Episode 1
Marriage & Parenting is HARD with Stephanie Campbell
Have you ever considered the sacrifices and balance needed to nurture a healthy marriage and family life? Join us for our very first episode of the One Big Thing podcast, where my best friend and wife, Stephanie Campbell, and I open up about our personal journey as a couple and the struggles and successes we've faced together. Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom to our four kids, and her dedication to our family allows me to chase my dreams and ambitions.
Embarking on a risk, we moved our family from New York to Tennessee, and we chat about the importance of keeping our marriage fresh and healthy. We also discuss how to love each other the way we want to be loved and how to shift our mentality to view our kids as our tribe, embracing moments of mess and disruption as opportunities to grow together. As parents, we understand the importance of self-care and building a strong support system.
In this heartfelt and inspiring conversation, Stephanie and I offer advice and encouragement to other new parents. We explore the challenges of balancing everyday tasks with nurturing our children and finding time for ourselves, emphasizing the importance of extending grace to ourselves and other moms. So, whether you're a new parent or a seasoned one, tune in for some valuable insights and inspiration to help you navigate the journey of parenthood and marriage.
We mention a great book you should consider purchasing if you are a parent raising young kids. You can buy "Habits of the Household" at https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Household-Practicing-Everyday-Rhythms/dp/0310362938/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19RY1CDER5LX3&keywords=habits+of+the+household&qid=1686665049&sprefix=habits+of+the+household%252Caps%252C97&sr=8-1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=stevecampbell-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=9139f9aff1cd9283546a39eb1ec21326&camp=1789&creative=9325
**I am an Amazon affiliate. By purchasing this product through my link, I could receive a commission as part of the purchase.** Thank you!
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The One Big Thing is produced by NQR Media. NQR also produces the award-winning Ditch the Suits Podcast, of which Steve is a co-host. For more, visit https://www.nqrmedia.com/
You can watch all episodes, as well as other great content produced by NQR Media, through their YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@NQRMedia
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Transcript
Welcome to the One Big Thing podcast where inspiration meets transformation.
Speaker A:I'm Steve Campbell, your host and I invite you to embark on this exhilarating journey with me.
Speaker A:Are you searching for that extra spark, that push to propel you in the right direction?
Speaker A:Look no further.
Speaker A:The One Big Thing is all about bringing you incredible guests from diverse backgrounds.
Speaker A:So picture this.
Speaker A:Professional athletes, visionary business leaders, fellow podcasters, and even inspiring stay at home moms who are all conquering life's challenges.
Speaker A:Get ready to seize your moment of greatness.
Speaker A:Don't miss out.
Speaker A:Subscribe and follow the One Big Thing podcast today.
Speaker A:Welcome to the One Big Thing podcast.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Steve Campbell.
Speaker A:This is episode one, folks.
Speaker A:I am extremely excited that you ventured to take this journey with me today.
Speaker A:I as you heard in the podcast intro, this is an interview style podcast where every episode I'm going to have amazing guests, really from all walks of life.
Speaker A:On this show.
Speaker A:As you heard in the intro, they're going to be thought leaders, they're going to be professional athletes, they're just going to be people that are conquering life or at least in the pursuit of doing that.
Speaker A:And I want to share just for a quick minute kind of why the One Big Thing, why I started it, and why it might be worth your time.
Speaker A:As you're going to hear in my introduction, I have a lot of moving parts in my life.
Speaker A:I have a lot of people that are dependent upon me.
Speaker A:And I'm going to be honest that there are times that with all the roles and responsibilities that I have, that I feel lost.
Speaker A:I feel like I'm not doing what I should be.
Speaker A:And I'm feeling like sometimes the world is so overwhelming with everything that's expected of me.
Speaker A:And I got to imagine that there's a lot of you out there listening to this show that are going to feel the same way wherever you are in life that, that just sometimes you don't even know if you're doing what you're doing is what you should be doing.
Speaker A:And so I created this show to really come on, to inspire, to encourage listeners with every new guest to kind of culminate in the One Big Thing or the practical insights that you as a listener can take away with every episode.
Speaker A:Whether you feel like you identify or connect with the listener because of what they do in life, don't miss an episode.
Speaker A:Each person is going to be raw, they're going to be real and they are going to share the highs, the lows, the things that they've experienced in life culminating in that One big thing or the practical things that you can implement in your life.
Speaker A:And I realized early in my car, as I was feeling overwhelmed and feeling these feelings, I really started to begin to understand that, man, if I need encouragement in my life, then the way to get that is by giving encouragement to other people.
Speaker A:So my hope as a host is with every guest that I have on, as I'm encouraging them, they're going to replenish my soul with their feel good stories and in turn to you as a listener, help you feel encouraged that you're not alone, that this life is worth living and that you can move the ball forward with practical insights that can help empower you.
Speaker A:So with that, welcome to the One Big Thing.
Speaker A:And we're going to get it right into my first guest today.
Speaker A:Well, if I'm going to ask you to spend every other week, almost 60 minutes with me to give me your time, then you got to know a lot about me as a host.
Speaker A:In every episode, it's going to be me mostly asking questions and driving stories for my guests.
Speaker A:But in this first episode, going to.
Speaker B:Be a little bit different.
Speaker A:If you're going to know who I am as a man, as a person, then the only way to really know that is through the person who helps, helps behind the scenes make me who I am.
Speaker A:And that's my wife, that's my best friend.
Speaker A:So I want everybody to welcome to the One Big Thing studio for episode number one, my best friend, my boo, Stephanie Campbell.
Speaker A:Honey, welcome to the One Big Thing.
Speaker A:Why don't you kick off maybe sharing a little introduction of who you are.
Speaker C:Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker C:I'm honored to be here and to be a part of this journey with you, babe, and just kind of kick it all off.
Speaker C:But I'm a stay at home mom to four beautiful babies, Joshua, Jordan, Haley and Harper.
Speaker C:Joshua is seven, Jordan is six and the girls are identical twins who are three.
Speaker C:So yeah, life is kind of crazy right now.
Speaker C:Raising, raising little ones and little toddlers.
Speaker B:Four world changers.
Speaker C:Four little world changers.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And as I said, I'm only folks able to do what I do, not only in podcasts, but in my day to day job because of the sacrifice that Steph takes every day staying home with the kids.
Speaker A:So she is totally underselling that.
Speaker A:She is incredible.
Speaker A:Stay at home.
Speaker A:Mommy wasn't always at home.
Speaker A:For the first several years of our marriage, Steph and I worked opposite schedules.
Speaker A:I worked during the day, she worked at night at a restaurant.
Speaker A:And we used to prior to the girls we used to switch cars and the boys would be in and we come home and we work opposite schedules.
Speaker A:But we made the decision that when the girls came into the world, because we were far outnumbered at this point, that it was a great time for us to transition to Steph being home.
Speaker A:So she is a rock star.
Speaker A:She is going to rock today.
Speaker A:Bringing her out of her comfort zone.
Speaker A:But that's because we believe in the message she's going to share with all of you.
Speaker A:And then I as your host in my day to day, I co own a business with my business partners.
Speaker A:We own a financial planning company where really our hope is to help people make one good financial decision after another.
Speaker A:I am the chief brand officer where everything you see come from.
Speaker A:My company is really kind of from my thought and what I see.
Speaker A:And I have the privilege of leading an incredible group of people and through that job.
Speaker A:Several years ago, my business partner Travis and I decided that we wanted to launch a podcast.
Speaker A:So the One Big Thing is not my first crack at podcasting.
Speaker A:I have actually been a podcaster for the last two and a half years.
Speaker A:Travis and I, if you like podcasts, we co host a show called Ditch the Suits.
Speaker A:Ditch the Suits is a financial planning podcast where we really help to educate and inspire people to really get the most from their money in life.
Speaker A:We talk about everything from what in the world is cryptocurrency and how can you retire successfully so you don't have to go back to work?
Speaker A:What is financial independence?
Speaker A:And we release episodes every single Tuesday on all major platforms.
Speaker A:So whether you feel like, you know, money, like money or you're super confused, you can check out Ditch the Suits and Travis and I will take you through a journey of understanding how money works and how to get the most from it.
Speaker A:And then this vision for the One Big Thing came from really my heart over several years of having coffee with individuals, especially in business, and having private conversations over coffee, talking life with people.
Speaker A:And what I quickly came to realize is that we don't all have it figured out, whether it looks like we do on social media and we feel like we're crushing life or what.
Speaker A:There's a lot of people that deal with insecurities that they don't know what's next in their season of life.
Speaker A:They don't know if what they're doing is what they should be doing.
Speaker A:And I thought it would be super cool to bring these 12 years of having these conversations with people from all walks of life to now put it on air and Let more consumers listen.
Speaker A:So I think there's One Big Thing journey is going to be super exciting.
Speaker A:And with that, I'm a big believer that when you do speaking events, when you talk with people, it's.
Speaker A:It's helpful to kind of like, who are we picturing in my head when I say who might find value from the One Big Thing?
Speaker A:And I put together just some show notes thinking about today.
Speaker A:Here's kind of who I see driving in your car, being at home, working out at the gym, doing whatever you're doing.
Speaker A:This is who I see in my mind.
Speaker A:Maybe you're.
Speaker A:Maybe you're a young couple, maybe married a year, 10 years, 20 years, in your 30s and 40s, and you would.
Speaker A:You would admit that maybe you need some help in your marriage.
Speaker A:Maybe the marriage today versus when you first got started isn't what you thought.
Speaker A:Maybe there's some tension and you're hoping that maybe through listening to the show, you as an individual or you and your spouse can get something that can move the ball forward in your marriage and help your marriage go from maybe a dormant kind of dying relationship, if we're being honest, is something that's thriving.
Speaker A:So maybe that's you.
Speaker A:Maybe you're a couple that has been believing for a child for years, and that's very real.
Speaker A:We have many friends and family that have gone through infertility.
Speaker A:Maybe life at work is fine.
Speaker A:Your friends are great to you, but there's a missing element in your life, and you're feeling like man.
Speaker A:I hope that by listening to the show, it can help me realize that the journey's not over and that there's hope.
Speaker A:Maybe you're a single person that is so desperately dying to have a companion in life.
Speaker A:And again, life can be great at work and outside, but your inner world, you feel like something's missing.
Speaker A:My hope is that with each guest, you might find somebody that might resonate with you or share a story of hope that can encourage you.
Speaker A:I'm thinking about the.
Speaker A:The person who has maybe been thrust into leadership.
Speaker A:As I said, I wrote, I wear leadership roles myself.
Speaker A:And you have people, employees that are dependent upon you.
Speaker A:And maybe you feel extremely ineffective as a leader, that you don't even know how to take care of yourself.
Speaker A:And you have people at work or at a nonprofit or a board that you serve on, and you don't even know if you belong.
Speaker A:You deal with that imposter syndrome.
Speaker A:That's very, very real.
Speaker A:My hope is that with every episode, you have something that you can practically take away.
Speaker A:And then just really a lot of people I think listening to the show are, if they're going to be honest with themselves, maybe feeling overwhelmed, they're super anxious about life and they are trying to kind of navigate where in the world is this world going.
Speaker A:And we're going to kind of get in that today because the world has changed even so much in the last four to five years.
Speaker A:And whether you're single, married, you got kids, or wherever you're at in life, we're all trying to navigate these constant changes to the world around us and what the world, what do we do about it?
Speaker A:And so again, my hope is that with every guest, whether you feel like you can identify with Steph as a stay at home mom and your guy or what have you, that each guest is going to give you some little nugget of truth that's going to give you hope, inspire you and encourage you.
Speaker A:So stick with us as we share a little bit of our story today, talking about life, marriage and parenting.
Speaker B:So we, we briefly just got into who we are as people, but who we are as individuals is not our whole story.
Speaker B:We live life as a couple.
Speaker B:So I thought it'd be great for us to take a little bit of time to share the behind the scenes of what makes who we are who we are.
Speaker B:So why don't you, Steph, share a little bit of where we are today and a little bit of our journey.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:We just recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary and two years ago we relocated our family to East Tennessee after living and being raised in upstate New York after Covid, it really opened our eyes to a lot of different opportunities.
Speaker C:You were able to stay at home while you were working.
Speaker C:So we didn't necessarily have to be in a certain area.
Speaker C:And it gave us the opportunity to re establish what we value in our life and how we want to raise our kids and where we want to raise our kids.
Speaker C:And so we made the jump and transitioned and uprooted our life.
Speaker C:We sold all of our things, all of our furniture.
Speaker C:We came with about 20 boxes.
Speaker C:And really just trusting in the Lord to provide all the needs that we needed to make this move.
Speaker C:But, and he did.
Speaker C:He provided us with a house.
Speaker C:It was almost down to the last minute.
Speaker C:And it's been a really trusting process.
Speaker C:And even with that, doing that alongside your partner and believing and trusting that we're doing this, we have a young family of four.
Speaker C:Well, six, but four kids and making a big, a big transition to move where there's no family, no support system.
Speaker C:You really are relying on each other for that, I guess.
Speaker C:I don't say comfort, but relying on each other to make that move, to be successful and to.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think what you're saying and what we were going through in that.
Speaker B:This was about a year process for us where I was able to work from home, which now opened up the door to kind of go anywhere we want.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:That's a great freedom to have, but it's kind of overwhelming.
Speaker B:And we sent this.
Speaker B:We felt a strong sense to.
Speaker B:To sell our home, to relocate, but we didn't always have all the answers.
Speaker B:And it was about a year's time of selling our home in New York, which sold in a day and a half.
Speaker B:We had to relocate across town to a temporary house for six, six months.
Speaker B:And the whole idea was we have six months to go find a house in Tennessee.
Speaker B:And we did.
Speaker B:Of traveling down here, we looked at a lot of houses and nothing was coming to fruition.
Speaker B:And like you said, at the last moment, the perfect house with the perfect opportunity opened up.
Speaker B:And now we've been here for two years, but our marriage has been full of transition over this last decade.
Speaker B:We've moved six to seven times.
Speaker B:We started over fresh here in Tennessee with the 20 boxes, as you said.
Speaker B:But it's not the only time you and I have ever moved.
Speaker B:And I think.
Speaker B:I think that's part of our.
Speaker B:Our story is that in this last year, we didn't have all the answers, but we were willing to take a chance and take a risk.
Speaker B:And my hope for a listener here today is maybe you're in the same position where you feel like maybe there's something more to life and that more may include you taking a risk.
Speaker B:It might include you changing a job or relocating.
Speaker B:So as we kind of share in this, this behind the scenes, let our story encourage you that we don't have it all figured out and that marriage is hard, life is hard, parenting is hard, but.
Speaker B:But it's worth living for.
Speaker B:It's worth trying to get the most from.
Speaker B:So why don't we just talk about.
Speaker B:We went to dinner, celebrated our 10 year, as you said, and we were kind of reflecting back on life.
Speaker B:Why don't we kind of talk through maybe some of the personal things or intimate things that we kind of talked about over dinner over the last 10 years?
Speaker C:Yeah, I.
Speaker C:I think the one thing that we really have kept a goal as our.
Speaker C:As our central theme or focus for our marriage is to keep everything light and fresh.
Speaker C:Don't sit in, in all of the, the weight of what your marriage can carry, the miscommunication and the arguments and the little things that could really all add up over time.
Speaker C:You start off marrying your best friend and then you could slowly lose yourself in that process with life struggles and obstacles.
Speaker C:And if you're both working, raising children, just really trying to stay, stay focused on your relationship and your marriage.
Speaker B:I mean, well, that idea, that idea.
Speaker A:For context, for light and fresh.
Speaker B:We went on our honeymoon right after we got married to St.
Speaker B:Lucia and.
Speaker A:It was like the island call to.
Speaker B:Action mission statement was light and fresh.
Speaker B:And I remember being there on the beach and I was like, what does it even mean to keep it light and fresh?
Speaker B:And so for 10 years when things have gotten rocky, when things have happened, I know I've looked at you and said light and fresh.
Speaker B:Sometimes we know what to do in.
Speaker A:The moment with our kids.
Speaker B:Sometimes we're like, what does it even mean?
Speaker B:But it's worth fighting for that life is meant to be lived and the best way to do it is with your spouse by trying to keep it light and fresh.
Speaker B:And that's kind of our one big thing in this section as we talk about marriage is just keeping things light and fresh.
Speaker B:But there's a lot of how to's, there's a lot of practical stuff with that, right?
Speaker C:I mean, even just we talk about honor and honoring one another and to be able to respect one another and love each other the way that we want to be loved.
Speaker C:When you are busy raising your family, you get lost in the kids needs and what you're pouring into them and it's easy to forget about your spouse or what they need.
Speaker C:And sometimes when you, at the end of the day, after a busy, crazy day, we needed to come back and regroup and be there for each other and support each other.
Speaker B:And sometimes that looks like doing it in real time multiple times a day where you start off with the greatest of intentions of loving honoring your spouse and by 10am perhaps hitting the fan with the kids and you're feeling worn out already and where's this day going?
Speaker B:And sometimes you literally just have to look at your spouse in the eye and say, light and fresh, let's reset, let's take a deep breath, right?
Speaker B:And so for us, it doesn't mean that every day is perfect as a couple because marriage is hard, especially interjecting little ones into it.
Speaker B:But it's learning to fight for each other, you know, not at each other.
Speaker B:And honor is just this concept that I think is really lost today in our culture because we, we see so much dishonor out there.
Speaker B:But honor for us is speaking life.
Speaker B:You know, trying to love each other in the way that we talk to each other, the way that we use our body language, our disposition, how we use our eyes.
Speaker B:You can roll your eyes and send a completely different message to your spouse, but especially in front of our little kids, making sure that they know that mom and dad love each other and not just in front of them.
Speaker B:And then behind closed doors, it's, it's, you know, an all out mess and we can't stand each other, but just when we have our times together just telling each other like, I love you, I'm, I'm trying my best.
Speaker B:And over commuting maybe sometimes what you're dealing with.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker C:I think our words that we speak hold so much value and they could build people up or break people down.
Speaker C:So you're in this partnership together as, as a married couple navigating life's changes and what you're going through and all the obstacles of what life brings.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And we know a lot of couples that, you know, this isn't unique to the Campbells, that sometimes there's days where we feel like we're totally in love and have it figured out, and other days we feel like we don't really fight, but sometimes we just have miscommunications or missed expectations of what the other one should be doing.
Speaker B:And I know that we've talked about, especially with, with kids and all the disruptions that they bring, it's sometimes so easy to unload on your spouse because they're your person.
Speaker B:You know, you, you love your kids, and when your kids walk in the room, you're like, you know, I love you so much.
Speaker A:Give me a big hug.
Speaker B:Your spouse walks in the room and you just stare at them.
Speaker B:And sometimes that's just the displacement of the fact that you're feeling worn out, you're feeling anxious, and your spouse is kind of your saf.
Speaker B:It's very easy sometimes to unfortunately unload in on your spouse in a way that they never asked for, they never expected for.
Speaker B:And even just for us working through that, of like, hey, that was uncalled for, or, you know, like, we just need to reset right now because I just felt like there was a lot of tension out there and we got to get it right.
Speaker B:So, folks, we do not have this figured out, but we are constantly pursuing it over the last 10 years of what would a super healthy marriage look like, and there's not really a blueprint that's out there for this stuff.
Speaker B:I mean, unless you meet another couple that you just you know right away, like, man, that's what we want our love to look like.
Speaker B:Some of this stuff, especially for us in our 30s and 40s, we're taking our cues from social media, from other people and how their marriages look.
Speaker B:And you can see people that, you know on the surface and pictures, love completely in love, and they're always taking family photos and all this stuff.
Speaker B:But behind the scenes, man, it might be a mess.
Speaker B:So for us, like, we.
Speaker B:We just do not have all the answers.
Speaker B:We recognize that it's hard, and that's part of the key, is not faking it.
Speaker B:Like, we got it all figured out, but being willing to work together and realize that it's an honor and privilege to be married to each other.
Speaker C:Right, Exactly.
Speaker C:I think the ways that we can keep things light and fresh is to remember to come together as a couple and to work things out.
Speaker C:And I mean, that's, that's the foundation of your home and your family is, is you and your spouse.
Speaker C:And if that is off kiltered and broken, not even broken, just not collectively structured, I guess everything else is off balance, so.
Speaker C:And then just being able to.
Speaker C:Willing to start over, even if it is multiple times in a day.
Speaker C:If you have to stay humble, remind yourself your spouse is your best friend and you are blessed to be married to them and pray for each other, pray for them when you're.
Speaker C:You're not seeing eye to eye or you feel like you have done something wrong, or if you just remember to speak life over them well, and to.
Speaker A:To give you guys a little bit.
Speaker B:More behind the scenes.
Speaker B:Faith is the biggest part of our life for Steph and I.
Speaker B:And so when we talk about prayer, it's even just, you know, how we, how we pray for our spouse when they're not in the room and honoring them and uplifting them, and it's.
Speaker B:It's hard.
Speaker B:You got to come together.
Speaker B:You have a choice.
Speaker B:And there has been moments in our marriage where, especially with raising kids, you are surviving till bedtime, till the kids go to bed and you can finally breathe.
Speaker B:And we have had so many conversations about putting our phones down in bed because we finally have these moments where we can actually, like, connect and talk about how we're doing in our day and, and, you know, kind of retry and invigorate what we had first in our marriage.
Speaker B:When we got married and didn't have Kids.
Speaker B:And the next thing you know, we're.
Speaker A:Just both on our phones.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm watching videos, and you're, you know, shopping or doing whatever, and we spend an hour doing that.
Speaker B:And then we kind of, like, turn to each other at night, and it's like, okay, well, we're gonna go to bed.
Speaker B:How was your day?
Speaker B:And it's like, man, is that.
Speaker B:Is that really what we want in our marriage is to just kind of be together but not be together, if that makes sense.
Speaker B:And so fighting even for that and recognizing in real time, like, dude, we are not connecting whatsoever.
Speaker B:We're just kind of here together.
Speaker B:And again, something that we are always working on, figuring out ourselves and best practices and how to do that and not bringing the phones into the bedroom at night.
Speaker B:And it doesn't mean that, you know, every night we're perfect, but I think it's just recognizing, man, we got married on purpose because we loved each other like crazy.
Speaker B:How.
Speaker B:How can we rekindle that with the fact that there are little ones that are, you know, causing disruptions and going and everything?
Speaker B:But, you know, 10 years into this thing, I think we're stronger than where we were on day one.
Speaker B:It just doesn't mean that it hasn't come without setbacks, setups, failure, successes, transitions.
Speaker B:And kind of here we are communicating to all of you some of our story, and we hope that it resonates and encourages you.
Speaker C:Right, Exactly.
Speaker B:So we shared who we are as.
Speaker A:Individuals, and then we told you it's.
Speaker B:More complex because we are also married couples, so that makes us kind of one in how we look at things.
Speaker B:But then you add this whole nother layer of complexity, because we're also parents.
Speaker B:And so for seven years, we've learned probably the biggest thing is that when you're a parent, life becomes even more full of disruptions, things that you never could have planned for.
Speaker B:Whether it's your kids waking you up in the middle of the night, finding messes around the house, dealing with the great days where everybody's obedient mixed in with the days where nobody wants to listen and everybody's talking back to you, these disruptions can cause you to really reflect on who you are as a parent.
Speaker B:So we wanted to go just kind of back and forth, sharing a little bit more kind of about what it's been like us.
Speaker B:And as I said, we don't have it all figured out, but there's definitely some things that we've learned in this process of raising these four kids together.
Speaker C:Yeah, I Think with all that being said, when you view your children in a different perspective, as not someone that you're catering to and picking up after and just really enjoying life with them, it gives you a more enjoyable experience.
Speaker C:As a parent, I recently listened to a podcast and really just how you view your children and view your people as your tribe and to if you have that perspective and that it really makes you want to spend more time with them and not always want to.
Speaker C:I don't want to say bash them, but speak negatively over them and just they're your people.
Speaker C:You're the people you want to hang out with and you want to build their life with and just cherish them.
Speaker B:Because parenting is hard.
Speaker B: home, toddlers, teenagers, in: Speaker B:Not, not to their face.
Speaker B:Obviously, we're not talking about, like telling your kids you're the worst and speaking death over them, but when you're with your.
Speaker B:Your friends, your girlfriends, or with other couples and you get together, every session becomes like a counseling session where everyone's just unloading all the things about their kids that they different.
Speaker B:You know, toddler stage is the worst.
Speaker B:I can't wait for this to be over.
Speaker B:And it's like, tell me about it.
Speaker B:Or it's like, man, teenagers stink.
Speaker B:And it's like, I know.
Speaker B:And then if we're not careful, we find ourselves on social media almost relishing in videos of moms and dads posting pictures of their kids having temper tantrums and freaking out and, you know, feeling almost solace kind of in that or filling ourself up that we're displacing our own insecurity with the fact that sometimes putting this stuff on our kids, like we talked about in the first part, like with our spouse, that's not a healthy way to do it.
Speaker B:And so I love that idea that you were just talking about of viewing your kids as your people and as your tribe.
Speaker B:And it's, it's a small mental shift.
Speaker B:But like, man, these are our kids.
Speaker B:Like, we have an opportunity to love them and lead them.
Speaker C:I think it's helpful in and keeping in.
Speaker C:We all are going through this together as parents, and you can lean on each other and be like, okay, my.
Speaker C:My child is acting out in this way and kind of giving advice and helpful hints for that but not necessarily soaking, like, always focusing on the negative and just really, this is a growing process for them and to be able to learn and grow and develop with them instead of always just kind of taking the negative perspective.
Speaker B:Yeah, but I want to.
Speaker B:I want to praise you for a minute because you're so much better and so much more patient than I am as a parent to give you kind.
Speaker B:Like Steph will when our kids spill something.
Speaker B:She'll be like, oh, it's okay.
Speaker B:Why don't we pick it up together?
Speaker B:Our kids spill something.
Speaker B:I'm like, what the heck?
Speaker B:You know, because it seems like it's taking away from me in that moment.
Speaker B:And I know that you have been huge for me watching you love our kids and then just having these come to Jesus moments where I'm like, man, I never expected growing up and thinking about having kids that sometimes my reactions as a dad would be the reactions that I actually have where it's like, my kids are trying.
Speaker B:They're trying to be helpful, quote, unquote.
Speaker B:But they're causing a lot of disruptions.
Speaker B:They're breaking stuff.
Speaker B:They're spilling things, man.
Speaker B:There's things that come to your mind and that come out of your mouth in that moment where, like, you just, like, literally are ashamed at the fact that you would raise your voice in that way or react in that way.
Speaker B:And you are so good, so much better than I am at just being so patient with our kids.
Speaker B:And it's really motivated me to literally stop in those moments when they spill something.
Speaker B:And instead of responding or reacting, being like, wait a minute, this is an opportunity.
Speaker B:Like, these are our people, like you just talked about.
Speaker B:I need to invite them into the cleanup process.
Speaker B:Rather than me just, like, screaming, go to your room.
Speaker B:Or, you know, doing whatever.
Speaker B:And so I just want to heap a little bit of praise on you that as a mommy, you do a fantastic job of recognizing and kind of loving our kids where they're at.
Speaker C:Well, kids want to be a part of the process.
Speaker C:They want to be a part of the cooking and the cleaning.
Speaker C:And, I mean, my older boys, not necessarily, but definitely the girls, they're always sitting on the countertops and wanting to stir the pasta or add all the seasonings and way too much salt or pull it back a little bit.
Speaker C:They want to be a part of the big kid chores and learning, and that's how their brain is developing.
Speaker C:So we just got to be patient in the process and to guide them in.
Speaker C:I mean, there's times when I want dinner on the table.
Speaker C:And everything to be set up.
Speaker C:But it takes a little bit longer to get everything done when you incorporate the kids into those routines and those day to day chores and things that you have to get done.
Speaker C:But that's why there's the messes and the things, because they're like, I want to be, I want to do what mommy's doing, I want to do what daddy's doing and, and just really enjoy that time with your child while that is all happening.
Speaker B:And you got all these layers, right?
Speaker B:And so we've been talking about you're an individual trying to figure out who you are as a person and then you get married and you're trying to figure out who you are as a couple and now as a parent.
Speaker B:And you have these, you know, moments when things don't go the way that you thought.
Speaker B:And I know with me, sometimes you'll be like, babe, like, relax, it's okay.
Speaker B:And sometimes when you're so worn out, that seems like a piercing, cutting remark from your spouse.
Speaker B:And it's not.
Speaker B:You're just literally trying to help me keep it light and fresh and remember that it's okay and having the little mental shift for myself that you are my best friend.
Speaker B:You're my, you're my advocate.
Speaker B:You're trying to help me.
Speaker B:Now when you say those things, I know you're not being critical of me.
Speaker B:You're, you're trying to motivate me to be better for our kids because they're watching me.
Speaker B:They're taking their cues from you and I.
Speaker B:And so if they're going to be our people and it's our blessing and opportunity to really help them grow, then, you know, that kind of, that's, that's the big, the one big thing in our area is parenting that we talk about all the time is not, not allowing our blessings.
Speaker B:And in our mind, it's our kids not allowing our blessings to become a burden.
Speaker B:And I know that maybe no one would ever just come out and say, like, yeah, I'm burdened by my children.
Speaker B:But there are definitely moments when you feel exhausted, worn out, tired.
Speaker B:Like you, you just can't keep going on that.
Speaker B:It does seem like sometimes your kids are literally taking parts of your life from you and you wish that you could take care of yourself and do the things you want to do, but you can't because of those kids.
Speaker B:And if you're not careful, that's a very thin kind of connection point between those two where you can lose yourself and being bitter or you can rise above and be like, nope, it's a blessing.
Speaker B:And that's what that POD was talking about.
Speaker A:Remember?
Speaker B:It's a blessing that there's a spill on the floor that means there's little ones in the home.
Speaker B:And that's like, man, when you get that revelation, it's like, dude, I've been missing the mark.
Speaker B:And it's a constant resetting of keeping it light and fresh.
Speaker C:Right, Exactly.
Speaker B:And we just mentioned about routine life, transition times of the day.
Speaker B:Those can be some of the most hectic times as a parent with young kids, because sometimes it doesn't always go the way that you thought it would go.
Speaker B:So, you know, building routine into your life is really important.
Speaker C:For sure.
Speaker C:I mean, that's how kids thrive is through routine and structure, even just starting getting up and starting your day.
Speaker C:And, I mean, we do this little thing that we've learned from a book that we just recently read called Habits of the Household.
Speaker C:It really gave us a lot of insight on just the habits that you want to bring into your household.
Speaker C:And just the first thing that we do when we first wake up in the morning is to get the kids together.
Speaker C:We all hold hands in a little circle, and we start our morning off with prayer.
Speaker C:And that just kind of kicks off our day.
Speaker C:Each one of them, we have a little thing that we recite, and then each one of them kind of says a little thing.
Speaker C:But just incorporating those times in the day to have structure, whether it's getting the kids ready for lunch and then bedtime routines, and even just after lunch and dinner, cleaning up and just getting the kids on a schedule like that so that they know that they have expectations to be able to help in the chores that they need to help.
Speaker C:Help you be a parent and help you kind of take some stress off of the day to.
Speaker C:To not be living for the morning to the night, be like, okay, here's another day.
Speaker C:Like, oh, it's just gonna be crazy and chaotic.
Speaker B:Let's just survive.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And we don't want to just survive our days.
Speaker C:We want to live our days.
Speaker C:We want to be able to find happiness and joy in the chaos.
Speaker C:So when you put structure in.
Speaker C:And I mean, we.
Speaker C:With four kids and toddlers and busy lifestyles and getting the boys to baseball and all the extra things that you have to do, it's hard sometimes to stay in the schedule.
Speaker C:But I think the best that you can do is just kind of keep those staples in place for the mornings, the afternoons, and the bedtime routines, and it kind of gives you that Structure.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you got to make it unique as your own life and how your kids are.
Speaker B:Maybe they respond differently than ours.
Speaker B:But we recognize in our marriage as parents that there was definitely times of the day that were more high stress than others.
Speaker B:We noticed that trying to get two of our boys up to school in the morning with two little ones also staying at home was stressful because we were trying to get our kids to school on time and our kids were getting anxious and we were trying to get them in the car.
Speaker B:We noticed that meal times, dinner time.
Speaker B:When you got four young kids, there's no clean, you know, neat dinner where it's a half hour and everybody just talks about their day.
Speaker B:From the time you start dinner, of cooking to the time you end, it's about an hour and a half every single night.
Speaker B:And when you got young kids, you know, they don't always want to eat everything you make and everybody wants something different.
Speaker B:So like, okay, what do we do about dinner?
Speaker B:Dinner was supposed to be this time for us coming together.
Speaker B:There's a family unit as a tribe, and every single night all hell breaks loose and we can't keep track of our kids.
Speaker B:And then even just getting to bed, you know, you ask most young parents, like, oh, when your kids go to bed and it's like, well, anytime between 8 and 10.
Speaker B:And that's because it's kind of like having the cable guy come.
Speaker B:There's a two hour window where you're not sure when it's going to happen in those two hours, but something is going to take place.
Speaker B:And even if we in our best intentions start trying to get our bed, our kids to bed at 7, 7:30, there's some nights that it's like 9:00 where at this point we're like, go to bed and we can't do it.
Speaker B:And so this Habits of the Household, which is a great read by the way, was really good about pointing out those transition points of the day and how to bring structure and order to them by doing little things and creating that sense of routine so kids know what to come with.
Speaker B:So that family prayer that we do, it sounds super cheesy and super corny.
Speaker B:And when you read this book, you're like, there's no way that this little thing helps.
Speaker B:But it totally transformed our going to school in the morning by teaching our kids a prayer that they repeat with me every morning.
Speaker B:And they know it by heart and they say it back to us now.
Speaker B:It has literally changed our entire experience.
Speaker B:And now we're in summertime so we got four kids at home.
Speaker B:But just as a young parent, you are trying to constantly deal with these disruptions day in and day out, while still learning to fight for each other as a couple.
Speaker B:And to people listening out there, parenting is really, really hard.
Speaker B:But it doesn't mean that it's worth it.
Speaker B:In shifting that mentality from making your, your blessings always stay blessings, not letting them become burdens, and viewing your people as a tribe, I think is huge point that we want to drive home.
Speaker B:Your kids are worth it and you need to parent them in such a way.
Speaker B:So, you know, you just, you got to take it one day at a time as much as you can.
Speaker C:I think that this conversation has been really helpful about parenting.
Speaker C:And I think the one big thing that I have to bring to the table is to don't put expectations on yourself or on your children that are meant for a different season.
Speaker C:Parenthood is really hard and you are navigating how to manage really big emotions from your children while keeping up with the chores of a home, while cultivating time for your marriage.
Speaker C:Just keep it simple.
Speaker C:I don't have the perfect clean home, nor do I expect that in this season of my life, but I do try my best to keep up with, keep up with it all.
Speaker C:Don't put that extra stress on yourself if you can't in the season.
Speaker C:There's going to be disruptions during your day.
Speaker C:Messes on the counter, clothes that need to be put away, dishes in the laundry or dishes in the sink.
Speaker B:Dishes in the laundry probably happens at our house.
Speaker B:Anything goes.
Speaker C:But all while your children are begging for your attention to take your time to pour into them.
Speaker C:Just enjoy this time with your babies.
Speaker C:They're only babies for so long.
Speaker C:And if having a tidy house brings you joy and happiness, try to place structure and schedules in place to help you be more organized in that.
Speaker C:So my one big thing, don't put expectations on you or your kids that are meant for a different season.
Speaker B:Yeah, and that's, I mean, that's something that we, we talk about all the time, right.
Speaker B:When you have a decision between you walk into the kitchen and it's full of dishes or your kids want to play a game with you.
Speaker B:You know, our kids love Jenga and they love different board games.
Speaker B:Sometimes it's really easy to want to take the responsible route and know that, like we don't have a cleaning person coming.
Speaker B:So kids, you play and I'm gonna do the dishes or what have you.
Speaker B:There's definitely times for that.
Speaker B:But then there's also times for just allowing, like your kids want to spend time with you and navigating.
Speaker B:Yeah, if my kids were older, maybe they would be able to help in certain ways, but right now they can't.
Speaker B:And so it's really important for us as parents to pick and choose our battles.
Speaker B:You know, and looking at, is it worth us cleaning our entire home for four hours to only then an hour later have it be dirty again by the same blood little tribal people that are in our home?
Speaker B:Or should we just say, you know what, I'm going to chalk it up for today, I'll clean tomorrow and I'm just going to go snuggle with my kids and spend some time with them.
Speaker B:So if you're a parent, there's no judgment.
Speaker B:You know, if you're a parent that loves to spend time with your kids and maybe your house is a little dirtier than some, that's fine.
Speaker B:If you're somebody that wants to have a clean house all the time, then do you.
Speaker B:Either way, I think for you as parents and as a couple, it's understanding, like, what's really important.
Speaker B:And, you know, what should we be focusing our time and attention on?
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean, I don't think you're going to look back at this time and be like, oh, I should have spent more time cleaning my house.
Speaker C:Like, you're going to be wanting to treasure the time with your kids, so really just keep that all in perspective.
Speaker A:Well, we come from a context of.
Speaker B:You know, having four kids and kind of where we are now.
Speaker B:But I thought you'd also be just a great guest to kind of talk to newer parents.
Speaker B:You know, that, that seasonal expectations, understanding where you're at in season.
Speaker B:There's, there are a lot of people that are going to be listening to this that are either expecting a new one or maybe are at home with a new one.
Speaker B:And you have such great perspective in this area as to maybe how you could provide some context to a new mom or a new parent that's trying to like, what do I do now?
Speaker C:Yeah, I think letting go of the small things that you can, can, can't control, or there's only so much you can control.
Speaker C:So your purpose and responsibility in this time is to nurture and be there for your baby, have grace for yourself, both for you and your baby.
Speaker C:You're both figuring this all out together.
Speaker C:Most of this experience for you will be trial and error.
Speaker C:Like, what works for you, what works for your baby, how you sleep with your baby, how your baby just all those little things that comes with being a new mom of just figuring it out.
Speaker C:Take all the advice that you can.
Speaker C:I mean, and some people's advice won't always work for your situation because not everyone's the same.
Speaker C:But in realizing just how time fast go, how fast time goes, enjoy the early stages of the newborn season.
Speaker C:I think the biggest thing, my biggest piece of advice for new parents is find an amazing support system.
Speaker C:Surround yourself with other moms who can pour life into you, build you up, give you a break when you need help, Help.
Speaker C:And it takes a village to raise our babies.
Speaker C:And realizing we are all on this parenting journey together to encourage and uplift one another is really a beautiful gift because we're here to support each other and don't be ashamed to ask for help.
Speaker C:Reach out to a friend or family member if you need advice to take a shower or for someone to do a little laundry for you.
Speaker C:Looking back, I have a little story.
Speaker C:One of my friends had just had a baby.
Speaker C:Joshua was only a few months old at this time.
Speaker C:My oldest, our oldest, and she just had her baby, and she had a really hard time sleeping at night.
Speaker C:The baby was constantly crying.
Speaker C:She had acid reflux, and she couldn't put her baby down.
Speaker C:And she was just really struggling as a new mom and just trying to get rest and feel refreshed.
Speaker C:And I don't think she even asked for help, but I one day just was like, I'm coming over.
Speaker C:I'm going to come over and help you.
Speaker C:And whatever you need to do to make you feel like you again, I want you to do that.
Speaker C:I'll come and hang out with your sweet little girl, and I'll bring Joshua and you take a nap, get refreshed, recharge, pour back into you, take a shower.
Speaker C:And she had this.
Speaker C:She's like, I don't think I would have even known to ask for that if you didn't just suggest it.
Speaker C:And she's like, now I know as a mom that I can do that for other people.
Speaker C:So I think it's really good that we all are just building off of each other and just having that support system.
Speaker C:I think that's.
Speaker C:That's the one thing that really helps us get by.
Speaker C:And I think another piece of advice I have is one of the hardest things is making time for ourselves.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker C:Not losing yourself in this process, in this journey while we are raising and pouring into our children, we need to make time to go to the gym, go to the local coffee shops, go read a book, lose the mom guilt of having to step away from your child or your babies or your husband and to take time for yourself.
Speaker C:Because I struggle with that.
Speaker C:I struggle with when you give me my time.
Speaker C:Like, hey, go have time for yourself, babe.
Speaker C:Like, I know you've been with the kids all week, all go do you.
Speaker C:And when I leave the house and I'm like, I don't know what I need to do right now or what, like, I feel so lost because I'm always so constantly in the nitty gritty day to day things and I'm like, do I go get my nails done?
Speaker C:I don't even care about my nails because I'm always like at home.
Speaker C:But I should pour, I should want to be able to pour that back into myself because self pampering and self care is really good for your soul too as a mom.
Speaker C:And just really don't lose yourself in this time.
Speaker C:And I think I said this before, but really everything is trial and error, finding what works for you and what doesn't.
Speaker C:Don't ever compare yourself to how another mom is putting her kid to sleep or if they're sleeping with their baby.
Speaker C:And that's like a big no, no.
Speaker C:Or like there's all, all the different things that you need to figure out and you're gonna figure out what works for you.
Speaker B:And yeah, what a masterclass on motherhood.
Speaker A:And I think as I listen, I.
Speaker B:Just had a couple of thoughts that came to mind.
Speaker B:There's gotta be, there's got to be.
Speaker B:Grace, you know, we, when you're a.
Speaker A:New parent, a new mom, there's a.
Speaker B:Lot of things that can happen that no one could have ever told you how your baby's going to respond to sleep or lack of sleep or.
Speaker B:And that that can cause a disruption too as well.
Speaker B:And so I think I had told you that I started this One Big Thing podcast because I knew that I so desperately needed encouragement in my life.
Speaker B:And I discovered that I got to give away the thing that I want in order if I want to be backfilled with what I need.
Speaker B:And so by, as I go out and encourage people, I believe that I too will be encouraged.
Speaker B:And I, for you as a mom, you recognized just giving.
Speaker B:Kind of what you probably could have used was a nap, was a, you know, shower yourself by giving that away.
Speaker B:Your soul was filled in a way that inspired another mom.
Speaker B:And so for many of us that are out there, just having that community of people, because we as husbands can be so dense, we can miss with new babies in the Home, the demands on a mom and what you go through.
Speaker B:And even though you may open up and share and communicate what you're going through, it's just really hard for us as men to fully understand the weight of what's on your shoulders and the lack of sleep at night.
Speaker B:And so having, having other women that you can, you know, do life with small groups, what have you, you can't do this life alone.
Speaker B:And for young parents, especially for the dads, you know, having those kind of moments to understand that your wife needs you during this time.
Speaker B:Raising kids, whether you have one, two at home.
Speaker B:And it's your job to not know all the answers because you're not going to know either.
Speaker B:But to just try to make time for your wife so that you know she's not dealing with that guilt of, you know, I should be doing more.
Speaker B:I feel like you're out there working every day and I'm just raising these kids, I should be doing more.
Speaker B:And the counter is you got moms that are out there as working moms every day that feel like they should be home and feeling that guilt.
Speaker B:And so I think what you just said about finding time for you and kind of those layers that we've been making our way through in this conversation, that at the end of the day you're an individual first in, in loving kind of yourself and taking care of yourself is important, but then you add the layer on top of you're also married, so there's expectations from your spouse of who you are in light of them.
Speaker B:And then when you had a parent, depending on how many kids you have, you have all those little ones that are dependent upon you.
Speaker B:And so, you know, I think you got to give yourself a break with all that you're experiencing out there in the world and how quickly the world is changing and trying to drink out of that fire hose and then figure out all these moving elements, what you just did to help, you know, kind of those young moms, young parents, I think is going to be such a revelation to them of time, go so incredibly fast and just don't be afraid to ask for help.
Speaker B:Don't be afraid to admit that you got to raise your hand and then don't, don't be afraid to be a blessing to somebody else and meet their need whether they ask for it or not.
Speaker B:And just, just be understanding that there's got to be grace for all of us in that man.
Speaker B:And this has been a jam packed conversation today.
Speaker B:We've talked to you about individual life.
Speaker A:Marriage, parenting, new Parents.
Speaker B:But I thought as a fun way to bring all of these one big thing episodes to a home, I'm always going to do this and have my guests do it.
Speaker B:But for this one today, I'm going to participate too.
Speaker B:Is this concept of start, stop and finish.
Speaker B:We did this the other night at dinner over anniversary where we just went back and forth.
Speaker B:What's something that we want to start doing, what's something that we want to stop doing?
Speaker B:And then what's something that we want to continue doing?
Speaker B:So we thought it'd be fun for this episode for some practical takeaways to share our own.
Speaker B:Stop, start and continue.
Speaker B:So, Steph, why don't you hit us with your.
Speaker B:Your start?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:So my start would be to get up early and start my day in the quietness of my own time.
Speaker C:I've always worked in the evening, so I never really was a morning person.
Speaker C:And after having kids and staying up with those sleepless nights, I like to tend to sleep in a little longer in the morning.
Speaker C:So I think what I really need to start incorporating in my day too help me feel to get my day going and fueled up for the day is to have my morning time and the peace and quiet of just start without the busyness of the day going.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then my stop would be I would stop comparing myself to other moms, other people, other people's situations.
Speaker C:I think it's really easy for us as moms to compare whether it's how we parent our finances, our homes, our structures, our routines.
Speaker C:And I think we just need to really just enjoy what we have and what we are cultivating as moms and just stop the comparison.
Speaker C:Trapped.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then my continue would be just to continue on loving my tribe and who they are.
Speaker C:And I'm treating them as just people I want to be with.
Speaker C:And not that I'm just parenting them, but they are my friends and I love them and I love our quality time together.
Speaker C:So I just going to continue just building my life with you and our children.
Speaker B:Those are great.
Speaker B:And I know we're going to have.
Speaker A:A lot of family and friends that.
Speaker B:Are going to be tuning into this first episode because they know you're my first guest.
Speaker B:And I'm sure you got a lot of girlfriends and moms that are out there that when they look at you, truthfully think you got it all figured out and you're this, you know, beautiful mom, beautiful soul, because they tell me that all the time.
Speaker B:But I, you know, I think what this conversation maybe has done is revealed that there's some flaws in what we do, there's some weaknesses.
Speaker B:And even if you've been comparing yourself to somebody like Steph, there's no need to do that.
Speaker B:You know, you're figuring it out just like they are.
Speaker B:And so to stop that comparison, if that's all you took away from this episode, I think is worth its weight in gold.
Speaker B:You know, for my start.
Speaker A:Stop.
Speaker B:Continue.
Speaker B:This first one is going to sound, for a start, kind of shallow as a person, but I just want to start loving and caring for you, maybe in a more meaningful way.
Speaker B:I love you with all of my heart, but after a decade of being married, when you have a lot of sleepless nights, when you deal with a lot of different things in your body and your life than I do as a man, I know that our safe space when we get together is us kind of sharing those things.
Speaker B:And I've told oldest to you, so I have no shame doing it behind this microphone.
Speaker B:But I think that there's sometimes as a spouse, we can become numb to what our spouse shares with us, especially if it's a repeating thing.
Speaker B:And I know that as you have sacrificed being a mom and given birth to these kids and everything else you've gone through, I know when you share with me, you're tired or your back hurts or, you know, you just feel exhausted that it's sometimes so easy for me to tune out and be like, okay, well, I'm going to go.
Speaker B:And I don't mean to do that.
Speaker B:And it's not every time, but just starting to stop when you say those things and really understand that, that you are my best friend, that I love you with all of my heart.
Speaker B:And I can't just tell you that.
Speaker B:I have to show you that.
Speaker B:And so being open and honest about taking the time to understand what you're sharing with me and not problem solve, but maybe just understand what, what I can do to maybe help in that situation.
Speaker B:Because I recognize and want to honor you for all that you're doing, something that I want to stop doing.
Speaker B:I gotta believe I'm not the only one in this thing.
Speaker B:I want to stop being so attached to my phone, you know, because of what I do for a living.
Speaker B:I run a lot of social medias, I'm a content creator, but I also am very involved in my business.
Speaker B:But then truthfully, my phone also becomes a crutch.
Speaker B:Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can find myself endlessly scrolling on stupid stuff I shouldn't be looking at because I just, I'M exhausted and I don't want, when you guys are with me in the room and the kids and they're looking for daddy to be present that I'm on my phone.
Speaker B:And when you say something to me, you know, I kind of act like I knew what you said, but I really have no idea.
Speaker B:You, you catch me all the time doing that, and I just want to be better.
Speaker B:I haven't figured it out all the time.
Speaker B:I am.
Speaker B:I am improving, folks, but just being better about maybe leaving my phone in a room and not bringing it in with me and not being so attached.
Speaker B:And then I just want to, you know, continue to grow and develop as a person, as a man, you know, through these episodes.
Speaker B:Just, I think there's going to be guests that are going to come on and share things and I'm like, that's really good.
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker B:You know, we shared a book today that maybe you could go out and get Habits of the Household.
Speaker B:It was given to us by a friend.
Speaker B:You know, you got a podcast you talked about, which is called Ms.
Speaker B:For Mama.
Speaker B:That was where we kind of learned about viewing your kids as a blessing and as your people.
Speaker B:There's tons of resources out there, folks, and it's our job to constantly be growing and understanding in what we're doing.
Speaker B:So as we bring this episode one to a close, I want to thank you, Steph, for stepping outside of your comfort, comfort zone, sharing vulnerably all that you did.
Speaker B:I think it's going to help inspire a lot of people, whether they're a mom or not, to maybe take a nugget away from this episode, but to if you've made it all the way through, thank you for being my guest.
Speaker B:Thank you for giving episode one a try.
Speaker B:I hope you come back because the lineup of guests that I have, I'm pretty excited about.
Speaker B:They are going to inspire you.
Speaker B:They're from all walks of life.
Speaker B:We're going to continue to grow our guest list as they come on.
Speaker B:But I could use your help too as well.
Speaker B:I'd love for you, no matter what platform you're on, to subscribe to your platform.
Speaker B:Go on, leave a five star rating and review.
Speaker B:That's the only way that we're going to help get this show out there to more listeners that are probably searching for what you are.
Speaker B:Maybe you just know me, but please take a call to action.
Speaker B:Leave that five star rating.
Speaker B:Leave that review.
Speaker B:Not for my own good, but just so that we can help more people when they're searching for motivation.
Speaker B:This podcast will pop up as a recommendation.
Speaker B:But this concludes episode one of the One Big Thing.
Speaker B:I appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker B:I hope that in this episode you're able to move the ball forward in one area of your life.
Speaker B:And again, thanks for being our guest, Steph, for being here, and hope you enjoyed this first episode.
