Brian: 0:12

All right, well, welcome back to the Vero Beach podcast.

Shawna: 0:14

This is part three with I almost said Calah that time I can't with you, kayla, you have to leave that part in there where she just said I can't with you.

Brian: 0:26

It was so funny it might not have picked it up, but we'll see it did, it, did. I know, Calah, we're excited to talk to you about Vero Beach. What do you love about Vero Beach? And I'm going to take a little bit some new spins on this episode too.

Shawna: 0:39

Yeah, I'm excited to see what this is about All right, Okay.

Brian: 0:41

So let's start with the question what makes Vero Beach special to you?

Calah: 0:45

Well, vero Beach is where I had my daughter and where I had my son, so I, you know, connect with the community a lot because of that and I just was able, I've been able to raise my first daughter here. She's 24 and now I have my son, who's 10. So I just love that and I love the small town feel I feel like Vero Beach still has that we only have a few high rises beachside. So I just think that Vero Beach is just still has a small town feel and I love the community and and I love all the small businesses and everything that you know Vero Beach has to offer. Just love it. Same here.

Shawna: 1:17

That's how we feel. Yeah, how would you say, living in Vero has shaped you as a mom.

Calah: 1:23

I would say it's shaped me as a mom because I've grown up basically here. So having my daughter so young, it's kind of like you make your home where you're at right. Anywhere that you're at, you make your home. You make it your community, and so I would say Vero Beach itself has a really big part of my heart. I've had a lot of growth here. I would say that was, that would be probably the biggest thing that you know Vero Beach has done for me.

Brian: 1:45

When it comes to the word community, what does that mean to you? When it comes to community here in Vero Beach and with the moms?

Calah: 1:51

Well, I mean, it kind of brings me back to my mission, you know, for the nonprofit for every mom to find her place. So I feel people are looking for that. When you're in a community, you're looking for relationships, you know, let's just be honest. You go into a place maybe you go into a restaurant that you go into all the time, like, and they know your name, they're like oh, hi, brian, hi Shauna, or hi, same thing Like you belong to a church and you go in and you find a place of rest. You find a place where you're where you're, where you're valued and you know seen, and so, um, back in the day, I used to be the bar, but I no longer drink. So I mean, you know, if anybody does.

Calah: 2:27

I'm not judging, but it's kind of that thing where you, you, you know people and you, you know, you feel you're a part of a wonderful community and you have relationships with people, yeah, yeah.

Shawna: 2:36

That's beautiful. I love that. Have you found any unexpected little places in Vero, that that you find that community Like kind of when you just said going into a restaurant and someone recognizes you? That's how my favorite coffee shop, that's how I feel, Like they recognize me when I walk in. I love that. Do you have any little places like that? Yeah Well, this is a shout out.

Calah: 2:54

So you're welcome, but Danielle little places like that.

Brian: 2:56

Yeah Well, this is a shout out, so you're welcome, but Danielle.

Calah: 3:01

This episode is all about shout outs. So Danielle, who runs a VVN, you know she opened up her store I think it was last fall and I really, I really love the connection that she has made within a community and open up a store for people to come in and shop local gifts and local businesses too. And she has the wall where you have all the business, where she has all the business cards for everybody. So I love that. I love that. That's really a small town feel to me. Right there she has a business, but she's also supporting other businesses which we love, as Vero Beach Moms Nonprofit Also.

Calah: 3:31

I'll go into my church. I go to Calvary Chapel. I love it. That's another one that I just fully support. I've been a big part of their women's Bible study. I've been going to it for the past three or four years and I will say and it might sound a little funny but if you just go to church on Sunday mornings, it's really hard to build those personal relationships. So I feel like if you're going to Bible study or you're a part of other fellowship, home fellowships, you're able to build those relationships.

Calah: 3:56

So when you do go Sunday morning, you're like you know people because, going to church can be lonely too, and I found myself not going honestly for many years because of that. But anyways, yeah, I think that that's really important. You know, you kind of make it what you put into it, that's so true.

Brian: 4:09

I think that it's kind of like, even when you think about social media, you can have so many followers but it can be very lonely. So even going to a church or even even if you're a part of a big business like where you have a large team, if you're not connecting with them outside that or trying to build those relationships, it can still feel pretty lonely. It's like, well, I mean, we interviewed Danielle from resistance and it's literally like different Danielle but she's like like their studio is like not even five minutes from us.

Brian: 4:34

So we have memberships there now. We love it and we've got to connect with more and more people through the classes, the students, the trainers, and we're building the community. It's like you can find community in so many different places and this is a little bit different. This is where I'm talking about, like a little bit different spin. I don't know where this is going to go, but we're going to see. It mentions that in every corner of Vero Beach there's a mother navigating the juggle, the joy, the chaos and the quiet moments that define their season of life. So I love how that really just paints that picture. It's such a real picture of what it's like in life as a mom Well, not that I'm a mom, but I can kind of try to visualize it but let's talk there.

Brian: 5:14

So I'm still not joining the Facebook group. Quit asking.

Calah: 5:19

To be clear, I'm not asking, so no worries, no worries.

Brian: 5:24

Hey, gotta be real. Here you guys are in a safe place. I am not allowed in there. So I'd love to ask you just some few questions around the places around town that might hold meaning for you as a mom or as a leader or just someone living life here. So when I was reading that about the quiet moment, so is there a spot in Vero where you like to go just to breathe and reset?

Calah: 5:44

One of the spots I really like it could be any part of the beach side. Let's just be real, it's beautiful. But I've talked to many people and that haven't done this and I really encourage them to do this is go at sunset. You really find that quiet space and that time to you know. However, however, whatever you believe in, you know, but for me it's, it's that time with God to see what he has created and how wonderful he is. It really does something for the soul.

Brian: 6:11

Yeah, you know, I love that. You pointed that out because now that we live here, we started going out in the evenings. We try to at least go out once or twice a week to go down to the beach and just walk at night and I didn't think I would like it because the sun doesn't set over the water, but I actually really love it because the way it lights up the water is so much different and it's very like you said, you're right on, it's a magical moment and it's peaceful and you can really process your thoughts, pray as you walk down the beach. So I love that. All right, so let's talk about the juggle or the jungle. Enjoy, okay, the juggle, enjoy.

Calah: 7:25

It's called the jungle.

Brian: 7:27

Jungle. Enjoy, sorry. What are some local places or routines that make life easier for moms that are juggling a full plate?

Calah: 7:37

I would say for moms with younger kids, I would say, you know, joining the Buggy Bunch. They've been around for a really long time. They're a wonderful Christian organization and I know that they have many programs. You just go to their website and check it all out. You know the churches have a lot of children's programs as well. Again, you know that's very near and dear to my heart.

Calah: 8:00

I think it's really important to be able to get involved with churches and also other nonprofit organizations Treasure Coast Girls Coalition. We have recently collaborated with them. We did a back to school giveaway with them just on Sunday. They have some amazing programs for moms that need it after school programs, tutoring. There's a lot, there's a lot that moms can do. But that's the point of us having our page and we can reference and we can guide moms to providing those fun things and resources. But Vero Beach is a small town. Again, we have the beach, we have the parks, we have the bowling alley, the movie theater. We don't have big jump parks and all those things. But I think that's what makes it so special.

Brian: 8:37

Do you have like a resource page on your site that points people to some of these places?

Calah: 8:41

I appreciate you asking that we are going to be adding that to the website at some point. I'm going to have to break the news to Tracy.

Shawna: 8:47

I want to add one more thing to her list.

Calah: 8:50

Try not to do that, but yeah, so we will have that. Yes, and anytime anybody asks, we always answer Awesome, and sometimes it's not even me answering because I'm the only admin on the page, so it's like the community of mothers.

Shawna: 9:01

I love that yeah.

Calah: 9:02

Everything from I'm looking for a preschool or a college or a doctor or you know, questions about medication or whatever. I mean whatever it is. I mean I've had multiple moms come to me and go hey, because of your page I found my best friend. I moved here from. Virginia. Two years ago, I found my best friend or I found a job or whatever it is and I'm like, okay, thank you. Thank you, Lord, for that blessing and I am so thankful to hear that because it's helped them.

Brian: 9:26

Yeah, and I actually. I was just thinking if you know anybody or anybody's listening, you can go to myvirobeachcom.

Shawna: 9:42

We have a direct runner where you can go and search.

Calah: 9:44

Just type in a search and it'll bring up places and if you have an organization or business, you can add your listing for free.

Shawna: 9:48

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Well, all of a sudden I was like then I didn't have the words anymore. Cause it was added in too so it's like you have to kind of I know.

Calah: 9:55

I'm the same way.

Shawna: 9:56

Besides running the nonprofit, what else do you have going on in Vero Beach?

Calah: 10:00

So, yes, my husband and I opened up a window and door business a year ago, year and a half ago. It's called Indian River Aluminum and Glass. My husband is the only one that installs and yes, I will definitely say it, he is a very amazing man. He is a very hard worker. Actually, a lot of our clients have been like are you serious, you did this job by yourself, because usually it takes at least a team of men. Yeah, he's very talented. I'm just the one that started the business and do a little bit of the sales and marketing behind, but it really is.

Calah: 10:29

It's his baby. He's very knowledgeable and he has over 15 years experience. So very proud of my husband and for what he does, and he's passed every single inspection with the county Wow.

Brian: 10:40

And I'm going to say it. That's amazing. I'm going to brag on him for a minute. You go, Jason. Yeah Well, how can people learn more about your guys' other business?

Calah: 10:47

Yeah, so truthfully, we do have a Facebook page, but it's very new. So we do share a lot on VBN with Danielle's page and we have gotten business from that. So, most of the business we've gotten is either through word of mouth, through people that know us, or VBN, and we also have a website and what's the? Website. Indian River Aluminum and Glass.

Brian: 11:05

Well, thank you for sharing that. That's awesome, thank you.

Shawna: 11:08

So, as a last question, what is your dream for the future of the Vero Beach Moms?

Calah: 11:17

I've been waiting for this question. So my biggest dream and my biggest prayer for Vero Beach Moms nonprofit is for it to be a staple, to align with what the community of mothers need and let's just go further to have a place for them to come to my dream and what I have proposed and for women to be able to come in and they have an office space. We have a meeting space, we have a big facility where we can do events. There we can do all of our events and within our own facility we can throw baby showers for moms, we can throw birthday parties for, and they will be donated Maybe a closet for the kids.

Calah: 11:46

But one thing I will say is we really want to have something for teens. We do know and this has been really close to my heart that something is missing for teens in our area. We'd love to have something there. I don't know what that would look like yet, sure, because you know, sometimes things change and so the vision may change but to really have a place that people can come to, where moms know that they're safe and they have a place to rest and a coffee hub, I'd love to have a little coffee hub in there.

Calah: 12:11

That would be amazing, you know, women from the age 20 all the way up to 60, we want them to have this place of community, however that looks, you know, we want to be able to provide that for them. So that would be my biggest dream. The second part to that would be the offspring of the SheStrong initiative. So the main program obviously will be providing luncheons to the community and support of other providers, but we wanted to add in additional programs to that and that would be like healthy cooking classes, but to be able to bring in more community support and include the kids. And then also Crystal, who just opened up JoyFit. She's part of my networking and SheStrong and she's an amazing lady. I just love her. I connected with her pretty deeply to maybe have, you know, fitness classes, you know. So it's all going to collide Everything business, mental health, you know, dietary nutrition, you name it. We're going to try to have offspring programs within the SheStrong program.

Brian: 13:07

I love that. That's awesome. Yeah, again, you're so much stronger together in the community 100%, so that's exciting. That's exciting. Well, Calah, this has been great having you on the podcast. I'm glad that you reached out. We loved having you here and if you guys again, if you guys have enjoyed the podcast, make sure you click subscribe. Thank you again for joining us.