In this episode, explore the compelling insights of Hannah Austin, CEO and co-founder of She Shatters, as she narrates her transition from high-pressure healthcare executive to a wellness advocate. Discover the groundbreaking Burn Bright formula that aids individuals and organizations in overcoming burnout and reigniting passion in life and work.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here's Angie.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hi friend, Angie Austin here with the Good News. I have been checking out a book lately that I want to share with you. The author is Hannah Austin and she is joining us. And I really like the idea of learning how to live an extraordinary life. And that is what her book is all about. Learn how to live your extraordinary life. Welcome to the program, Hannah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you, Angie, for having me.
SPEAKER 04 :
So it's Hello Head, Meet Heart is the book. Give us a little, you know, a nutshell description of the book.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. So this book is about rising from the ashes of burnout to leap towards your extraordinary life. And I wrote this book during COVID as I hit the darkest moment of my life. And frankly, Angie, I was contemplating suicide and ending it all. So I had nothing left. My tank was empty. And I didn't know what was wrong with me. So I started to research books, articles, and podcasts. And there wasn't a book for me to turn to. So I decided to write one.
SPEAKER 04 :
So in terms of what you were burnt out from, explain what went on that made you feel such despair.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so I had been in the healthcare industry for 20 years. I loved my job. I started at the age of 20, and I worked myself up. And, Angie, it was working. I mean, the hustle behind the scenes, you know, being the first woman in the room in some meetings and instances. So during COVID, I was in charge with building mass hospitals and morgues for one of the largest health systems in the country. And I was working 50, 60 hours a week. I wasn't taking care of myself, no breaks, no lunches. And frankly, I just started deteriorating from the inside out and I collapsed in the hospital I was managing.
SPEAKER 04 :
It doesn't surprise me when I, you know, we all know what the circumstances were like then and that kind of pressure. People are like, lunch? You know, why would you need lunch? Like, come on. But then the people taking care of the system were falling apart.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. And, you know, I didn't tell anyone. I mean, that's the reality. Right. As a manager, you feel like you have to be strong, and you need to take care of your team at the cost of yourself. And I was one of those people, and I take full responsibility for it, but it was really a dark time.
SPEAKER 04 :
So what is the biggest lesson that you learned from this burnout journey and recovery journey from feeling so lost that you maybe didn't even want to go on?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, the biggest lesson has been that I'm human too, right? I'm a human first, a manager, a wife, a mom second, third. And so it's really important that those people, Angie, and I know you probably get this, we are perfect on the outside. No one can see us sweat. We're paddling frantically behind the scenes. But sometimes we feel like we can't really be honest with ourselves and, frankly, the world about if we're hurting or not. So I think it's really around being authentic, letting people know you're human, you're hurting, you need help as well, and getting that help. And that's what this book is about, a warm hug, a hand offering help at a time where people are having their darkest moments.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, so let's break down some of the things that you wrote about in the book, Hello Head, Meet Heart. Take us through some of the steps that if we're feeling burnout or we want to make a change in careers or just come back from that brink of despair, what are some of the things you teach us?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so I created a six-step burn-bright model. I'm a very operations mind, and so I married my mind and heart in this book. And so the first step is really – Take stock and stop and pause. So many of us are going through the motions. We're moving on to the next guest or radio show or into the next meeting or Zoom meeting. We don't stop and say, is this pace working for me? Is this a long-term viable solution? Then the next step is, you know, discovering the why. What are those patterns in your life that are showing up for you that are limiting you from going to the bathroom, sleeping well? You know, is technology too much a part of your life? And then the third step is really exploring your options. Is there ways to conserve your energy? What boundaries do you need to set in your life? And then who do you need to have in your team, right? Project manage a team of CEO professionals for your executive board, your executive personal board, to figure out how they can support you living your best life. And then lastly, it's developing a plan. Angie, how many of us can develop plans at work and develop plans for our kids, but we need to learn to develop a plan for ourselves and our life to conserve our energy for the most precious resources, frankly, ourselves.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And it takes a lot of determination to develop that plan and follow through, you know, to put that phone down at night or to set that boundary. Because I think as women in the workplace, we've been taught that maybe we do need to go the extra mile to be respected as much as a colleague, like working as a news anchor, a weather woman, reporter, field producer at big networks when I work When I sat next to a male anchor, I did feel like if he left at nine that I still couldn't leave until noon, even if we'd gotten up at 245 and gotten there because I had to work harder to get that same level of respect. So you do, I think, push yourself towards burnout and with your families as well. I don't think it comes very easily to many of us.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I wanted to literally write a book that is a self-help book that actually helps. But I know that's an oxymoron. But I remember, you know, being a young girl in my 20s, 30s, and now my 40s, looking for books to help me with the how-to. Like, it's great to say, be mindful, be meditative, don't listen to your phone, don't look at your phone. But it's another thing when you're addicted to those things, right? And so my book is really... It asks you questions that actually may get you start to think about new ways. And it's also exercises. I asked you to do exercises in the book that make you think about things from your head and your heart standpoint. And that's when finally Angie, the puzzle pieces lock into place and you realize, wow, I can move my priorities. And Hannah just gave me a, literally a script. to set a burnout prevention plan and created a boundary plan for my coworkers, my loved ones, and my husband or wife. So this is a real tactical book, and you're walking out of this book at the end of the book with hope, viability, and a plan to move forward.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, you know, understand we talked about your 20 years as an executive in the health care industry. And obviously, during COVID, you face so many pressures and that burnout you talked about. And I know you're the CEO and co-founder, pardon me, of She Shatters. What is She Shatters?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. So we are an organizational wellness company specializing in the prevention of burnout. So we do individual coaching for women and men who are suffering from burnout or at a pivotal point in their life. And then on the second arm is our organizational wellness strategy team, where we go into large scale organizations and teach the managers and leaders, frankly, how to care. how to treat the person as a whole person, as an employee, how to keep staff. So we have retention packages as well as burnout prevention packages. And I'm traveling around the country, Angie, speaking and sharing the Burn Bright formula and the message of Hello Head, Meet Heart and lighting up organizations from the inside out, tapping into that joy in the organization again.
SPEAKER 04 :
So what's next for you? Is this it? Is this what you'll continue to do?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, writing this book, Angie, was the easiest thing I've ever done. It was like breathing to me. I dumped all of my heart and soul, I don't know if you've read it yet, into this book. It's very, very deeply personal and it's resonating with so many people. My goal is just to start a wildfire within people's hearts, whether it's through my podcast, through organizational wellness. My next dream would be to write a second book, but I'm still enjoying this wild ride.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it sounds like you're traveling around the country, helping other people, that you have a real passion for this now, but obviously that passion springing from what you went through.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, I do believe that, you know, this darkest moment that I had a year and a half ago, I've really used it as rocket fuel. And I always like to say that the deepest wounds in us allow for the greatest growth.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, when you're meeting people and you're traveling around the country, what's a common theme you're hearing or what are some of the big mistakes people are making? What are they? Because I know that when you speak at an event like this, when it resonates with someone, I know they come up to you and start kind of baring their soul. So what are you hearing?
SPEAKER 03 :
They do. It's really like going to church, Angie. I was presented at the Indiana Conference for Women, and we had 500 chairs in the audience, and they had to bring in more chairs because the women were just loving the session. And it's a real compliment and true testament to the mission that I'm spreading, which is, you know, you have the puzzle pieces inside you all along, right, Angie? You just need to kind of shuffle them around and lock the pieces in place that you want to keep. And no longer do you have to work the 10-hour days versus the eight-hour days that the guys around you work. You need to do what's best for you and chart your course towards your career and your own personal growth. And so I love creating a plan with these women and men as well to set the stage for what are they reaching for and create some accountability. And the Hello Head Meet Heart is just a tool, a vehicle for them to actually do the homework, right? Do the exercises, heads down. And then together we can create their extraordinary life, whatever that is, pivoting to a new job, getting a divorce. We're really making, creating a movement, Angie, around growth and joy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, in all of this coaching and in writing the book, Hello Head, Meet Heart, what about success stories? Are you already hearing feedback from people who are saying like, you know, I know you can't use names, but any stories of success already through working with you?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, one of my favorite story is actually from a 75-year-old woman who, you know, I never intended this book to be read by people who are retired. I thought, who's retired and burned out? But this woman said, one of my friends referred your book and I read it and she said, I've been retired for 15 years. I've been feeling a sense of worthlessness and loneliness and for what's next. And, you know, is it my turn to just shrivel up and die at, you know, 75 or is there something more out there for me? And so she said she did one of the exercises and she's decided to take a dance class again. And she invited her husband to take a dance class, which is frankly unlocked some intimacy, which is good for them, but also an opportunity for her to reconnect with herself and her goals and get healthy again. So she's now off her blood pressure medication and her marriage is stronger than ever. And it's just I never intended for that type of audience to resonate with the book. And that's been the greatest joy.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's really cool, because I mean, a lot of seniors have so much to give and give back. I was just talking to a friend of mine who was really depressed, like you were just talking about. And I said, you know, one of my mentors, Jim Stovall, he's written over 60 books. He said the best way to help when you're feeling down, the best way to feel better is to help someone else. And so I suggested maybe she get out there and, you know, and get moving. And I was just doing an interview with Dr. Michael Royce from the Cleveland Clinic. He's also written a lot of books with Dr. Oz about you know the mind the body health and longevity that's like his area of expertise living longer and healthier and he just said today one of the biggest things we can do to stave off you know dementia in our older years this is going to surprise you because i thought oh it's going to be diet exercise omega-3s or some supplement having a tribe well he actually said posse which cracked my me up since he's near 80 that he said posse but he said having a posse you know having a tribe having a group of people that care about you and then she's getting out there with these dancers and reconnecting with her husband it's so important to our vitality but I think when we get depressed when we feel low many of us tend to isolate and we do not have anything to do with our posse
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. And COVID, you know, maximized that, right? We were all lonely and we were all kind of displaced and in isolation. And I think now that people are kind of coming out of their cocoon and feeling like it's reintegrating again, you know, we have to find that void for loneliness and connection. But the first thing, Angie, is connecting with yourself. And I think that's what Hello Heart is a reminder of, is every time you feel a little bit lonely, just return to yourself first.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I like that. I like that. How is this making you feel? I mean, you know, going through what you went through, making such a U-turn in your life, I mean, or a right turn, doing something completely different than healthcare and high stress and setting up morgues. Now you're doing joy-filled, you know, big speaking engagements and helping people find their self-worth again and purpose in life. How has this made you feel? It must feel pretty great.
SPEAKER 03 :
I feel like for the first time in my life, I'm doing what I'm destined to do. And that is what fuels me every day to want this feeling for you, for someone else, whoever. Whatever I can do to unlock that joy, unlock that fire, I'm here, right? I'm a fire starter, right? I don't want to be put out. I want to keep igniting these fires in people because we deserve to live an extraordinary life.
SPEAKER 04 :
I love it. All right, give us your website.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, sure. So you're welcome to find me at SheShatters.com, www.SheShatters.com. And the book is on Amazon. And we have a Kindle edition and a paperback.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I'm in the midst of reading it right now. Thank you so much. What a pleasure the interview is. And congratulations for all you're doing for others. What a blessing for you and for them.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you, Angie, for your time today.
SPEAKER 04 :
You're welcome.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
Longron is listening to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hello, hello, Angie Austin here. This is The Good News with Angie Austin. Hello, friend. All right, yesterday I was going over some notes to self. I get a kick out of these like thought-provoking, self-help-y kind of think these things through and so I like just kind of chit-chatting with you about them because it makes me think as well and I'll review the ones we did yesterday and then coming up we've got more tips on getting the new year started off on the right foot whether it be finances or working out etc finances that's a big one for me because I if you listen to a show ever you know that I grew up with no money and low-income housing and my mom Yeah. And my mom was a single mom, four kids, very little education, left high school, the middle of high school, worked in factories. And yeah, so I just really wanted to learn how to be, you know, wise with my money. And so I think that, you know, it's, I think the only thing I splurge on, which you may know if you listen, is experiences. So it would be trips and I'll drop, you know, what they're going to learn something, you know, if it's like history or like when we went to the Titan missile recently, the decommissioned and, you know, museums and flights and hotels. I'm not one big I'm not big on spending a lot of hotels. That's not really my thing, unless we did with the lazy river. The last place we stayed had a lazy river and huge slides like you'd see at a water park. And like some hotels have like a wave pool or a flow rider. You know, I'll pay more for those hotels because the kids get those experiences. And if you stay one night and it's outrageous, and this last one was outrageous, then the kids get two days of like the water park and everything. And I like a good lazy river. I don't know why. All right, let's get into these notes to self again. I get a kick out of these. And again, I'll review the ones we already went over. All right. The first one we went over, and why did my computer screen just go blank? There we go. But the first one we went over, note to self, be better with electronics. Ha ha ha ha ha. So these, I need professional help because I'm obviously cracking myself up and not you. Okay, note to self, happiness is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be. We did that. Learning to ignore certain people and things is one of the great paths to inner peace. I'm very good at ignoring, and I don't mean making them think I'm ignoring them. I mean ignoring them by not letting them get to me with something they're saying. I don't know, it's just not worth my time if they're trying to like poke me with a stick verbally, you know? Number three, when things aren't adding up in your life, begin subtracting. Life gets a lot simpler when you clear the clutter. That's a good one for me. Yeah, I'm sure anyone who knows me well knows that I'm not good with clutter. All right, number four, note to self, do your best to take a deep breath. And another, remind yourself that the strongest sign of your growth is knowing you're no longer stressed out by petty things that once used to drain you. I mean, when you really sit down and think about the things we worry about, some of them are so ridiculous. and you just have to go is this going to matter like in a year in a month even tomorrow in an hour will this even matter if i can let this go and yet i do not have to be right that's like one of my things that i definitely don't when i was younger i probably did not now it's not important to me at all my ego is tiny compared to what it was when i was younger i do not need to be right let them believe they're right even if i'm right i know i'm right what do i why do i need to prove it to them right Number five, we won't get through all these, but I just get a kick out of them. You can't control how other people behave. You can't control everything that happens to you. What you can control is how you respond to it. I've got to get better at that because definitely with the kids, my response sometimes, like if I'm just at the end of my rope, as they say, my mom used to always say that, I'm about to go off the deep end. She would say to me, oh my gosh, my mom has sayings that I just, yeah. My mom's still with us, so I can, you know, giggle about her because she's a character. And those of you who know her know I'm telling the truth. All right, you can't control how other people behave, but your response. And that's, again, something I really need to work on with the kids because you're letting them control you and your emotions if you cannot learn how to respond properly to people, you know? uh number six the trick is to enjoy life don't wish away all of your days waiting for the better ones ahead just appreciate where you are right now and that's such a beautiful gift if you can do that to appreciate where you are right now i mean just think about that like just take a second and think about the good things in your life right now and i know there's bad but no let's just focus on the positive because as they say it could always be worse right so let's do that think about some of the good things All right. All right. There. If we can focus on some of those, I just think that life looks a lot better, you know, and it's all a matter of perception, you know, and I don't know if you have people with like cloudy glasses in your life and everything's like an Eeyore. Oh, it's so exhausting, isn't it? Yeah, it is. All right. I'm going to get to more of these because we've got a guest coming up that I get a real kick out of. Oh, here's another one. You know, my big thing is forgiveness. Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive yourself for bad decisions, uh, for maybe the way you've treated people in the past. Make amends if you need to. That's a big one. I mean, that certainly helps. There's no doubt about that. It certainly helps. All right. If you are just joining us, this is Angie Austin with the good news and, uh, You know, the beginning of each year is a chance for us to reset and make resolutions for the future. That's kind of why I was going over some of those notes to self. And here was some New Year's inspiration is lifestyle expert Emily Loftus, who is also a celebrity stylist and a former Radio City Rockette. And she's been. on lots of popular shows like Hollywood Today Live, Wendy Williams Show, The Real, Doctors, Steve Harvey. I can go on and on. Good Day L.A., which, you know, a lot of my friends worked out when I worked for NBC in L.A. So she's got quite a great career. Welcome back, Emily Loftus. Always great to have you. All right, so let's just start right off with what you, as an expert, think is the top tip for setting goals for the new year, because I'm trying to help all my teenagers with this right now. In fact, I was just texting one of them.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I really think it's so important to have goals that are attainable, that are reasonable. Whether it's getting in shape, getting your finances in order, or even like time management skills, don't just shoot for the rafters. I have some really great tips to share with your audience today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay. Well, let's do the one that we were just talking about, the gym. We do family gym nights, so we're all there together. I would say six times a week, but somebody's there each day of the week. We use that membership more than any other family I think I know. So let's start with a suggestion for helping people get fit because I see a lot. It's doubled. The numbers I'm serious have doubled at the gym.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, wait till you hear this statistic. Most people get up the resolutions by mid-February with an 80% drop-off rate. So just wait till mid-February. You'll be good to go.
SPEAKER 04 :
Sheesh, that is crazy.
SPEAKER 05 :
The key is to find a fitness program that is right for you. I feel like your family needs to try this one. I recommend F45. They offer this unique blend of HIIT, circuit training, and functional training designed to keep people motivated and engaged. In just 45 minutes, you can experience a full-body workout that delivers real results. Through January 31st, F45 is offering a special deal for new members to break a sweat and guess what? Enjoy three classes for just $30 at select studio locations.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's a really good deal. And I like diversity. Sometimes I get stuck in that rut of walking, but I've got to, especially at my age, do resistance training, lifting. You've got to throw other things in there as well.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely, and you know what's really great that I've had my mother on to is throw a weighted vest on. If you love walking, just throw a weighted vest on and you're good to go.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, yes, I actually did buy one of those. Okay, I've got to dig that baby out. All right, give us something that can, you know, get us a little more excited about the new year.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, so I have a feeling you are like me, especially because you are in cold Denver, and travel is what makes me excited.
SPEAKER 04 :
Me too.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
30% is good because, you know, I'm in a lot of different cards and this and that and the other to get bonuses. And I get like maybe 10 or 20. I can't think of the last time where they offered me 30.
SPEAKER 05 :
30 is a game changer, especially if you're taking your whole family. But maybe sometimes you just leave the kids behind and it's just you and your person.
SPEAKER 1 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
My person has to be my husband, Emily. Yeah, or your best friend. It doesn't have to be your husband. Oh, that's, oh my gosh, it's so funny you say that because my best friends that I work with at NBC in LA, we're all starting to travel together again like we did in our 20s because our kids are older now.
SPEAKER 05 :
What a gift. Exactly. So call one of those people and the honey can come next time.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right. What about, you know, other tools that, you know, um, you know, ways for us to start the new year off strong financially. That's a big one for a lot of people who've spent a lot of money over the holidays.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, absolutely. We all want to get our finances in order. So start the year strong with a refund advanced loan available at participating H&R Block offices. You can get $4,000 within minutes of filing your taxes at H&R Block. There's no interest, no loan fees to worry about, and there's no impact to your credit score, which is huge. Plus, you could get money today unlike some other providers that make you wait until IRS opens late January. So kickstart your 2025, apply for a refund advance loan when you file with H&R Block. Get started by scheduling an appointment at hrblock.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, that's interesting. I've never heard of that. All right. Other tools you think that can help keep resolutions in terms of finances?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, so this is a great solution, especially if you are on the go, go, go, go, go. Tackle your finances with help from Spruce, an all-in-one mobile banking app built by H&R Block. Spruce is designed to help money go further through saving and budgeting tools and more. It comes with 3.50% APY on savings when you opt in, the ability to set up saving goals, and automatic spending tracking with the watch list, and even saving recommendations for that refund you're expecting. Spruce has no sign-up fees, no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements. And you can sign up for Spruce today at sprucemoney.com. That'd actually be really great for your kids to learn about financial...
SPEAKER 04 :
accuracy and being on top of it because i know when i went off to college i had no idea what i was doing girl girl you are singing to the choir because my 19 year olds are freshmen in college and he's been saving for a down payment on a house in boulder where he goes to school in colorado and it's not it's it's a pretty tough market so he's been doing that the other two and he started his investment account when he was 13 he started this business when he was 12 and he does better than i do emily and then the other two they started their investment accounts i think when they were 13 or 14 right in there so we're on top of them because i grew up really poor and suffice it to say i'm not now and it's all because i learned about investing in finances so i'm all 100 on board with that
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, I applaud your whole family because it was just my mom, a single mom, and she really was not good with this. So I really did not learn it. And I'm 44 now, and I'm really trying to learn. And so it's so great to have H&R Block that can help me because it's just not something that comes naturally to me. And so it really is something that I kind of have to dig in to learn to really save up for the future.
SPEAKER 04 :
Good for you, though. My mom was single, too. We lived in low-income housing. She worked in a factory. She had a 10th grade education. And I'm like, girl, I am educating myself out of poverty. I am out of here. And so, yeah, like you and I, we taught ourselves how to be financially secure. And it's a game changer. It changes your whole life.
SPEAKER 05 :
It changes your whole life. And just because you're not good at something... automatically you can learn exactly exactly or outsource you know I don't know if I'll ever really understand it but I can always outsource to people that are better than me oh you're so funny alright give us the website one more time yes so for Angie everything that we talked about today head on over to tipsontv.com yes tipsontv.com I always like to give it a few times it's easy thank you honey yes thank you happy new year alright Emily you too
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
Join Angie Austin as she hosts a heartfelt conversation with Grace Fox, diving deep into life's real struggles as shared through compelling stories. From personal journeys of letting go to understanding the psychological roots of attachment, this episode is filled with insight and introspection. Discover how faith and perseverance can transform arduous paths into enlightening experiences. The episode also shifts focus to the pressing topic of foster care, featuring expert insights from Kristen Pratt of Foster More. Learn about the challenges and triumphs involved in fostering and how communities can step up to support this vital cause. It's an episode that underscores resilience, hope, and the courage to face life's uncertainties. Immerse yourself in engaging narratives as our guests share their personal stories of overcoming journeys, the emotional ties to possessions, and the fortitude required in fostering. With thought-provoking discussions on securing peace through faith and fostering hope through love, this episode offers both encouragement and inspiration to navigate your life path.
SPEAKER 02 :
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now with The Good News, here's Angie.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello there friend, Angie Austin and Grace Fox. And today we are talking about real life struggles from her book, Fresh Hope for Today, Devotions for Joy on the Journey. Hey Grace. Hi, good to talk to you again. All right, so tell us about real life struggles.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, so I wrote this one after interviewing a friend. Her name was Nancy. She lives in Oregon, actually. And she talked to me about how she and her husband had decided to take a hike. And so they trudged, as she described it, trudged four miles uphill through the forest. And they began second-guessing their wisdom in choosing to do this hike. but she said that they persevered and they got to the top of a, when they got to the top, it was this meadow that was just filled with flowers and glacier fed streams. And she said, it was just so beautiful. They sat down and had a picnic there and thoroughly enjoyed their time. It was that kind of a space where you work so hard to get somewhere. And when you, when you finally arrive, it's just so beautiful. You don't want to leave. And that was like their experience. And, And so when I heard her story, I thought, well, that is like real life in that sometimes we end up on a journey that is so arduous. And it's maybe not by choice, but it's just something that happens. We end up on this path that is so hard. And we just don't know that we're ever going to reach whatever it is we're trying to reach. But finally, the Lord just brings us into a place of rest. and it's it's a place that our soul is longing for after all of that maybe hardship that we've just come through but where we can sit down and we can rest and we know that he's with us and we know that he's got us and he's holding us close but wow it's you know the destination of getting there and experiencing that rest for our soul is good but the pathway to getting there is sometimes really hard
SPEAKER 06 :
Can you think of examples like in your own life where that really applied to you as well? And you're like, oh, I'm going to write this because I can really relate to this.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I think that when my husband and I sent the Lord nudging us to purge almost all of our earthly belongings to move aboard our sailboat home. And we didn't have a boat. It's not like we had this boat sitting around and we could just move into it. We had to find one that worked for living aboard and find a place to moor it. It was a journey that took a lot of energy mentally and emotionally as I had to part with all of these things that I counted precious. It was a path. It was arduous. And we didn't have a long time to do it. Once we got on it, once we actually found a boat and bought it, we had like six weeks to get rid of our stuff. And it was a path that wore me out in some ways, just emotionally every day, getting up and sorting again and purging again and saying goodbye again to these things that we'd held dear. But once we completed that and arrived, moved into the boat, settled in, And realize that, wow, you know, like this was a time of really stretching our faith and growing our faith. But we saw God come through. And it was a time of thanking him for that opportunity to walk that tough path. But to come to that place of knowing full well that we had obeyed him completely. And there was peace in that, even though I'd said goodbye to all these things that I'd once held dear, there was peace in my heart and there was joy in having obeyed. And it was something that, yeah, we walked that path and it was hard, but wow, it's been worth every step.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, it's interesting you talk about, you know, peace of letting go of things that you once held dear. It's so hard sometimes to part with them. And there's some organizer lady that, you know, basically says, if you feel, if that item brings you joy, you know, keep it. And of course, if it's something you haven't, you know, used or worn or whatever for many years, you know, even if you're like, oh, I might wear that again. There's really no sense in keeping it. But I wonder why we have such a hard time letting things go. My... Mother-in-law has... The family calls her an organized hoarder. And so she has a basement that's probably 1,500 square feet. And it's the most organized basement stuffed to the brim with like 200 purses, you know, 400 pairs of pants. And they're those stretch pants that... you know like senior citizen ladies wear that you can slide on and have thanksgiving dinner and they still fit just fine in every color of the rainbow and then i'm like well why are there like 20 yellow pairs well she used to be super skinny so there's like you know three pairs and a size four three pairs and a size six three pairs and i'm not i'm like oh my gosh like you could never if you wore these pants every day like You probably, she couldn't even wear them like at the end of her life now and go through all those pants. You know what I mean? Like it's just crazy to me and she won't let us down there. Like my son really wants to go down there because he's a thrifter and he's been allowed down a couple of times like with oversight. Like she'll be down there with him. And he might get like a hockey jersey that my husband had when he was little. Or this last time my son came home with a stack of photographs of like my husband when he was, you know, a kid and in college. And then some from when we first got married, like probably 50 pictures. So that's what he came home with. But usually he gets like a little thing. I even got down there. Oh, I couldn't believe that was allowed down. But I needed one of those like shopping bags kind of like to take on the plane that... you know fooled up and she had some nicer ones down there that were like designed or whatever so I found a small one that you could maybe put like the size of like two bottles of wine maybe so that was perfect for like my snack on the plane I go oh look there's another one there's a matching one I'm thinking oh I should take both right she goes oh no no no no no don't get greedy girl And I'm looking around, right? Even three of the purses that I gave her, they're just hanging down there collecting dust, right? Like coach bags. And I'm like, are you sure you've never used that coach bag? Are you sure you want to keep that? Like I gave that to you 20 years ago. I would definitely use that. Oh, no, no, no, no. And I'm like, what? What is it? I don't understand the psychology grace behind that kind of hoarding. You know what I mean? And I know they say it can relate back to maybe losses. Like her dad was a police officer and he was killed in the line of duty when she was like maybe 8, 9, 10. And I've heard that like losing, like if you lose a child or lose something big, like somehow hanging onto these things. And I know that that's not like the Christian way to do it. We're not supposed to get our like comfort and our like, you know, out of things. They're not supposed to give us like that comfort. Right. But it's perplexing to me. Like I can't wrap my head around it, but it's got to have something to do with it giving you comfort or comfort.
SPEAKER 05 :
um security something like that you know that we're supposed to be secure through christ but apparently we're secure through 200 pairs of pants and 200 purses yeah the word security came to my mind as you were talking and i think that's it is that we look to things for our security but if that house burned down if that house were to burn down today how would she respond right like if she found her security in those things that'd be a significant loss for her But the one thing about hanging on to the Lord and finding our security in him is he's never going to leave us. Nothing's ever going to take him away from us. The scripture says in Romans that nothing separates us from his love. And so no matter what happens, even on those tough walks that we take through life, sometimes doesn't matter where he leads us or what he asks us to go through or what he allows in our life. still we can find hope and we can find peace and we can find joy if our security is in him and not in stuff that can be gone in a heartbeat.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and I think with so many of the people, I keep seeing these pictures because I've got so many friends in the news business in Los Angeles. And one of my girlfriends went out really early this morning. And, you know, I don't think we can really wrap our heads around the loss that those people experienced, right? And I know everybody says, well, you know, you still have your life and things can be replaced, etc., etc. But it's a whole... change of like all those lives because it's not like a house in your neighborhood burns down and oh you get rid of it you rebuild like it's so toxic up there and now they'll have problems with mudslides right but your grocery store is gone your library is gone your mechanic is gone all your neighbors homes are gone so like then you go up there and you rebuild and in the midst of all this toxic you know material that's up there and even working up there you know how how easy is it going to be to get workers that want to go through all this burnt toxic you know you know destruction that they need to throw into a big dumpster and you know start from the ground up and then the soil and i don't know just that kind of loss um you know, being secure in Christ, we're supposed to find our security there. But I can imagine when you return to your neighborhood and you don't even know if there's a possibility of you rebuilding, like, I'm very curious to see what it'll be like in 20 years. I'm assuming the oceanfront Malibu homes where those people have money coming out of their ears and they're like $10 million houses, those will get rebuilt because even if you don't have insurance money, you're loaded and you can rebuild. And the people in Pacific Palisades, you know, those are very expensive homes too in the millions, but some of them may have been in a different position of maybe owning it for 30 years and they they aren't multi-millionaires it just became millionaires because the you know real estate values went up so much but you know i'm just very curious to see what that will be like in 20 or or so years if it is all rebuilt because it is such a prime spot but i sometimes i feel like so the picture that i had when my friend sent all these pictures out today um was of just kind of despair and just kind of like a hopelessness that many of them feel about, you know, where do we go from here kind of feeling. And I think some of us have that feeling about other things in life, you know, where we end of a relationship oh gosh where do i go from here or the loss of someone a loved one you know how do i work my way through this how do i claw my way out of this i just watched a documentary um on avicii this dj who was so talented just oh so talented and he committed suicide and i just thought to myself like gosh, you were such a genius with creating music. If you didn't want to do those concerts, couldn't you just stop doing the concerts and just create with other, he was working with the top of the top of the top, you know, musicians. And couldn't you just do that? Like, couldn't you see your way out of it? And I know that that's why we have faith. I know that's why we have like the Lord to turn to. But I just think people get lost in a sea of despair sometimes.
SPEAKER 05 :
I agree with you on that. I think depression and anxiety are on the rise. And I just want to encourage listeners today to not give up, to keep putting that one foot in front of the other, just like my friend and her husband, as they were going on that path. They didn't know it was going to be four miles long. They didn't know how long it was going to take or how arduous, how steep it got. They just heard it was a great path. So, you know, the path that we end up on, we don't know where it's going to lead to eventually. We don't know sometimes how steep it's going to get. But like these poor people that have lost so much out in California, they don't know how long this is going to take before they can return to their life or what their life is going to look like. What is their new normal going to be? Where is their workplace going to be? Where are their kids going to go to school? What about their church family if they lost their church? So, you know, everything is disrupted in their lives. But to not give up hope, just every day put one foot in front of the other on that path and persevere because eventually it will even out. We don't know what that will look like. There are no guarantees, but It's going to be okay is what we want to say, right? It's going to be okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I always love, you know, your Fresh Hope for Today devotions. That's the book, Fresh Hope for Today, Devotions for Joy on the Journey. If you want some hope, it's a great book. Always enjoy talking to Grace Fox. And if you want to find her and her books, you can go to gracefox.com. Thank you, friend. Thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Manitou Springs is listening to the Mighty 670 KLT.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin here with the good news. Well, you know, if you've listened to the program over the years, I guess I've been on, gosh, radio and TV like 25 years. So many of you know my background and I have a real heart for foster care because I spent some time in foster care growing up and really was appreciative of the families that took me in. Joining us is Kristen Pratt, and she is with Foster More, the leadership team. Welcome, Kristen.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you so much for having me, Angie.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, so let's just start off, first of all, I know that there is a need for foster care. I've seen books where it's like page after page after page of kids that are looking for homes. So is this crisis in America worse now? And just tell us about the foster care crisis in general.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so... Any given day, it fluctuates a bit, but there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in America. So it is, it has seen some slight improvements the last few years, but a lot of those kids are experiencing, you know, over two to three placements a year, the majority of them. And so there's a real need for loving, stable homes for these kids who are facing a lot of obstacles.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes. Oh my goodness. All right. So I know that you guys do some research and there was a barrier, a significant barrier preventing, you know, families from stepping forward to, I'll tell you what my mind would be. Well, first of all, I have three teenagers, five pets and off and on my 82 year old mom. But my barrier would probably be my husband. But I might be able to work on him like once the kids are gone, because they're all in high school now. But the barrier for me is my spouse, like I would do foster care. And I know it's rough. I don't have any fairy tale like version of how difficult it could potentially be. So what are the barriers that people see in terms of becoming foster parents?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, that is a barrier, like your spouse, you have to both be on board. But We always tell people, too, there's a need for foster parents of all kinds, all ages, you know, empty nesters, young people, older people, single people. So there's really, you know, anyone can step up there. And one of the things that we found that people would say is that they couldn't take the time off work. So they'd say, well, my job doesn't allow for me to take that time off work. And, you know, like there's a lot that goes into that. Um, when the child is placed in the home, not only do you need that time to bond with, with some child who has by definition experienced some trauma, but you also need the time to get them enrolled in a new school and doctor's appointments and, you know, all the appointments. So you really, it's important to have that time off when the child joins a home and a lot of businesses don't provide for that. And it stops a lot of potential foster parents from moving forward when they find out that information.
SPEAKER 06 :
Um, have you, have you, like, is this something that you try to address with businesses to try to, I know that my, my station that I worked for one of the gals on the, one of the weather women, uh, adopted a child and she got, you know, the typical time off that you would get. But in this case it was an infant, but I know some businesses do give you time off, but I would. assume with a single parent that that would just kind of like you know take that option off the plate for them to become a foster parent but do um does the foster care system help with things like um you know daycare if you're getting like a kid that's two three four that needs you know daycare during the day they do there are it depends on the state you live in but there are some you know provisions for that and that's another thing that we work with businesses like if a business has on-site child care um we ask that you know
SPEAKER 04 :
youth in foster care if someone becomes a foster parent their child can be um immediately have access to the to the facility yeah but um yeah one of the things we realized is that a lot of the businesses that were offering like you were talking about adoption paid time off for adoption or birth foster care was just overlooked because yes you know a lot of people think of foster care as a road to adoption. And so they get, you know, the time off when the child is adopted, but you really need that time off when the child is placed in the home. And the child is not always adopted in foster care. About half the time they're reunited with the parents. So we need all different kinds of homes, people that want to adopt, people that want to be there for a family that needs some support. And so we want to make sure that businesses are specifically giving that time off for just being a foster parent
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, I understand that Foster More is obviously helping with this whole workplace initiative, you know, trying to get places to make it more, you know, user-friendly to become a foster parent. Can you talk about that?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. So at Foster More, we have sort of like a ladder of engagement on our website. We try to engage people in all different ways. So, you know, if you want to learn about becoming a mentor for youth in foster care, if you want to have the opportunity to pack a duffel bag or get involved and volunteer in different ways, you can start on our website to do that. And one of the tabs on the website is to become a foster parent, where you can fill out a little form, and then we can connect you with someone, depending on where you live, someone in your local area that can help you learn about becoming a foster parent. And the same thing for the workplace pledge, there's a tab on the website where you can learn more about If you're a business owner or an employee and you're interested in having your business become officially foster-friendly, you can do that on the website, too, and we'd be happy to talk more to anyone about their business becoming foster-friendly.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. I'm just wondering, you know, for people listening today who are thinking about becoming a foster parent, I know a lot of it seems like overwhelming and, you know, all the things you have to tackle to be approved, et cetera. So how do you recommend people get, you know, started on the process? Obviously your website with all the tabs, you know, a really good idea. But how can someone personally, I mean, talking to someone, that's a great idea that you just gave us. What else?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, well, again, research shows that it takes about 18 months to two years for people. Once they start thinking about becoming a foster parent, you know, do you have the idea to actually become a foster parent? So, you know, it does take, and as it should take a lot of thought for people, it takes a lot of research. So it's something you can start looking into. It's a little bit different than requirements in every state. You can start asking people about it. You can look into other ways to, to get involved and volunteer first. I mean, the need is great for foster parents, but if you want to learn more about foster care, you can volunteer. There are tons of amazing organizations all across the country doing great work. You can learn more about how to get involved in different ways. you know, maybe on the path to becoming a foster parent, as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, in your particular case, what I always love to get people's passion for things, obviously, I'm interested in this topic, because I live with families and relatives, and I only had one, quote, unquote, official foster home, but I had many places where I stayed, you know, so what what what is behind your passion for this kind of work?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I've always been involved in working with kids. I have a background in special education and I became a CASA, which is a court appointed advocate. And that's something people can look into as well, where you support a youth in foster care, you go to court with them and you're sort of their mentor and their person along the way. And so I learned a lot about foster care that way. And just, you know, the more it's something that, like I was saying, people don't talk about that much, but it's such a big issue. And once you, it's like you can't unsee, you know, what you've seen and what you've learned. And it really requires so many more people to step up in any way that you can. And I think it's something that you realize, like, we're all connected to this issue. It's not just a sort of other or someone, you know, far off that you don't know. Like you said, like almost all the time, When we talk to people at businesses, we hear stories like yours where it was like I was in foster care. My cousin was in foster care. My parents were. I was a foster parent. And so so many people are connected. And it's just not only when you provide the workplace benefits, you're also getting people to talk about it, too, which is so important. And that's why we really appreciate you having us on, too, so we can talk about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, I'm wondering in terms of I know that there's like people are thinking, oh, foster care, you know, I'm going to have this kid for 18 years. But there are other, you know, that sounds terrible, but I said it like that. But you know what I mean? Like people are overwhelmed by the prospect of having a child that long or maybe someone, you know, like myself, who's already raised their kids, who's maybe looking at teens or something of the sort. I know you can specify what you're interested in, but is there also like emergency short-term care where you might just have a baby for a week or, you know, like shorter-term options per se? Now, one of my girlfriends, she's a nurse, her husband's a doctor. They did have a short-term situation. And then once the little girl had stayed with them for quite some time, she told me, well, we're going to adopt her. And I was like, wow, like your kids are in college, like yikes. And she said it's the right thing to do because she'd been with them for so long.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. So most places you can sign up for respite care. So that's basically like giving a foster parent a weekend break or a few day break. Oh, I've never heard of that. Yeah. So that's a really cool way to sort of like dip your toe in and get involved. It's called respite care. And also there's a really huge need for people that don't want to adopt from foster care that they just want to support. Because like I was saying, the goal of foster care, the ultimate goal is is to support whole families so that kids can be reunified. And that, you know, doesn't always happen. And sometimes, you know, the best situation is for them to stay with the foster parents. But if at all possible, you try to support a whole family so that the child can be reunited with their biological parents. And that requires people to step up temporarily, right? Like that's so important. And I think a lot of times people think of it more as like a road to path to adoption, which it can be. But there's a huge need for people that want to just be there and provide a safe, loving, supportive space for a child in the family who's going through a crisis.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. We only have a couple of minutes left, but I can't believe I've never heard of respite care. Okay. So would you keep the child for the day or is this something like more like several days or do you kind of take them maybe on? I know CASA, they take them on like outings and things like that from their foster situation. So what are the possibilities for respite care for a foster parent?
SPEAKER 04 :
So respite care, you know, I think it depends on each in each state. I think it's a little bit different, but most of the time it's, you know, two, three days you're certified as a foster parent. So you would have to get the certification, like, you know, the cost of you're not, you have to have like a background check and everything, but you're not certified as a foster parent. So if you're doing respite care, you have to go through the whole process of making sure your home is suitable and everything. And then it would be, I think the time really varies, you know, it could be, Two nights, three nights a week. It's just really that time, like say a foster parent needs a break or is going on vacation or has a family emergency, you know, and they need to go out of town. So someone providing respite care would give them that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I think about, you know, business trips. Okay, we have one minute left. Tell me your takeaway. What do you want to tell people that are, like, kind of on the fence? Like, what do you want people to know if you had a one-minute elevator speech to give to us?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think the main thing we want people to know, and this is what we say at Foster Mer, these kids are amazing, and they're resilient, and they have the potential to overcome anything, and they really just need someone... to step up and be there for them. The outcomes for kids in foster care are not great, and that can change if we as a society and as individuals step up and are there for these kids.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I sure appreciate all that you do. My foster care situation was quite interesting because I come from a family where my dad has his PhDs, well-educated, but we had a lot of, he was estranged from our family for like 35 years. And then one of my brothers was murdered. Another one ended up homeless. Wow. Here I graduated top of my class. I worked full time all through high school and college. So for somebody listening, just the opportunity to stay with my foster family and other families that really cared, I think really made a difference in my life and where my first job was at NBC News out of college in Los Angeles. So thank you, Kristen, for all you do for others. Really appreciate you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you so much, Angie. I'd love to hear more about your story.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'd love to talk again. Thanks, Kristen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
In this thought-provoking episode, Angie Austin brings forth conversations that challenge us to rethink the way we view our lives. Jim Stovall shares his insights on breaking free from a mediocre existence and what it means to truly live a fulfilling life. Through poignant anecdotes, including the tale of a man planning a new chapter post-incarceration, listeners are invited to reconsider the power of a single life-altering decision. Moreover, Angie’s conversation with Dr. Scott Adzick explores pioneering work in fetal surgery, offering hope and insights into life-saving medical advancements. As Dr. Adzick talks about training future specialists, the episode also highlights the importance of mentorship and legacy in impactful work. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their passions and make deliberate choices that align with their values and dreams. Whether it's a career change or finding joy in volunteering, this episode serves as a guidepost for navigating towards a life of significance and satisfaction.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here's Angie.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello there, friend. Angie Austin, Jim Stovall with The Good News. And today we are talking about your best life. Sounds like the best column. I love this, Jim.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, thank you. It's a phrase we all kind of borrow from Oprah. And she probably got it from somewhere else. But, you know, and the premise is that... we have a choice. We can live our best life. We can live our worst life. And, you know, I'm well aware of the fact that bad things happen to good people. And, you know, it can either be a something that defeats you or a springboard to greater success. And Walt Whitman said, I am not one person. I am many persons. You know, I'm a giant. I'm a dwarf. I'm wealthy. I'm poor. I'm you know, successful, I'm a failure, all these things, because he realized that inside of each of us is the potential to be all of those things. And, you know, we all have those moments, those days, those periods of time that change that. I had a gentleman in my office last week who I met at a fundraiser event I was doing for a Oh, a faith-based group that helps people getting out of prison. Okay. And he had made a horrible series of decisions when he was 15 years old, and it ended up with him killing a guy, and he spent the next 35 years of his life in the penitentiary. So I met him at age 50 when he just got out, and he had been in prison every day since he was 15. And, you know, and it's just amazing. He recounted what happened to him that morning. And he made a couple of dumb decisions and put himself in a bad place. And there you go. I mean, it wasn't some big conspiracy plan or something. It was a momentary thing. And his life is there. So he talked to me about the fact that, okay, that's been your life up to now. But now you're 50. For the next 35 years, you can decide what do you want your life to be. And you have to have a double good life from here on out to make up for that first part. So you've got to come back. You're like a team. You're two touchdowns behind. You've got to make up for this. And he's making plans to do that. And we all have the ability to live a great life or a poor life. Unfortunately, most people... live right in the middle. They live a mediocre existence. And in our country today, Angie, it doesn't take much to be mediocre. You can just kind of drift through life if you want to, and that's where it is. Or you can change your life by changing your mind, and you can live a great life. And it's all about making a decision. And you can have one moment right now today that changes that, just like the guy I told you about, When he was 15 years old, he had one moment he did something really stupid and ruined his life. Well, the contrary is true. We can all have one moment where we make our mind to change. I remember a moment like that for me, and my life will never be the same. I just don't want to live like this anymore. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and that's it. And, you know, many things go back to that. And I just decided that's it. We're not living like this anymore.
SPEAKER 03 :
Was that the loaf of bread?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, indeed. Yeah, we miscalculated our groceries as we were going through the grocery store. And Crystal had to go put back a loaf of bread. And it was embarrassing and frustrating. And I just said there is no reason I should ever live like this. I'm just not going to live like this anymore. And that changed my world.
SPEAKER 03 :
And you two, weren't you first and second in your college class when you graduated?
SPEAKER 05 :
We were indeed. We were indeed. But we had gotten way in debt, and I was blind. And at that point, I thought disabilities means you couldn't do stuff.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, interesting.
SPEAKER 05 :
Everything I knew about being blind, I learned from people that told me what that meant. And it's no different than all of us going through life if we're mediocre. Someone told us this is how you live. And people that live a pinnacle existence, a mountaintop existence, they either had somebody amazing tell them how they could live life, they read a book, or they just got a vision of who they could be, and they just decided, I'm not going to be that way anymore. And I read about once this bald eagle had fallen out of the nest and had been taken in through a set of circumstances. It ends up with a bunch of ducks that have just hatched. And this eagle, you know, was raised by this mama duck and, you know, and took on the character. This eagle thought he was a duck. And he walked like a duck, talked like a duck, you know, even started quacking like a duck. I mean, and took on those characteristics. Oh, my gosh. we have a tendency to become like our environment or the people around us, and we can change that. And any time we don't like it, we can change the channel. Sometimes we act like it's a wired-in broadcast and we're stuck with this. No, you've got 500 channels. You can do anything with your life you want, and you change your life when you change your mind. And that's why every once in a while you need somebody to come along And think, what would your best life look like? I mean, what would you do if you could do anything you wanted to do? Because the reality is that's where we all live.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, what did you tell this guy? So he made a mistake, killed somebody when he was 15, didn't plan it. And all these years later, he's 50. What did you tell him to do in order to live his best life?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I told him, first, we've all got to decide what it is we want. What do we want the end to look like? And he's working on that right now. We're going to have another meeting next month. But I said, then you got to look at what talents, abilities and experiences do you have? And he said, well, I don't have any. I said, that's where you're wrong. There are people going into prison, getting out of prison. There are people who need to make quality decisions to stay out of prison. And you have a unique life. You can speak to those people. And you know what it's like on the inside. You know what it's like out here. And more than anybody I know, you can speak to that issue. And, you know, we talked about him, you know, consulting with people, writing a book, helping young people in high schools. I mean, you know, when you have a guy walk in and say, I'm 50 years old. I mean, you know, I'm as old as your parents and almost your grandparents standing here. And when I was your age that you are right now, I did something really stupid and I ended up this way. And, you know, and maybe you could help a handful of kids from avoiding that. And, uh, that would be a good life. You, you, you would be living your best life when you use the talents and abilities and experiences you've had to help other people. So he and I talked about that and, um, You know, and he's got a job. He's the place that I help raise money for. They help people get jobs, and it's not a great job, but it's a job. And he has an apartment, and it's not a great apartment, but it's a good place to start. And as he pointed out, it's better than a jail cell, and the neighborhood's better. So he's feeling pretty good about it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Whenever I talk to interviewees that I find particularly interesting, I figure out where they got their passion for what they do. And one of the doctors that I've interviewed that is coming up again is Dr. Adzik, and he does fetal surgery. And he told me, I'll never forget, of all the thousands of interviews, I'll never forget, he said, what's the most satisfying thing about your work? Or when have you felt like, wow, I'm really doing something that makes a difference? He goes, well, every year when I go to the big party for the kids that I've done fetal surgery on, so it might be heart surgery while the baby's in the womb that saves its life. He goes, I see him throwing the football and having a great time together, enjoying the party, eating their hot dogs or whatever they're having. And he said, and I think, wow, this is really great work that I do. This is this is really I'm making a difference. This is very satisfying. I thought, wow, what a cool thing, because he's working on cleft palates and club feet, heart surgeries, spina bifida, you know, all these things that we never would have operated on a baby in the womb. Right. It's just so fascinating to me. And so I started talking more recently about like finding your passion. Like you said, what are you interested in? What are your skills like? you know, what are your values, where do you think you could add, whether it's, you know, a job where you're going to get paid, or whether it's going to be volunteer work, because I've been writing all this down myself, trying to figure out, you know, what I'm going to do next, as my kids are, one, another one's leaving this year, you know, Riley just went up to, moved up to campus just recently, because he'd been commuting, and then the next one goes to Tennessee in about six months, and then I'll have one left at home, so really just thinking about, you know, what's next, so I like, you know, how you are kind of setting him on the right path to what he wants to do next after all those years in prison and knowing that he can still make a difference.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, absolutely. We all have the ability to do that. And then sometimes we forget, like you were talking about your doctor. I met a young lady the other day, a young lady, and she's probably in her mid-40s, and I was speaking at a university. And she's the dean of admissions and teaches at the university, and she came up and introduced herself. I said, it's nice to meet you. And she said, you don't know who I am, do you? And I said, well, you just told me who you are. And she said, no, no, no, no. 1988, I'm a college freshman. I ran out of money. I was getting ready to drop out of the university and go back to my job as a waitress. I went to the mailbox there on campus to turn in my key. I had one envelope left there, and it was a letter from you telling me I got a scholarship. And I finished college and got a graduate degree, and now I'm dean of this university. And she said, it all started because you made that envelope happen. And I said, well, thank you, but no, you made all that happen. You did every bit of that. But I said, I will tell you, from time to time, it's a hassle running a scholarship, and you just gave me plenty of motivation for the next 10 years. I'm good to go.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
That is, that's, whew. Well, speaking of making an impact, there you did, but I want to tell you one other thing. You know my friend Dr. Cheryl Lynch, she's a professor and just a really neat lady, and she writes books as well, and she wrote me a note the other day, and she said, she I'm reading Jim Stovall's book, The Gift of a Day, 100 Doses of Winner's Wisdom. And this quote from Chapter 7, Crystallize What I Do. Could we do a segment on this sometime? I'd really like to talk about it because Jim has such a way with words. And here's what he said that brought me to tears. And the quote, I'll start with the whole thing, but then I'll highlight what you said that made her cry. Influence can be either good or bad, and it can be overt or subtle. We are all being influenced, and we are all influencing others every day. And here's the part that got her. If we learn something, we change our world. If we teach something, we change another person's world. But if we teach people to teach, we change the whole world. And she said that really encapsulates what she does as a professor, and that made her cry.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, that is good. I think we ought to laugh some every day, cry some every day, have good memories. And, you know, that needs to be a regular part of our day. And it's a good thing. And please tell her I am greatly honored.
SPEAKER 03 :
She's a good one. All right. So in your best life, we've got about a minute left. What's our takeaway here?
SPEAKER 05 :
Examine the life you're living right now. We spend very little time. We spend our lives worrying about stuff that happened in the past we can't do anything about or fretting about stuff in the future that may or may not even happen. And we never take a look at what am I doing right now and is this really what I want to do or did I just kind of end up here? You know, someone told me to get in that line and here I am. And really take it, do it on purpose and, you know, really start living your best life.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I love it. You always say, today's the day. And it says, you and I are much the same, and our best lives await. As you go through your day today, trade your ordinary life for your best life, because today's the day. And that's jimstovall.com, jimstovall.com. Thank you, my friend.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you. Be well.
SPEAKER 03 :
You be well. Brighton is tuned to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin here with the good news. Well, I'm really excited about our next interview. Did you know that nearly 150,000 babies every year are born in the U.S. with birth defects, many with conditions so rare that some of the parents and clinicians have never even heard of them? approximately 5,000 fetal surgeries done worldwide to treat these birth defects. A quarter of them had been performed at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Scott Adzick is a fetal surgeon who specializes in treating these babies' unique needs. And today we're discussing advancements that will save even more lives. And we've had Dr. Adzik on the show before and over 30 years in TV news and radio news. I worked at NBC for many years. I've interviewed thousands of people. And Dr. Adzik is one of my all time favorite interviews, which he doesn't even know this. His work is fascinating and lifesaving. Welcome back, doctor.
SPEAKER 06 :
Geez, thanks for the introduction, Angie. That was awesome.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, I'm fascinated by people's passion for what they do. And I asked you once, hey, what's satisfying about your work? You know, what gives you great, you know, satisfaction? And you said these kids come back for this like party that you have to celebrate the kids who've been saved, you know, in, you know, you've operated on them before they've even been born and you're like and here they are like teenagers and they're throwing the football and you know I mean not you're humble but they're alive because in some cases you did this surgery on them and you're watching all of these kids playing that really I mean you kind of help save their lives I mean that's so cool that's very cool and you're right and that sort of sounds a little bit like me I don't even need to do the interview I mean you the line look
SPEAKER 06 :
It is true that each year in June, actually this year is on June 1st, Sunday at the Philadelphia Zoo, you're invited. Oh, I'd love to go. I have a fetal family reunion and patients, children and their families come back. And last year we had over 3,000 people there. And that's usually for the most part just folks who are local and regional, not just who are national since the program was started. It was started in 1995. This is 30 years for us. We've had more than 33,000 pregnant women carrying babies with birth defects referred to us from all 50 states and from more than 70 countries. So that is inspiring. There's so many children whose babies likely could have died running around and growing up healthy and strong. Actually, there's nothing better. Nothing better.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I want to talk a little bit about some of the advancements, because this is so fascinating to me anyway, that you can operate on a baby while it's still in the mom's tummy. I mean, to put it down to the basics of what you do, but I mean, it's so technical and they're so tiny. Talk about some of the birth defects that you can help via this surgery.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, well, there's a whole long list. and we've been fortunate to be pioneers in many of them. The two most common, though, I'll touch on are spina bifida and twin-twin transfusions. What's spina bifida? Well, you know, but I'll explain it to your listeners. That's where, in the developing fetus, the tissues around the spinal cord don't develop normally, so the spinal cord and the associated nerves are exposed to the in-utero environment, which is principally amniotic fluid, which in the third trimester is quite neurotoxic, destroy the developing spinal. These children, when they're born, they're likely to eventually be wheelchair-bound, have motor function problems, have hydrocephalus, fluid on the brain, require a ventricular peritoneal shunt to drain the fluid into the abdomen, and so on and so forth. We can now treat this condition in selected cases. Before birth, we've done about 500 of these operations since I think it was the first one in 1998. And the children who have the operation between 23 and 26 weeks gestation, in an operation, it's on average about 70 minutes. The outcomes, this is not a cure completely for spondylobifida. Children that have this before birth are much more likely to walk, have much better motor functions. Much less likely to have hydrocephalus, much less likely to need one of those shunt tubes. That's reporting and we're now doing, obviously, the long-term follow-up. The first case was in 1998. We're now doing the follow-up, which goes back almost 30 years.
SPEAKER 03 :
The condition is about... And I hate to interrupt you, but for people that aren't as familiar with it, I had a girlfriend who was very young when she had her first baby. She's now in her 20s. And they told her that her baby had spina bifida and said, when do you want to schedule the abortion, basically? And she was like, what? You know, she didn't even know what it was. And so she, you know, did some research, et cetera. And this kid is amazing. They have four, five kids. And she's like the light of their lives and helps with the other kids, et cetera. And, you know, she does have some issues with walking, et cetera, wears braces. But, you know, a high functioning mentally, you know, has graduated from high school and did really well. But I mean, that's the option that some people are given and they don't even know about you. So that's another reason I think what you do is so amazing. Like people who would have not kept their baby... we're letting people know that, hey, there's this other option where they can have a much better, possibly, quality of life if they have this fetal surgery. So I just wanted to throw that in there.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and that's one of the reasons why we're doing the interview now, just for information so that folks can be knowledgeable and aware. The second most common operation we do is an operation for twin-twin transfusion syndromes called fetoscopic laser therapy. Well, what is that? Well, Twin-twin transfusion syndrome, TTTS for short, is identical twins in the uterus, of course, each within their own amniotic sac. As opposed to each of the two twins having their own placenta, which is the disc between the mother and the fetus's umbilical cord, these twins share a placental disc, one placenta. And the setup is that there's an imbalance of circulation such that there are abnormal crossing blood vessels from one side to the other, such that one twin, one identical twin, gets too much blood and develops congestive heart failure, and the other twin doesn't get enough blood and goes into kidney failure, and both twins will go on to die, unless you do fetoscopic laser therapy. So what is that? Well, the mother has sedation, sedation, It's a fetus coat placed through her abdominal wall, like laparoscopy, into the uterus. We visualize that the sona use a laser fiber that will coagulate or occlude those culprit vessels. And in most instances, both twins save.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, the work you do is so highly specialized. And I was reading about an award you received last year. And in the article I was reading, it said that you trained over 50 other or helped, you know, train 50 other doctors. And it talked about other people. So not only are you doing this groundbreaking surgery, but, you know, in Philadelphia, you're also helping, you know, other younger people learn to do what you do, because obviously there will be a time when you're not doing this anymore. So I think that's pretty a pretty cool privilege as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think so, and it's an important part of our mission, of course, to train future professors who now run fetal programs throughout North America, South America, Europe, Far East. That's very gratifying, and it provides greater access for more patients, more unborn patients.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I could talk to you for another half an hour, but I know that I've got a time limit here, so we've got another minute. Besides giving us the website, what else do you want us to know?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, the future's bright. Talked a little bit about the artificial womb, about in-utero gene editing. There's a lot of other stuff going on. Very, very, very exciting. That's three varies.
SPEAKER 02 :
Would you give us the website so we can get more information, doctor? And I'd love to have you back. You're always welcome on the good news.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you. Fetal surgery, one word, that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, always a pleasure. Dr. Scott Adzik, always a pleasure to have you on fetalsurgery.chop.edu. Thank you so much. A real blessing to have you on the show.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, he is amazing. I just, like I said in the intro, I just was so, you know, I've interviewed him before. And when he told me the story about the kids, you know, getting together for that, you know, yearly party to kind of celebrate their lives, seeing those kids toss the football and play and do all those things and just be amazing. living their lives because of this fetal surgery that he has done on them for various issues. Some of the heart issues are obviously life-saving and the spina bifida surgery is life-changing. So, wow, I just think what he does is... I mean, not many people can do what he does. All right. So, and how cool that he's training so many other physicians to, you know, do the kind of work that he does because it's not that common. All right. So I started this last week where I told you, you know, let's find our passions because I love to talk to all these people about how they, you know, got a passion for what they do in my 30 plus years now of interviewing thousands of people. I just love to hear why they chose what they do. And, You know, I've interviewed so many interesting people in, you know, politics or, you know, physicians always fascinate me. Their brains are so wonderful. And, you know, nonprofits, you know, my friend Lloyd Lewis that does work with kids with cognitive deficits. You know, kids are differently abled and, you know, maybe had a hard time getting through school. And, you know, he gives them benefits. jobs and they add so much to the organization. They have such big hearts. I mean, some of the kids that I've met with Down syndrome, his son has Down syndrome, are some of the most loving people I've ever met in my life. It's like they have an extra gene for love, you know, and joy and happiness. So then that became his passion, you know, working with You know, young people, you know, who he employs over 500 now ambassadors. So how do we find our passion? And I've told you repeatedly, I'm looking for my next thing after my kids are raised. So what am I going to do? Am I going to volunteer with pets? You know, so as I mentioned last week, so number one, reflect on your interests, you know, minor animals, kids, older people. um being active hiking you know and then identify your strengths so you know i love ymca the rockies maybe i go up there you know in the summers and i lead hikes i knew a guy who did that and you live up there and you don't really get paid much you just kind of get free room and board and spend the summer but you know ymca the rockies and that's always kind of intrigued me how fun would that be um and then keep you know besides your strengths and you know what you're interested in what do you spend your time on so pay attention to what you do in your free time you know what are you doing in your free time are you exercising are you Are you lifting? Are you spending time with your pets? Are you going for walks with your dogs? Are you volunteering at the local elementary school? Are you helping kids learn how to read? Are you volunteering? Like, you know, volunteering might be a great way too to figure out your next even career path, right? Because you can volunteer in an area of interest. Internships, I think, are great ways to really get your foot in the water. My daughter wants to be an attorney, and I'm like, you should definitely do an internship at a law office and really be with these attorneys and see what they do before you make that kind of a commitment to that kind of education. Explore new things. Try new activities. Meet new people. Connections. Meeting people is so important. Just getting out there, chatting with people. You can even ask for connections on social media. Hey, does anybody know anybody that works with animals? Does anybody know anyone that works in law? And people will connect you with people. It's amazing what they do. I just had a really sweet friend of my daughter's move to Colorado Springs and she was homeschooled and really involved in her church. And I knew a girl that I met at 10, who's now close to 30. And I knew she was really involved in kids ministry, particularly working with young women. And I knew she'd have connections for her. So I just randomly connected them on text. And hopefully they're going to be able to, you know, the older girls can be able to connect the younger girl to some other Christians in her community. So I'm very hopeful for that. And then journaling. I mentioned that last week to write down your thoughts, your feelings, your direction. I think sometimes we get direction when we kind of do prayer and journaling to kind of get an idea of, you know, where we want to go. And writing for me really helps me get those ideas out and put them on paper. And that kind of guides me. But then speaking of guidance, seek out someone, a mentor, a friend. I used to have an accountability partner, which was another newswoman in Los Angeles. She's still the main anchor at Fox in L.A., And we would hold each other accountable every week. We'd go over, you know, what were your goals? Did you follow through on what you wanted to do? Did you do blah, blah, blah? So and then think about your values, you know, what might work for you, you know, in terms of your own values and what's important to you. So, yeah, all of that. And, you know, of course, fears like get rid of those. Just go for it if you want to try something new. All right. This is Angie Austin. Thanks so much for listening to the good news.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
