Show notes –
Join Shannon & Christine as they talk about Occupational Wellness with special guest Virginia Dick, founder and principal of NextStep Evaluation providing services to public health non-profit organizations throughout the state of Georgia. She also is the co-founder of Roots & Wings Women, a hiking and meditation group for women designed to build community and support women in connecting to themselves and each other.
This week’s resources and references:
Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanny
McAfee Knob via Appalachian Trail
Show Transcript –
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcription by Otter.ai for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
Christine Gautreaux 0:08
Let’s do this.
Shannon M. 0:08
Okay ladies, welcome to our podcast. I am Shannon Mitchell, a black female, millennial entrepreneur, the founder of shallow glow, a handmade shea butter company. I am a champion for your self care, business care and intentional wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 0:25
And I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate, an international speaker, coach and published author who helps you upgrade yourself in community care.
Shannon M. 0:35
Yes. And together we are women connected in wisdom, a podcast grounded in the eight dimensions of wellness. Welcome, welcome to our show.
Christine Gautreaux 0:44
Right. We like to get two ever together every week and chat about wellness and bring on some really fun guests and and talk with them. So what are we talking about this week? Shannon?
Shannon M. 0:55
Yes. So this week’s topic, ladies is occupational wellness Am I read you this definition? occupational wellness represents the feeling of purpose and productivity in one’s chosen profession. This pillar is certainly a key element to what we refer to as work life balance, as an enriched and productive professional life is certainly required to mesh with a healthy personal life.
Christine Gautreaux 1:23
I am so excited to talk about this.
Shannon M. 1:25
We could talk about it all day.
Christine Gautreaux 1:28
So the feeling of purpose and productivity in one Chosen One’s chosen profession, like, Oh, I just want to acknowledge where we are in 2021. And that as women that we are having this discussion, right, because it was a couple generations ago, that it was a big deal. Like I remember it being a really big deal that my grandmother worked outside of the that she she was an accountant. And she worked literally until the day she died. She loved workflow. Like she I remember. I just like she was always one of my examples because she loved working she would take us up she worked for she was the accountant. For a physician. I think he was a specialty physician, my kid brain doesn’t remember exactly, I think it was. You know what I mean? I just remember he was. And I was just so proud of her that she was in charge. Like she was the accountant. She did all the money. She did all the. And then before she died, she was taking a computer class, like right when computer classes came out. Like she was like I’m in this new thing. Right? And so I just want to honor the women that have gone before us that may not have had the choice of occupational occupations period, much less occupational wellness, right? Yes. So what about you, when you think about this?
Shannon M. 3:06
I love this. When I think about this, I think about a couple of things. You know, one of my favorite books, Secrets of six figure women, I’ve been working a lot on my occupation, wellness, as well as my financial wellness. And they’re definitely tied together. You know, I think about the discrimination, especially right now with hair in the workplace. One reason I love the fact one I have locks, right, so that’s a whole conversation to these beads and all that I wouldn’t have be able to have this if it was we’re gonna I wouldn’t be able to have these nails, you know, and it’s so interesting that we can talk about theories and my degrees and my experience and stuff all day. But now that I have a piece of gold that’s going to turn silver in the shower, you know, now that’s a as a topic of discussion is really interesting. So I think about that. I also now I think about using your voice more right and asking for a raise or negotiating a salary or knowing how to strategically have conversations with different people on different levels of management. In relation to where you are at that time in the company. Those are things that I think about,
Christine Gautreaux 4:18
right, thanks for bringing up that intersectionality of like, and all things that affect us as we come in at different ages and different races and what what happens there Right,
Shannon M. 4:30
right. Right.
Christine Gautreaux 4:32
I was I was even thinking as you were talking Shannon like that we have the choice like women that we have more of a choice now than we ever have like our our profession, maybe as a full time mom or it could be hovering in working or it could be full time working or it could be you know, we have choices and I know throughout my career I have done all three of those and you’re hard. Most of the time, women are also run in the household. At the same time, whether they have children in them or not. And so one of the things I want to talk about with our guests and also with you and I is that other thing about lifting other women up, like not not doing like, oh, you know, she’s just a full time mom or Oh, she’s working full time and not taking care of or, you know, we do those things, some white women do it. I don’t know, I don’t know, if black women do it as much, but like that backbiting kind of stuff that we’re like, okay, we need to stop that. Like we need to be supportive women with whatever choices they make. And that sort of the wellness, is their feeling of, of purpose in productivity in what they use.
Shannon M. 5:40
Right? Yeah. And this relationship between purpose and productivity is what led me to say yes to this podcast when you asked me, right, because I’m thinking about my job. As a manager, my favorite part was encouraging people helping them reach their goals and staying organized on training, making sure they had all the information they needed. I’m asking about family members, this has nothing to do with the temperature of the plates and the temperature of that catfish when it goes out onto the floor. But I love that part of my job, too, you know, so that was my purpose, and then had to look at what’s the environment look like? What do I want to move up in this company? You know, how much do I want to make a year? When do I want to retire? And how is this helping me get there. So I’m excited to talk to our guest about it, especially because she specifically helps, I don’t want to give too much away, you know, but she specifically helps board hold themselves accountable to the goals and to the things that they say they’re going to do, which of course makes it a healthy environment for the people who are there. And for the people who are going to be affected by the job by the the services that are offered. And that’s really what we’re here about. So I’m excited about it.
Christine Gautreaux 6:48
Right, me too. Should we go ahead? And, um, and bring her on?
Shannon M. 6:54
You know, I’m gonna say yes, if you ask me. Absolutely. Yes.
Christine Gautreaux 6:59
One thing before we bring her on? I’m just curious, because I know why you said yes to this podcast. And I’m so grateful that you, but also your organizational skills and that productivity. I’m wondering if purpose and productivity might be in the title of your new line of of planners that?
Shannon M. 7:19
Oh, you know, I asked you that Christy, I lied, you see the green on my hands.
Christine Gautreaux 7:28
Purpose and productivity planner, for those of our listeners that don’t know, Shannon Mitchell, she is the planner queen, and is going to be coming up with a new, personalized planner that folks can download or buy. And so that’s the process and I’m just I’m calling that forth, because I love it. To have one.
Shannon M. 7:49
Yes. And I love the name. I asked you about the name. And I genuinely feel like I’m in my purpose. So I think it’s right on.
Christine Gautreaux 7:59
I love it when plan comes together. All right, let’s bring on our guests. Our guest this week is a friend of both of ours. And y’all know when it’s a friend of ours, we go officially by the bio they sent so we don’t screw it up. We could say some other things. So BIOS Oh, here we go. Virginia is a mother entrepreneur, adventure seeker community builder and wild spirit. She completed her PhD work at the University of Georgia in 2005, and has been actively engaged in community evaluation ever since. Currently, she is the founder and principal of next step evaluation, providing services to public health, nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Georgia. She is also the co founder of roots and wings, women, a hiking and meditation group for women designed to build community and support women in connecting to themselves and each other. So she knows how to balance this purpose and productivity. So come on up here, Virginia, and hello, welcome.
Virginia Dick 9:08
Hello, how are you my friends?
Christine Gautreaux 9:10
We are so glad to be talking with you today.
Virginia Dick 9:13
Yeah, I’m glad to be here.
Christine Gautreaux 9:15
So when you think about that definition that you heard us introducing, I’m talking about occupational wellness and purpose and productivity. Well did anything bubble up for you when you were in that green room? Saans chocolate because it was virtual?
Virginia Dick 9:32
Dang it. That’s okay. I had my dark topic covered ginger here at the house. So it’s all good. You just have to learn to keep stocking the house now as a green room. I think for me, the image that keeps coming up is that it is very much like now this is going to be the Turtle Mountain girl me that comes out. So Shannon bear with me for just a minute. It’s log rolling. It’s it’s balancing. It’s a constant balancing act of a figuring out how to keep all of the pieces going. But I think that that there’s, there’s such joy and there’s such fun in in it, when you’re able to do it, but that it is kind of this constant. It’s like when you’re learning to drive and you’re learning what it means to be doing this constant little small pieces to keep the car where you want it to be the little tiny course corrections that you have to do every day and every minute, and you don’t. And I, for me, I think the other thing is, it’s it, it’s going from being something that many of us do, to something that we’re much more aware of, and talk about, since the pandemic, that, that with many of us, transitioning to work from home, and children doing virtual school, and all these other things like, guess what, we don’t get to ignore the fact that we all have lives of who we are as career people. anymore.
Christine Gautreaux 11:10
I think that’s been the pandemic.
Virginia Dick 11:13
It really has, I think it’s been, I think it’s been a really amazing gift. And I think that it has given us I think it has given those who have wanted to take the opportunity, the chance to really start doing some hard work to address some of the the barriers that have been there. And to start, start addressing even some of the gender and racial barriers that have been there. That we’re we’re getting a chance to connect in ways that we didn’t before. And companies are having too. Good companies having to come to terms with and figure out. Okay, whoa, we need to fix some things. And I think that’s been really powerful to watch doesn’t come without challenges.
Christine Gautreaux 12:10
I don’t think change ever does. Right? Yeah, change for everybody. Just so coming as, as people open back up and reemergence starts to happen. And people are deciding, are they going back into the office? Are they working from home? What is happening? What’s being required? I’ve been having a lot of conversations around this. And I’d love to hear both. Shannon, your thoughts in Virginia about this? Like, what do we want to create that brings in that occupational wellness,
Shannon M. 12:41
you said, I don’t think change comes without challenges, right. And Virginia was talking about how the companies that are intentional about addressing it, you know, have to pivot a little bit. And I think that’s, again, exactly how I’ve been thinking about it for occupational wellness. You ladies have been here since the time that I was a manager and step down. And Christine, one point that I didn’t mention before we brought Virginia in was the transition into owning my own business. Right. And now, as I think about adding people to my team, before anybody else is in the room with me, how do I set up my wellness so that it’s healthy for somebody else to come in? How do I set up my system so that we can use the bathroom? And drink water and take breaks if we need to still get stuff done?
Christine Gautreaux 13:38
Right, that basic self care. I love that Shannon that you’re talking about? How do we be intentional about that first? And in Virginia? I know, your bio started with you being a mom and a business owner. So how do you balance like, how do you how do you balance and deal with your personal and collective stresses right now? I think I know the answer to this one with roots and wings but but tell our listeners like what do you do to be intentional about your wellness,
Virginia Dick 14:11
I’m really active. And if anything that has probably been even more accentuated in the last year, ideally, that’s time in the woods. Um, it can be a short walk, it can be a long walk, it can be a saunter, it can be that I go and sit by the lake for a little bit. But it can go it can be that I go and I plant the garden, but it’s time outside. It’s lots and lots of vitamin D It’s time walking. My 13 year old laughs that that has become my latest stress stress technique. So she laughs She’s like if this keeps up but as I start dating, like you’re going to be really spelt because you are going to walk that stress right off and I just like you are so not funny right now. You are so accurate. But you’re so not funny. But that’s that’s been my biggest piece is that I find time to do that. And Shannon I think it’s interesting, you know We’re talking about starting your business and finding ways to build it into that. One of the things that I love and one of the reasons that there’s many reasons that I started my own consulting company. But one of the things that has been really powerful and really useful is that now I’m able to work with my clients, my clients know that if they see or hear, or I tell them, guys, I’m, I’m off grid Wednesday afternoon. Um, I’ve either got a roots and wings event, or I love you all dearly. But you all have had me on Zoom meetings for four to seven hours a day for the last three days. And they’re like, No, you need to do some force fading. You take Wednesday afternoon, we will. And it’s, you know, there’s enough of the work that I can do after hours and other times that I’ll do that. But it really is making sure that I get the time and normalizing it among all of my clients. And with all the other folks that I work with that, you know, it’s important that we take time for us, it’s important that we take time to ground and dissenter. And that’s going to look different for everybody. Most of my closest girlfriends Look at me, like I have three heads when I mentioned, do you guys want to meet me and go for a walk at Yellow River? Do something else? They’re like, yeah, no, no, but you can swing by the House afterwards if you want and we can work together from the back deck. But they’re like, Yeah, we don’t, we don’t really have any desire to go play in the
Christine Gautreaux 16:26
woods. So sorry, for them, it’s it is
Virginia Dick 16:30
better not because they have their things, they have their things that recharge them. Um, one of them is into diamond art, which I had never heard of. Um, but I’m always really proud of her when we do a call and check in with each other. And I can tell that she’s got her like, her special light and her all the things she’s doing that she’s doing herself here that she has put the other stuff aside, and she is doing the stuff that recharges her buttons. Because that I think, you know, you were mentioning earlier that often as women, we intentionally or unintentionally shame each other for the choices that we make. And unfortunately, I think that we do that even when we’re talking about entrepreneur, state employee, business employee staff, what like there’s this my way is the best way. And I don’t think I don’t think that that gets us anywhere, we all have different places that we thrive. I just brought home two plants, they’re not going to grow well, if I plant them in full sun, I’ve got to find a shake, which is challenging for me, I need to find a shady part of my yard. And I don’t really know where that’s going to be because I don’t have very many of those that these will do well in. But not all plants grow well everywhere. Not everybody grows in the same environment. And we need to find ways to nurture and support and encourage each other in the ways that we thrive.
Christine Gautreaux 18:06
Virginia, and I think we lost Shannon for a technical per second. So we’ll welcome her when she comes back. I was gonna say, you know, my yard is 75% shades. So these
Virginia Dick 18:19
may come to you just need to come to you. I do
Christine Gautreaux 18:24
an exercise from the book still points, we have an exercise all about flowers. How How best do we grow? Like do we grow best in places that are sunny or shady or cold or hot? Do we go grow best in uniform rows or in more of a country garden like we have this whole visual exercise that we do in the book regarding self care, and I love that you brought that up and then analogy of plants and I always like to remind myself of that as an entrepreneur too. That flowers don’t bloom 365 days of the year that is that we’ve got some time that there is nurturing and then blooming in cycles so well in in Welcome Thank you
Shannon M. 19:14
no but I was you know I was gonna mention still point to Christine. That’s exactly what I was thinking about. It talks about thinking about what type of and I don’t know if you said this, what type of gravel you need. What type of flowers do you want? You know, it says Are you a shy flower or bold flower? And I said you know I like lilies, but I don’t think I’m a shy flower. I think I want to be out there in the sun. I still haven’t decided flower Yeah,
Christine Gautreaux 19:40
I would agree that you’re not a shy flower my friends. Yes.
Virginia Dick 19:45
I think I would have to laugh at you if you had tried to sell me on the shop.
Christine Gautreaux 19:52
What chat what flower is super organized and a go getter as a flower.
Virginia Dick 19:58
Huh sunflowers, ah, like a totally and very straight. They do best in really straight rows and really organized and they’re always like, they scream like, they’re powerful.
Christine Gautreaux 20:15
They’re totally powerful and the other that brings me so I’m originally from Texas and when I go home depending on the time of the year, there’s like fields of sunflowers. So Shannon wouldn’t just be like one sunflower, I think she would be yields of sunflower. And it kind of goes with her brand colors too. So I love that. I love that a lot. Shannon, I know you’re having a few tech issues today. But you can you hear us and chime in on the sunflower vote? Nope, I think we We lost her. That’s okay. She’ll be back. Well, I love that. Virginia. I love I know with your routine rings, will you tell our listeners what Rutan wings is and what you’ve changed over the pandemic. But I want them to know about it because we almost had you on as our guests for environmental wellness, big shocker. But also as a business owner with occupational and how you balance it. That’s why we invited you on today. But tell us
Virginia Dick 21:22
written wings really originally was the brainchild of my dear friend Alia Hoffman and I, as I think originally we were thinking, a course a cohort building to give us a chance to build community. For women, to give them an opportunity to have some experiential development opportunities in the natural world. It’s morphed into the hiking and meditation, we were going on a monthly basis pre pandemic, we’re hoping to start back up in May, or June. So check us out on Facebook. I’ll be announcing dates for that soon. And in the meantime, what I’ve done over the last 12 months or so is there a regular person updates in our Facebook group with just thoughts and meditations reading, things to get us thinking about how we as women grow and develop and connect to our own inner core, but also find ways to strengthen and support each other in our own paths, that it’s really from building our own and feeding our own roots and really grounding ourselves that we can stretch our wings and take the highest flight and we can water each other’s roots we can we can help support each other in that that process and that experience. And I think the more we do that the higher we all can fly and it started with it right now roots and wings is primarily a women’s focused group. I think my long range plans probably include a something more CO ed that combines a little bit of the masculine and the feminine. But right now really, really focusing on that.
Christine Gautreaux 23:18
I love that. Well it’s somebody being a lucky person who gets to hike with you on and I think Shannon has to like it’s we’re lucky that we live close enough to to join in
Virginia Dick 23:32
well, and that the birth of mines hikes and meditations are designed and have occurred all over Metro Atlanta, we’ve gone as far south as Cochran Mills, down in South Fulton. We have gone as far north as the LSU Nature Center and Chicopee Woods have been Gainesville, as far east as for Iago and as far west as Sweetwater. So we have covered the entire city and beyond and plan to and I am I’m looking forward to getting back to it. They are saunters more than they are hikes I don’t Christine you have gone on Adventure hikes with me before I want to let people know routes and insights are not that they are designed to be fitting for all all physical activity levels all interest levels all I have a very very dear girlfriend who does not hike does not like to hike who came with me on one and and had a wonderful, wonderful time she spoke very highly of it.
Christine Gautreaux 24:37
So I love that you like to ensure hikes. Yeah, well
Virginia Dick 24:41
that would be because I didn’t check ourselves ahead of time and I which is what I usually do for a reason wings and with hours. I
Christine Gautreaux 24:50
will the funniest part of that story is the shirt you were wearing that day. What were the exact words
Virginia Dick 24:59
not die. Not dime,
Christine Gautreaux 25:05
it was a pretty good night. So I have to, I have to admit, that was super fun. Well, and
Virginia Dick 25:10
what’s funny is the first time I ever used that phrase was not with an outdoor adventure thing at all. The first time that I used it was a friend was trying to convince me to stay do run away, like the scared little girl that I felt like I was from one of the first major Tango classes that I took early night Tango experience with some internationally known teachers, and I wanted for all of the world to bolt out that door. Right? And I did not, that is
Christine Gautreaux 25:40
another one of your passions. Were you did you balance and you haven’t really gotten to play in that realm for a year? Um, well,
Virginia Dick 25:48
I haven’t, I haven’t. Um, I have an amazing coach in Argentina, who, in the last several months, I’ve been doing some private, I’ve made time in my calendar, that I do private lessons via zoom. Because again, I got to the place where I was like, my mental health, and my well being is as important as the work. And the work that I do with next step. And in other areas, takes a lot. It takes a lot. It takes a lot of me. And so therefore, it’s also important to do a lot of recharging.
Christine Gautreaux 26:23
I think that’s a very good point. Virginia, when we talk about occupational wellness, about purpose and productivity, you combine that with women, especially. That it it takes a lot of ourselves, right, it really does space. And so how do we refill our buckets? How do we recharge, we talk about that a lot on this show in regards to putting our oxygen mask on first. And in order to be good able to give to other people? We have to we have to be able to do that. So I’ve heard you say a couple of things. You do hikes, yes. Tango. Yeah, that’s, I love that.
Virginia Dick 27:10
They cook I mean, I have, I have a lot of little things that I do. So that there’s always whatever amount of time I have, there’s something that I can kind of, I usually have about four or five different books.
Christine Gautreaux 27:24
If Shannon was here and not having tech issues, she’d be quoting her latest book, she is worth reading books. It is i It’s one of my go twos. Also, I usually just don’t quote them because they’re some random paranormal, sci fi romance.
Virginia Dick 27:42
That’s the way I was. And I’ve gotten to where so much of what I’m reading right now has these amazing nuggets in it that either remind me of something that I need for me, I laugh all the time. So I’m reading one of hawkwell his latest novels right now this one is the hippie and there’s always something in it that like it just sweeps me off my feet and I’m like to seriously get out of my head like you’re in my head why? And I start I mean I started with his book The Alchemist, okay and have just fallen now I’ve read I think almost all of his stuff at this point at least once and
Christine Gautreaux 28:24
put a link to that in the show notes for our listeners for sure. We We always love good resources and references about books cuz I think that you know, we learn from each other. Just like we learn from nature, like we were talking about earlier in the show. I wanted to ask before we got off your roots and wings. Any plans to hike the Appalachian Trail? The reason I ask is because we had I don’t know if you caught our environmental wellness episode with Collin chambers. She is author of Wildwood magic, and she had hiked the Appalachian Trail and you know, it’s on my to do list. It’s it’s so I’m just curious. Um,
Virginia Dick 29:10
yes and no. How’s that for no answer? Um, there are times in my life and if you catch me at the right moment at the right time at the right day, I would be like yes, I am thru hiking bat I’m through hiking the Pacific trail. I like I do actually want to go over to Ireland and Scotland and do parts of the Highland way. I want to do the Camino. I like there’s there’s lots of big walks like that I want to do. I just am coming back from where I spent three days in North Georgia. The first day I did 12 miles on the Benton MacKaye, which is another 100 plus mile trail in north Georgia that does not believe in switchbacks nor in taking anything but the very shortest route To the top of each mountain, it’s a beautiful trail. But man, that was brutal. And then I did about 15 miles over the next two days on various parts of the Appalachian Trail. And, yes, it is still on my bucket list I grew up. I grew up very, very close to 80 in Virginia, which I still think McAfee’s knob is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. She’s probably not the best day to ask me what I plan to throw. Okay, because I might have a little bit of time before I say yes to that. Although, at the same time, there’s probably it’s like, that would still be really cool. So yes, eventually. And yes, maybe even doing section ticking of it to get it done. I don’t I’m not sure yet. Right? Finding six months where I don’t,
Christine Gautreaux 30:49
that’s the thing I’m always curious about is is how to schedule that or how to Yeah, I
Virginia Dick 30:56
can take my laptop. So like when I go to Argentina for 10 days, now I can take my laptop and I can work while I’m down there. When I heard Germany attend it, I can take my laptop and I can work. Right. It’s harder to do meetings because I have to do the time change. But I mean, even in Argentina, that’s not an issue, because it’s only an hour difference. And I can just do whatever I want to do, right? My clients don’t even realize that I’m out of the country unless I tell them
Christine Gautreaux 31:19
one of the gifts of tech, right? Yes,
Virginia Dick 31:21
one of the guests or sec. And for me that works really well. I have friends that are like I could never do that I need my vacation via yearly vacation. But you can’t do that when you’re hiking at so I’d have to have legitimate months of time that I could spend out out in the woods, and I don’t see my life. I mean, I have a 13 year old and a 10 year old. So I also don’t see my life, transitioning to a place where I’m able to do that in the next 10 years now. In 10 years, I’ll still be young enough that I might entirely be something that I do. I could be the crazy old witch lady that like
Christine Gautreaux 32:00
I think that’s where I’m at right now. Because my kids have graduated and then forefront of my mind. But I mean, it really does bring it back to the balance like illness and how do we balance households and jobs and big dreams? And how do we schedule for them and do all that? Right? Yeah.
Virginia Dick 32:22
And, and honestly, there’s, I mean, probably three years ago, I would have been like, Oh, yes, I’m definitely thru hiking bat. And I think now, there’s so many other things that are also on my bucket list to go do that. I’m like, if I do that, and that’s that much longer before I can get to the Galapagos. And there’s the annual festival in Norway that I want to go to in July each year. And there’s this and there’s that. So it’s like, okay,
Christine Gautreaux 32:48
so many adventures. Yeah, no many adventures. So, you know, this pandemic kind of stopped all of us in our tracks from travel. When things get back where it’s open, and we can go, What’s your wish? Or your dream? what’s your what’s your first big trip that you’re like? I’m out of here?
Virginia Dick 33:11
It depends. How’s that for an awful answer to that question? Um, it really does depend on when when things open back up. And when things are really safe to travel. There are there are people I want to see on about three or four different continents. There are festivals and events that I want to go to on a few different places in a few different places. I think most of those are. No, no, they’re not on the same continent. So it really does depend on what opens when and when it’s safe to go. I’m kind of keeping my eye on it and
Christine Gautreaux 33:56
kind of relinquish all of that, like release all of that. Is there one that bubbles to the top? That you’re like if I could teleport there, right now. Would it be to Argentina for for a tango conference? Would it be?
Virginia Dick 34:14
Hmm. There’s three big ones. Um, there is an event in Norway, a tango event in Norway that usually held the first weekend in July. That will be my birthday trip as soon as possible when they have it and things are safe again to go if I can get registered in time.
Christine Gautreaux 34:37
I didn’t even know that was such a thing.
Virginia Dick 34:40
I mean, and that’ll be a long trip because I’ll build in time for me to have time in Norway. I have a dear friend in Germany that I really want to get back and see and spend some time with her and and visit with her. And so And yes, she and I will probably go dance some while we’re there too. But I really just want to go see her and visit with her for a little bit. And then yeah, do I want to go. I miss my, my teachers and my friends in Argentina a lot. And I’m very much looking forward to going and seeing them.
Christine Gautreaux 35:10
Well, I think that circles back around a wellness, right? The power of connections in relationships and the power of yes, there’s activities, but I’ve heard you say several times this friend or that
Virginia Dick 35:25
friend, yeah, for me, it’s about my people. That’s why Tango is so powerful is because it’s about the people, it’s about the connection.
Christine Gautreaux 35:30
Right. So I think that that is, um, I think it’s something for all people, right. But I think especially for women who tend to be relationally driven, that that’s been kind of challenging this last year, that hasn’t been as easy to move about and hug folks and, and car people. And granted,
Virginia Dick 35:55
it’s one of those things that I’ve talked with several of my girlfriends about, because we’ve laughed about the fact that I’m like, you know, guys, I love I love my single life. I mean, I identify a solo poet Polly, because I don’t want to share a house and a life and everything else was someone else again. But it’s been really hard for the last year. Because in the past, it’s I have my space, but I can get out and I can see my people and I can spend time with my people and my people can come to my house and visit with me here. And I I am a person who thrives on connection, physical and emotional. And so it has been, it has been a challenge over the last year. So self care has been incredibly critical. And learning how to really do self care. Which to be perfectly honest, I’ve not always been great at flat, do
Christine Gautreaux 36:52
you think I wrote a book about it? It’s what I need to know. It is one of my greatest challenges.
Virginia Dick 36:59
I mean, one of my friends laughs that like I am just now at 46 years old, truly learning how to self image on myself, not just self care, where I keep my balance, and I keep the log rolling but like, self much where I’m really authentically taking care of and listening. And it’s, it’s tough. Let me because I also think there’s a lot of times that we self care in ways that become self numbing or self medicating, rather than true self care and self healing.
Christine Gautreaux 37:37
Absolutely. Well, it’s about like we talked about in Stillpoint it’s about tending to ourselves and listen for our bodies and what do our bodies want or need in this moment, like it may change as our age changes, it may change as our responsibilities change. But if we’re not listening and paying attention, then we don’t have the capacity to give it to ourselves and it does like numbing or addictions or things like that. Versus true self care and self healing. So if you there so well, my friend I have so loved this conversation. I am so sad that Shannon was having some
Virginia Dick 38:21
I feel bad I Miss Miss Shannon, right that
Christine Gautreaux 38:24
she was having some tech issues listeners and we lost her hopefully we will get that resolved. That’s you know, it’s one of the things the internet and it can also be one of the one of the tech happens it doesn’t matter how prepped you are tech happens check happens right kind of like life happens but I enjoyed our conversation today and need to hop you back in the green room but since I don’t have a co host I’ll keep you on and give a shout out to Shannon’s company because her company is JLo glow and she is I know both you and I are users so we’ll do a little commercial while she finally she is the owner and the creator of Shayla glow and she does products that are scrubs, oils. Shea Butter, what’s your favorite version, um,
Virginia Dick 39:23
her shea butter, which I would totally go get except for the fact that it is up in my daughter’s room because my daughter swears by it when her dry skin and her eczema are driving her crazy she it is her favorite thing. So my container of it is up in her ring. But it’s it’s the one that we use. Remember to pack it to take it with us when we go up to the mountains this weekend. But yeah, the shea butter is amazing,
Christine Gautreaux 39:47
right? Every time I say it, I have to put it on because my hands are like, Oh, I know I’m sitting here like picking up my hand that I’m like man
Virginia Dick 39:56
right now but I can’t leave and go upstairs and get it. Um,
Christine Gautreaux 39:59
one of the things that Shannon always likes to say is she her company does a shea row. And what that is, is if you have a woman in your life that inspires you. That is amazing that you want to give props to once a month. Shayla glow gives a shout out to awesome women in people’s lives. And you can do that by emailing your My Shay row to shallow glow@gmail.com. And just given her a couple sentences about who you want to nominate. And once a month she gives a shout out sends a really nice gift package to them. And it’s a yummy way to do some community care for women who make a difference in your life. So yeah, this has been awesome. And I am going to put up our closing statement Shannon usually close this out, but I will do it today. So thanks, everyone for listening for being with us. We are live at five o’clock on Wednesdays. We’ll be back next week on Facebook and YouTube Live and then we our podcast is produced audio and then it’s available on all the major podcast. So if you can reach out in especially on Apple podcast and subscribe and give us a like we’d appreciate that and we’ll see you next week.
Shannon M. 41:21
And don’t forget be well
Unknown Speaker 41:23
be wise and the whole Thank you for having me thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on-air live on Wednesdays at 5 pm. Eastern via Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to like share and subscribe be part of the conversation and get connected at women connected in wisdom.com.
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