Episode 106: Priorities, Mental Health, and Being a Working Parent: A Conversation with My Mother
As Justin Timberlake says… “It’s Gonna be May.” Now that we’re NSYNC, this month not only represents one of the most famous boy band lyrics of all time, but it also represents Mother’s Day, Mental Health Awareness, spring, and rebirth. And what better way to celebrate the month by chatting with the woman who gave birth to Erin…. Her mother!
Janice Holbrook is a mom, grandmother, stroke survivor, mental health advocate, and positive force of nature. In this insightful conversation between mother and daughter you’ll hear all about being a working parent, overcoming setbacks, setting and maintaining your priorities, and raising a Type A recovering perfectionist, turned #failfluencer (aka Erin).
This is an episode you cannot miss!
More about Janice Holbrook:
Janice Holbrook has had a long list of jobs throughout her life. Her very first job was a proofreader for the local newspaper. She tried sales jobs and discovered that her was not her gift in life. She tried her hand at secretarial work, but that wasn't her cup of tea, either. Janice was a music major in college. When she became a mother, she decided to begin a music studio (an entrepreneur!!). As she moved from one town to another (husband's job), she became involved in preschool education. Janice got her certification in music education (while raising two children and working at a preschool!). She was director of a preschool in MI, and became the music teacher at two preschools in SC. Janice has been involved in community theater, and is involved with her church through various committees, choirs, and children's activities. She is currently retired and enjoying time with her children and grandson.
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Connect with Erin Diehl:
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!
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Episode 106 Transcription
Erin (00:01):
Improve it! Fam soon to be named some other name. It is I, Erin, and I am so excited for today's show. This show is really special. So this is the month of May it's mother's day, week or the week post mother's day when you'll be listening to this it mental health awareness month. And I was thinking about who I could have on this show. And I thought, what better way to celebrate all of these things than with a woman who is a mother and who has really had to work on her mental health in the past two years, because she is a stroke survivor. My mother, Janice Holbrook. Yes, it is my mother, my very own mom. Now I asked my mom who's been retired for a few years now to put together a bio. And this was truly one of the cutest moments. She spent a lot of time on it.
Erin (01:00):
So I will read you said bio word for word right now, Janice Hallbrook AKA my mother has had a long list of jobs throughout her life. Her very first job was a proof reader for the local newspaper. She tried sales jobs and discovered that that was not her gift in life. She tried her hand at secretarial work, but that wasn't her cup of tea either. Janice was a music major in college. Now, when she became a mother, she decided to begin a music studio, an entrepreneur, and as she moved from one town to another, because of her husband's job, AKA my dad, she became involved in preschool education. Now Janice got her certification in music education while raising two children and working at a preschool. She was director of a preschool in Michigan and became the music teacher at two preschools in South Carolina. Janice has been involved in community theater and is involved with her church through various committees, choirs and children's activities.
Erin (02:00):
And she is currently retired and time with her children and grandson. Oh mom, love ya. Ya cute patoot. So I wanted her to come on this show, as I mentioned, because it's mother's day. And you know, I felt like we were there family. I felt like you needed to meet the person who birthed this. And I also wanted to talk to her about working parents because she was a working parent. Her mother was a working parent. Clearly I'm a working parent. And so today's episode is we talk a lot about mothers, but I want this to be, I want us to be aware of everyone. There's all different types of parents out there. And I want us to just be aware that when we, you say moms, I want to encompass everyone. This is inclusive of all parents, but she is my mother. So I I'm talking specifically to her about her experience.
Erin (02:54):
This show is so special to me and I'll tell you why we're gonna talk about, like I said, working generations. We're gonna talk about the future and what she thinks about work for the future generations. And then we talk about her surviving this stroke, which if you were a listener of the show for a long time in the very beginning, when I started the show, my mother had a stroke and it was truly one of the scariest experiences of my life. I consider myself a spiritual person I've never prayed harder than when she went into emergency surgery and was in the ICU to remove a blood clot to her brain. And I will never forget my dad and I sat in the parking lot of the hospital cause it was during COVID. We couldn't even go in the hospital. Their preacher from their church came and we just sat there and we just prayed.
Erin (03:54):
I was on my knees, begging for my mom to live and, and she made it, obviously she's here. It was a road to recovery. It took her about a full year to recover from this stroke. But my mom is my best friend. She's my rock. My dad now calls me his rock. And I told him to call me Dwayne, the rock Johnson because of that day, because we were just so, so, so fearful that she would not be here and to have my mom come on this show to have her just have the self-awareness that she does is a real miracle and something that I feel so grateful for. So today I'm letting you into my life. This is so let's hear from the one, the only Janice Holbrook. Are you a leader or change maker inside of your business organization or corporation? Are you looking for new, innovative ways to drive morale through the roof?
Erin (04:58):
Are you looking for fun and exciting ice breakers, team building exercises and activities that will foster team growth, friendships, loyalty, and completely transform your organization from the inside out. Have you been searching for a fun and unique way to create change instead of the same old dry, boring leadership books and ice breakers that aren't actually working. Hi, I'm Erin Diehl, business improv, entertainer, failcluencer. And professional zoombie who is ready to help you improve it. My mission in life is to help you develop teams and leaders through play improv and experiential learning. And this podcast, we will deep dive into professional development team building effective communication, networking, presentation, skills, leadership training, how to think more quickly on your feet and everything in between. We have helped everyone from fortune 500 companies to small mom and pop shops transform their business, their leadership, and their people through play. So grab your chicken hat. We are about to have some fun. Welcome to improve it! The podcast. Janice, I'm gonna call you mom. Welcome to the improve it! Podcast. Are you excited?
Janice (06:30):
Yes. And a little bit nervous.
Erin (06:33):
Why? Why are you nervous mom?
Janice (06:36):
Cause no tellin what you're gonna ask me. I have to answer.
Erin (06:41):
Well, the improve it fam soon to be named something different is gonna welcome you with open arms. So just lean in. It's just you and me, just you and me on a FaceTime with microphone. And I'm sitting in my podcast closet. You're sitting in the frog in our house with earbuds on that's it.
Janice (07:02):
And no Jackson to talk to.
Erin (07:05):
I know I'm sorry. This is not gonna be fun for you. This is how it works now. Improve it fam my mom <laugh> doesn't even wanna talk to me anymore. Just her grandson. So all right, mom, let's let the improve it! Fam get to know you a we're gonna do a game called five facts. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> so here's what's okay. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna do a little Diddy. Okay. Little cheer. And then after I do that little Diddy. Oh, you know it. Okay, good. Then you're gonna give us five interesting facts that aren't in your bio. They can't find if they go to your Facebook page, cuz that's your only social media. So are you ready for your five? Just whatever comes to mind
Janice (07:46):
As ready as I'll ever be.
Erin (07:47):
Okay. Here we go. Goes like this 5 facts 5 facts 5 facts 5 facts 5 facts. What's your first fact by you? She likes to laugh. That's fact number one.
Janice (08:03):
I'm speechless.
Erin (08:10):
What is your fact? What's your first fact?
Janice (08:12):
I like to sing.
Erin (08:14):
Number two.
Janice (08:15):
I like to eat.
Erin (08:20):
Number three.
Janice (08:23):
I love my grandson.
Erin (08:25):
Aw. Okay. Number four.
Janice (08:27):
I love you too. And Jonathan and John.
Erin (08:31):
Well thank God. And number five
Janice (08:34):
<Laugh> and I thank God for all of us.
Erin (08:38):
Oh, okay. All right. She, she prays. All right. Give it her a route. Yes. Good job mom. You're nailing it. You're nailing it. See, we're a giggly family. We're a giggly family. All right. Well I wanted you to come on the show and I know that you are a listener. So how many episodes would you say of the improve it! Pod or even when it was failed? It, have you listened to?
Janice (09:02):
Not as many as I should have.
Erin (09:05):
Good answer. Good answer.
Janice (09:07):
I have listened, but I got off track for a little while.
Erin (09:12):
Who was your favorite guest? No, I'm just kidding. Don't answer that. Well, you can, you can. I know who you have a personal favorite tos. You can say
Janice (09:20):
Who
Erin (09:21):
Ravyn!
Janice (09:22):
Yeah. Right? I can't think of the last name.
Erin (09:24):
Miller! Ravyn Miller. We'll have to go back. Yeah.
Janice (09:28):
And I, and I listened to her
Erin (09:31):
Sermons,
Janice (09:32):
Youtube, YouTube sermons.
Erin (09:34):
She is awesome. She is fantastic. So when I asked you to come on today and I said, mom, I need your bio. It was really awesome. You wrote down a list of all the jobs you've had and fun fact for everybody. My mother is now retired. What was that like to write down all of those jobs? What did you learn about yourself and that experience?
Janice (09:59):
Well, for one thing, I'm exhausted from all of that uh but I learned that I have a things in my I'm proud of myself.
Erin (10:10):
Oh that's okay. Do you wanna share your on this show or do we not wanna go there?
Janice (10:16):
I'm a proud 68.
Erin (10:19):
Woo. Yes you are. Okay.
Janice (10:22):
Cause I could have not been a proud 68 a couple years ago.
Erin (10:26):
I know. Well, we're gonna talk about that. I know a lot of people who've listened to the show might remember my mother having a stroke in 2020, along with all the other fun things that 2020 brought us. So we will definitely talk about that in a little bit. I wanna stick on this topic though, of, of work and you mom, first of all are an amazing mother, so
Janice (10:53):
Thank you,
Erin (10:54):
Kudos to you, but you didn't always work full time. And that was intentional. So when I was young, you worked part-time at home teaching voice and piano lessons out of our house. And you wanted to be around for Jonathan, my brother and I, which was awesome. But you worked from home mom before. It was cool. Did you realize that? So Why?
Janice (11:20):
Yes <laugh>.
Erin (11:21):
So why did you choose to do that in that period of life?
Janice (11:27):
Well, I felt, I have always felt that being a mother is the most important job you can ever have. And it is a lifetime job, even though you're a mother yourself now I'm still gonna be your mother and tell you what you should do and shouldn't do right.
Erin (11:44):
Mm-Hmm <affirmative> oh, got that job duty figured out real check.
Janice (11:50):
But I, I wanted to guide you and, and I didn't wanna miss anything in your early years. I wanted to see you walk and talk and train you in the way that you should go. So to speak and well just love you.
Erin (12:11):
Oh, well I felt loved. I feel loved Jackson doesn't feel enough love though. Can you please give him more attention?
Janice (12:20):
I'll do my best.
Erin (12:21):
OK. That is sarcasm for those of you. This, it is a detox process. When her and my dad <laugh> Leave my house. It's like a one week Papa Gigi detox. So talk about really quick. Your mom, my granny dot, we called her granny dot. Her name was Dorothy. So she was granny dot. And she was a single parent for most of your parenting, right? Or was she when you were, cuz I know she's single parented for the younger two, but was she working when you were home?
Janice (13:00):
Yes. Mama worked second shift all of my childhood. She worked at Anderson independent in the teletype department back in, back in the day before we had computers and whatnot, she worked second shift. We had babysitters because daddy was also working second shift sometimes. And then he later did work first shift. Mama, mama did, mama was working I all. And I went to college. She was still working. So mama worked until she would full time somewhere until she retired and I was married and had you and Jonathan and
Erin (13:51):
Yeah. And, and then she worked part-time when she was retired she would do the bookstore. So
Janice (13:56):
Yeah.
Erin (13:57):
What did you learn about work from watching her?
Janice (14:02):
Mama did the best that she could. She had to do a lot of things. She had to be in addition to working, to make a living. She had to be somewhat of a, without going into great detail. She had to be two parents and, and I admired her. She worked hard and she said what she thought, but you know, Yeah, she was, she was honest and she was hard working and she loved us and she did her best.
Erin (14:35):
Yep. We called her a tough old granny cause she also had cancer and then she beat cancer, but she, you was sassy as all get out. She would just let you know when you, and when you messed up, you would know it when you did something great. She would give you a little sass, but she was awesome. She was just a wonderful little Spitfire of a human being <laugh> and that's interesting cuz you know, I've thought a lot about this mom. I've thought about the way that you showed up and you worked while we were growing up and then how you evolved into more of a full-time job. Once we got a little older, how you did the preschool, I've thought about how granny dot worked, how our so dad's mom, we called her granny. She worked full time. So we've come from this generation after generation of working women, which is awesome. What do you think about myself being a very full-time entrepreneur and a full-time parent? Well, I'm a full-time entrepreneur and always parenting is a full-time job, but what are some things or some observations that you've witnessed watching me grow and scale improve it?
Janice (15:48):
Well, number one, I'm very proud of you.
Erin (15:52):
Oh Mom, stop. Keep going.
Janice (15:55):
<Laugh> you have done really well. You took a, took an idea and a dream and you've run with it and you've made a career outta it. When COVID hit, you were panicking. You and your team work together and you came up with a whole different plan and you made it work and you're, you're just an inspiration to me and truly and youre a pretty good mom <laugh> And you're, you're an excellent mom. And I might add, and I might add that John is excellent father too.
Erin (16:42):
Wow. I am gonna have you on the podcast more often when I thank your judge to you, you're gonna be like, mom, we have a podcast recording at two o'clock jump on it. Wow. These are things I didn't know.
Janice (16:54):
Well I'm, I'm sorry that you think I'm judging you, but
Erin (16:57):
I'm joking. I'm joking. You're you know, I, you're not, you're not it's every, every parent judges a tiny bit, cuz you're like, how would I have done this? You know, I judge. Yeah, we all judge mom. It's a thing, judge, Judy judges, we judge. But I will say that's really kind of you just say, and I think, you know, I do work a lot and a lot of women out there listening, we work a lot and we also raise children and we also have families and friends and social lives and we have communities that we're a part of outside of work. And that to me is something that I feel like a lot of women carry a, an invisible load. You know, there's this invisible load that we don't talk about and
Janice (17:43):
We're too busy to talk about it.
Erin (17:45):
That's right. And we, you know, I just did a keynote yesterday, a virtual keynote with a group of women. And it was our F words at work keynote and it was all about failure. So we don't shocker. Our spoiler alert to HR listeners out there. We don't swear in said keynote, but we were talking about things that, you know, we, as women have felt like we failed at. And one of the most overwhelming responses was we feel like we have to be everything to everyone. We have to show up. We have to show up at work and be a hundred percent. We have to show up as parents and be a hundred percent spouses partners. We have to show up to our communities and give, give, give we to be the person with the baked goods, which I will never be the person with the baked goods. You were never the person. We're not the bake goods parents. No, we're not.
Janice (18:37):
You did not get the good Southern cook gene for me.
Erin (18:41):
I did not. And I, to be honest, I don't want it. It's not fun for me. And some people love it. It's just not my thing. But so I think that's really interesting because generationally women in our family have been working parents, working moms. Obviously I'm having you on the show around mother's day. And I think that's, there's something too, this invisible load that we as women carry. What do you, what do think about the invisible load? Is it something you've witnessed in your own life?
Janice (19:16):
Yes. Yes, indeed. Between part-time jobs and mothering and housework and cooking because you know, I'm also of the generation that the woman did it, everything, your generation, I have to commend you, your, your parents, husband and wife's or whatever, whatever
Erin (19:43):
Responsibilities
Janice (19:44):
Equals. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. You have equal responsibilities and you shared duties. So I, yeah, there's a lot of work. I would come home from play for play rehearsal. And you and your brother would still be outta the band.
Erin (20:03):
Now, when you say play rehearsal, tell them what that means.
Janice (20:07):
Well, I've been involved in community theater since Greenwood, since we were lived in Greenwood. So I've been involved 20 years or more give or take
Erin (20:19):
Shocker mom. I'm 30 something I'm in my late thirties. So it's been 30 something years.
Janice (20:26):
OK. <Laugh> mm-hmm <affirmative>
Erin (20:28):
Mm-Hmm
Janice (20:28):
<Affirmative> mm-hmm <affirmative> dad would, he would bathe you would put you to bed and he would feed you don't mean to talk ugly about, but he's not.
Erin (20:48):
Oh, true. Our words never spoken
Janice (20:51):
<Laugh> but that's just a, it was a different time. So your generation, I commend you
Erin (20:59):
Well, and I think each relation, yeah. Each relationship is different, right? So maybe people in your generation did that and just you didn't work for you and dad, which is fine. We still felt very safe and loved. I had clothes, somebody wiped my butt when it needed to be wiped. So thank you, mom. Thank you.
Janice (21:17):
Right. You are welcome. And I don't. And I want say that your dad did other things for me and you. That didn't involve.
Erin (21:25):
I know I'm gonna send him this and be like, press play. I'm just kidding. Right, dad, we love you.
Janice (21:32):
And like your dad still helps you with lots of business things now. So dad has other good dad has other good qualities. We're not dissin on dad.
Erin (21:43):
No, dad's my mentor. You know, that's how and my, and just improve it fam, just so you know, my dad still is full time. He owns a business in South Carolina, successful business and he is my, my go to on all things, business, this stuff that I don't love to talk about, my dad likes to talk about. So that's, that's where I go. I know what a go to you for parenting. And I go to dad for business and it's like, you know, you can tell who I need to talk to. I'm like, can I talk to dad? And you know, it's gonna be about taxes. And then, you know, I talk to you. I'm like mom, help with Jackson, you know, kinda deal. So ask you. So do you think that women today have easier or harder than your generation when it comes to work? There's no right answer.
Janice (22:37):
Probably harder because you can be more, many more things than we could. We could be a teacher or a secretary bank to or something, but you have many, many more options.
Erin (22:55):
Well, I mean, you could've also been a doctor. You could've been a, you could've done a lot. I just think you're right. There are, and the internet did not exist.
Janice (23:04):
Oh God. I'm so glad the internet did not exist.
Erin (23:08):
And
Janice (23:09):
Not that I did anything I would know,
Erin (23:12):
But I mean, it's, it's a different working world. Like you had memos, you didn't have email, you had typewriters, didn't have
Janice (23:20):
Computers type everything. Yeah. And telephones it. You commun, you communicated by telephone, but it wasn't a text.
Erin (23:29):
Yeah. And I, I mean, people had home. The, you just got rid of your landline. I mean, what a world we're living in. So let me ask you this. What is one thing or a piece of one piece of advice that you'd like to give to any working parent. Now I say working mom, I'm gonna throw this out there. Working parents. This is inclusive of all genders, because all par all people can be parents. So to any working parent out there listening today, what is one piece of advice you would like to impart?
Janice (24:06):
Be patient, be kind and know that this too shall pass.
Erin (24:12):
Okay. Meaning if they're in a hard season.
Janice (24:15):
Yes.
Erin (24:16):
Yeah. And I'm so glad mom, you didn't sing. I hope you dance. Remember when you did that at one of my, I can
Janice (24:23):
Do that. Now, if you'd like,
Erin (24:24):
I mean, give them a little diddy, give 'em a little taste. Let me ask, let me just preface this. So in my senior year of college, we had like this mother daughter tea situation and every mother had to get up and give some, some advice to their daughter in front of a room of, of moms and daughters. And mom kept telling me she was gonna sing the song. I hope you dance. Who was up by like Leon wack or whatever. And I was a dancer. So I, she kept threatening to sing the song like cuz she is a vocal musician. And I was like, no, please don't so you can give him a, give the, that fam a little taste. Go ahead.
Janice (25:05):
Okay. Well, you know why she's Erin said no, don't do that. I had to do it. So
Erin (25:11):
Yeah, yeah,
Janice (25:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Everybody loved it.
Erin (25:16):
Well, you didn't do the whole song. You read it, read this
Janice (25:19):
Song. Didn't I read, I read the words to the poem because I don't even remember the two now, but the chorus was, I hope you dance. I hope you dance. Wow. And I don't remember that either.
Erin (25:35):
That vibrato mom, that is on point on point vibrato.
Janice (25:39):
Thank you. Thank you. Granny dot spent a lot of money for me to have that be
Erin (25:47):
I sing on this show as you know, so you're everybody. You're welcome. You are welcome. So I'm gonna, I wanna take this home. I wanna fast forward 30 plus years. Okay. And let's say Jackson, your grandson. My son is listening to this from Mars on his commute back to earth. Cuz we're all gonna be working on Mars. What advice would you wanna give to him? 30 years from now?
Janice (26:15):
First be very careful.
Erin (26:17):
Yeah. On a yeah. Wear a seat out on that spaceship.
Janice (26:21):
Two hands on the wheel. Daddy mm-hmm <affirmative> and
Erin (26:25):
He does tell John that
Janice (26:27):
<Laugh> be himself and be kind again.
Erin (26:34):
Yeah.
Janice (26:35):
And really be careful.
Erin (26:37):
Yeah. A little, a little worry war mixed with kindness. I love it. Yeah. Well, okay. And let's also talk about this cause you, you alluded to this, a lot of women listening, a lot of parents listening are struggling. These past couple years, mental health is a huge topic. Balance is a huge topic. Boundaries are a huge topic. So if you listen to this show for a long time, you may remember I spoke about my mom's stroke because it happened in late June of 2020, just when this podcast was a way little infant. And speaking of infants at that point, Jackson was not even a year old. So what did you learn or what did that stroke teach you about your mental health and about priorities in your own life? What can you tell us about that?
Janice (27:31):
Oh my goodness. Well, the stroke occurred because I went to the hospital to have a procedure for atrialfibrulation and a blood clot broke off and went to my brain. And so, and then we had, then I had several TIAs which are like mini strokes. And then I had to go back to in for cert for the another procedure to clear up last blood clot. So, and I don't remember a whole lot of what happened during this stroke. It was week or two that all this was going on. I really don't remember a lot of it. And I'm sure that that probably is a blessing. And then I, I had to go to rehab for another couple weeks, spent most of the month of July away from home, but it wasn't awakening that at any point you can be healthy and happy.
Janice (28:45):
And then all of a sudden your health is compromised that you need to live life to the fullest. I was depressed. I will say that. And I was given medication, which is a good thing. And don't be ashamed if you need medication and you need help because if you were sick with a cold, you would take some medicine. So if you are depressed or anxious, seek me, seek medical assistance for that. It's not anything to be ashamed of. It's self care. And it's what you should do as speaking as your mother mm-hmm <affirmative> to all of your listeners, take care of yourself. And I had to do rehab rehab was hard, but it's better. I, for the most part I am recovered. I do have a little, what I think is still a little bit of AIA because I will all of a sudden not remember a word that I say like, like right now. And I have little bit of a stumble sometimes when I walk. But other than that, I am for the most part 98% recuperated. And I am grateful to the doctors and the nurses and the good Lord for all of that. And for all the prayers that people prayed.
Erin (30:19):
Yep. And what do you think your mindset, how was your mindset to get through that? Because mom, you really did re when people ask me, I say she's made almost a full recovery. Like I see small changes, very small changes, but what would you say your mindset was to recover? Because it is all mindset.
Janice (30:41):
Well, I remember that the doctor said to me in the emergency room before they took me upstairs to do the last procedure, he's asked me, did I want to do that? And I said, you know, well, what else, what else is there to do? Let's do it. I just said, let's get it done. And, and in rehab, I had two of the sweetest, little gals for rehab and they pushed, pushed me just enough to make, <laugh> make me do it. And they were excellent. And I just worked at it. It was hard, but I worked at it. I was, I was going to get better. I was going to hold Jackson again. I was going to be who I was again, and I just worked at it and I had a lot of support.
Erin (31:36):
Wow. Well, I love that mom. And you did hold Jackson. It was ironic. Cuz you came home on his first birthday. You literally got to leave rehab the day that we were having his first birthday party, which was awesome. So I am so glad that you have the positive mindset that you do because you always have give. I think that is truly where my mentality comes from is a combination of dad's stubbornness and your positive mindset. And I, I attribute a lot of your recovery to that. And I think a lot of people listening have known somebody who has had some type of injury, illness, whatever it may be. And it truly is a mental game. And I'm really proud of you mom for coming through that. I'm proud of you. Thank you for even being able to come on this show because I'll be honest with you. Two years ago, I was thinking I was gonna have a different mom. So I'm so proud of you for thank you really pulling through all of that. Just know that
Janice (32:41):
I, I thank you. I love you.
Erin (32:43):
I love you. You know, I love you more.
Janice (32:46):
Love you. I love you. You, I love you more. I love you. I love you
Erin (32:51):
More. Okay. Well tell <laugh> you know what big question we ask on this show is what is your it? Cause we are improve it so improve it can mean anything to you. It's your purpose? It's your why? What is your it?
Janice (33:10):
My, it is to be the best human I can be
Erin (33:15):
By doing what?
Janice (33:18):
By praying, reading the bible, sharing with others, community and church work, just sharing of myself and with others and just to be the best human I can be.
Erin (33:35):
I love it. And then mom, we always ask this question, but I know the answer, the improve it! Family does not. How, how can people find you on the show? If they wanna connect with you? Mom? What, what everybody just DM me. Ask me. I'll give you mom's email. She doesn't have LinkedIn. She has a Facebook, but she just reposts a lot of memes. Yeah. And then posts them to my personal Facebook page and she's on Instagram. Tell 'em why you're on Instagram.
Janice (34:08):
I'm on Instagram so that I can see pictures of Jackson and videos of Jackson
Erin (34:13):
And that's really it. So she doesn't post. So if you wanna talk to Janice or give her some love, send it to me, I'll pass it to my mom.
Janice (34:21):
Oh wait. I wanna say posting of those means is my way of contributing to everyone's mental health. Everyone's positivity. Cause I, I just, I like those kinds of me memes and that's what I hope will speak to others. So that's my contribution. Thank you very much.
Erin (34:43):
Well, thank you mom. I enjoy them. I enjoy them. And you do a, she also has an amazing Bitmoji. I created it for her and it looks just like you when your hair was darker.
Janice (34:54):
Yeah. You're gonna have to change it for me.
Erin (34:56):
Yeah. We now are full gray everyone. That's it's beautiful. But she did. When you had dark hair, it literally the bit, it's the best Bitmoji I've ever seen.
Janice (35:05):
Thank you.
Erin (35:06):
You're welcome. I helped you. You're welcome.
Janice (35:09):
No, you, you did it.
Erin (35:11):
I did it. I did it. <Laugh> you didn't tell me I created it. I created it. Well, I wanna say mom, thank you for being you for birthing me for always bringing laughter and positivity to the world and for always making time for me and, and actually making time to listen to the show, to come on this show. And I am taking that wisdom and the love and putting it into little Jackson. So I know that you've poured some love into our audience today and they're taking it to heart and they're applying it to their own families. And I loved having you here. And as Jackson would say, thanks, jij.
Janice (35:52):
<Laugh> welcome.
Erin (36:03):
I hope you enjoyed that. You might have seen some laughter some giggles. That's what me and Jan Jan do. We're a little giggly, but the most important takeaway for me from today's episode is that life is short. We as working parents have the ability to prioritize life. The way that we want to, we have the ability to go to work and do what we love, but also raise the future generation of workers. So if you're a working parent and you're listening to today's show, I want you to do two things. Number one, I want you to, after this episode clear your calendar for one day, this month, take a day off, spend it with your children. Step children, whoever you may have in your life that you are raising. Take a day to just for them, take a day just for them. Cause we work to give to ourselves. We work to provide for our families. Let's enjoy it, right? Let's enjoy that time. And then if you are listening to today's show and you have a parent who is still alive and with us on earth, I want you to listen to this show hit and hang up the phone and give them a call, give them a call, tell them you love them.
Erin (37:31):
I feel really blessed that I'm able to do that with my mom. And I feel really blessed that she was able to come on this show today. I'm so grateful. You got to meet her and learn from some of the struggles that she has gone through in the past couple years. But more importantly, I'm so grateful that I'm able to pick up the phone and call her number. And I'm so grateful. She was on the line with us today. So if you have a parent who is alive and you even have strained relationship with that parent, just give them a quick call, give them a quick call. They're so important. You are so important. And you know what I'm gonna say. I want you to keep improving, find small ways every day to improve, keep failing because the world needs that it, that only you can bring happy mother's day, happy mental health awareness month.
Erin (38:33):
I'll see you next week. Hey friends, thanks for tuning in to improve it. I am so happy you were along for the ride. If you enjoyed this show, head on over to iTunes to leave us a five star review and subscribe to this show. So you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Now, if you're really feeling today's show and you've proved it even just a little bit, please take a screenshot and tag me at keeping it real deal on Instagram and share it in your stories. I'll see you next week, but I wanna leave you with this thought, what did you improve today and how will that help your future successful self? Think about it. I am rooting for you and the world needs that special. It that only you can bring see you next time.