S5 E22: Built on Faith, Raised with Purpose: A Conversation with Meredith & Ava Karmie

This week on Impact Without Limits, Brian and Dale welcome two very special guests to the podcast—Brian's two youngest daughters, Meredith and Ava Karmie. From growing up alongside ForeverLawn to reflecting on the values that shaped their family, the conversation offers a heartfelt look at faith, family, and the legacy of a business built on purpose. Along the way, they share memories of the American Revolution series, childhood adventures, and what it was like growing up as part of the Karmie family.

Filled with laughter, meaningful stories, and plenty of sibling banter, this episode provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the next generation of the Karmie family. Meredith and Ava discuss their own career paths, what they've learned from working inside the family business, and the importance of integrity, service, and keeping Christ at the center of everything they do. It's a warm, personal conversation about legacy, leadership, and the relationships that matter most.

Episode Highlights: 

• Growing up in the Karmie Army.
• Life at ForeverLawn.
• Family stories & laughs.
• Lessons that last.
• Looking to the future.

Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on ForeverLawn:

• www.foreverlawn.com
• Impact Without Limits Instagram: @impact_withoutlimits
• ForeverLawn’s Instagram: @foreverlawninc
• Get Grass Without Limits Here
• Visit our show notes page HERE
• Subscribe to Our Newsletter HERE
• Dale’s Instagram: @dalekarmie
• Brian’s Instagram: @bkarmie
• Find Our Shorts on the ForeverLawn YouTube Channel

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

You see people putting bacon on donuts. I feel like ham on ice cream is not the ham comb.

SPEAKER_04 0:07

Bring it back. Yeah. Bring back the ham comb.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

So, why would two guys leave comfortable jobs, move across the country, and start a business in an industry they don't know, a place they don't know. And could it be successful?

SPEAKER_06 0:31

We're Dale and Brian Carmen. Join us as we share our story and inspire you to become people of Impact.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

Welcome to the Impact Without Limits Podcast. Brian Carmy here with my brother Dale. Dale and some special guests in studio today.

SPEAKER_07 0:55

Hi. Hey.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

We have my two youngest daughters, Meredith and Ava, joining us for uh a little sit-down chat. Welcome, girls. It's a fireside chat without the fire. Without the fire. Yeah.

unknown 1:11

Look at that.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Would you look at that? All right. So uh this is fun. I enjoy this. I hope you girls do as well. And this season we are walking through the American Revolution. So we're just gonna, as an icebreaker, we're gonna get into you know more of our story and fun stuff. But as an icebreaker, I wouldn't love for you to tell me it doesn't be your favorite, but a revolutionary war or or a founding father character that you like and why you like them. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Right now we are, well, me, you, and mom are watching the John Adams series.

SPEAKER_05 1:57

And the you, mom and I. Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

You, mom and I are watching the John Adams series. And I feel like my knowledge of him is pretty little. Um so I'm liking him a lot. I'm liking seeing the different characters, like all of them are so different. Like seeing him interact with Ben Franklin, and I know it's just a show, but they're very different and they bring a lot of different stuff to the table. So I like kind of seeing the relationship between John Adams and the different founding fathers. I think I don't know a lot about most of them, but I enjoy the musical Hamilton. So that one's fun. That's good.

SPEAKER_06 2:44

Um and you're and you're learning a lot listening to our podcast.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

And listening to your podcast, absolutely. Yes.

unknown 2:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

Johnson's a good one. And I I've talked about that series. It's a great series. And the Ben Franklin in that series, like when I think of Ben Franklin in my mind, I am stuck. I think it's Danny Houston, is the character guy that plays that, the actor. And it is just like I he's the guy I see when I think of Ben Franklin. As a matter of fact, we watched that Great Awakening movie, and I was almost like, that's not Ben Franklin.

SPEAKER_06 3:11

It's not Ben Franklin. The other guy is Ben Franklin.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

That's really good. All right, good one. Ava.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

I'm gonna take the easy answer and say George Washington. George George. Um, yeah, I just think you guys touch on this a lot in your podcast. America would be very different and maybe non-existent without George Washington. I think we could say no. I think he showed that really well when he fought in the war, but also his presidency. And just even the fact I'm taking a class right now and I'm reading his um farewell address, and even the fact that he was able to step down from power and put America first.

SPEAKER_05 3:51

Yeah, willingly.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:53

Relinquish the power, teach them how to say goodbye.

SPEAKER_03 3:57

See what I did there?

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Hamilton reference.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

All right. Well, that's fun. Good. And are you excited about the semi-quintennial?

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 4:08

I'm excited about the semi-quintennial. We're excited about the semi-quencil. We're all excited. And they are definitely excited about it. Oh, yeah. Matter of fact. Mary begged $20 the other day because she knew so much about America.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

I'm a history buff.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

And we have wait, we gotta call off the cameras. You guys are girls are gonna have to talk, but the the shirts. Ava is wearing one that was a grandma Carmy shirt. Yes, that's America USA shirt. That's awesome. And Meredith has one that's a little newer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

It says two fitty on it. Two fitty. Less eloquent way of saying semi-quintennial. Yes. But same message. So yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:54

I like it. Awesome. All right. So let's let's change gears. Not that we can't spend more time on the semi-quincentennial, but um, I want to jump into you girls are not native Ohioans.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

We are not. We're chili peppers.

SPEAKER_06 5:15

My two little chili peppers born in New Mexico.

unknown 5:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 5:20

I'm going to guess you don't, Ava, you don't have any memories of New Mexico. Mary, do you?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

I don't think so. I remember one time getting in trouble, so I got spanked, and then I was crying and really sad.

SPEAKER_06 5:35

And then mom was mom.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah. Because then she was holding me as I was crying right after she spanked me. Weird memory. It also might be a dream.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

It's possible.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

I'm not sure, but I really vividly remember that in a rocking chair.

SPEAKER_05 5:50

That sounds real.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

With an American flag blanket.

SPEAKER_05 5:54

That would be real.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

So I have to edit that out because it might be a lie. But I think that is a memory from New Mexico.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

Yeah, it is. So and I ironically, I you are the same age as Foreverlone.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

You were born like 10 days or so, 11 days before Foreverlone was officially incorporated. So you were born right as we were going through. It was a tumultuous time. It was a very tumultuous time.

SPEAKER_07 6:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

And you come right in, make the world a better place.

SPEAKER_06 6:28

So I have a very vivid memory of you in New Mexico. And against my recommendations, you ordered a burrito that was larger than your head.

SPEAKER_07 6:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

You went with the burrito grande, and then you wanted to get the red chili. And I said, I'd recommend not. If you want it, get it on the side, because it's like it's a spicy chili. You go, no, no. It's good. I want the red chili on it. It had to be on a return trip.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

You get this brick. Yes, I was older than two years old.

SPEAKER_06 7:02

Two and two years old ordering a burrito. So you get this burrito. How big was it, Mary? Show me with your hands.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

Oh, I it was wow, probably Robin. It's giant. It took up the whole to-go box.

SPEAKER_06 7:12

But I was like, smothered in red chili. Yes. What'd you think of the red chili?

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Oh my goodness, my face immediately turned red. Immediately tears started streaming, and I was like, Uncle Hill just bought me this spirito. He told me it was gonna be too spicy. I said, Yeah, I like spice. No, I don't. I think I was trying to prove myself, and I did not because I took a few bites. You got me a soda pop as well, and I drank the whole thing right after the two bites. Oh my goodness. Yeah. But I remember looking at the menu, I was like, Jenna, how big do you think the burrito grande is? And she was like, put like a Taco Bell burrito.

SPEAKER_06 7:54

And you were like burrito grande.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

You know what grande means. I was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:00

Yeah, I think that's what I want. That was great.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

So that that was uh That is a New Mexico memory.

SPEAKER_06 8:05

That was during COVID, that was 2020.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Yeah, because in the airport you fell asleep with a Twizzler hanging out of your mouth. Oh, yeah. So you didn't have to wear a mask.

SPEAKER_06 8:14

Yeah, I always had something hanging out of my mouth so I didn't have to wear a mask.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

That's you were definitely well into an age where you should have known.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

I knew what grande meant, and I chose to get it anyways.

SPEAKER_03 8:29

You were 16 at that point, I do believe.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Yes, that sounds right.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

So it was good. All right, Ava, do you have any memories of New Mexico? Not from when you were born there, but from going back.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Not many. I have a few from the Vencels house. Okay. Um being out at their pole, but also, and I don't kind of what you're saying. I don't know if this is real, but I remember trying to build a swing out of a rope and one brick with Bryant. We're trying to build a swing. And yeah, I remember that. A brick?

SPEAKER_06 9:04

That's a hearty kid building a swing out of a brick. I like it.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

I know.

SPEAKER_06 9:09

Very good.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

Tie the brick to the rope and hop on, I guess.

SPEAKER_06 9:12

All right, so New Mexico's not well remembered.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

No.

SPEAKER_06 9:17

What about Frevalon? Wait, what you've grown up in it, right? You've never not known. But what are your like when you when you try to remember back, what do you first remember? And and what were your thoughts about?

SPEAKER_02 9:32

And did did you understand we're an artificial turf and it was a business, or you know, um, I definitely knew that it was art, like that you guys had started an artificial turf business. I think my first like real memory of Foreverlone is going into the New Mexico office. Um, I don't know if I really recognized what was going on then though. And then um you guys putting in the lake football field. I remember that very well.

SPEAKER_06 10:07

That's a big one.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

And we would go and like play on the rolls of turf.

SPEAKER_06 10:10

That was 2008, eight.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

Yeah. I really, really liked the smell of it.

SPEAKER_03 10:15

I thought Robert smoked. Who doesn't? Who doesn't?

SPEAKER_02 10:18

Yes. And uh I remember getting yelled at for drinking all your Gatorade or lemonade or whatever it was. So we that's where they went. We drank that pretty fast, and mom was not happy.

SPEAKER_06 10:30

Okay. We didn't yell. No. Did we?

SPEAKER_02 10:35

I don't think no. I mean, we got out of there before you noticed.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

All right, Ava, early memories of Foreverlone?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

I think my earliest memories are the office on Cleveland Avenue.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Yeah, that was a good one.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yes. I remember mom would take maybe all four of us, but I distinctly remember Meredith and I, and we would go in, and at that point, like everybody at Foreverlawn was family. Like everybody, I mean, maybe at least in that office. Anyway, Amy Amy. Yeah, but I mean she counts. Again, I didn't know anything really without Amy. So it was all family. We would run around to the different offices, we would call through on the different phones. I would go to dad's office, Meredith would go to Dale's, we'd call through on the phones, and then we would go back and find snacks in the kitchen.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

There were still snacks in the kitchen. Do you remember having sleepovers at the office?

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Yes, at Christmas. We have our birthday party for Jesus. That was supposed to be the best. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 11:37

It was good stuff. We should bring that back. Yeah. Yes, we should.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

I remember when we opened the new office, we spent the night there.

SPEAKER_06 11:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

And I woke up in so much pain. I was like, this is not how I remembered this as a kid.

SPEAKER_06 11:53

Age has a way of doing that.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 11:55

Yeah. Just wait, there's more coming. There's more pain coming.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

I am looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

Yeah. All right. So as you, as you girls um like watched, I mean, you went through school and you're watching us, um, was your thought like it and I guess I'll fast forward. It currently you are both working at Foreverline. Meredith, you just graduated from Liberty University and started full-time with us. Ava, you're working with us this summer and didn't last summer, and then you've got one year of school left. Like, was that always a thought like, hey, I'd like to be a part of that someday? Was it never a thought? Was it just a soon? Like, what was your thought about working at Foreverline?

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Yeah. Um, I think I always wanted to, but I didn't really know what. And it's just kind of like, yeah. I couldn't imagine not being part of a being part of the Foreverlone family because I grew up with Foreverlone as my family. So I knew that in some way I wanted to be a part of it, but I didn't really know where like what that fit was yet.

unknown 13:04

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I kind of um pictured myself working at Foreverlone. I was actually just reading something that I wrote in like fifth grade or something, talking about what do you want to do when you grow up? And I put down Foreverlon and I said, because they have really good snacks and everybody's really nice.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

Hey, that's still true. It's still one of our biggest selling points to hire people.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Yeah, but I definitely didn't know um really what my place would be in that until I started shadowing different people and uh took an interest in supply chain, which is what I ended up going to school for.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

And so what is supply chain? It's uh it's a buzzword now. I'll be honest. Probably 10 years ago I did not know that word.

SPEAKER_02 13:50

Oh. Well, supply chain.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

That was COVID, really. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

Really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:56

COVID was the big I mean, it existed before.

SPEAKER_06 13:59

Nobody used it. Right. All of a sudden COVID happened. It's like we disrupted the supply chain, and this with the supply chain, it became a thing.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

Yeah, I guess that makes sense because it has a lot to do with procurement and uh just logistics in that process. And COVID definitely impacted that.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

So give me something you learned in school about supply chain that you think applies to what we do. Well This is I'm putting you on the spot.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

You are. But I was just talking about this earlier. Um we were talking about ERSs at school right before I left, which is an enterprise resource system. And right now you guys are integrating new technology with the hub. Yes. Um it's really cool to sit in on those meetings and uh kind of just even just listening to what you're talking about, it's very it makes me feel like what I was talking about at school is very relevant and applicable to Foreverlone and just yeah, in general what's going on. So I can say that.

SPEAKER_06 15:02

If you were going to um tell somebody about Foreverlone, not hey, it's an artificial turf company, but what makes this tough because this is supposed to be your your uh show and I'm asking you to talk about Foreverlone, but how how would you describe what makes Forevlon different? What how would you describe the environment or the people or whatever?

SPEAKER_02 15:29

In the artificial turf industry and or just as a business in general. Well, I mean it's a you do a great job of integrating faith and family, and quality is something that um is one of the core values, and I think that's something that's lacking in a lot of businesses today. So I would say that faith, family, and quality.

SPEAKER_06 15:55

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Yeah, I'll go back to the core values integrity, quality, and innovation. I think that those three truly are the foundation. Um and they certainly set you apart, especially integrity. I feel like that is just becoming less and less common today, which is sad, but I really think it makes you guys stand out, which is really awesome.

SPEAKER_06 16:17

What's your favorite F?

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Faith. I'm gonna steal that one right off the bat. I was gonna say I feel like that's the easy answer. I'd say faith. I would also say freedom. And I think you guys have incorporated freedom really well. And so, in that sense, and the freedom that we have in America, but also the freedom that we have in Christ.

SPEAKER_06 16:36

Nice. If you could add an F, what would you add?

SPEAKER_01 16:40

You know, I was wondering if this question would come.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Because you guys asked Jenna and Colton, he tells like food, and that's the one that comes to mind immediately. But I mean food. That is at every meeting, celebration, any kind of event at Foreverlone. First question is what is the food? And yeah. So I think that's definitely one that could be a Foreverlone F. That's a really good one.

SPEAKER_03 17:07

Do you have a different one, Ava?

SPEAKER_01 17:09

I don't know that I do. I've actually been thinking for the past two days and I didn't come up with one.

SPEAKER_06 17:14

Foosball.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

I could be one.

SPEAKER_06 17:18

I I meant foosball, the table game.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Not foodballs are good, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_06 17:27

Fireworks.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

Um so I want to flash back to your child. So I was just thinking through this, right? We we have we did a whole season, season three, on the the trial, the the court case in California. And that spanned from like 2007 to 2017, which was So by 2017, Ava, that was your life.

SPEAKER_06 17:57

That was her whole life. And I know we tried to shield the family from a lot of that, but but you grew up in it.

SPEAKER_03 18:05

Yeah. So Meredith, you were like three, you were one when this started, and it pretty much goes until you're you know into junior high. Like what but did you have any thoughts or memories of what that was like, or was it just that I was on a business trip and it didn't really you didn't know?

SPEAKER_01 18:23

Yeah, I mean I knew I always knew that you were gone in California, and I knew it was for work, and I knew that it was important by the way that you and mom handled it at home. Um and I think you guys did a really good job of kind of separating that and not making it everything at home. Like, I don't think even when I was older, I don't think I ever fully understood the depth of the trial until like hearing you guys tell the stories. And even like I remember Deliverance Day, and like I remember like when mom found stuff out, and like she would tell us and she'd be super excited, and I would be too, but I like I didn't really understand what I was excited about. Like, I was excited that you guys were excited, and I was excited that it was good and that you were coming home.

unknown 19:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Yeah, I definitely agree with Ava. Um, I did not understand what was going on when I was growing up because you both did a really good job of not making that something that we would stress about. Uh I do remember it was, I think, Ava's soccer game when you got a call and you went over to the woods and like dropped to your knees and were praising the Lord um for the appeal. And I was so confused that you just ran away. I thought you really had to. People sitting there were confused in that moment. And I just remember like looking up, seeing you running to the woods, and I was like, oh, I think he really asked to pee.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

Which I love that your thought was in the soccer game, runs to the woods and pees in front of a crowd.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yeah, well the bathrooms were far away at that field. Yeah. But yeah, definitely did not understand what was going on. Um, and even listening to the podcast, I was like, I was just flabbergasted at all of it. I was like, what? Yeah. I I yeah, definitely did not have the big picture of what was going on. I was just, yeah, what Ava said. I would hear little things about what mom was excited about, or I knew it was a serious topic, and I just didn't did not know.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

That's fair. You were your own. So, what was it like um growing up as a Carmi kid?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Wow. That was awesome. Very open-ended question. Yeah, it was great. It was family There you go. That's a wrap. It was great. That's all.

SPEAKER_06 20:56

Yeah, I I was gonna put a I was I was gonna ask pretty much the same thing, but different twists. So you're gonna say, Carmi's army, what does that mean to you when you when you're Carmi's army?

SPEAKER_02 21:05

I love being a part of a big family. Um and I love that everyone's so close. I think I thought that was normal growing up, and then hearing other people in class talk about their families or how they don't ever really talk to their cousins or just something like that. It really gives perspective and makes me very thankful. And I mean, also that you guys are pretty well known in the Northeast Ohio area.

SPEAKER_06 21:36

And maybe Marlborough Township Parkville. Northville area. Northeast Ohio is pretty big. I think we need to, you know, like Lake Center community within Hartboro, Hartboro, yeah. Whatever it's called.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

But I mean, you guys are very respected, and I think that people recognized the name, and it made me very proud um to be a Carmi. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:01

Good. Good. Yeah. You represent well. Sorry.

SPEAKER_07 22:04

Oh, you're good.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

I was just gonna tag on, say I agree. Um it was always fun and it always felt normal. Like I thought that that was what everybody had. Um so looking back, I'm very grateful. I mean, it was just always like we were always together, whether that was sleepovers, whether that was I don't know, turkey bowl hanging out at people's houses. Like it was just if there was ever a reason for like the dads to get together, there was no reason that the kids shouldn't come along. And so we would just climb in the truck and all hang out.

SPEAKER_06 22:39

All right, so I'm gonna put you on the spot.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

Oh boy.

SPEAKER_06 22:43

I'm assuming at some point you're both gonna get married. Wig one hyphen Carmy.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Probably not. It's gonna be a no for me.

SPEAKER_03 22:55

The problem is I would really love you to keep the last name Carmi. I just don't know that I would respect the man who would take your last name enough that they would be worthy of marrying you. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 23:11

And I've been seeing a lot of videos to have a different name and still be part of Carmi's army. We can own it.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

To the Carmichem. And Bethany is a great example of that.

SPEAKER_02 23:20

Ooh, good. Good call out that's I've been seeing a lot of videos of girls getting their last name tattooed before they get married, so they still have their major name. And I was talking about it with Paige, and we were like, Dad would not even appreciate that.

SPEAKER_03 23:39

Because you just aren't really you just I am just personally not a tattoo person.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

Yeah, sorry for outing you there. Still think I might do that though. You might? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Just make it somewhere you can hide it.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

I will.

SPEAKER_03 24:03

All right. Um if you were not involved with Foreverlone, what would your career be? Ava, I think I already know your answer, but go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

I would love to open a coffee shop someday.

SPEAKER_03 24:18

Yes, I knew that was coming. Yeah, it's a good one. It may come even coffee shop. You are a little barista. You've got your little uh set up in the basement with the espresso machine and uh all the different syrups, and you make a pretty mean little cup of joe.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Thank you. It's fun. Yeah. It is very fun. It all started at the human being. Who was it?

SPEAKER_03 24:47

That's right. You did work there.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

Yeah. So let's talk about that. I I wanted you girls to work somewhere else. So you worked at the human being. Did you work anywhere else or just at the human being?

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Just at the human being.

SPEAKER_03 24:58

Okay. And then you're well, you're working at Liberty, but that's an RS.

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Right.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Yep. Meredith, where did you work?

SPEAKER_02 25:06

I worked as a hostess at the Piazza and Jirvassi, yep. Yes, at Jarvassi. And then as a banquet server at the Hartville Kitchen.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

Nice. So a lot of food service here. We got coffee, Jravasi.

SPEAKER_06 25:19

I like the training. This is gonna serve you well.

SPEAKER_03 25:22

And I can see why food is one of the Foreverland Fs. I am definitely hungry.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Definitely plays a part.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

Give me something that you learned there that you may not have seen or is different than working at Foreverlyn.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

I think I got very frustrated with people that I worked with because they had a tendency to complain. And that just doesn't help anything. And that's something that I think about at Foreverlone now of one, in general, you guys hire people with better attitudes. And that's something I really appreciate. Um and then two, just keeping in mind sitting and complaining about a customer or a coworker or a dealer is not helpful in any way. So I think that is something that I've taken with me.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

Very good. Ava?

SPEAKER_01 26:16

I would say I learned the importance of customer service. Um I never really like witnessed bad customer service and interactions at Foreverlone. And so I didn't really realize that it was such a thing. But I think it just became very evident at the human being, especially because your interactions with people in a place like that are so short and like yeah, and a lot of times like people are coming to celebrate because something exciting happened, or they're coming for a pick-me-up because they had a hard day, and you just have such an opportunity to impact them in either a positive or negative way, and I hope that I could always impact them in a positive way. And so yeah, just really learned the importance of that.

SPEAKER_06 27:01

Being a person of person of impact, I like that. I had a question and I lost it.

SPEAKER_03 27:09

I've got one. Give me a sister or a sister story, something about your sisters. You two were the two younger sisters. What was that like?

SPEAKER_02 27:19

I love it. Yeah, I really like where I fall in the lineup of sisters. I think it's fun.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

I mean, a lot of people claim her to be the third. They're like, I want to be the third in the line.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

Yeah, everyone's fighting for their spot.

SPEAKER_06 27:32

Number three, gotta love third power.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

Yes, that's what they say. Just like that.

SPEAKER_05 27:40

Hey. Babies.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

We gotta come up with a better name for that. Yeah, we do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:49

I think they say favorites.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

Oh, spoiled in there somewhere, I think maybe.

SPEAKER_02 27:56

That's what they all say.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

All right, so sister story.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Uh I don't know. We grew up very close, I'd say, and there was a lot of arguments. Um, but it's funny. I I think it's funny that we could get in such serious arguments and sometimes physical brawls, and ten minutes later we're all sitting around painting our nails together, or something like that. I thought that was looking back, I think that's kind of funny. And I definitely took for granted um growing up with siblings and sisters. I mean, we talk about it all the time of like you got to just live with your best friends for how many years? You don't really think of it that way in the moment, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Mary, you and so there's Julianne Paige, pretty close together, a little bit of a gap, Meredith and then Ava. And it seemed like there was a period of time in there where Paige and Meredith were like it was a constant It was bad, it was a struggle.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

It was terrible. I was just terrible, so annoying to Paige. I really was. Um, and I knew it. I didn't know.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

And she was also very mean to you. I mean, it was a good combo.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

That's true. I was actually gonna tell a story about her babysitting us, and I didn't think she would have appreciated listening.

SPEAKER_03 29:20

No, she is going to have the mic after you, so we might want to be gentle.

SPEAKER_02 29:24

I'm gonna keep my mouth shut on that story, but it was funny. It's funny now. Um, but yes, Paige and I did not get along at all for a good bit. Um, and I don't know what changed, but it was kind of all of a sudden we just I think we were really similar, and for a while that was probably annoying to Paige. Um and then I guess we just started looking at it differently of it's a good thing, and we have a lot of the same reactions or attitudes towards things, and it became like a yeah, just kind of I knew that she uh understood me, so I looked at it that way instead of it being like a I don't know, a point of tension between us, but okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:14

All right, talk to me about the littles.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

Hmm, the littles, aka me, Meredith, Jenna and Colton, and Colton, yeah. The best. Yeah, I mean, it basically felt like we were siblings growing up with how much time we spent together, especially during the homeschool years. We would genuinely just do everything together. I was actually just talking to Colton about um when we went to Mrs. Hart's house for English class when we were both homeschooled, and we would go there like once a week or once every other week and try and learn to write. Him and I just goofed off. I don't know. It was bad, but just fun memories like that. It's not very common that you get those memories with your cousins.

SPEAKER_06 30:59

So I I remember this time where you guys would come over at our house and you'd be downstairs playing, and I always saw Meredith and Colton playing together, and Ava and Jenna Lee playing together. And I commented to Laura, I said, Lori, it is so funny because it's like Meredith and Colton are becoming like best friends, and Jenna Lee and Ave are becoming best friends. And I think one time I said something to Jenna about it, and she's like, Oh no, we do that because Colton and Ave always fight. Yeah, so Jenna Lee would hang out with Ava, and Meredith would hang out with Colton just to keep you guys from fighting.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah, there were a few years in there that were pretty, pretty rough. It was just button heads the whole time. Kind of like a Meredith and Page thing. We just, man.

SPEAKER_06 31:47

I thought it was hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 31:50

Is that yeah, Mary? They did get in arguments. I don't know why. I can't even remember if it's now listen.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

I have a story that I could really expose Colton on. All I'm saying is we did a fashion show and Colton was the judge. And he gave Meredith and Jenna very good scores. And mine was not so good.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

That is all I will say. I've never known Colton to be a biased person, so I'm just wondering if maybe that is helped pick out my outfit.

SPEAKER_06 32:19

What was great was like you guys figured that all out on your own. Like Mary and Jenna, you get I I don't know if you two said, hey, we gotta do something here, or if it just happened. But that that was I don't know how long it was. It seemed like maybe a year or two that it was Meredith and Colton and Jenny and Ava.

SPEAKER_02 32:39

Yeah, I don't really know if there was Jenna and I had a meeting to discuss that or if it just happened naturally, but there was a while where I mean, and it wasn't a chore for me and Jenna. I mean, I love hanging out with Colton and I still do. And Ava and Jenna obviously are great friends. So it was just the best way to go about it at the time. And I think it ended up switching where Colton and Ava got close and they would start getting frustrated at Jenna and I. Jenna and me. Jenna and me. Nice one. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:13

You you and Jenna went to school. She's a year older, but you actually went to school and you were the same grade.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

Correct.

SPEAKER_03 33:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

Yeah. So that was cool.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

And I mean, there was a period of time where like you girls are in schools, and I think sometimes people thought you were sisters or it was confusing.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

Yeah. I think we tried convincing people we were twins, but that lasted for like 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_06 33:37

I remember one time we found out that Jenna Lee's lunch money allotment was used up. We're like, how could that happen? Mary was going through and eating all of Jenna's food.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

I remember hearing this story. I don't remember it happening in the moment. And I think Aunt Lori asked me, like, are they calling you Jenna when you walk through? Yeah, yeah. And I was like, Yeah. Oh, yeah, I can see how that would be an issue.

SPEAKER_03 34:06

Listen, my lips were sealed. I wasn't saying anything to anyone about that.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Yeah, sorry about that.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

That's all right.

SPEAKER_06 34:14

It all turned out good.

SPEAKER_02 34:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:17

So talk to me a little bit about like what you see. I'm gonna go back to Foreverlone. What do you see for the future of Foreverline?

SPEAKER_02 34:28

Wow. Wow. Big question. Yeah. Um I honestly have a hard time thinking about Foreverlone past you guys. Which is not the right mindset to have, and I know you want to pass it on, but I mean it's a little bit sad and a little bit overwhelming to think about the business running um without you two. So I would I want to be a part of it. I don't really know what that looks like fully. And I know that I have older siblings and cousins that are very much involved and want to be involved in the legacy portion. So yeah, I'm not entirely sure what that looks like for me. I know I want to play a small part or any part. Um but yeah. No, no formed thoughts on it yet, really, is all I have to say.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

What's your business plan, Ava?

SPEAKER_01 35:30

What didn't you like? No. Um I would agree. Like I actually don't like to think of Foreverline without the two of you. It's just a a weird thought. It feels wrong.

SPEAKER_03 35:41

I'm not going anywhere immediately. Like we have some time.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

But you did say the future, so I was thinking, you know, a little closer.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

A little closer to that cliff.

SPEAKER_01 35:52

A cliff?

SPEAKER_07 35:53

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_06 35:55

Yeah, sorry. Ryan's throwing me off. Remember those advertisements the Democrats used to run or the Republicans running the old people off the cliff? So security growth.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

Well, I mean you are getting close to that age.

SPEAKER_07 36:09

That's crazy. I'm teasing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:11

He's young. He's spry. He is probably outrun me right now. I'm a Minuteman. Yes. I'm a Minuteman. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:19

You did just go on a run yesterday, though.

SPEAKER_05 36:21

I did.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Look at that.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

All right. If somebody like was just to summarize, like, what is it that you bring to the family business? What do you think is is like a skill set or a perspective or something that you bring that is different?

SPEAKER_01 36:42

I'll go first. Um I think the position that I have is really unique.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

Well, I don't even think we talked about that. What is your position right now?

SPEAKER_01 36:49

I get to work right alongside you.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

I get to help out with your scheduling and your emails and all the little things. Missy and I get to work together. Shout out, Missy.

SPEAKER_06 37:00

Missy's great.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

She's the best. Makes my life so much easier. Um but yeah, so I have a very unique position within that. And so I hope my contribution is helping to keep you on track and helping to make your days a little easier and lighter. And with that, leave you room to do more things, bigger things. No.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

Do what you do.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

I'm not qualified to do.

SPEAKER_03 37:27

So you you were always my little helper.

SPEAKER_06 37:30

I say you you're you're like an organizer, right? Yeah. You're your structure, you're MJ. Well, go ahead, Mayor.

SPEAKER_02 37:37

No. We used to call Ava MJ, which stands for mom junior, because Ava had no problem stepping in and putting people in their place when it was just the girls' home or even friends. Ava was the organizer. She was the one in charge because she took that responsibility.

SPEAKER_03 37:59

Do you remember when we made that trip to one of the conferences? And mom and paige stayed back, and it was Julia, you, Ava, and me. And Ava was like keeping track of everything. We'd get on the planes and she'd get out the wipes and wipe down everybody's stuff. And like somebody had to do it. Somebody had to do it or iPhones. Ava was not afraid of the phone. Somebody had to do it, and it wasn't gonna be Dad. Like totally in control. She was like running that trip.

SPEAKER_02 38:25

And she was like, Yeah. It was, I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 38:33

What's interesting is we had a neighbor who watched us grow up when we moved here to Hartville, and Colton was young, you know, General and Colton. We moved in in 2007. And they used to call Colton the little general because they said they would watch our family. Like he just marched around like he owned the place. Maybe that's why you and Colton.

SPEAKER_07 38:55

Something about the thing.

SPEAKER_06 38:58

You're both like the the little he's an organizer, but he always wanted to lead or be in control of a situation.

SPEAKER_07 39:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

All right. So Ava's bringing a level of organization and structure to the business. Meredith, you were bringing um I'm not.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

I don't know. I mean, I just went to school and I'm not sure. Don't be shy. Come on. Um I'd like to think that what I've learned at school would eventually be.

SPEAKER_06 39:29

Don't give me book knowledge. What do you bring in? What makes Meredith special?

SPEAKER_02 39:37

This is a good question. Um I really think about all my decisions and making sure they are made with integrity. So I know that's something that everybody at Foreverlawn values, and that's a big part of the culture in general. But I mean, from starting at Foreverlawn, I think that's something that I have worked to develop. Um so hopefully that would be one.

unknown 40:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:09

That's good. Yeah, I I also, and you didn't touch on this, I don't know if you would or not, but one of the things I see, I think you're incredibly creative. Like you are, you're you're artistic, you're you're good at that stuff. You've got you've always had this thought process where you stuff just seems like it comes out of nowhere. Like you're in a different world thinking about something, and you throw something out, and it's like, where did that come from? But it it often has a lot of value to it and and has a unique perspective on things. So um I think this is important.

SPEAKER_02 40:40

Um not typically.

SPEAKER_06 40:43

I just I read an article yesterday that said if you get irritated or bothered by people chewing food, you have an incredibly creative mind.

SPEAKER_07 40:54

Ah.

SPEAKER_06 40:55

I sent it to Kaylin because Kalen goes nuts. Like if the dog is licking its paws or if somebody's chewing, Kaylin's just like, stop it.

SPEAKER_02 41:04

I think I'm typically a loud chewer. I like chomping on ice, so I think I'm usually the one. But I really dislike the sound of somebody like scratching their skin. There you go. That's it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:16

I know what you're talking about. That's the one. All right. I think we're wrapping up. Yeah, but give give me something. Give me a funny story, a funny thought. It can be about something happened at school, at work, at home, the kids growing up. Oh boy. Tell me or get tell me something funny about your dad, an embarrassing dad story or something. I don't think those exist.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

Well, not if you don't get embarrassed. I didn't mean that in a bad way. I just meant you are good at laughing at yourself, so you never come across as embarrassed. Um I mean, the one that I am thinking of right now that I don't even want to share because it's embarrassing for me is the the ice cream at Golden Corral.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

Oh, you I don't think you were with us. Angie was away on a trip and we went to Golden Corral. Meredith was probably four or five, and we were getting like just whatever they want, right? Just get whatever you want. And they got ice cream, yeah, and they were allowed to put stuff on it, and Meredith wanted to put ham on her ice cream. So she got the chopped up ham from the salad bar and put it on her ice cream cone. And I took a picture and sent it to Angie, and I said, look at Mary's ham cone, which I thought was really funny. It's funny. That's good. Angie was she was not pleased.

SPEAKER_06 42:47

I think it was the same trip. I was gonna say, I remember going to Golden Corral with you guys and Colton and Jenna and go the kids, and we were like pounding the ice cream.

SPEAKER_02 42:58

You see people putting bacon on donuts. I feel like ham on ice cream is not.

SPEAKER_04 43:02

I think you might have started some ham comb. Bring it back. Yeah. Bring it back the ham comb.

unknown 43:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:09

You know.

SPEAKER_03 43:10

That could be a social post-that could be a social media post there.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

Oh man, I don't know if I could find that picture, but I kind of wish I wouldn't have said that right now. But yeah, that's you were five. I was five. Everybody does that when they're five.

SPEAKER_03 43:27

Maybe ten. I don't know, somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 43:29

Maybe ten.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

All right, Ava, any stories?

SPEAKER_01 43:33

Um I'm trying to think of something basketball. You and I spent a lot of years together on the court. We did.

SPEAKER_06 43:39

Did Dad ever get kicked out of a basketball game?

SPEAKER_01 43:42

Not as a coach.

SPEAKER_06 43:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 43:47

Oh no, did you?

SPEAKER_03 43:49

Not as a coach, but I did get kicked out one time.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

Yeah, but that one wasn't your fault. No, it actually wasn't my Dan Bauer.

SPEAKER_03 43:59

He had heckled. The ref, the whole game. I came in and sat down beside him. And the ref returns. And at one point, like the ball goes out of bounds. And I'm like, oh man. I just it was a little exclamation like that. And he goes, That's it. You're out of here. And I'm like, what? He's like, you've been heckling me all game. And I'm not gonna say no, it was this guy. So I argued with him for a little bit and sat there, and then he held the ball till I left the gym.

SPEAKER_07 44:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 44:25

So I was kicked out of a game. Yeah, I remember there were other times I probably should have been kicked out of a game.

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Oh, for sure. Plenty of those.

SPEAKER_03 44:32

I don't know that Plenty of those as a coach. A junior high girls basketball coach. You wouldn't think uh would but that was probably not some of my I I did some good work there, but I don't know that I always showed my best.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

You were the best thing to happen to that program. You pushed us hard and we still had fun.

SPEAKER_03 44:51

We did.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

That's we did.

SPEAKER_03 44:53

We had all the time.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

Best way to do it.

unknown 44:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

Best way to do it.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

We had some good teams. You girls, you're good little ball players.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

Could have been PTC champs if you didn't sub ML.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

See, there it is. I knew it was gonna come. Go ahead, tell the story. And then I'll tell the truth.

SPEAKER_01 45:07

I know the truth. It was our was that seventh or eighth grade? It was eighth grade. It was your final basketball game.

SPEAKER_03 45:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Yeah, my final game with my dad as my coach. And listen, we were down. We were certainly down, but there was a chance of us coming back. Probably 10 to 15. Listen, enough that we were still fighting hard. Enough that we weren't ready to just be like, okay, you know what? This is the end.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

But dad was.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

You know what? He was because it was right then and there that he subbed Emma Falk and I out of the game and put our two bench players in who they might be listening. And I'm gonna say it nicely. They just weren't great at basketball. And they would tell you that they didn't play in high school, they don't play anymore. Um, it wasn't their strong suit, and he put them in. Emma and I were certainly upset, both upset, and then Abby Graham went and found out, and you put me back in instead of Emma, and then I felt like the coach's daughter who got put in, and man, it was bad. And we did lose, and that was the end of it.

SPEAKER_03 46:19

I will say, first of all, I will defend myself slightly. You were down by about 10 to 12 points all game, and we kept trying to make a run, and you weren't able to make a run. It's the middle of the fourth, there's probably like three minutes left in the game, and I wanted to give the other girls a chance to play. I know they earned their chance. It was the championship game. Maybe that isn't the right time. I know, but maybe anyway. We you that was a great team. You girls were uh you were a group of overachievers, you played great. We went much further than anyone expected us to go. That was a lot of fun. But the one thing I really remember was you were so angry with me in the locker room after the game, I was trying to like give the final talk to the team in the locker room, and you and Emma were just mad, maybe crying, maybe just like didn't even want to make eye contact with me, and I'm like, ah, all right. And so I turn around and walk out, and as I walk out of the locker room, you come out and you give me a big hug. And that moment is one that I will remember forever.

SPEAKER_06 47:26

I got a tear.

SPEAKER_01 47:29

Remember it, too.

SPEAKER_03 47:30

Yeah, it was a good one.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

Those are some fun years.

SPEAKER_02 47:34

That is just really precious, guys. So seriously. That's a good story. That's like the end of a movie.

SPEAKER_03 47:40

It was, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:42

Maybe the end of a podcast?

SPEAKER_06 47:44

Wow. Cue the music. Well, listen, girls, great having young ladies. Great having you on. Um it's just it's been so awesome to watch you grow up. You're both beautiful uh young, young women. Um, I love you like you're my own. And uh it's just great having you be part of my life. And thank you for that.

SPEAKER_03 48:12

Yeah, thank you, girls. I know that this is something that was maybe not comfortable for you, but I appreciate you being willing to do it. And uh love you, girls, proud of you, and uh looking forward to many more happy memories.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Me too. Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us. It was fun.

SPEAKER_03 48:29

To everybody out there on Podcast Land, thanks for joining. Hope you enjoyed this lesson, and we will see you next week.

SPEAKER_00 48:41

This is the Fred Carmie reminding you that face looks up, hope looks ahead, and love looks all around to see whom it can help. Good day.