Oh dear - where oh where do I start to explain how this came to fruition?!
Well, in the wise words of Glinda the Good Witch from "The Wizard of Oz" - "It's always best to start at the beginning." ;)
I've been told often that I'm a good listener. OK - that's nice and all, but isn't EVERYONE a good listener? I dismissed this for years.
Until more and more people began to tell me this. People were saying, "I don't know why I'm telling you all of this." or "I don't usually talk this much, but I feel like I can share with you". Then I visited my cousin in Dallas and after my short visit she told me she felt she needed to share something with me that her and her husband had been discussing the night before. Uh oh...that's never a good thing to hear - what had I said/done this time?! She said I should consider becoming a counselor since I was great at listening and helping to share different perspectives regarding a situation. To which I hastily responded, "I don't want to listen to people's problems all day! Sounds exhausting. And I'm too old to go back to school to become a psychologist".
I want the exact opposite. I want to hear about the joys, the back-stories and the journey!
Next, throw in that I LOVE to watch and also perform stand-up comedy, but my negative self-talk convinced me that I didn't really have anything of importance to say/share. But I loved the other comics, their perspectives (yep, no oxford comma for this chick ;)) and how open and willing they were to share all aspects of their lives and viewpoints. I was shocked that I also found this openness from others in my everyday conversations with the random people I came in contact with each day.
Everyone from the guy at the automotive store where I was getting an oil change, to the lady in line at the bread store. They all were so open and willing to share and had AMAZING stories of strength, fun, humor, struggles and hope. And apparently I have the face they want to tell it to! :)
So it began - I decided I was going to join the ever-growing ranks of everyone and their brother, sister-wife, celebrity, influencer, comedian, expert, etc.... and create a podcast and I was going to talk with complete strangers.
My HOPE is that this one will be different. It won't be the voice of a celebrity or a brain surgeon or a comedian. It will be the voice of YOU, the beautiful people who live your lives each day without a platform. I'd like to give you a platform, even if just for a few minutes, to share what you've been through, what you've learned, what you've overcome and who you have become. Share with us your joys, your struggles, your fears and your dreams. We ALL have a story to share!
