All-In Design
"All-In Design" is IIDA Alabama's podcast that invites you into the dynamic world of commercial interior design. Immerse yourself in the artistry, innovation, and inspiration that shape the spaces where we work, collaborate, and create. Discover the latest trends, cutting-edge technologies, and timeless design principles that define the ever-evolving landscape of commercial interiors.
All-In Design
Episode #32 - Interview with Melissa Sones
In this episode of All-In Design, we speak with Melissa Sones of Turnerbatson and continue our series of talking with junior interior designers. We discuss graduating during peak Covid, the scale of projects and the team involved to bring them to fruition, and - of course - fantasy football. Join us for a fun discussion on a wide range of topics!
Recorded live before a studio audience, this is All In Design. Hello and welcome to All In Design, IDA Alabama's podcast. My name's Chad Moore, here with my co-host, Mark Griffo.
SPEAKER_02:Hey, everybody.
SPEAKER_03:And turns out we have another guest today.
SPEAKER_02:We do. We're really on track. We've got a theme going with this whole show in that we don't just talk to ourselves.
SPEAKER_03:We've done it a couple times, and those are the least listened to episodes.
SPEAKER_02:Five listens, and I think they're us going back and listening to ourselves. Yes, I am very happy to introduce our guest today. She is an interior designer at Turner Batson here in Birmingham. And I have the pleasure of introducing Melissa Soans. So welcome, Melissa. We're glad to have you on the show here. I'm looking at your notes out of the gate and 2020 Mississippi State graduate, graduate? Great. You brought cookies, not alcohol. So I'm doing awesome. I'll let you out here. I'll just shut up and let you take it from here.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so I'm Melissa. I am from Grenada, Mississippi. Went to Mississippi State University. My parents went there, brother went there, whole family thing. So there wasn't much question of where I was going. I graduated in 2020 from my parents' couch during COVID. Fun. So that was, yeah, that was a great time.
SPEAKER_02:So we all know what that means, 2020, graduated, quarantine. Like when you say graduated from your parents' couch, was there like an actual graduation ceremony where you were like on Zoom?
SPEAKER_00:You know... Not really. Or
SPEAKER_02:did they just, like, mail you your diploma? Exactly. You throw your hat into
SPEAKER_00:the ceiling fan? Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:My friends and I did, like, a little virtual thing, you know, just for fun, but it was nothing serious. Yeah. So, yeah, had to make the best of it. I stayed, I guess, till June, I think. And one of my current roommate, senior year, got into PT school at UAB. And so she was like, I'm going to Birmingham. Would you want to go? And I was like, clearly nowhere's pulling me right now. I need to get off the couch. Right. That would be great. And I worked a summer camp for three years based in Birmingham. Shout out summer show offs. If you have any kids or if you are a K through 12th grade person that likes to sing and dance, check it out.
SPEAKER_03:She just winked at me. You've got kids? Check it out. I do have kids. Mark doesn't have any children. I don't get a wink.
SPEAKER_00:So I was somewhat used to the area, liked Birmingham. So I was like, sure. So another friend and I moved with her. I moved on a wing and a prayer. No job lined up. And I interviewed a couple places commercial-wise. And, of course, they weren't really hiring at the time, as we can imagine. And so I had a friend in the area that her parents connected me. to a residential designer that also had a retail storefront so I worked there for my internship and then kind of stayed on they do a big Christmas decorating thing through Birmingham which was so much fun love Christmas and so I stayed on about two years and then the more I started reflecting I was like you know these softwares like Revit skills I went to school for for four years and you know really yeah are really getting dusty so I'll probably need to reach back out. And so that's how I ended up back at Turner Batson.
SPEAKER_03:Nice. How did you choose interior designer in the first place?
SPEAKER_00:That's a great question. I really don't remember specifically being between many things. At one point in my life, I thought I wanted to be also elementary ed. That was always just like, or I could do that. I don't know why. But growing up, I always rearranged my room. monthly, yearly, would draw random plans for outdoor, I don't know, landscape, and would give it to my parents like, oh my gosh, you could build this cool thing. How old were you doing that? Oh, I don't know. Maybe middle school. Okay. Ish. What did your
SPEAKER_02:parents do? Did they like pin them on
SPEAKER_00:the refrigerator? They're just like, that's awesome. Never looked at it again. Great.
SPEAKER_02:We're not putting our couch
SPEAKER_00:over there. Maybe when you get a house one day.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Do what you want. Exactly. Exactly. So I think I just kind of knew and I really didn't. look that much into the program or actually like that much on interior design. So it was, I learned a lot once I started freshman year, like, Oh, so
SPEAKER_03:you did start freshman
SPEAKER_00:year. I did. I did. Okay. Um, I was like, there's a lot more to do here than what people would think. And I'll never forget my first class. The, one of the professors was like, I think we had to go around the room and introduce ourselves and like, what brought us to interior design. And it was like, and if your answer is that you watch HGTV, you are in the wrong place. And I was like, oh gosh, I was like, I don't think that's why I'm here, but I did watch HGTV. That was my answer. Am I not going to make it? Yes, exactly. So yeah, it was fun.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So what was the biggest surprise when you got out and you start working in commercial field from being in school and then working on real projects versus fake projects?
SPEAKER_00:I feel like it's really the scale of the team and who all you're working with because in school, you basically do it all. You're not having to really talk to this person or coordinate or... do this correctly so this person can then do their job it was kind of like you were doing it all um and so I think once I started at Turner Batson it was you know seeing how big the teams are like it's not just you and this affects this person and you know there are professionals in these areas for a reason and we all work together for a common goal so that was really cool
SPEAKER_02:what um So you already mentioned that you were working at this residential firm and you wanted to get back into commercial. And you may have just said this and I blacked out. Did you have a relationship with Turner? I know you applied.
SPEAKER_00:I had reached out to them. early 2020 maybe like before COVID to kind of line up an interview for a potential internship and so they had already been on my radar and so then when it became time to look back out again I was like well I'll reach back out to them and see if they're hiring and it kind of worked out perfect timing and I interviewed and then took an Enneagram test interviewed again and there we go when I didn't hear back from them after I sent the Enneagram test back I was like the seven was not the right answer. I was going to say, are you a seven?
SPEAKER_02:I'm a seven. I can't remember
SPEAKER_00:what I am. I'm a seven. Recently, I did take it again. I think it said I was a nine. So having a little midlife crisis, don't know which one I
SPEAKER_03:am. I'd have to look it up again and see the different ones.
SPEAKER_02:Sevens are like gregarious relationship builders. Isn't that what sevens are? I
SPEAKER_00:think so. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. How did you find Turner Batson to begin with?
SPEAKER_00:Like if
SPEAKER_03:they were on your radar, where did that come from?
SPEAKER_00:You know, that's a great question. I think maybe from a career fair and then also just kind of looking in that area because I had known that I didn't want to go too far. But, again, like I said, I knew Birmingham a little bit from camp, and then my parents had some family friends that live here. So I kind of knew the area, knew that I would have liked it. So I had kind of already looked there, and Mississippi State has several– grads here. So I think from some of that too, it kind of pointed me there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I like to stress this point just on the, on the last couple of guests that we've had in terms of like looking for internships, looking for jobs is that you were proactive. about it, right? You went after them. So remember that, listeners that are looking for something. Whether you're young or old, you have to be proactive. They may call you, but they probably won't. They probably won't. So don't be afraid to reach out. And then now you've got
SPEAKER_03:a
SPEAKER_02:great team.
SPEAKER_00:That's right. That's right.
SPEAKER_03:How did, um, and we haven't really touched on this. I don't think it's, I guess it depends on the interior designers, but, um, going through school during COVID, like the last part of COVID, I guess you weren't in school for a long part of COVID, right? It was just a couple months, right at the end.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Right when the celebration was supposed to start. Right, right, right. Yeah. And then the world shut
SPEAKER_03:down and you're just like, oh, go find a job.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So, which again, That time was not easy on anyone, but looking back, You know, as sad as it is when you tell people that and they're like, oh, graduation, you know. But it was nice because that was about to be a big transition anyway, out of school to the real world. So it kind of gave you like a buffer time to...
SPEAKER_03:Hey, the real world shut
SPEAKER_00:down. Right. So like... It's the most glasses
SPEAKER_02:half full take I've heard on COVID yet. I'm like, you know... You are a glasses half full seven for sure. Yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_00:Because, I mean, it would have been hard to go back to school as you know it to be different. Or freshman year at a college, which is already difficult, you're having to do online and not have those personal relationships. I
SPEAKER_03:think high school seniors to the freshman year of college would have been really rough.
SPEAKER_00:So I feel like out of all of those areas–
SPEAKER_02:You had a collegiate experience that was normal up until
SPEAKER_00:then. Right, right. So I'm grateful for that. Yeah,
SPEAKER_03:yeah. And you said your first job was with, it's more commercial?
SPEAKER_00:Residential. Residential, yeah. So it was a retail storefront, but then did residential design also. So they could come in. We had lots of fabric and things and a workroom that made, Window treatments, beddings, beddings, bedding.
SPEAKER_03:I was about to call you out on that. Had to get ahead of that. I was about to wink at you, Chad.
SPEAKER_00:But it's funny. In school, I had several friends that were like, oh, when I get out, I'm going to end up doing residential, but that was never me. I was like, oh, no, not my speed, which was funny. Again, God has a plan in life, so that's when we have one. So when I ended up there, I was like, this is so funny because out of everyone, I was the one that was pretty dead set on not looking down that path. But, again, I learned stuff that I probably would have never, and I feel like it helped me going from– Yeah, exactly. So anyway, I feel like I learned things there that I was able to carry, you know, into. the commercial world, and just life in general.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and to Mark's point, I think it was smart of you to then recognize, okay, this isn't what I wanted to do. I wanted to do commercial, and those skills are getting a little rusty. I need to dip my toe back out in the market again. That was smart. So what was your biggest fear then, then starting out into kind of the commercial world?
SPEAKER_00:Keeping up, since I kind of had to dust off all of those skills. It was kind of like, oh, boy, I hope they don't look up and go, oh, she– She doesn't know. She forgot everything. She
SPEAKER_02:keeps bringing this cowbell to work every day.
SPEAKER_00:So I feel like when I started, I was very much like... Not afraid to say like, hey, can I sit and watch you do this for a second? Or asking a ton of questions and just kind of observing for the first little bit. And like at home, I would just like open Revit on my laptop and just be like, let's just move around and remind ourselves
SPEAKER_01:what's
SPEAKER_00:going on here. But it is funny looking back at school, like renderings and things like that would take like 24 hours and it just didn't. Look that great. And it's like, I don't know if it was because I was in school and younger or if now that I have these resources around me and technology change that it just like it felt like it was easier to jump back in. Okay. Then. I would have expected, which was nice.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, and you probably are being slightly self-deprecating because obviously Turner Batson saw something in you, right? They're professionals, you know? So, you know, it's not like just like, oh, God. She's really good at betting. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, oh, we hired an idiot. But smart of you to be like, okay, I'm going to absorb and I'm going to learn as much as I possibly can. Yes. Because, yeah, it's a whole– you know, firm of professionals. Absolutely. So they know what they're doing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And working retail before it was nine to five and then turnabouts in seven 30 to five 30 Monday through Thursday. So I was like, Oh, seven 30 is going to really hit in the morning. But it was a easier adjustment than I thought. You guys work half days on Fridays. Yes, 8 to 12 on Friday is the greatest thing ever.
SPEAKER_02:So for the people who heard that and are like, oh. Yeah, that's so true. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:There is an incentive to that. There is a perk at the end of the week. Exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So the other thing, this has come up a couple times where young designers, when they're starting out and they're in a firm, being able to speak up and kind of have their voice. Um, have you struggled with that at all as far as like, you know, confidence and saying, okay, you know, I'm the new person here. I've been in residential design for two years. Um, all right. Do you, do you, are you at the point now where you're kind of speaking
SPEAKER_00:up more? Absolutely. Um, I mean, my natural personality is not to, you know, be the just walk in immediate confident person. Um, but I feel like being able to, learn from all of the people at our office and, you know, feeling their trust in me and being validated by, you know, Hey, I, you know, really appreciate what you're doing. You're doing a great job. You know, I feel like those comments and that confidence helps my confidence when I know that they see me as a, you know, that I know what I'm doing and that that's being affirmed. Right. Really, has helped me find that confidence and feel more validated in that area. And it
SPEAKER_03:sounds like from the questionnaire, they gave, they gave you a project pretty early on. That was somebody else's. Yes. I mean, that
SPEAKER_02:was a little surprise. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, welcome. Welcome. Here you go. This is already started. Yeah. This person's
SPEAKER_03:not here. Here's a puzzle and we're going to give you, we're not going to give you all the pieces. Right.
SPEAKER_00:Right. So when I started, um, One of the girls there had decided to go back to school. So I think I'd started and then she was gone maybe two or so weeks later. But the project she was working on, I kind of jumped in and got with her before she left to kind of get up to speed. But it ended up being a really fun project because... It was kind of like the first thing that I did while I was there. And I got to form that relationship with the client and kind of learn through that. And, again, they had kind of gotten somewhat far enough to where I wasn't doing everything from the beginning. But there was this wall mural that they ended up changing. And so I was able to create that, which was really fun because it was– a compilation of photos that the superintendent had sent of the students, the band, the cheerleaders, the pillars in the community, and just being able to collage that together and display it in their boardroom was awesome. Working with her and kind of getting, again, Photoshop even. I hadn't really used any of that in a while, so dusting that off too, it was a fun way to do that.
SPEAKER_03:To me, I think that would be the most validating or fun part of the job is... In college, you're creating things and they're relatively made up. You're making up projects and you're showing renderings and that sort of thing. But to create something and then see it in real life has got to be a great feeling.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was awesome.
SPEAKER_02:How long did that take? How far along was the project when you stepped in? I
SPEAKER_00:don't remember exactly, but some finishes were already selected. So it wasn't... I mean, there was already the overall scheme and everything. So at that point, it was just kind of... going through and confirming these things with the owner. Just for me to make sure, and this is what we liked, yes? Moving on. But again, everyone was super helpful. you know, I was able to, Hey, do you have a second to look at this and kind of talk through those things with our team to
SPEAKER_02:talk a little bit about Turner Batson for the people who are not familiar with them, just in terms of like the size of the firm, what sort of projects they focus on.
SPEAKER_00:So this
SPEAKER_02:is an interior design firm.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Well, architecture firm, but yes. Um, there are
SPEAKER_02:had your, we've had your boss on the show.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, snap.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. We had Anne Marie.
SPEAKER_00:Did you, um,
SPEAKER_02:didn't we, Did we not? We didn't. Chad's looking at me like, what are you talking about? Emery, you're next. They're reaching out to you. Okay, now we have to go back and psych.
SPEAKER_03:I'm like, who's our boss again? Maybe I'm mistaken. I think we've asked her to be on. She put us off or said I could do it. She outright rejected us now
SPEAKER_02:that you mentioned
SPEAKER_00:that. She said no, contact Melissa.
SPEAKER_02:Actually, I think she did say give me like six months or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've known Anne-Marie for a very long time, so in my head, we've already interviewed her. That's great. You know, Chad, we've been doing this over a year now.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I mean, we're a pretty good number of episodes in that I think you almost could assume we've done the person.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. We've had enough people on. So we have not had anyone from Turner Batson on the show. Happy to be the first one. You can be the first person to talk about them.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so Turner Batson... has, let's see, there's four designers on our team and about 25 people in our office, architects, BIM specialists, and it's a very family-oriented environment because it's a little bit smaller. So it was really nice going from the corporate environment world, like going into it, kind of having that closer knit group and not feeling like I went from, you know, residential to something large and firm of like 8,000 people. You've
SPEAKER_02:got a design studio of 75
SPEAKER_03:people. Right, exactly. And you've got a family that's really going to support you and work
SPEAKER_00:with you. Right, right. So that was really helpful with my transition because, you know, I could turn around and immediately ask for help. And it's very collaborative. And we do... Kind of a variety of projects, churches, higher ed, K through 12, some health care, corporate offices. It's kind of all around, so that's been fun because I feel like I've been able to work on a variety of projects, which has kind of helped not make you feel like you're in a rut or working on the same thing over and over again. You kind of get to experiment different areas. And as far as our teams go, The interior designers kind of float from the different architects, so we kind of get to work with everybody in the office, which is fun. Oh,
SPEAKER_03:that's
SPEAKER_00:nice. So, yeah, it's been great. I've really enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_03:Is there a particular type of project you're drawn to, like since you've worked on all these different?
SPEAKER_00:I do like to do the schools project. or even churches, but with schools, you know, you get to celebrate, you know, like their branding, their logos, and kind of have that mission and get to see it and how it affects, you know, the students in it and hear from those professionals on what works best. So I think that's really fun.
SPEAKER_03:Nice. Has there been any projects where– I know this never happens– where the project doesn't necessarily go as planned?
SPEAKER_00:You know, we do lots of renovation projects, which is, you know, you don't know what you don't know until– You uncover something that you hoped was not there. Exactly. So I feel like that's definitely– given me the most learning experience is you know we're working on a current church project that's a renovation and it's a larger project and so you know you have what you think is there and then you run into oh there's this huge column right here didn't know that was there and so I feel like that's helped me reach out to other people in our industry and learn from them because again like I said from the So even if I myself don't know, hey, that's an issue. I have this brilliant idea that I know about. It's like, you know, hey, what do you think? What have you done in the past that's worked, hasn't worked? So, I mean, I feel like that's why we have reps and certain people that focus on certain trades because they know. They've done it before. They've
SPEAKER_03:seen
SPEAKER_00:this problem. Yes, they've learned from it. similar situations or at least to know what doesn't work so i feel like in turn that'll help me in another project to be like oh i remember we did this maybe it'll work here so i feel like that's how
SPEAKER_02:you you mentioned columns and i'm going back to it just looking at me like he's looking at me like what are you about to say about columns um You know, I grew up around the industry, but I'm not an interior designer. And I've now been in the industry and the furniture side for 10 years. But what I've learned is, especially for a renovation project, columns are really annoying.
SPEAKER_00:They really are.
SPEAKER_02:They're really annoying. And it's just like all the,
SPEAKER_03:anytime I ever hear
SPEAKER_02:anybody. But they're
SPEAKER_03:also, from what I understand, and I'm not an architect, but I think they're important.
SPEAKER_00:They're very
SPEAKER_03:important.
SPEAKER_02:They're very important, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Important in a way that wherever they are found, they cannot leave.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. But wherever they are, again, especially renovation project, it's like they're in the way.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Right in the middle of a corridor. For what you want to do. Anytime I hear
SPEAKER_02:anyone complaining about a project, nine times out of ten, it's because a column... Is not going to it's going to impede the solution that they want or like a renovation where it's like, I really hope when we go and tear this wall down or whatever, that there's not a column.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Because they don't have they either don't have plans at all. Or they're dated or wrong.
SPEAKER_00:Right. The plan does not show the
SPEAKER_02:secret column. Yeah. So my ears perked up when you mentioned columns because I was like, I mean, just last week I was on a call where it's like, man, I really hope that's not a column. It's a column.
SPEAKER_00:We found a column today. Could be a horror
SPEAKER_02:movie, the secret column. Interior design horror movie. New idea. Four people are going to watch
SPEAKER_03:it.
SPEAKER_02:We're going to make it happen.
SPEAKER_03:We'll just get AI to do it. We'll see
SPEAKER_01:what it comes up
SPEAKER_03:with. There you go. We were talking about renovations and I live in Highland, park and one of my neighbors They've got a carriage house where the carriage house is where the staff used to live way back when. And so there's some built-in bunk beds in this carriage house, and they're renovating it. And so she had posted this on social media, and she's like, and we found this secret compartment. And so I'm telling my wife the story, and I mentioned they found this secret compartment, and my wife's eyes lit up like, ooh. And I was like, and they found condoms from the 1940s. Oh!
SPEAKER_02:And to watch her face fall. Yeah, that's not buried treasure. She was like, I was hoping gold. Some family heirloom. Today's episode is sponsored by Trojans. 80-year-old condoms. Who would have thought that columns, yeah, this is all your fault. You mentioned columns in our innovation, and this is where we ended up. Sorry. Yeah, you take the rest of it, Mark. Little did I know where that was going to go. It's not really a transition. It's just a funny anecdote. I had a really good friend of mine who was an architect. He shall remain nameless. He's never been mentioned on this show, and that's not a hint. I'm just saying it's not Michael Mann. that years ago he and his wife were going to renovate their house, and they had a demolition party in their house where they took down a bunch of walls, and there was a bunch of pizza and beer and stuff involved, and they took down a wall and got a little overzealous that was load-bearing, and the ceiling came in. No one was injured. good but yeah it's really again it goes back to columns these things are very important they're holding things up so
SPEAKER_00:sounds like a fun party though before that happened
SPEAKER_02:yeah no for sure I know these people well it was I'm sure it was a fun party I'm sure it continued to be a fun party so you didn't attend the party I was not at this party I've just you're not responsible I've heard I've heard stories so yeah so just be careful when you're renovating your own place even if you are an interior designer or an tread carefully to make sure that what you're about to tear down is not holding up what's above your head
SPEAKER_01:yes
SPEAKER_03:so have you found um this far into your career do you have a sense of your own sense of design style or no are you still developing it
SPEAKER_00:i feel like it's still developing
SPEAKER_03:okay
SPEAKER_00:um we've kind of i've also bounced around from several different projects so i feel like i still haven't had the amount of projects where I've been on from start to finish to kind of see where that goes. A lot of the projects I've worked on, I've been jumping on with another designer and kind of helping out and learning that way. So I feel like it's definitely still in progress.
SPEAKER_03:But you do have some, at least I think it was like a question about things you like to use in projects. So you do have some colors and
SPEAKER_00:things that you... Oh, I do. I do like to add color in projects. In school, it was funny. One of my... good friends in the um, program. We did a group project together and we are polar opposites and I was throwing color everywhere and she was very neutral. Everything did not like, so that was, that was a fun, um, group project.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, it could be inadvertently a good lesson for,
SPEAKER_00:you know, future, future cop for
SPEAKER_02:both of you
SPEAKER_00:for future compromise. Exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:Do you keep in touch with your, uh, any of your fellow classmates?
SPEAKER_00:I do. Yeah, I do.
SPEAKER_02:Andrew? Exactly. We were talking before we
SPEAKER_03:went on, and she doesn't know. Fellow Sanford grad? Yeah, she didn't
SPEAKER_02:go to Sanford. I think that was me. I'm like, yeah, you know Andrew? You're like, yeah, sure, I guess. And Chad's like, he went to Sanford. I'm like, oh, that's right. Yeah, you went to Mississippi State.
SPEAKER_03:That's fine. Yeah. Which in your thing you mentioned being a young designer, maybe your personality too, you tend to go with the flow a little bit? I
SPEAKER_00:do. I have a tendency, which I am– I don't want this to come across like I'm not listening, but like I'm a very active listener. And so, you know, I'll nod. And like, it just, sometimes it becomes like a habit. And like, even if I don't understand what you're saying to me, like, I'm sure from your point of view, it's like, oh, she got
SPEAKER_01:it. She
SPEAKER_03:nailed it. I get where people are like, I've already told you this before. Cause I'm like, I'm doing this. And they're like, oh, you already, I've told you. I'm like, no, no, I'm just really, really listening. I'm engaged.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And then I'll walk away and be like, oh, I really am going to have to run that back. So that definitely was a learning process because. Also, when you start somewhere, you don't want to be that person to ask 10,000 questions all the time. Right. And be like, oh, here she comes again. I'm never going to be able to get work done. Yeah. Someone help this girl. You've got
SPEAKER_03:to be strategic with
SPEAKER_00:your questions. Exactly. Spread them out. I just asked her a question. Let's go ask this person a question. Keep
SPEAKER_03:a spreadsheet of who you've
SPEAKER_00:asked. Exactly. Tracking it. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:So if you have a question, so let's say you've reached your question quota.
UNKNOWN:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:And then a question comes up where you're like, oh man, I need an answer. Do you Google it?
SPEAKER_00:I do Google some things, yes. And that's another thing. There's a balance because there are some things that you can figure out yourself. So you don't want to ask those questions where they're like, hey, if you just Googled dimension four, you don't have to ask me.
SPEAKER_03:This is a conversation I have with my parents all the time. All about everything. I can't figure out how to do. And so we'll sit down and like, all right, I don't either. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to Google that and this is what I'm googling and there's your answer yeah
SPEAKER_00:exactly glad
SPEAKER_03:I drove over
SPEAKER_00:here exactly but then you know there are other things where it's like I'm not doing myself or the production of what I'm doing any good if I try to build this section for three hours and it's probably not right instead of asking hey can you walk through this with me
SPEAKER_03:in five minutes
SPEAKER_00:so that I do it the correct way and not spend two hours doing what
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:You know.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, that's a good, like, recognition of, like, the economy of time, right? Right. It's like, okay, what's the best use of my time?
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_02:What's the best use of, like, the time I need to put in this project and the billing and all the hours and all that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_00:So that's smart. Definitely a time for learning and also a time for just get the answer and do it correctly and let's move on. And move on, for sure.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Has there been a project that you've worked on that was particularly challenging but ultimately turned out really well?
SPEAKER_00:It's still in the works, but we are doing a church project currently. And it was one of those things where I designed this tree that they call the Tree of Life. I don't know who named it. Where's the tree
SPEAKER_03:going?
SPEAKER_00:In a lobby, a kid's lobby. So it's a tree. So the adults
SPEAKER_03:go in one place and the kids go in another place?
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. There's a small door in the tree and the kids can go in it. And there's kind of a seat at the bottom. Anyway, so I had designed it in Enscape and... Of course, I have not been in the field too long to where when I designed it, I wasn't necessarily seeing what it was made of. So working with the contractors, our architects, and a whole group of the team, it's starting to come to life, and it's exciting. What's it going
SPEAKER_03:to be made out of?
SPEAKER_00:So the tree canopy is just a gypsum board soffit, and the limbs are... this PVC product with wood printed on it, and then it's kind of sandwiched between... I just slapped it from the mic. Right in the mic. Sandwiched between MDF board. So they're very hefty, very large.
SPEAKER_03:So when you were first designing it, you had no concept of what the materials would be, or did you?
SPEAKER_00:I didn't.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Except for, of course, the bottom part, slightly new, because it would be... somewhat of a millwork section. And so this was a
SPEAKER_03:collaboration then with talking to different vendors. Like this is my vision. How do we make this? Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Which I feel like was the first time I've kind of like pushed something like that because it's kind of like when you don't know, you're like, can I even do that? Right. So it's been really cool to see that you can, it may not be exactly how you want it to be once you talk to, you know, the people that are making it and how it can be made, but it's, to kind of push yourself to at least try to achieve what you want. And then, you know, there are professionals out there that can make it happen, and it's exciting.
SPEAKER_02:You may already be aware, but I'm going to ask this question anyway. Are you aware that this is not the first tree that Turner Batson has done?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, are you talking about the–
SPEAKER_02:The one in Ferris?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Yep. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Slightly different look tree. It's also in a brewery
SPEAKER_02:and not in a church. So yeah, different applications.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. But yeah. Yeah. That was a really cool project. I feel like on our, you know, when we go to student days and things, that's the one that everybody's like, what is that?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. This is Mary Claire Brown.
SPEAKER_03:And actually, you guys have made another tree as well. Have we? No, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:What's funny, we're working on another project, speaking of columns, where it's a renovation project for another church, but there's a column in the middle of... this corridor, and it happens to also be in a kid's area. And one of the- So now it would become a tree, potentially? Yes, somebody had mentioned, like, what if we made it a tree? And I was like, like, making all
SPEAKER_02:kinds of- I need, whether it's public- Available publicly or not, I need Turner Batson to build a tree portfolio on your website. That's
SPEAKER_03:so true. And maybe the T in Turner Batson could be a tree.
SPEAKER_02:Totally, totally changed. That is so true. Yeah, just go to town on the logo. I mean, y'all just did new branding several years ago. It's time to rebrand.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. If you need a tree, reach out.
SPEAKER_02:But I think it could be like a funny little, in my head, it's like a funny little like Easter egg, if you will. Right, right. Hear all the trees that we've done growing. You could do a whole crazy write-up.
SPEAKER_00:That's so true. Lots of opportunity with it. Well,
SPEAKER_03:I want to talk about sustainability. Okay. Let's go. Speaking of trees. That's so true. Great segue. I'm just kidding because she was like, let's not talk about sustainability. Because Melissa
SPEAKER_02:hates sustainability. I'm kidding. Please.
SPEAKER_03:No, it But we had a conversation before we started recording, and I think it's kind of an important conversation in a way. A lot of times we have these conversations with people, we're not recording, and then it's like, oh, that would have been great on the podcast. That's so true. But, you know, talking about sustainability, and I think you were mentioning, Mark, that in Nancy Jernigan, it was kind of like, I just assume the manufacturers or the vendors I'm using are using sustainable practices. And I think at this point, that's almost like the entry level. I mean, you do that. For sure. You have to do that already. But then, you know, once you get to the sustainable part, and we talked about this on the last couple podcasts, where Maybe it's recyclable, but how do you recycle it, and what's the content, and where does it go? What are the details? Right. You can recycle it, yes. Technically, yes. All these things are recyclable, but you can't actually get them to the place, or it's so time-consuming that what are you actually saving, or what's the energy that's going into doing those things? I
SPEAKER_02:was in a lunch and learn recently where– it was same, same, but different in terms of the theme of this conversation. It had, but it had to do with costs and it was like, okay, you could have, you could go out and buy the least expensive version of this product that you need. We'll call it cheap, uh, And that's great from a money perspective, but having the conversation with your client, be like, yeah, this is going to save you money this second, but in 18 months you're going to throw it all away and have to buy it again. Right. That's not even talking about whether or not it's recyclable. It's just like, is it worth?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Yeah. Well, no, it does get, I mean, that was both Andrew and Audrey.
SPEAKER_02:It was Audrey, I think. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Also mentioned it was, you know, the longevity of something also gets to the sustainability of it. How long something lasts. Mm-hmm. Is it built well so that you're not replacing it every few years? So what are your thoughts on that? I second everything both of you just said. You are very agreeable. Yes. I'm going to nod. You're like, yes, sustainability rocks. What advice do you have for... Individuals aspiring to become interior designers like my daughter who's thinking about it.
SPEAKER_00:She's in high school. Exciting. Yes. I would do your research or depending on where you are, shadow different people in the industry. Because again, that's something I feel like I didn't know until I got out is, you know, the different opportunities within the industry. That's not being a designer at a firm like,
SPEAKER_03:you know. Yeah. So hypothetically. If she wanted to shadow somebody at Turner Bats in the summer.
SPEAKER_00:She could hypothetically reach out to Turner Bats and shadow me. Or anyone there. Maybe, but I don't make those
SPEAKER_03:decisions. Your boss does. Who was on the podcast at the time.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, right? I think Anne-Marie already talked about this. That's so true. When she was on last night. There are openings. I mean, I completely memory, not memory hold. What's the opposite of memory holding something? Memory conjuring? I've never
SPEAKER_03:even heard of memory
SPEAKER_00:hold. I was about to say, I'm not sure. You've never heard of
SPEAKER_02:memory holding? Memory holding is basically like you intentionally forget something. You're like, I'm just going to memory hole that. Like, it's just going to go. I'm going to take it, and I'm going to forget about
SPEAKER_03:it. I think I memory holed memory holing. Yeah. Right?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I think I guess the opposite would be memory conjuring. I memory conjured Ann Marie being on the show. I'm like, picture. I'm like, no, Jax, you're sitting right there where Melissa is sitting now. That's
SPEAKER_03:where all the guests sit.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's true. This is where you can go back years from now and mark the beginning of the end in terms of my memory. It all started. The cognitive decline started. It's going great. Episode 32.
SPEAKER_00:But yeah, I would tell her to reach out, shadow, so you can actually see. what it's like before.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Yeah. She's, she's considering architecture as well, but I think she's leaning heavily to interior design.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. And that was one of the things that she's been going to different college campuses. Um, some campuses start the, uh, architects and interior design kind of together and they take, is that same at Mississippi state? Do you know?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I think so. I'm really
SPEAKER_03:just, I'm recruiting, I'm learning about this. Has she been to Mississippi state? She has not been, she hasn't been to visit
SPEAKER_00:yet. She should. Okay. Great program. Um, I know at like the career fair and things like that they do have both together. Right. Where I know some schools, it's very separate. But as far as, you know, on campus and things like that, it's pretty two different.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Because that was something I thought was interesting where you were talking about where the biggest change is the collaboration where you get on the project and there's all these different people that have to touch on it. I wonder if that would make sense, you know, senior year.
SPEAKER_00:We do actually. Okay. Now that you mentioned that. All right. Senior year at Mississippi State. That's not what you said at all. Busted. Let me explain. The group that we worked with senior year was architects, building construction science, graphic design. And it's kind of like one or two from each principle working together, which was really cool. So they thought of this. They did think of those things. Shout out Mississippi State. It was great. But again, it was a really challenging project because you're also like... I hope my team
SPEAKER_03:is good.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. So I got really blessed with a good team. Um, but it was really cool. We went out to an actual site and had clients that we talked to and kind of figured what they want. And then, yeah, we had to present to them and everything.
SPEAKER_02:What did the, what did the graphic designers do in this like environmental signage from somebody who, yeah, I'm just curious. Like, yes,
SPEAKER_00:they did. And we had to have, um, two or three boards, um, And so she did a lot of, yes. And the branding, things like that. Yeah. That's smart. That's really cool. Yeah, yeah,
SPEAKER_03:yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I think other schools should do this if they're not already. Take note. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:But yeah, it was awesome. I feel like it kind of was the first project. It was like, oh, okay. Sorry, I don't mean to overstep. Because, you know, we're used to doing the whole project. So when the architect was like, hey... That's me. We're like, okay. So, you know, it kind of taught you how to work as a team. You were like, I don't think you understand
SPEAKER_02:columns. Yeah, I was going to say,
SPEAKER_03:that column is load-bearing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Or could you move it? It's really messing things up.
SPEAKER_00:Or if we're going to keep it, can we make it a tree?
SPEAKER_02:Yes. There we go.
SPEAKER_03:Alchemist back to trees.
SPEAKER_02:It does. Yeah. I was going to jump into the hobbies part.
SPEAKER_03:I was about to as well.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, do you want to? No, go for it. Okay. Yeah, we're getting a little bit more personable on this show. It's not just about all work all the time. And, you know, you mentioned you're also now– we've had several people. I get excited when people answer the last bullet point on the questionnaire.
SPEAKER_00:I know. I feel like I couldn't have just left it blank. But then I'm like, if I answer it, does it sound like I'm like– These questions aren't enough here. 30
SPEAKER_02:odd guests, maybe five people have written something down. Yeah. So you said, you know, here's your chance to add what you want to talk about. And you said, I love all things movies, planning trips, and fantasy football. Let's start with... How surprising is that? Let's start with fantasy football.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. So I guess... Maybe it was my first year at Turner Batson. We have an office-wide fantasy football draft. This
SPEAKER_03:is NFL.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes. Mm-hmm. And I drafted my players. And this
SPEAKER_03:was the first time you've ever done fantasy football. Yes. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:I had been to one or two NFL games with, like, my dad growing up, but never did fantasy football. So you're familiar with the sport. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Slightly familiar with football. And so drafted my players, never really opened the app again. And then the next year, my roommates were like...
SPEAKER_03:How did
SPEAKER_00:you do? Um... I'm not going to lie. I wouldn't know because I'd never opened it up. Oh, because I thought this was about to be like a draft of a player and
SPEAKER_02:then I won. Yeah,
SPEAKER_00:I didn't win, but I do think my team was pretty good. I heard from other people. I'm sure it got tricky whenever people were on a bye. I'm sure that's where my season tanked because I wasn't, you know. Anyway, so then the next year, I don't really know how we got to talking about it, but my roommates were like, we should do a fantasy football league. What's that about? I really didn't know much. And so I was like, we use this app, let's try it. And so anyway, we ended up doing it. And when I tell you the four of us became middle-aged men for like six months, I like, I mean, watched.
SPEAKER_03:So it was just you and your three roommates, roommates for the, okay. Was there a pot or a prize?
SPEAKER_00:Um, That's the thing. Of course, there wasn't the first year we did it. Why? Don't know. I guess because we weren't that into it yet. It's still competitive. And I won. Okay. And then you were like, we've got to have a prize. This past year, we did one with just our four roommates, and then we had another one with like 10 friends. And, of course, there was money put in both of those, and I didn't win either one of them. Like, are you kidding?
SPEAKER_03:How are you doing in the Turner-Banson one? They still do it, that one?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. And I did okay. Okay. My problem was that this year, my first two round draft picks just did not to perform the way they were expected to. So
SPEAKER_02:was this an unexpected hobby? Like, were you like, I did not
SPEAKER_00:like my parents were like shocked. Like if I went home for the weekend, I'd be like, I probably need to get back close to noon. There's games on in
SPEAKER_02:the group, in the group. So you've got your, you and your three or four roommates, there's four of you total. And then you have a group of 10. Is that, is, is that mixed
SPEAKER_00:guys and girls? No, it's, The four roommates plus like five of our other friends.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. And those five friends
SPEAKER_00:are all girls? Yes, all girls. Interesting.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And of course, not all of them watch as much.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, I think, you know, if there were guys that are single, it'd be like, wait, okay, this is great. Right. If I could find... How do I get
SPEAKER_02:in on this group? That's
SPEAKER_00:so true. We'll have to open it up next year.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So I've never done, I don't pay any attention to NFL football at all. Like not even
SPEAKER_00:a little bit. March Madness is your thing.
SPEAKER_02:I pay attention to March Madness a little bit. I pay attention to college football a bit, probably a little bit less than people would think given the things that I host during those seasons. But I've never, just never really been in NFL, but I have buddies that are in, you know, fantasy leagues like you, right? And every year they send out an invite and I'm just like, nah, I'm not gonna.
SPEAKER_03:My wife brags on me. He's like, he's not in a fantasy league. He doesn't play golf. I'm so
SPEAKER_01:proud of him. He doesn't do all the things you don't do. But I
SPEAKER_02:don't know. Maybe you inspire me that when the NFL season starts that I accept that invite.
SPEAKER_00:You absolutely should. And the
SPEAKER_02:$10 buy-in. How
SPEAKER_03:much does it consume? How much time does it consume? Yeah, that's a good question.
SPEAKER_00:A lot
SPEAKER_03:of time. Okay, see, I'm out.
SPEAKER_00:And I totally get that. um yeah it is kind of crazy I'm like I feel like my dad like I actually understand you know growing up you're like how can you simply watch this much
SPEAKER_03:are you and your dad closer now
SPEAKER_00:it's so true it brought us together but yeah it is funny and I can tell like even like cousins are like when I'm home and you like all of a sudden you're like joining the conversation. You're like, yeah, that player, that play was crazy. They're like, what in
SPEAKER_01:the
SPEAKER_00:world? How do you know that? Um, but anyway, it was, it's a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02:That's pretty cool. That's fantastic. Interesting. Yeah. Maybe, maybe one day I'll, I'll get, probably not. I'll
SPEAKER_00:check in when it's time.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Yeah. If there's one that it doesn't take a ton of time, I'd be, you know, yeah, but it does seem like I'd, I'd get obsessed with it and I don't have time to get Obsessed with things.
SPEAKER_00:It's not necessarily the healthiest thing when you feel like you need to constantly watch.
SPEAKER_02:I feel that way about a lot of sports. So we talked a little bit about like being agreeable and like smiling and not even be like, I am 100% that way, especially because we're here in Alabama and we love our sports.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:When people talk to me, I mean, most recently people talking to me about March Madness. Right. And again, I'm hosting two March Madness brackets.
SPEAKER_00:Right. You're giving a recap and everything.
SPEAKER_02:Internally and externally, I'm writing recaps and people will... come into my office and they'll just start talking about specific plays and players. And I'm like, yeah, I'm like, yeah, I did.
SPEAKER_00:That was wild.
SPEAKER_02:I am lying, you know, or like when college football is around and people talk about like, oh man, you know, Auburn got so-and-so or how excited are we? I'm like, and you're like, you're reading their time. We're excited. Yeah. Like I have no idea what they're talking about. I don't, I really, I don't
SPEAKER_03:have time just partially because the kids and everything, but I don't have time to watch all the sports games. Yeah. but I do listen to ESPN in the car and I'm in the car you get the highlights yeah so I get the highlights and so I'm I can converse in sports yeah and I know what's going on you know enough to nod and smile and say yeah and throw in like a little thing I was like oh he's up today yeah
SPEAKER_00:yeah that's so true or
SPEAKER_02:you ask questions like hey when are we playing them again remind me is that next that's right that's two weeks from now I'm
SPEAKER_03:usually enough up to be like oh no no we're playing we're playing them two weeks out yeah like I'll know things I just won't watch the games
SPEAKER_00:yeah that's so funny but yeah it's okay but you know you don't have to watch all the games you really don't need to watch you just watch the
SPEAKER_02:games that your players are involved in right which I think is see again I know
SPEAKER_03:this
SPEAKER_02:much
SPEAKER_00:about it which I think is
SPEAKER_03:what because you help influence what happens on the field
SPEAKER_00:100%. By watching. Give the pep talks to my players weekly. Right. 100%.
SPEAKER_02:Interesting little things that we know. Do we have time to talk about show choir?
SPEAKER_00:Sure. We don't have to make time for that.
SPEAKER_02:Well, you mentioned, you know, you gave a shout out. What's the group you shouted out? What's the, that you shouted
SPEAKER_00:out? Oh, Summer Show Offs. Summer Show Offs. Summer Camp.
SPEAKER_02:And so talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_00:So, It's a camp where kids learn five songs each. There's different age groups, and at the end of the week, there's a performance. Okay. So they learn five songs, and every kid gets a solo on the mic. No pressure. Yes. Okay. Yeah, and it's a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02:Did you do this as a child?
SPEAKER_00:You know, it's funny. It started in Grenada, Mississippi.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I'm pretty sure it's pronounced Grenada. I wanted to say that at the start of the show, and I let it go. Melissa
SPEAKER_00:Sones from Grenada, Mississippi. Yeah, exactly. It did start in Grenada, Mississippi, so I did it when I was little, and then... somehow got reintroduced when i got to college somebody that was in my sorority was a counselor and i was like oh so when they came to campus i talked to them and then i ended up working for three summers so yeah it's a lot of fun it's really fun seeing the kids that are so shy and timid
SPEAKER_03:right
SPEAKER_00:and not want to you know speak into the mic or stand on stage you know on friday or with the help and confidence boost from all the counselors and everyone else. Stand up there and do it. Belt something out. Yeah. This
SPEAKER_02:may be a dumb question, but so in encouraging these children, are you also singing? Like, are you getting up there and being like... Can you give us a little something? Is this thing on? It's going to be really bad if it's not. We started the show talking about me and Chet having episodes. We just talked to ourselves. This is going to be a weird show.
SPEAKER_00:Not necessarily in the performance with them, but there's also... uh the high school group that normally some counselors have to fill in spots and so the counselors will have solos and so that's really cool when they see you know but when we're in the classroom too sometimes you will sing with them right with the child to kind of yeah get them
SPEAKER_03:yeah
SPEAKER_00:acclimated but yeah and
SPEAKER_03:when does that start
SPEAKER_00:um
SPEAKER_03:in june june okay
SPEAKER_00:and then they also do uh christmas Holiday show off. You like Christmas because you mentioned that earlier. I love Christmas. One year in middle school. I think I was in middle school. I did keep my Christmas tree up year round. Decorated it per holidays.
SPEAKER_02:Was this like, so you're in middle school. You're at your parents' house, I'm presuming. Yes, yes. You don't have your own apartment. In my side house. Is the Christmas tree in your room?
SPEAKER_00:It is not. It was in like our game room. So it wasn't like in my parents' living room. Okay,
SPEAKER_02:yeah, yeah. And so your parents were, they allowed this
SPEAKER_00:to happen. Yeah, yeah, yeah, she said. Just crazy. Do whatever you want. I mean, I wasn't like...
SPEAKER_02:We're talking about trees again, by
SPEAKER_00:the way. It all goes back to trees. We had our
SPEAKER_03:Christmas tree up a long, long time. I'm trying to remember when. It was in January, but well into January before we got rid of the Christmas tree. And this lady, she was walking by, I guess it was early February, and she was walking by the front of our house, and she was like, hey, were you the house that had the Christmas tree up for a long time? And I said... Yeah. And she's like, I love that. I'm like, okay. Okay. All right. Good. Were you shocked by that comment? Yeah. What is she about to say? I wasn't sure where that was going. And we have yet to send out our Christmas cards, but we're going to.
SPEAKER_02:Are you going to send them out in like July or
SPEAKER_03:something? When I get done writing the letter, we always write a letter. It falls off the radar and then I'm like, oh, I didn't write the letter yet. And so, yeah, whenever I get the letter written, they're already, my wife's done all her work. It's on me. So I got to wait till a few things get passed and then, yeah, it'll go out at some point.
SPEAKER_02:So, but you're not waiting till next Christmas to like hold on to these? No, no, we're going to send them out. I mean, you're in the
SPEAKER_03:card, Mark, from the deer dressed as Buddy the Elf. Yes. In the card. Love
SPEAKER_00:it. It's got to go out. So it's
SPEAKER_03:going to make it even stranger. It's my family and you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Christmas in
SPEAKER_03:June. Or who knows? Yeah. That's so true. Hopefully before June. Okay. But maybe not. But maybe not. Yeah. We're getting there. All right. We are almost 55 minutes in. Do you
SPEAKER_02:know what happens next, Melissa, at the 55-minute mark?
SPEAKER_03:I do.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Oh, yeah. Sounds excited. You know, these are not that hard. I mean, unless I get on the weird list here. Here, we'll just start with a favorite book.
SPEAKER_00:That's so funny that you asked that, because I'm really not a big reader. However, recently, I... just recently read a book, and I feel like every time it's near summer, oh, sorry, this is rapid fire, Catching Fire, the second book of The Hunger Games.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. It's okay for you.
SPEAKER_00:But I feel like every time it's close to summer is when I'm like, oh, I want to be a reader because I'm just sitting outside, you know, the best time to read is by the beach, you know, nothing else to do. And so... I just read The Silent Patient, which was great. Would recommend. I've read that.
SPEAKER_02:Chad does read. I do.
SPEAKER_00:Did you read it?
SPEAKER_02:I did.
SPEAKER_00:Did you like it? I did. Yeah, it was
SPEAKER_03:good. That was a recommendation. I think
SPEAKER_02:Jess Babler recommended that one to me. Instead of being in a, you know, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy, Fantasy Football Draft. I'm going to join a book club next year. We'll talk about video games later. Yeah, instead of being in a fantasy football club, Chad is in a book club. There you go. Not to tell your stories,
SPEAKER_03:but yeah. Yeah. Because that doesn't take any time, reading. Right. Fair. Yeah. All right. Oh, yeah, it's your turn. It's my turn, yeah. And let's follow up my daughter, the one that will be shadowing you this summer. Right. She's reading the most recent one. The author just came out with another. Yes, I just started it too. Yeah, okay. What's your favorite movie since you said that you're into all things movies?
SPEAKER_00:It's hard to pick one, but I think I'm going to have to go with 13 going on 30 if I had to pick one.
SPEAKER_02:Is that the Jennifer Garner?
SPEAKER_00:Great soundtrack.
SPEAKER_03:Jamie Lee Curtis? No, no, no, no, no. That's Freaky Friday. Freaky Friday. Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_00:Also a great one.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Same theme, though.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, similar theme. But the one that you said, my wife and I went and saw that in the theater in– Out in California, we had gone to Coachella. Wow. And it was brutally hot. And so one day, like around noon, we just went and saw a movie. There you go. Take a break from the heat. And then went back to the concert. Very rock and roll of you. 13 going up there. So true. Blue or black ink?
SPEAKER_00:Black ink.
SPEAKER_03:If you could go anywhere in the world, budget is not a consideration, where would you go?
SPEAKER_00:Italy.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Been there before? No. Okay.
SPEAKER_02:You should go. So that's all I got. What was the first thing you did when you got to work this morning?
SPEAKER_00:What did I do? Turned on my computer and I printed out the questions that I answered.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Nice. So you came prepared. To refresh myself. Yeah, you came prepared. Did I look at it really? No, but it was there in case I needed it.
SPEAKER_03:Which of your three roommates is the most annoying? I'm just kidding. You have to answer. Can't answer that. You'll edit that out. Yeah. Come up with a silly name for a summer camp.
SPEAKER_00:Ooh. I
SPEAKER_02:don't know if we've ever asked a rapid fire question that was like, also be creative on
SPEAKER_00:the spot. I don't know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that's good. Next question. It's silent. Get back to us. We'll answer that question on the next episode. So true. When Anne-Marie comes on, she can answer it. When Anne-Marie comes on. Well, Mary Claire wants to come on.
SPEAKER_00:She did tell me.
SPEAKER_02:She told you?
SPEAKER_00:I don't know if I've told you this, Chad. Episode 73.
SPEAKER_02:73, yeah. So she also has a number. This is before I started... revisiting my proactive trend of scheduling people in advance. Right. Right. And so I'd kind of like messaged, emailed you to be like, can you be on the show tomorrow sort of scenario. And so then I texted Mary Claire. So don't, didn't have your number at the time. I texted Mary Claire. I was like, Hey, you need to convince Melissa to be on the show. Mary Claire never responded to me. And, and we're friends, I think. Right. Yeah. And I saw her at an event like a week or two later. And I brought it up. Because by this time, we had already gotten you on the calendar and everything like that. And I made a joke about it. And she was like, yeah, didn't want to ask me. And I was like, I thought you didn't want to be on the show. Like, I actually thought, again, cognitive decline. Ann Marie's on the show, and I'm imagining Mary Claire. Memory holing? Yeah, yeah, memory holing. Yeah, somewhere I'd gotten in my head that, like, Mary Claire had no– Because we're both friends with Mary Claire, you and I. Sure, yeah. You thought. We were. Chad still is. Yeah, this is all me. But yeah, I just thought that like in board meetings before she had rolled off the board. It was kind of like, ooh. Yeah, that face. So I'm like, oh, she doesn't want to be on the show. I do a good impersonation of her.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Spot on.
SPEAKER_02:And so, yeah, so episode 73. Because that's her favorite number. Right. And so we'll have her on. How did we get on this? I don't know where we are. I don't know. If you weren't an interior designer, what would you be?
SPEAKER_00:I don't know. Maybe some kind of event planner, coordinator. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Dead answer. Vague. I feel passionate about that one. What's something that you are sneaky good at that most people would know about? Outside of fantasy football. I was about to say fantasy football. Final fantasy.
SPEAKER_00:Um... Oh gosh, I feel like I have to answer this because I didn't answer the last one, but I can't think of something.
SPEAKER_03:My questions have been terrible.
SPEAKER_02:The next show, we're not going to ask the guest rapid fire. We're just going to have them read your answers and be submitted later.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know.
SPEAKER_03:Outdoor, uh, freaking figs.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Croquet. Croquet.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. What is your favorite non-swear swear word or phrase? I could be completely misreading you. You don't strike me as someone who swears to begin with. And you would not be the first person that we've asked this question. I don't
SPEAKER_03:swear. But say kids are present and you stub your toe really hard.
SPEAKER_00:I do say Sheila a lot. Like if I say my name, I'm like, Sheila. Sheila.
SPEAKER_03:Even if there's a Sheila present?
SPEAKER_00:That's tricky. I have to say something to Sheila after that. Sheila. I have to say something. Hey. How you doing?
SPEAKER_02:Why did they put this column
SPEAKER_03:here? The secret column. What did you just recently finish binge watching?
SPEAKER_00:White Lotus. Well, I'm not finished, but. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:That's what you're currently
SPEAKER_02:in. Mm-hmm. Okay.
UNKNOWN:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02:Nice. So you've watched the first two seasons? I did. And then now, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02:It's a great show.
SPEAKER_00:It is. Crazy.
SPEAKER_02:I think that's it. I was like looking for like one more. Okay, I've got, well, no, you already did that one. Okay, yeah. That was the last one. White Lotus. I was like, I thought I had something else that I wanted to throw in there. I was like, no. Whatever. What a great finish. And we're out. Goodbye, everybody.
SPEAKER_03:No, but really, I don't have a closing. So we're out. Thank you for the cookies. We haven't even gotten into them. What was funny, so we're recording this on April 1st. Yep. So even though this is airing May 1st. And she came in with a box of cookies for us. Although the box is... Very, very light. Suspiciously light. Extremely light. To the point where Mark was like, I'm not opening this. Chad, you open this. Something's wrong with this package. And opened it up. And of course, there were no cookies inside. It just says April Fool's because it's empty. But you can tell it's empty. You can so tell it's empty. But then she had another box of cookies. So we're going to eat cookies. Thank you so much for coming on and bringing us cookies. Thank you all for having me. Thanks, Melissa. It was great. Appreciate it.