Show notes – 

Join Shannon & Christine & surprise return guests as they chat about the 8 Dimensions of Wellness & a year of amazing guests!

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Stillpoint –  https://www.amazon.com/Stillpoint-Self-Care-Playbook-Caregivers-Breathe/dp/1732370400

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https://letsreimagine.org

Sheila K Collins – https://sheilakcollins.com/online-offerings-radical-self-care-pandemic

Roots and Wings – https://www.facebook.com/rootsandwingswomen

Art Equity – https://www.artequity.org/

Dr. JoVeezy – instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjoveezy/

Reforming Arts – https://www.reformingarts.org/

Heart hues – https://hearthuesllc.com/

Aja – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beauty-supplied/id1585312652

Chartisia – Diamond Shine – https://diamondshineenterprise.godaddysites.com/

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.

Shannon M. 0:00
It is our anniversary. We are officially one years old.

Unknown Speaker 0:04
One year. Yeah.

Shannon M. 0:07
That’s the next one, right? But yes, we have made it to a year. And it is also our 50th episode. So we’re excited. Right? It

Christine Gautreaux 0:16
just feels like a big deal. 50 episodes one year we have some really special friends and previous guests to the show. Joining us to help celebrate this milestone we were gonna do a traditional episode and we’re like, what are we thinking? Like, you got to stop and pause right? One of our practices wellness is to really stop and savor and look for good and celebrate. Let’s do this. Okay, ladies,

Shannon M. 0:41
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 yourself care, business care and intentional wellness.

Christine Gautreaux 0:57
And I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate and international speaker, coach and published author who helps you upgrade yourself in community care.

Shannon M. 1:08
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 1:16
And we like to get together every week and have intentional conversations about how to be wise in business relationships and wellness. And also, we’ve done some incredible interviews of amazing, talented women that we know and are getting to know and we were talking about this before the show just how much of a delight it is. And all the people we’ve met and are continuing to meet and that are reaching out to want to be guest

Shannon M. 1:45
Yes, yes, it’s been so good. It’s been so good, whether it’s with things that I’ve been used to dealing with right and different ways that I can get better at them, or even like motherhood, things that I haven’t encountered yet. And having those those little tidbits and practices under my belt. So going into I can feel more competent and prepared has been great. Right?

Christine Gautreaux 2:09
We were laughing too. You know, I said before the show, we’re on episode 50. We’re almost getting to my age, we well suppressions age a while ago, we should have noted that on the episode. That’s part of the fun part of being connected in different stages and milestones. And we want to give a shout out to our listeners. So if you are listening or watching, be sure and put a comment in the under the comments so we can include you in this conversation today. Because that is one of the reasons we use the stream yard platform to be more interactive with our listeners. And yeah, well, Shannon, we have a special guest in our green room right now, who was one of our first first people we interviewed on the women connected with some podcasts. One of my favorite people in my life, honestly. So should we bring her up and say hello? Yeah, my answer. Right. All right, I want to welcome to the stage my friend and co author she like a call in town. I’m so glad you could join us today. Welcome.

Unknown Speaker 3:17
Yes. Thank you for the reminder.

Christine Gautreaux 3:22
How have you been? It’s been almost a year since you’ve been on the podcast because you really were one of our very first guests. So what do you been up to?

Unknown Speaker 3:31
Well, a lot of it with you but because I don’t know how many episodes we’ve had the class we’ve been doing together, but actually today I was doing something that we’re excited about coming up. We’re it looks like we’re we might be able to be working with school nurses on self care. And here is a group that is on the frontlines right in the middle between the parents and the kids and the administrators and the neighbors. I mean, right. They’re handling all of the stress that oh, so we’re hoping

Christine Gautreaux 4:10
about wellness. Yeah, sorry listeners that don’t know and I think we mentioned it with you. We’re on Sheila but um, Sheila and I do a class every Tuesday morning, I’m using applied interplay and using the book Stillpoint and we’ve been doing this since the beginning of the pandemic and y’all it has been so much fun we have gotten to play with mostly women we’ve had a few men drop in but we with caregivers all over the nation and really all over the world. We have had folks jump in and it has just been a joy and a delight and Shannon one

Unknown Speaker 4:47
of the things I want to tell you we we decided we do this for other people, okay, you know, because and every time we do it we say this is so for us we get so but the message is, you know, when you put something out and you do it as a gift, it comes back 1000 fold happen. And Christine.

Shannon M. 5:10
And Christine and I were just talking about that too with the podcast, we talked about the eight dimensions of wellness. And in both of our lives, there’s been so much that has happened in the past year. So I hear what you’re saying.

Christine Gautreaux 5:23
Right? Well, for everybody. I mean, you know, wellness was a challenge for women before a global pandemic. And they like, you know, and then I think about all these women and caregivers who are now they’re doing online school, they’re doing, you know, their caregiving, with the challenges of have doctor’s appointments being canceled or not being able to get into some hospitals because of capacity being felt like all these extra things on top of it is, it’s a challenge like I mean, we have to be intentional with our wellness as the three of us know, I want to shout out Tracy Reese who’s listening who was also one of our first guests and our friends. She’s over at heart Hughes. And she says hello, and Congrats. Thanks for sharing and holding space. Love y’all. We love you to Tracy Reese. Usually if you get to a place where you can text us what you’ve been up to tell us and we’ll put it in the show notes for folks to find you because I know you’ve got some really cool stuff happening over at Hart Hughes. She is a canvas coach Sheila and she teaches she uses her coaching modality through the arts and painting and processing while you’re painting. It’s pretty, pretty fabulous. Oh, and you know this person who just chimed in to look? Yeah, Brandy Lee. Hello, hello. Thank you, Brandy. Like we’re trying our best to get Brandi Lee on the show. Our schedules just haven’t met yet, because she’s got a new book about single parenting and she’s a coach and an incredible woman. So we’re hoping

Unknown Speaker 6:58
Barger she’s lives in the town that I do.

Christine Gautreaux 7:01
Yeah, I got to meet her when before the pandemic when you and I were doing work in Pittsburgh. So now, Sheila, I know you have a new book that you’re working on. I don’t know if you’re ready to talk to folks about it yet. But tell him just a little about what you’re working on right now. It has to do with wellness.

Unknown Speaker 7:23
But it certainly does it. I call it the art of grieving. And so I gave myself this assignment a couple of years ago, I thought, what if I would look through look at what’s happening in my own life and in everybody else’s life, our joint lives? If I looked through the lens of grief and loss, is that really part of would that be helpful? And I mean, it’s been somewhat overwhelming at times. But I’ve had this practice of writing about whatever it is that I’ve, you know, been encountering? And of course, I mean, I think I did this, I started it before the pandemic. So I mean, hey, talk about, oh, there’s the number of losses, I mean, you can’t even count them in terms of what could be going on here in terms of the the reacting and the having to carry it and having to let go of it. And it’s just so anyway, that’s, yeah, so that’s, it seems a little overwhelming to me right now, because I have so much material, you know, oh, my god, trying to put it together in some kind of a manageable way?

Christine Gautreaux 8:32
Well, it makes me think when you talk about it, I want to shout out, let’s reimagine a platform we’ve used since the beginning. And I know you’ve done several workshops on grief and loss there. But I’ll put it in our show notes for our listeners, let’s reimagine that. org is a virtual platform that taught offers a lot of workshops, and they are either some of them are free. Some of them are small fees, but they’re workshops from all over the world. And it’s talking about how we let’s reimagine how we embrace the hardest parts of our existence and take action to live more fully. So it’s talking about reimagining life love and loss. And it’s I recommended as a huge resource for folks who are grieving or, or wanting to just realize like you do Sheila that like, we got to get good at this. The grieving is not going away. Like it’s, it’s a part of our everyday life and, and how do we do that? And I know you’ve done the program, the art of grieving on there several times, which is pretty doubtful. So

Unknown Speaker 9:38
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think it turns out it is an art to be able to grieve and also we can use the arts. The arts are such a fabulous you were talking about somebody Tracy what she was doing, but you know, the arts are such wonderful tools for us to process what our experiences and to come up with what are next steps are?

Christine Gautreaux 10:01
Well, one of the things you taught me years ago, and it was I think with your second book, war, your mother, you said, we must we, how do you say it, we must make art out of what happens to us. And it’s one of my favorite all times quotes,

Unknown Speaker 10:20
and we don’t get to pick what that is really talking about the stuff that happens that we did not invite. We did not say, who put me on that list. That’s not what I want. You know, it’s here. And we’ve certainly been having a lot of that all of us, you know, right.

Christine Gautreaux 10:38
Yeah. I don’t know a woman who hasn’t honestly, in her life. Shannon, you have any questions, or you want to pop in here? Yeah. So

Shannon M. 10:46
she look, I know you’re working on this book. Right. And I definitely hear you on the overwhelming part. I genuinely think that’s part of any anything. Right part of it, you might be comfortable. And then hopefully, part of it challenges you. Outside of which of the eight dimensions are you focused on at the beginning of this year going into 2022?

Unknown Speaker 11:08
Well, I knew you were going to ask that question. And I’m not sure this is one of your eight, but I, I was thinking I’m focused on my own and my family’s mental health. Okay.

Christine Gautreaux 11:24
mental and emotional is one. That’s the one you came and talk to us about.

Unknown Speaker 11:30
I didn’t know. I mean, a lot of times people don’t think of that in the way that we do. I think, you know, it’s like, oh, well, those people are, you know, different. But we all have challenges about our mental attitudes about our keeping on when it’s really tough about are not getting too aggravated about the people that are just so hard to deal with. You know, I mean, I always tease, Christine, I think she is an expert on dealing with what I call difficult people. I mean, really, I don’t know where she got that gift, but I’m always thinking, I want to borrow some of what she knows.

Christine Gautreaux 12:03
I’m gonna shout out my mother, I can tell you from my mother Jenny, Catherine, shout you out. Because yes, I got that gift, the art of dealing with difficult people directly from her, and to learn some skills along the way. But so thank you for stopping by. Today, proud of

Unknown Speaker 12:32
you all you are. I mean, you know, but the usual time for these projects, there’s what I don’t know, 10 sessions or that I mean, it’s nothing like 50 a year

Christine Gautreaux 12:45
past I believe, is less than 14 episodes. Yeah. Okay. Hey, so, you know, incremental steps. You know, we are practicing what we preach. So, thank you so much. We’re gonna pop you back in the green room, and we’re gonna bring up our next friend and guest so glad you could join us my friend. This is a surprise

Shannon M. 13:07
who’s

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 13:08
right hey, Virginia,

Shannon M. 13:17
Happy New Year.

Unknown Speaker 13:19
The new year. How are you all?

Christine Gautreaux 13:23
We’re just beaming. Can’t you tell? We’re so excited. I can tell amazing people we’ve talked to this year and our friends and our I mean, I want to say family because half of y’all are family to us, our chosen family. What are you up to? What’s going on for you? Oh, haha,

Unknown Speaker 13:42
what’s not going on? The better question. Written wings is relaunching and starting in person events starting next weekend. So I’m super excited to get back to that. Now Omicron could just behave itself and like settle back down. That’d be lovely. But we’ll be starting back with some more hikes and meditations beginning with a sunset hike. It’s on a mountain next Sunday. And things are going great.

Christine Gautreaux 14:16
Wait a second. I have a clarity question for listeners and really for myself to tell me about the sunset hike.

Unknown Speaker 14:25
So we’ll be at Sani Mountain, which is up and coming. So about roughly 30 minutes or so north of Atlanta guessing. Um, and we’re gonna meet about 330 We’re gonna be at 330 You can find us on Facebook, at roots and wings, women, and we will meet at 330 and we’ll hike for an hour, hour and a half or so we usually go to pretty leisurely pace. And we’ll make it up to the ER Look right around 435 o’clock, which will give us perfect time to kind of be up there during the prime part of the sunset.

Unknown Speaker 15:11
And then we’ll

Unknown Speaker 15:12
wander back down, it’s a relatively short hike from the Overlook back down to the parking lot. And we’ll have flashlights and other things, although I do have a almost 11 year old who will want to hike well ahead of us and grumble about the ambient light messing up her trail hike, if there’s any moonlight at all. Um, but what we do during these hikes is we usually start off with a little bit of centering and grounding, and some meditation time, we hike for a bit, and then we’ll pause for some moments of reflection, and conversation and some set readings, I am not going to say what topic we will be kind of focusing on that day, because what I have learned over the years is that it’s much better to let that I can have it all planned out. And then something will shift the ground underneath me the two or three days before and it’ll be something completely different when we’re actually there. So it’s whatever, whatever the universe is kind of guiding us to at that particular time, is what we will talk about a portion of the hike usually about a half a mile or so of it, we do in complete silence. So you have you can take that time to just listen and reflect and ground yourself. And then other parts of the hike we either spend in bonding and relationship building or in silent meditation, depending on how you as an individual feel feel cold at that moment.

Christine Gautreaux 16:53
That sounds wonderful. And it covers so many dimensions of wellness that we talked about, right? The physical, the emotional, mental, the social, sharing, and you want to ask the big question,

Shannon M. 17:06
yes. So clearly, right, we can put environmental in the list of dimensions that you’re working on this year. But outside of that, what else are you specifically focused on for you personally,

Unknown Speaker 17:18
for me, personally this year is, and I mean, you ladies know, I have not been particularly public about that about my journey over the past year. But I’m going to be being more public about it this year. Last year, I really began a personal journey, to really focus on what it means to have a life that’s thriving. And a life that is thriving in all aspects. So financially and business wise, physically, mentally, emotionally, in all aspects. And I focused a lot of my time last year on that, and on figuring that, what that would look like what that meant, and how to enact those different pieces. So a lot of what you all talk about on the on the podcast, the different aspects of wellness, all of that pulling all of those pieces together. And then this is the year where I feel like it is all kind of hitting the ground. And I’m going from I mean, I’ll continue feeding the roots, I’ll continue developing that, that ground grounding and the centering component of it, but it really is stretching the wings and figuring out what that look like. So I have a consulting business that I spend a lot of time doing work in the public health arena and the child welfare arena. That is there a lot of things that are going to be taking off with that this year, we actually just published a major white paper at the end of 2021, looking at mental health access for Latina X and African American youth and young adults in Georgia. And I’m really hoping that we’re gonna be able to engage in more work around that doing a lot more work around health equity, and health disparities throughout the state of Georgia, so continuing to see that, that work, grow and explode and, and, and really shift the landscape to help provide a healthier environment for everyone in the state. And nationwide. So, I mean, that’s just been a big part of my heart. And it’s it’s been amazing to get to work with phenomenal colleagues on that work and I’m, I’m really looking forward to continuing that. Rates and wings is again, we’re relaunching This year has really been a year where I’ve, we did not have a lot of in person walks and events. But we are planning to restart those. We’re also in talks with a colleague of mine that I hope to introduce you ladies to a little more. I think, Christine, you may have met her once, but I don’t remember for sure. Dr. Quinn Galloway Salazar and I did an ally ship event in June of last year as part of a the roots and wings Juneteenth Celebration. And we really want to expand that this year and have an ally ship. Theories that that she and I do together that combine the environmental the roots and wings components with this idea of what really building these relationships and an ally ship can look like on a day to day basis.

Unknown Speaker 21:06
Yes, please

Christine Gautreaux 21:08
send mail and we’ll send her an invite link.

Unknown Speaker 21:12
I will I will say I want to introduce. I also want to introduce you to her for other reasons. I’m gonna go ahead and give her a shout out now. I’ll have to tell her about this later. She will she recently stepped out of corporate America. And she has always been very focused on veteran and veteran support and suicide prevention. However, she felt a real calling to go back to working both with women veterans and with an end of life doula program and so she has now left corporate America and is launching her own independent venture where she will be providing training for end of life doula is particularly those focused on working with veterans and with women veterans in particular.

Christine Gautreaux 22:04
Absolutely. Yes, she needs her audience.

Unknown Speaker 22:08
She is phenomenal. She is one of the most amazing women. I know. So we keep laughing that eventually our dream is to have the the multicultural Golden Girls of Atlanta TV program. I love that. It’s the two of us and another one of our good friends and we’re like, you know, that would be a lot of fun. Um

Christine Gautreaux 22:39
Virginia thank you so much for popping by we have another special guest that that I want to pull up. So thank you so much. I need to go on mom duty so

Unknown Speaker 22:51
I’m gonna say

Christine Gautreaux 22:54
to you and we look forward to more and we will put a link to your roots and wings events and yes, yes to all you’re doing and thank you for promoting wellness and all you do we love you all right, next up

day was Joe Vintry says you’re on mute my friend.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 23:24
What’s up?

Unknown Speaker 23:28
Week for anniversaries in celebration.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 23:31
Oh man, you telling me

Christine Gautreaux 23:34
so far listeners that are just tuning in. Jovana Treece was one of our first guests almost a year ago and has also been a co host. Have you been a co host once or twice with?

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 23:45
I believe once Yeah, yeah.

Unknown Speaker 23:49
Absolutely. Welcome back. How are you?

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 23:53
Thank you, I’m in life has been incredible. Um, and it’s just, you know, I feel like, it’s just, it’s just beginning. Honestly, even though so much has happened. I feel like it’s it’s the beginning all over again. And that’s the I think that’s the beautiful thing about life that we can reset, and we can begin at any time, you know, and be refreshed. So I’m just feeling like, you know, there’s new journeys to undertake and old ones to relaunch. Yes. And I had a birthday yesterday, so it was definitely a full recap of what the heck I’ve been doing in the past year. And, you know, between, I don’t know switching roles and looking doing different projects and embarking on different journeys, becoming a mom like I think I was on the show when it was fresh. Like yes, we’re Esther was still an infant. So Right. She’s now going on 15 months and starting I’m filming her gums and she has two teeth coming in the body. So I’m like Talk about signs of evolution going on. Like,

Christine Gautreaux 25:06
Yesterday, you were live streaming for your birthday, which we will put a link to your Instagram for our listeners, but you were doing some tunes and spinning some things. But when I popped on Did you see the very beginning of that video Shannon? Could you? Maybe Ezreal look like she was standing on the turntable? It was cutest visual. I was like what is happening? Here she is she’s

Shannon M. 25:33
for your birthday as well. Let me take this picture real quick.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 25:35
Oh my gosh, I want that picture.

Christine Gautreaux 25:39
It was magical, my friend. And that was just the start of it because you spend some awesome tunes. So Oh, good. Good.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 25:48
It felt really good. And that’s the that’s the beat. You know, speaking of beginning journeys, it’s the beginning of some some stuff you’re going to see from me, I’m consistently so I love I love spinning tunes. I love music and providing high vibrations. And it’s it’s good for the soul, like, you know, who can who can resist some good music that’s universal. So yeah, I

Christine Gautreaux 26:15
am lucky because not only are you one of our guests, you’re one of our dear friends, you and I, since you’ve been on the show have embarked on a journey through the art equity, which I’ll put a link to that in the show notes for our listeners, you and I’ve been taking this art equity, anti racist training for nonprofit art boards across the nation, because you and I serve on the performing arts board together. So who is that today? Because we got some homework you and I got to connect?

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 26:47
Yeah, we do we do. I just looked at an email. And I was like, Oh snap, I need to pull out my book. And, you know, make sure I’m on top of things before our next session. There itself has been, um, you know, when you’re transitioning, sometimes it can be challenging. And I think, you know, the, the bits of candy, and, you know, the sugar, and the the pleasure that we get within the transition are those things like the same thing like embarking on something new. So it’s kind of like, double A’s, where it’s the chat is a challenge. But it’s also a sweet challenge too, because you’re starting something new, it’s adventurous, and you’re learning so much. So I just think like, at first, you know, I was a little bit resistant to change, because it just sprung on me like, I feel like, I have gone through major changes within the past three years, like really major ones. And at first I was like, Yo, this is too much. I’m overwhelmed. And like, like, you know, like I expressed in, in the episode we did. Um, but now I’m just like, I cannot see the full as common see the big picture now. Like it’s necessary for where we’re going is, you know, sometimes those things are really necessary. And I couldn’t imagine, like, everything that’s happening now. Um, and I know, he said, the two dimensions of wellness or what dimensions of wellness, you know, do I feel like I’m focusing on, and I’ve settled, I have peace and settled on to. And that’s emotional and spiritual, because I’m finding myself growing the most in every dimension of wellness, when I am found when my foundation are focusing on those two. And I’m especially like, as of late meditation, started my day with meditation, and creating a universal concrete to do list that’s so simple. And it literally is meditation, take a shower, set my intentions for the day. And keep it simple. I literally wrote that on my list. So anything that comes after that, that I have to add, it has to fall under that, like it has to then has to be the guideline on the principle that it’s on. So it’s been helping a lot.

Christine Gautreaux 29:09
I love that and that shower is not to be underrated for new moms, like for anybody out there that’s ever parented or been a caregiver. I mean, if you haven’t you might be laughing like what you have to write that down. Yeah, some Yes. Write that down. Yes. And I was caregiving. My mom a couple of years ago through a knee surgery, and I had to write down brush your teeth. Because like sometimes when you’re out of your comfort zone or you’re in a new location or a new routine is happening, like your older routines fall apart, right? And especially if you’re caregiving, somebody that needs you, as you know, a newborn does or a baby like if they’re crying or they’re in pain, you’re taking care of that instead of yourself. So exactly. Kudos to you Joe vantrease for finding a system that works and is simple and you love it. And remind you about health and wellness.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 30:03
Yeah, I, you know, I’m an overthinker, naturally, and overthinking could easily send you into a negative spiral a lot. And, you know, in order to dismantle the overthinking, I have to do the exact opposite. So setting a list and you know, a lot of times I’ll look at that list before I go to sleep at night, just to like, kind of program my mind consciously, or, you know, subconsciously, Hey, these are your priorities. Because I was shared with my friend earlier today, I used to wake up and immediately start judging and Chris in criticizing myself for something either I didn’t complete the previous day, or something I got to do today and, and like so much pressure. I’m like, chill, like, literally selling myself to you, nobody standing over you with a great book. And new moms, especially like we have to, I feel like we have to tell ourselves that so much. Because, you know, God bless them. But so many people tell you so much advice. And then you just got your book and your notes and you’re like, if I don’t do this, or check this off, then I’m terrible mom, like it’s so it’s so beyond this. So

Christine Gautreaux 31:16
remembering to take a deep breath, right? Yes. T

Shannon M. 31:22
breath.

Unknown Speaker 31:24
Yeah. Well,

Christine Gautreaux 31:25
thank you so much for popping by my friend. It is always delightful to see you. I am kind of wanting. Sheila’s so in the green room. I’m wondering if we can just add more people. And let’s see if we can just add folks in Asia is I don’t know how many we can add. There’s a there’s chiefs. Yeah. How are you? How are you?

Unknown Speaker 31:51
Hi, Kristina. Hi, Shannon and others. I think Gray. I’m really excited to see you all and celebrate your one year anniversary go y’all.

Unknown Speaker 32:03
What have you been up to?

Unknown Speaker 32:06
Since the last time we’ve talked, I’ve officially launched my app. Oh, thank you. Thank you. And I’ve been? I was listening to was it. Let me huh? Can I pronounce your name? Dr. Joe dz. Yes, I was listening to Dr. Joe VZ. And like her to do lists, like just wake up and keep it simple. I was like, yes, yes, I’ve been just trying to, there’s so much happening with the business that I’m like, I still needed, you know, like, there. I don’t want to get overwhelmed, like I still need to, you know, be grounded. And still just take it one step at a time. Don’t try to do so many things. Just get that done. Check it off. And then I don’t think about it. Like, you know, Jovita was saying you could, you could, you could be frustrated about yourself the next day, because you didn’t complete something yesterday. And it’s like, if we have time, like just relax, like, get it done when it can be done. So I like that,

Christine Gautreaux 33:03
will you remind our listeners because we have a lot of new listeners since you were on what is your app and drop the link in the chat. So we can put it in our show notes for folks, I will do that. Cool. So tell us what you do.

Unknown Speaker 33:15
So our app, it’s me and my best friend, we co founded this app, it is similar to Uber Eats. But instead of food getting delivered, you can get anything from the beauty supply store delivered. So you need some hair, some edge control a comb flat on a wig. Anything you can get from the beauty supply store, you can get delivered to your home to your braider wherever you need to deliver it, and where we’ve been, you know, when we launched December 1, and we’re just you know, continuing to grow.

Christine Gautreaux 33:50
I think when you came on and talk to us about that, I just thought it was the most brilliant thing. Because when do women not want to be out and about, like, it’s when they’re missing some of those products or they don’t feel put together or like so what a great thing to have delivered. Or if you’re doing a big party, or if you’re doing like and you’re having your girlfriends over to get ready for an event. You can and you’re missing something. You know, when my kids were growing up, they were all in theater and I would get that call all the time. Mom I need this or I need that like what a beautiful thing that somebody else could they could pop it on an app and it could be delivered right? Put that will you put that link in the chat and I’ll put that in the show notes or put that up for Yes, I definitely can’t. We’re so glad you made it before we flip over to hrtc TELUS Asia, what dimension or dimensions of wellness are you focused on for 2022

Unknown Speaker 34:49
for over 2020 Okay, so I haven’t set my goals yet for 2022 but I definitely there were five right we had talked about

Shannon M. 35:00
So there’s eight total. So one is social, physical, financial, mental and emotional is one occupational, environmental, spiritual. Am I missing one? Christine?

Christine Gautreaux 35:16
I got distracted because Tracy Reese was so sorry. Did we talk about intellectual topic? intellectual, social, and financial spiritual? I think you got them all. emotional and mental. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 35:32
So I definitely am considering changing my occupation this year. I am currently a teacher and moving doing the teaching and entrepreneurship at the same time, I’m wondering like, how could I just focus on just being entrepreneur this year and changing my occupation. So that is one. For the past 15 days I’ve been doing physical killing my workouts and really proud of that, but definitely the mental like, I do want to, for the whole year, stay in a good headspace. Like, try not to rollercoaster as much just try to be level and have my highs want to have my highs have my lows, but be able to just snap back and just like have that grounding. So those are my three top definitely for this

Christine Gautreaux 36:21
year. Oh my gosh, thank you so much for stopping by and being here. I want to make sure everybody has a chance to talk. So char Teesha diamond shine in the house. I know she was frozen just a second ago. Hopefully she can come off mute and join us. All right, we may have to come back to her. Let’s pop over to Tracy Reese. Tracy Reese. Let’s unmute you my friend. Hey there. Hey there. Happy New

Unknown Speaker 36:51
Year. Happy New Year. Congratulations on one year 50 episodes. My God. Thank you. Because for real?

Christine Gautreaux 37:03
You have been a guest several times on the women connected wisdom podcast. We are so glad that you are stopping by what do you been up to?

Unknown Speaker 37:15
This year? Well, last year, let’s say coming into this year, I really took a step back from the business and took care of myself. For those who don’t know, I have been calling the canvas coach. I’ve coined myself that and a big part of what I do on my business heart Hughes is I promote emotional wellness and authentic expression through the use of creative creativity. So as a coach, I realized I needed to do what I coach others to do. I need to get emotionally Well, there’s been a lot going on. So I stepped back and took care of myself most of 2021 but 2022 I’m looking to come back full effect. There are a lot of people who need me and I need them. So I’m ready to share my tribe and do the work that we need to do to stay well emotionally and create authentic expression.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 38:15
Yeah, can I say something? Yes,

Unknown Speaker 38:18
you’re absolutely happy birthday baby. To celebrate I love this.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 38:29
No, I gotta do that every time.

Shannon M. 38:34
I feel like we’re a manifestation Monday. These ladies. No, I missed our calls on Monday as

Unknown Speaker 38:41
well as your wellness as a thing. Shannon is on the list. Okay.

Christine Gautreaux 38:48
I want to welcome Dr. Cynthia Phelps. Before we get to Cynthia, I have trtc has been trying to get her tech to work. So I want to see if she can unmute. Talk to us diamond shine.

Unknown Speaker 39:01
You hear me? Can you hear

Unknown Speaker 39:02
me? We can,

Unknown Speaker 39:05
too. But I’m here delay. I’m talking and then it’s echo but long as you can hear me. And let’s yeah, hope it doesn’t go out. Hey, everybody.

Christine Gautreaux 39:13
Hello. Hello. You know, for our listeners that are new. So char Teesha diamond shop owner of diner shot diamond diamond shine when she came on to our show. She had one of the best audience listeners. And it was aunt who was it. I see Vivian and she Vivian. Oh, we still talk about her a year later about how awesome Auntie Vivian was and how much of a part of how when people are on stream yard and they interact, how it makes it fun. And Auntie Vivian was the perfect example of that. Like, she was awesome. So what have you been up to my friend what you’ve been doing?

Unknown Speaker 39:59
Um You know what I did today? Nothing. And it was the best thing. And I did cook dinner I cooked a whole dinner like it was a holiday family get together me greens, like the song grains, beans, because I did all of that and fell asleep with a braiding oven and burned in my husband woke me up. Yeah.

Christine Gautreaux 40:25
Well, now for our listeners that don’t know, this woman runs of cleaning business that is kicking butt and taking names in the metro Atlanta area. And so for you to say you took the day off is huge for wellness. And I just want to lift that up and commend you. Because oftentimes, when Shannon and I talked to you, you were like, when when have you slept with what are you sleeping was so so I just want to say big props to you for taking care of yourself, my friend

Unknown Speaker 40:58
is thank you for 2022 Like I commit to taking better care of myself because it’s gonna start affecting my health eventually, if I don’t, I’m just grateful to be in a place where I can. I was felt like I could if I didn’t have time it needed to get done and need to get done right then when that really just wasn’t true. And I started coaching with a business coach, and he’s so dope. I love him. And he said a couple of things that just put things in perspective for me and how to prioritize what’s an emergency, what can wait, it ain’t that serious. And I’ve been following that, while trying to I don’t have it 100% and it has really helped kind of shape how I do better self care. And the goal is to before this year is out, I’m only going to be working in, in my business. I mean working on my business, not in my business, maybe 20 hours a week, and only doing what I want to do in those 20 hours. So I’m, I’m not almost there, but I’m getting there. And if I stay the course I will be but I’m not gonna know what to do. I myself I’m so used to being busy

Unknown Speaker 42:10
feeling you’ll you’ll figure it out.

Unknown Speaker 42:15
Now, I want to get into that, but we’re gonna probably open it up something else toward the end of the year.

Christine Gautreaux 42:19
Right? We know you my friend like you are a serial entrepreneur and you guys shaking. So when you when that new thing shakes out, come back and talk to us and tell us what you’re up to.

Unknown Speaker 42:31
Because you will be at the party by the way. She’s coming from North Carolina. Party.

Christine Gautreaux 42:39
Wait to Hug her. Oh my gosh. That’s so exciting. And congrats on your upcoming anniversary. Think and celebrating. Yeah, that’s that’s delightful. All right. Dr. Cynthia Phelps. I see you in the house. How are you? Hey, they’re

Unknown Speaker 42:56
coming in here from Asheville, North Carolina.

Christine Gautreaux 43:01
That’s changed since you’ve been on our show.

Unknown Speaker 43:03
That’s right. Oh, oh, my little puppy wants to say hi to apparently.

Christine Gautreaux 43:08
There we go. That yo for those that don’t know, this is all Jada. She’s my god, doggy. So I helped to name her. Ali Jada means ally in Spanish, cuz she was born in San Antonio, Texas.

Unknown Speaker 43:25
Well, congratulations on your anniversary. Thank you. So proud of you, guys. Thank you. Thank you and feel

Unknown Speaker 43:34
oh, my goodness,

Shannon M. 43:36
great. Like, Ally is stronger. That’s how it feels.

Christine Gautreaux 43:40
Right? Absolutely. So for our listeners who don’t know, Dr. Phelps is the founder of inner ally and teaches people how to use self compassion for their inner voice for more productivity, more vitality, more, just more of all the yumminess. And so we will put a link to the show notes to her stuff. Hey, you have something coming up pretty quick here, don’t you? Yeah, actually,

Unknown Speaker 44:06
I’m teaching a class a certain next week on Tuesday. And so it’s actually a perfect class, if you are wanting to kind of do a new you for the new year. And you’re typically really hard on yourself. So that is the case. Then I have the research base tools and practices for you that I’m going to be teaching in this class to really help you navigate that in a more elegant way. And it’s not just my opinion. It’s based on research done by Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Brene Brown. And it just really makes the whole process of being kinder and more supportive to yourself. accessible and fun and something you can actually practice and do to improve your life. So And it’s so fun to teach really.

Christine Gautreaux 45:04
I’m so glad you said fun because one of the My Favorite Things that I love about the work you do in the world, is that deck of cards. Do you have one to show folks? Cuz I love this so much? And do they get one if they come to this class? Yeah. Okay, cool. So show folks what they are in, tell them what they are. Because people can, I’ll put a link in our show notes so people can get their own, but I use mine all the time.

Unknown Speaker 45:29
Yeah, here, this is, the card deck isn’t this big. I just haven’t sorted these yet. But there are a bunch of characters like this one is the king. And let’s see, this one is the citizen. And the reason why we put archetypes on these cards is that they’re all associated with things that you would really benefit. If you nurtured these core emotions that really help you thrive. Dogs try and help. And the cards are part of the practice, which is, which is helps to make it accessible because oftentimes, this stuff is taught in like a weekend workshop or in a class and then you leave and then it’s like, what do you do next. But this actually gives you things that you can practice on a regular basis and you modify for yourself, you learn how to do that process, and then you get to be your own inner ally, and check the blood of 2022.

Christine Gautreaux 46:35
I mean, that’s what I love is you teach people that old proverb about not just teaching, not just fishing, what if somebody helped me it’s the one about

Shannon M. 46:44
if you What is it if you if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, if you teach him how to fish, he’ll eat for the

Unknown Speaker 46:50
life till you nail that Shanna badly.

Christine Gautreaux 46:53
That’s the one that I think about when I think about your work is is you teach people how to do it. And it’s a skill that keeps going and keeps giving. And like Shannon said, our inner allies are strong. We call your name often on the show, just so you know, we won’t be like, Oh, wait, what dinner Allah do we need for that? Or, oh, this sounds like Dr. Phelps work. And so well, I love

Unknown Speaker 47:16
it, I’m actually just listening to clubhouse room earlier where they were talking about shame. And I didn’t realize it, but um, I don’t have my story on my website right now. And inner Ally was actually built from my own shame story. I was very deeply in shame. And I was drinking his way to cope, and things are not going well. And when I found out about the possibility of like, being kind and supportive to yourself, it really changed my life. Like it changed my life in an instant. But then I had to learn how to do to practice and to actually do it and implement it for myself. And in that process, is how I develop my company inner ally. Because, you know, I want this stuff to be fun.

Christine Gautreaux 48:12
Right? Well, that’s, I mean, that’s really what this last year has been about. And today’s show to like, as we talk about, we talk with all these amazing women, all the work they’re doing in the world, how to be connected, how to have fun, have to support each other, on this journey of wellness, because it’s not a one and done. I mean, you know, Sheila was on earlier talking about grief and loss and how life happens to us it is, you know, it is something that we have to practice and get good at. And y’all y’all just made it special this year, and you’ve made it like you’ve given 1000s of women tools and resources and connections and ways to ways to be healthier. And we’re just so very grateful to know you and to be connected. And Shannon, what do you want to add in here?

Shannon M. 49:06
Yeah, and I was I was gonna say and hope, you know, is really interesting, even as we talk about the struggles that we have, but I would still say that we probably do a pretty good job because of the the mindsets that we all have, you know, other people may be in environments that have 100% not supported it. You know, I have people in my group decades older than me who say they’ve never been around healthy females, you know. So I’m so excited for us to change what it means to be a woman and what it looks like for us to interact between each other because I would love for us to have stronger inner allies, but also stronger communities so we can support each other through everything. So thank you so much,

Christine Gautreaux 49:50
huh? I hate to end this party, but we are almost at that time y’all. And it’s one of those things We We are getting ready at 630 we’re going to do a visioning workshop though we are doing a connected envision and if y’all want to join us, we I will put the link in I’ll put it on a in our show notes but also you can go to Eventbrite and find it and we’ll have We have it on our social media that you can find on Facebook or on YouTube. But we are Yeah, no charges you just got here and we’re gonna have to close it down. Before we close it down though we cannot close it down before doing a super shout out to our show sponsor shallow glow. We haven’t even talked about it this year. For for our, our guest our you know all of y’all have tried shallow glow because it’s a part of our package when you’re a guest on our show. But Shannon Will you come on and talk a little bit about Shayla glow and what’s what’s going on at Shayla glow right now.

Shannon M. 50:57
Absolutely. So Cynthia your story reminds me of, of mine too, you know, is the struggle that I had, I didn’t grow up with my mom for 12 years, you know, so as far as a woman and the changes that we go through how to take care of yourself. I’m learning stuff from Oprah from commercial like different random places for very vital pieces of how to take care of myself. But the skin journey started when I was in band and my skin started changing colors finally I was able to go to the dermatologist and they wanted me to soak in so some blue every day for 15 minutes. And if you don’t know that’s a dangerous shampoo, I’m like, I’m not doing it you know. So I found shea butter and thankfully I’ve been able to help women take care of themselves so that’s what it’s about. You know keeping it simple. And taking the time a few seconds a day to be intentional about what we put on our bodies. So our bodies are protected. So the the main product this is what started it the glow butter I don’t know if you guys can see it from the glare but Ringway but the shea butter is the basis of the name right Shea Aloe you see how smooth it is. It has coconut oil in it so it makes it really easy to apply is melted so you get a lot in each container. And it just feels good to take care of yourself. You know what something that actually works, whether we’re talking about advice for motherhood or what to put on our skin, we get a lot of stuff people just like to say stuff in it is not working and we don’t do that around here. So I’m really proud to have Shiloh glow as a young black millennial, right we’re changing history doing all this stuff that we’re doing. And I’ve loved being part of women connected in wisdom and being foundational and people being intentional about taking care of their skin for themselves first because we know if we don’t prioritize our wellness like our TC said we’re limiting our days right but then our also our families you know Asia your mom I came to your house you know Cynthia your family and how you’ve changed everything with being intentional about your stuff and your inner ally. Joe you Ezra and Austin and whole family I love it you know hrtc And your husband and his Christmas present we got to talk about it. And of course Christine you know I love you and your family so that’s really been the biggest gift for me is being able to really benefit people’s lives and doing it through a simple natural product.

Christine Gautreaux 53:23
I love it well you know for the last year for the last way

Unknown Speaker 53:32
till I got someone now just

Christine Gautreaux 53:37
nose you to stay out of his glow butter. Y’all if you haven’t, if you haven’t tried Shayla glow, I’m telling you like, try it. It is one of Alex’s friends got into the car the other day and I keep a bottle in the car. I have a bottle in the bathroom. But you know, I take one with me when I travel. And he was like shea butters he’s a young black man and Alex was like, Well, it’s my mom’s like her co host makes it and he was like cultural appropriation much and she was like she no

young 20s I love how they just call each other. He’s like, I just didn’t expect to find this in a white woman’s car. connected right that’s part of it is learning and being connected. Well, y’all know one of our rituals, what are the things we do for the last 50 episodes is we talk about wisdom and action. And we’ll just close out today’s show with the people who are still here with us party and what’s your wisdom and action this week? What are you doing for wellness?

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 54:57
Um, I’ll hop in because I got to jump off I have to do drum lessons is six. I’ll say meditation and creative outlet for sure.

Christine Gautreaux 55:08
I love it. Joe vantrease Dr. Joe VZ. Thank you for being in the house to have your day my friend.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 55:15
I love you all to the moon and back everyone here and you know, this is amazing. Congratulations again. Keep going. Listen, Oprah’s couch is next

Christine Gautreaux 55:29
round we’re doing both we’re getting there.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 55:31
I feel I can walk through that garden. Okay people

love y’all so much though peace

Unknown Speaker 55:54
What’s your wisdom and action nation.

Unknown Speaker 55:56
My wisdom and action this week is continuing to push myself physically, I want to have some good physical wellness. That really helps my mental too. And I breathe deep breaths. Like when I’m working really hard. And it helps me helps my mind be stronger than my body. So like, I pushed myself and just doesn’t want to continue that this weekend. Again, I express my set sentiments like so proud of you guys for making it to one year. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

Christine Gautreaux 56:26
Thank you. So my friend. Congrats on launching that out. Tracy Reese is shouting in from the outside. She’s sticking with washing her hair. I love it. That’s a great. Cynthia, what you got for us.

Unknown Speaker 56:45
I am really going to focus on getting help. You know, for many of the things that I’m doing in my life, from business, to hobbies to family, just asking for help when I need it hiring people if I have to, you know, really just being supported.

Christine Gautreaux 57:08
That’s a great one. Great One for all of us to take in that we don’t have to do this alone. That we have each other and we’re connected. Alright, char TC what you got for us.

Unknown Speaker 57:20
My husband, we’re planning to bring the family together and spend some time we’re going skating. That’s gonna be hilarious because a lot of them can’t skate. Wow.

Christine Gautreaux 57:31
But my baby girl skates for Christmas. Oh, yeah. She

Unknown Speaker 57:35
thinks she’s a professional like, oh, girl. She’s never had skates before Christmas. She put them on she went around the house. She never failed. She took her time and said she found her balance. We went we took her to the skating rink just her and she got out there on that big rink. She was scared at first but she grabbed her confidence and went now you know how the rain goes around. This is everybody skating. This is Dunia. Wait to the other side take her time. And when she did fall, she’s so dramatic. She starts spinning and flitting but like she did it on purpose. Like she was doing true. It was so cute. But yeah, we’re gonna we’re gonna take the whole family this place because we haven’t done that and Wow. Just everybody.

Christine Gautreaux 58:27
What a great reminder that physical wellness can be fun. Yeah. That is a great wisdom and action. Alright, Shannon, what you got this week?

Shannon M. 58:37
Who? This week I am going to look back at my debt and refocus on the plan to pay it off. So we’ve been talking about the Dave Ramsey financial peace the baby steps right? I’m on baby step number two and firmly in the process of being able to start paying stuff off but I need to get clarity on it and know my numbers a little bit better. So that’s my wisdom and action know your numbers.

Christine Gautreaux 59:05
Right financial wellness. I love it. Yeah, that was one of mine for this week is it’s that time of year you know gathering stuff for taxes, knowing my numbers helping to set my goal. Look, I see. I see churches, you’re rolling her neck. Yeah, is one of those things is entrepreneurs and owners. Right and, and it’s exciting. Because I see y’all on this screen and your numbers are growing. I know I know because of being connected to y’all. And so let’s think about how exciting that part is right? That we get to know our numbers. Well, I hate to be the one to close it down.

JoVantreis Russell “Dr. JoVeezy” 59:44
Christine You’re not getting away with it. What’s

Shannon M. 59:46
your what’s your wisdom? And actually

Christine Gautreaux 59:47
I did I said no one my numbers. Okay, I was like mine the same. My piggyback on yours, but I really was. I really was thinking that before you said it, and physical wellness like you outside, you know, getting outside every day for a walk. And I have a pandemic puppy that we’ve talked about on the show a couple times. It’s six months old now and so it’s, it’s, it is great for us both to get out there and do a walk and have fun. So yeah, that’s, that’s mine this week. So Alright y’all, we’re gonna close out show number 50 Thank

Shannon M. 1:00:22
you so much, ladies for joining us. We will be back Live at Five for episode 51 Next week. In the meantime, don’t forget be well be wise and the whole

Unknown Speaker 1:00:42
thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on air live on Wednesdays at 5pm. 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.