The Uncommon Path
"The Uncommon Path" is a podcast that intimately explores the transformative journeys of individuals, featuring raw and unfiltered testimonies that celebrate the resilience, growth, and shared human experiences, offering listeners a source of inspiration and connection on their own life paths. Join us as we unveil the extraordinary stories that shape who we are.
The Uncommon Path
RERUN - Holly Barton - From Spiritual Conflict to Faith-Driven Entrepreneur: Embracing Community, Purpose, and Compassionate Business
Holly shares her powerful journey of faith and community-building, reflecting on the complexities of balancing motherhood, business, and personal growth. Through her experiences, she emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships and self-reflection in discovering purpose and supporting others on their paths.
• Holly's unique background and the pivotal turning point in her faith journey
• Importance of community in navigating life’s challenges
• Balancing family dynamics with entrepreneurial pursuits
• Establishing a strong family culture and expectations
• The significance of sharing vulnerability for building connections
• Insights from Holly's reflective journey during her 40th birthday retreat
• The impact of faith-driven living on personal and community growth
holly, check, check, check, check, check holly bardoon, am I good, holly, how are you? I'm okay, okay, how are you doing?
Speaker 1:well, tell us why. You're just okay, give us 30 seconds 30 seconds.
Speaker 2:Why I'm doing okay is because I'm doing too much in my life, but there's nothing I can let go of. So I feel like there's never, never enough time and there's no margin. But it's always like that for me and my business.
Speaker 1:Right now, it's a business seasonally and here you are, and here I am sharing your time with us. I feel honored. Do you feel honored, chris?
Speaker 3:do you feel honored?
Speaker 2:one excited okay, I wish we knew each other more. I know these guys hi don't let warren.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know this space is here for you to just be open, share everything that's on your heart, be passionate. The podcast name is called the Uncommon Path. Basically, we like to ask people within the church body what their path has been like in the past, what it is currently and what you foresee it being in the future. Awesome, um, and we have probably loosely about an hour but we would love to just hear from you I'm an open book, so and some disclaimers that we should say like yeah you'll get a chance to listen to this before it goes out.
Speaker 3:And yeah, to the public sphere so if you share anything, just share from the heart and if you go back and you're like I shouldn't have said that we can yeah, we can always take that.
Speaker 2:That's why we pay more that's why we pay one, the big bucks I hope it gets to be that intense where I feel like I need to cut something. I'm good with it.
Speaker 1:So I would like to kick this off with. I just kind of want to hear kind of a brief background Like what was your, what was your path with the Lord from the beginning? Was it more of like growing up in a Christian household and you owning your own faith at a certain time, or was it something that was kind of supernatural that just happened in a, in a period of a moment?
Speaker 2:Good question. I grew up my parents were part of. The story is very important. So my parents grew up going to a private Christian school and they got pregnant with me at 17, and their whole church turned on them, the school turned on them, their whole community turned on them. The only people who didn't really turn on them and accepted them fully would be my grandparents. Even my mom's parents turned on them, and so they were very bitter.
Speaker 2:I did not grow up going to church. I grew up going to church on Easter and a few other holidays with my grandparents, and my parents were always very good people. They seemed to love God and they were very strict on us. They had a lot of expectations. We had to have our manners, but when it came to Jesus they were not really interested in being. They didn't really have friends either. They were really broken and just had a lot of unforgiveness when the people needed them the most. And so my parents did not have a lot growing up, and we moved from house to house. We were in the trailer park. Parents did not have a lot growing up and we moved from house to house. We were in the trailer park. We didn't have a lot of resources.
Speaker 2:And then me and my sister were very close. We pretended to be twins, like when we went to Busch Gardens we pretended to be twins so we can get free food and we pretend like just hang out with guys just for, like that season, just to get free stuff all the time. So my parents got super worried about us and they were like they're gonna, they're going off the deep end. Like we see them, there they go, we need to reign them in. They we it was. I mean, we were good kids but we also, like, needed Jesus. So I think they were scared straight straight and started taking us back to school, I mean back to church and middle school. So my grandma said I'm trying this new church, I want to go back to church again. Will you guys come? And my dad was like I don't really want to, but I'll come because I'm desperate Like my kids. I'm telling them all this stuff and they are not listening and I feel like they're going on a really, really bad direction. Like we had terrible boyfriends, we didn't go to a great school, and so I think they were desperate for us to change and so they went to.
Speaker 2:We started going to church and my dad, like the first Sunday we were there literally ran to the altar and it was like a supernatural experience for him and I was just like what is happening? I don't understand this. It was a spirit filled church. A Baptist church was spirit filled and we went from not going to church. My parents became the youth pastors, my dad reconnected with the Lord and then we went from, you know, not doing anything to being like the family that was there all the time.
Speaker 2:So I was still resistant for a while because my parents were trying to change all the rules, like in our house, like how we dressed, what we did, just all the things. And and then my junior year I went to a youth rally called acquire the fire, which was a youth rally that people like it was really big. Then I accepted the Lord supernaturally. I remember God was like, just had this interaction with God and he was like I have a calling on your life. Go down by yourself. I don't want you to make a big deal about it, like you're like now, it's about me, period. And I was just like, huh, what is that? I don't know what that is. So I went down and then I ended up leaving from there completely changed, supernaturally had an interaction, was it?
Speaker 1:what age? Junior year. Junior year, okay, wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so resistant for many years and my biggest holdup was I could not believe in God. I didn't understand the story. I didn't grow up in church, so it was too big for me to wrap my mind around. I'm like how is this possible? How is this real? This can't be real. I was in school learning about evolution my whole life, and so mine was actually that. And then the Lord slowly revealed His truth to me and then I basically came on fire for the Lord, decided to go to an internship after high school and then me and my sister ended up doubling no tripling our youth group from like 25 to like 100 and something and brought all of our church in, so I mean all of our school in. So it was a really powerful time for us.
Speaker 2:So you and your sister became like ministry focused yeah we started like a Christian club at school and we were like Christians are cool.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:They're really fun Come join our church and then our youth pastors had to get, my dad had to get extra help and then there was like a you know revelation in our church and God like moved and moved in my family and it was really powerful, so a lot of healing for my parents.
Speaker 2:They still have never really had a lot of community outside of family. But I do feel like they've fully forgiven and they let people in but they never had a love for community like I have. So that was like family is the only ones you can trust wow, so wow, that's wild yeah was was, so was your sister's kind of transformation around the same time?
Speaker 2:yeah, hers was around the same time, and then she went to JMU, um, james Madison University, which is the same university as Reed, went a little bit off the deep end there and then came back to the Lord.
Speaker 1:So Reed is your husband.
Speaker 2:Reed is is my husband.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sorry, I've had a bad habit of just like name dropping in this thing with no context.
Speaker 2:And so Reed is my husband and my sister is Amanda, and they went to the same college.
Speaker 1:Oh, so cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's so spot on that you and Amanda started a Christian club and then just got like everybody that was cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was cool. Yeah, it's cool, it's cool.
Speaker 3:You should go Like that's so like I know you so well and that's like it doesn't surprise me at all.
Speaker 2:It was awesome, yeah, it was a very awesome time and I feel like for me since that time. And then going to an internship, I knew college wasn't for me. I left and went to Texas and really I had some really terrible relationships very young because I didn't know the Lord. So I got a lot of healing in that time away.
Speaker 3:So what was in Texas.
Speaker 2:So I went to the choir fire internship for two years and then I went there and I did that, and then I traveled and did internship for two years and then I went there and I did that, and then I traveled and did missions for two years. And then reed and I started my husband and I started a non-profit and did that for a few years too wow, a non-profit.
Speaker 1:What was the non-profit?
Speaker 2:um for water reed started a non-profit to clean water oh, no way, I did not know that and now he's in for profit to clean water. Yes hoping one day to go back to the non-profit to Cleveland. Yes, that's true, Hoping one day to go back to the nonprofit which he felt like we got to a brick wall on his skill level and we kind of transitioned and hope to one day go back and be able to bring all of his expertise to that. So that's probably lifelong dream for our for both of us.
Speaker 1:So oh, super cool. That's awesome. Before I let Chris ask the next question, I forgot to do this at the beginning Give us kind of a little 15, 30-second bio of who you are, what you do now.
Speaker 2:Hi, my name is Holly Barton. I am a wife and a mother to three kids nine, 11, and 13, and I own a business and a mother to three kids nine, 11, and 13. And I own a business for wedding and design and I feel like I'm on the verge of being a community leader.
Speaker 3:Wow, you've been on podcasts before, haven't you? Yeah, yeah, this is like no big deal, yeah. Yeah, I like it your answer is, like so, concise and clear.
Speaker 1:You know, community leader ask I want, I want to know why you put that in there because I'm seeing a shift in the need for good community leaders and honestly reed says that's.
Speaker 2:My favorite word is community. I've said it for so many years. I'm like it's for the community. We need to give money for the community. This is on my heart because of the community and I really feel like, with things that are happening, there's an urgency for us, at least for Rita and I. We're very strong believers who find it very easy to be in the world, but not of the world and be in our community. It's not even. It's something we love and I feel like we're really gifted at so I want to see what that means.
Speaker 1:When you? What does the word community mean to you?
Speaker 2:I feel like for me, the word community means people that I share life with and motherhood with and sports with, and people like I love people, but for me it means a smaller scope of people that I engage with in my everyday life.
Speaker 1:And so that could mean church, that could mean your own neighborhood, which you guys do, grocery store.
Speaker 2:I mean I spend a lot of. I spend a crazy amount of my time during the week engaging with people at the grocery store. Within the scope of my life, every single one knows knowing someone and taking time to talk to them.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, I call you, to my friends, sometimes the unofficial mayor of holly springs so I could do, I could be, the title, but reed would have to do all the work to actually get anything done well, it's just like me and leslie's marriage. I mean, it's just the way it is like he would actually, if we were to do anything, he would have to be the one that actually pioneers for like policies and all that stuff. But I could be a good representative. You're going to get the votes but he would actually do the work yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey, have you? Have you actually thought about running for office in some local government? He?
Speaker 2:has more than me. I just feel like we're a good team. So even if it's him doing it and I'm just more of like the wife behind that, then it actually he's thought about it more than me. I'm open, I just want to write and speak, so I don't. I don't know what that means man, you should think about that you can. You can unpack it for me, right?
Speaker 3:How do you think, like what do you think you're doing? That would be, um, not leadership in community right now. That's poorly phrased. I know Um what I'm getting at is, like I see you as a leader in the community already. You know what I mean. I so like what would be the next level.
Speaker 2:I guess, is a better way of asking. I think it. What I'm speaking of is a question that I've been asking myself recently of what is our true purpose as believers, and what does that actually mean? Is it to make money and give it away? Is it to just raise our kids? Is it multifaceted, is it multipurpose? And I have I wrestle with that right now and have a struggle with that, and so I think it's just more of what the Lord is doing in me, and so I have a tendency to always be wanting to do more. I don't want, when I do, pass away whatever, whenever that is.
Speaker 2:I know that I'm accountable to God and so, more than read or anybody else, my kids, and so I've been having this wrestling of what is the real purpose of it. Am I doing all those things? And if I'm not, I'm willing. But what does that look like? So I feel like my answer to that is more of my wrestling right now, of where I'm at, and that I feel like I'm just never doing anything. Well, I'm just doing so many things that I just feel this internal struggle right now with that and I don't know if it's the season or if it's, I need to let something go, or if I just have my priorities messed up. So that's my wrestling I'm doing right now, which makes me ask should I be doing more? Am I doing enough? Am I doing? You know, what am I doing?
Speaker 3:I love that you're wrestling, though, because that's like the Christian life right that Israel means. Or Israel was renamed Israelrael. Right, jake was renamed israel after wrestling yeah with god yeah and doesn't even israel. The name in hebrew mean wrestles with god I believe, I think it does yeah like that's I always so podcast listeners that don't know me as well.
Speaker 3:Like I'm in finance and I had a client we were talking about money and he's like similar thing. Like how do I I'm in business, I'm making money, I feel called to missionary stuff. How do I do this? How do I do this for the Lord?
Speaker 3:But, I want to do that and he was looking at me for answers. I'm like the fact that you're wrestling with it is kind of the answer, like you have to live in that tension and you may one day just like be having this clear path and you're on it and you let go of that and you grab onto this. But what I feel like is so many people that are getting it right in life are constantly wrestling with am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Am I doing the right things? It's like that's just part of the walk. Is wrestling?
Speaker 2:you know. And then in my business, I have this incredible favor right now of dream clients that I've wanted, that are just awesome to work with and have these endless amount of resources for design and and so I'm like Lord, there's so much favor on my business right now and it's hard and I don't know how to continue to do it well with my kids season that I'm in. But I also feel like how can something that's going so well and it's opening these doors for amazing conversations be the thing you want me to let go of? So, and maybe it's. I mean, I don't, I don't know what what that means, but I feel like that's probably not it. So, which would make reed very happy if I didn't let go of that piece didn't let go of that base.
Speaker 3:So here's one of the questions. I had two burning questions not burning, but they're like the two things I really want to discuss with you like one of them was how do you balance all this stuff? Because I do feel like you and reed strike a really good balance like you're, you're a mom and you're really involved in your kids lives, from what I can tell you're a mom and you're really involved in your kids' lives. From what I can tell You're- a business woman and you have a thriving business.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you're a wife and you find time to like all your neighbors know you and are over at your house all the time and they know you're Christian. You're changing their lives, yeah, and like you're helping people's marriages, like you're doing so many things, do you find yourself like burning out?
Speaker 2:Do you like? Where are you at in level that my business is going and where I'm at? I do not have an obligation to hire really good people, because there's no way that I can do all these things, and so how many hours do I want to work a week? What does that look like? I know that I could be making more, but at the expense of my kids and my time with them. So I have hired really amazing people that do a lot of that part for me, except when we're in the very busy season that we're in now and all hands are on deck just to get through. So I'm a little bit tired because I'm still trying to be a great mom and I'm still trying to be a great wife and then also working all the time. So seasonally right now that is very difficult, but I could be making a lot more of my business. But I hire out, so I have a great team. That would be. That's a like a huge part of my the business part of it.
Speaker 2:The second part of it is that Reed and I, I feel like, don't have a lot of things right, but when it comes to parenting and our dynamics and parenting we have, we work so well together and that, like we ping off of each other, we have the same values, we have the same expectations. It's not like we're perfect, but we don't fight a lot about parenting and so I feel like our house culture and the values that we have make it super easy for that to exist in our house. Very well, it's like OK, this is our family culture. What do you want? What do you want it to look like? What do we want it to feel like? Do we want, do we want people to come to the door and want to come in?
Speaker 2:I remember someone saying, like when you pull up to someone's house, they want, you want them to say there's, the Bartons were excited that that you're here, not like, oh my gosh, you know. And so Rita and I both feel like for us, the family culture that we have is very defined and it's we. We do that that part well. So our household runs pretty, pretty fluid, like we have super high expectations for our kids, whether or not they want that. They can choose to have their own household culture. But that's our culture, because it matters to him and I. We come first. It is not the you're not like hoodwinking us in the house like we're a team, and then that filters down.
Speaker 2:So I feel like that the defining the family culture and what that looks like has been huge, because my kids are not confused about what they're going into every day, what are they inviting their friends into. It's just like these are the things that tick my parents off, these are the things that, like, my parents don't care about, and so I feel like our family culture is established so it makes it pretty easy to exist in that, pretty easy to exist in that. And then I definitely feel like at this point I eat very clean, because I feel like crap if I don't. I basically have given up most sugar and I try to work out every day which for me, those are huge, and I also journal every day and those are like my key things that are non negotiables, even have to after I get up at 5.15,. Those are things that, like will feed into the day, and so I feel like we're very regimented in that.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's really really good.
Speaker 3:I can say when I get to your house that I am excited to go in, and I'm also every fall, amazed at how many pumpkins are on your porch. Agreed, what's your annual pumpkin budget? Because I well, first off, give the listeners an idea of probably, how you know, estimate how many pumpkins are on your porch.
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like a good porch probably has at least 45 to 50 pumpkins on it wow, I had three growing up I think you know one for each kid.
Speaker 3:We carve the pumpkin, throw them out there. I kid you, not you. You have what? 40, 30 I would probably have?
Speaker 2:at least 40 every year and I I feel like it's not fall unless they're there. We have an aesthetic decor budget now that funnels through my business or work because, you have to, and if it's not a value of you, for you, your port. For me. When people come up, I'm like it needs to look like a pumpkin patch. Duh, it's fine, reed doesn't even fight it.
Speaker 3:now, okay, yeah, because at some point that man is tart carton like 40 pumpkins away that are rotting, please he does not help you anything.
Speaker 2:That's fine, don't even would you.
Speaker 1:What is it? What do you think? What holiday do you decorate the most for?
Speaker 2:everyone I freaking knew that was going to be your answer yeah, it is like I have already calendar blocks every single holiday for the year. Oh, the calendar planning. I'm like crazy ocd. Like there's blocks for like decorating for holidays, like like everything is.
Speaker 2:And she gets a calendar alert on her watch, regimented calendar blocks, so like I decorate for every single holiday to a tee and it's life-giving for me. I don't do it because it's like a creative outlet for me. That is like a non-negotiable and it's like it's really for creative outlet for me. That is like a non-negotiable and it's like it's really for me too, and then people can enjoy it. But it's really something I get lost in.
Speaker 3:it's actually like therapy for me I feel, like you have a really good sense of self.
Speaker 2:Like you know who you are oh my gosh you know what I mean someone tell him that we're doing a podcast.
Speaker 3:That's over there.
Speaker 2:Text Reed Reed also never knows what I'm doing. It's fine.
Speaker 1:We'll let Warren take care of it.
Speaker 3:My wife didn't know, we had a podcast for like four weeks in Four podcasts in, I don't think.
Speaker 2:These kind of conversations seem crazy and it's not a sign if you're healthy in your marriage. It's actually like super bizarre to understand, unless you're in the season that we are in, like to say the things that well, re doesn't even know that I'm doing that it sounds weird unless you're in the season we are in, and then it's like, oh, that's not weird, that's actually like, yeah, like I'm the same.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean yeah, it's like you'll find out like after it's over, when there's elements to talk about.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean you can't be the one wording like stage with them all the time I got frustrated with leslie this morning because she has an ob appointment.
Speaker 1:That came right up to about three o'clock and I was like are you, are you kidding me right now? We got the podcast, yeah, and then I was like, well, ryan, just calm down, it's her OB appointment it's hard to navigate all of that and do it with patience.
Speaker 2:I won't tell you our messages that Rita and I have been sending recently. It's like a funny saying that we have, which I will not say on this podcast, and I was like laughing so hard and I'm like, yeah, this is we need to address this. We need to address this. When do you have time to address this?
Speaker 3:All right. We did tell you we could edit anything out.
Speaker 1:It's true.
Speaker 3:So if you want to just let it rip. You can Nope, could edit anything out, it's true.
Speaker 2:So if you want to just let it rip, you can't. Nope, I'll tell you guys, it's uh off of this, uh, you'll laugh, it's funny.
Speaker 1:So uh, I have a question for you, um, how do you prioritize the needs of your kids during chaotic seasons?
Speaker 2:so I um, I actually I've never done the enneagram test, but I have been told that I am a seven and I actually feel like the reason why this season of my life is so hard is because I actually feel what other people feel. So like like right now I know how tired my guys are like that work for me. So I actually, even though I'm here with you, I actually am feeling that for them, like I could cry because they're giving a crazy unhealthy amount to like my business and so they're just awesome. So for me, I feel like this part is really easy, because I actually feel like I truly understand my kids and I actually feel what they feel, and it's like I can be with them within an hour and just be like oh, this is what they need. I actually feel what they feel and so it's easy for me to address that with them and then take the time to do it at an expense of myself and what they need.
Speaker 2:But I also feel like that's a very high value for me. Like with Mia, I want her to be independent and love the Lord, but also feel worthy, and with my boys, I truly want them to be men. I feel like Rita and I equally have that value for them. So, yeah, I feel like I'm kind, but I also am like but you also need to rise up to this like occasion, because this is what I want for you. But I do feel what my kids feel, and I think this is like true of most moms, but not every mom. But I can read my kids really well and then just be like they need me to be their advocate. They actually need me to step up in this conversation and be there for them. They actually need me to like, come behind them. This teacher's a jerk, like you know those kind of things but I feel like my mom was so good at that that I feel like I had such a good model for that for for myself yeah, you're definitely like that, like just quick story.
Speaker 3:This morning I'm getting ready for work and Andrea has my wife. Andrea has the phone and I think it's on speaker and I walk over and I hear your voice saying I just feel what you're going through Because Andrea was explaining, I think, the most recent medical emergency that we've had in our family, which has been a crazy year. We've had a broken arm, we've had a broken finger, we've had multiple x-rays on a kid that sprained his ankle.
Speaker 3:We've just like, and then another two calls to poison control, and then now burn yeah, a burn, a burn. So he like dropped his soup, like and Andrea gives him a bowl of soup, he's like walking to the dining room table and he drops a bowl of soup all over his chest.
Speaker 2:It's like second degree burn.
Speaker 3:He got a little nickel size second degree burn All of it. The rest of his arm is like first degree burn.
Speaker 1:I just want everyone to know that my laugh is not because I think the burn is funny. Okay.
Speaker 2:It's like you're, it's like a. It's because I think the burn is funny okay it's, it's like you're, it's like a it's, because I can't believe it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's like comical, it sounds like bad to say that, but it's, it's almost comical.
Speaker 2:You're like what?
Speaker 3:yeah, this is again like you know, like a few injuries ago, people were like, oh you know, you gotta break off a spirit of calamity or like what's coming against you, and I was like I don't think there's anything coming against me, but then it was like another one happened.
Speaker 2:I'm like I actually am gonna check in with the Lord because this is crazy, how many things we were doing the same at our house.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but then For you, I mean, yeah, I mean, and I mean I've just prayed it, I prayed through it, I prayed about it, but I just feel like a lot of this, or maybe all of it is just the stage of life.
Speaker 2:I think it's scientifically just the like part of having five boys that are all wild Like your boys are not. They're actually men's, men's men. I think they're going to be like. I tell people all the time I'm like. So if I could choose a person, this makes reed so mad to like be on an island for survival. Andrea made trump reed for survival like I will choose flowers like I'm like I.
Speaker 2:I mean it's like one of the boys too, like I'm they are going to be, like they're going to be real impactful men and I'm like. So I feel like scientifically it may also just be having five boys. They're all boys. This might just be part of how it is.
Speaker 3:I was having lunch with a guy today who was one of three brothers and I was telling him some of this stuff and he's like, oh, my mom knew our orthopedic surgeon in town, yeah, and I was like okay, that makes me feel good because we are getting to know ours yeah, I, I feel like you just aren't I.
Speaker 2:I feel like they're gonna be awesome. I just feel like it's part of it, like like it's like oh hey, chris and andrea good, you have a good one, though, yeah, a few what depends on what part of your body is broken agreed we got a guy for you.
Speaker 1:That is so, so funny a few actually, which.
Speaker 2:What is? What actually is it? I can tell you which one to go to that's sad, but that's where we're at dude that was.
Speaker 1:It was so funny on sunday seeing sammy with a taped wrist, seeing isaac with a taped wrist and seeing silas with a cast and now he's throwing the football, yes, and I'm like, I'm like dude, this is crazy. Oh, I haven't had to tell silas like who has?
Speaker 3:a cast from wrapped between his thumb and forefinger that far down all the way up to his bicep yeah and I'll be like dude, you can't jump off the couch, you can't do these like we can't go backwards. Yes, we need to move forward come on, man, like just let your bone heal, then you can go back to being wild.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, mia's like I'm not. I'm gonna have to go over there more and watch silas. She's like I'm gonna. I'm gonna have to just follow him around watch him he's like me, he will.
Speaker 3:He cannot sit.
Speaker 2:Still I know he just can't do it hopefully the casts are strong these days and that's healing they're strong and they're waterproof. He can just go in the shower, oh yeah, Baller.
Speaker 3:Anyways, people without kids are like what?
Speaker 2:are these people doing. We had a season of knowing, like they knew, Ashton's name in the ER. Hey, Ashton, what happened this time? And I'm like this is not comical.
Speaker 3:I remember that season for you guys.
Speaker 2:And then didn't Noah, like it was pinging back and forth between the two yeah, because noah like rode his bike off like a ravine or something. Yep, yeah during the pandemic yeah, that was I remember it was bizarre, yeah, and he walked away with.
Speaker 2:No, I mean he was he looked bad um, but they had to cut his helmet off at the uh and by ambulance, like and he walked away with just like. I mean, his face looked terrible, he looked like we, it was. It was terrible, but no broken anything. It was wow yeah and I had just got released. I had like a, I had surgery and it was the first time we were supposed to like. I got released to like walk out and like exercise and stuff and I went into full mom mode and carried him for a mile to the ambulance.
Speaker 3:Oh, my god, like don't lift anything. Yeah, don't lift anything heavy don't do anything.
Speaker 2:And then I'm like like running into the ambulance. I was completely fine, thankfully my I mean your general and goes into full motion. He looked way worse than he was, but I didn't know it then you know so how do you?
Speaker 1:because one thing I love about you is that you're very similar to my wife. You guys have this similar taste in decor. You put your heart and soul in something. It's not work, it's not hard, it's just life-giving One thing that she struggles with a lot and she's fine with me sharing this and I would love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you reconcile seasons and moments of just being faithful in the little and like, reconciling those seasons and those things with seasons of chasing after your dreams and seeing fruit come from that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought about this a lot because I feel like there's a difference between really what the word grit means and what does it actually look like? Like I feel like a lot of people can do things for a period of time, but what does it look like to keep showing up every day and doing the things that you do not like, that you continue to do Like when we Like when we first started our business, the first five years were awful, like I didn't talk to people at our church, like I not because I didn't. It was just more of like it takes everything to have momentum and build. And then the reality of showing up and realizing that the shift from creativity to actually like work and building a business, it's more of like what is my, my why here and why am I doing it and do I have it in me to keep showing up day after day and do this? And I think that my parents really showed my sister and I what that looks like and the expectation that they had on us to show up and do things well and to have integrity and to have follow through is actually something that I didn't realize until I do what I do every day now how much that actually has affected me and is part of my character, and I think that I'm so grateful that they instilled that in me because it's not that it's not hard, but it is not. It isn't.
Speaker 2:It is not a negotiable to me to show up and to do things well, even if I don't want to do it, and it's literally draining my creativity. It's not life-giving, because there's so many things that I do right now that are not what I want to do, but I do feel like I'm falling back on character that was like placed in me by my parents years ago. That is still affecting me. I would say right now there's not a lot of creativity in my business. It's actually the opposite. It's actually showing up and being a good steward of what God is doing in our business and I feel like one day it'll return to that, but it's not that right now. I mean there's signs of it and I'm grateful for it. We've had a few projects where I'm like, oh, that was really life giving, but there's not a lot of that right now in my business.
Speaker 3:Holly, can you do a little bit of a background on how the business started and like tie it to, because this started with like something you used to do with your dad, right, yeah, so yeah, so we are truly fifth generation picker.
Speaker 2:So I grew up going to the flea markets. I grew up like spending so many time at yard sales and all kinds of things. My dad passed away nine years ago no, it was nine, nine years ago. And we have always turned like creative, been creative and repurpose things and turn them into stuff. My granddad was on American Pickers. He had built it. They always had buildings full of things.
Speaker 2:So when my dad passed away nine years ago, I said it would be really fun to do setups for photographers where, like, we could repurpose stuff for them and design a setup for them that was just for them. And then that turned into weddings and people were like you should do weddings. And I'm like no way, people are crazy, brides are crazy. I'm never doing a wedding ever, ever, ever. So then my friend called me and she was like I'm having a wedding in the Outer Banks. I live in LA. Will you do my wedding and bring stuff? And like, outfit my wedding. And I was like no, I won't. And then she said, well, this is what it would cost me if I'd bring someone in from L. Will you do it for this price? And I was like yes. And so I'm like what you're dumb, this is so dumb, who would ever pay that?
Speaker 2:So me and my sister fill it up at 27 foot u-haul just her and I and we drove to the outer banks, which is by far like my favorite place. So that was we. We put days on before and after, did the wedding, outfitted the whole wedding tables, chairs, decor, styled it. They were blown away. We like made this, their vision came true, and me and my sister were like whoa, that was amazing. That was so fun. They were actually super enjoyable. Should we do this again? And so then we started offering weddings, outfitting weddings, and then it grew from my third floor, her moving here two storage units, three storage units, five, six, I don't know some amount of storage units, makeshift warehouse, another warehouse, a building, extended building. I think we're at eight or I don't know. I don't know how many trucks eight or nine trucks, and I think we're at six to 700 events a year.
Speaker 1:Wow. Right now, that's insane. I didn't realize that's so many events you put on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and in the fall it's about 20 to 30 weddings a weekend. So, like this weekend will be about 20 to 25. They're not always massive, they're small as they could be pickups. Um, they are growing to be pretty in depth and and pretty extensive. Like we just outfitted high point market, like the furniture market, with our stuff, because they can't get enough furniture, so they used our stuff and then, like it was crazy, it was like a last minute $25,000 order.
Speaker 3:We're like, yeah, wait, they bought some of your inventory no, they.
Speaker 2:They rented our stuff to showcase their smalls because they can't find furniture. They can't get furniture to do it, so they used all of our furniture that we just purchased and we outfitted, like all of their decor items, like coffee tables, like if you, we, we provided the furniture and then they put all their decor, like the vendor that used us does smalls what is a small?
Speaker 2:uh, like a coffee table, side table lanterns, candles, decor like tchotchkes, like everything in this room. That's not large, so like everything in there, that's what they sell like in that cabinet but they need a cabinet to put it in, so they smell, they sell all smalls. Wow, I gotcha, yeah.
Speaker 1:So do you do? Do you have any stories or testimonies of how the Lord has used this business to affect clients or to affect your employees, or to like just like the atmosphere? You and Reed carry in this business. You and your sister carry in this business. Like it's just very powerful. Do you have any stories?
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, it's just very powerful. Do you have any stories? I mean the reason, one of the reasons that my sister and I keep going and are growing the way that we do, is our yes to this business. When I look back, besides things that are very important to me, which we all know what they are, that this, the yeses that we have said in this business, have springboarded us to meet people we would have never met, interacted with, encouraged, led to the Lord, had conversation. I have clients that I still speak to, that that it's very personal what we do and they, if you do it well, there's just this connection of like this day that meant so much to them and that's like 100 times over, like I could see someone out right now and and I could see like even a dad, or like and there's a connection there. I mean the yeses that we have seen in this business are incredible. They have impacted my life. It has been very like it would have been safer for us to say no. It would have been. It would have been a lot less heartache. It would have been safer for us to say no. It would have been a lot less heartache. It would have been way easier for us to just say like this is just too much, like there's no way we can balance it all. But when I look back on it, the yeses and the relationships the people that I have interacted with are it will be some of the best gifts I've had in my life. Like I know it, I've seen it, I'm seeing it and it's springboarding us to have these connections with people that I never would have had connections with. And it has nothing to do with anything you know, not my kids, not read. It's like something that's just been powerful, very powerful for me personally as a woman and like a believer, and just time after time that happens opportunities to engage and connect.
Speaker 2:And then our staff were very close. Like one of our staff members said, I'm in crisis right now. Can we meet? And we all met on my back porch and prayed over him. And he's not a believer, but he is a safe place and he's going through a lot. And he was at a crossroads of a big situation and so, like he is open enough to say, can we come to your house? And like are you guys open? I need to tap in, like tomorrow. And I just opened my back porch and he came over and everyone showed up and we prayed over him and and so that that has been, and some of these people have been with me since the beginning, like the first employee that I had just resurfaced. He went to school for teaching, hated it. So now he's our operations manager and he's back at my business and he's like when you work 40 to 50 hours a week, I just want to like what I do. I want to be around people who actually care.
Speaker 2:And I'm like what position you want to create it here? I don't know. I'm like, yeah, what do you want to get paid? That's the question. Like actually you're proud to get married, like this is real, like this isn't a 17-year-old job anymore. And then he's like this is what I want to get paid. And I'm like, all right, let's pray about it let's try it. So we're trying, but and for me, that's incredible. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Especially that story. It was like I mean, I can't think of being in crisis mode and that I would reach out to a boss Like, but that's the atmosphere you created.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you're in crisis mode and then you reach out to your boss, like the owner of the company you work for.
Speaker 3:That's, that's something special that you guys have. And you know, man, that whatever secret sauce you've got there, the kingdom of God, like the church, really needs to know more about that. So I'm excited for when you write your book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm open.
Speaker 3:I'm just prophesying that Not really prophesying, it's just like continuation of our conversation. Yeah, yeah, yeah exactly you'll write a book one day and speak on it because that's so cool.
Speaker 2:We need more businesses like I think that there's a false reality that you can't mix the two and still show up for work and do a good job, and I just don't think that's true. I think that if you feel like you can show up to work and have some grace, to say like I'm really not doing well right now and I need to lean into you guys, and you create an atmosphere where people can do that, it's very powerful and they actually will stay longer and they'll work harder.
Speaker 2:And it's like it doesn't have to be so corporate. My clients are high end clients. I am doing very large scale, even above corporate stuff. But I do not run my business corporately. I don't like do you want to? What do you know? It's like we. It's very authentic. It's very family oriented. I don't think that we know how to do it Otherwise. I think if someone came in and like talked through all the stuff, they could tell us all the stuff we're doing wrong. But this is what I need know to do. So until until someone takes over and changes it like how?
Speaker 3:long have you been.
Speaker 2:you've been in business now Nine years, 10 years and then nine years, like by law.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 3:So year one was one wedding, and then now you're at 600 events a year at least. Yeah, one wedding, and then now you're at 600 events a year at least.
Speaker 1:Yeah so say you're doing something right, a few things right.
Speaker 2:That's freaking crazy man yeah, and like I had a staff member recently that worked 50 to 60 hours with me a week and he, um he, when he works at night, he brings his two sons and he is now, most recently, just put in jail and that has been a ripple effect in my business, which is why I'm also so stressed because he was like three people. But I'm still in touch with him and I've been with him on this journey and, even though it has gone in a different direction, he knows that like we're there for him and we're praying for him and that's been really difficult.
Speaker 2:The last few weeks Because I'm sad for him, because he can't break a generational cycle in him. And it's hard and I've seen it and he can't break it and he needs the Lord and we've talked about it and he's open, but it's just not happening. So I feel for him.
Speaker 1:When does he well? When will he be released?
Speaker 2:He doesn't know, and he has multiple kids at home too.
Speaker 1:Oh man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and his wife is toxic and she is not existent and she, like they will. I don't know what's going to happen to his kids and I care for them and two of them work for us all the time, but I can't. There's been some other things and at this point I'm liable because he has shared too much with us and so I'm at a loss with him right now. But you know, we've been on a journey for the last few years.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's how close I am to these guys and Breed's gonna actually start a mentor breakfast where he's gonna start meeting with them at eight o'clock every other Tuesday and we're going to go over like finances, like we'll probably bring you in for that part character, like just, we're going to start.
Speaker 3:You're discipling your employees. Yeah, oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're going to start that and that's him leading all the guys. They've asked for it. They've grown close to him too and he's going to do it topic based, like first building each other, building relationships, and then he's going to bring in like different topics and actually like try to equip them with real skills, like real stuff, like financing, business plan, a you know tangible things that can help them grow in their lives, not just like talk. That's what they're asking for.
Speaker 1:I have. I know Chris has a question he wants to ask. I want to ask it's a little open-ended question, we don't have to spend too much time on it but one thing I admire about your family immensely and your family immensely, chris is that you guys hear the Lord clearly on where God's called you to be and you stay there until the Lord leads in other areas I would like to hear your thoughts on. I don't even know exactly how to formulate the question, but you see, a lot of people have a hard time giving their extra ministry time outside of church quote, unquote right.
Speaker 1:What is? How do you reconcile those things? Because one thing I love about y'all is that you guys see the need, the practical need and the spiritual need, and you go after the people that are close to you and what you have capacity and time for and what's in your proximity.
Speaker 1:But then there's some people that feel called to the church, or not necessarily feel called to the church. Maybe they see a need and, out of their own strength, they pursue that instead of pursuing a whole different area where they need to go or where the Lord is calling them to. And they're not doing that because they feel like church is, you know, supposed to be.
Speaker 2:I think that I think it's actually a question that's pretty easy to answer and the fact that read and I are very stubborn people who still have a lot of self worth and like self care, and we do a lot of exploration into what that means and I don't feel like for me I'm accountable to and I don't want this to me I'm accountable to and I don't want this to sound bad, but it's like the church or this.
Speaker 2:I feel like our sounding board is God and then we filter it through people that we really care about and say like does this sound good? Does this sound off? But I feel like when you kind of released the people, pleasing, what are they going to think about me? What are they going to say about me? What are they saying about me At least for a woman, I feel like as a woman, I feel like that is difficult, but when you settle into this, like I know who I am and where I am going, it is really powerful. You do not care, you're not like, you're not doing this all the time I have.
Speaker 2:I am not wavering. I'm not trying to impress you. I'm not trying to impress you. I'm not trying to impress that person. I'm accountable to God and what he has called me to do and that has taken so much work to get to where I am, to know what I'm called to do. And Reed actually, like, doesn't have a lot of eye care either about what people think about me. So I feel like that combination between the two of us.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like this is what we're doing right now and I don't have to like there's a lot of stuff that we do. I'm like I don't need anyone to know about that or give me praises. We've been at Antioch for 10 years. We are one of the first families to come to Antioch. We care, we're all in, we're involved, we are passionate about what Antioch is doing.
Speaker 2:But we don't need accolades. I don't need people. I don't need people. I'm there to serve them. I'm not there to say why aren't you doing this for me, why have you not put me in this position, why have you not done this? And I'm like that's not what I'm about. I'm about doing God's work and right now that is very much in the world and I am not looking for anybody's approval right now, but his and reed's really. I mean I want his approval too. I mean I care very deeply for him and I soundboard him a lot on what I'm doing, but I am not looking for anyone else's approval and I feel like you guys have been really open to like feedback as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, and, and I think we're healthy about it yeah, you're healthy about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're healthy about it. You've asked your quote community like are we doing the right stuff? Are we in balance? I mean, man, so much of what you're talking. I'm thinking like Andrew and I have been in those conversations. We've had the same kind of tension and even at times, like had people who we super respect say, oh, you're not doing the right things yeah, when we know we are.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's maybe the hardest part of it and that was like a level, because I I'm kind of pretty independent and pretty confident in what I'm doing too, but when, when you get to where you're like, you're in your groove, you know you're doing the right things and you've omitted the things that were maybe distractions. But then people who you really respect are like oh, I don't think you are, but you know you are Like, you know you're getting it right actually. Yeah, and I'm not saying you don't pause and pray and-.
Speaker 2:And think about what they're saying. Right, yeah, because obviously we can all miss it Absolutely, Like I don't want to be prideful about it. Right, right, right.
Speaker 3:But it can be challenging and you know you live long enough and you will have somebody who you really respect probably get it wrong about you, absolutely Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you have to know, like what the Lord has really called you to do in this season and not let it crush you. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's true too. Yeah, Exactly, and not let it, you know, make you be so wavering that you're like all these things. Am I doing it wrong?
Speaker 3:I feel like one thing, a revelation I had along these lines that really, really helped me, is that because I'm kind of open for whatever and Andrea is a little more, maybe a little more introverted or just a little more protective of our personal time- yeah. And I'm always like oh yeah, you want to hang out, sure, let's do it, let's do this. Yeah, you want to do that. Want to go camping with me?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like yes, sure, let's do it, let's do this. Yeah, you want to do that? Want to go camping? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like yes. And she finally said it one day and I was like I felt like the lord was just like speaking like out of her mouth, like straight to my heart. Um, she said you know, when you say yes, you're saying no to other things. Yeah, and I was like, oh my, that sunk in. And now it's like it informs every big decision I make.
Speaker 1:If.
Speaker 3:I say yes to this, I'm actually saying no to time that evening with my children or whatever. Right, it's not just a void space on your calendar. There's no such thing in my stage of life as void space. Yeah, right, it's something, something. So every yes is an is. The other side of that coin is a no to something else. And that's now how I think about all decisions and opportunities really that's good yeah that's really good.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that little rabbit trail. My grandfather said the best rabbit trail leads to the juiciest carrot.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's good.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I thought that was good. I felt like that was a juicy carrot.
Speaker 3:All right, I got a question.
Speaker 2:You got to tell us about your 40th that was amazing okay so to tee it up, creating room for yourself again I'm just gonna tee it up here.
Speaker 3:It was like what a few months ago, maybe six months ago, I caught wind. You're like, oh, I can't do that, then I'm gonna be at the beach. Yeah, by myself for my birthday. I was like wait what which?
Speaker 1:if anybody knows holly barton, she is a gigantic party yeah, that was very not normal yes, that was extremely not normal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which, when you, when I heard that, I was like that sounds very interesting yeah, it was very interesting, so yeah, so my 40th birthday was awesome, I will say it. And I have thought about what I wanted to do, and I wanted to do a gigantic party that was so over the top and I did that. And I knew I wanted to do that, and I was so over the top and I did that, and I knew I wanted to do that, and I was like this is part of it. And then the Lord was like, actually, I want you to do this instead. So you need to like refine that vision and do this. And I want you to go to the beach by yourself and actually dive into your life. And I'm like huh, like for a day, like I still want to do my gigantic thing, you know. And so I had done a similar style of this for my 30th birthday and I wrote myself a letter to my 40 year old self, and I knew that it was going to be powerful. So I did have that moment like in my mind of like, oh, that it doesn't need to be casual, like this is something that the Lord like asked me to do.
Speaker 2:And so I went to the beach for almost a week by myself and I dove into. I brought I had two full rubber maids of every single journal I'd ever written and the Lord kind of gave me an agenda for first day we're going to go backwards. Second day we're going to go backwards. Second day we're going to go forwards. Third day is going to be a day of rest. And then I had a few other things. I had a day of fun and exploration and awakening some things, but it was actually way harder than I imagined to be by myself and also I felt like the Lord was like I mean, like I don't want you going and finding people and like getting to know them and like meeting people, because you know I would have just made new friends and just been like yeah, like a spare 30 minutes, and now every day is full of friends for Holly I actually wanted to be like isolation, not talking, and diving in, and I it was, honestly, way harder than I thought, like I rented a little cabin.
Speaker 2:I was by myself. I went back in the past and one of the things the Lord was wanting me to do is taking out words that were spoken over me, things that he had. He had. He had like little star moments of what it was I speaking to you. And then, what am I speaking to you now? What words are spoken of you? What? Where have you been? Look at your journey, look at what you, what you're, what you're doing.
Speaker 2:So I spent eight to 12 hours doing that one day and then it bled into the other day and then the Lord wanted me to take all of that and then write down like a plan. The Lord wanted me to take all of that and then write down like a plan. What were the overlapping words? What was spoken over you? Where am I taking you? How big are you willing to dream? What do you want to do with this?
Speaker 2:And then on the last day, before all the fun stuff which I did, like exploring with God and adventuring and all these things and it was the opening bottle that I read to myself when I was 30 years old, while I was staying on a piece of property, and it was just funny. I couldn't get the bottle open and I thought it was going to be this like really like special moment and I literally couldn't get it open. I got tweezers and everything, and so then I had to go next door and ask this family to help me, and the Lord released me to do that. And I was talking to them and it was fun, and then they all got involved and there was a grandfather there and he was like, well, if I get it out, I want to read the letter. And it was theatrical and funny.
Speaker 2:Then they couldn't get the bottle open and then they actually got it open but they had to break it into like a giant, like trash can, and it wasn't like curated, it wasn't beautiful, it wasn't like all the things that like you know, like I wanted it to be, and that was just part of it too.
Speaker 2:Like the Lord was like this is just funny, like this is real life, like you, you know this. And they were laughing so hard and it dropped to the bottom of this big garbage can and then this grandfather was getting it out and it was, it was hilarious. And so he did not read it and I went back to the little place I was staying at and I was just laughing. I'm like Lord, that was so funny, that was just funny. And the letter was very powerful and I had written some things to myself. I had written some things that I wanted to accomplish, things that the Lord was speaking to me, and one of the biggest takeaways was that 10 years ago, like as my 30 year old self, I still was so performance based. It was like this is what I want to do for you, lord, like this is what I, this is what I, I want to accomplish, and I feel like the Lord really revealed to me like this loving kindness of, like, actually, these next cause.
Speaker 2:I wrote myself another letter there's things that I want you to accomplish, but I actually just want to be so close to you, and it was just like, even in my journaling. You saw how it evolved to this like 30 year old, even 2017, all the way back from when I was a junior. It was in high school. I didn't have an understanding of like this. As you, as I read these journals, it it evolved into like I wasn't asking these questions. It was like God, I just want to be near you, I love you, I need you and instead of I want to just do something so powerful and amazing with my life, which that's, you know, what I want. That's just things you write about. And then it evolved into this loving relationship of like I'm desperate for your help. Like.
Speaker 2:I'm desperate for your kindness, like I'm desperate to be near you and it was just a gift, like it was way harder than I thought, but it was so powerful for me and I feel like that's why there's so much tension right now, because it was such a sweet time that I just want to do more of and there's things that I want to do, but now I'm right back at the craziness of not abiding, and so it was so much more powerful than I thought.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, it was really good. And then I went like and did like a day date with God and I adventured and I wrote in my bottle for my 50-year-old self, which just felt weird. I'm like, wow, this will happen. And I just wrote about my kids and all the things, because when I wrote my other one, it just was a very different season and, like Rita and I, the things that we have been through, like I'm just excited to see what's ahead.
Speaker 3:So it was just super powerful and highly recommended it's very good you're gonna have a 23 year old daughter when you open that bottle. Yeah, that could be very different, very different season of life yeah, my kids were.
Speaker 2:I was um, I had littles when I wrote that first one and I hadn't lost my dad or anything.
Speaker 3:Your dad was still alive when you wrote that. Yeah, losing your dad was huge For your whole family. Still hard, yeah.
Speaker 2:But we were all very close.
Speaker 3:So one thought what is the? Have you ever thought there might be a prophetic sense to this whole bottle thing? Not the fact that you did the bottle, but like the way that it actually had to be opened, like that just feels like very much like the lord I do like that whole thing, like it.
Speaker 2:I I feel like that part was funny because the the lord was showing me like, like, even with the the falling in the garbage and the messy, and Reed and I were laughing Cause he was like of course you opened it with people, like of course the God was like you're not doing this by yourself, you did it with like all these people you know.
Speaker 3:And like he, I don't know you couldn't open it on your own strength, like that feels like very biblical and I feel like there might be more and I truly haven't like fully unpacked my trip yet.
Speaker 2:But that part was funny and the Lord was like. I mean, I said I stayed over there in my with my letter in my hand and like talk to them about their lives for like an hour, an hour and a half. You know it didn't even I just held it like it got out of the trash can, held it for an hour and a half, and then I do what I and I'm like you know now we're like best friends with that family, I'm best friends with that family. And so I'm sitting there with like I've waited 10 years for this, it's fine. You know, an hour and a half later, after it like got broken, it's in the bottom of the garbage. I still didn't open it until like later and I'm like it's fine, yes, you want to tell me about your life. Okay, you know, know. And it's like right there in my hands and I'm like what?
Speaker 3:does it say?
Speaker 2:and I had it on my desk for like 10 years too, which is just funny. So wow, yeah, but I mean the lord's had multiple people speak to me about having a mom and daughter ministry before I even had Mia.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And like that, her and I are going to do something like crazy, impactful together to help mom and daughter relationships. Wow. So like multiple times, like different years, and then my dad told me when I left Teen Mania that I was going to run a design business.
Speaker 3:That was also in there Now.
Speaker 2:I remember him even saying that we had to ask our parents what do we? What did they think we're called to? And I, I was creative, but you know what I mean, like he had that word for me years ago your dad my dad, my not having a father, my actual physical, dad and he said you're gonna run a design business and it's gonna be super successful.
Speaker 2:And that was in there and it was like crazy things. You're going to go. You and reed are going to have to be deal with yourselves, to get past yourselves, to be super powerful as a couple. Like it's going to be really hard wow but you're meant to be together and I'm like oh well, that was very true. That was probably one of the hard parts of my entire life, so wow, very difficult.
Speaker 1:I want to leave room for any closing thoughts you have, Holly.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:And if you don't have any, it's fine.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure if I have closing thoughts.
Speaker 3:I think this will be really inspiring for people to hear, not just women, but I mean women come to mind, but like really for everybody. But I just kind of see you as a force of nature In fact I think Andrea has called you that. You know, you're kind of a force of nature, I think and yeah, I mean Reed and I have talked about that too in a good way Like you make things happen and things move and I feel like so much of that power and strength comes from. You know who you are. You know who Reed is, you know Reed's got your back. You know the Lord, you know that you're in his, you know you have his favor. And then it's like, well, what can stop you?
Speaker 2:and then it's like well, what can stop you?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think the next thing for me and I'm exploring is I have set on a personal website for eight years now. That's been built like for speaking and writing, and it's set on it for eight years, like it's been built for eight years, like no one even knows it existed, but it's out there in the world and I refined it recently and I think in January I'm going to like put it out there and I'm just going to try to speak a few times a year and then I'm going to start writing towards writing a book. So, if you guys want to pray into what are some topics that you think would be good to speak about from hearing more of my life story, and then also I have an idea for like a book of things. But like, what does like our church, what do people, what do believers like? I feel like I have a lot of stuff on the inside, but what do people really need to hear? What does what needs to be written about? So just thought, just putting that out there that's a great question.
Speaker 3:That's kind of this podcast kind of wrestled with that same question, right yep yeah, by this podcast I mean just ryan and I and oran and some friends thinking about thinking through this, but I think my little answer to give it to you now without praying about it, would be just more of the raw stuff, like something. I feel like we get a great, awesome theological teachings through our church community.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:We get good, you know, practical Christian Bible applications through Sunday and through life groups and stuff like that. Sometimes people just need to hear more of the and this I'm one of these people. What's the raw, like good and bad, the ugly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like how bad does it get when you stay in your marriage?
Speaker 3:Yeah, because you don't you can. It can be especially social media age like everything feels very polished outside looking in, so you have to kind of let people in.
Speaker 2:How hard do you want to cry and let go of your business? But you don't.
Speaker 1:I mean, you know, it's like I don't know you and I, I can't speak about this. You shared that with me about business.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was kind of the vision behind this was to just I think vulnerability takes people places, they'll never actually go. You can try all you want to go somewhere with the Lord, but unless you're real and unless you're vulnerable, you're just only going to go so far because our hearts are made to receive his fullness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1:And it cannot receive his fullness if it's not getting rid of some of that stuff.
Speaker 2:And people can see it and they can sense it, yeah. And then you're like oh, you're, do you want to share your whole life story with me? Great, okay.
Speaker 3:We're strangers but it's good, you know, and in the community around you needs it. Like when I was battling anxiety, I reached out to a few people who I knew had, you know, fought anxiety and one was reed your husband. And he was like, yep, he like within a week, he's like at my office he's giving me book references. Week. He's like at my office, he's like giving me book references and praying, he's like here's. He gave me like an index card of like stuff to do and I was just like Holy cow.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like but you gotta be vulnerable right To get that kind of help. You gotta say, hey, I'm struggling with this, and then people will come out of the woodwork if you have a good, healthy community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good. That's good.
Speaker 1:It's really good.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for having me, guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you. Thanks for being on the show, yeah, or the podcast, whatever this is.
Speaker 2:And if you guys need help with marketing, I'm very good about getting these things out there, so let me know what you need.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm not good at marketing do you have any prophetic things?
Speaker 1:no, I'm not alright, holly. Thank you so much. This has been a treat, if you will alright, see y'all later.
Speaker 3:All right, bye you. Thank you.
