A Contagious Smile Podcast
A Contagious Smile is a powerful platform dedicated to uplifting and empowering special needs families and survivors of domestic violence. Through heartfelt stories, we shine a light on the journeys of extraordinary individuals who have overcome unimaginable challenges. Their triumphs serve as a testament to resilience and strength, inspiring others to rediscover their own inner light. Each episode features candid interviews with survivors, advocates, and experts who provide valuable resources and insights to support those on their own paths to healing and empowerment. Join us as we celebrate the power of resilience, the beauty of shared stories, and the unstoppable spirit of those who turn adversity into hope. Let us guide you in rekindling your spirit, because every smile tells a story of courage and transformation.
A Contagious Smile Podcast
Resilience and Renewal: Overcoming Addiction, Embracing Healing, and Creating Ripple Retreats
Good afternoon and welcome to another episode of a contagious smile unstoppable. I'm so excited to have this unbelievable honor. We tried to record before and it was just not in the cards. Jeff is amazing, amazing, amazing, and today he is giving me the honor and it is an honor to spend not only his birthday of turning 21, but he's also six years sober today and this has become somebody who I consider a friend. He's amazing and I can't wait to go through and tell you all about him, but we're going to give you little nuggets along the way. Happy birthday, my friend, and congratulations on six years.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much, Victoria. I greatly appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Well, tell everybody who you are. We're going to drop little nuggets along the way.
Speaker 2:All right, hello everybody. My name is JJ. She referred me Jeff. It's Jeffrey John, but my friends call me JJ, so that's what I go by, and I am six years sober today. I'm happy to be alive and happy to be making positive ripples in the world, and that's my belief is. We all put out ripples in the world and we all make an impact in one way or another, and I like to be conscious of what my ripples are and I turn them into positive and I like to help others do the same.
Speaker 1:Well, JJ, you have a story to your life. First of all, I want to thank you for your service.
Speaker 1:You served a long time in the military and for that I want to thank you. You have had ups and downs, to say the least. Where you are today is so inspiring. I know so many people will just grab a hold of this story and I want to have everybody go out and you'll see what I'm talking about when you hear everything that this gentleman and I mean gentleman is doing. What you hear from him is what you get. It is not a facade. I've had interviews where you see somebody is one way and then the minute we stop recording there's someone else. That's not how JJ is, and that's why I'm honored to call him my friend. Jj is, and that's why I'm honored to call him my friend. But let's go back a little bit, because you have such a story of survival and healing to see where you are today. Let's go back and tell us how it all started.
Speaker 2:Well, first off, I'm just an average Joe and I was raised in an alcoholic family, joined the military when I was 19.
Speaker 2:And I served for 27 years.
Speaker 2:Well, during that service, I had a family, two wonderful children, lived all over the world and was a functional alcoholic the entire time.
Speaker 2:I did six combat tours, where the impact is made today in the fact that I made a best friend in Iraq my first tour, and his name was Commander Philip Murphy Sweet and we're both Idaho boys and we met the first week there and became best friends and I lost him, and the world lost him, two days after I got home from Iraq and it's because of him that, fast forward, many years later, I'm battling with everything life has thrown me and I am retired, living the high life, literally. I'm 47, 48 years old, backpacking the world. I have no bills, all my family and friends are taken care of, I have no responsibilities, and I was literally backpacking the world, going from Brazil to Spain, to Indonesia, and I ended up in Australia and I went there to surf and you'd think I'd been the happiest time of my life, but no, I was suicidal and almost took my life, but my kids and Philip Murphy sweet stopped me mentally.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about that day, because you are on a cliff. And what was going on? Tell me about the day. What started in that morning to make you get to that point? Do you remember?
Speaker 2:Yeah well, the cliff was a condo. I was on the fourth floor and that day I woke up like I have been waking up for years, shaking my body, wanting more alcohol. Me looking for alcohol. There wasn't any because I drank it all the night before. Nothing opens up for a couple more hours to get any, and I'm standing up on it. I wanted the pain to end and I was going to take a swan dive. I just I was. I was done and my kids? They made me pause. And then I thought of Philip Murphy, sweet, and the fact that he gave his life for our country, something I'm willing to do and was willing to do. But it wasn't me. And here I am. What am I doing with my life? I'm about to throw it away. What am I doing with my life? I'm about to throw it away. So I didn't, I stopped, and it didn't. It wasn't a click, it wasn't a. From that point on, it was better. No, it just stopped, kept me from going over the edge, falling off that cliff and killing myself, and instead I battled. I found a place, got some alcohol, drank it. I kept processing. Instead, I battled. I found a place, got some alcohol, drank it, I kept processing.
Speaker 2:A few days later, I fell on my face with a backpack in front of a restaurant full of people so embarrassing, you know. You walk up to a hotel and they have a big, fancy restaurant that overlooks the promenade, or whatever. I was the guy, the tourist with the big backpack that fell on his face and couldn't get himself up. I grabbed my phone and I was asking for help and I dialed 911. And it doesn't work in Australia. But I, for the first time in my life, reached out and asked for help. It was an emergency help.
Speaker 2:It was an emergency and, even though 911 did not work and it did not connect, it clicked for me in the fact that Murphy was with me, my kids were with me and I was with me and I finally thought to myself I've been a hero to so many other people. It's about time I picked myself up and I did just that. I said I've got you. I love you, jeff, I'm not going to let you suffer anymore. We're going to get through this together. There's a better road ahead, and I started. It took a long time. I mean, it took months and months, but I've set a date of my 50th birthday to make it happen and sure Kidding you not.
Speaker 1:You can say that You're kidding.
Speaker 2:I got sober six years ago today.
Speaker 1:That is amazing. What are you going to do today to celebrate?
Speaker 2:I am going to go walk on the beach and go snorkeling. I've already been, just I watched the sunrise this morning over the ocean. I've been blessed enough. Some friends of mine invited me to their home in Hawaii that I've been working from, and it's just. I have so much positivity in my life and I'm so grateful, so I'm spending today with gratitude.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. So beside this amazing story, you have also had some really other difficult times, which I know doesn't make life easier along the way. And when I first met you, I was told about that you and it's not funny, but when I heard about it I was like what? That a pair of socks saved your life. And I was like wait what? There's got to be something more to this. And then, the more and more I got to know you, you're as authentic as you are. I just want to stress that for people, because I have really met some people that just aren't what they say, yeah, just are what they say, so, yeah. So here you are and I, I just you have to tell the story, because I can't get over the fact that literally it was a pair of socks that saved your life.
Speaker 1:And I don't think I, you know, and I am a survivor of domestic violence and my ex was military. But see, I say all the time that there are bad apples in every orchard and I got the really bad orchard. So I mean I can't say enough Thank you for your service, because you know you did go over to serve our country. You are the epitome of a hero and you know people say how can you like military after what you went through? I don't dislike all the military, I just dislike this one little platoon that didn't do what they were supposed to do. So again, before you tell your story on the presence, how much I appreciate all that you've done for our country and people, do not give you guys the recognition that you deserve.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you. Thank you very much, victoria and everybody, and I am so honored to have been able to serve side by side with so many heroes of my life, and I felt Murphy Sweet being one of them.
Speaker 1:I can see he's very impactful in your life.
Speaker 2:Oh for sure, I've never talked about him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I see it all over your face, absolutely.
Speaker 2:For sure. Idaho boy. He had three kids and I had two, and every Monday night he and Nicole Ammon, a friend of ours we'd all get together and we'd smoke cigars and talk about the week. And he was higher ranking than I was. I was a captain at the time and he was a commander and so I looked up to him and then we just became friends and it was so beautiful, um, and then to have him taken too soon was was tragic and then. So now it's an opportunity to make positive ripples in the world, in his name and in mine. Just just do, yeah, do, do good you're living on his legacy what's that?
Speaker 1:you're living on his legacy by talking about him and keeping his image alive, and that's amazing. That's amazing. I am sorry for your loss. I know that's not easy.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm sorry for his family's loss Absolutely Everybody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell me about the socks.
Speaker 2:All right, let me set the stage. It's a stage. It's Baghdad, iraq. Excuse out the socks. All right, let me set the stage. It's a stage. It's a baghdad, iraq. Excuse me.
Speaker 2:Um, the date is january 23rd 2007. I just got done working like 15 hours and I looked at my boss, said hey, I haven't done laundry in a week. I need to go home and do laundry. He said go, so I ran home and in. I am working and living in the IZ, the international zone in Baghdad, where we get bombed all the time. I mean this period of time we probably got mortared three or four times a day, and it'd be two mortars, and or there'd be days that go off without one, but very rare, and or there'd be days that go off without one, but very rare. So this was a day like no other. And, yes, it's January 23rd and it's 90 degrees. It's Iraq, it's dusty. I run home.
Speaker 2:I, a friend of mine, and I looked at his socks and they were all white. I mean he, I looked at and I was like how do you keep your socks white, because mine have turned brown. They were white when I bought them, the little short socks, and he goes well, you turn them right side out and I was like, huh, all right, well, yeah, I don't, maybe I will next time. So when I got back and I got home and these dormitories that I was in were like motel eights and they had the walkways on the outside they kept the light on for you.
Speaker 2:You're right, please. I went to the end of the building and walked up the stairs on the end of the building and then down into the laundry facility and threw my laundry on the dryer, was going to scoop it in the washer and close the lid and walk out, but I stopped and instead I paused and I turned three pairs of socks right side out and then I scooped it in, did the laundry and started heading back out. I got to the door to walk out and the mortar hit the end of the building. It knocked I mean it was so loud, it just it rocked my world. And then the other one hit another building and I was came out, looked out and saw the smoke at the end of the building that I just came out and came up and I was going to head that way.
Speaker 2:When another guy comes out of his room and says hey, joe was in his room and I realized the mortar hit the end of the dormitory in Joe's, on Joe's room, on the wall of his room. So I run down there and his, the guy next door, comes out and he starts hitting on the door. It's locked, we can't get in. It's bulletproof and blast proof, but the window was right there and I started kicking in the window with my heel and my boot. It was blast proof. The building is cinder block. I ended up breaking the entire frame of the window out of the wall the cinder block wall.
Speaker 2:I don't know how I just did and threw that over and pulled the drapes back and I saw Joe sitting on his bed with a brick literally a brick, sticking out of the side of his left head, right above his ear and his. The look on his eyes were like what is happening. And he was half on his bed, sitting on with his arms outstretched, like Frankenstein going help me. And I reached around, unlocked his door and I went to open his door and the medics did it for me. I mean, no sooner did I have that door locked? Two seconds later the medics were walking through it with a stretcher, scooped him up, got him down and onto the back of a truck and into the hospital for for rescue. And it was about a day later. Two days later, I finally got in touch with the doctor who worked on him and he said that Joe was within a minute or two of dying from the swelling on his brain. Had it taken any longer, he would not be with us today.
Speaker 2:And he was in a car and sent off to Lawnstool which, from what I heard, he had recovered and went back to the States. But that is all I know and from that day forward, I wish there's a listener out there listening right now that knows Joe that was injured January 23rd 2007 in Baghdad, iraq. I would love to find out how he's doing.
Speaker 1:Right, if you guys do have any idea or can find out, reach out to me and let me know, and I will get that information expeditiously to JJ. I would let him know. It would be so amazing to do this for him and for all that he's done for us. So if you guys do know of a gentleman who served in Baghdad in January of January 23rd of 2007, please reach out to me, let me know how we can get in contact with him. This is the least that we could do to honor JJ for all that he has done. So even if you don't know and you know someone who knows let's move this domino effect and make it happen that's beautiful, thank you of course, of course.
Speaker 1:So how did you deal with all of? Did you go through, I'm sure, ptsd and oh my god.
Speaker 2:That night has been relived in my head a thousand times. Um, I wandered. It was funny because as soon that the after he got scooped, one of the british shoulders shoulders was yelling at me to get out of there. He was cussing me out, that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I walked around and I was in a fog. I was shocked. I remember standing in the middle of the smoke, in the middle of rocks, and people were running around left and right. It was like I didn't even exist. I've had therapy. I've had a lot of bottle therapy, trying to cure myself with alcohol, which I found that is the last thing you need. That is the last thing you need.
Speaker 1:So what's the first thing you need?
Speaker 2:To love yourself.
Speaker 1:And how did you start doing that?
Speaker 2:I picked myself up that day and a good friend of mine helped me discover taking care of yourself.
Speaker 2:And once it clicked, I literally I saw a video of a therapist who gave some great advice, and I started and I walked up to the mirror and I looked at myself in the eyes and I told myself that I love me and and I said, I've got your back. And I finally meant it. And then I realized that I've got to take care of my body, because my body is taking care of me, and so my spirit decided to say thank you to my body and vowed that I would do the best I could to take care of my body from this point on. And I've done a pretty good job, but we can always do better. But it's like after that, I had this new mission of helping myself out and in doing so I've been able to help others, my family included, because I love myself enough to stop abusing myself and stop beating myself up with alcohol, with negative thoughts, with my verbal abuse. We always beat ourselves up more than we would anybody else, and I've always thought why.
Speaker 1:Did the military help you at all with the PTSD?
Speaker 2:Yes, they. I've seen. I've had therapy, the military. I've been assigned a therapist and have had years of seeing off. And, on the note, the va has been great. I have nothing but rave reviews for the va and the military after now that I'm retired oh yeah, I mean even in. I've loved because the military is full of good people trying to do good things.
Speaker 1:They really are full of heroes so tell me what you decided to do to help others. Where this all started, oh that is the beauty. It is so beautiful.
Speaker 2:So, now that I'm conscious, alive, sober, and I've noticed a ripple in my life that my kids are with me now my grandkids my family, my friends and I found I started listening to my intuition and I ended up in Maine.
Speaker 2:It's quite a long story and I ended up buying a property that's 11 acres. It's this old farmhouse, two-story farmhouse with a barn and a detached garage that I bought, not knowing why. It spoke to me. I was living in my RV in the detached garage. For the first winter I lived there. It was 10 below zero and I lived entirely through the winter in that RV because the house had tenants in it at the time. Since the tenants have moved out.
Speaker 2:I had listened to my intuition and thought you know what? I'm retired, I can do anything I want and I have. I have spoiled myself, I've traveled the world, I've everything possible, I've am I taking care of my kids and everybody, but there's service before self is my, it is my uh who I am. My values, um, integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do are the Air Force core values that I've adopted and lived, and here I am living them still. But it came to me. You know what I can make? A business that gives more than it receives, because I have this property that I bought and I can turn it into an Airbnb retreat and a wedding venue. I had a vision of the whole backyard being filled up with hundreds of people because the property is so beautiful. It's gorgeous.
Speaker 2:That's an understatement, it's absolutely gorgeous and I am in that process. I am two and a half years into it. The barn and house all together, once it gets remodeled, we'll have 9,000 square feet of usable space. It is built in the 1830s. It is really good shape. It needs some work. I am doing it. They've put in a stage. I dug a pond in the backyard, the heart-shaped pond that, from the tip to the top of the heart, is 110 feet long and 80 feet wide. How long?
Speaker 1:did it take you to do that?
Speaker 2:oh, a month and a half. Well, it took two years in the process of getting a front end loader and making sure whatnot, but it finally got there and now we have a big heart-shaped uh.
Speaker 1:Ice skating rink in the winter and what's the cool little google fact about this?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward to Googling, updating the map so you can see the heart, but the joy of this business, this retreat that I started. I decided to call it Ripple Retreats because of the ripples in my life that have been positive, of the ripples in my life that have been positive. And I want it in a retreat because a friend of mine told me that he throws a rock into the river all the time to think about weeks gone past in his life and how he's noticed that if it's in a pond, that is still, it makes bigger ripples, but if he throws it in a pond that has lots of waves and it's chaotic, the ripples don't go anywhere. Well, that's us in life, because we constantly on function, on go, we are doing life, we're living life.
Speaker 2:Well, if you get a bit of advice that you get from Instagram or Facebook or this reel that you see that's like man, that's really powerful, then it's gone and you're trying to better your life, but you can't in chaos. So I'm creating this retreat where you can come, have seeds of positive, life-changing behavior planted and they can grow. And a friend of mine says you know, you can count the number of apples in a tree. But you cannot count the number of apples in a seed and I plant seeds of positive, life-changing behavior. So once those seeds start to grow and people change and grow in that positive way, the ripples that they give out you can't measure that.
Speaker 1:And it's beautiful, but you haven't told us yet. There's another thing, there's a key component here that is so amazing. I love this so much. Tell me the one thing like you come to the wedding or whatever, what's the one thing you haven't said yet about this menu?
Speaker 2:you haven't said yet about this menu that once it's all done and up and running, it's going to give 75 of its profit to the town of west paris and local charities awesome is that, I told you guys, he's so authentic, he's so real.
Speaker 1:But he also forgot something else. You know how, like a lot of families have that, that, uh, what do you? What did you call him?
Speaker 2:that, uh, that family oh yeah, so yeah, oh yeah, I'm sorry. Wow, I've missed it all completely. Yeah, I got you. Well, ripple retreat is a non-alcohol turn space, meaning you can hold your wedding at ripple retreat, but the number one rule no alcohol. I'm sorry, you cannot have alcohol on the premise that way that your uncle buck won't show up drunk and ruin your wedding, because it is your special day, right, right want to be remembered by everybody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and you can have an amazing time. I mean, you know, we've talked so many times off air and I've never been drunk. I don't drink and you know, I can be goofy without any alcohol. Right, I can, right. So to have that opportunity, to have this kind of day where you don't have to worry about some belligerent person coming in there and making a mockery of the day or you know, whatever the case may be, and not only that, but the retreat itself, you're doing different things besides weddings. What?
Speaker 2:else are you doing.
Speaker 2:Yes. So Ripple Retreat, first off, has made a few ripples in the community. So I look at it as I am retired. I'm retired military, I have a pension for the rest of my life, I took care of myself, I'm good. I am good. Anything I get from this point forward I mean seriously. It's going to be an Airbnb People's money that is invested for these events. You're going to invest it anyway in the event center next door, but why not invest it into a retreat center that gives it to the community that it's in? And that's what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Wait till everybody gets to see this. You have to look at the pictures when you're ready to go. It's off of a main street, but when you go in the backyard you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, Like there's just serenity back there. You wouldn't know that you were a little. It's a small town. Right, there's only how many people? There's not that many people there.
Speaker 2:The population of West Paris is roughly 1,700. And I am on the main street, on the corner. Everybody passes and it's easy access, great parking and from the front it looks like a busy nice town. And then you step in the back and it's all woods and this big, ginormous yard with a pond and trails and waterfalls and streams and peace and quiet. 11 acres, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:So what else is going to be offered besides weddings?
Speaker 2:You can rent the place for concerts, retreats. Once I get done and hopefully to to no later than 2017 you'll be able to rent the house, which will sleep approximately 15 people and there will be camping spaces and you can have retreats there. I'm also hosting recovery meetings there during the week, so Friday through Sunday it's available to the public for events. Monday through Thursday Thursday it's for the community, for the recovery community and the veteran community and for me to help my neighbors with their struggles in any way I can.
Speaker 1:And where do you see this in like five or 10 years, and where do you?
Speaker 2:see this within like five or 10 years Five to 10 years totally self-sufficient, and I am building an apartment on the property that I'm going to live in for the first couple of years and once it gets up and running, I would like somebody to be able to live at the apartment and manage the property to run the recovery center, to help facilitate the events during the weekends, and I am looking to have the barn completely insulated so you can use this facility all year long. I am 35 to 40 minutes away from Sunday River, a major ski resort 20 minutes away from Mount Abram, so it can be used for the for weekend ski trips, weekend retreats, all year long. Um and Ripple Retreat has been. Since I bought it. I've been involved in the community and it has well. Two weeks after I got established as a uh a business, um, my neighbor, marianne Palmer Ann Palmer, two blocks down, her house burnt down.
Speaker 2:She's 76 years old. She was across the street at a friend's house having dinner and looked across and saw that her farmhouse was completely engulfed in flames and burnt completely down and she lost everything. Engulfed in flames and burnt completely down and she lost everything. She didn't have insurance, because old farmhomes here if you can't keep up with the maintenance, they become uninsurable, which is what had happened. So here she is now living with some friends, and the community came together and started raising money and awareness and donations to help build her a new house.
Speaker 2:I mean, local excavation company came in and removed all the debris. They cleared the land. Another company came in and, through some friends, they poured her a foundation of a house and then others came together and started building it and I held a concert June 25th 2022, where we all came together as a community and two bands played and donated their time and we had a great time. All said and done, we raised enough money and awareness and volunteers to build her a brand new one bedroom, one bath house that she moved into 11 months after the date that her house was burnt down. All through donation, a hundred percent through the community. I love it. I love this.
Speaker 1:So I know I found the right place. Yes, do you go by and see her? I do.
Speaker 2:She's kind of a recluse. She doesn't talk, she weighs every once in a while.
Speaker 1:I know, she's happy. That's amazing. That is so amazing. But what is your vision for the Ripple Retreat? What would you like to see happen with it?
Speaker 2:I would like to see people host retreats there um yoga retreats, meditation retreats, life coaching retreats, weddings and events that are positive and alcohol-free and help their neighbors and just help spread the positive ripples in the world um through through your donations and and through attending um events I did have for having multiple locations ah, yes, I would love in the.
Speaker 2:I see what you're getting at. Well, ripple retreat is repeatable and I would like to so-called franchise it. I would love to see a ripple retreat in every state. And why not? Why not build Airbnbs? Because once it's paid off and it's self-sufficient, it really is the maintenance cost on it and to have somebody living on property taking care of it it's like almost a hotel, but it's just a beautiful retreat that pays it forward.
Speaker 2:And one of the things since I did wander the world and I am a nomad at heart I have I came close to being homeless. I technically was homeless when I was wandering the world and I've made connections and I know that there are. Really. I want to help the homeless. So as a company, ripple Retreat I vow to help one homeless family help themselves off the street a year by finding a family and giving them the resources and helping them help themselves, by showing them and helping them get there and then follow up, not just say here you go and you're on your way, but no, welcome to the family and I want to adopt you. Bring you under Ripple's wing and let's try and see how you can grow in life and get you off the street and your your family, so you can take care of yourself and your loved ones absolutely.
Speaker 1:How can our platform and our viewers and followers help? What can we do to get? I don't want to be behind you, I want to be with you. How can we, with you, to help make this um come to life beautiful?
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. Thank you, victoria, I am currently working on. I have a website. It's a beautiful website, but I am currently in the works of upgrading it and once it is upgraded and the new one is launched, you'll be able to get a better picture of Ripple's story, my story, my history, what Ripple is today and what I see it being in the future, because it's not open yet for business to rent and once it gets there it'll so. In the meantime, on the website, I want you to be able to reach out and volunteer to to not uh, to um, not donate, because that brings up a good point. I am not a non-profit. I I don't want uh board members to all discuss and and get uptight about giving away the money. I want to be able to give it away, so I am a for profit donations without that contributions so, or just donations.
Speaker 2:But understand it is not a tax write off, it is a contribution to making a difference in the world. So you're giving and that's what is beautiful, and I'm looking for donations, for contributions for help. I'm going to provide pages for people that have resources for the recovery community, because I have two podcasts out there, one called what's your Ripple and another one called what's your Recovery Ripple, which all highlight people's stories of ripples in their life, of positivity from either somebody touching their life in a positive way or getting sober and making a whole new life for yourself. And hearing those stories and I'm sorry, I just lost the train of thought on that I'm human.
Speaker 1:And the two different podcasts you have.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and the donations that I'm trying to Contributions, the contributions, because right now Ripple Retreat I have rooms to remodel, I have a yoga studio to build, I have a barn to wrap, I have approximately $500,000 worth of improvements to do to the property to make it perfectly ready to be self-sufficient. And in doing so, I have gone back to work. I am working 40 hours a week remotely, sinking everything I'm making into it. I am that's on top of my retirement, so I'm like, why not? I can't physically do the work, so I'm going to go back to work and pay somebody else to do that, and the website is part of it, and and on. There I'm going to be asking for people to help in this.
Speaker 1:Think about all the people that have the ability to do carpentry electrician, you know, plumbing, any of those things like that and think about it.
Speaker 1:They can come out and help put this together and give back to the community, because everybody has to start somewhere.
Speaker 1:Everybody has gotten where they are because of one thing or another. It's just like you know, when faith my daughter interviews like celebrities, she's like I put my pants on, just like you do, and if you didn't have the backing of people, you wouldn't be where you are today. So, right, there's a lot of people who need a serious wake up and a big cup of humbling and if you are out anywhere near this gentleman, you need to put on your big boy pants, get a cup of humbling and go over there and help go over there and make a difference, because you never know, one day it could be a cousin, a brother, a son or somebody who needs this man's knowledge and expertise, and he's going to be there for you because I'm here to tell you. Every time I've reached out to him, he has reached back out to me and he's amazing and he's genuine and authentic and I know I sound like a broken record, but it's because it's real and in today's times that's incredibly hard to find.
Speaker 2:And I want to piggyback on that because I'm looking for sponsorship. And I want to let you know that I am true to my word in the fact that I put on a concert this past summer. It's a recovery concert because I've always dreamt of having a fun, sober concert why not? I put on a music festival this past summer, this past June at Ripple Retreat, to try and raise money and awareness for Ripple. That went from 11 in the morning to 10 at night. I had eight acts that played, four bands, three solo acts and I had a power hour where I had special guests and it was all for the recovery community and it was 100% sober.
Speaker 2:And the reviews that I got from not only the people who attended but the bands, the artists I had one artist choke up with me afterwards saying that's the first time she's ever played to a sober audience. That responded and listened to her and and it was just, it was so beautiful. So and I do community involvement, I do community cleanups and and I'm paying back to the community while I'm building and if and I'm looking for sponsors out there the electrical companies, the plumbers, the people who who can donate cash, if you want a sponsor, I am going to put you in the Ripple Retreat family and on my sponsorship wall and, trust me, I will be nationwide. I look to be on Oprah Winfrey's show one day, or with Tony Robbins talking about how you can change your life through positive thought and affect others positively and build a company that gives more than it receives. Why not?
Speaker 1:Let's do it Absolutely Now. Jj, I'm not Oprah. I know and I mean I do have one or two little followers that you know we have. You know I can say we have a few, but I'm going to call them out because, like my husband and I did our podcast and we released it and it's already hit almost 4.2 million in less than a couple of days. I'm calling them out because I don't ask for anything. I never ask for myself. I hear that all the time. I get such grief. But I'm here to say that I will go a step further. I do all sorts of social media marketing. I've marketed everything myself. I've done this from inception by myself and we have over 40 million followers.
Speaker 1:And I'll tell you what. If some of y'all take your big cup of humbling and go and get a hold of if you want to go through me to get a hold of him, I will put everybody and with all of his connections and and contact information, I will put all of it out there for jj, my birthday present to you. I want anyone who reaches out to you and comes and helps you in any way and goes out there. First of all, I want to be one of your sponsors. If anybody comes out there and offers to help and provides electrical work, plumbing work, carpentry, whatever it is you need, and they come out and actually help and make a difference, you let me know and I will promote them worldwide for free. I will put it out there and do that for free, and that is advertisement you truly cannot buy anywhere. It's like do you want to advertise on the?
Speaker 1:Little League or do you want to go to the World Series? I mean, when it comes to getting in front of a lot of people, we have that and it's because of the authenticity that we offer, it's the truth that we offer, it's the fact that I will go to bat and fight till the end for people and I want to do that for you. So anybody who reaches out to me or to JJ, through the show notes and all of his contact information, and says, hey, I'm a carpenter, I'm a plumber, I'm an electrician, I am a, I own a furniture company, whatever the case, whatever it is that can make a difference in this ripple retreat, and you reach out to him, jj will let me know. Or, if you go through me, I will know and immediately I will promote your business worldwide.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful, thank you.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Oh, it is so beautiful. Thank you, of course, and right now, the one website that I have there is what's called Buy Me a Coffee. On there it's ripple-retreatcom. You can go on there and click on it and you make a five dollar contribution, or a 10 or 20 or whatever. So, if nothing else, if you want to support this vet in making a difference in the world, buy me a coffee please well, let's break that down, because he's a vet and we wouldn't be where we are today without them.
Speaker 1:And on top of that, a coffee even the small coffees now are like $6. So let's round up, because I love math, we're going to round up to 10. And if you want some humbling and you want to slice a humble pie, I want 25. And so you have to go and donate 25. You know, we can have a contest, see who donates the most. And if you want, I'll make it even better, I'll make it even sweeter for Jeff's birthday.
Speaker 1:And if you go, and anybody who donates 500 or more, then you can come on and show your true self and how this ripple effect made a difference for you on a podcast. I haven't even told this to JJ, I'm surprising him left, right and center. We will bring you on and you can do a segment with JJ and I on our podcast and we will make it on TikTok and we'll put it everywhere and we will make you fabulous, fabulous, famous. You have to donate a minimum of $500 to him, or $500 worth of his of your time, helping him with whatever he needs on his facility, and then anybody who comes in and actually does things to help the facility get up and running. I will also promote worldwide.
Speaker 1:So get off your butts, realize that without men like this, we wouldn't be here today. He is a vet, he is genuine, he is sweet. He has accomplished so much. He has given back and now it's time for us to give to him. He made sure that we have the very freedom we have on us today, and it's because of people like him that we are able to offer these retreats and ripple effects. And him giving me his friendship, which I've made him promise me would be for life, and I'm going to hold him to it is the best ripple retreat effect for me. And if we can get out and help him and help these other vets who have gone through hell in a handbasket and they still got up every day and put their boots on, they still got up and stood post and they did everything that they're supposed to do it is our turn to turn around and take care of them and we need to get off our ass and do it.
Speaker 2:Oh, we agree, Thank you, oh, my God. And you're not contributing to me, you're committing, you're contributing to ripple retreat and I'm I'd be honored to to update you everyone on and how much money we're raising and what I'm doing with it, dollar for dollar. I will show you how it goes into ripple retreat to create something that gives back to the community.
Speaker 1:And JJ's not blowing smoke. What he says he'd do, he does.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, oh, a hundred percent yes. Integrity first, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So, even if you are a vet, or you know a vet or a family member is a vet, do it in their honor. If you God forbid you've lost somebody who served in the military, do it in their honor. Do it in their honor because I'm pretty sure that they would have done it if they were here. So let's do this. Because they elect to go into the service, they elect to go stand post, they elect to go over into these other countries and put their life on the line so that we can live our happy life here, and we take that for granted every single day. And remember, this is coming from a woman who went to death's door at the hand of a military soldier, and I advocate for the ones that aren't the bad seeds, and he is not the bad seed, and so we need to do something to help them, for everything they've done to help us.
Speaker 2:And to all the men and women out there who are serving today, and for those who have served or are going to serve, thank you. My hat's off to you. I'm honored to be part of your family and I'm here to help you as well. And if you are struggling and you are sober, curious and you want to reach out to me, please do. I've helped three friends get sober in the past six months and it's been so beautiful and we're in touch every day and they're doing so good and it's it's just amazing. So I am here to help you help yourself.
Speaker 1:So please help me help you, I mean it, and I'm going to be that broken record because people know that until I start seeing it, I'm going to be like constantly reminding everybody. Hey, you know, I haven't heard from JJ today on what's going on, what's new and what's being offered. So you know, let's go chop, chop. Like yeah, I can get a little annoying. I think it's the red hair, I think you're beautiful, victoria, and you and your family.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:That's so sweet. That makes my day. I'm trying to make your birthday.
Speaker 1:It's not the other way around I'm glad to be alive even though you're in hawaii, and he sends me pictures folks like pictures and it's like six inches of snow, you know, here, and eight degrees, and he's sending me pictures of the sunset on the beach and I'm, like you know, I'm going to use my mom words because he's such a good friend and he's amazing and he's wonderful, but it's like you know, you're poking the bear just a little bit because I've never even been to Hawaii, Like I haven't been on vacation in 20 years.
Speaker 1:So it's kind of tough. But I'm just saying and I'm going to go a step further I, when you're ready to launch your podcast, I'm actually also going to talk about our podcast that we're doing and that is an amazing opportunity. We've been reached out to and asked to do this podcast and anytime we mentioned-thon in any kind of social media post or podcast that we do prior to the actual release of the actual genuine podcast for them, in regards to the charity that we're doing it for, they promote it all over worldwide and so I am gonna make sure that when we do the next one involving the website that we because it has to be like G-rated without the violent words and not cursed a little bit, but we're going to mention Podcastathon in there and we are going to get that out there so that they sponsor and promote you in this website as well and that gets out worldwide as well. So maybe you get a couple more from there.
Speaker 2:That'd be awesome. Thank you, of course.
Speaker 1:Any good thoughts you want to leave us with before you go. Have fun on your birthday. What are you going to have for dinner for your birthday dinner?
Speaker 2:Oh, I would, I, I'd be. I I'm with right now is Pink Feather Foundation. So the first what I'm going to do, once I'm up and running and giving 75% of the profit away, I'm going to give like half of it to the town and half to a charity, and I want charity a year. So the first charity is going to be the Pink Feather Foundation, which the pinkfeatherfoundationorg go online is a great foundation that collects clothes for children. Teachers can go online on the website at pinkfeatherfoundationorg and they can shop for clothing for the children. So if the teacher sees John or Sue that they can't afford anything decent, they can hold them after class. They can go shopping, pick out the clothes they want. The Pink Feather Foundation boxes us up and sends it to the school and they get it the next week.
Speaker 1:Well, make sure you give me that address as well when you email me all of the possible links, and we're going to put that out there for everybody as well. Thank you, what are you having for?
Speaker 2:your birthday dinner?
Speaker 1:um, I haven't even thought about it I'm guessing seafood maybe maybe, maybe do you know I've never had a steak in my life. I've never, wow, I have not had any. I don't. He had steak. I've never had. Let's see, I've never had ribs, I've never had steak. I've never had shrimp um lobster. I've never had a hot dog. I've never had a hamburger. I'm gonna get so much hate meal. I've never had a hot dog or a hamburger.
Speaker 2:I'm so plain sounds like we need to get you out to hawaii, you and your family out to hawaii to have surf and turf you remember that 80 song?
Speaker 1:You don't drink, you don't smoke, what do you do? That's like my my song, cause I'm boring. I had roast beef or you know, my husband likes to go hunting and I'm like, if you even consider bringing any type of deer, it's not coming in my home.
Speaker 1:Like be in the woods and call it a day Like it's, it's not going to gonna happen. And he's like I hunt and I'm like if you want to hunt for something, a whole better than a deer, you're not bringing it home like I just can't, like I. He's cooked it here once and it's a smell you can't get out of your, out of your system.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm pretty boring, I'm yeah I don't drink, I don't smoke.
Speaker 1:I've never smoked pot. I've've never done drugs. I'm really boring. I'm a very boring person.
Speaker 2:No, you're not. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness, victoria, you're beautiful. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, you and your family, and Mike and your beautiful, beautiful daughter, faith. Thank you, a contagious smile Indeed, indeed.
Speaker 1:Thank you. So go ahead, give us your last thought here as you celebrate your amazing birthday Six years sober. Again, on behalf of myself, my platform, my family, we thank you for all that you are, all that you've done, all that you stand for Congratulations. I will have you back and we'll celebrate Another six years. We'll celebrate Every decade along the way. It's my honor to be your friend.
Speaker 2:Thank you Likewise. Likewise Thank you. And to all the listeners out there, I just ask that you do one thing for me to pause love yourself and be aware of your ripple. Thank you with love and gratitude.
Speaker 1:jj thank you, everybody. We'll talk to you soon.
