Turning Setbacks into Strength with Joe Williamson

If you’re looking for someone who truly embodies a glass-half-full mindset, Joe is your person.

In today’s episode, Joe shares how his perspective has helped him maintain positivity through life’s challenges. His journey hasn’t been easy—facing open-heart surgery at 17 and again at 29, along with the setback of losing a job—but finding his way to a career he loves.

Joe opens up about the power of mindset and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people, offering a meaningful reminder of how both can shape and strengthen your CHD journey.

If you or someone you know would like to be part of the podcast you can message both Meagan and Amy at:  candidhearts25@gmail,com

Find our journey’s on Facebook:

My HLHS Diary- Amy Erhart Cunningham

My HLHS Story- Meagan Houpt

Transcript

Joe Williamson

Welcome to Candid Hearts conversation in CHD, where real stories meet real hearts and nothing is off limits. We are your hosts, Amy Erhart and Meagan, Houpt, and every other week we'll dive into the moments that broke us, the ones that built us, and the people who remind us that even on the hardest days, hope still beats strong.

In this space, we have honest conversations about life with congenital heart disease, the challenges, the triumphs, and everything in between. These are raw, heartfelt talks, all centered around the heart because behind every diagnosis is a life, and every life deserves to be heared. This is candid hearts.

These are our conversations in CHD.

Amy: Hi, Joe. How are you?

Joe: I'm wonderful. How about you this evening?

Amy: Good. Thanks for joining.

Joe: Anytime.

Amy: Perfect. .

So I know that you had reached out to us and had a few things that you wanted to talk about, so I'm excited to hear that because you wanted to talk about.

Going after your goals and right now you have your current dream job, which I think is awesome.

Joe: Yeah.

Amy: But before we get into that, if you just wanna tell us who you are, what defect you have, and then we will just. Go from there.

Joe: Yep. So I was born February, 1985 with pulmonary atresia VSD and Tetrology of Fallot.

Had Taussig shunt put in me pretty quickly, actually. It was pretty quick. And then I underwent my first open heart, just shy of three years old.

Amy: Do you know which one that was?

Joe: I am not sure to be honest

Amy: with, you don't know. Okay.

That's okay.

Joe: All I know is that like they call it a conduit, so I'm not sure what the actual. Terminology is, in fact, she never really paid attention. My mom , did a really good job of trying to keep my childhood as normal as possible. So I didn't really start studying up on stuff until I got much older.

But I had my. Third open heart surgery in 2014

Amy: and that was your last, you haven't had any?

Joe: I haven't had nothing since

Amy: that's awesome.

Meagan: Yeah.

Joe: , I had my yearly cardiologist appointment and they're like, yeah, nothing's really changed since your last surgery still.

Meagan: That's good.

Joe: And yeah. And so hearing that makes it this, now I'm in the position where it's been the second longest amount of time without having surgery.

Amy: That's awesome. Did I, am I calculating it that you were 29 when you had that done?

Joe: Yes. Correct.

Amy: Okay. So I'm real curious. Open heart surgery at 29 years old.

I have no idea what that's I was four when I had my last one. So what the world, how did that feel at 29?

Joe: I tell you, it was a lot tougher than it was at 17.

Meagan: Yeah,

Joe: I had my second at 17 and was in and outta the hospital in three days.

Doctors were actually pretty amazed.

I got out in that quick amount of time. 29 was a lot more difficult. I remember going in, they told me surgery would take probably four hours. It ended up taking eight because there was so much scar tissue from the previous . Every time they would try to sew me back up, I would start bleeding.

So they actually couldn't technically sew me back up. They had to glue me back up. And you,

Meagan: I don't think we talk about enough how much scar tissue we have.

Joe: Oh, it's terrible. Meagan, I still have issues with my sternum on and off.

Meagan: Yeah.

Joe: Occasionally.

Meagan: They can't do a cath through my legs anymore.

I have to have it through the neck.

Joe: Yeah.

Meagan: Scar tissue.

Joe: That's scary in itself.

Amy: Wow.

Meagan: I know.

Joe: I. So I'm a very, I'm a very spiritual person. Very into my faith. And I remember when I talked to my surgeon a week before my third surgery, he is you're gonna probably be in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

'Cause it's not gonna be easy with what you've already been through. And I just looked at him and I don't know why I said it, but I looked at him, I'm like I'm gonna be out within a week. You're not keeping me in the hospital for no 10 to 14 days. This is not gonna happen.

Amy: Very ambitious,

Joe: very stubborn is the word.

I'm very stubborn. And you

Meagan: Even a week is a long time.

Joe: So back when I was 16. I actually had pneumonia that almost killed me which was about eight months before my second open heart. I was in the hospital for over a week and I'm like, never again. Never, ever again. There's too much out in the world that I need to do.

And so it wasn't gonna happen. I get through the third open heart. I'm moving along really well. Fourth day, I pushed myself too hard and I thought I was gonna go home. They're like, no, you need to slow down a little bit. And I'm like, you're not keeping me here.

So I did slow down a little bit because part of me being stubborn is I don't like pain medication. I think there's too much of a risk factor for addiction, and I didn't ever wanna become one of those people that , needed to rely on medication to get me through, but I'm like, okay, in this case I probably shouldn't have tried to cut myself off cold Turkey in the hospital.

So I cooled it for another day and a half and on the sixth day I got out.

Amy: Wow,

Meagan: that's amazing. What did your cardiologist say? I'm very curious.

Joe: So it wasn't even really the cardiologist that was shocked.

Meagan: Oh, the surgeon I guess. Yeah.

Joe: So there was two surgeons. So the main surgeon, his name was Dr.

Hall, and he's a really great guy. Somebody came over from England. But the other one's name I believe was his name was Dr. Hillman, who worked alongside him. And Dr. Hillman came and talked to me a few hours before I was getting ready to leave. He is you're, I've read your history, and he is you are the poster boy for recovery.

When I got out of ICU, I was up walking in no time. I was like, this is not slowing me down. I refused to let it slow me down and, that's how, I basically had the same mindset as I did when I was 17, but I had to be a little smarter since I was older.

Meagan: I was gonna ask, , is this more of a mindset thing?

Joe: I think so,

Meagan: yeah,

Joe: because it is really weird. I almost feel like sometimes not only I get it from other people, but even sometimes I put it on myself. I have this expectation, like I gotta be Superman and prove a point. .

Not just to myself but to other people. So I think it's very much a mindset.

Meagan: I think we have that in a lot of us though. I need to prove you wrong.

Amy: I don't think that's a bad thing because you can have the mindset you had. I don't wanna be here for 10 to 14 days, or the mindset of, oh I'll get out when I get out.

And it's doing something every day and pushing yourself so you can recover and. Be out faster versus not doing anything. And then like you're saying, your body is much different at 29 than it is 17.

Joe: Yep.

Amy: It just takes that much longer to recover.

Joe: And I think my biggest mistake at 29 is I had my surgery in the middle of winter, which I'll never, ever do again.

If I have my way, it'll be back when I was like I was 17 and do it in the middle of September when the weather's beautiful.

Amy: Are you from up North?

Joe: I've always lived in Grand Rapids area..

Amy: Oh, so you're in Michigan?

Joe: Yeah, I'm in

Michigan.

Amy: Okay.

Joe: Yep. So Grand Rapids. . Been my home all my life

Meagan: . Do you go to Michigan for cardiology?

Joe: . I go to Helen Devos Children's Hospital. .

Amy: Where's that?

Joe: We have something in Grand Rapids known as the Medical Mile.

We have Butterworth Hospital, the Meyer Heart Center Helen Devos Children's Hospital, and all three of 'em are connected to each other. .

And then across the street is 25 and 35 Michigan,

and at 25, Michigan, that's where the Congenital Heart Clinic is.

Meagan: It's in Grand Rapids, right?

Joe: Yes. Yep.

Meagan: Okay.

Joe: I, so I am like an OG in Grand Rapids. I remember when there was this, just this little tiny office off of Michigan and Barclay.

Ran by one cardiologist and one nurse, and my nurse is probably a name that everybody is familiar with. It was Gwen Fosse. Yeah,

Meagan: I know her

Joe: . So most people don't know that Gwen had a whole nother life before she worked at Michigan. She was the pediatric congenital hearts at Helen Devos.

Meagan: Yes. She's amazing.

Joe: I love her to death. She has known me since the day I was born. We have kept and close contact even after she went to work at U of M. Always very good for advice. Always very good for inside. Absolutely loved that lady to death.

Meagan: She just retired too, didn't she?

Joe: Yeah, that's, yep. I'd actually asked her about a year ago.

I was like, Hey, when are you thinking about hanging it up?

Meagan: Yeah.

Joe: When you think of OGs in the congenital heart community in West Michigan, her and Sam Lasina are the two people that I think of at least anyways.

Meagan: Yeah, no, I met her at Mott did a, a Mott reunion for all the

Joe: Yep.

Meagan: Heart patients and I met her there.

Joe: Yep. That actually, I, ironically enough, I, that is where I had my first open heart was Mott's.

Meagan: Okay. Who

did you

have?

Joe: A guy named Dr. Bove.

Meagan: That was my surgeon.

Joe: Really? How old were you?

Amy: Listen, this is like seven degrees of Kevin Bacon right now.

Meagan: Yeah. 1990.

Joe: Yeah.

Wow. See, like I, I had him in 87.

Meagan: Yeah, he's retired now too, but

Joe: That's crazy.

Meagan: That's so funny.

Joe: So what's ironic about is three surgeries, three different surgeons.

Meagan: Yeah.

I had Dr. Bove for all three.

This is a small world.

Amy: I was gonna say it's a small world. Say what's the distance between where you are, Meagan and Grand Rapids?

Meagan: Let me look. Hold on.

Amy: I'm just curious. You guys have to be close, right

Joe: about, I think we're about two and a half hours away.

Amy: No, that's not bad.

Meagan: Two, two hours and six minutes.

Yep.

Joe: Yeah, so you should come visit me more often.

Meagan: We could just meet in Lansing.

Joe: Okay. We're all meeting in Battle Creek. Don't forget.

Meagan: Oh true. .

Amy: So all, first of all, how wild is it that you guys had the same surgeon? And I think that's funny.

Joe: I love it.

Amy: I think that's pretty cool actually. And then you're both still in Michigan?

I

Meagan: just got back

Amy: that's true. You were talking about the mindset and at 29 and doing all those things, and I know you had mentioned not giving up on goals, ambitions, dreams, things like that.

Do you think your mindset has a lot to do with that?

Joe: Absolutely. , There was a period of time where I had everybody on my case about trying to get on disability. And that was like a three year battle that I ended up losing. And so I went back to this having the same mindset I did with my surgeries.

It just, it was like no, disability's not gonna be it. I need to pursue what I really love and make it work for me.

Amy: So question people were telling you to get on disability, is that what you said? So I don't misunderstand

Joe: that? Yeah. No. Yeah. Everyone was like, oh, you need to get on disability.

Just family and friends.

Amy: Did you feel like you needed to be on it? Was there something going on with your health?

Joe: So. There was actually something going on with my health, but it wasn't heart related. I actually have multiple birth defects. I was born with my liver outta my body, and so I had an omphalocele is what they call it.

Amy: Wow.

Joe: Yep. Took two surgeries to put my liver back in. And then the other defect was I had bilateral club feet. And, they did surgery on each of my , feet. To correct it as best as they could. Unfortunately, when they corrected them, I basically had no arch support in my foot.

And it became flatfooted. So in my mid to late twenties, I started developing degenerative arthritis in both feet and ankles. And , I was still working retail at the time, so I was always on my feet. And it was getting to a point where I couldn't be on my feet 25, 30 hours a week anymore.

Just was not plausible. In fact, my foot doctor, she was like, you're gonna end up putting yourself in the wheelchair if you keep this up. And so I tried the disability route while I was still working, which that was probably my first mistake. But I just I am very, I don't wanna say I'm prideful. So I just, I fought through the pain. I got denied disability, so I continued to fight through the pain. And then. December, 2019, January, 2020.

I finally just said, enough is enough. I quit my job in retail. I swore I was never ever gonna be in the retail industry again. I was very urgently looking for a job and then COVID hit and I basically was, out of a job for a year and a half.

Amy: That's hard. That's rough.

Joe: It was. But things eventually turned around.

Amy: So when then did you decide, I need to be off my feet, but this is what I want to do in life so I can still continue to work? If you were off in 2019, 2020 and off for the year and a half timeframe.

Is that when you finally decided something's gotta change or something's gotta give?

Joe: Absolutely. Yes. I had known even a few years prior to that, that working in retail wasn't really fulfilling for me anymore. I'm very much a people person. I love talking to people, love being around people.

I feel like that's where I get my energy from. But I just always had sensed that there was something better for me. And, at first, when I quit my job, like it felt great just to be off, not doing anything for a minute. But as time progressed, it's oh my gosh, my self-esteem is tanking, my self-worth is tanking.

My self-respect. is tanking, this is not good. And I was kinda , digging myself into a depression that I wasn't sure I was gonna get out of. But then fortunately I had a friend who took a chance on me and it worked out.

Amy: That's awesome. Was he a close friend? An acquaintance?

Joe: So he started off as an acquaintance.

We had met because I was an avid cornhole player for a while. Absolutely love tossing bags when I can. He had hosted a couple of cornhole tournaments prior to COVID where he worked. And so me and him met and got to know each other a little bit, and he actually was closer to some of the people .

I was hanging around with, and believe it was early 2021. One of my mentors in church who I threw Cornell bags with, reached out to my buddy Phil , who worked at Kentwood Public Schools, which is one of the bigger school districts in Grand Rapids. Phil was in charge of Kentwood Ice Arena.

And Kentwood Ice Arena always had a hard time promoting things and getting the word out about public events . So my mentor Scott, he had put in a word with Phil who works at Kentwood and Scott was like, you should should give Joey a chance. Joey's really good with the social media aspect of promoting advertising, marketing, all that good stuff. And, you should give Joey a chance. As soon as the hiring freeze lifted, Phil hired me and gave me a job running the social media for Kenwood Ice Arena.

Amy: That's awesome.

Joe: Yeah, and Phil's a really smart, savvy business guy and I learned a lot from him. And, at the time , because, most school systems are union. My job title had to be Ice Arena support staff.

I think it was spring of 23. I heard rumblings that I probably. Wasn't gonna be needed any longer, so I got out in front of it. Little did I know Phil put in a phone call to a place called Patterson Ice Center,. Phil arranged an interview for me, with Patterson. I sat down with the owner, the director of operations and the facilities manager, and after a 30 minute conversation, they hired me on the spot.

And I've been there since.

Meagan: That's awesome.

Amy: That was meant to be.

Meagan: Yeah.

Joe: It was funny because it always, some things always come back around. So I'm sitting there and the facilities manager kinda looks at me.

He is I recognize you from somewhere and I'm like, oh boy . And he is you used to work at the Gun Lake BP. And that's where I grew up just about 30 minutes south of Grand Rapids.

And the fact that the facility manager remembered who I was after all those years because I had stopped working at Gun Lake BP in 2015, and here we are 2023 and he still knew who I was.

Meagan: It's a small world.

Joe: It is yeah.

Amy: So you still do this. Social media marketing in this position.

Joe: Yep. And I got my own job title. That was the number one thing for me. So my job title right now is The Social Media Content Manager for Patterson Ice Center.

. And I gotta tell you, the owner of the rink. Is legitimately one of the best people I know. He's actually become one of my best friends. And our personalities just click together.

Not the typical owner employee relationship. Just very good to me.

Amy: So being that close with your boss and essentially friend, he's aware of the heart defect and the club feet and the fact that you struggle being on your feet so much.

Joe: Yeah.

Amy: Those different kinds of things. And they're absolutely willing to work with you.

Joe: He is very aware. I know when I first started, I really wanted to prove myself. In so many different ways. I wanna work hard for this man because he is not just good to me, he's good to all of his employees.

Was a very family oriented atmosphere around there. There'd be times like I would be vacuuming or trying to lift stuff or move stuff, and going up and down the bleachers, trying to clean and he'll just look at me. He is no. He's I need you healthy. I need you to do what you're good at doing.

And so he is, he's very protective of me in that regard, and, I love that he cares so much.

Meagan: I think it's hard to find work.

That understands sometimes. Yeah. I've been fortunate enough to have quite a few places that are so understanding and just let me do my thing or let me go to the doctor whenever I need to. It's hard to find.

Joe: It is.

Amy: I would agree. I've been very lucky as well to have some really understanding bosses, it is so nice to just know. That if an emergency comes up, yes, go do it. Take care of yourself. It's your job. Yes. But your health is more important.

Joe: Yeah. A week ago when I had my cardiologist appointment, he was texting me nonstop. How's it going? What's going on? What are they saying? And I had a really rough 2025, probably one of the worst years I've ever had in terms of mental health and emotional stuff.

And he kept reminding me of the positive stuff and just reminding me that there's people that care and that did a lot for me. 'cause there, there was a few times last year I wanted to give up on pretty much everything and that's why I was so happy when my appointment went so well last week.

'cause I was worried that all of the stress and anxiety I dealt with last year was gonna carry over into this appointment. So when I got a good report, it was like, oh my goodness, I gotta win. I can maybe start living my life again and getting back to who I am as a person, because I was not myself at all last year.

Amy: Yeah. So I'm just thinking, going from retail to this. job it to me, and please correct me if I'm wrong, it almost seems like you fell into the opportunity and then it just became your dream job.

Joe: Yeah. One of the things that happened along the way I call it the lunchtime open skate where people would come in and open skate from 11 to one. I eventually took that over.

Because we needed a consistent person to do it and there wasn't really much consistency, and so that means I'm behind the counter with the cash register again, which is fine. Because people are coming in happy to skate.

I have a group of 10 regulars that show up every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And I have really developed relationships with these people and have gotten to know them, and they've gotten to know me and, that, that people person aspect definitely is there.

And in that part of the job, and that's what I love about it. Prior to me taking over open skate, I was just working from home, doing everything at home. I would go into the rink once a week for meetings, but aside from that, the only time I came into the rink is if like we had a big event coming on.

And I was there to take pictures and get videos and that type of stuff wasn't really there on a consistent basis, but when the opportunity come up to take over lunchtime, Open skate, it put me there on a consistent basis and I love being there.

Amy: Yeah, I'm just thinking too that what happened, in 2019, 2020.

And then yes, there was a break. But I can't imagine that was probably really difficult. . What a awesome career shift from retail to social media.

Now you're, it's not fully retail, but you still are in that capacity.

in that 11 to one, to me, it just almost seems if the unfortunate thing happens and you can figure out what your dream job is, just go for it. .

Joe: Absolutely. I had known basically since I was a junior in high school, I wanted to work in sports in some way, shape, or form.

But when you're physically limited, when that's the term I should use, I want to use there. When you're told you can't physically participate in every major sport there is, it seems like it limit limits your options. And I fell in love with writing when I was a junior in high school.

Got on the school newspaper, got involved with the yearbook, and coming out of high school, I started my own sports blog. And I wrote about sports, wrote about pro wrestling. Those were my two loves in life. Especially the pro wrestling stuff. But the fact that I maintained that sports blog for as long as I have, it's still running , to this day. So we're going on 22 years of a hobby that never made any money off of.

Amy: That's awesome though.

Meagan: That is

Amy: 22 years is a long time.

Joe: Yeah. I don't write full out blogs anymore. I used to write 500 to a thousand word articles. They were deep dives on stuff.  Unfortunately attention spans are not what they used to be. So that's when I really started shifting to more shorter stuff on social media. And I self-taught myself everything I know about social media.

Amy: Wow. That's actually, that's really amazing. 'cause I am, I can do the bare minimum. I was just telling Meagan, she does all of the things on social media for the podcast and I'm like, you're so good at it. It would take me forever to figure it out. .

Joe: That was one of the things I sold myself on . , Especially my first boss, at Kentwood when me and him started talking, I was like, okay, i've been committed to the same thing for over 20 years, have never made a dime off of it. Imagine what I would do if I was getting paid.

and I told Patterson the same thing. I'm like, I've had this baby since . October, 2004, I've had this thing, and yes, it's evolved and changed over time.

And for last several years, I had a pro wrestling podcast with one of my close friends and he unfortunately passed away last year. That was a horrible loss.

Amy: Yeah. I'm sorry to hear that.

Joe: Yeah. And few months after he passed, I tried to go back and do the podcast thing by myself.

I just couldn't do it, couldn't do it alone. There was something special about the connection and vibe that me and him had. So I'm like, okay. I can't podcast by myself, I gotta find another way. There's gotta be another way to express myself that, it doesn't make me feel alone, and so I was like, okay, I think I'm gonna finally get on board with TikTok.

I had ignored TikTok for a long time. I'm gonna start recording on TikTok at least once a day. Do a three minute sports. Take on something once a day and see what happens. And so far, so good.

Meagan: That's awesome. I it's funny how social media evolves from MySpace and MySpace.

Yeah. facebook and like Instagram and TikTok and like reels and whatever. You just go with the flow and we all kinda like just meander through it.

Joe: Yeah. And then I love the fact I'm able to pay it forward to my boss at Kentwood who kinda gave me my start doing all this. 'cause he just started his own business and I sat down with him to educate him on social media and I'm gonna help him and his people get things rolling on the social media aspect. So I'm really happy I'm able to give back to him specifically.

I'm of the mindset, I don't let things hold me back. I try not to anyways. Obviously, us CHDers, we all kinda have our own physical limitations, but I don't think we should ever put limitations on our mindset.

Amy: I definitely agree with that. I'm constantly saying we are capable of so much more, because in so many aspects we are told to hold back or we shouldn't do this, or we should rethink that.

But 100%, I think if you are of the mindset, I'm gonna do this. So many of us, have so many different jobs and careers, but we're all capable of doing them and we, when we put our heart and soul into it, we do them well.

Joe: Yeah, absolutely. My, my goal , not even just people with CHD, but just anybody in general is you gotta have a positive mindset that you can do whatever you put your mind to. If you [00:30:00] really, truly believe in yourself that you can do something, then go out and do it.

Amy: Honestly, I think that's perfect.

I think that is something everyone should truly hear.

Joe: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. I love the fact that my mom is happy with what I'm doing because obviously she has seen me through all the struggles, all the surgeries, all the heartache and for her to see me being able to thrive and be successful. I'm glad that she's able to see that and, experience that too. It, it was actually a funny story.

I believe it was last spring or last summer me and my boss had to run an errand down to Gun Lake where my mom still lives, but on her way back I was like, Hey!

, You wanna see where I grew up at? And he is yeah sure. We pulled in the driveway. My mom happened to be home, so I actually called her on my phone like, Hey, come outside real quick. And she got to meet my boss.

And I'm glad she got to meet him. Because he just probably one of the most wonderful human beings I've ever met.

Meagan: I honestly love that and I think it's a great story to share how your work environment can really affect you.

Joe: Yeah,

Meagan: so what is one piece of advice you wanna give to someone about chasing their dreams or going for what they want to do in life?

Joe: It's a two-parter. Obviously one, don't ever give up on yourself. Two, surround yourself with the right people who share that mindset and want to help you.

That to me is really important. To me, you can have all the dreams in the world and that's great and everything, and. I, trust me, I'm a dreamer too, but if you don't have the right people around you supporting you with the same mindset, it just makes it so much harder. 

Amy: I like that. I think it's all so true and important.

Joe: Yeah. I should probably share the story 'cause I think it's a good one to share. About six years ago I'm obsessed with championship belts. I love when wrestlers come out with their belts, totally obsessed with that.

And , I came up with this idea to create a CHD Awareness Championship belt. And I fully customized, did the artwork for it.

And I'm like, what can I do with this thing that will make a difference? This is not about me. This is about uplifting other people. That's what I intended it for. And so one day, I go to my cardiologist's office because they have a in-house psychologist who specifically works just with the CHD patients. So about four or five months ago, I walked into one of my appointments with the belt down my shoulder, and we walked into his office and he originally thought I was just there to show it to him.

I handed it over to him and I told him, I wanna donate this to the heart clinic. I want people to be able to see this.

Amy: That's awesome.

Joe: I just, it's not doing any good sitting in my apartment. And so I just told him, I was like, Hey, talk to who every you gotta talk to. Let's get this thing hung up somewhere.

Amy: Yeah.

Joe: It was like a three month process. 'cause they had to go through the, Helen DeVos Children's Foundation has to approve all the artwork or whatnot. Technically in their mind it was artwork, and one day I walked in and the belt was hanging up in the case.

Amy: Oh, that's awesome.

Joe: On the pediatric side, which that, that is kinda where I was gearing it towards anyways, for little kids to be able to see that thing and okay, somebody obviously has been chasing their dreams and. Yeah, stuff like that.

Amy: You'll have to send a picture of that over so we can post it on Instagram if you have a

Meagan: I was gonna say that

Joe: I will. Absolutely.

Amy: Yes. I think that's awesome. And I think it goes to show, it's just. Another way we can give back to the community. Yeah. , Like you said, what is it doing in your house? But it's still a representation of you when you walk in and you can still see it.

Joe: Yeah.

Amy: Yeah. That's really cool.

Joe: Yeah, and so it's funny, a lot of the staff there doesn't know it was me that. That it belonged to. And then when they realized it is me, they're like, oh my goodness, that is so amazing. And I'm like, I know. I just I don't need any recognition. I just, I'm just glad it's there.

Amy: Yeah. That's really cool.  Aw, yeah. That's like an awesome ending, yeah. It's kind, it like, just comes full circle

Joe: That is my thing, is be a champion for yourself.

Amy: Oh, I love that. That is so true. Thank you.

Joe: Yes.

Meagan: Thank so much for coming on.

Joe: Yes. Yeah, anytime I know as soon as I saw you guys posting that you guys were looking for guests, I'm like, you know what? Been a while since I've actually recorded something with other people.

Amy: Yeah. No, this was perfect. The idea of it being positive we can all use that positivity in our life sometimes, for sure.

Joe: Absolutely.

Amy: Awesome. Thank you so much again, Joe, for joining us tonight.

Joe: Yeah, anytime.

Meagan: Thank you. Have a good night.

Amy: Bye

Joe: You both too. Bye

Meagan: bye.

Amy: The overall theme, of this particular podcast. I honestly like it just set a goal or. Find what you truly wanna do. Like I said in the podcast, unfortunately he had lost his job, but , what a perfect opportunity to go in an absolute different direction and be able to find something that you love

Meagan: a hundred percent. And even finding a workplace that works best for you is great.

Amy: I absolutely agree with that. . He also did say, last year was a rough year for him mentally.

Meagan: Yeah.

Amy: With it even being rough, he is still finding the positivity in it.

Meagan: Yeah. And a lot of guys don't talk about how rough it is.

Amy: No.

Meagan: Or what is needed for them. And clearly the job helped him.

Amy: . Which I think is amazing. How often do we find a job that boost our mental health while getting paid,

Meagan: let alone even finding a boss who understands. That's hard.

Amy: Yep.

Thank you so much for joining us and keep sharing your story and supporting one another, and be sure to tune in to our next episode.