A New Life Podcasts with Guest Lori Griffin

Welcome to A New Life podcast with.

Pamela Jean, where it's all about empowering women to empower more women.

Get ready, friends, to create a new life. And here is your host, Pamela Jean. Hello, friends, and welcome to this week's episode of A New Life podcast. I am so excited to introduce you to someone that I have known for probably a better part of 15 years now. Let me just preface. I have known Laurie for about 15 years, but I've really gotten to know her on a much deeper level, really just the past year or so. So who I have with me today is Lori Griffin, and I want to tell you how I got to know of her. Her grandmother used to sit behind me in the church that I attended for many, many, many years. And every Sunday, I had a great conversation with Ms. Ann. I had so much love and respect for this incredible woman. She was supportive of me and my kids. Oftentimes it was just me and my three kiddos in the pew, and she just was one of those women of God that always made me comfortable and made life great. Well, Laurie happens to be the granddaughter of Ann, and I can remember the first time of seeing Lori on social media, and I was just blown away by all the things that she was doing. It just. I couldn't even wrap my head around the fact that she's posting pictures of Blake from Tom's Shoes because Laurie just happened to know who Blake is.

Is.

And now they're friends. And then Lori is working with Miranda Lambert and her philanthropy of Mutt Nation. Everything Lori does and did is big. Everything is big. And I love that about her, and I've admired her for so long. And just a couple of years ago, I reached out and Lori and I have started a much deeper conversation, and I can honestly say that she has now become a friend of mine. And that is. That's truly a beautiful thing. So, Lori, welcome to A New Life podcast. I'm so glad to have you here.

Thank you. I'm really, really glad to be here today.

So, Laurie, I want to start off with. You said a phrase to me during a conversation a while back, and you said something to the effects of you live your life with a motto of go big or go home. So tell me about that. Talk to me about that and take me through that part of your life.

Well, yes, that actually came from my father, so I will say that I had a very blessed childhood. My family is, you know, hilarious and funny and very well traveled. And, you know, I came from a family of entrepreneurs, which really changes, you know, Your whole mindset of growing up. And my father always had a big love for country music, and he shared that with me when I was very, very young. And, you know, that kind of instilled in me something that I didn't know that was going to lead to something so much bigger in my life and something that turned into something greater than I could have ever imagined. And I'll never forget, like, nine months before I graduated from college, there was a young country star named Brian White, and he's from Oklahoma. And I, you know, I kind of fell in love with his music and met him and his family, you know, kind of in the Oklahoma circuit and going to, you know, out in Tulsa, because I went to University of Tulsa, and I graduated in May of 1996. But nine months before that graduation date, I thought, you know, I want to move to Nashville. I want to be there. And my family thought I was crazy. And at that moment, I kind of thought, you know, this is going to be something that would be a real adventure for me and something that I could, you know, that could lead to something bigger for me. And that's what I wanted.

So how. I have to ask you, because I know people are going to ask, how did your family react when you made the announcement before you were even done with college, that, so this whole college degree thing, I'm gonna move to Nashville instead. So how did that go with the FA around the family dinner table?

Well, you know, my mom was like, you're crazy. You've never even been there. And I thought, well, I just knew it. I just knew in my heart I wanted to live there. And I finally told my mom. She's like, what are you going to do there? And I said, well, look at all these jobs on the back of the CDs. I'm like, surely I can find a job.

So, Laurie, you looked at the back of the CDs?

Yes.

Find a job.

Yeah, I was like. And back then, you know, I feel really blessed because, you know, the 90s was what I would say was kind of the height of country music. There was so much activity. And so my grandmother, my Mimi, the one, you know, Anne, she, you know, said, hey, let's go take a trip, and let's go to Nashville. And that will take you after for your graduation trip. And, Pamela, what happened? I literally went on that trip, and she told me, she said, you're going to live here, so I want you to drive, because I know this is where you're going to end up. And it was by a Twist of fate that a family friend, also in our church, in our church family, they actually had had the job as the nanny for Ronnie Dunn, a Brooks and Dunn, and she was moving back to Oklahoma to get married. And I interviewed that afternoon with the Dunn's and I moved 10 days later.

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh.

And, you know, that's, that's what I love about you, Lori. And you have a no fear mentality. There are so many people that have this dream, have this thing, and, and you have your thing, but you go after your thing. And that's the. One of the things that I admired from you. A long time ago, before you and I actually had a real conversation, I was admiring you because of that fact, because I recognize that within you. And I'll be honest with you, at that time in my life, I'll be honest with you, Laurie, at that time in my life, when I was observing you going after all of these dreams, chasing the dreams and the goals and doing all the things that most people would not have the courage to do, I was in a place in my life where I was terrified to change my narrative.

And that really happens to women. You know, I always think women are taught to play it really safe. And I was just one of those people at that time. You know, my mom, you know, wanted me to get an elementary education degree and I did. And I, you know, got my college degree and, you know, my family would have been very happy and content if I would have just, you know, found a husband during college and become a teacher and stayed in Oklahoma. And for some reason I knew that was not really the life I was meant for at that time. And I don't know, I think my fearlessness comes a lot from my grandmothers. Both of them were, they. They were just brave women and wanted more out of their own lives. And my mom's mom, you know, she always owned her own business and took care of herself. And she was a beauty and funny and great, and I spent a lot of time with her. And then the grandmother that, you know, Pamela, she's always been one of those fearless women that was kind of ahead of her time, you know, went after what she wanted. You know, she lived in Thailand for two years in the 70s and then even traveled back from Europe by herself with my uncle for a month. And, you know, I'm really thankful for that. And I think, you know, that's kind of what I want women to know and to really. That's kind of, kind of be. I think my common theme for doing this podcast with you is, you know, why are we playing it safe? You know, why do we play it safe? You know, because people. That's what they expect of us. Because that's easier.

Yes. So, Lori, that does lead me to the next topic that I want to move with you is you did try that, you know, air quotes. Normal life. You tried that normal life. So take me through that part, and I want to unpack that with you because I know. I know who you are today, but you went through a time where you felt like you had to have that normal life. You thought you needed to be married and do all the things that would be normal for women to do with their life. So take me through that journey for you, Lori, because I think it's really interesting. I know where you are today, and you are in the best place you could possibly be. But we all have to go through our stuff to get where we need to be. So tell me about that. The time that Lori tried to have the normal life and. And do the thing that is expected of women to do. And I'm not saying it's normal or correct or okay. But. But, you know, it's that thing in life that you, you know, that women are expected to do that. You get married, you have kids, you, you know, you do the things, you keep the home, all of that. So tell me about that little stint in your life.

Well, I didn't do that very well. We'll put it that way.

So.

So, you know, I think it's just something that society, it's normal. You know, I had come out to Nashville and I'd lived a big life. I'd worked in the country music industry most of my life. I had worked with celebrities. I had celebrities that were friends. I knew record producers and songwriters. My life was very big here. It was very full, and it was very fun. And, you know, the, you know, the family pressure will get to you eventually, that they're like, you know, when are you getting married? Why? You know, why are you still single? You know, why don't you want a husband? And I think that's the narrative that I want to change more than anything, because I was content and I was happy, and I just, you know, I felt all that pressure in society and my family, and I was finally like, okay, I'm going to have to just, I guess, find a husband. And, you know, interestingly enough, I found a really great guy. He was really kind, and for the most part, I felt really safe with him. And, you know, people ask me all the time, what attracted me to him. And he did make me feel safe. And I really thought, okay, maybe I am ready. And the thing was, Pamela, is that I picked a man that did not live in this state. So, you know, Nashville, Tennessee, was my home from 1996 to 2005. And then I had to move to Texas with him. And in my own mind, I was resolved that I had moved to Nashville right after college. I had done that, and it was fine. And I thought I would just do that transition to Texas as well. And it was not easy at all. And that was something that I realized very early on, that Nashville had my heart, and my friends were here, and my life was here. And it. You know, I kind of feel like my poor husband never really had a shot. And, you know, that was. You know, that was really hard. It was a hard time. And I ended up in counseling. And I'm a firm believer in mental health and taking care of yourself. And, you know, I learned some great coping mechanisms. But like I said, I wasn't very good at it.

I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that you weren't very good at it. Lori, if you don't mind me just giving. Making an observation. I think when we're not true to ourselves, when we're not true to our heart and our soul, and we make decisions based on other people's opinions, we make decisions based on what other people think we should do or what society expects us to do. We then make decisions that completely violate who we are. We violate ourselves. So, you know, you have said such nice things about your husband, and he didn't even have a chance. But, Lori, neither did you.

No, neither did you. Yes.

And I think. And you probably have already discovered that through counseling and therapy, but I think it's important for, you know, everyone here listening to understand that, you know, sometimes we make decisions out of the goodness of our heart, that. That it was not a vicious decision. It was not a bad choice. It was just a bad choice for Lori at that time because you were trying to fit yourself into a box of normal or what was expected of you. And I think we do that so many times, and what ends up happening is we end up violating ourselves. We violate our own passion, our own desire, our hearts and our souls, because we're trying to please other people. So, Laurie, in your. That time that you were in Texas, I know you did some awesome things there, too, because that just follows you wherever you go. I mean, seriously, you make that happen for yourself. I shouldn't say that it follows you because you make big things happen in your life. So while in Texas, you were the marketing director for Miranda Lambert's Mutt Nation Foundation. Talk a little bit about that because what a great philanthropy to be involved in.

Yes. So I was really blessed with that. And, you know, when people ask me, they were like, do you regret being married for 13 years? And my automatic response is no. You know, there were several wonderful things that happened in that time. First of all, you know, I had my nephews, so my nephews were in Dallas, and I got six years with them, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. And then the second thing that came out of, you know, this time in Texas was I did get this amazing job. And, you know, that was a real kind of full circle moment for me. I started working in animal rescue. Oh, let me think. Before, like, I don't know, like, right. Like around 2010, probably. And. And then by 20, you know, 14, I was working with Miranda Lambert and her, you know, nonprofit organization, Met Nation Foundation. And that was kind of like the pivotal moment for me because as a female, I think this is something else that's really worth discussing is that I think the reason I am so, you know, adamant about women being able to be financially. Financially secure and taking care of themselves and to be educated is because a lot of the reason, you know, you know, in my mind, I was scared to get out on my own and not be able to take care of myself. You know, we, you know, as females were like, we take sometimes the safe route because I'm like, oh, well, at least he's here, and at least I have health insurance, and at least, you know, I'm taken care of. And I think the other problem is that I realized was that I felt almost selfish wanting something more. And I will tell you that when, you know, I. I was so blessed to get the job with Miranda Lambert's, you know, nonprofit and to be able to do that job remotely from Texas. And it did, you know, take me out on the road. We did, you know, we would come, we'd fly in for CMA Fest, and we would do adoption animal adoption events in tandem with her concerts. And it was very exciting. But it also gave me the career boost I needed, you know, to eventually get out on my own. It gave me the title and it gave me the salary, you know, range that I knew I could take care of myself. And, you know, I think that was one thing I really had to do was to build my resume again to, you know, to Support myself. And I think that's where a lot of women, you know, get into trouble, is that, you know, I left my home in Nashville, I left my career and everything to be married. And honestly, you know, it was to my detriment. And. And I think that is one thing that I. That I want to teach young women more than anything is why are we always so worried about when they're getting married and when they're having children? I'm like, can we please redirect that dialogue and talk about, you know, where are you going to college? You know, where do you want to start your career? What do you want out of your life? Because just from what I have experienced, I know how hard that is. And I know, Pamela, you've been through some of those same challenges.

Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think. I love what you're saying, that that job. You tell me that you're blessed, that you have that job, the job with Miranda Lambert's foundation, and I believe, you know, everything is a blessing. But I also believe, Lori, that you created that for yourself. You made that possibility happen for you. But I love how you found your freedom through that position. And it's to no detriment to the marriage or anything like that, but you found your freedom because you. You found a place of confidence and of. You've been doing some soul searching, and you found that in that position, that, you know what? There is more for me in this life. And now anyone who is married and has children and all the things that is great, there's nothing wrong with that either. But I think it's important for people to know that's not the only way, and to stay in a situation because it's safe, because it's easy. When I say safe, I mean, like you said, Lori, you have the health insurance, you have the house, you have the white picket fence. You have the things. That's not a reason to stay in a situation because it's safe and it's easy, because at some point in your life, maybe that will crash and burn around you.

And it does. It absolutely does.

So you. You think it's the right thing at the time, but I do believe it crashes and burns.

And it does. And, you know, it's. You learn a lot from it. And, you know, and even through all the counseling and the therapy, you know, I realized that, you know, in Keller, Texas, where I lived in the suburbs of Dallas, I mean, I was literally a pacing animal in a cage. I just was not built for that life in that moment and in that time and, you know, people ask me, they're like, well, do you want to be married again? And I don't know that marriage is really something that I'm striving towards, even at this time in my life. But I will tell you that what I would want in my life is a partner. I would want a live partner that is one that would want to build a life with me, build something with me, own businesses together. I want somebody I can build something with, build a bigger life. And I know we'll get into this a little more, but Covid has taught me a lot about that in the last year, about wanting more and setting yourself up for success instead of just having the one safe job, for sure.

Well, I think. I think, Lori, the fact that you are so in touch with yourself and what your wants and your needs and your desires are, that is. That is incredible. And I know you can celebrate that because life throws you curveballs, doesn't it?

And that's gonna.

That's gonna lead me to my next conversation with you. My next topic with you is you shared something with me that a moment in your lifetime that life gets creative, crystal clear. When you were thrown into the primary caregiving role for your mother dealing with cancer and chemotherapy. So walk me through that, because I know that was a very difficult time for you, and I would love to hear how you coped with that moment of your life.

Of course. Yes. So 2017 was just a challenging year altogether. My grandmother, my Mimi, that, you know, she was also very ill in the spring. And then I spent 14 days in the hospital, you know, just with cellulitis. And then I was allergic to the antibiotic. The antibiotic, sorry. And then, you know, my mother gets diagnosed with breast cancer in August of that year. So at that moment, I knew that my marriage was falling apart, and my mom is sick, and I pretty much moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to take care of her. You know, she did not have. You know, she didn't have any parents, she didn't have a husband, and she didn't have any siblings to help her. And I will tell you that no one else in our family had ever had cancer. And we didn't know a lot about it, and we did not know the battle we were in for. And I will tell you that that is when I knew that was the definitive moment that I said to myself, life is happening. Life is short, and life is now, and if you're not happy, you have to fix it. I just say that life gets crystal clear sitting in chemotherapy.

Oh, my gosh that is incredible words, what you just said. Yes, well, amazing.

Well, and it's just so true. I mean, you see everybody with, as I call them, the poison poles, because that's what they are, and everybody's hooked up in a room and, you know, and you're helping this person fight for their life. And, you know, my mom was, to me, incredibly brave, and it was really a hard time. And I just knew at that moment and in that space that I was going to get her through this season. And then I had to move on. It was. At that point, it was not fair to me any longer. It was not fair to my husband any longer. I knew what needed to be done. And I also thought, okay, I'm 44 years old, and I knew that, like, by the time I left, it would be my 45th year. And that was what I. I had just decided. And I knew that's what we both. What we needed to start over. To start, you know, to take my life and take. Finally take some control of it, because for so long, I had just let it control me.

So I. What I'm hearing from you is that you're sitting in, helping your mother through cancer, in chemo, and you realize that you had hit your bottom.

I did. I realized that it was just absolutely time and that, you know, we can sit around and think and overanalyze and try to fix it. And, you know me, I didn't want to fail. Like, for a long time, I didn't want to say I was divorced. I didn't want to say that I, you know, I couldn't make my marriage work. You know, all of us have this, like, fixer in us, and we're perfectionists, and. And then finally, I was like, you know what the braver decision is to tell him that I. That I can no longer do this. And I tell everybody that the hardest thing I ever had to do was to tell him that I. That our marriage was over. And I tell people that it was the scariest thing I've ever done to walk through that fire, to look at somebody and tell them, you do not love them anymore. But I will tell you, since I have walked through that fire, everything else has just been logistics. That that was the scariest thing I ever had to do. And beyond that, I could. You know, you could just about do anything. Right.

Well, and I think it's being honest with yourself, and. No, because you had said earlier that, you know, you were doing the normal thing. You got married, you worked at an elementary school, you were Doing all the things. And when you finally are honest with yourself about where you are with your life, there's something so freeing about that, that. I know that was heavy, heavy load that you were carrying, and the burden was horrible. Walking through that fire was awful. But the load that was lifted when you faced that. I can only imagine how much lighter you felt once you faced that and once you were honest and truthful with yourself.

Yes, I felt so much better. And, you know, once he and I had the initial conversation of what was happening, that I was going to, you know, move back to Nashville and that, you know, I was going to help him sell the house and take care of any logistics, you know, we were both so relieved. It was very interesting.

Well, and I think it's. It's good to point out here, too, that, you know, you. You didn't want to breathe the words that, I am divorced. I failed. My marriage failed. That all that is. That's ego and pride. That's pride and ego. That. That doesn't have anything to do with your true feelings. That's just pride and ego of what are. What are other people going to say about me?

Correct. And once I let go of all of that and I just dealt with him and, you know, he. He and I have the most amicable divorce in history. I'm. I was blessed on both ends with that. And that's. And that's what I wanted. I didn't want it to be drama. I did not want it to be hateful or ugly. It didn't need to be that. He'd been in my life for 13 years. I would still say that we have, you know, a peripheral friendship, even at this, you know, on this day and time, two and a half years later. And I'm very thankful for that. And I really try to look back on that time, you know, with, you know, kindness and some sort of love. Because if you sit around and regret it, then you spend your life miserable that you gave up this time. But what I really tried to do with that time was to learn from it. You know, what are my strength and strengths and weaknesses? What do I want to learn from that? And the other thing is, Pamela, the main thing is it is okay to be unconventional. If that is not for you, it is okay.

I agree 1,000%. But I also agree that, you know, through the 13 years of that marriage, Lori, that's when you truly found yourself. And without those 13 years, you would never have found the real Lori, and you wouldn't understand exactly what makes your soul sing and what sets you on fire.

I agree with that. Yes.

And I, I let you know that I never want to look back at a past experience, good, bad or otherwise, and look at it with regret. Because every time it's a painful. Life is painful. Life is hard. I mean, let's just be honest, life is stinking hard sometimes. But it's through the pain, through the failures, it's through those most difficult times that you take your biggest leaps. And if everything was status quo and perfect all the time, you wouldn't grow as a human being. And now, oh my gosh, Lori, look at how you have reinvented yourself again. And I love this part of your story because you, you face the fact that that marriage is ending. You move back to your place of peace. And I love that you see Nashville as your place of peace. So you move back to Nashvill. Still are well connected, I'm sure, But it's been 13 years, so I'm sure a lot had changed in those 13 years. But I love the unconventional way that you reinvented yourself. So talk, talk us through that because I, I find this really fascinating.

It was amazing, really. So I came back here, I was hired by a friend to be his marketing and sales manager at a valet parking company. And valet parking is one of the most male dominated fields in the country. And I was, I mean, I just had to hit the ground running. I hadn't, I had to get re acclimated to a city I had not lived in in 13 years. And I had to figure out like all my networking and figure out who I was going to sell to and my new accounts and. And it was, I just had to like, take this whole city by storm. It was crazy.

And because you were going big and that was now your home.

So, you know, yes. And you know, I had a client, I did a lot of social media marketing when I was in Texas trying to build my resume back up. And I had a client that said, you know, Lori, it is good to be where your spirit lives. And that is really what I have stuck to since I have been back here. And when people look at me and they're like, are you so glad to be back? And I'm like, oh my gosh, yes, because this is where my spirit lives. And I am a firm believer in that. It was like the minute I came back here, I could. It was like everything. My shoulders relaxed, like my lungs, like exhaled and I'm like, I'm finally at home and. And I feel like I can do just about anything. Here my connections are vast. The people are amazing. My friends are amazing. And I think what I didn't even realize was going to be so huge was that I would make all these new friends. So ballet parking is in the hospitality industry. And so I literally, like, was networking with people that did catering and linens and rentals and, you know, all type, you know, hotels, restaurateurs, everything. And it kind of hit me when I started doing a lot of special events. I was like, wait a minute. I know all these music people. And that was probably my biggest niche in valet parking, is that I literally created a division where we were doing, you know, boutique valet, VIP parking because I could handle the A list clients, my team, this is. I laugh about this all the time. My, you know, my young valet guys, and I have men and women on my team, and, you know, they listened to, you know, popular pop music, rap, so they had no idea who anybody was. So it worked in my benefit that they were not, you know, they were not starstruck or curious or, you know, we just ran, like, the best VIP valet we could. You could ever imagine. And I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

That is amazing. And I could see where you would thrive in that, because, number one, being female, you are adding touches to the valet industry that have never been there before. Well, seriously, with it being so male dominated.

Yeah.

You know, there's things that. That you were adding to that conversation that your. Your clients were like, this is so much better than anything I've ever had before, because they've never had it before. And I know you and I know your family talk about a beautiful, hospitable group of people to be around. I mean, no one will make you feel more welcome than miss Anne. I'm telling you, she's. She is the best on the planet.

She is amazing.

I know that you've learned this your entire life, and all of that came very natural to you. So it wasn't like you were trying to put on a show. This was sincere. It was coming, and I love that. And how you, you know, you didn't look at that industry and say, well, mostly men do this, and this really isn't a place for me. You took the bull by the horns and made it something really incredible.

Okay, well, I looked at my boss and I was like, okay, there has to be a better way. I mean, he was terrible at event parking, so I was like, so I kind of just kicked him out of it. I started doing it. I trained my own team, and then he showed up at One event. And I was like. He was like, oh, my goodness. He goes, you want this to look like a piece of art? And I'm like, yes, this is what it should look like. And plus, the one thing he was really smart about is he knew that a lot of women ran events and they wanted to work with women. And so that was his, you know, his strength was to know what his weaknesses are. And that that really worked out in our benefit. And I, you know, I will say that probably one of my greatest accomplishments in valet parking was that I actually, I secured the third largest contract in our company history, about five years. But that meant a lot to me. It did.

Congratulations on that success and congratulations on running with what you knew. You knew that people, people desire beautiful experiences.

Yes.

Even if it is just going to an event and having someone park my car. But if you. If that valet experience can add to their overall evening. And honestly, that's like the first impact of attending this event. It's the first impression of the event is the valet, right?

Correct.

And for you to make it like a piece of art. I love that reference. Kudos to you. Congratulations. That's awesome.

Well, I mean, sincerely, it's like that was the first and last experience. Experience. And I held my team to a different. I held them to a different, you know, expectation than everyone else. And I actually went on site and supervised, which a lot of people don't send out. A management person, a person actually run a valet event. And, you know, here, you know, my clients are CMT and ACM and cma and I've worked with record producers homes and tour managers homes. I was doing their daughter's weddings. Like, this is important stuff. And these are great people that give you great references. And, you know, I think the other thing my family really taught me that if you're going to do anything, do it well. And that was just one thing that I really even brought into this industry that was so strange. No one ever thought I would stay with that job, and no one ever thought I would like it. And then I absolutely loved it. I did.

Awesome. So let's talk about the big elephant in the room, and that is, you know, 2020. You're pretty much a jerk. This year has been pretty horrible for a lot of people. And I feel like you had some very poignant moments throughout this year that have even moved you to another level of your life. You know, you come back to your. Your place of happiness and you create this awesome business, this valet business. Well, then all of that comes to a Screeching halt in March because of a pandemic. But you had some issues prior to the pandemic. So let's talk about your 2020. I know everyone has a story and everybody has been a challenge, but I really want to talk about yours, Lori.

Well, everything in 2020, if you think everything before here has taught me about life, 2020 really taught me about life.

I think it's just testing how strong each and every one of us are and how resilient we are. Right.

Okay. Yes. Well, I moved out here with our 11 year old dog at the time, and I lost him right at the very beginning of 2020, and he passed away on January 2nd. And I should have known that Presley McPherson at 14 years old, when I lost him at that time, that this was going to be a heck of a year. I just have known it. I should have known it. He was like a voice of nature and I was.

That was the sign that you should have been more aware of.

Yes. And, you know, and then I just tell everybody that it just tumbled from there. I was. I literally was diagnosed with flu A on the third week of January. And, you know, it was during that month that I realized that I had not really dealt with my divorce. I had not dealt with any of those emotions. And it all kind of crashed down on me. You know, Presley's passing was very hard. Being sick was very hard. And I had to really, you know, kind of do a little mental work then, and my mental work is. Is continuing. So we'll get into that in just a minute. But, you know, literally that was really hard. And then March 3rd, the tornado hit Nashville. It tore through our city. It hit many neighborhoods. And then, as we all know, March 13th, the world stopped. So being in the hospitality industry, everything came to a halt. And I think that was the moment. I kind of like, let myself grieve that for about six weeks. And I knew, because I had lived through, you know, 9, 11, as, you know, as an industry person, I had lived through the recession, you know, and I was old enough to know that a virus that is spread when large groups of people are gathered together, that I was probably not going to have a job for over a year. And I had to really deal with that and grieve that job that I loved. I had my most successful month in parking in February. My city is in shambles from the tornado. And now we are in Covid quarantine. And that's where it starts.

Wow.

Yes.

Wow. So if you could. And then you got Covid.

Yes. Well, and before. And before I got Covid is really when the health, you know, all my health journey began. And that was, you know, by a fluke, you know, with the Nitro Chronicles. And that's been my biggest kind of rebirth this year. And I'm very, very excited about that. And so I tell everybody, if you hear any of this story, this is what I will tell you. That those six weeks, I, you know, as I grieved my job and grieved my industry, I was eating like an unsupervised 6 year old on a road trip with $100, and I was not taking good care of myself.

Right?

Yes. And the thing was, is that you know, being, you know, coming into this city, running as fast as I could for like the two years, like literally almost on the dot for two years, I was not taking good care of myself. And everything was harder. I felt like getting up and down off the couch was harder. Standing was harder. I was at valet events. It was harder. And so I had really put my health on the back burner. And I knew that I had to do something different. And, you know, when the world gave us that pause, I thought, well, you know, what am I going to do? And I kind of. The breaking point, and this is why my new brand is called the Night Shirt Chronicles, is because I ordered a night shirt from Katie Keim in Austin, Texas. It's so cute, and it didn't fit, and it was monogrammed and I couldn't return it. And so that was kind of the pivotal moment. I put it on, I took the first photo and I was like. I was like, okay, we're going to start this. And I knew that if I was going to have this kind of time, that if. And I was going to have to cook at home anyway, that I wanted to get healthy, that if I couldn't control anything else in my life, my job was gone, my social life was gone. I'm stuck in my apartment and I'm like, okay, what is the one thing I can control? And it was my health. And that's. That's kind of where the journey started.

I absolutely love that. I love. So if you don't know if you're new to Lori, her brand is Nightshirt, the Night Shirt Chronicles. And I think what's so important to understand through everything, Lori, that you have shared with us today and everything you have been through, all of the times that you hit a bottom, from that bottom has started something new and beautiful and incredible, and you've pivoted in such an amazing way. And you found the silver lining through every negative, horrible experience. So you place an order, you get your shirt in, it doesn't fit. And you look at that and say, because the world has put us on pause. I can control my health. I can control how I'm taking care of me right now when nothing else in the world is within my control.

Well, it is. And it was just one of those moments that I actually said during my grief period in those six weeks from March 13 to April 27. The whole journey started on April 27. That's when I took the before photo. And in those six weeks, it was really hard. I mean, I grieved that I. And I actually said out loud to someone, this is not going to be the time for me to do my best work. And I remember that like it was yesterday. And I'm thankful that something in my mind flipped because this did end up being a time where I have done some of my best work. And I'm so thankful for that. I'm thankful that I was like, okay, Lori, get yourself together. Find a female empowerment song and get with it.

You know, it's like, you know, so awesome. That's so awesome. So you double down. You double down on your health journey.

I tell and congratulations.

That is so awesome. So how much have you lost so far and what are your goals?

Okay, so what happened was, is that after six weeks, I lost 25 pounds and 21 inches. And that's when I actually started selling the product. So I do sell the products that I'm using, and that was kind of like something for me that I missed selling. I missed having clients, I missed having a reason to get up in the morning. So when I did the first photo documenting the first 25 pounds, I still didn't have the night shirt chronicles in my head. I literally was just putting the night shirt on to for myself, really. I just wanted to see what it looked like and how much my body had changed and £25. And, you know, and that's when I decided to start selling. And that's what I realized I was really missing is I was missing that connection with my clients I missed selling. And what I realized was that, you know, not only was I able to sell health products, keep my own health going, and then the other missing piece was to be able to inspire other people to help them with their journey. There were so many people that had gained the COVID 10 or 15 or 20, and there were people like me that just needed some extra encouragement and wanted you know, to take care of themselves while they had this space and this time. And I think more than anything, I had a guy tell me, and he said, you know what, Lori? He goes, you've always had your own voice, but this pause gave you the time to use it.

Oh my gosh.

It was so impactful to me. I'll never forget, like, where I was sitting and what he said. And he said, this is your year to release yourself from all the people that have really not, you know, given you the credit and the, you know, the accolades that you needed. And now it's just time for you to do this for yourself. And, you know, that's when, you know, I was standing at the kitchen sink one day and I was thinking about that crazy night shirt and how I'd used it for the first, you know, the first photo and the six week photo. And I was standing at the kitchen sink and I said, you know what this journey should be called? The Night Shirt Chronicles. And it came to me and I sat down immediately and looked up the domain on GoDaddy and I said, if it's available, that's what it's going to be. And it was. And I bought it right then.

Oh, that's.

I haven't done the website yet, but I do have the domain and, you know, that's on the list. But as you know. So June 15th is when I started selling and I, you know, built this great team in just a few weeks. And the thing is that we're getting ready to hit is that on July 9, I was diagnosed with COVID So that is where we go from, from this point with, you know, you lose that momentum. And Covid was very, very hard.

Well, it was hard. And I think. I can't remember exactly what your friend said, but in the silence is where you get to start using your own voice. And during the chaos of regular life, you wouldn't be using the voice that you are right now today had you not gone through Covid, had you not gone through 13 years in Texas, had you not gone through all the things. Because that is the reality. When you hit your bottom, when you hit those really, really hard times, that's when you get to leap ahead. You know, setbacks are setups. I never look at a setback as something that this is a bad thing. Okay? Setbacks are happening because there's something huge that I am supposed to do. And Lori, I see that in you. I know that. I know you have a book on the horizon, the Nightsheet Chronicles book. I. I Cannot wait for you to write that book because I know it is going to be incredible. Incredible. Your story is amazing. I just have never met someone as tenacious as you. And you live by your life motto of go big or go home. And I love that about you and I've admired that about you over the years, observing from afar and now getting to know you even better. I know that the people that you are to impact and lives that you are meant to change is happening through your health journey. It's happening through all of your connections that you have in Nashville. It's happening, happening because of the downtime that you were forced to have through Covid.

And. And that's also true. And the thing that was also hard is, you know, I actually had Covid in July, and that was the moment that was really, really hard this year. You know, those six weeks that I grieve my job were hard. But spending 22 days by yourself fighting a virus is something that I hope many people never have to go through. And it was pretty devastating in a way, you know, with the isolation and being that sick. And then, you know, Pamela, there were people from our church that. From our, you know, our family church that we lost in August after that. And so I had a really hard eight weeks. I was diagnosed on July 9, and it wasn't really until September, like 8th or 9th, that I kind of felt the most like myself. And I think that's something that a lot of people don't talk about with COVID is there's a lot of long term effects. And I. I had a. Had a really hard time. It's cognitively so, you know, Covid brain fog is real and the short term memory loss is hard and it lasts for several weeks. And, you know, I will say that that's. I bring this all up to talk about the fact that I have. I hadn't started writing to this point. You know, the book came to me in June. So right after the title came to me, I sat down and I wrote down, I would say 80% of the chapters because I knew at that point that I'd always wanted to write a book about my marriage. And that book was going to be called Stuck in the Dress. And I kind of knew once the Nightshirt Chronicles started taking shape, the actual book was the Night Shirt Chronicles. And that Stuck in the Dress was only a chapter. And that was what I knew at that point. And I wanted to hit all of these subjects that had been, you know, coming to me over, you know, these especially the last 20 years of my life or, you know, you know, since. Or 27 years since, you know, there is so much that you. How much you change. Like, how much I changed in my 20s, you know, from my time in Nashville and what I experienced as a woman and then what I experienced as a woman in my 30s and being married, and then this, you know, you know, this transition of being back here and being, you know, thrust into this great sales field and, you know, growing leaders and, you know, and then to hit quarantine and to find my own voice. I read this great quote the other day that said, the story has already been written. You just have to commit it to the page. And I was like, oh, yes.

And a lot of truth to that.

It is. And, you know, and Glennon Doyle is one of my favorite people on the planet. And, you know, she says, you write and that. She goes, you write, and the scar is not in the wounds. And, you know, it's been two and a half years, and I think it's time. And that was kind of where I was is. I'm like. I'm like, okay. And so, you know, as the Night Shirt Chronicles progresses and I have more clients, and I'm down almost £50, so it's. I'm at £48 now. I'm not actually telling everybody the big goal yet. I kind of keep everybody guessing, but I should hit the 50 pound mark. We're gonna have a lot of celebrating. I've got new branding, and. And I am thrilled about what's to come, because what I am asking everyone now is, you know, 2020 won't last forever. So what do you want in 2021?

I love that, Lori. And I think a really important question for people to ask themselves is this. If. If there's something that is wrong in your life right now, today, and you do nothing about it, what will your life look like in a year from today? So if there's something in your life that. It's a bad relationship, a bad marriage, bad health, whatever that is, if you do nothing about it, where will you be one year from now? You'll be in the same position. What will your life look like if you tackle the thing, whether it be health, relationship, weight, alcohol, whatever it is, if you do something about it now, where will your life be in a year? And that's such a great thing that you said, Lori, that 2020 is not going to last forever. Thank goodness for that. But for us to be able to own our stuff, to own our emotions, to own who we are, as people and make decisions, good, conscious decisions, not out of desperation, not out of high emotion. You know, you never make a critical decision when you're emotionally taxed. That is the worst thing you could ever do. Or from a position of desperation. And you make a good, conscious decision to make that change in your life. That's when things pivot and move and you become true to yourself.

And I couldn't agree more. I will say that I tell everybody that I've reinvented myself more than Madonna. And I really. You feel that way.

I agree because I've watched you do it. So I'm gonna say, yes, that that is so factually true.

And, you know, I think if we're gonna, like, talk about my dad and the thread of this, this conversation is even though my daddy was all about go big or go home, he would also say to me, well, baby girl, how are you gonna top this? And I always, and I always just said, daddy, not that. It's just what's next. And I think that's what people have to figure out for themselves is, you know, what's next for them and what do they want? And I do newsletters for all my clients and anybody that wants to be on my newsletter mailing list because I send it out electronically once a week. But I really, this week, I'm talking about transformation. And it really hit me that, you know, this journey, you know, whether it's health or, you know, whatever journey you're on this year, and I, you know, I told them, I said the journey will change you and just let it.

Lori, how can they sign up for your email to get your newsletter? What is your email address?

It is Lori, at the Night Shirt Chronicles. It is plural dot com.

Perfect. Okay, we'll go ahead and post that in, in the description. But I also wanted you to have the opportunity to. To say it here. So we're going to wrap up today, Lori, with some rapid fire questions, right? Quick questions. I've got just four of them. And then we'll do a quick little final thought. So, rapid fire question. What advice would you give women who are playing it safe to stop?

That is my main thing. Stop playing it safe. Everyone in your life is going to tell you, find the perfect job that's going to make the most amount of money. So you have health insurance, find the stable relationship, you know, have your babies. And I know there are a lot of people that want that. And if you do, I want you to have that. I want for women to have what they want. And so what I tell everyone is to please stop playing it safe. If you want more for your life, go for it. I read this great quote today that said, start, you know, start, launch the business today, make it perfect later.

Oh, I love that.

You know, this is the second business I've launched since I've been in this city. And you know, you've got to realize, friends, you need a graphic designer, a website designer, anybody in that industry. Everybody needs work. Everybody is willing to work with, with you. And you know, you can even reach out to me if you need bright women to help you, you know, grow your business or you want to start something or if you want to ask any questions because I will tell you that I, like I said, I am blessed to be filled with a life and a full of entrepreneurs and I'm so thankful for that because you, this is your one, you know, short and beautiful life. What are you going to do with it?

Awesome. I love it. Well, final thoughts. I love this about you. That it you said this to me the other day and I'm going to say it back to you. It is okay to be unconventional and to want something different or more. I love that. Final thought. Lori, I can't thank you enough for being part of this podcast today. Lori, I do want you to have the opportunity to share your health journey with us. So if you're listening, I want you to know that we'll have all of Lori's health, the products that she sells and how she's handled her health journey. We'll have that in the description of the podcast. So we'll have all of that there for you. And Lori, give us one more time your email address so people can sign up for your newsletter.

It is lorinightshirt chronicles.com perfect.

Lori, well, thank you so much. This has been awesome, inspiring. I love everything about you. I can't wait to hear more about your products and how you've built your diamond team that you're working with. I know that you are going to change lives, Lori, and I think that's why we're all put on this earth is to make a difference and to change people's lives. Thank you for joining us today on a New Life podcast. We will see you next time.