Brian: 0:11

So welcome back to the Vero Beach podcast. This is part two of our interview here with Calah from the Vero Beach Moms nonprofit organization. So, Calah, I guess let's just jump right into it. What does a typical day look like for you, not only as the founder of this nonprofit? What can we do?

Calah: 0:28

But then again I have to bring myself back and I got to calm down a little bit and go okay priorities first. What I really focus on day-to-day, weekly basis is building relationships. That's the biggest thing. Anybody I ever meet with is interested in the nonprofit or want to know about our programs. I always try to meet with them, if I can, in person. I've not over Zoom, but in person. I really try to do that for them to really understand, you know, the mission of the nonprofit behind the scenes emails, building programs, praying over them as one of the most important things, because it's about you know being a light.

Brian: 1:08

You're bringing up mission a lot.

Calah: 1:09

Do you have a mission statement? Yeah, Vero Beach Moms nonprofit. We want every mom to find their place in the community. That is the first part of the mission field and that's where we stand and everything from there which it flows.

Brian: 1:18

So find your place. I love it.

Shawna: 1:20

Can you tell us some of the programs that you're doing now Sure Coffee and Testimonies which I had brought up before, is really important.

Calah: 1:26

We really want to try to have a safe place for moms to come to meet. We are going to be picking a different coffee shop every month, and so while we're supporting other mothers, we're also supporting businesses, and we thought that that was really important to connect with other business owners, and every place, from Salve at Calvary to Oceans Unite Cafe to Coffeehouse to Rio Coco we have those all on our list. I know that there's more. Sorry if I don't mention them, but we're in the planning stages of that. It will be a really great place to build those relationships, build support, share testimonies, but also support other businesses while doing so.

Brian: 2:03

And if anybody's listening like, hey, she didn't mention us, just let you know. We only gave her so many shout outs and she has to pay for every. No, I'm just joking, we don't like that. But okay, to break it down, can you kind of walk us through a little bit more in detail what the coffee and testimonies experience is like? Like, let's say, someone's showing up for the first time, what can they expect?

Calah: 2:22

Well, what I would like them to expect is to I hate to say it this way, but it's like a support group, not to have to go in front of a therapist or like talk about your problems.

Brian: 2:30

It's not like that, but I just feel like that's something that's missing a little bit in our community and to be able to have that safe place for moms to come or women to come to have a safe place to talk about things that they're going through. So I want to lean into your hesitation a little bit. There it's kind of like a support group. Why did that make you hesitant to say that?

Calah: 2:47

I think, because I don't want, I don't want people to feel uncomfortable, you know, moving into that, that space, because it can be very vulnerable, as it was with our first part of the podcast. You know, just talking about what I have been through and it's not easy to do that and when you're talking about your life and your story or your testimony, whatever you want to call it, you're being vulnerable, you're opening yourself up and, let's just be honest, the world can be very critical and very, very tough and once people know that information, they can use it against you.

Calah: 3:17

That's why I kind of hesitated when I said it, but I stand firm on what we're doing.

Brian: 3:25

I think that's a great answer, and the reason why I wanted to just kind of shine a light on that a little bit is because it's so sad that a word support is such a good thing. But I know that you hesitated and I know others hesitate, so that's why I wanted to lean into that a little bit, because it's like the things that are good that will help us, strengthen us. We can feel uncomfortable with it, but it's stepping through those times of feeling uncomfortable that will actually make us stronger. What are some of the precautions that you take to help make this a safe place?

Calah: 3:48

Well, I would just say I think the best way of doing that is just being honest and opening up about what I have been through personally. I am careful about that, do I? I don't want to ever make it about just myself, though. I want people to be to know that it's about them and what they're going through. I can tell that there's hesitation, you know. I am like OK, Calah, you need to speak up, you know, kick off. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So I will kick off.

Calah: 4:11

But if I, if I, if I can tell we have a bunch of talkers in the group and we all know those and you know, like when you're in the Bible study, it's always that one that talks, you know, and the other person's kind of sitting there in the corner, you know. You just kind of feed off of that. You just pay attention to people's mannerisms and how comfortable they feel or they don't feel, and I really feel like God has kind of given me that gift and I just try to pay attention to the Another service you have listed on your site was she Strong.

Brian: 5:23

So what inspired this and explain to us a little bit about what she Strong is?

Calah: 5:28

Brian, when you just asked me that question, you could see my happy dance. It's so hard to put into words sometimes because I get so excited and I get ahead of myself.

Calah: 5:36

But this is what I've been praying for. I'll give you a little backstory on it. I was having a lot of health issues, a lot of issues with my girl parts Ended up getting I was having a lot of health issues, a lot of issues with my girl parts Ended up getting fibroids all over, like all over my uterus, all over my ovaries, and I look like I and I'm just going to say it and it's embarrassing, but I look like I was about seven months pregnant. I was so inflamed and I was in a lot of pain and so I went to my OBGYN and I said I can't do this anymore. I just I need help. I I said I can't do this anymore. I just I need help. I just please, can I have a hysterectomy. And so she was like, okay, let's talk about this. And she took it very seriously and so I went in and I had my hysterectomy and it was right around the time that I created the nonprofit and I created my other business with my husband.

Calah: 6:17

So it was a very interesting time and a very hard time to move forward. Was she Strong after my hysterectomy? I'm like what do I do? I don't feel like myself anymore. I don't know who I am anymore. I lost everything inside of me. My womb is gone, I have my ovaries, and that's about it, and they're not even working. So I wrote a proposal to my friend who is a local OBGYN in town not the doctor that did my surgery, but another one and we became friends over the last couple of years. Do you know that sat with her for almost a year and I said, okay, god you know, maybe this wasn't meant to be and I just said, okay, I'm going to let it go, I'm going to move on, I'm going to create other programs. She reached out to me and she said Calah, let's do this, I'm going to support town. I'm not going to name names just because we're still going through the process of signing up.

Brian: 7:05

You're almost at your limit, yeah.

Calah: 7:07

Yeah, okay, and so long. Well, you know, I mean I won't do the shop, I'll pay the fine. All right, I'll pay the fine, it's worth it. And she really believed and she really saw that there was a need for this program. And the amazing thing about she Strong is she's strong. Okay, us as women. We're stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We go through giving birth to children, postpartum depression, we deal with the mental health aspects of womanhood, hormonal health, perimetopause, menopause, physical health, you name it.

Calah: 7:36

I ended up over the summer creating the entire program. I interviewed about probably about 20 to 25 different providers pelvic floor therapists, chiropractors, dietician, nutritionists, women that help with GPLs, like anything you can think of. We have a lot of providers on board. They see the purpose, they see the vision. We're going to be having quarterly luncheons. Each provider will speak at one event. We'll probably have actually three speakers. We want to make it fun, though we don't want to just go in get your cookie and sit down. We really want it to be really enjoyable for the community. So women come in. Maybe a little swag bag, a little lunch. We want women to feel like they're being heard and there is help for what you're going through and you're not alone. Oh, that's so good.

Shawna: 8:16

Cause health stuff really makes you feel alone. Yes, can we shout out our friend who we mentioned before we started recording, who's going to be part of SheStrong?

Calah: 8:31

Ashley, ashley Murray. She was actually from Breeze. We had a conversation last week. She's so sweet. She was a lot of things she was interested in, so she is our first sponsor of the SheStrong. So shout out to Ashley Murray with Breeze. Thank you so much for your sponsorship. She signed up for our networking group, which is separate from she's Strong, and now she's a provider. This is what it's about forming these relationships, with women supporting their business, but they're also supporting us and it's a win-win.

Brian: 8:51

I'm excited about it, but I can't go. So but I am going to. I am going to share some insight. First off, she's Strong. It kind of makes me think about with Shauna, you know she's what. Are you like? 45 now, baby? I mean sorry, 43, 43, she's 43. Oh my gosh, I thought I was, oh, I'm getting ready to turn 47. So that's why I was confused. I was like two years, you're 43 I'll be 44 in in uh november. Oh wait, how old am I 2025.

Calah: 9:17

Oh okay, I'm 46. I'm so sorry.

Brian: 9:20

I don't know how old.

Shawna: 9:21

I am now I'm 44 and I'll be 45 in November.

Brian: 9:24

Yes, I thought she was two years.

Shawna: 9:26

I thought it was 2024. This is married life.

Brian: 9:28

This is a very confusing podcast, Thankfully.

Shawna: 9:30

I don't care how old I am, so it doesn't hurt my feelings.

Brian: 9:40

But it's just funny because got my own age wrong. I got it wrong too, but it was right in the middle. But anyways we're now. We're getting sidetracked. The she's strong. When I think about Shauna at her age, like she hot has got two different meanings now, Cause now it's like if I'm like babe, you're hot, She'd be like oh, I'm like, no, really You're hot, Like you're like volcano, I've got to go on the other side of the room.

Shawna: 9:55

Thankfully for me, the hot flashes aren't affecting me yet, like I don't feel super hot.

Brian: 10:01

No, I just look over at the bed and it's like glowing red, like lava, and I'm like no, it's not waking me up, it's not, it's, it's.

Calah: 10:08

those side effects are tough. The hot flashes, low libido.

Brian: 10:11

I'm here for you guys. Depression, all that, it's hard. I'm going to start first before you do that.

Shawna: 10:15

He's strong. He's strong, exactly.

Brian: 10:22

I do love the name she's Strong, because it made me think about years ago when I launched my business full time. I wanted to learn more about running a business, so we were part of a master class or master series class through Dave Ramsey. He has things for Entree Leadership. I loved it and the last day even though it was kind of awkward for me, even though I'm like an extrovert that last day of the conference we walked in and when they opened the doors their team was on both sides, like giving us high five, like high energy. So I was just thinking, when you said she's strong, like we're leaving, you're talking about having fun and stuff, and I just thought, man, that energy is going to be so important. So you mentioned you guys share funny stories. Tell us something funny about yourself. So what's something funny about you?

Calah: 11:05

I don't want to. Oh man, I am a weirdo.

Calah: 11:09

I am weird Like my, okay, I'll tell you a story. So my daughter, when she oh man, I can't remember what grade she was in, it might've been kindergarten or first I would always do this weird thing with her at home and I'll tell you in a minute. So I'm walking her up to her classroom, you know she's going through the door and I'm like I should boo. Boo, I love you. And like booped her nose and she's like don't ever do that again. I mean, the poor kid, she was like mom, you're so embarrassing.

Shawna: 11:41

I have a very weird personality. I talk in a man voice when I get excited, and now my daughter does it.

Calah: 11:46

Can we hear an example? I get really excited. I love that. That's hilarious. I think sometimes the humor has kept me from like not breaking down too, and let's just be honest, we all love humor, we all love to laugh, and it gets you through the hardest times in life. I get it from my dad, though, because my dad is very silly.

Brian: 12:03

I love that you brought that out, because that's the part of the fun that you're talking about. She's strong, you guys have fun and we got to see that a little bit. So, as we get ready to wrap up this episode, I would love to find out how can the moms in the area learn about all these events and the things that you're putting on?

Calah: 12:20

Thank you for asking that. So the biggest thing is to be following the Vero Beach Moms nonprofit page. If you're active on the page, you're going to see we have an events tab and we have all the events listed there. We also have featured and then we also have the website. May I do a shout out with that? If you don't mind he's kidding, you're allowed to have as many as you want.

Shawna: 12:36

No, I know he's kidding. I know I just wanted to do that. I know I just didn't want to Okay.

Calah: 12:41

So I just wanted to give a shout out to Tracy Spartland. She came on this past year and she's really amazing and she's brought things to light that I really needed help with. So I just told her. I said I've been really praying about a website to do that for me Nice, so I just have to give her a shout out.

Brian: 12:58

So what's your website address where people can learn more?

Calah: 13:01

Vero Beach Moms Nonprofit.

Brian: 13:02

Well, Calah, this has been a great episode. I can't wait to talk to you about Vero Beach.

Shawna: 13:06

See you next time, neighbor.