Inviting Tony Robbins to Speak at the Greenlight Giving Gala

Hi, Toni. My name is Stacy Lauren and I'm the founder of do the Thing and I love helping people turn gear into fun. And I've recently partnered with two amazing people, one of which is a movie producer, director and writer, and the other is a visual communicator. And we have decided to open up a movie studio called do the Thing Studios. We're looking to highlight stories of people that are doing amazing things, both organizations that are nonprofits and people with stories that are really impactful. And our first movie is going to be about Saddles and Service, an organization that is devoted to combating suicide rates for our military and first responders using equine therapy. We would love to have your help getting their movie out in the world. We came up with this idea, innovative approach to raising money for a movie where we don't actually have to ask for money. We're just taking knowledge, intellectual property and expertise of entrepreneurs and we're going to auction it at a live auction which is going to be called a green light giving gala. This is going to be a new, innovative, fun way to crowdfund for movies. We're basically saying move over. Hollywood entrepreneurs are going to be taking the stage and getting their movies green lighted to help create visibility and awareness of these amazing organizations, to take them from a small footprint and to be able to showcase them globally. And we would love to invite you to speak speak at our first Greenlight Giving gala where we're going to be taking the assets and the intellectual property from entrepreneurs and being able to auction it off at this amazing event. We've partnered with a celebrity auctioneer and now we would love your help with being able to speak at the event to show people that we all have the power to unleash the power within for movies. Thank you so much for getting your voice out in the world because it's helped so many of us able to do what we're doing right now. Check out this video to learn a little bit more about what we're doing.

Real life is more powerful than fiction in the United States. First responders are more likely to commit suicide than die in the line of duty.

17 veterans commit suicide in the United States every day.

We're going to let them explain what we're doing.

My name is George Makrinos. I'm a writer, producer, and essentially what we want to do. So Stacy has brought us into your world through Tammy and essentially what we'd love to do is we'd love to create a short film that encapsulates what happens here, but it's somewhere between a documentary and a fiction. So it's like, based on a true story. And so we don't have to do any one person story in particular, but we're going to kind of do a blend of everyone's story. We might have one main character, and that main character would be a blend of everyone's story. Something like that. And the idea here is that we're going to make a short film that encapsulates it and then raise money for a feature with that short film. That's the idea. And so we want to find out what this place means to everyone so that that short story can be as authentic as it can be, and that's why we're here.

Yeah.

I would also love to know, and I don't know when this will go, but I want to know, like, how did Tammy open up the space of vulnerability? Because I think that's the common thread is that you guys have been, like, safe to be, like, open and vulnerable. And so that would be. I don't know when that will come up, but I think. I think that's a key piece of, like, the magic, you know, and maybe the horses help. So I don't know when we would.

Yeah, well, we'll do that, too. And I noticed I didn't introduce myself, so I'm a writer, producer. I've started my career working with Spike Lee. Are you familiar with Spike Lee? He's like Brooklyn, New York, movies, stuff like that. Then I worked with Guillermo del Toro for a while. He did, like, a bunch of fantasy movies. I've been in publishing and in movies, and now what I want to do is tell the most powerful, impactful stories as possible. And, like, that's. That's why we're here. This, like, what. What Sean took us through in that room is like, the most powerful story you could possibly imagine. And it's like real life is. Is more powerful than fiction, you know? So what I want to do is bring those two things together. So bring real life and fiction together so that we're not really focused on one person. But it's like the story and the power of this place.

And why it's important to you to say to do this.

Oh, so why it's important to me is so Sean shared a story. My story is very similar to Sean's just in the fact of los. So my first cousin was in the Marines, and my first cousin killed himself, too, from ptsd, and he died of fentanyl overdose. So I lost my first cousin as well.

I'm here just like, being in there because I'm going through a really difficult time in my marriage right now. I just don't think I understand it. My husband is a former Marine, 100% disability, and I know that I can't do it. So I want to see how the equine therapy can help him. And like, when I was listening to your story, Sean, it's like, I have that story, like, right now, and I cannot wait for him to be here because I know it's going to fix our marriage and save our family. We have a 4 year old at home and I need what the VA is not giving us. And it's this awesome.

And then I'm here. I didn't know that this was the reason until I heard Sean's story, but I'm here because my mission in life is helping people find their voice. And the best way to help people find their voice is through a community. And so I help communities basically get engaged and kind of like do what this is. And so I don't have enough examples of this to show people that this is what everybody needs. Whether you've gone through a divorce, you've gone through the military, you've. Whatever transition in life you're going through, you've got to be with people that have a common bond. And that's where as long as it's a safe space for people to be open and vulnerable. And so that's the kind of, like, common thread that I'm like, oh, my gosh. You guys are literally a living example of, like, what I'm striving for, like, everyone else in the world to do.

So.

Yeah, thank you. Thanks for your story too. It, like, tapped a part of me that I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is literally my life's work, like, in a visual format, you know, so.

So I'm a story guy and also a writer, producer. So this is the first step of this, which is discovering the story, discovering the people involved, and, like, making sure that I understand it.

And so that's what. That's what I'm here for today. And then I'm gonna go away and I'm gonna start writing, and then we're gonna work together on making sure that the story is authentic and that it represents this place as. As authentically as it can in a. In a short format. And then the idea is that we use that as.

The way to make it larger and go worldwide.

The proof of concept.

It's a proof of concept needs to.

Be out of the shadows and into the spotlight, and it's done. One of the things that Tammy and her team have mastered here is to be able to bring it into the light without that spotlight because it's, you know, it's a vulnerable place. And our heroes are courageous, truly heroes, and they're. You know, it's hard to be. It takes more courage to be vulnerable.

Absolutely.

So the fact that she was able to establish an environment where these guys can come in here and these gals can come in here and be themselves and their badass selves, while also understanding that we're all human and we have a side to ourselves that that needs.

Love. And these horses 100% provide that.

Don't you agree?

I love that. I love that.

My name is Brandon Vrans. I am an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the Navy. I found saddles in service. A friend of mine recommended it to me. I had actually come home from deployment from Iraq. I noticed I was struggling pretty heavily with some issues, and a friend of mine who's a nurse had mentioned this program to me.

My name is Christina Hoyer, and I was a US Navy rescue swimmer for six years. And I. Saddles of service kind of, like, found me ever since I left the service. I, like, just felt really lost, and I really lost that deep sense of connection and purpose and camaraderie, which I think resonates for the veteran community and I'm sure, first responder community as well.

My name is Barbara. I'm a deputy sheriff with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

And.

Honestly, like, I feel like spirit led me to settles in service. Went through some severe ptsd. I was doing the emdr. I was doing acupuncture. I was meditating. I was on a lot of meds.

Just to try to survive.

I came home from. From Iraq, and I had noticed right away just how angry I was getting and, you know, the rage building up inside me. And I'm not an angry person. That anger started to turn to sadness and shame and all the other feelings. I eventually fell into a hole where I was.

I was dry, firing a pistol into my mouth almost every morning.

This ranch saves lives.

This ranch saves lives. Horses. These horses.

Really.

It's the connection to your soul, and it's the connection back to yourself. And there were so many rides after this ranch where I just bought all the way to the highway. Like, I could feel it. I could feel the vines still falling off of me and being able to breathe, actually truly breathe into who I am and being Able to move energetically through the world without feeling like I was a zombie. Just existing.

Was.

There's no words. There's no words. It was beyond magic.

The amount I've learned about myself while just trying to learn about the horses is invaluable. The more I go through my journey and the more I learn about myself and the more I can heal myself.

That has an exponential effect with all of the people around me now. I'm showing up more, I'm more present, I'm happier. I'm more of my true self. And now I'm presenting that in my life and in my relationships. And not only am I showing people that.

One it's okay to hurt and to heal, but it's possible to heal and that it's okay to feel good as well. Like, I think that's where we're the hardest on ourselves, is we feel like we don't deserve to be happy.

It's incredibly important for programs like Saddles and Service and of course, Saddles and Service itself to continue to be available for people, but for veterans to, like, reach out and to know about it, because taking that first, like, step is so scary, Especially when you've been in a hard job that told you that, like, no matter what, you have to be okay. Like, you have other things to worry about. You have other people to save. And I think that Saddles and Service uniquely fosters the approach of the natural horsemanship, crossing over to the healing and the gentleness and the grace and the forgiveness and the love and the like gentle urging into growth that we can begin to afford ourselves as well.

These beautiful creatures that we get to work with every day are. They teach us so much about ourselves. They've taught me patience. They taught me a level of kindness and unconditional love that I think might have been lacking in my life. Their energy is so powerful, especially working with animals, that I almost feel like most people wouldn't work within their lifetime. Like, this, to me, is truly a once in a lifetime.

It's definitely a once in a lifetime kind of experience.

You change one person's life, that's gonna have a ripple effect, you know, five, six degrees throughout just their little world. So we're literally changing the world here one person at a time.

I never imagined Saddles and Service would have grown this fast to where we are today. I always felt that if we saved just one life, that all of the hard work and sacrifice would be worth it. And it truly, truly has been. But our work here isn't done. It has really only begun. Our growth and the demand for this program has us on the verge of something great, something life changing. As we journey forward, combining our efforts will ensure more lives are saved. With your help, we can continue to transform fear into love and sadness and into joy. It is my mission to leave a legacy of hope and newfound purpose so that our heroes know they don't have to ride alone.