Podfest was not just a convention; it was a testament to the transformative power that comes from embracing new experiences and insights. Our latest episode captures the essence of our journey— Join us as we recount the experiences that have inspired us: from Sean's wisdom, Dr. Lulu's infectious energy, to the profound verses of a poet that reminded us of love's unifying force. Revel in the tales of our networking escapades, the therapeutic role of manifesting and how stepping out of your comfort zone helps you grow.
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Send us your comments or questions and we will answer them on the show!
email - lastpieceofpiepodcast@gmail.com
Podfest was not just a convention; it was a testament to the transformative power that comes from embracing new experiences and insights. Our latest episode captures the essence of our journey— Join us as we recount the experiences that have inspired us: from Sean's wisdom, Dr. Lulu's infectious energy, to the profound verses of a poet that reminded us of love's unifying force. Revel in the tales of our networking escapades, the therapeutic role of manifesting and how stepping out of your comfort zone helps you grow.
Social Media: LPoP
https://www.instagram.com/lastpieceofpiepodcast/
https://www.threads.net/@lastpieceofpiepodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@last.piece.of.pie?_t=8j0uDxkYoVm&_r=1
Send us your comments or questions and we will answer them on the show!
email - lastpieceofpiepodcast@gmail.com
Welcome. This is last piece of pie. I'm Jen.
Speaker 2:I'm Mel.
Speaker 1:And we are back from our podcast convention, which was so amazing and so fun. And, god, I have like a notebook full of pages of information.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'd love to be in Orlando, florida, with you.
Speaker 1:Okay, first of all, props to the universe for giving us 80 degrees and sunny that week.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah and sunshine, girl. We needed that Hell yeah. So we spent what four days. We were in Orlando, January 24th through the 28th, at a pod fest convention.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Where we got to dive into the podcast of last piece of pie and learn how to make it better.
Speaker 1:They just had so many amazing speakers and topics, and it's investing in our self and our business to learn, and I think that's always a beautiful thing. When you can do that, that's awesome, yeah, so what was was one of your big takeaways. I don't think we've talked about that Like what was a big takeaway for you.
Speaker 2:My big tech takeaway is in this card. Oh, she's mailing me a card, people. I know I didn't mail it though, because I don't know. I got back and it was just oh, you were gone, you left me, you went to Ohio.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had to turn around and go work my day job.
Speaker 2:Right, Okay, so open your card. Pretend like the mail came oh.
Speaker 1:I got mail. Look how pretty it is.
Speaker 2:My personal takeaway and you can read it out loud to our alpapers.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I really can look it, I want to leave that there. Okay, the front says a good person, as a gift to the whole world, to my favorite human. I know what I did started a podcast because of you. You know what I did. I went to my first conference because of you. I know what I did. I went to Orlando, florida, because of you and all they all, they're all XOXO mail at the end.
Speaker 2:I know what.
Speaker 1:I did. I made some amazing friends because of you. I know what I did. I flew for my first time alone Really the first time flying alone, oh my goodness, I know what I did. I met some douchebags.
Speaker 2:this year with you, I had to throw a little laughter in there in the middle.
Speaker 1:I know what I did. I woke up, hung over a time or two because of you, yep. Thank you so much for helping me build a life. I love you, mel. Oh, that's so nice. Thank you, you're welcome.
Speaker 2:That is my takeaway. I came back so full and so thankful and recognizing you as my best friend and being so thankful for you and you getting me out to my box and believing in me and you've done that our whole entire friendship. But you really did that that weekend and just pushing me and just get out there.
Speaker 1:I was so thankful for one that we pulled the trigger to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And that we made it financially work. And then, when we got there, I love the fact that we were both passionate about learning and there were certain things you wanted to learn and certain things I wanted to learn and things we listened together and you got out of your comfort zone like the first day.
Speaker 2:So the first minute I was very proud of you.
Speaker 1:I was like a different human, Very proud of you for that. I was like yes, Mel, this is what I was thinking along. What happened when you got here?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was so nervous prior Like I started to have an anxiety one. I didn't feel good. I'm poppers, you remember. I was very sick and I barely got out of the hospital to get on the flight to go. So I was nervous about how I was going to feel. And then, and then I started like kind of reading some of the things that we're going to be doing, and it was like one of the things was networking. I was like, oh shit, and I was like I, can I stay in my bedroom? Like I was like I don't. And then it, it was just like that girl deep down in there just came out.
Speaker 1:Finally, once you get like something like that, once you get past the anxiety, it's, it's like one of those things where, like you just got to do it and then, once you do it, you're like, oh my god, that was like amazing or I can't believe I did that. Like, yeah me, my comfort zone, or I out of my comfort zone, was like not normally one to like ask a question, like at the end of a presentation. I usually am like I'm going to email this person, but there's one. I went right up to the guy and I was like, hey, my name is Jen. I'm like this is an issue I can't seem to find a solution to and it has to relate to a technical question. Help me, help me. You don't know me, but please help me. Did he help you? Oh, yeah, he was extremely helpful.
Speaker 1:And kind of told me what I thought in the back of my mind, because in the back of my mind I thought oh no, I'm this, I don't. Obviously I have to upgrade our computer, but I didn't think that was the solution. But I just confirmed, like you just got to trust your gut sometimes. Amen On, because you know, you know the answer Trust your gut.
Speaker 2:Yes, you do. My favorite moment that really showed me like I'm in my element was after the first speaker that I sat in on. I saw her in the hallway and I introduced myself and her name was Dr Lulu oh yeah, she is my favorite human. And I gave her a hug and I just said you know, I really appreciate your talk and I went to go say I was and I corrected myself and realized that I wasn't being vulnerable and I stopped myself and I said I am a judgmental Christian, until I heard you speak and that mama got up on that stage in front of 500 people and told them her platform, her story, her podcast, why she's doing it.
Speaker 2:And what hurt me the most is she is telling the story about her son, who is a transgender child, and her comment is I was his first bully. And that wrecked my mama's heart. Because I have tend to come at things from a Christian viewpoint, which is can be very judgmental, especially as I undo all the thinking of the trauma from my marriage right Cause I'm still healing through that. I'm like I'm still going back to church and going wait, do I really believe this, or was this what my ex-husband told me to believe. So when I listened to her I was like it undid one of those for me and I loved it. And I went up to her and I said I want to thank you for being so vulnerable and getting that out there, and if it wasn't for you I'd still be judgmental, but from this day forward I will never judge another transgender person, ever again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think for her that was a very self-awareness for her as a mom to admit that and then to then turn it around and have a platform to speak about it and to tell people this is what I did. But I have become a much more. I think she's just a very lovely person and if you didn't know her or her past, you would be like, oh my gosh, she's so, she's a doctor, she's so open, but she's very closed off and I think it was probably because it was her son and probably never thought, oh, this is what my son's gonna be. But then to share it with other people, it just shows like you can grow as a person still.
Speaker 2:It was such a beautiful. That was my favorite moment of the whole conference Her transparency, her vulnerability. She was just wonderful and I learned and I looked at. It was hard. I looked at my own self and said, oh, I'm gonna be a doctor myself, this is something you need to work on. And then I exposed it to the person, which was really healing for me. And then the next day she texts me hey, come find me. And I went and found her and she gave me a journal and it's her own journal. It says Dr Lulu's 30 day grateful journal, like she's created this journal you can buy online. And she wrote in it and we just had this beautiful moment where my love languages were all filled, like quality time, gifts, you name it. I was just. I was joined all over the place.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause those talks like a couple of people during those talks were pretty like open and vulnerable and you could just see why they had the podcast because it was their passion. They took their passion and made it into a podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and did you notice how humble she was, girl She'd been on Oprah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's a freaking like doctor for like the last 30 years and then now is like retired, living her freaking best life Like she's a real deal man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so shout out, dr Lulu, we love you girl.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you so much for being like open to us and just I love that she would. She'd be a great mentor Whoever is in her sphere. Like you, are very lucky.
Speaker 2:Yes, so what did you learn about yourself?
Speaker 1:I learned. Well, networking for me is easy, but I did learn like there are things I'm good at and there's things I'm not great at, and I'm just gonna like let go of the things I'm not great at and just be okay with that. That's super healthy. Yeah, because I'm not gonna. I don't, I'm not gonna know everything with this business. It's been a very big learning experience for me. So I'm just gonna take this is what you're good at. Just make what you're good at better and let everything else kind of it'll figure it itself out.
Speaker 2:Amen, Well, that was one of their things that they said remember, just start and just start messy. I love that just start and start messy.
Speaker 1:Knowing that the connections that we made is just gonna grow, like our. I don't know it's, even though podcasting there's like so many, like huge, there's so many out there, but it felt like a family atmosphere. Did you feel like that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I it just it's like a bunch of people enjoying their passion who want to help each other.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure we weren't known as the two girls with matching t-shirts that like to talk about dating and men, yeah, yeah, they're like.
Speaker 1:Oh, there's last piece of pie. Girls Just smiling down the hallway wearing their shirts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because we met Sean. We met Sean. What karaoke night.
Speaker 1:Dr Lulu. We met her. We met James. We met the two girls from the theater podcast. They were so funny and amazing and beautiful.
Speaker 2:So, cute. Oh yeah, patrick and James was soaring prophets. Is that who you're talking about? Their podcast is pretty cool too. And then remember, kinky Can Fire. Yes, oh my God, james and I can't remember her name right now Miss Rue. Oh yes, they were amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I actually listened to one of their podcasts on my way home Thursday or Thursday. I just love their topics. They're just trying to educate people on not being afraid of putting out the things that you are. Basically it's a kind of a sex podcast, but it's like don't be afraid to like, explore what makes you turned on or what you're into. Like I love they make it educational. Oh, I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like James. He's a great kid. Yeah, we had a lot of fun. Do you remember Trevor Love, the poet? I call him Trevor Love. That's not his last name. His name is Trevor, but I have added love, so that's his new name for me Trevor.
Speaker 1:Love. Oh yeah, the guy that has the love. He did the love speech.
Speaker 2:Yes, him and I have connected and I did a Zoom call last night with about 12 people from around the world talking about, like, how you can bridge gaps in between different communities and how you can do that with love. It was so inspiring and so beautiful and it was so nice to see like there was Christians, there was atheists, there were all kinds of different people, but at the end of the day, we were all there in unity and love and it was the quickest two hours of a Zoom call I have ever had.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Doesn't he have some kind of charity that's tied to that?
Speaker 2:He likes to feed. He feeds a lot of kids, a lot of lunch programs. Yeah, he is an amazing human. I think we're going to learn a lot from him.
Speaker 1:I remember the way he did his talk and props to him. He like wrapped it, did like a poetry People who could do poetry like props to you. That is not my forte.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I had a poet. I didn't write it down. Last night I got a poetry. Oh my gosh, like you had a poem. Yeah, in my head, I don't think I wrote it down.
Speaker 1:Oh, good for you.
Speaker 2:No, I did. Are you ready? Yeah, oh god girl.
Speaker 2:Go for it. It's hard to say hello when the pain of goodbye has crippled my soul. You know who that's about, so we'll just leave that one there. It's hard to say hello when the pain of goodbye has crippled my soul. God was just. He must have been just healing my heart. Yeah, yeah, I was, and I'm so glad you brought that up because I would have forgot, but luckily I put in my notes. I think I woke up like at three o'clock in the morning and I was like I kept hearing and finally I was like I got to write this down. So yeah, I love poetry.
Speaker 1:I would love to do that with you, go to like a poetry, slam or something yeah like in.
Speaker 2:Detroit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do they do those still somewhere?
Speaker 2:Oh, we got to get some black friends. I need a black church and a black friend. Actually, I do have one.
Speaker 1:I don't need a black friend to do those.
Speaker 2:No, but I want one. I want like a few, like 10.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I love reading poetry. I'm just ugh. That was like the one English class I freaking hated in high school. I just couldn't wait to get past that class, like I. Perhaps the people who can do that, not me but I love to hear you do it, Like I love to hear other people say their poetry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe, maybe I'll have one time we go and I'll get like a live mic. One Girl, that would be the one night you let me over. That would be the one night that I do let you make me drink tequila.
Speaker 1:Here have a shot for you on stage. Hey, tequila is healthy for you. I just read an article on it.
Speaker 2:Oh, good is.
Speaker 1:One of them, wine is to healthy as to like alcohols, like or as you can drink. Besides red wine and dark chocolate gosh.
Speaker 2:I'm really healthy then. That is awesome. So I came back home with a lot of goals for us, and I know you did too. So let's kind of like recap like what are your top three things for us in this podcast this year?
Speaker 1:I guess number one would be expanding and having a different guest on, because I love the guests that we've had so far. I think they've had some amazing topics and expertise. That's number one. Number two Keep growing as individuals. So I know for me I have a tier your plan based on things that I've heard and been told about my life as far as like helping other people. So I want to expand that. And then for you, I know there's a lot of personal stuff that you want to grow and I'm hoping that through this podcast that that happens that keep healing.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's our time out that and just keep telling your story, because I think it's an amazing story to tell and I think it's gonna be go beyond just this podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I am a book a side note on that left Sean Blanc in my sentence name right a block, block, blo see with happy heavy-brain. Um him and I have been talking and he has graciously became my mentor as I assigned him.
Speaker 1:Well, hey, you know, don't be afraid to ask people to be a mentor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like I need you. He didn't know my story last night. It came out real kind of quick through text. Yeah he goes, I would have had no idea.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, looking at him, I would have had no idea what he went through with his mental health issues.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so it what he was like are you, do you write all this down? I was like, yeah, I'm writing a book and he was like okay, this is, this is good yeah. Yeah so it was just confirmation that I'm on the right path. And it's okay to be vulnerable and talk about you know my healing. That is one of my goals. One of my goals is a TED talk and it's I'm gonna title it Finding your voice.
Speaker 1:It was one of the hardest things I've ever done because speaking in front of people, that's way out of your comfort zone. I think well.
Speaker 2:I used to do it back in the day. Did you know that?
Speaker 1:Is that when you did like through church, or yeah, women's ministry.
Speaker 2:Okay, I went from like the small room with 10 people to the big sanctuary, oh, okay. I know I loved it, but I haven't did it in years, Okay so, and I haven't did it. When you have to be vulnerable and it's personal, I've done it. Where I am feeding people hope and love and Jesus, like that's natural for me, that's what I do all the time, right, yeah, but to do it personally, oh God, and not cry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like for me, I want to. I want to be able to share with people like the coaching that I've done through my job, but I want to expand it to other people. That's one of my goals, which is part of that whole self-growth. And then I think the last thing, what's the last thing? Maybe we'll be on, oh no, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Manifest, girl, manifest, I know, come on. Oh wait, dr Lulu taught me this. What's this? This is like black church, I agree. Come on, give it to me, girl. I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying.
Speaker 1:So the last thing I guess the last thing would be if we ever got to a point where people wanted to see us do this live. No, you want to see my beautiful face.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I love it. Yeah, a YouTube channel. Yeah, life goals there.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Podcast goals. I think that's awesome and I think the L-Poppers are going to be excited to know that we've come home with fire and passion. And step one for me is to create a network so that way I can branch us off and pimp you out as I like to say. So you better get that life coaching certificate, lady. I'm working on it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it's in my plan. It's in my two-year plan. Hopefully it gets done before the two years. But I've got to financially get my, because it's not. I can't just go and just be like oh, my life coach, I'm going to actually pay to get certified to do it. No Right, it's expensive, it's like a couple thousand bucks.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's pocket change for you, surgeon. I can come on with that in the couch at your house.
Speaker 1:We'll see how the sales year goes so far. It's starting off with a pretty good month, so I'm excited about that.
Speaker 2:So you're doing great.
Speaker 1:Ted Talk for you. What else?
Speaker 2:I've got to keep writing. I definitely have to keep writing. I think I'm at a place now where there's one more healing that I would like to do, or one more therapy sessions called trauma. What was it? Trauma therapy?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, they talked about that. There was somebody who does that.
Speaker 2:I would like to look into that and I think after I do that, I think I'll be released to write more. What's holding me back from writing a lot is it's painful, and I don't like to feel that.
Speaker 1:I guess what about trauma therapy is different than therapy therapy?
Speaker 2:I don't know. Stay tuned, because I promise you'll be doing an episode on it, because I'm really excited, I'm really going to look into it. I'm going to get a good trauma therapist and heal. It's important. I feel like I have done therapy my whole entire life. I've done anti-depression medication my whole entire life, but this is the first time in the last five years where I'm really working it. As you know, I'm working on my healing. Before I would just attend. Before I would just go to the doctors. Before I would just take a med, whatever and just keep rolling with life. And now I'm just like, oh no, if something creeps up in me, that's ugly. I'm like we got to address that and that happened at PodFest. We kept hearing trauma therapy and I was like I need to do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I feel like if you don't deal deep down, like if you don't deal with deep down stuff, I don't ever think you really move on, or stuff will keep triggering you so it'll stop you from moving on. Yeah, at a manifest in your physical body.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like my sickness this month, this rare bacteria that suddenly appeared in my cheek. A lot of people have said that's trauma leaving your body, and maybe this is my last deep breath of releasing all the ick and moving completely forward.
Speaker 1:They say you know, doctors say like when you're stressed does a whole bang on your body. So, like for me, I have high blood pressure because I have a stressful job and I can't seem to figure out how to not be stressed out.
Speaker 2:And it's your personality, yeah true Type A.
Speaker 1:My overthinker I mean type A salesperson who's extrovert.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna have some stress in my life. It's so funny when every time he asked me, he's like how's your stress level? And I'm like, oh, I'm fine. He's like your blood pressure doesn't say so, How's your job? I'm like you know what I do for a job. Can you do, doctors, quit stressing me out when I visit your office and try to talk to you?
Speaker 2:No doubt hey blood pressure is huge when it comes to stress. There were a few days in the hospital where I was really anxious and my blood pressure was 170 over 130. Oh girl, and they're like you gotta relax and I'm like you gotta figure out what the hell's wrong with me.
Speaker 2:And then I'll relax. That is one of the things, too, I went down to pod fest for was healing. I manifested it. I said it over and over I'm going down for healing. I'm gonna find every Christian and ask them to pray over me. Every Christian group that met, I was there telling them my story and what happened the last two weeks in the hospital and that no one has answers. And I need Jesus to heal me and I really do feel like I came back healed. It was so much girl. The dinner date. Tell Al Poppers what I put you through at dinner the last day at dinner, when my face opened up.
Speaker 1:Oh, like, okay, yeah, ha, ha, ha ha.
Speaker 2:This is the best best friend's story ever. I tell everyone it. They're like you did not make her. I was like, oh, she had to. The doctor called Was this after?
Speaker 1:we had dinner. No, no, we were sitting at dinner, oh you're like something is the ceiling dripping and I'm like no, what's your face? Your wound was basically Opened up. Yeah, it was pushing out the actual pus that I think has been trapped in there, so it was able to find its way out of where they punched your didgerbiopsy.
Speaker 2:So it was just cleaning, it was pushing that stuff out, which was so weird because it wasn't even at my incisions. It was like my skin just had this little spot it could open up?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was like a blister. So when? You have a zit and it starts out there's not a whitehead. And then all of a sudden it finally gets one and you can be like get pumped, let's get the crap out of it.
Speaker 2:It started draining down my neck and I kept looking at the ceiling going.
Speaker 1:what the hell is dripping on me.
Speaker 2:And Jen goes it's your face. I was like, oh shit, okay, I'll run to the bathroom. I ran to the bathroom and it was yeah, it was. It was definitely nasty.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I have to say must have did something, because your face looks totally like Amen, not where it was, or you can't notice like any inflammation. Yeah, praise God.
Speaker 2:Praise Lord, at least I don't. And then so I come back and I'm like okay, I'm gonna call the doctor. So I call the doctor and the doctor's like, okay, this is actually good news. However, you're gonna have to put warm, hot compresses on it and you're gonna have to drain it. So, alpapers, we got back in the bathroom and, of course, you know who. I called my surgeon, jen.
Speaker 1:I was like get in here. It's like squeezing it. I was Dr Pimple Popper. It's like a squeeze in this crap out of it.
Speaker 2:That's love. Yeah, only best friend can do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thankfully I'm not squeamish. It wasn't that bad. Honestly, it's like when it's other people it's fine when it was my own, like I had to have my finger lanced once and I didn't really want to look at all the pus that came out of it.
Speaker 2:Do, oh God, and I hurt like a fucking bitch. Well, I'm glad you were there for me. Thank you for cleaning out my face, yeah you're welcome Said no best friend ever.
Speaker 1:I will clean your shit up, that's why, I should up every two weeks in my house in more ways than one.
Speaker 2:Right, we got each other. So, yeah, it was nice.
Speaker 1:Station can do for you. El Papers great about healing. You walk around like you're healed.
Speaker 2:It's and I'm bad at manifesting, like I want to learn more and more about it. And I remember walking down a hall and, in my head, being lost. I was trying to find the group and in my head I kept saying I'm going for my healing, I'm going to find my healing and it worked.
Speaker 1:I just love the fact that there's a lot of people there and to me, any time that you can, if you're investing in yourself, you're investing in a business, take the time to do it. You will learn. You learn so much Like, even if it's like you're watching a YouTube channel because you can't afford like to start somewhere. If you want to invest in yourself or invest in your business and make it better like, do it. It's totally worth it.
Speaker 2:So one of my goals for 2024 would be for you and I to go to a women's conference.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'd love that I actually thought about that.
Speaker 2:Hey, look at us on the same page.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think there is one, I just don't know we have to. There's a lot of them.
Speaker 2:I used to go to them with the women's group through church. So if we could go to like a black church women's conference and I could get black church and you can get the women's conference.
Speaker 1:If we could buy a big hat. Oh my God. That is, I just kind of side note, 80 D Brad. There was a guy comedian. He was talking about how women are like we should go on a retreat. And she's like and he's like in five minutes it's sold out and you guys are already playing it. And he's like dudes, don't do that. They don't be like hey, let's go on a retreat. It's like hey, you want to go camping? It was better, funnier, but I just thought that was funny. Like how he put it, I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's a personal friendship. Goal for me and you for 2024 is to find a women's conference and sign me up. I know right, all right, so stay tuned, el Papers. I am going to keep learning to travel, I'm going to keep learning to grow, I'm going to keep learning to be brave and I'm going to keep rocking this podcast with you.
Speaker 1:So El Papers number one invest in yourself to write down as soon as you get done I like this right down as soon as you get home. Three things that you learned, because you're going to forget them If you don't journal, journal get that journal out, write them down. If you have questions, send them our way, and we love you guys.
Speaker 2:And look for us on Instagram and TikTok and threads and Facebook. We will be posting some amazing pictures from PodFest 2024.
Speaker 1:Peace out, love you guys.