Live with Stacey - This is Bigger

Uh, hey y'all, it is Stacy with Wilshire Collections and I'm here with a bunch of my fabulous friends and family who's also a friend. So y'all come on in, tell us hello. We are so, so excited for tonight. We are kicking off night 2 of This Is Bigger book party week and we are celebrating the fact that This Is Bigger is officially on pre-order and it is out there and ready for you guys to get these in your hands. And I am just so excited and so honored to have these ladies here with me tonight. We hopped on a few minutes before the live and we've just been chatting and catching up, and I've already gotten a little emotional. And so I'm just so, so excited and thankful to have them here. So when you guys hop on, tell us hello, um, tell us where you're watching from as far as like where do you live, where's your location. But then also if you're watching on Christy's page or Sarah's page or Danielle's Brooks. They're all kind of sharing these to their pages right now as well. So let us know like where you came from as far as that goes. Um, as far as my friends, um, Kelly's getting the broadcast sent out so that you guys, um, can hop on over and find us. So when you hop on, just tell us hello. Let me go over the comments. I see some people hopping on. Hello, you guys! There's Lashay and Crystal, Renee, Janet, and Sally. Hello, hello! Thank you guys for being here. We are super, super excited. Um, so for those of you that don't know me, I'm Stacy. I'm the owner of Wilshire Collections, and I love all things decorating, DIY pillows, printables, shopping, anything related to your home. Um, that is my love, passion, etc. And I guess I can say I'm now a published author. That is pretty cool. And I wish I had my coffee mug in here. My team got me a coffee mug that says, this is what a published author looks like. I believe I drank out of that this morning. I was like, this is so cute. But anyways, hey, Dad. Dad's on. Mom and Dad are on here, Blair. So that is my newest, newest endeavor. And this is a book that was honestly laid on my heart years and years ago. I wrote these 3 words on a little Post-it note. This is bigger. Kept this Post-it note since 2020 for 6 years now, and it ended up becoming the title of this book. And so it's a full circle moment. The book is a combination of my story and my journey. I've had my business for 13 years now, um, and it's also stories from my community, which makes it so special. And it's the story about how God has been at the center of all of it. And, um, It's a story about how community, calling, and courage create impact. And it's really, really, really good, if I do say so myself. So hello, you guys. I see you all. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Oh, don't forget to— and it doesn't matter which page you're watching from— share this video. We are doing a giveaway and we'll be picking somebody at the end of the live to win a signed copy of the book. So Kelly will be sending me the name of the winner. All you have to do is share. Let us know that you did. And we will pick somebody to send a free book to. And again, it can be from any of the pages, and we appreciate it. So I want to take a minute to introduce my friends here. I'm sure a lot of you probably recognize a lot of these faces. I'm just going to go on the order that I see people on the screen. I'm guessing it's the same order that they see it. But right next to me is my sister Blair. So Blair and I go way back. And she was a baby, literally. Um, she is my younger sister, and, um, more than that, she's my bestie and my best friend and my, um, just my support in everything in life. And real quick, I talked about this last night, but when I started Wilshire 13 years ago, Blair and I started this business together. We started painting furniture. We had booths at vendor stores, and We did that for several years together until Blair decided to become a stay-at-home mom. She was busy having lots of babies. She now has 3 boys, so she stepped away and focused on being a mom. And now Blair is doing exactly what she's called to do in her business, in her life with her business, B Styled Co. But what is so cool is that even though she's not involved in Wilshire per se, like on paper, She is very much involved and she is probably one of my number one supporters, cheerleaders. And it's really cool that we have this sister relationship, but we also can talk about business and that is special because she knows, y'all know, not everybody gets it when you have a business. So to— not that I wouldn't love you just the same if you didn't, but it would probably be harder to be like, guess what happened, blah, blah, blah. So we just have such a, such a connection and bond. And I love you so much and I'm glad you're here and I'm so thankful for you.

So love you too.

You're already making me cry.

I know, sorry. Y'all grab your tissues, grab your tissues. I'm gonna let them tell about their businesses here in a minute. Next is Sarah Williams with Launch Your Box and Framed by Sarah. Sarah and I go, we go way back too. Like, I feel like I knew Sarah in the online— I know I did in the online space prior to this, but we officially met, I believe in 2021 was the year we met officially in person. We've been in masterminds together and now I'm in Sarah's mastermind. So those of y'all that follow me and see me go into my mastermind trips, it's Sarah that runs the mastermind. But more than being my mastermind leader and mentor and coach, she's also a great friend and somebody who I just love and admire, and she wrote the foreword of the book, which is just so special, and I cannot wait for y'all to read that. Um, and then Christy with Christy's Craft Room— I'm so bad with timing in years, but we go way back in the online world for sure, right? Like, 20—

yeah, I think it was right early— I think it was late 2019, early 2020.

Okay, in the online world. And then it was 2020 3, the first year of Sarah's mastermind. Is that right?

Well, we actually met the first time at Brooke's event when I hit you in the head with a cup of coffee at the hotel.

That's right. I forgot because I still have a concussion from that.

No, the only reason she likes me is I knocked it right into her.

Yeah, that's right. So we met at that event. And anyways, we go way back and we are super close, dear friends. She'll be at my live event in April and it's just so special to me. And then Danielle with Imperfect Dyes, I'm thinking like 2019-ish. No, '17, '18.

I think '18, '19, one of those.

Okay, '18, '19. We met at a business conference and it was a God thing when we met. We literally bumped into each other at Opryland Hotel and Danielle was lost looking for her way and she's like, hey, are you going to this conference? Can I follow you? And we have been friends ever since, and she's so sweet and kind and such a good-hearted person, and I just, um, love her dearly. So, and then last but not least, Brooke with Refab. I forgot to say Imperfect Dust, Danielle.

No, that's okay.

Um, but Brooke and I, 2000— I think '17, maybe '18.

Yeah, it was early.

Yeah, it was early in my— the online part of my business, and right when I was just kind of starting to go live, and you were too, and and all of that. And we met at a Kirkland's, which is very fitting considering we both—

so fitting—

yeah, love to shop. And we— there was actually a book signing, and we had known each other in the online space, and she was like, hey, come down, you know, or I'm coming down, you want to meet me at this book signing? And we have been friends ever since. I've been at her live events, she's been at my live events, at her coaching retreats, and just all the things. So all of these ladies are so, so special to me. Um, tonight we're going to be talking about influence and connection, but before we get into that, I want to give them a chance just to tell you guys real quick— hello y'all, I see all your comments, thank you for being here— um, let them tell you real quick about their businesses. So Blair, you can go first. We'll just go in the same order. Okay.

Um, hi everyone, I'm Blair. Um, I'm the sister, but I also own Beast Out Co. We are a Nashville-based styling firm, but we help women all over the country find confidence through their wardrobes. So we are not celebrity stylists. We help women of all ages, all sizes, going through so many different transitions in life, get dressed with confidence. And I would not have started my business if it was not for my sister. So I literally would not be where I am today if it wasn't for the impact that— and just the everything that she did. I just aspired like, she is doing this, she's doing this, and so maybe I can do it too. And so, and you did, and you are, and I am so, so proud of her and just happy to be here.

Thank you, Sarah.

Why do I have to go after the sister?

Well, a lot of times people think we are related.

They're all—

they always know because we look similar. Yeah, I'm just I'm Sarah Williams. I have a couple different businesses. My business started out as Framed, which I still own Framed. It's my subscription box business that has been— this is my 13th year as well. I heard Stacy say 13 years with Framed. And when I started my subscription box, it exploded and people were in my DMs like crazy. And so I started Launch Your Box in 2019. It was a coaching program to help other people build their own subscription boxes. Since then, I have taught over 7,000 students and we have 3 different programs now. We have Launch Your Box, which is our entry level. We have Scale Your Box, which is all of my students that are launched and ready to and scaling. And then we have our Elevate Mastermind, which is for our 6 and 7 figure subscription box owners, which Stacy is a part of. And so that's what I still run my subscription box and I coach all the subscription box owners. And so I really love, I really love what I do.

I love it. Thank you, Christy.

Hi, I'm Christy and I own Christy's Craft Room. I started my page just teaching tutorials on how to make different crafts almost 7 years ago, and it was probably about a little over 6 years ago that I started my subscription box where I would send craft kits to people to craft along with us. And we have an amazing community where they get to be part of a private Facebook group. We send them a kit every month. We host virtual craft nights with them and just have an amazing time crafting, creating decor for our homes. And just 2 years ago, I started my second subscription. It's called Craft Night in a Box, and that is where we send them everything they need to host a craft night in a box for 4 to 12 people. And that's been simply amazing, just seeing everybody coming together, starting to host craft nights again, starting to get together again. We kind of went through a, a phase that we saw, you know, back in 2020 to 2022, where everyone kind of like went to their homes and kind of stayed home. And, and a lot of people have had a hard time getting back together, and these boxes have really been great in encouraging people to host these fun craft nights and bringing their family and friends together. So that's what I do.

Love it. Thank you, Danielle.

So I'm Danielle with Imperfect Dust, and like, like a lot have said, I have a couple too where I started out with hand-lettered art. That is the Imperfect Dust side. And I just want to say, Stacy, you know, Blair said that her business wouldn't be where it is without you. And I know back in, I guess it was probably 2019, you took a chance. We did not know each other that long. And Stacy shared me while I was live unexpectedly. And to this day, I'll never forget it. I was in a t-shirt and shorts and looking a hot mess in my shop, but my live viewer count went up to 700 and I freaked out and I was like, what's going on? Because I had never— I think I had had like 50 people on a live at the most. And your people were saying like, Stacy, send us, Stacy, send us. And I was almost done, so I had to like whip out some more stuff.

Surprise! I got a show now, you know.

So ever since then though, like I will tell you, that put the bug in me about lives where I was like, the power of a live. And then you had so much influence just to send them to my page. So I know we're going to talk about Impact later, but yeah, I had honestly forgotten about that.

I really— that is so— I remember you after you messaged me afterwards, you're like, girl, what just happened? You know? Yeah.

So it was super awesome. But hand lettering artist who teaches other women how to hand letter as an absolute beginner and then turn all these projects into something they're proud of using my hand letter templates. And then I also have a mastermind where I coach women on how to grow and scale their businesses that are already doing great, but we just want to keep it going.

So yes, and her hand lettering is gorgeous if you've never seen it. Oh, it's right there. This right here, that this is bigger, that was hand-lettered by Danielle. She is amazing. I, I have handwriting like a kindergartner, so you don't want to see me hand-letter anything, but I could learn from you. I know I could. So, all right, Brooke.

Hey everybody, um, I'm Brooke with Refabbed, and I started my company 11 years ago, and it started with just a decorating and kind of renovation blog, really no DIY. That kind of just evolved. And then over time, as I started going live and building community and all the things that we're going to talk about, I started the Refab Boutique, which is an online boutique. And now we have pop-up events, so I can't say fully online because we do have pop-up events about 3 or 4 times a year now at our warehouse. We're very heavily on the live video sales, live sales that we do through our app. And, um, I also have a subscription box, the Refabulous Box, that is just— brings a bit of joy to everybody's life every single month right to their doorstep. So, um, that's just a shameless plug as well. And then I have a coaching group where I coach, um, mostly women on how to grow and maximize the online space for profit and Those three things just work together and I just love what I do. I'm happy to be here and happy to get to live my passion and purpose every single day.

So I love it. Oh, I love it. I love to that, you know, Christy and I have some overlap in our businesses. Brooke and I have a little overlap, but like all of our businesses are very different, yet we all have so much in common. And the main thing that we have in common is that we all have online businesses. You know, it's not, you know, We don't own a Chick-fil-A or, you know, like a— it's just, it's different. An online business, it's its own animal, its own beast, its own whatever. And it's different, you know. And we're going to be talking about, as I said, influence and connection. And two things I want to say first is influence is not about followers. It's about impact. And community isn't about numbers, about like the number of followers. It's about connection. And every single person sitting here is not chasing the numbers. They're not chasing the followers. They're not, you know, chasing all of that. We're here because we all know this is our calling on our lives and we're here to help hopefully make your lives even better. So I'm going to kind of start this off before we get into talking about a couple of things. I'm going to read you guys. I know I said last time, like, this is awkward, but they're like, it's only awkward for you. I'm like, I guess so. I'm gonna read you guys a couple little pages. So tonight we're kind of focused on chapter 3 and 4 of the book. So when you get the book, you'll, you'll see how these themes that we're talking about kind of tie in. Um, so I'm going to read you just 2 pages from chapter 3 in the book. And well, let me just read it and then we'll— and then I'll say what I was going to say. But okay, I'm going to say this even though I do not like the word influencer. Ugh. Why is there such a stigma around that word? It makes me cringe a bit. Why? Because sometimes when you hear influencer, you think of someone who shares products trying to make a dime. But honestly, that is far from the truth for most influencers. As I begin to grow my community, the shift from the girl in her garage painting furniture to the girl online influencing started to happen. I consider myself way more than an influencer, but I do know I have influence. Do I influence people to go shop and buy cute things I share? Yep, I sure do. Do I influence them to see how much they need printables, pillows, or other cute items that I sell? Yep, definitely. But I've also influenced them to become part of this community, to open up in ways that maybe they haven't in a long time, and to lean into their creativity and their passions. I've influenced them to find joy in their lives and to be proud of their homes. Influencers can be very misunderstood, but when you look at the heart of the community behind influencers like me, you'll see that it's so much more than you might think. Is that true for every influencer out there? I'm sure it's not. But I can tell you that I've been lucky enough to meet several others in a similar online space, and the heart behind what we do and why we do it is all the same, in my opinion. The best kind of platform is one that lifts others up and lifts others up and makes them feel welcomed. I hope that I can debunk the stigma around influencers a bit as you continue to read and see that there's truly so much more to this type of job. It's a job far from normal by traditional standards, but one that I truly believe will help shape the future. True influence isn't measured by followers or sales. It's measured by lives touched and hearts encouraged. Influence becomes impact when it points people back to hope, joy, and community. But he— wait, no, we're going to stop there. We're going to stop there. We're going to stop with the quote. And this, this could not be more true. And it's so true of everyone sitting here and of so many people that I have had the privilege to meet in the online space, in the business world since starting this. All of us are influencers, but I'm pretty sure none of you guys just consider yourself an influencer. Am I right? And there is such a stigma around that word, you know, and, and I cannot speak for every influencer out there, but I know that people like us, we are building true communities and we are giving people hope and joy and all these things that we talk about so much throughout the book. And that's what makes it so special. You know, you're seeing often the highlight reel and You know, and I get it, it's easy to get kind of lost in that and be like, oh, this person has, has it all together, this has this and that. But at the end of the day, we're real people just like everybody else with, you know, real things going on. And we're here just to make your lives, you know, better. And so, um, I was going to show you— hold on a second, let me pull this up real quick. Um, I think it's this one. Well, this is one of the quotes. That's not the one I just read, but this is the one about surround yourself with people who get you, support you, love you unconditionally, because they're the ones who'll cheer you on during your best moments and lift you up when you're in hard seasons. And then this one: True influence isn't measured by followers or sales. It's measured by lives touched and hearts encouraged. Influence becomes impact when it points people back to hope, joy, and community. Every single one of these people has, has a community that they impact daily. So one thing we all have in common, and I'm going to let them kind of talk about this, we have all either had in-person events or we've spoken on stages or we're just going live, we're talking in stories, we're doing reels every single day. We're showing up and we're connecting with our communities in one way or the other. So I'm going to give them a chance to just kind of talk about what does community and connection mean to them? Like, how have they seen this show up in their business, whether it's online, in person, etc.? So y'all, you guys decide who goes first. I don't want to call on someone. I'll go. I got this, Stacy. Relax, relax, we got this. All right, you take a nap though.

You know, I, I just want to say, as far as like influence and connection, when we show up live Every one of us shows up live on our pages. When we show up live, you get to know us. Like so many of you in the, in the comments here, you feel like you know Stacy.

If you saw her somewhere, you'd be like, hey bestie, you don't know me, but I know you.

And I know all of us have gotten that reaction from someone who follow us online. We show up on a regular basis, we're super consistent, um, and that connection is is kind of irreplaceable. Like, you can buy from brands, you can follow brands, but when you follow small businesses that show up and build a community the way that these ladies have, it's something different. You're— you are part of something bigger than just yourself. And I think that the connection that you get builds this know, like, and trust factor. You know Stacy, you trust Stacy. If Stacy says I need this pillow on my couch, I'm gonna need that pillow on my couch. You, you like Stacy, because she whispers, shops, and she has a huge screaming fit when there's a spider under her craft table. We all know this about Stacy, and those moments are what builds our know, like, and trust factor. And so if just coaching Sarah's coming out for a minute, but if you are in that situation where you wanna build an online business and you want to make something bigger, all you have to do is show up and all you have to do is be yourself. For me so many years. I had so much self-doubt because I'm not young, I'm not skinny, I'm not tan. I didn't feel like I was the influencer type. We're talking about influencer, not the Instagram influencer. But what I found was the 30 and 40-year-old mom was following me. The person that wore the size large and extra large was my highest sales in my shop because I was wearing that on live. And so I was influencing someone like me. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to be the Instagram model. If I just show up as Sarah, there's a lot of people that want to wear the things that I'm wearing, or they want to put the pillow on their couch because Stacy's living room looks spotless. Y'all know there's, there's messes. And that's what she just needs to show that more, because you'll know, like, and trust her even more. That's all we have to do for you to have influence. You can be just like any of these women here. You just have to show up and be yourself and do it with some consistency. And your people are going to follow you.

Yeah, yeah. I love that. I love that. It's so, so true. So very true. And I know we can all relate to that. I mean, I talk about that in the book about, I mean, my doubts and fears before going live that first time. I literally thought people were going to throw tomatoes at their phone. I don't know how I would have known tomatoes, but like in my head that everyone was going to be, boo, get off of here. Like, and it was all those same insecurities and same reasons. And but like you said, I found that people loved me no matter what. They didn't care that my voice was a little annoying, that I wasn't a, you know, size zero. They didn't care about any of that. They loved me for me and just showed up. And I think that's so relatable, you know.

So Oh, go ahead.

Sorry, you had the impact that you've had if you hadn't have showed up scared, which you talk about in the book all those years ago when you decided to go live. And now here you are today, and reading those impactful stories from your, your community is so amazing. And the stories that they share about finding you during COVID and all of that is a purpose, that there was a purpose. It wasn't just the crafts that you were building that community, and you are the strongest testament to that, Stacy, and the impact that, that you have had on this, on your community. It's just amazing.

Thank you. Thank you.

I was just gonna say, um, obviously everything Sarah said, I think, you know, was spot on. But with Stacy, and I agree with you about the influencer, I just hate saying that, but I mean, it is, it is true. And I'm glad to try to break that stigma of what people think of it as. But the thing about the online space to me is it's got such a bad rap. But there is so much good that has come from it in my life personally. And I'm friends with every single person on this screen. I've met them all in person. And me and Stacy, particularly, you know, we developed a relationship early on when we were very first, like she said, starting to go live. And what I loved about Stacy is she's hilarious and me and her can feed off of each other and we're both just like, no telling what we're going to say or do, but we're both 100% us. And what I noticed when I started going live and being in front of the cameras, I used to be extremely shy. I'm still introverted. I I know people don't believe that, but I swear it's the truth. I am. Yeah. But what I felt like when I got on camera after doing it scared about throwing up, all the things, I realized that I was my truest self behind the camera because I couldn't gauge anything that I was doing based on a reaction because I couldn't see you. If you weren't sending a heart or something, I didn't know if you were rolling your eyes or talking about me. I was being 100% me. And it was so freeing because when people, you know, started to follow me or whatever, I knew they were following me for me because I was putting my truest self out there. And, and that— and, and I will always say this and always preach this, but always be your truest self no matter where you are and what you're doing. But if you ever decide to step out in the online space, people want connection. They want real. They don't want fake. They're tired of that. We see it all day, every day. So being your most authentic self is how you create these relationships with each other in the online space and with each other in person. Yeah, people want to feel seen. They want to feel heard. They want to feel known. And that's what community does. That's what these— by us being on here and hanging out with y'all and sharing things that we love and talking about this or that or doing a craft or decorating or just talking to talk or doing a devotion. It's bringing you in and bringing us into you. And when we do meet you in person, we feel as excited as you do to meet you. Um, and it, it's something that I will just absolutely never take for granted because the community that I have seen— my community specifically They have pulled me up through some of the hardest times of my life, and I know most of the ladies on here can say the exact same thing. When I felt like I was plummeting, and when I was plummeting, it was you all that helped encourage me and bring me back up. And I know that that's how we all feel about our communities, and it's you showing up and talking to us and hanging out with us and, um, loving on us that gets us through. And the whole preface for Stacy's book is the community that she has built, and she did that through her authenticity and through her love of serving you all. And it has paid off dividends because she has created one of the most tight-knit communities that I've ever seen. And I think it's admirable, and, um, I'm excited to watch her grow, and I'm just excited to see community over competition all day, every day. And how important that is and how each lady on this call exhibits that in their own business and life.

So, and I love what you said too, because, you know, you talked about how they— your community has helped you in hard times. You know, as much as we hear from community members how we help them during hard times, I always like to tell them, you do the same for me. This isn't a one-way street. You know, they're like you said, there's been they're there for me in the highs, the lows, and everything in between. And so it's very cool that, you know, we can help them and in return they're helping us as well. And it's just, it's a cool and powerful thing. So thank you. Very powerful. Yeah. Yeah.

And I just wanted to speak to how none of us in this room set out to be influencers.

Yeah.

And we start and actually probably didn't expect to have as big of businesses that we have, like to have grown how we have. And so just putting yourself out there and having— I don't— just letting God do what he will do with it and just taking one step forward. Like, that's one thing I gleaned from the book is how Stacy just took the next step, the next step. And she talked about a full circle moment in chapters 3 and 4. And so I'm like, she never thought that she'd be hosting an event in that place.

No, she was.

And so I just think to encourage anybody out there listening that would like to do something like this, you don't have to see the big picture. Just take that next step each time.

Right.

Each time. 100%. Absolutely.

And I think, I think there's like two parts to this book that I was seeing it from two different perspectives. One was the communities we've built. Stacy and I have a very big overlap in communities. We have a lot of people who follow both of us and then same with the other ladies here. And Reading it from the community side of it, of how your guys's letters that you submitted to Stacey, how her coming live and her sharing her stories and sharing her journey and sharing her life has impacted you and helped you through some of your toughest times. It's the same on the other side of it for us who are the influencers, having you guys as a community, but then also having all these ladies that are here on the screen as a community too, because it can be Being an influencer can be a very lonely feeling place. When I first started, I felt like nobody understands it. My friends didn't get it. My sisters didn't get it. They are like, so what? Facebook went down for the day. What's the big deal?

I'm like, but that's like everything in the world. Yeah.

And they just don't get it. But I, building and being part of the community of connections with all the other ladies here, they get it, they understand it. And we all need community in our lives wherever you are. So getting to read Stacy's book, it was like, this could have been like, our stories are different, but so much of it aligned. I felt like she was writing the story to me. I, on both sides of being a follower of her and a friend of her. And I just think any, so many people can relate to this book, whether you have a business and you are the influencer or you are someone who's following Stacy or anyone here or really any social media influencer out there, you can relate to the stories in the book.

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I love that. You guys are awesome. Thank you. Yeah. I mean, it's, I agree obviously with everything that everybody has said and it's just, it's just a powerful thing, you know, and not just, and I think it's important too, because obviously not everybody watching has businesses and all of that, but it's about becoming connected wherever you can find a place for you, right? Whether that's following Blair, Sarah, Christy, Danielle, Brooke, me, all of us, you know, finding online communities, finding, you know, things locally too. In-person connections, super, super important, not just online, obviously, but it's finding people like these people who you can surround yourself with. And that's one thing I love about the in-person live events that we have, um, because you take this online relationship that we formed through a screen. Suddenly, I'll never forget, you know, my— well, really, I talk about this in the book about being a guest at Brooke's live event. And that was the first time I had experienced something like that. And I remember walking in and people like, Stacy, I'm like, how do you know me? You know, it hit me. I'm like, oh yeah, I go live on Facebook. Like, surreal. It was so surreal. And I remember being like, one day I'm going to host an event like that. And Brooke encouraging me to do it. And I did. And I think I'm about to have my 5th in-person live event. But anyways, they're so special because suddenly these people that are behind the screens that you know their names— I see Melissa and Candy and Lori and all of these names that I know on the screen— suddenly you become, you become a face and you become a person. Now sometimes I go look at your profile pictures, but when you have a picture of your dog or cat, I don't know what you're talking about. You know, it's so cool to put the faces with names and, and make those connections even farther. And then And from those events, and I know I'm speaking for my events, but I know you guys have seen this too. These ladies are forming these friendships and these connections. And then outside of my events, they're traveling together, they're going to dinner together, you know, they're doing all of this stuff. And that all happened because we all said yes.

Mm-hmm.

All put ourselves out there. We did it scared. And we said, you know what, we don't know what we're doing, but we're going to figure it out as we go. Because each of these ladies has done it scared over one thing or another, or millions of things. But we put ourselves out there and we slowly start building these communities. And I say slowly because none of us were overnight viral sensations, right? I wish. I mean, so many—

except when you shared me.

I mean, I shared Danielle.

It was her one moment. Yeah. Oh God.

But also, Stacy, because of the internet and because we put ourselves out there, we met each other. Yeah, we've all been connected for a lot of years, and I would have never met Brooke from Kentucky. I would have never met Danielle from Louisiana. I would have never met Christy from Michigan. Like, I would have never met these women. Yeah, had we not put ourselves out there like so many women in our communities do, and they connect And it's like you have these internet friends that turn into IRL friends, in real life friends, as the kids say.

Oh, I love reading some of y'all's comments. Yeah, husbands are golfing together. Um, yeah, we have a Wilshire golfer group that golfs during my live events. Oh my gosh, y'all are so sweet. I love it, I love it, I love it, you guys. I love that.

It's so—

and the two ladies that met at Hobby Lobby because they were like watching one of your lives, and they—

right, Marlene and Gwen, one of my favorite stories. They literally— they're both in my decorating and creating community, do not know each other. They're both shopping at Hobby Lobby. One of them, Marlene, has my live pulled up on her phone because she's trying to remember what craft supplies she's supposed to buy, and Gwen comes up to her and is like, do you follow Stacy? And she was like, yes, I follow Stacy, I'm in her decorating community. Like, me too. They find out they live like 10 or 15 minutes from each other. They end up going to lunch, and now they are friends. Like, that is so cool. That is the power of community.

That is the power.

Oh, I will never forget the day they messaged me, told me that story, and sent me their selfie. I was like, are you kidding? This is the coolest story ever. And so you just never know where you're gonna make those connections. And I think too, it's— and I'm just speaking for myself, but it's harder the older you get to make new friends, right?

Oh yeah.

All my friends are online friends. Like, well, I had one dear friend locally. Well, she just moved. And so now I'm like, every close friend I have is from business and from another state.

Lives all over the place. Yeah. And it's hard. Like, even all of us, we saw some of you sort of young kids, but your kids are younger, you know, you meet people through, you know, school things and whatnot. But just the older you get and the more remote, it's just hard. Like, where are you going to meet people unless you meet them at the Hobby Lobby by chance, you know? But it's like, it's hard to form those friendships. So I don't think that anyone should feel bad or weird about forming a friendship or a connection online. I mean, people often date, so why can't we online connect? You know, it's fine. Very true, Stacy.

I would not have a husband because I don't leave the house.

That's right. Oh gosh, I love it. First time I saw someone who recognized Stacy in the wild and the reaction was amazing. Yes. And that is so fun to just get to meet people and, and all of that. So, okay, hold on. I love this. Cheryl says those of us that do not own a business can and do use this knowledge in everyday, everyday in life. We all have the ability to influence others to stay positive and productive in everyday life. Cheryl, I love that. And that is so true. No matter if you have a business or not, this is, this is more than that. This is bigger. This is bigger than that. And it is, it truly, truly is.

I think one of the things that we all have in common is we all have created this safe space where we have built a community where our— I don't even like to call them followers because I just feel like that's a weird word, just like influencers, but that's just I don't know if that's the most practical word to use in the moment, but where they can come together and they can chat in the comments and they can make connections. And seeing them when someone's like, oh, I'm at the hospital with my husband, he's having heart surgery or whatever. I mean, insert whatever situation that's going on. We all have junk going on in our lives and they're there encouraging each other and they're genuinely praying for each other. And, and when we have something going on and we share it and we all of a sudden we have this army of people praying for us and encouraging us. And that is powerful. That is something that if we didn't have these communities and we didn't create the safe space where they felt safe to share what's going on in their personal lives, they may not have anybody to encourage them, to pray for them. And I kind of liken it to like, you know, you go out with your girlfriends for a night and you just forget the troubles that you have in life for just an hour. We all need that. When we go live, We forget the politics, we forget the junk, we don't talk about the news headlines. We just, for us it's crafting, you know, for others it might be other things, but we just craft, we share our lives, we share our stories. I glue my bow to the table, I, you know, I make mistakes and one, it's real and they can connect with that because they're gluing their bows to the table too and they can, well, if she can do it and glued her bow to the table and still came out with something pretty. Well, maybe I can do it too. And I just think it's, it's, yes, we craft on our page, but it's so much more than crafting. The crafting is just an excuse for us to get together and be with the community and to just to help enrich each other's lives.

100%. 100%. I love that. Such a cool outlet. So, oh, y'all are so—

and I love how Cheryl made the comment about doing it in their everyday life, like encouraging, because because, you know, I heard Christy say this, and one thing that I try to do too is tell them to take like my hand letter templates and host parties in their own community or with their church group or Bible study group or whatever. And so we love it when y'all take what you learn from us and share it, and it just multiplies everything.

So yeah, yeah, that is true. That is so true. You guys are so awesome. Thank you for sharing all of that. Y'all, this is just— this is so special. And like I said, I'm so thankful to each of these ladies. And I— and I have so many other business friends, um, that I consider such just great friends and such, um, loyal people, like I said, that are there in the highs and the lows and everything in between. But having these ladies here tonight is just so special. So I'm gonna let them— well, okay, let me tell you this first of all. If you missed it at the beginning or you hopped on later, my book, This Is Bigger, it's available for preorder now. So in the description of every video you're watching, no matter where, which page you're watching on, you should see the link so you can go and preorder. It is $24.99. There's free shipping and you will get a free bookplate sticker with your order. And this says, This Is Bigger. And this is actually perfect, perfect for tonight. Goes along with what we're talking about. But it says, when a page becomes a community, a business becomes a calling, 'And a following becomes a family. Thank you for being part of this story, Stacy. Wilshire Collections.' Sticker that you can stick on the inside cover of your book whenever you get it. And it is not a digital signature. I will be hand signing every single one of these. Um, but I truly feel like even if you don't really know me prior to tonight, you don't have to be part of my community to relate to this book. Um, it is a story. It's my story. It's stories from the community. And you will relate, whether it is to of my story, part of Janice's story, Allison's story, Lori's story, um, Sally's story. You know, who— all these ladies that are featured in the book, you're going to be able to relate to at least one, if not many of them. It's stories of hope and faith and joy and community and connection. It's uplifting. And I would love for you guys, um, to be a bigger part of this story. And so if you would want to preorder the book, you can do that. Like I said, I'm going to let each of them— because because each of them have read the book. So I mentioned this at the beginning, they got the advanced reader copy so that Sarah could write the foreword and that so the rest of the ladies could write a testimonial for the book. So you'll see their testimonials printed in and on the book whenever you get yours. But so they have all got to read it. So only them and my team, like there's only a select few people that have been able to read this book. So I thought it would be fun just to let them kind of talk about a takeaway or just what they— what their thoughts were on the book before we hop off of here for the night. So I'll let y'all again decide who goes first. So take it away, somebody.

I was gonna say, I think it's like Chicken Soup for the Community Soul, you know, it's like a collection because the Chicken Soup books, they collect stories.

Yeah.

And you just can't stop reading it because they're just real life and they're true and they evoke emotion and they just bring about the best in you. And I do feel like that's what this book was like, Chicken Soup for the Community Soul. And it, you know, I can be guilty because it is hard to sometimes make friendships, or it is hard to put yourself out there in different situations, and you can feel like you can feel really alone. But when you see the power of putting yourself out there and having a community and what that can do you can't go back. And so I know there's ladies out there that feel alone and feel like there's no place for them, really. And I just want to challenge you. I think after reading this book, you will see that there is a place for you, and there's a place for you right there in Stacy's community, or in any of ours, and all of ours. Like, we, we have some of the best women out there, and you need each other. Like, you need each other's support, you need each other's encouragement. And hearing everybody's story from across her community and how much Stacy has impacted them. And of course, I know personally how much you've impacted Stacy as well. And it definitely goes both ways. But I just loved reading about it. I loved hearing about it. I felt proud of Stacy. Like, I just felt proud to call her my friend. Like, I told her, I sent a long voice message. But I was just so proud and like so happy to read that and see the impact that she's had and what God has been able to do through her. And it doesn't matter if you know Stacy or don't know Stacy, or if you're just tuning in and you've never seen any of us, you just happen to get on this live, the book is for anybody. And it is just a powerful reflection on what it means to be a part of a community that's something bigger than you. And so I just highly encourage you to get it.

I love—

personally, just real fast— I love— personally, I just love her humor. And like, I always love her little bits and stories and the way that God has weaved everything together so perfectly in her life and in her business. And I just think it's beautiful to read it on the pages of a book.

So thank you. Thanks for making me cry again, like you did with your voice memo, but thank you. Thank you. I truly appreciate that so much. Thank you.

So when Stacy asked me to read the book, I was like, yes, I'll read your book. I'm so excited. Then she said, but we have like a week.

And I'm like, if you know me, I'm not a reader.

I'm more of like an audiobooker and I listen to podcasts. And I was like, Okay, I can do this. I was very, very nervous and overwhelmed at first, but I will tell you, I've never read a book in a week, but I read this book in a week and it was so easy to read. It was such an easy read book. So if you were sitting there going, I'm not really a book reader, I don't know, I'm going to tell you, you can pick up this book and you're not going to want to put it down. There were a couple— I read it in like 3 nights and I would just lay there in bed and just read and read and read. And I didn't— I'm falling asleep and I didn't want to put it down because it was just so good and it was so easy to connect to and so relatable in so many ways. And I learned things about Stacy that even as we've become pretty good friends outside of business, and there's things that I didn't even know about Stacy that I learned in this book. And it's absolutely incredible, the journey she's been through and the things that she has overcome that would make most people just quit and say, I'm not going to do that. Like her courage to show up live through some of the things that she was facing in life. I just can't even like fathom it because I don't know if I would have done it. I might've said I'm not going live today, but she did it because she knew you guys were there. She knew she had a community that, that was waiting for her and she just kept showing up and God continued to protect her through it. And, um, and he knew, he knew that this was bigger. He knew that it was going to be this someday. And, and she listened. And I'm so glad she listened because she didn't listen. I might not have met her and we might not be friends today. So it's an amazing book. I encourage everyone to get it and read it. You won't regret it.

Yes, I agree. I learned things about Stacy that I did not know. I was even texting her. I'm like, how did I not know this about you? And so it is— if your community doesn't already know some of your stories, they're going to just feel that much closer to you through it. And I personally loved how there was a couple of times where I think I even text you and I said, this is just encouraging me to lean in more to my community because I see the impact that you've had. And so often, like, we get caught up in all the other little things we have to do in our business. And like you can lose sight of it. Yeah.

Yeah.

And so I told her it just kind of grounded me and made me realize what we really are doing. It was just a gentle reminder. But I loved in the one of the chapters you talked about in the 2025 event how y'all wrote something down and like gave it to God.

Yeah. Yeah.

That whenever you were explaining how that went at the event, I'm like, Stacy is having an eternal impact.

Oh yeah, that was—

that they were releasing these things that they were carrying and like giving them over to God. I just thought it was so good. And I agree with them, easy read, because you're— it's almost like you're getting the tea of her whole business.

Yeah, I know, it's a tell-all, you know.

Even if you're just curious about the tea, grab the book, right?

Right. Just want to know about the behind-the-scenes drama, this is for you, you know. Yeah, yeah.

I, uh, read this book with a little bit more purpose. I feel like I was— I had to study for the test because I had to write the foreword. I literally brought my notes as I was making— as I was reading it. And so I wrote something down after I, I wasn't quite finished with the book yet. I think it might have been after chapter 7 or 8, I don't remember. Um, but I wrote this down and I'm like, this is is what I'm going to center the foreword around, and it's really short, so I'm just going to share it. I don't think I've shared this with you, Stacy, because it's my chicken scratch. Let me make sure I can read it without my readers on. Um, but I wrote, this is bigger than a craft project. This is bigger than a printable. This is bigger than a pillow. This is about self-worth. It's about going through hard times, feeling joy again, and feeling like you belong to something bigger than yourself. And I remember writing that. I'm like, that's what I'm going to— that's how I'm going to write the foreword. And so it's in our minds sometimes, it might be a t-shirt in my world, right? It's never about the t-shirt. It's about the way someone feels when they put it on. It's about the way someone holds themselves when they feel confident. And what you're doing for your community, it's about giving them a release, giving them confidence in whatever it is you're doing, whether it's teaching a printable, chatting with your community, just giving them a space to belong to each other. It's not about the craft. It's not about the printable. It's not about the pillow. It's about the safe space that you've created for everyone to feel like they belong. And I just, Man, I'm just inspired by you.

Thank you.

I love that. You'll have to take a picture of that and send that to me. I would love to see that.

But there's a little— you're gonna laugh because I scribbled out, why is my head so big?

I don't know why. It's so big. It's literally—

it's literally on here. Why is my head so big?

Your intrusive thoughts coming out while you're reading the book.

Again, that self-doubt. Right, because my head's too big on camera too.

Like, that's just proof that we all still have the doubt in everything on the daily. Oh my gosh, I love that.

Oh my God, that's funny.

Thank you, Sarah. Thank you so much.

I, I, like Christy, I'm not a reader, you know that, Stacy, but— and you, same thing, gave me a week and I'm like, a week? I couldn't put it down. I read it in like 2 days. It is, it is really is for everyone, whether you're a business owner or just a faith-based human being. Like, the stories are so inspiring, and Stacy, you're so good with words. But then how you interwove the stories from your community was just— it really was kind of like what Brooke said with chicken soup for the soul kind of thing where, I don't know, and just your resilience of everything that you have been through and continuing to show up for kids your community and how much you truly love them. And that it's, it's just, I loved the pivots. Like when you talked about the pivots, that was, I think, a really inspiring chapter for me of like, we all face challenges and, but it's how you navigate those challenges, right? And, and your attitude and finding joy and continuing to inspire and and provide that positive impact, which you have done. So I just, I am so proud of you. It's such a good book. I can't wait for everyone to read it.

Thank you.

Thank you. I love you guys. Y'all are awesome. Thank you so much for being here tonight. This was so special. I hope you guys enjoy this, which I can see that you do. I see your, I see your your comments. Um, thank you, Janet. Proud Sister's voice is cracking, cracking, right? One thing about Blair and I is we're gonna cry, you know, we're emotional kind of girls. So, um, but you guys are so awesome. There is not a Kindle version available as of now, Jerry. Um, it will be on Amazon in the future, but for now you can get the real copy in my shop, um, thisisbiggerbook.com, or you can go to the links and everybody descriptions of their videos. So let me make sure, are there any other questions before we hop off of here? I also need to announce our giveaway winner. Kelly just sent that over to me. So if y'all have any questions before we hop off, drop those real quick. So because I'm sure—

I also want to encourage people to buy more than one copy. The pre-order sales, I mean, she puts— a book takes a lot of time to write, a lot of energy And, you know, I can say this, I'm not the one promoting the book or whatever, but, you know, we want as many people to read it as possible. We want it in as many hands and it to be as impactful to as many people as possible. So this pre-order is a big deal. So grab some for your mom, your aunt, your sisters, Mother's Day gifts, um, all those things. Grab more than one. Um, this is going to a small business that she has poured her heart and soul in. So even if you're not a reader, just support Stacy and grab a copy of the book and grab some for your friends. I mean, she would— it goes a long way, and I would love to see as many people get this as possible.

Thank you. Somebody told me yesterday they were going to recommend the book to their book club, and I was like, oh my gosh, it about made me cry. I'm like, I'm so honored. Like, that just blows my mind to think that a whole little group of ladies, or maybe it's exam in, I don't know, but, you know, would be reading the book. So yeah, like Brooke said, you know, grab a copy for your, your mom, your sister, your whoever. And, um, I think so many women will be able to relate to it for sure. So I know, right, Nicole? Now we have to wait. So yes, the book, even it's pre-order now. You guys should have them in your hands hopefully by middle, uh, middle-ish of March, in about a month. Um, so it is a little bit of a wait, but it's going to be worth the wait. And Speaking to a little bit about what Brooke said, um, it was very important to me personally to not have this book on Amazon right out of the gate. And it's nothing against Amazon, I shop on there daily, but this is a book for this community and I wanted it to be an experience for you guys.

This is—

I didn't want it coming in an Amazon mailer the first time it came. I wanted the cute package with the cute little, you know, book note sticker and all these personal touches that Amazon's not going to do. And so, and like Brooke said, this is years of hard work and leading up to this and a dream that I've had forever. And so you'll get this, you'll get an invite to our virtual book launch party, which will be a Zoom held on March 24th once you have the book in hand, and a little insert card that'll come with your book. So I'm very excited to just make this a fun experience for you guys, because without y'all, this book wouldn't exist, right? If I had not started this business, grown this community, maybe I would have written a book one day about something, I don't know, but probably not. But this exact book would not exist without all of you. So this is for you guys, and, um, I can't wait for y'all to get it in your hands. I know, you know, the reactions I've gotten from people that I know that have read it. So once I know you guys have it, I'm gonna be like just going crazy waiting to hear the feedback, but it's going to be great. It will be worth the wait. Yes, recommending to a book—

oops—

recommending to a book club is an amazing idea. Good, thank you, thank you.

Um, I think it could be really powerful as a book club of just when you come together and you share and you guys can really connect over the stories and, and how it connects to you personally. I think it could be very powerful as a book club book.

Yeah, yeah, I love that, I love that. I know, yes, get your tissues. I should have included tissues the package.

Darn it.

Next time, next time, uh, we'd rather it come personally. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys are so awesome. Um, big thank you to Blair and Sarah and Christy, Danielle, and Brooke for being here tonight, taking time out of their lives. Brooke just got back in town 13 minutes before this live, and Blair flies out early tomorrow morning. Everybody is busy and and has all these things going on. So it truly means the world to me. Obviously, if you watch on replay on any of our pages, let us know you were here and keep commenting. Um, the winner of the book is Angela Owens. Angela, I saw you on here just a minute ago. Congrats! So I will be sending you a— not just the bookplate sticker, a hand-signed, you know, a little note to you. And I know Angela, she, um, is a loyal follower. I don't know, no, you But anyways, Angela, congratulations, um, and thank you guys so much. Oh, thank you guys. Yes, they're all saying thank y'all. Thank y'all. All right, we're gonna say goodbye. Bye, guys. Have a great night. Thank you. Bye, y'all.