In this episode of The Current, hosts Matt Lane and Jamie Fleming kick off the podcast by introducing themselves and sharing their unique journeys into the water industry. Matt, hailing from the east side of Michigan, transitioned from a career in local government to the Great Lakes Water Authority. Jamie, representing the west side, accidentally found her way into the field through a newspaper job listing and has since worked her way up to becoming a treatment plant superintendent.
Joining the conversation are executive producer Samarhia Giffel, communications coordinator Stacey Kukkonen, and technical producer Curtis Burris-White who provide behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the podcast. The group discusses their favorite catchphrases and philosophies, showcasing their diverse personalities and perspectives.
Looking ahead, the team previews upcoming episodes, which will delve into crucial topics such as affordability, lead and copper rule updates, the Water 2050 campaign, and compelling stories from the field. The podcast aims to educate listeners about the intricacies of water and wastewater processes while shining a spotlight on the dedicated professionals who keep the industry running.
With a mix of expertise, passion, and humor, The Current is poised to make a splash in the water industry, sparking conversations and inspiring change from the Great Lakes State and beyond.
Highlights:
1. Matt and Jamie come from different sides of Michigan, bringing diverse perspectives to the show.
2. The water industry is welcoming to people from various backgrounds and experiences.
3. Upcoming episodes will cover topics such as affordability, lead and copper rule updates, Water 2050 campaign, and stories from the field.
4. The podcast aims to educate listeners about water and wastewater processes, and highlight the dedicated individuals working in the industry.
The Sound Bites:
1. [00:02:50] Jamie: "I spent eight years as a lab technician, 12 years as a lab manager. And in the next couple of weeks, I will be moving on to superintendent of our treatment plant."
2. [00:06:27] Jamie: "The organization that I work for has a very long-standing history of being involved with the Michigan section, and I was there maybe 2 or 3 months and someone said, 'Hey, you should go connect with the lab practices Committee.'"
3. [00:17:21] Curtis: "A lot of times when we're like in meetings with a or our council meetings, great things come out of it. Like Jamie's catchphrase, a lot of the time is 'yes, and.'"
4. [00:30:19] Matt: "Have you heard of 'Freud and Freud'? It's the opposite of schadenfreude. Freud and Freud is when you take pleasure or celebrate when someone succeeds."
5. [00:44:39] Curtis: "I do really hope that Matt, Jeremy and this team kind of start something that kind of reverberate throughout the sector, right? East to west Coast, I mean, internationally, right. We're talking about something that is very important to human life."
In this episode of The Current, hosts Matt Lane and Jamie Fleming kick off the podcast by introducing themselves and sharing their unique journeys into the water industry. Matt, hailing from the east side of Michigan, transitioned from a career in local government to the Great Lakes Water Authority. Jamie, representing the west side, accidentally found her way into the field through a newspaper job listing and has since worked her way up to becoming a treatment plant superintendent.
Joining the conversation are executive producer Samarhia Giffel, communications coordinator Stacey Kukkonen, and technical producer Curtis Burris-White who provide behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the podcast. The group discusses their favorite catchphrases and philosophies, showcasing their diverse personalities and perspectives.
Looking ahead, the team previews upcoming episodes, which will delve into crucial topics such as affordability, lead and copper rule updates, the Water 2050 campaign, and compelling stories from the field. The podcast aims to educate listeners about the intricacies of water and wastewater processes while shining a spotlight on the dedicated professionals who keep the industry running.
With a mix of expertise, passion, and humor, The Current is poised to make a splash in the water industry, sparking conversations and inspiring change from the Great Lakes State and beyond.
Highlights:
1. Matt and Jamie come from different sides of Michigan, bringing diverse perspectives to the show.
2. The water industry is welcoming to people from various backgrounds and experiences.
3. Upcoming episodes will cover topics such as affordability, lead and copper rule updates, Water 2050 campaign, and stories from the field.
4. The podcast aims to educate listeners about water and wastewater processes, and highlight the dedicated individuals working in the industry.
The Sound Bites:
1. [00:02:50] Jamie: "I spent eight years as a lab technician, 12 years as a lab manager. And in the next couple of weeks, I will be moving on to superintendent of our treatment plant."
2. [00:06:27] Jamie: "The organization that I work for has a very long-standing history of being involved with the Michigan section, and I was there maybe 2 or 3 months and someone said, 'Hey, you should go connect with the lab practices Committee.'"
3. [00:17:21] Curtis: "A lot of times when we're like in meetings with a or our council meetings, great things come out of it. Like Jamie's catchphrase, a lot of the time is 'yes, and.'"
4. [00:30:19] Matt: "Have you heard of 'Freud and Freud'? It's the opposite of schadenfreude. Freud and Freud is when you take pleasure or celebrate when someone succeeds."
5. [00:44:39] Curtis: "I do really hope that Matt, Jeremy and this team kind of start something that kind of reverberate throughout the sector, right? East to west Coast, I mean, internationally, right. We're talking about something that is very important to human life."
Hi, everybody. This is Matt. I just wanted to give a quick disclaimer about this episode. During recording, I was experiencing some technical difficulties that I was unaware of. I couldn't hear it. Unfortunately, my voice was recorded much deeper than it actually is. And, we didn't have time to, rerecord the entire episode. So, unfortunately, we have my modified voice in this episode. The good part is, I kind of sound like Barry White, so that's good. The bad part is you're gonna have to hear my regular voice in all the other episodes. So please enjoy. You. Welcome to The Current, the official podcast for the Michigan section of the American Waterworks Association. I'm your East side host, Matt Lane. And I'm Jamie Fleming, your host from the West Side. Join us as we dive into water and wastewater topics from across Michigan. Welcome to the current I'm Matt. I'm Jamie. And we're doing an introduction episode today so you can get to know us a little bit better. Jamie and I are from different sides of the state, so we are trying to, drag a net all the way across the state of Michigan. So we want to make sure that people who listen really understand who we are and where we come from. We have a set of questions and we'll we'll start with those. But then, I'm sure we'll have some follow ups, in between, hopefully. It's interesting. And so I will ask Jamie the first question because I'm really interested in this. But tell us how you got into the water industry. Oh, that's a great question. And the short answer is completely by accident. I have a four year degree from Grand Valley and Chemistry, and in my last semester, when it's time to look for a job, I went and got a newspaper. Yes, an actual physical printed newspaper that you can put your hands on and highlight things on. And there was a job posting for a lab tech with the city of Wyoming. And so I went to an interview. I had no idea what the water industry even was, honestly. So that was kind of interesting, right? Four years and a degree that's related to science and very applicable to, what happens in a laboratory in a, in a water treatment plant. And no one once mentioned that that was a career you could have gone into. So went for the interview, got a tour of this really cool, gigantic water treatment plant. And a couple of weeks later I started and it's been 20 years. So I spent eight years as a lab technician, 12 years as a lab manager. And and the next couple of weeks I will be moving on to superintendent of our treatment plant. Wow, congratulations I did. Thanks. What about you, Matt? How did you land in the water industry? I think you have an interesting story too. It's interesting. And also sort of accidental or serendipity, I suppose. I started out in local government, just general local government. I was a city manager for like eight years, in a couple of different communities. And so my exposure to water and sewer was sort of at the administrative level. I didn't have any experience with the operations necessarily, or the chemistry or anything like that. I had a lot of interaction with, you know, DPW directors and utility directors. So, that was my first sort of, introduction to it was just essentially negotiating budgets with water and sewer superintendents and, and things like that. But I always it was really important. A really great way to get to know your local utility is through the budget. You have to understand the operations in order to understand how to allocate money here and there. So that was really how I got into it. I did a couple of stints as a public works director on an interim basis when I was the city manager, so I had some experience managing water and sewer operations, just sort of like as an outsider, not someone with a whole bunch of experience, but someone who had absolutely no idea what they were doing. So we, I spent a lot of time looking for, license operators to fill positions. So I learned a lot about how everything works the requirements, the licensing, the state regulations just from that process. And it was it was really interesting. And, I was actually looking for a new job. I was still a city manager, and I got a message on LinkedIn from the CFO of the Great Lakes Water Authority, who graduated from the same master's program that I did. So it was like this weird connection and universe and the stars aligned and the the moon and the sun were in alignment. And, she sent me a message and said, hey, it looks like you're looking for a job. We have we have an opening. And so that's what happened. And here I am. I think it's really interesting to hear that story. And as I was listening, I heard that you've actually been in the water industry or the water sector for a lot longer than maybe you might characterize it for yourself. So there's so many things that go into it, right? Operations, water, sewer finance, all of that. Yeah. When you think back, I started my career in local government in 2012. So it's been 12 years now, I suppose, so a little bit longer than I would characterize it, because just focused on water and sewer has been like a year and a half, with my employer, but tangentially dealing with all of the things that go into water and sewer and, and even, you know, some of the state regulations, which is was a big part of being a city manager because you're like the liaison between your water and sewer department and the rest of the world. You have to try to, you know, tell the story of your operators because they tend not to, want to get into that. So, yeah, I think you're right. So. You've been in for 20 years, right? Yeah. He's got to have some stories. Tell us about an impactful moment in your career that, you know, just sticks with you. I knew this question was on the list, and it was the one I was most afraid of. Me too. Okay, good. You know, I'm going to go in this direction, and maybe it's a cheesy answer, but I'm gonna do it anyways. The organization that I work for has a very long standing history of being involved with the Michigan section, and I was there maybe 2 or 3 months and someone said, hey, you should go connect with the lab practices Committee. And I was like, I have no idea what you're talking about. But I went to a meeting and immediately fell in love because it was a group of people sitting around a table absolutely geeking out about science and how that science intersects with, like, the public good, right? Water is such a necessary thing. It was a really welcoming group of people. Very varied backgrounds, although we were all kind of working on the same things. And maybe six months later I got invited to chair side committee because, you know, if you show up and you sit there for not too long, somebody will give you a job. And so I ended up chairing this committee, and shortly after that, I found myself at the annual leadership retreat. So our committee chairs people that are, you know, leading those, those kinds of, groups. And it was a bunch of people who had been in the industry for a really long time, and I was kind of in off. Now they all seem to know each other. There are lots of stories, lots of history, so much knowledge. And it was kind of terrifying because I was all of, I don't know, 25 years old or so in a room with people who had been in the industry, some of them almost as long as I had been on the face of the earth. Right. So, you know, that's that can be a little intimidating. But every single one of them was welcoming and respectful, and they wanted to hear what I had to say just as much as I wanted to learn from them, which I thought was really cool. I'm kind of known for thinking differently, I think, than some people or many people. Little outspoken, kind of full of energy, very passionate. And I just think back to that early moment of if someone hadn't said to me, you should go do this, I don't know that I would have done it on my own. And so that thoughtful moment and then the open arms and welcoming of all of the people who who invited me into their space and were interested to hear what I had to say just as much as I wanted to learn from them. And that's just been ongoing, and I hope over the years I've done that same thing for other people, really, you know, or but provided a welcoming space and a place to sit down and geek out about whatever it is about water you want to talk about, right? You wanna talk affordability? We can do that. Absolutely can do that. You want to talk water chemistry? We can do that, too. I actually worked in wastewater all this time as well, so I can hang and those kinds of conversations. So I think that's, it's I maybe what I would consider a little bit of a cheesy answer because it's not like super dramatic, but probably one of the most impactful things. I think that's actually a great answer, because I feel a little bit like I'm in that place right now. Having moved from city government as a general purpose to the the water and sewer industry. I felt like the the warmth of the arms coming around me a little bit, as I'm sort of jumping into something that, you know, that I, that I wasn't really an expert in still am not probably never will be. But, certainly having an interest in it has always, has always been there. But, having that experience you describe of, you know, being welcomed with open arms, this is like something that's currently happening to me even as we talk. I feel like this whole podcast, in my experience with the Communications Council, is a good example of that. It's great. I was really excited to be invited. Communications Council was like cooking up this awesome idea of a podcast, and I didn't even know it. And then one day somebody said, hey, you want to do this? Yeah. For sure. How'd you get connected, Matt? Well, but I was, I think we did a communications workshop. I don't remember in Lansing someplace. And I was, moderating a talk. And right at the end, Stacey came up to me and said, hey, we're doing a podcast. You're you're in. And I was like, what? So that's kind of how it happened. And then like a couple months later, I just kind of blew it off. I was like, yeah, I don't whatever. But then a couple months later, I got an email from Sam and she was like, hey, we should do this, and you're going to have this awesome cohost, Jamie. So I was like, sure, let's do it. Love it. Yeah. Okay. Can we take a moment to introduce Stacy and Sam? I think we should. I think so, too. Stacey, you want to say hi? Yeah. Hi. Let me just say I'm so excited that we have this podcast up and going. I've been asking for so long to revive Talking on Water, and you guys gave it a perfect name. We we tossed around a bunch of ideas, and it's just so great to see this come to life. So my name is Stacy Cooking, and I'm the communications coordinator here on staff. I've been here almost five years, and a lot of people ask me how my last name is pronounced. People in the U.P. will get it. My husband is Finnish, but it's cooking and like cooking in the kitchen. That's the easiest way to remember it. Once I say like cooking in the kitchen, everybody seems to remember. I remember the first time I heard that and it's such a great like it's stuck with me ever since, of course. So I'm on the West Side with Jamie. I don't know if you guys had mentioned it yet, but Matt is over on the east side. We've got Jamie on the west side. And, coordinating this has been an experience for sure, but it's awesome to have different perspectives from both sides of the state. And hopefully in the future, we can move all around the state and talk to people from all different regions, including the U.P.. Yeah, I would. Absolutely. Love to get up there. Yes, I would love to get up there. Yeah, it would be fun. Yeah. I have, both Jamie and I have the capability to travel anywhere in the world of Michigan to record podcast episodes, so we're really excited to put that to use and hopefully, hopefully we'll get into that. Pretty soon here will be awesome to have some guests across the state. So, Sam. Hello. So because I am the executive producer, I'm over here taking notes while we. Because this this is some good information for, future podcasts. I'm Samari Gifford. I'm a communications chair for our section, and I actually, I guess I say I represent both sides of the state because I'm from Detroit. But I've lived in this for quite some time. But I have experience from both sides. The state is really nice, and, it gets me connected. So my East siders never, never let me fully be a insider in them and what they are and really stay with us. So it's nice traveling across the state. We have a joke that I'm the executive producer, but, it's nice to have, people who like to work, who want to get information out, who want to enhance our practices and our benefits to our members. So I'm so excited about this podcast. I started with the city of Grand Rapids about eight years ago. And I, wanted to have customer service classes for my staff. They had gone through a round of customer service classes with the classes that we have with the city of Grand Rapids. And I said, well, we're in the water industry, and it was all new to me. So I wanted, something more that'll make a bigger impact for them, for what they do every day. And that's when I was introduced to Bompard. And as soon as I met Boniface with our executive director from Michigan section, we just stayed in touch forever. So now sometimes you may see me conducting some of the customer service classes, and I do presentations. I love that Jeremy said that, you know, this space is very welcoming because as soon as we met, we hug all the time that it's hard to get us away from each other. And I think when we talked about the podcast, they would agree to those names who are out there. And it's just like when your names came up, it was Matt Lane. Yes. Jamie Fleming. Yes. There was no question about it that you guys would be the best hosts in this area. And I'm just so happy to see that you guys wanted to do it. Also, I love your chemistry and I'm excited to see where we go from here. Pun intended, right? I think it's. Took me a minute. Yeah. Since I heard Matt's voice, I was like, okay, this guy needs to do a podcast. And I found out, Matt, that you actually have your own podcast. Yes. I do. Yeah, I started it in the summertime. So Jamie, I yeah, I love that you brought up in newspapers because my husband and I are retired journalists, print newspaper journalists, and I, I recall a time when I saw an ad for a water operator. We lived in the U.P., and I was like, well, that doesn't make sense. Doesn't your water just flow right to you? Had no clue that a decade later, I would be sitting here learning absolutely everything there is to know about water. I don't even I mean, I'm the staff, so I don't I don't particularly earn six or anything like that. But we do learn by association here and now. My son is learning from me and he'll be like, oh, mom, this this is surface water. This is groundwater. It's just incredible to me. Like his goal is to tour a water plant. And I just love the trickle down effect that this industry has. Did you just say he wants to tour a water plant? As I might know how to make that happen. Yeah. Me too. He could. He could do a couple if he wants. I'm all about that. You got to get those kids when they're young and they're eager to learn and they're hungry, and they just want to learn everything. And it's amazing because you don't think about where your water comes from. You just don't, you know, and he, he he thinks it's amazing. And he and I are both, I don't know if this is technical, but we are water sensitive. So when we were looking for a new house, we brought glasses so we could taste the water in each house. I wasn't about to buy a house that had water. That was disgusting. I grew up in a town called Sweetwater Township up by Ludington. So we're both very water picky, and it's just incredible that we we like to try the water wherever we are. So this in this industry has had a major impact on on me and my family. And it was a good move from print journalism. I do love that newspaper, but I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now. We're so lucky that you've been with us. Yeah. It's been great working with you. This is super off topic, but I'm going to go there anyways. The water industry. My wife pointed this out to me, is packed full of puns and like water references that that you can't escape. And there's been like a handful in this conversation, and I just wanted to point that out for all the people out there who, keep track of that kind of stuff. They're pouring out of us. You know. I see what you did there. Well played. Yes. Did you guys notice that, too? I mean, being in it's it's like. It's like in a constant flow of metaphors and puns and all kinds of weird stuff. I mean, once you tap into it, it's hard to turn it off. That's true. Yeah. So I think that's going as far as it's going to go. Maybe, probably. Maybe it's because I work in the marketing here. I'm always looking for those puns. So thank you for filling my glass with with water puns. There you go. I love it. I won't take it in the direction of the kinds of puns that happen in the wastewater industry. Please don't. This is a family show. Absolutely. So. Jamie. Yes? Let's toss something fun about yourself. Something that maybe nobody knows or you think people don't know. Okay, this is a hard question. I am a super open book. Usually. So there are probably not many things that people don't know about me. Oh. Here's one. I love to play video games. My husband and I are big gamers. Kind of grew up playing video games, and then it kind of turned into this thing that when you're an adult, you're not supposed to do that like it's. I don't know. It's not acceptable. It's playing around in a way that grownups are supposed to play around. But he's always been big into video games, and so I looked for games that we can play together, and we sometimes play. Sitting next to each other on the couch. Honestly, like, he's on a computer and I'm on a different one. Because he also builds his own computers, which I think is really cool. That's cool. But I have several people on my staff who are of a younger generation, and it's just like such a thing to them, right? It's just part of life. And it's been very refreshing and freeing in a way to be able to just say, yeah. I want to play that game that you're talking about, or tell me what you're playing right now and having conversations like that. And it's it's been honestly such a gift, right? I don't have to hide that. I love this anymore. What what are the games that you play? Right now I am finishing up Baldur's Gate, which was a good one. Before that, I had just finished up Hogwarts Legacy. Totally not pitching commercials for these video games, by the way. Right? But if you are a Harry Potter fan at all, which I also am. That was a great one. It was a really good one. So you liked, like the storyline? Yeah, I do like that. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah, my my daughter and I have played on occasion. Fortnite. Oh, familiar? Yes. Yes, it. It's not storyline, really. It does. Don't get me wrong. But that's not how we plan to do our thing and then leave. Okay. That's how we roll. Yeah. My kids were into Fortnite for a long time. Just like the school version of Legos. Like, just go build a world. Yeah. What about robots? Robots? Robots with your daughter? Yes, she plays it. It's not like a console game. It's more of, like, on her tablet or. Yeah, you know, something else, but. Yeah. Yeah, she likes. It too. It's a social game, like she has some of her friends and they'll all play Roblox all at the same time. So let's farm them out. I want to turn that question back on you, because I'm excited to hear what we might not know about you. I don't know if this is unknown or or perhaps I don't, project this, but, I listen to heavy metal music. People think that I'm usually, like, a country music type of dude, but, I enjoy, a nice loud, heavy metal song. So. Okay, you tell me if that fits. I don't know. I got to say, when you saw that, I wasn't totally, like, shocked. Yeah. I don't know. Why people sometimes are when I say that. Maybe because I'm. I'm like a 90s kid. So, like, the grunge scene is, like, near and dear to my heart. So. All right. So who's who's like your top couple of bands. What's what's your go to. Oh man. You put me on the spot. Sorry. Called Killswitch Engage. I really enjoy them. I'll have to look them up. Okay. Yeah, that's probably my number one go to. I have a Pandora station called Killswitch Engage Radio and then just goes through a bunch of different bands, and I, I skip a lot of them because I like the music, but I don't like when it's like over the top or you can't understand what they're saying. Type deal. So. So yeah, that's me. That's my secret. We're but we're both telling what feels like secrets. But they're just normal things. Totally. A lot of times when we're like in meetings with a or our council meetings, great things come out of it. Like Jamie's catchphrase, a lot of the time is yes. And. And then sometimes he greets me as engaged and engaged. He even went as far as to get me a tumbler with, engaged, engaged with. And I still use it. So I'm going to ask you, Stacey. Matt, Jamie, what would be your catch phrase? I think my new one would be. 13. Setting yourself up for a yes. We've had a lot lately with, a lot of changes in the industry. And, you know, when winter comes, we have a lot of main breaks. So we have to, you know, interact with the news, the media at every point, customers, social media. So I try to be as thorough as I can when I'm communicating these things out. When we're speaking on affordability and it was a lot of us sit on boards. I've learned to be very clear, but I've also learned enough to take a no and stop at that place. So someone asked me the other day, how do you keep this positive attitude? But you're relentless if you're persistent. At every point I set myself up for. Yes. And even if you hear no, I'm not hearing no. So that would be my catch phrase. And actually, I even thought about because I've been writing a book that's something that a lot of people don't know about me. And this. Listen, I've been writing this book for about a year. So we don't know when it's going to come out. And we is me, myself and I. But I think that's a good title for my book once I'm able to answer it. So what would be your if if we just. Matt and Jamie. Just a second. What would be your catch phrase? Stacy. Yeah. So, I don't know if you guys know, but I'm also a full time MBA student at the moment, so I work here full time. I'm a mom, I'm a wife. But I'm also, a full time MBA student back at good old CMU. Fire up chips. And, I think what I, the mantra that I'm embracing at this moment would be. Always remember you can't please everybody. You are not a taco. That's just what I just try. I just try to remind myself that, you know, I am my own worst critic. I don't I don't like anything short of perfection. So I always have to remind myself, you cannot please everybody. You are not a taco. And that just gets you another day. I absolutely love that. Yeah, that's a good one. So as I mentioned, yes, and is kind of what I am known for, although I'm finding lately that one of those is kind of morphed more into, I find myself using the terms both and more often. In a lot of spaces. In the way that I think. Often we can find ourselves uncomfortable with two ideas that seem like they're conflicting with one another, and that we have to choose one or the other. I have learned over the years I've had some great people help me learn this, that you can hold two things true at the same time, and you can sometimes still have to make a choice one or the other. And there you go. Yes. And, that. It's okay to sit in that discomfort of two things that are conflicting, and people that that can do that well, I tend to gravitate towards. And then I would also say, you don't ask me for two, but I'm gonna give you two anyways. It's like overachiever. I have also been finding myself lately using the phrase tell me more in all kinds of situations. As a way to get to know people more, as a way to better understand before I choose, make a decision. Pick a direction. And I really think. In workspaces. I think that's a way to help us be more human. And I also find I find this with myself, but I find it in others too. But sometimes we feel like we're talking too much, and so we stop and we just kind of closed down. And there's so much that so many people have to offer. And just a little bit of tell me more, and suddenly you can find yourself learning some great things and, finding people more engaged, and they're excited to tell you what they know, even if it's about video games or heavy metal. Yeah, and I noticed that about YouTube. We can be in a very uncomfortable space because it's a challenging space when you bring up certain topics. And I notice that you do say tell me more, which helps that person continue to stay in an uncomfortable state, but to be comfortable with the idea that they're presenting. So I noticed that about YouTube a little bit more. Thank you. Matt, tell me more. Yes. So mine is less of a catch phrase than it is of like a philosophy. Have you heard of Freud and Freud? Freud and Freud. Okay, I know schadenfreude. It's the opposite of schadenfreude. So schadenfreude is when you take pleasure in the failure of someone, right? We don't like that. No, that's. That's out the window. Freud and Freud is when you take pleasure or celebrate when someone succeeds. So, that's kind of like what I try to instill in people when I talk to them. It's like, I want to celebrate the good things that are happening to you. And, actually, in my previous position in the city that I was working for, we had Freddie for the Fridays where we would get together and we would all go through like what we're proud of for that week and talk about the wins, whether it was professional or personal or just something small or something huge. We would all kind of gather around for a few minutes and talk about the things that we were celebrating, and then we would all sort of, jump in on that and help people celebrate their wins. So that is not a catchphrase, but it is kind of like a, a philosophy that I try to follow. And I learned that, by the way, from Brené Brown. I don't know if anybody is familiar with her work, but she talks about Freud and Freud, as, as a way to connect to people. And I think it's a great, great way to do that. Just like saying, tell me more. Tell me more about your successes this week. Yeah. I love that that was turned into a whole thing on a Friday. Like, that's just the great stuffer. For good casual Friday. We had a poster board. We had all kinds of stuff. It was really cool. We'll do it after the Lions win. Yeah. Let's do it. Celebrate. I will say, though, that I think my staff thought I was crazy. So there's that possible downfall that, you know, they. They think it's a little too optimistic sometimes. But you know what though? I am learning more to just go with it. Like people on the surface are like, oh, that's kind of, I don't know, little much over the top. And then I find out later that people are like that. We actually like that. So what can you guys tell us and what listeners can expect this season? Can we have a little snack of what's to come? Well, I can tell you that we're going to be talking about a lot of things. We have a whole list of items that we're we're tracking down and, we're going to dig into. And I think I can say this in some way, the affordability discussion, we're going to we're going to dig into that, we're going to do some research, and then we're going to bring some information to the listeners, just about what it is and what it means to, various folks around the state. I think it's important, to understand the, the, the theory behind it, perhaps. And also, where it might be heading. So I think that's a general overview of that topic, that we're going to be talking about. I think there are some hot topics that we should touch on. We're talking, you know, maybe some fast information, some. Well, let him copper rule updates, things like that. We also. Are going to continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day drinking water, and we're going to have some guests on who are very knowledgeable. And like Jamie said, they probably were here because we have a lot of experience in our section. We're here, you know, it started in 1974. Jamie Few in his house. Yeah. I believe we're going to dive into sorry, Matt. Not sorry. We're going to dive into water 2050 and talk to some people about it. Was water 2050 campaign plan exploration and hopefully tie that back to what it means to us here in Michigan. I'm looking forward to that. I think Matt already mentioned lead and copper. I think we're definitely going to have to touch that one, because we have new rules coming this year that are going to affect us everywhere. That's actually a really interesting topic. I mean, of course, if you work in the water industry industry, it's an interesting topic. But, you know, those are those are federal changes and a lot of them look similar to what we in Michigan already have in place. And so, I know that there are people in other states that are looking at us and saying, hey, you guys already have experience with living under rules that look like this. What's that like? What can you tell us? What can you teach us? So I would love to kind of touch that topic and, and maybe provide something that others can listen to from outside of Michigan. Yeah. That's a that's a great point too, that we can be a leader in this space. Yeah. I also want to. Kind of pick up on what Bonhoeffer was talking about in our last episode, which is stories from the field. I really wanted to get, some stories lined up that we can tell and hopefully, share with the listeners, because the work is fascinating. Direct quote from Brian for Ballard. And it truly is. And so I want to hear, some stories because the the snippet that she kind of gave us from the U.P. was probably, you know, one of the most interesting parts of the of the podcast, I think from my perspective. And, I want to get more of that. I would agree. I'm excited about that too. There's so many people out there with really great stories. Let go. In lots of different directions, and I would hope that that's something we could do all across the state. I think so too. And for those of you listening, if you have a story. You should let the section know. Get Ahold of Stacey and and we can. Get some time to talk about it. I was excited to bring Curtis onto this project because he's, very, technologically wise. He's so good at what he does. Curtis is at GWA, and I actually picked him to be our Voice of God at our annual conference because he's got such a smooth voice. And Cheryl Porter turned to me and said, wait, I hear Curtis in this room. Even though he wasn't able to be there, he was there in spirit because he prerecorded all the voice of God. So if any of our listeners were at, mass this last September, they will recognize Curtis voice. But, it's it's excellent having Curtis on the team. He's so good at what he does. Thank you Stacey. I mean, I, I truly have to say I am really honored to be a part of this team here with Matt. Jamie, Stacey. Sam. I mean, it's been it's been pretty awesome. To be honest, it's just for me, the knowledge that I gained just from interacting with all you guys, the perspective that I gained. I think that's the most interesting part about being a part of this team, but also about kind of what I do. So a Great Lakes Water Authority, the visual storytelling, I kind of help guide stories. So we want to really tell impactful stories about water wastewater treatment, educate the public about our processes, but also about our people. Because each one of our operators, engineers and leadership, we are also a part of the community, which I thought was pretty awesome when I first took this job. So as I listen to you guys talk about how everybody came to be in the water sector, you know, it's it sounds like it's common that we all came in, unconventional route. I was an automotive at a time when the crash was just about to happen. And to be honest, I didn't think about a career change until 2008, when automotive crashed. My plant got closed. I had to figure out a new a new career field. Right? I coulda went to another plant. I could have went to a, another one of the automakers and really did work, but my heart really wasn't in it. So I took my buyout. I took whatever I had in my 401 K and I pay for school, and I went to school to learn filmmaking and, radio broadcast. Right. Which kind of blossomed into who I am now in filmmaking and ultimately storytelling, where I kind of think my sweet spot is right. I really like I really love storytelling. I lead with my curiosity. So that's why I think for me, inherently, storytelling is like a great spot to be. I like learning. I like engaging with people not as extroverted as some might think. I'm really introverted, but I love, love learning and I love interacting. So that's why, you know, when I was asked to join by our, mutual friend of ours, of a part of our communications team, LaShawn Baffert, you know, I was kind of taken aback because as a as a storyteller, I sit inside of the booth and I sit inside of the studio and I just edit. And I really don't think people pay attention to me outside of what they see. That I do. But listen, asked me if I would like to join and thought it was a pretty good fit, and I said, okay, you know, it'll be some fun and it'll be a good direction for me as I enter the water sector. I joined and, you know, I've just had a phenomenal time thus far. When I got in his career, the biggest thing that I wanted to do was make an impact. And I think what we're doing here with this podcast is making an impact through our storytelling, through us providing information for our sector, colleagues and counterparts, and just for the general public to kind of learn about an essential item that we all need for life. I am really getting into stoic philosophy. And, you know, I hear a lot of great sayings and catchphrases from there, but one that comes to mind, you know, it's from Epictetus, and he says, no great thing is created suddenly. Right? And that's just a reminder for me that, you know, as, as, as big as I dream. And as much as I push myself to be the type of filmmaker, creator, storyteller, friend, colleague, manager as I want to be, right? I'm pretty ambitious. I got to remember that I need to take my time and handle the first things first, and that greatness will come if I continue to follow the process right. Because no great things happen suddenly. So I think for 2024 and beyond, I think I'm carrying that, that big catchphrase, you know, with me everywhere I go. Hmhm something people probably wouldn't know about me. I like building models, right? I find it as like a a really awesome stress reliever. So me and my son, and I think I use my son Zander as my conduit sometimes. Me and my son, we'll build these Gundam models together. Right? They're plastic. And you gotta buy, like, little scissor nibs, and you got to cut them, and they got, like, really tiny pieces, but they're just really sit with those pieces and just take my time to pay attention to the details of building a model. I think it kind of really helps to de-stress. Yeah, but some people probably wouldn't know about me. What do I hope for this podcast in the future? I do really hope that Matt, Jeremy and this team kind of start something that kind of reverberate throughout the sector, right? East to west Coast, I mean, internationally, right. We're talking about something that is very important to human life, right? You know, I hope some of the conversations here, spark new conversations. I hope that people are intrigued by a lot of what we talk about here. And they kind of reach out and say, hey, we want to be a part of this. Or we heard your conversation about, I don't know, affordability. And we're really interested in talking to some of these guests or digging a little deeper. I do want us to be a thought leader in this space. So I just want to urge everybody that's in the water sector and even outside of the water sector, you want to know where your water comes from and when it goes, where it goes, when it goes down the drain. Hopefully we could shine some light on the processes, but also the people, right? Because it is really to me, the people that are super important, you know, without a lot of these dedicated individuals, without people like yourselves. Right? I mean, I know we are communicators. I mean, outside of Jamie and and and and Matt boots on the ground. LaShawn and Sam. Right. I know I'm just a storyteller. And what I do is kind of help shine a light and bring awareness to what it is that we do. But it is it is truly the people for me that I think really needs to be highlighted. And I think that is the conduit for which will start to educate the public about how their water gets to their homes, and then not only how it gets to your home, but how it stays clean, and then how we keep it from entering your home after it leaves, and how we keep our waterways and our source water from our groundwater to surface water to some of those watersheds, how we keep that clean. So into the future, we have a reliable resource. Thank you everybody. I really appreciate again, like I say, I'm honored just to be a part of this podcast. And Stace, Sam, Matt and Jamie, thanks for just giving me a moment to just introduce myself. Thank you all for being part of this endeavor, I think. This team is incredible, and we couldn't do it without all of the help and the support in the in the Freud and Freud, that we all shared together. So, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And I look forward to doing many, many more of these, episodes, with you guys, backing us up and, and, helping us get through this. I see what you all are creating and how you know how to do this. It's magical. And I'm really grateful that you're here. Until next time. Yeah. From the east side to the West Side and statewide. From experts to everyday heroes. We've got it all. Join us as we dive into water and wastewater topics from across Michigan. Subscribe, follow us and get caught up in the current today.