there a trick to that? Is there no?

SPEAKER_01 41:28

I mean, yeah, obviously. We never have had a problem ever in life. Right. And have never disagreed. No, um, it really, it's we have a marriage just like anyone else. We have disagreements like anyone else. We've learned to communicate really well. And he um, and I was not like that when we were first married. I was a, I didn't, because I I grew up in this family, we didn't communicate healthy in healthy ways. And so when we, he and I got married, I would shut down. I would just absolutely like, I can't talk about this. I don't, I, you know, I don't know how to deal. And I'd get all flooded and I I just didn't know how to do it. And he was so patient. And and he would say, No, we need to talk about this. Let's like get it out, you know. And it took a lot of trust and vulnerability to be able to be open with each other. And um, I think we've just learned. And so we, you know, if we disagree and we still have times when I'm like, I think you are the biggest jerk, you know, and and we're just frustrated with each other. Uh, we can we get over it a lot faster and we apologize a lot faster to each other. And so it's it's been very cool. Yeah. It just takes a again, it's a lot of practice, a lot of reps, you know.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

Yeah. Yeah. You seem to be good friends. Like you have each other's backs. We do, which is uh boy, that's that's the best thing you can ask for in a spouse, right? Is that you know at least you got one person that's in your corner that that you know, no matter what, even when you're maybe not on the same page, you you know that they're right there. He's got my back always, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

And I have his.

SPEAKER_00 43:01

So um, okay, can we talk a little bit about your your the work that you do with Brighton? Sure. Yeah. Cause I I will see I like you you've done some commercials, you've done some. So can you kind of tell us what you're what you're doing about it?

SPEAKER_01 43:13

Well, I'm their media spokesperson, so uh, which I love. Brighton is such a a company that they just are so good and so quiet about what they do in the community. And I have had over the years to be like, come on, you guys, you need to share that you've donated this or you need to come on, you know, and they're they're loosening up a little bit because I'm I'm just pushy. But um, yeah, I love, I get to interview their community partners and um I create all their, you know, their video content, which is has been so fun. And I do it with a production team. And it's been an honor because because I'm proud to be associated with them. They're really they're a company that really cares about the community.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

Yes, they do. I I agree. Can we go back to the whole how to fight a care? Karen thing. Sure. We'll talk about that a little bit. Um, so have you was there any part of you when the whole Karen thing started that made you kind of look back at yourself and say, Am I a am I a Karen? Yes. Oh, for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

Yeah. I mean, I think that we've all had those Karen moments, but I am highly aware that my name is Karen when I'm talking to customer service or if I'm frustrated about something. And because I'm like, they know my name is Karen. And there's all these Karen memes out there. And so um, so I I've actually, because of that, it's actually been kind of a blessing where where I have had to learn to be so much more patient and so much more particular in how I'm talking to somebody, especially when I'm frustrated, when it's a customer service issue or or something. And so um, so that's been, yeah, that's been kind of eye-opening. But yes, I've had, you know, we've all had Karen moments where we've just been super annoyed and frustrated and wanted to talk to the manager. And um, over the years, from these Karen memes, I'm a lot more like, just let it go. Yeah. You just gotta shake it off.

SPEAKER_00 45:10

Yeah. That's yeah, that's interesting. I well, let's just talk about disagreement in general right now in society. Like I it's it's a big challenge. I think um we're in some ways more disagreements, but in other ways, less healthy disagreement. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 45:28

Um people get so entrenched in their idea of what's right or what's virtuous or what, you know, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

And it's yeah, it's really sad.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

And what and why do you think that that is? Why do you think that people have we that we've gotten so polarized and unable to have just a good old-fashioned conflict?

SPEAKER_01 45:46

I think I see it more online. And I think it's because we have these, these online warriors that feel like they can say anything. When you have that disconnect, you're not face to face with somebody having a conversation. You have this, this um wall that is up and you feel anonymous, even if your name shows up. And so you feel like you can say anything you want. And I notice that a lot where people get very entrenched. And then, you know, online you don't hear tone when somebody's typing something out. You don't hear, you don't see nuance and you don't see the the body language and the facial expressions of what's happening. And so people will put their own interpretation on what is being said or what's happening. And and everybody just gets more entrenched in their own ideas, which is really sad.

SPEAKER_02 46:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:36

So that's what I notice happening. I feel like um we're I think it's just a disconnect that people are there, we I mean, lonely loneliness is is the biggest epidemic right now. Right. And we don't have connection. And I think that's what we are missing, is we we need to learn to connect with people more. We need to get to know the person before we can have a healthy disagreement.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

Right. I think that's really fair. And and there's just it seems because social is in everybody's face, it seems like there's a lot of discussion taking place. They're not really discussion. It's certainly not it's not human being to human being. It's yeah. So it's it's a vastly different uh it's an ideology to ideology, right?

SPEAKER_01 47:18

That's it. Exactly. People just become more entrenched in their own ideas and and more and more pol polarized.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Yeah. What if you could dream up a way for humans to take on conflict, like it was a class or something like that? Like what would be the elements that you would say we need to have in place for this person and this person to come together and have this person is uh staunch Republican, this one's a staunch Democrat. They're and they're but they're gonna get in a room and they're gonna have a conversation that will end up being fruitful. Yes. What would some of the elements need to be to create that?

SPEAKER_01 47:55

That's a such a cool question, Callie. I think um I mean, what pops into my head is getting to know the other person, like finding out their story. Because when you start to learn about somebody's past and learn about how they were raised or how they, how they perceive the world, then you can kind of start to see why they would think this way. And when you start to get to know somebody in that way, you can you can have more empathy for them instead of disgust. And so you start to understand this is how they were raised. Like that it may, it may be some circumstance and it may be, you know, they they became entrenched in this way that you can uh empathize a little bit more. And and I think people only want to open up to change when they feel understood. So I think listening to each other is the most important thing that we can do.

SPEAKER_00 48:49

Yeah, that's so good. And curio having curio curiosity. Yeah. So if I'm if I am gonna listen to you, a lot of times I I I'm not interested in listening to you unless I have a little spark of curiosity about what you're even saying. And sometimes I don't think we even allow ourselves that. It's like, oh, it's just a it's a passing, you know, whatever, a quick conversation that isn't, I don't take the time to say, I wonder what's going on. And even ask the question, what's going on? Like what's how how are you truly today? You know, just nail that.

SPEAKER_01 49:17

Yeah. I mean, people listen to answer or they listen to jump forward because they want to get their point across. A lot of people don't listen to reflect or to learn more. So I think it's uh David Augsburger who said being heard is so close to being loved that to the average person it's nearly indistinguishable. Wow. Isn't that powerful? I just really powerful. And I and I think about that quote a lot where if somebody feels heard, they feel loved. And so if you can make somebody feel that, wouldn't you want to to open your mind up to somebody who feels like they love you, where you feel like I, you know, maybe I'll let me let me hear your perspective because I feel like you actually care about me.

SPEAKER_00 50:01

Yeah. I think about the people in my world who, and you're one of them. Um, when I'm with you, I you are not distracted. So if we if we're in a it's there's a thousand people there and there's a bunch of things going on. There's I I'm thinking about the last time we were in then at the Nampa like uh convention center. Yes, yeah, something like that. There was lots of things going on. That moment that you and I, and it was we probably spoke for less than three minutes, but in that period of time, you your focus was completely on me. You weren't, you know. And I so I think that's part of the reason why I feel so endeared to you is that I is that even though we don't like we haven't gone to dinner together, like we don't get to hang out all right exactly, but I still feel a connection with you because I think that you have that gift of when you are speaking with somebody, you are with them in that moment, period, end of paragraph. And then when that's done, you go to the next person and you are completely with that person next. And it's a it's a wonderful gift that I think people if if more people could do the the world would be a better place. Oh, thanks, Callie. Yeah, so sweet. Yeah. It's uh I I'm I'm just grateful for you. You're you're a wonderful human being.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 51:12

So nice. Yeah. Well, all right. Enough of the niceties here. What else do we have to say? I'm actually getting teary, so I'm gonna stop with that. You're so sweet. Um okay. So is there anything that you are still learning how to say yes to?

SPEAKER_01 51:28

Ooh, anything I'm learning how to say yes to. I think I'm I think I'm learning to say yes to the right things. So, like I said, I I naturally can say yes to things and I love being involved. I love helping. I love, you know, being busy and that kind of thing. And I I have over the years, I I don't have a lot of FOMO anymore, which I used to have a lot, where now I'm just okay with, you know, I want to say yes to the right things. And and sometimes that means being with my family and missing out on some exciting thing. Sometimes it's um saying yes to maybe something boring, but it's gonna help me grow. So I don't know. Does that answer the question?

SPEAKER_00 52:14

It does. It does. Are are there things that are because we're kind of in the point of our lives where we can choose to say yes to things and we can also choose to say no to things that are scary that maybe we should still probably try to do. Is there anything like that in your life right now where you're like, I mean, maybe this TED Talk where you're like, you could have, but I'm I'm guessing that when you heard TED Talk, you're like, and I'm in.

SPEAKER_01 52:36

Yeah, I mean, I did. I I actively chose to do a TED, a TEDx. But um, as far as as far as things that I want to say no to, I mean, there's there's so many things that I that I want to say no to, but that I know it's gonna be good for me. Exercising, right? Yeah. You know, there's things where where I know it's gonna be good for me, and I just lean into that uncomfortable feeling and just say, I know this is gonna be good for me, or sometimes sitting down and reading the book that I that I've been meaning to read, that kind of thing. So um, when I when it's so much more fun just to scroll reels, you know, and I get like my little 30-second bite size of garbage, mental garbage versus really enhancing my brain with a book, you know. So there's there's things like that that I have to actively continually say yes to so that I continue because I love progression. I love feeling like I'm in improving in some way. So Me too.

SPEAKER_00 53:29

Me too. And I that's what kind of keep that's the dangling carrot for me always is like, okay, I I will do this and then and then I will be glad because this will be the outcome or this will be what I will gain from it, or you know, but sometimes that's hard because you're creating it up in your head. Sometimes you don't even know if it's gonna be something that like maybe I will finish this book and I'll be like, I didn't really need to read that.

SPEAKER_01 53:48

But and I have no problem if I'm like halfway through a book and I'm like, this isn't this is just doing nothing for me, then I can close the book.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

This has been very recent for me. Like I never used to let myself do that. But I sometime in the last couple of years, I had a book that I was partway through, and I'm like, I'm not, I don't want to read this book anymore. And I was like, and I think I bought the book. Sometimes if it's a Libby book, like that I'm just borrowed from the library, I'm like, ah, it's easier for me to say, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

But if I've spent money on the oh yes, I know.

SPEAKER_00 54:16

And I'm like, darn it, and so many people like this.

SPEAKER_01 54:18

There's gotta be, I just gotta keep going. The time is so precious, right? Like that's our most important commodity. So you have to remember that that, you know, our time is we can't ever get that back. So that's that's what I try and have in my head. Like, am I gonna waste my time on this or am I gonna really try and utilize my time for this? So okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:38

So um, and kind of wrapping up this wonderful conversation, I don't want it to end. I just love our time together. I'm just gonna start scheduling you just so that we can have time to I know.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

So if I love hanging out with you, you and Joss are just man, you're just so cool.

SPEAKER_00 54:52

Well, I I admire you both so much. Well, thank you. That's that's lovely. Uh so going with the theme of of nobody knows, is there something about you that you wish people knew?

SPEAKER_01 55:03

Oh, yeah. I mean, there I wish people knew their worth. I wish people knew that they had. I think, I think a lot of people I there's power in words, right? There's power in what people say. And it crushes, I'm getting a little teary. It crushes me when I hear like a teenager and they say, I'm so stupid, or I'm, you know, I'm I'm so ugly, and I'm just like, oh, do you know how important you are? So sorry, I'm I don't know, I'm getting all teary, but yeah, I wish people had that.

SPEAKER_00 55:37

Yeah. I wholeheartedly agree. I wholeheartedly I wish particularly young people in this world where especially on social media, everything looks so perfect and they just can't compare us. Every single one of us was put on this world, on this earth, for a reason. We have a reason.

SPEAKER_02 55:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:57

And we're not supposed to be compared to other people. Yeah. Because we are totally unique. But I think it takes a little perspective sometimes. And I just I hope for adolescents that they're able to kind of get through that very challenging period of time where there's just so much going on and they're doubting themselves right and left, and their brains are still formula, you know, forming, and it's just such a challenging time. And but hold on and know that it's gonna work out. Yes, it's gonna work out.

SPEAKER_01 56:23

It is, yeah. And that's really, and I mean, it's not just teenagers. I think, I think there are adults that that get stuck and they get stuck in that my life is terrible and nothing good is ever gonna happen. And and if that's what you're looking for, that's all you're gonna find. So I think it's so important to look for the good. And that's my my annoying positivity, you know. Um, I don't ever want to, you know, toxic posity is kind of a buzzword right now. And so I've I've really thought about that. I'm like, am I being toxically positive? But I think if you're authentically positive and making sure that you realize it's going to work out, that doesn't mean things are great right now. You have to accept what's going on right now, but how do you build? And so I think that's why I I always try and preach that improv mindset of just just trust, just trust that it's gonna work out.

SPEAKER_00 57:19

So oh well, this is a wonderful way to end this conversation with you, Karen Manthe. Thank you for being here in the studio with me. Thanks for having me, Karen. Thank you for just being you. Thank you for being in this this community, and you're just a wonderful ray of light, an authentic ray of light. So thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it's been fun. It's been great. Hey, thanks for watching. If you or someone you know has a story to share, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out, share your story, and you could be featured on an upcoming episode. And remember, once your story gets shared, it will no longer be one that nobody knows.