Like Whatever
Join Heather and Nicole as we discuss all things Gen-X with personal nostalgia, current events, and an advocacy for the rights of all humans. From music to movies to television and so much more, revisit the generational trauma we all experienced as we talk about it all. Take a break from today and travel back to the long hot summer days of the 80s and 90s. Come on slackers, fuck around and find out with us!
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It Takes A Little E$ To Make A Big Difference
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Remember when one adult’s kind word changed your whole week? We lean into that feeling and unpack why mentoring still works, how Big Brothers Big Sisters makes it safe and effective, and where Gen X can plug in without flipping their life upside down. Starting from MLK Day’s call to serve, we trace BBBS back to its 1904 origins, break down the matching process, and talk through the guardrails that protect kids and volunteers. No halo polishing—just real talk about consistency, trust, and the quiet moments that move the needle.
We share wins that stick: a teacher who relearned geometry to tutor a lost student, a teen who went from guarded silence to singing in the passenger seat, an email years later from a graduate thriving in his field. The research backs it up: mentored youth skip fewer classes, use fewer substances, perform better in school, and believe in bigger futures. We also spotlight the need for more men of color and LGBTQ mentors, the long waitlists for boys and teens, and the shift to school-based, workplace, and virtual mentoring that expands access.
If you’ve wondered whether you “fit the mold,” here’s the truth: they want your time, not your wallet. One hour a week. Lunch at school. Ice cream and conversation. A ride to the DMV. The systems are confusing; mentors translate them. And yes, relationships outlast paperwork—graduations, first jobs, weddings, babies—because showing up compounds. We close with simple starting points and a nudge to do the thing you’ve been meaning to do: be the adult you needed when you were 15.
Enjoy the conversation, then take a step: subscribe, share with a friend who’d make a great mentor, and leave a review so more people find this story and join the work.
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Two best friends, we're talking fast, we're missing to our case, we're having a blast. Seeing these dreams, be on screens, it was all bad. It's like whatever. Never never never laughing, sharing, our story forever. We'll take you back whatever.
SPEAKER_08:Welcome to Like Whatever, a podcast for, by, and about Gen X. I'm Nicole, and this is my BFFF, Heather.
SPEAKER_03:I'm so late today.
SPEAKER_08:We are so late. It is dark outside. It's dark outside.
SPEAKER_03:I actually did not leave work until after it was dark, and it has probably been three years since I left after dark.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. So if we yawn or doze off, don't mind us. It's almost our bedtime.
SPEAKER_03:And I was on vacation all week and I came back to this nonsense.
SPEAKER_08:Yes. We were both on staycation way back today. It's very sad. It was.
SPEAKER_03:Not long enough. It never is. No. See, the problem is, is I am so used to having the entire winter off from working in the restaurant. Right. That this having to work all year is just ridiculous. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I definitely enjoyed my staycation. Good. Yep. Just hung out, did nothing. I don't think I showered for like three days. It was awesome.
SPEAKER_03:I yesterday. Because I didn't leave the house. Yeah. Yesterday I was like, I'm gonna have to put on a bra. I'm gonna have to wear pants. It's not right.
SPEAKER_08:Yep. But we were off yesterday because it was MLK Day. Um it was. Uh Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Day, one of my favorite holidays. He is one of my heroes. Um, I was watching the news last night and I felt like such an asshole because I was off. And I don't know if it's just something I forget from year to year, but they're showing all the um it's uh like day of giving, day of kindness, uh-huh. Um, and tons and tons of events with people doing volunteer work in the name of Martin Luther King Jr. And I'm like, damn it. I could have went and done something.
unknown:Damn it.
SPEAKER_08:So if I remember for next year, I'll go.
SPEAKER_03:That's so funny that you say that. Because today's topic, tying right into it. Oh, very nice.
SPEAKER_08:But let's see what else. Did you see Kiefer Sutherland got arrested? No. No, I haven't. Wow, this has been a couple days it's been out. Oh. He uh he beat up an Uber driver. Oh, I did see I did see that. Okay, I did see that. I mean, it sounds like he really beat him up, punched him some, tried to strangle him, and the whole time I'm watching, I'm thinking, I want Kiefer Sutherland to beat me up. Oh shit. I've always loved him. Yeah. That would be a story to tell. That would be a lost boys were after you're yeah, yeah, exactly. And then I was really shocked today. Do you know Sean McDermott got fired? I did. I didn't see that. That's been the biggest shocker yet.
SPEAKER_03:I think the Mike Tomlin thing was the biggest shocker yet.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, but he walked away. He didn't get fired.
SPEAKER_03:I know he didn't get fired, but like him quitting was just like when I heard that, I was like, what? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was probably time. Because I was thinking this whole season, I've been thinking, man, Mike Tomlin has been there for fucking ever. 19 years. I mean, they keep a coach forever.
SPEAKER_08:They do. They've had like three total. They love a coach.
SPEAKER_03:Once they get one, they don't want to have to look for another one.
SPEAKER_08:Fuck that. Too much work. I don't blame them. But he said he wanted to spend more time with family, and they showed um I saw pictures of him online this weekend at his daughter's, I think, gymnastics tournament at our college. So maybe he just didn't want to miss everything before they're adults. I mean, who can blame him? That's a lot of work. He's been there forever. And yep. He definitely did his time. Yeah. He never had a losing season. Good for him. I always liked him. I did too. Yeah. Yeah. He seemed like a good coach. I still think it's Aaron Rodgers that ran him out. He's like, look, I can do a lot. I can't work with this whole deal with this guy.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. It's quite the weekend for football. Whew, man. These games are stressful. I thought I we discussed it, and my work, Bessie, and I discussed it. So glad we're not in the you know, yeah, it's nice to win the Super Bowl and all that. But A, our season should have been done. We we had no business even being in the playoffs. So whatever.
SPEAKER_08:We just happened to be in a shitty division. Yes.
SPEAKER_03:And uh yeah, I'm just so glad I don't have to Yeah.
SPEAKER_08:Seattle or um Chicago's defense would have ripped us to shreds. Just absolutely obliterated us. Yes, yes, yes. It would have been really bad. Like they did to the teams that they uh it would have been big. They didn't obliterate them, but it was still it was ugly. It was lots and lots of defense.
SPEAKER_03:We couldn't have gotten we couldn't have gotten past uh Seattle. So no way. I think Seattle's gonna win it all. I do too. I like Seattle.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. I don't have any I I've always been kind of like meh with Seattle because I'm not a um uh uh uh I can picture his face, their quarterback from oh, that's married to Sierra.
SPEAKER_06:I can't think of his name.
SPEAKER_08:Sierra's husband that used to quarterback for the uh for the Seattle Seahawks. Just not a big fan of his, but they I do think they have the prettiest costumes in the NFL. I and when they do their bright green, like neon green, it's very flashy. I love it. I don't care for their colors.
SPEAKER_03:I'll tell you whose colors I do like. The browns. Yes, the Panthers. Oh, yeah. Yeah, they're pretty too. That black and blue, it's gorgeous. Yeah, of course. The Raiders is black and silver, but yeah, that's boring. Yeah, but yeah, that Panthers black and blue, that's pretty. Yep. That's another thing I didn't understand. What game was it? I mean, I get it, you get the you're the away team, so the home team chooses the jersey color. What game was it? I don't it was the first of the two NFC games. It's a Saturday game. Was it? It was snowing really hard. I don't know. I can't remember that. Today I can't, I can't today was rough. Anyhow, they were wearing all white.
SPEAKER_08:I I can picture that now, but I don't know who it was. 49ers. Uh it was indeed the 49ers. And who were they playing?
SPEAKER_03:Yes. Not in San Francisco. They were playing elsewhere. And I was like, damn, why are you wearing all white? And I was like, Well, I get it, you're the away team, so the home team picks their jersey colors. They probably picked whatever team that was that I can't recall right now. Well it would have been us, right? No, this weekend.
SPEAKER_08:Oh, I thought you said the f I was thinking you meant the first. No, this weekend. Playoff weekend. Gotcha. Whoever they played this weekend. They, yeah. I don't know. Yeah. Who it was Seattle.
SPEAKER_03:Well, well then what game am I fucking thinking of? What happened? Anyhow. Where are we? One team was playing in the snow and they were wearing all white. And I was like, I mean, I get it, you're the away team. And then the Chicago game, I do remember it was Chicago, it was also snowing. And the Bears had their dark jerseys on, which makes sense because they again are the home team. But the away team, oh gosh, I can't remember who they were either, was wearing the Broncos. No. Chicago did not play the Broncos. You know what? Maybe it was Bill, it was. It was the Buffalo Bills and the and the Broncos. It was the Broncos and the Bills game. And the Bills were wearing their all white. Yes. Sure. Anyway. I was like, why are they not?
SPEAKER_08:And then we have spiraled out of control on this conversation. A lot.
SPEAKER_03:Anyway, they wore their their dark pants. So you could still see them. Yeah. That's what I was getting to. Okay.
SPEAKER_08:I'm glad you well, you finally got there, so I mean that's all that matters. It's been a day. Yeah. We had somebody download our entire catalog today. 58 downloads. That's crazy. Thank you to whoever that was. We appreciate you. Yeah. We hope you enjoy them. Um, yeah, I don't know. Um soon we're gonna own Greenland.
SPEAKER_03:Let's see what else. I'm gonna move to Greenland to Greenland, I think. Actually, we actually can I tell you that we were actually looking at apartments in Nova Scotia.
SPEAKER_08:Not a bad idea. I heard it's very expensive to live in Canada. Really? Uh uh.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, I don't know. Maybe the exchange rate. No, because I did the exchange. And for like a two-bedroom apartment, it was like the equivalent of twelve, thirteen hundred here. Okay. And their weather is very similar to here. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So watch out, Nova Scotia. Yep. Coming in hot.
SPEAKER_08:Heather's starving. She's eating homemade chocolate chip cookies from her mom's. Don't mind her jumping on.
SPEAKER_03:And it's my week, so I have to do all this talking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Get my snack in.
SPEAKER_08:So if you have that uh phobia where you don't like hearing people chew, this is not the episode. Too fucking bad.
SPEAKER_03:You know what? This is not the episode for a lot of things.
SPEAKER_08:Facts.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. No, we got a good one today. I'm excited about it.
SPEAKER_08:Of course we do. You always have a good one. You want to do our uh spiel?
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_08:Go ahead. So please like share rate review. Yes. Find us on all the socials. All of them. Uh you can send us an email at likewhateverpod at gmail.com. Yeah. Uh you can find us on YouTube at like whatever. Uh you can visit our website at www.likewhateverpod.com. Indeed. I think I got them all.
SPEAKER_00:Hey there, like whatever Gen X friends. Pat Green here. Do you remember making mixtapes and cruising to the mall with your friends? My new novel is all about that 80s feeling. In Hearts of Glass Fade Away and Radiate, I weave a story of first love and found family in late 80s suburbia. You meet teens, Ford, and Cassie at their local mall, facing heartbreak and healing together. It's a bit like a John Hughes movie wrapped in an 80s soundtrack, both nostalgic and heartwarming. I poured all of those big emotions into these pages. If you crave the warm nostalgia of mixtapes and mall dates, this book might feel like your own high school story. Head to pack greenauthor.com or barnstormerpublishing.com to grab Hearts of Glass in ebook, audiobook, or paperback. I'd love for you to join Ford, Cassie, and the whole gang. Consider it a trip down memory lane with a story you won't forget. Stay totally awesome, stay true to you.
SPEAKER_03:All right. All right. So let's fuck around and find out about something very near and dear to my heart. Oh Lord. Big brothers, big sisters. Oh I know. At first you're thinking, why is this Gen X? And I'm gonna tell you, I don't fucking care what you think. National Mentoring Month is celebrated every January in the United States. I wonder why. It was launched in 2002 by Mentor, the National Mentoring Partnership, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The goal is simple but powerful. Raise awareness about the impact of mentoring and encourage more people to volunteer. Big Brothers Big Sister uses this month to spotlight bigs, recruit new volunteers, and share stories that show how mentorship changes lives. Also, I'll tell you why actually this is relevant. Um, I was on one of the Facebook pages the other day, one of the Gen X pages, and a lady on there said, My kids have decided to be child free, all of them. How do you all cope with not becoming grandparents? And I also know that there are a lot of people that are younger now that are struggling with fertility issues. And so I thought, you know what? So I I wrote to her, you know, it's it's a great alternative. No, it's not your kid, no, it's not your grandkid, but you make a difference in somebody's life, and you can do all this the shit you want to do with a fully formed individual. You know, I know it's not the same, but yeah, you know, if you wanted to to get some experience and and make a difference in somebody's life, and I know I have told the story of I am a big sister. One big sister of the year.
SPEAKER_08:Yes. I'm never gonna stop telling that. 2014.
SPEAKER_03:Was it this month you got awarded? Yes. Also, why I was in it. Um, also, you'll notice that in the title, because I picked the title. Okay. Um, my little, I will not say her name, she listens. Um, I call her e-money. So that is where the e-money comes from in the title. Okay. Yes. Anyway, back to it. The key dates during mentor month. Uh January 7th is I Am a Mentor Day, a day for mentors to share their stories and inspire others. January 15th, Dark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
SPEAKER_08:There you go. That's the word I was looking for. Day of service.
SPEAKER_03:Mentoring is framed as a form of service and community uplift. January 17th is International Mentoring Day, a global celebration of mentoring across cultures. January 25th is Thank Your Mentor Day, a day for littles, alumni, and communities to publicly thank mentors. Uh National Mentoring Month is grounded in research showing how that mentoring has measurable effects. One in three young people in the U.S. grows up without a mentor outside their family. Youth with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college. They are 78% more likely to volunteer regularly. They are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions in clubs or teams.
SPEAKER_04:Wow.
SPEAKER_03:Mentored youth show improved mental health, higher self-esteem, and stronger academic performance. Big Brothers Big Sisters, who I will now call BBBS, uses these stats heavily during January to show that mentoring isn't just nice, it's transformative. I was also a mentor uh at our we have a really amazing mentoring program down here at the in this particular school district. Um the lady who used to run it, she has since retired. Um she lived acros down the street from where I grew up, and she was also my sister's um gym teacher. Oh, okay. And she worked at one of the restaurants that I frequented as a child in In and Out. So I knew her very well. And I um I mentored with her. I would go in once a week, and so if you're looking for something to do, and you're like, I you're retired, you're retiring, you're looking at retirement, thinking, what the hell am I gonna do? Here, and I'm sure it's because it is a national thing, I'm sure it's the same, it's one hour a week of your time. You go in, you are treated like a goddamn rock star. I mean, when you walk down that hall, everybody's like, That's a mentor, and they are just losing their shit about you. You can read books, you can have lunch, you can play games, they know you're coming, you work out the time, you can help them with homework, whatever. It's just you and that kid for one hour. And it does mean all the difference. I mean, you can just tell. And they just get so excited when you walk in, and all the other kids that don't necessarily need mentors, like my nephew, because that's the school I went to, could not understand why I couldn't be his mentor. And she said, because you don't need one, and you see her all the time.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, I think our state uh statewide, I don't know if they're as good as your the school district you're talking about, but I know that there is a big push to get mentors in, and I know there are some nonprofits in the state that um I where you can go to find a mentor, I guess. Um so yeah, and I do love that. And working with high school kids, I can understand that because you are hoping to make a difference in their life. Like that's my purpose of being there is for them to know that I care about them and I want them to succeed. And I um actually it was really awesome. I got an email last week from an old client. He I had him in high school, I think I signed him up probably like six years ago. And uh he graduated high school, he tried college, wasn't for him, decided to leave it, got himself a good full-time job. I helped him find the work, closed out his case, because that's how it is. You know, it's my my job is to get them jobs. And he sent me an email last week saying that he just wanted to let me know that he was like, I don't know if you remember me. Of course I remember you. Um, but you know, you worked with me and and I didn't do good at school at first, but I did go back, I got my degree, and now he's working a full-time job in his field of study that he went to college for, and he's very happy. And he said he just thought of me and wanted to reach out and thank me for all the help I gave him back then. And there is no feeling like that.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, if you think about it in your own life, there was someone in your teenage years of some that was not your family. You could have had I had a great family, my mom and dad, great people, you know. No crazy off a little bit, but I mean, you know, great, and involved in our activities, involved in every part of our lives. Um probably a little too much. Um but there is still someone that was outside of your family, because if you have a good family, even and then you're like, well, they have. To you know, they have to they gave birth to me, so they chose to bring me here. Uh I'm their responsibility. But if it's someone who is outside of your family who doesn't actually have an air air quotes have to be there for you. I mean, we all have that person.
SPEAKER_08:I know this person, and it does it's not even necessarily a long-term thing. Nope. I when I was in school, I was a nerd. Good grades were important to me, not only to me, but I would get in a lot of trouble if I didn't get good grades, so it was very important to me. And I was always good at math. I mean, it was a breeze. I never had trouble. Um, ninth grade, I took algebra one and two. In tenth grade, I got into geometry, and I had no idea what was happening. It was there were no numbers involved. Nobody knows.
SPEAKER_03:So I was like, I don't think anybody knows.
SPEAKER_08:And I had one of those old man math teachers who had probably been teaching for 167 years and just was gonna do it his way, and I was lost. So I went to my ninth grade algebra teacher and I told her in tears, I don't understand. Well, she teaches algebra, so she went home, she said, give me a couple days. She spent the next couple days relearning geometry so that she could come in and tutor me. Right. And then I got it. Like, amazing. She didn't have to do that, right? She could have been like, Oh, get a tutor, ask a classmate, you know, whatever. But no, she put in the the work and yeah, I'll I'll never forget it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I have my English teacher, my 11th and 12th grade years. We had her two years. I still have a note. She wrote me at the end of my senior year, she wrote me a note, and I still have it. And she I don't even know. Um, I was a little goth girl in a private school, and I did not fit in. I never fit in. We went from first grade to twelfth grade, and I never fit in. Same kids the whole time, didn't fit in. And I mean, it's I guess it's caught. There's only seven people in my English class. So but she pushed me a lot, and I remember our scene my senior year, I wrote a paper on Macbeth. Um, the symbolism, the witchcraft and symbolism in Macbeth. I know. Weird. Um, and when she gave it back to me, she said that she was angry because she had gone to every other English teacher in the school to give them my paper because she refused to give anybody a hundred percent on their research paper. Wow, so she they had to dig and find, and let me just tell you, they found an optional comma, and that's what she took points off for. An optional comma.
SPEAKER_08:Wow.
SPEAKER_03:Oh yeah, that's impressive. Yeah. So I'm you know, and then she wrote me a I I I really honestly don't even know what else it was about her that she just one time she made me we had uh uh we had to bring in a poem that we liked. And she let us bring in song lyrics, and I brought in a cure song and she said it was beautiful and whether she believed it or not, I don't know.
SPEAKER_08:But yeah.
SPEAKER_03:My French teacher also was a pretty amazing lady, but yeah, I still see her every now and again.
SPEAKER_08:Wow, do you deliver her mail?
SPEAKER_03:No, no, she used to come in the restaurant.
SPEAKER_08:Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Anyway. So if you feel like you uh it's good for your own soul too. I mean it really is to do that, to give that to somebody else, and you know.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, and I mean it any kind of volunteering. And I made sure all my kids volunteered. My son, when he was little, we'd volunteer at the SPCA, and one I can't remember if he used his birthday money or if he saved his allowance, but he saved up and I took him to the store and he bought supplies for the SPCA for us to take and drop off with his own money. Yeah. Um, and um, I used to take my youngest to the food bank on Saturdays, and we would go bag up um backpacks or boxes of food and all that stuff. It's just good for them. And that was something I really enjoyed watching um the MLK Day of Service um events was people did like mock um marches. Um, and they all had their kids, like tons of kids. And I was like, what a great way to teach them about all of this and empathy, yeah, and to make them understand what he was trying to achieve and trying to get people to understand. And everything was very peaceful, of course, just walking down the street together, you know, and I'm just gonna say this also just you know, here and there.
SPEAKER_03:The only way change happens is if the generations behind us care. Yes, so make them care. Exactly.
SPEAKER_08:Exactly. I could not agree more. Yeah, because we're all stuck in our ways at this point.
SPEAKER_03:I mean we're we're we're moving out. I mean, yeah, we're the demographic now, which is weird, but there's not a whole lot of us to begin with. Um and they're they're they're what's gonna do it. And I saw somewhere else, you know, yeah, we're the the slacker generation and but what we're who we're raising are yes, gonna be there. Yes, they're gonna be the revolution. So go out and and do stuff. Yeah. Take a kid. Um, it's one of the few National Awareness Months backed by both the White House and Congress. Wow. Mm-hmm. Still? Yep. Oh. Well, you mean you can, you know, figured out. But KKK can mentor also. So well. That's why they anyway. Celebrities often participate from athletes to actors to musicians. Um BBBS agencies sometimes run 30 bigs in 30 days, challenges to recruit members mentors. Um the hashtag uh mentoring month trends every January. Many former littles use this month as uh to publicly thank their bigs years later. So boop boop boop. On to a Big Brothers Big Sisters. It's one of the most enduring and influential youth mentoring organizations in the United States. Founded in 1904, the organization has spent more than a century pairing adult volunteers, or bigs, with young people, littles, in structured, professionally supported mentoring relationships. While many nonprofits rise and fall with social trends, BBBS has demonstrated remarkable longevity, adaptability, and measurable impact. I had no idea they'd been around that long. Uh the origins can be traced to Ernest Coltier, a New York City count court clerk who in 1904 observed a troubling pattern. Many boys entering the juvenile justice system lack stable adult guidance. He believed that mentorship, not punishment, was the missing ingredient. Oh, I love people that think that. Me too.
SPEAKER_08:You see it every once in a while on the news where someone tries reform rather than punishment.
SPEAKER_03:If you get them young. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08:Because these kids aren't bad kids. I work in um one of the juvenile detention centers here in our state, um, doing the same thing I do with kids at any high school. And these kids are awesome to talk to. It's exactly like talking to any other kid. They have hopes and plans and dreams and and they're awesome. They just need a little support. They need somebody to care about them. That's what they need. That's what they need. Takes a village. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Be the village. Yes.
unknown:Boop.
SPEAKER_03:In a speech to a group of civic mining volunteers, he famous famously declared that there is only one way to help these youngsters, and that is to have some earnest, true man volunteers to be a big brother to him. The speech was so compelling that 39 men signed up on the spot. It's a fun fact that illustrates how pervasive Coltier must have been. Persuasive. How persuasive. Coltier must have been in an era before microphones. Around the same time, the Catholic Big Sisters organization formed to support girls facing similar challenges. These two movements eventually merged, creating the modern Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America. By the mid-20th century, it had expanded nationwide, becoming a formal nonprofit with local agencies across the country. Today, it is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States with more than 300 local affiliates. Its mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Its vision is a world in which all youth achieve their full potential. These statements reflect a strengths-based philosophy rooted in developmental psychology, social capital theory, and positive youth development. Rather than focusing on deficits or fixing children, BBBS emphasizes empowerment, connection, and opportunity.
SPEAKER_08:Yep.
SPEAKER_03:So um I did not think I could be a big sister because I mean, at the time I worked in a restaurant, I'm covered in tattoos. I have very rarely have a natural color on my head of anybody's natural color. Um so when I called, uh the reason I did call, I don't know if I've told this story, but my brother-in-law was a little and he talked about his big brother and still has some of the stuff they made. And he is almost 50 years old. Um, so I was like, you know, I'm not gonna have my own kids. And yeah, I can be there for my niece and nephew, and I can be there for your kids, but you know, right. They they have a stable house, you know, they're all they're all good. Um so I called and I was like, I mean, I don't know what the heck I have to offer. And she was like, You have time. And that is literally all they want. They don't want you to spend a lot of money. They tell you do not spend a lot of money, do not buy them crazy amounts of stuff, do not do any of that. They want you to take them to parks. Um uh me and E Money used to go bowling, and they have and then if your big sister, big brother, big sister, a lot of places give you discounts on stuff. Anyway, so it's it's like the bowling alley on Wednesdays, it was half-price games. So we would go bowling on Wednesdays. Um, we had our nails done, we went to movies, we went to the zoo, and you know, it's just about your time. Yeah. Um, there is rigorous screening and monitoring. Yes. You go through quite if you're if you're ever worried about it, if you have a kid that you might think, you know, is a teenager and you think this kid could probably use some extra help, it is extremely, you are extremely vetted. You are mo I mean you you take the kid on your own. Um but you know, you you're monitored. It's you can't take them overnight, you can't take them out of the state, really. I mean, well, it depends. You can't it's a there's a lot of rules. Um, you would probably need permission to do things like that. Right. If the mom is capable of that. Right, right. Uh there's all they also do a lot of stuff as a group. Um we have a a minor league baseball team called the Shorebirds here, and we would get tickets. They give out tickets all the time for mentors, so we would take them to baseball games and uh, you know, escape parks and and we'd have big picnics and um one of the water parks here. And after all the kids go back to school in September, they open up just for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Wow. Yeah, and it's free to all of them. They bring pizza in. It's and then in January they have a mentoring um brunch where they bring all and they thank you all. And that is where I got my plaque 2014.
SPEAKER_08:Well, you guys also had a fundraiser back in the day. Me and my girls came and bowled with you, and that was a long time ago. Yeah, I have pictures of that. Yeah, I do too.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, they have their big fo their big fundraiser is bowling. And um, so what we would do, I was on the the um my caseworker and the people in the the particular office were amazing human beings. She was a retired teacher, he was a retired teacher also. Um and they obviously loved what they did. So we they formed a board for fundraising. Um, because our big event, not a whole lot of people down here. Um, our big event was bowling. And so we decided we would do themes every year and and give out prizes. And it's funny because the team that just every year, I mean, knocked went all out. One year for the beach one, I think it was. They came as the uh cast of um Gilligan's Island in and this thing is in May. It's not like it's around Halloween. Oh my god. I mean full costume. Um they came as the Scooby gang one year, they dressed to the nines, and they were probably in their 20s-ish. It's the American Eagle team. And then I got this job at the post office, and when I walked in, I recognized one of the clerks is one of the members of that team. And so I said, I don't know if you remember me, but you guys always killed it for the mentoring, the big brothers, big sisters bowling thing. And he was like, We love doing it. I loved doing it. So that was our big thing, and and we did it. Yeah, yeah. We bowled, it was a lot of fun. It was. Uh, you know what? Why don't we hit your okay, hit it?
SPEAKER_01:Because I requires your life, we're laughing through her teenage hike.
unknown:Go ahead.
SPEAKER_08:All right, today in um Nicole's diary from 1984. It is Friday, April 13th. Oh, that is Christine's birthday. Yep. And it's a Friday the 13th. Oh shit. Today was my last day at Miss Fox's. Of course. Yes. Uh today's Friday the 13th. I knew at 11 that that was important. Uh Daddy came to pick me up this weekend, and we went to New Jersey to see Grandma Egler. My favorite person. Uh, when we got there, we had subs and grandma had new sleeping bags. Oh, that was the best. Sleeping and sleeping bags in her living room floor was the best. Uh, we stayed up for a while and we went to bed. On the way to Jersey, me and Jeff told jokes. I told a lot of jokes back in the day. You were uh cutting it up. Funny as fuck. Um and we slept on the way up. Of course. Which is something ready. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Which I often talk about because my dad had a huge burgundy Cadillac. And we could spread out in the backseat and sleep and not touch each other. Yeah. Um, let's see. Janet was teaching me and Jeff poker. Janet. Yep. And Rummy. And Jin Rummy. Yeah. So I remember playing cards up there with her at Grandma's all the time because she had this deck that had uh one set was green with white cats on it, and one was red with brown cats on it. And I love those cards because they had cats on them. Forever, my whole life. So yeah, that was this day in April 13th, 1984. Yeah. Trip to Jersey to my grandma's is always a good one. I love it.
SPEAKER_03:Grandmas we go. I was gonna ask if if your mom and dad were still together at that point, but no, clearly not.
SPEAKER_07:No. I was seven when they got divorced. So that would have been 1980. Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_03:Excuse me. Fancy vents. Um Big Brothers, Big Sisters is known for its highly structured mentoring model, which distinguishes it from informal mentoring or casual volunteer programs. The process of pairing a big with a little involves background checks, interviews, personality assessments, interest matching, family input, and professional oversight. This is essentially the nonprofit version of a compatibility algorithm, except it works. So it is a lot. I mean, you when you from the time you talk to somebody to sign up to when you're actually matched with, and it could take a while to be matched, because they want to make sure that you are matched.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, that's a good thing.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, perfectly, and that you're safe. Yes. Um, they also just as an aside, um, there is a real need for people of color, especially men of color, to volunteer um in the programs. Also, um LGBTQ, they really would like more mentors.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Is there uh age?
SPEAKER_03:No. Okay. Nope. The only thing they won't do is you can be a couple match, also. So um you and your significant other can match with a child. Um they will put like a boy with women, but they will not put a girl with men. Okay. So a girl will never have a big brother. Okay. Um, it's still strange.
SPEAKER_08:So if you're 18, you would you could do it. Yeah. You could be a big. And if you're 98, you could be a big.
SPEAKER_03:You can be a big. Okay. If you have time in your week that you feel like you could, it's I think it's two to two times a month they want you to meet with them. Mm-hmm. Um they check in with you constantly. I know that when I first um was matched, I did not think it was gonna be a good match. She was very e-money, was very like standoffish. Our first time out, we went and saw uh a Miley Cyrus movie. Mm-hmm. The last song or something like that. Mm-hmm. That's what she wanted to say. And the whole time she was like, Well, we're just gonna go home after this, right? We're gonna go home after this. And I, you know, we're both nervous. I'm and I um I mentored her at the school also. And I was like, I don't think I we call my social worker and I was like, I I just don't think this is, you know, I don't think she likes me. Uh blah blah blah blah. And you know, you just have to remember that these kids are closed off, so it takes time. And then it was, I don't even know, six months later, she is screaming at the top of her lungs in the car singing. And then it was I spent a time where I would pick her up and take her to school. She's not a morning person, and I loved that and got her back. All the singing. Um I have pictures of me teaching her to drive. Oh, also, I don't know if I mentioned she is now an adult, a fully grown adult with two children of her own, two beautiful little boys. Uh, she's killing it. Yep. Uh, the classic model: bigs and littles meet regularly for activities such as going to the park, visiting museums, or simply talking over ice cream. We did a lot of talking over ice cream. Actually, we went to McDonald's a lot. Yeah. Um, school-based mentoring, which I also did. Meetings occur at school, during lunch, or after class. This model is especially effective for younger children. Um, workplace mentoring, corporate partners host mentoring sessions, exposing youth to professional environments. Group mentoring, some agencies offer group formats for specific needs or communities. Um, each match is assigned a match support specialist who checks in monthly, provides coaching, mentors, monitors safety, and helps resolve challenges. Uh the oversight is one of the reasons Big Brothers has been has such a strong outcome. Uh uh, it is one of the most rigorously evaluated youth programs in the United States. A landmark study by um public-private ventures found that littles with a big for at least 12 months experienced significant improvements across multiple domains. Nice. Littles were 52% less likely to skip school. They were more likely to improve their grades, especially in reading and math. They showed mine never did in math and was never able to help.
SPEAKER_08:Well, that's where you two are perfect there.
SPEAKER_03:I was like, no.
SPEAKER_08:That's because you couldn't help over their homework. Fuck your math. Just fail.
SPEAKER_03:It'll be fine. I'm never gonna use it again. They showed higher education aspirations, including interest in college.
SPEAKER_08:Um that's because they had someone holding them accountable and who actually cared about their success. Yep. When you have someone that you want to be proud of, you're gonna do better. Yep.
SPEAKER_03:And the thing of it is because you're choosing to spend time with them. Yeah. You don't have to be there. You have other responsibilities. You were choosing them, and that means all the difference. Um, some little's go on to become teachers, social workers, or even staff members, creating a full circle mentoring legacy. Littles were 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs. They were 27% less likely to start drinking alcohol. They demonstrated improved decision making and reduced aggression. Um they had increased self-confidence, improved relationship with peers and family, greater emotional regulation, and a stronger sense of belonging. Uh, many littles report that they're big as the first adult who ever asks them about their goals. Um it's not accident, their success is not accidental. It's grounded and well-established theory. Consistent caring relationships promote emotional security. Youth model the behaviors and attitudes of trusted adults. Mentors expand a young person's access to networks, opportunities, and resources. Uh they foster the five C's: competence, competence, connection, character, and caring. Researchers later added a sixth C contribution because mentored youth often give back to their communities. Um Big Brothers Big Sisters operates throughout 300 plus local agencies across all 50 states. Each year, the organization engages over a hundred thousand volunteers, hundreds of thousands of youth and families, thousands of community partners. Um Big Brothers Big Sisters has served over two million children since its founding. That's a lot of kids. Uh some challenges that they face is there's often long wait lists, especially for boys and teens, as I said. Um, funding, of course. Um, they rely heavily on donations, grants, and corporate part corporate partnerships. Uh economic economic downturn economic downturns can threaten program stability. Recruiting mentors who reflect the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of Littles remains a priority. Youth communication styles evolve rapidly, and they have had to adapt to social media, virtual mentoring, and digital safety concerns. Some agencies now offering e-mentoring, which becomes essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Um, they are exploring several innovations, like I said, um, digital mentoring, virtual platforms expand access for rural or transportation limited families. The corporate one, uh, taking them to work. I actually took my little to work because she worked for me this summer.
SPEAKER_08:Um you paid her, I hope. I did.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. With my love. I also told her, so um your actual involvement in the program ends when um they either turn 18 or graduate, whichever comes last. Um, so I would tell her all the time, because she turned 18 first. I said, now once you graduate, I literally never have to see you again. And she's like, No, you are stuck with me. And I was like, No, my obligation to you is over.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Um, there's a lot of parents that really feel that way. So uh Yeah, no, I didn't no, I know that you didn't, but she texted me the other day. That people think kids turn 18 and they're that's just they're good to go, especially the foster care system. Oh my god. Sometimes you can get an extension to stay living with a foster parent until you graduate, and sometimes mid-school year kids just are homeless. Yeah, it's insane.
SPEAKER_03:Well, and that happened to her. She had um home challenges and the home that she could live in was outside of the school district that she had been going to since she was in kindergarten. And they tr provide transportation for kids who have been displaced for that school year, but the upcoming school year You have to register in your own district, and the district she was she did not want to be in. And they had to put her in that district, and she ended up getting in fights and because it was like I I think it was eighth grade. Uh huh. I mean, the worst possible time. And she cried every she. I when I tell you that this girl literally tried everything to stay in that school district. I am not kidding you. She tried to find houses on her own. She tried she tried to talk me into letting her live with me. She tried and we were we were real close to that. Um is that against very, very, very against it's I figured. Yeah, it's frowned upon. Um so the the head of the mentor ladies that I was talking about before, she I called her and and she ended up helping us get her back into the school district. Wow. Yes, but there was a transportation issue, hence why I was having to go get her and think it was very early, and I loved it. Make fun of her the whole way.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Taking my kids to school was some of the best times of my life. We they still know songs, but we'd listen to the same songs in the car and we'd sing, and oh my gosh, we had so much fun.
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SPEAKER_03:Um they have more rigorous evaluation strengths, uh, evidence-based practice, diversity and inclusion initiatives. It's investing in culturally responsible, uh culturally responsive mentoring to better serve diverse communities. So I thought I would give you a list of notable bigs other than me. You're my favorite baby. Number one. You're number one. Um, so let me just brag on myself for one second. I was big sister of the year for the state of Delaware. Um, and the way you get that is your little writes a letter. Yes. Which is the best part of all of it. Yes. And the lady, she did tell me prior to they announced it at the mentoring event in January. And she did tell me prior that I was gonna get it. So I was thought I was prepared until she read the letter. When I tell you I ugly cry, I mean couldn't even breathe. I had the entire room crying. Ugh. I still get teary-eyed about it now. Um also one more bragginess if you ever think about doing it. So when she had her first child, she had a um gender reveal. And I was, of course, invited. Um I'm supposed uh she's getting married this year or next year, and she keeps telling me I'm gonna, she she asked me to um be a bridesmaid, and I was like, girl, I am too old for that, but I will participate in whatever you want. No, you gotta be there for me, and da-da-da. And I was like, I will be, but I can't be a I'm too old and too fat for that. But anyway, you know, I knew I knew that I meant something to her, just because she had invited me, whatever, you know, and she continued to tell she told me, but whatever. But when we when I went and I met her partner's family, and the first thing out of their mouth was, Oh my god, you're Heather. We have heard so much about you. I know this I didn't want this episode to make me cry, but it's been a day. Um, so yeah. Moving on. Other than me, Walt Disney. Yes, Walt Disney. Oh he served as a big brother in the 50s. Very cool. He um reportedly loved the idea of imagination-driven mentorship. Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, mentored through Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and has spoken publicly about the importance of giving young people access to creative opportunities. Usher, the Grammy-winning artist, has been involved with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and has advocated for youth mentoring as a way to break cycles of disadvantage. That's awesome. President George W. Bush. Get out. He served as a big brother in Texas before entering politics. Um Senator Corey Booker. I have heard him talk about it.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Um, has been a big brother and has spoken about how mentoring shaped his understanding of community responsibility. Carl Ripkin Jr. The baseball hall of famer has supported Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and participated in mentoring initiatives. Katie Korick, the journalist, has been a big sister and has highlighted the program on national platforms. So who would you think are famous littles? Oh Malcolm X. Get out! Before he became a civil rights leader, Malcolm X was mentored by a man named John Elton Bembray, not through Big Brothers, Big Sisters specifically, but they often cite his story as an example of the power of mentorship. Wow. Oh a lot go on to be CEOs, teachers, social workers. Jamie Foxx was a little. Oh I have I have heard him talk about it too. He has spoken publicly about being mentored through Big Brothers, Big Sisters and how it shaped his early confidence and creativity. Uh I don't know this one. Ka Carrie Pennebaker, a mental health advocate and former political candidate. He shared his experience as a little and how big his big helped him through childhood trauma. This one is my favorite. Daryl DMC McDaniels of Run DMC.
unknown:Get out. I won't.
SPEAKER_03:He has credited mentorship and adult guidance as essential to his development and has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters on Youth Initiatives. Um, I also know there was, and I couldn't find it because and I couldn't remember who which one it was, but I know there was a football player not that long ago.
SPEAKER_08:I was gonna say, I bet a lot of football players have had mentors.
SPEAKER_03:Was was in the program. Anyway, a lot of them go on, a lot of littles go on to be CEOs, teachers, social workers, elected officials. Um a significant percentage of the adult volunteers were once littles themselves. These people have not necessarily been bigs or littles, but they have publicly championed Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Barack Obama highlighted Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a model mentoring program. Oprah Winfrey has featured Big Brothers, Big Sisters stories on her platform. Ellen DeGeneres has hosted Big Brothers, Big Sisters matches on her show. Shaquille O'Neal has supported Big Brothers, Big Sisters events and youth initiatives. And can I just say I think that Shaq is the most amazing human being ever to put on this earth? Have you ever seen what he does in his free time? I don't know. He will be walking through Walmart and then just pick a kid and be like, You got a bike? And the one kid was like, I mean, he has cameras following him all the time. So and the kid was like, No, and he was like, Come on, and he said, Mom, can I buy him a bike? And he took the kid to the and bought him a bike. And just a lot, I mean, Shaquille does a lot.
SPEAKER_08:He is a really, really good guy. Yeah. And one thing I remember, I man, I think it was probably in the 2000s. I remember watching a show and he wanted a fancy sports car, and they literally built the car around him because he was too big for any real car. So they had like the frame and him in it trying to make sure everything was going to be big enough before they finished building the car.
SPEAKER_03:He gives a lot of his time and money back to children. And you know, you've seen I've they they'll do TikToks of like famous athletes doing stuff for kids, and he is always in them. And it's always some kid that like wanders up to him out of nowhere, and he's like, and and people are pulling him away from him, like, oh you know, Ken. And he's like, No, he's come by me a bike. No, come on, come on over here and take a picture. He takes pictures, he just seems to be. I don't obviously I don't know him very well, but yeah. Yeah, good person, good human. Um Big Brothers, Big Sisters aired a national Super Bowl commercial in 2024, and it became one of the most talked-about nonprofit ads of the night. Uh, the ad focused on the idea that one small moment of mentorship can change the entire trajectory of a young person's life. Um a child faces a challenge, a mentor steps in with a simple but meaningful gesture, the child's future self appears, showing how that moment mattered. It was emotional without being cheesy. The kind of ad that makes people go quiet in a room full of nachos. I remember it.
SPEAKER_08:I remember that commercial.
SPEAKER_03:It was one of the only nonprofit ads in a sea of Budweiser cars and celebrity cameos. It highlighted real matches, not actors. It tapped into the Super Bowl's massive audience to recruit new mentors. Smart. It sparked a surge in volunteer signups nationwide. After the ad aired, they reported a major spike in website traffic and volunteer inquires inquiries, one of the biggest in its history. They need to do that again. So why do you not see who is a lot of mentors or um littles? It's because they do not publicly release the name of formal littles unless those individuals choose to share their stories as adults. This protects the privacy of minors and families. So the famous Littles list is shorter than the famous Biggs list, but the impact is just as powerful. And that's why I'm gonna call her e-money. So yeah, that's that's Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
SPEAKER_08:That was really, really cool. Yeah. I you've inspired me, like I don't know about all that, but I but it does make me proud of what I do. Um and it does inspire me to help kids. I I mean I maybe people have no idea what kids go through, man. It's I don't know how they get up in the morning and function after some of the stuff that these kids live with. Um and yeah, I mean, if you can do it, if you've ever thought about it, at least look into it. If you don't want to go as hard as big brothers, big sisters, you know, find a local mentoring program. Find talk to your local school district and see if you can come in, like just go to a library.
SPEAKER_03:And see if they have a a a reading.
SPEAKER_06:Yep.
SPEAKER_03:They have reading hours where you can go and and read to a bunch of kids. Or you know, um, but like I said in the beginning, that's what sparked the idea was the the lady on the Facebook page saying that she was sad that she wasn't gonna be a grandmother because her kids and you know my mom was born to be a grandmother. Luckily, my sister wanted kids, so she had she would make an amazing mentor.
SPEAKER_08:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, kids might just die to have her.
SPEAKER_08:I would love to have her be my mentor.
SPEAKER_03:Instead, she's my second mom, which I guess is better, but so that's what pro and it's and it's mentoring month. Um you know they've gotta find the light somewhere, exactly.
SPEAKER_08:Or if you have teenage children or something, get them involved with helping.
SPEAKER_03:You can be a family, you can actually be a family mentor where you can mentor as a family unit. Um that would be cool.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, it's it's like I said, I think that one would be really hard to not have them move in with you though. Yeah, because they would become one of your children.
SPEAKER_03:And the struggle is real. Yeah. When you see what you know what kids go through.
SPEAKER_08:I mean, they absolutely have to set that boundary. Like, I totally understand that. But man, that would be hard to like send them back somewhere you know is not okay. Yep. But you have to. You don't have a choice. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. Yeah. Um, so go and and you know, nothing's gonna change unless we change it.
SPEAKER_08:You gotta start from the ground up. And like you said at the beginning, it's the generations behind us that are gonna make the difference. So e-money is gonna be inspired at some point. Now she's a young mom and she's setting up her life, but at some point she's going to be inspired and she's gonna help somebody. Yeah. And then that person's gonna help somebody, and that's how it just spreads.
SPEAKER_03:I think she's 26. Wow, I know. That's how old my middle child will be this year. I think I'm I'm 98% sure her the two of them are about the same age. She might be a little bit older, but yeah. Yeah, yeah. She's pushing 30. A money. You're pushing 30, girl.
SPEAKER_08:And she is so such a beautiful girl.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, she's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. She is. She really is. It's not fair. I know. Nobody should get to be that pretty. She is she is really pretty. Um, and so smart. Yeah.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:She's been through a lot. And she's killing it as a mom. Yeah. She learned from she knows what it's to do. Yeah. She's not going to be able to do it. She knows the other side to not have a mom. Yep, yep. Exactly. She's doing everything she can, and her boys are are beautiful boys. Of course. Yeah. Um, yeah. So go out there and make it if you can't make a difference any other way, then do make a difference somewhere, somehow. Spend an hour a week reading to children. Or yeah. It's not hard. It's not your y'all are retiring. Yeah. We're all re lining up to retire. And you know, what are you gonna do? Sit around. No.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, and that feeling better. It it always makes me think back to, and I've mentioned this before on here, that Gandhi has said there is no true selfless act of kindness because of the good feeling that you get from doing an act of kindness. And that shit is real. Like you feel really good about yourself when you leave for the day.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, when I went to that to her um gender reveal, it was just, I mean, she followed me around the whole time, number one. And I was like, keep your pregnant self away from me. Um I I went to her middle school graduation, I went to her high school graduation, I went to, you know, all of her stuff, help I learn, you know, I took her to get her driver's license and I took her to driver's head, and da-da-da. And she at that she said, This is Heather, and she's been the only person in my life that has been to everything.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And I was like, Well, I don't know about that. You know, she has two amazing brothers.
SPEAKER_08:Um Yeah, but it's those little things that you did for. I can't tell you how many senior, high school seniors, 17, 18 year olds I meet with. And one of the questions I ask is, Do you have a driver's license? Because if you plan on going to college or trade school or work, you're gonna need a way to get there. So I want to get them start thinking, if they don't have a driver's license, what am I gonna do? Or if they have one, don't have a car, what are you gonna do? And so many of them, I'm like, if they say no, like, oh, did you not take driver's head? No, I did. I passed. I just, you know, their parents didn't give them the driver driving hours and they didn't take them to the DMV before their blue slip expired. And that is just such an important task to follow up on because if you don't get it then, it's so hard. The DMV hands you a like 100-page book and says, here, go read this and come back when you're ready to take the test. And that's basically your option.
SPEAKER_03:We should explain. In the state of Delaware, in Delaware, it is stupid easy to get your driver's license before you turn 18. Yes. You just have to go to driver's ed. Yes. You take the class, it is a little bit harder than when we went because it was a joke when we went. But yeah, yeah, yeah. It is a little bit more difficult. You do have to spend more time driving, but um it is all done through driver's ed. Like you don't go to the credit in school, you don't go to the DMV like a lot of states. You have to go to the DMV, you have to do the course.
SPEAKER_08:Maryland has like driving schools, and that's how everybody gets their license. Like they're in strip modes.
SPEAKER_03:But you have to go to the DMV to an obstacle course with like a state trooper in the car with you or like somebody official.
SPEAKER_08:That's not intimidating.
SPEAKER_03:No. So in Delaware, it's all done through driver's ed, literally everything.
SPEAKER_08:Um, it is, it's super easy and it's super, super, super important. It's free in the public schools. Exactly. So you are doing your child a huge disservice. If you're not ready for them to drive, fine, but get them the license, hold the license, and don't let them drive. Right. But don't let them miss that opportunity.
SPEAKER_03:It's it's very difficult once they very, very difficult once they turn 18. Yes. Um, yeah. So mentor, get out there, make a damn difference. If you don't like what's happening, either move to Nova Scotia or you know, burn the house down.
SPEAKER_08:But in honor of the Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., yes.
SPEAKER_03:Do something. Do something, fuckers.
SPEAKER_08:Yep, yep. Thanks for listening. Yeah, thank you. That was really, really good. You made me feel good about myself. Remembering all the awesome things I've done for other people. No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, I'm gonna make I'm gonna make her look, I'm gonna tell her, I'm gonna text her on Friday and tell her, hey, what'd you do this week for somebody? Um, like, share, rate, review. Please find us where you find all of your podcasts. Please. Um what else? Oh, www.likewhateverpod.com. All the socials, like whatever pod. Uh-huh. I think that was it. Nope. Nope. Oh, there's one more.
SPEAKER_08:And you gotta think hard about this one. I try to do something different every time. Make it easy.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:If you would like to write an email about how you plan on mentoring someone or how you were mentored to like whatever pod at gmail.com or don't. Like whatever.
SPEAKER_08:Whatever. Bye.
